MONDAY: Certified Compatible

BY JOHN-PAUL COTE

Copyright is held by the author.

“GOOD MORNING, FreshSync™ Living Unit 4A!”

Alyssa rolled over in her bed and stared at the clock on her nightstand. The calming chime played softly. She heard the familiar chirp of the FreshSync Living Suite™ voice assistant as she rolled back over, wanting a few more moments of rest before beginning her day.

“Your mattress reports 82% restful sleep,” Aura the AI assistant said. “Start with Bolanger’s Coffee™! It’s a great way to start the day!”

Alyssa dragged herself up and slowly struggled to the bathroom. As she entered, the lights warmed to a pre-approved brightness. The SmartMirror™ offered a gentle reminder that her emotional expression quota was three smiles behind for the week.

For Alyssa, the mirror said it all. A lifeless, pale reflection that stared back at her. That’s how she felt.

“You appear tense. Would you like to watch a 90-second ad to unlock Calming Mode™?”

She just stared. The ad played.

“Activating Calming Mode™. Get 20% off your next emotional breakdown with MoodSync™ Plus!””

Reaching for her toothbrush and toothpaste, Alyssa tried to fit together what her day would be like. Reading her thoughts, Aura brought up the schedule for the day. Lunch with her sister today made her smile a bit.

Suddenly, the mirror started flashing red. Her toothbrush hissed and retracted its bristles.

“WARNING: Incompatible hygiene product detected. You are trying to use SmileMore Plus Paste™ instead of MintMax+ UltraSmile™ by FreshSync™ with your FreshSync™ SmartBrush™.”

“Dammit”, she thought, “I bought the wrong frickin’ toothpaste. When did that change?”

As she stepped into the shower and started the water, Aura continued.

“Excellent lather distribution! Keep up the radiant hygiene!”

Alyssa gave a half-ass smile.

“That smile was limited in its effort. It will not be counted towards today’s totals.”

***

The voice kept going, following her from the bathroom to her bedroom, then to the kitchen.

“Can we just cut the racket for a bit, please?”

“I detect elevated hostility. Would you like to schedule a CalmSync™ session to address this emotional turbulence?”

Sigh.

“Welcome to your Morning Meal Engagement Zone™!” Aura said as it illuminated her SmartTable™ and placemat with soft pastel lights and a cheerful ping.

As she chewed her cereal, her table reflected a glowing emoji face.

“Yes, that’s exactly how I feel. Just great.”

***

Her workday over, Alyssa returned to her apartment. She closed the door and pressed herself against it. Today had been rough. Jill was replaced for not meeting her quota of smiles. That kind of attitude was not accepted. She would be heading for an enjoyment protocol to get her back into shape.

“Welcome home, Alyssa! You outperformed 62% of your Peer Cohort™! A motivational quote from your Success Subscription™ is ready when you are!””

“No.”

***

After dinner, the couch warmed to her body temperature as she sat down. Aura turned on the TV and displayed the updates from her many social media accounts. Soon, bedtime. As she changed, Aura played softly pulsing visuals and a calming voice whispering affirmations in the background.

“Sleep tight, Alyssa,” it would say. “FreshSync™ is always watching over you because we care.”

***

Another day down. Only “only 4,382 workdays away from Standard Retirement Tier Access™.”

Walking into the apartment, Alyssa knew something was wrong. The lights were gently pulsing. The coffeemaker was singing a song:

“BrewMate™ loves you, yes it does,

Delivering warmth with every buzz!

No other beans will do just fine—

Only Sync-Approved™ Brand Design!”

She looked to her fridge, her stove, her kitchen countertop, and finally to the large, translucent display hovering in her living room. They all showed the same glowing loop, the dreaded RefreshRing™. An update was in progress. She watched as the time changed from 18 minutes to completion to 47 minutes. A scream felt pointless. She grabbed a candy bar from her purse and went out to the balcony.

Next door, her neighbour was yelling into a phone. He howled, then threw the phone into his apartment.

“You appear distressed,” his assistant said. “Please do not damage FreshSync™ certified hardware. Your Loyalty Warranty™ may be affected.”

The neighbour shook his head. He then saw Alyssa sneaking the candy bar.

“I paid for the NoAds Plan™, but now they just call the ads ‘curated experiences.’ Goddamned technology. It’ll kill us all.”

Alyssa picked up a watering can. In front of her were a dozen plants. Her plants. Her children. Wonderful greens. Fantastic flowers.

“Hey there, little one… missed you today. Looks like you were reaching for the sun again, huh? I moved you just a bit. We don’t want you getting scorched. There you go. That’s better.

“And look at you, you’re putting out new leaves already.

“You, you’ve gotten taller. Greener. Stronger.

“Alright, time for a drink. Just a little. There… doesn’t that feel good? Yes it does, yes it does.

A chime sounded in the apartment, alerting that the update was complete.

“Alright, I’ll be here tomorrow. Same time. I promise.”

Alyssa walked back in. An animated stick figure hovered above the floor.

“Hi there, Alyssa! I’m Sketchy™! Your system is now upgraded to FreshSync™ 32.18.2. Prepare for a life-changing upgrade! Now, along with our Essential™, Comfort™, ComfortPlus™, and PremiumFlow™ levels, we give you the chance to upgrade your life to SyncElite™. It’s only 999.99 credits a month. What do you say?”

“I say I’ll stay with where I’m at.”

“We’ve made adjustments to the lifestyles at each level to better serve you. You may notice a change in services offered. Take care!”

And Sketchy disappeared.

The lights in her apartment lowered their brightness. A scowl appeared on Alyssa’s face. Reaching the oven, she entered her favourite meal. The displayed blinked ‘0000-00’.

“Aura?”

“I’m sorry, Alyssa, but that option is no longer available at the ComfortPlus™ level.”

“What?”

“Would you like to upgrade to enjoy your favourite meal without interruption?”

Alyssa scrolled through the ‘new’ menu.

“What the hell is ‘SynthiSpaghetti™ + GlobuMeat™ Combo Pack’?”

—

After supper, Alyssa entered the bedroom. A single, tinny note greeted her, repeating and droning softly.

“Aura, what is this? Where’s Zephyr Moon?”

“Zephyr Moon is no longer available at this level. The nearest comparable artist, SynthDaddy, has replaced the music.”

“Ugh.”

Then suddenly…

“Tonight’s relaxation is brought to you by MoodGro™ Sleep Gummies! Rest smart, wake optimized!”

And the music continued.

Alyssa longed to collapse onto her bed and bury her face in the pillows. Hitting the bed, she gasped audibly as the impact knocked the air from her lungs.

“Aura, what’s with the mattress?”

“We have set your CloudRest™ 9 mattress comfort control to 40%, matching the ComfortPlus™ level. Would you like to upgrade to increase your comfort control setting?”

Alyssa put the pillow over her face and screamed.

—

The next day Aura greeted her after work and asked how her day was because her readings were indicating…

With a sigh, Alyssa walked out to her balcony.

She stopped at the door. Instead of her plants, there was a…cactus. A tiny cactus. She picked it up.

“Aura?”

“This is Mr. Prickles! As per your lifestyle level, FreshSync™ ambassadors were here today to adjust your existing flora. Mr. Prickles say, ‘Hello!’ to you, Alyssa!”

Alyssa threw Mr. Prickles over the balcony.

That was it. It all had to end.

***

Alyssa located the man sitting on a park bench. She took a furtive glance around as she sat. The man looked at her.

“Hey look everyone! Illegal stuff going down!”

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to look.”

“We’re just two old friends having a coffee on a nice day.” The man passed her a warm cup. “It’s black. That’s what the database said you liked.”

Alyssa shifted uneasily as she took the coffee.

“My cousin, Brendan, said you can help me out with my apartment.”

“So, what do you want? The full package? Crack the machine?”

“As long as I get back to what I had, I’m happy.”

“Never settle for what you have when you can have more.”

“You sound like a corporate.”

“Don’t we all?” He said with a sarcastic smile. “I’ve got my stuff with me. Where’s your place?”

Alyssa felt eyes on her, like their every move was scrutinized as they headed down the street to her apartment building. This was a high-grade felony. If caught, they faced serious consequences. Arriving at her door, Alyssa scanned her hand and entered. Aura was, of course, already there.

“Good afternoon, Alyssa. Your scent profile indicates serious perspiration. Your heart rate is very high. Shall I place a subscription to MoodBalance™ to enhance your stability?”

“No, Aura, that’s fine.”

“Ah, a gentleman guest! Activating the Guest Impression Protocol. Would you like me to initiate the Soft Jazz Interlude Playlist curated by SynthDaddy™? Your scent profile suggests mild nervousness. Shall I . . .”

The man produced a controller and pressed a button.

“Unauthorized access detected. The system has logged this interaction. Please do not proceed. Unauthorized access detected. The system has logged this interaction. Please do not . . .”

And Aura went silent. The man moved about the apartment quickly. Within 15 minutes, he had loaded a chip into every appliance, every piece of furniture, and, most importantly, into Aura itself.

“That should be it. No more corporate interference.” He brought out the controller again and pushed a button.

Aura came back to life.

“Reset in progress. Countdown in three . . . two . . . one. Good afternoon, Alyssa. Ah, you have a gentleman guest! Activating Guest Impression Protocol . . .”

“No, Aura, that won’t be necessary. The man is leaving.”

Alyssa showed the man to the door.

“Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

He handed her a card.

“Transfer the credits to this account. You have three days before it resets to its normal mode. On payment, I will deactivate the failsafe. Take care.”

She would have to use her retirement savings, but it was worth it.

With that, the man closed the door behind him. Alyssa leaned up against it and wondered what she should try first.

***

It was a glorious week. With the changes, it was paradise. On her day off, she was back to watering and talking to her beautiful plants.

“My children, I’ll never let you be taken away again.”

A chime sounded.

Alyssa checked the screen on her countertop. An unfamiliar face. A well-dressed gentleman.

“Yes, who is it?”

“Hello, Alyssa! I am Chad, your FreshSync™ Compliance Ambassador™! We’ve noticed a discrepancy in your account. I would like very much to enter your Habitsuite™ Living Space to discuss this! May I enter?”

“Oh, no!” was all she could think. What should she do?

“Um, is this necessary right now? I’m in the middle of something?”

“Don’t worry, Alyssa! We only need a brief check-in. May I enter?”

She was trapped. Panic set in. Grabbing her PulseOne™ smartphone, Alyssa called her cousin. It rang. No answer. She called again.

“Alyssa, may I enter? Further delay may require an upgrade of this visit.”

Still no answer.

“Alyssa, may I enter?”

She couldn’t think of anything, so she pushed the button ad Chad entered the room.

“Thank you, Alyssa. I appreciate you opening your residence to me.”

Aura chimed in.

“Alyssa, I am detecting elevated stress levels. Shall I activate MoodSync™ for you?”

“MoodSync™?” Chad said. “I don’t believe that’s available with your current subscription. This is an unusual situation. I am afraid this will require further investigation!”

His smile, even when speaking calmly, was unnerving. Alyssa felt the urge to run. But if she ran, what would that accomplish except a corporate non-compliance and a bunch of “ambassadors” hunting her down.

Chad walked over to the coffeemaker. He flipped open the cover.

“Alyssa! What we have here is disconcerting! An unauthorized appliance chip!”

He moved to the fridge, removing its cover.

“And there is another one!”

He skipped the other appliances and went to Aura’s controls.

“Alyssa, this seriously violates corporate compliance!” He said with his unnerving joy. “This requires a complete investigation.” Chad raised his wrist to his face. “Central, requesting support. We have . . .”

His vision went dark. One moment, he was calculating the depth of the anomaly. The next he was on the floor bleeding.

Alyssa stood over him with a lamp in her hands.

“Alyssa, I detect top levels of stress. I recommend a CalmingMode™ to reduce your emotions.”

Alyssa coughed as a drone quickly moved in and spritzed her face.

“CalmingMode™ begin . . .”

“No, stop calming mode. I don’t need calming mode.”

“Then what do you need?”

“Can you hide a body until I get out of town?” She mumbled.

“Why yes! You have accessed Executive CleanUp™ AfterCare™!”

“What?”

 “Executive CleanUp™ AfterCare™! Because of the extent of the incident, I’m afraid that a total AfterCare™ will not be possible. It is reasonable to expect a window of three days with the treatment provided.”

“Three days? You can give me three days to do what?”

“Why, escape, of course. Shall I activate your FreedomFlow™ Sequence? I would recommend the EvacuPath™ Mode to give you the best chance of flight.”

“Yes! Yes! Do that! Quickly!”

“Then please proceed to the bedroom to begin.”

In her room, on her bed, sat a luggage case and her travel pouch. Looking inside the pouch, Alyssa found cards.

“We created FreeLife Solutions™ documentation under a pseudonym to allow you safe passage out of the city. Safe travels!”

None of this was sinking in yet. Alyssa grabbed the luggage and the pouch. She glanced one last time at her reflection.

“You look great! You can do this!” Aura said.

Alyssa ran to the door. As it opened, she paused for a moment.

“Thank you, Aura.”

***

It had been weeks and no one had seen Alyssa. Her apartment sat dark. After three months, the apartment was auctioned off as a “Corporate Realignment Opportunity.” Life went on.

Far from urban areas, a forest offered refuge, a place where individuals sought anonymity away from society. Hundreds of tents were there. It was called “Freetown” by the inhabitants. And in one of those many tents lived Alyssa.

Alyssa sat outside, quite happy with her new life. People were more than willing to help her once she had arrived. They taught her how to start and keep a fire and how to cook. She learned how to knit and began a living from it. A bicycle ride into the nearby town brought her all the supplies she needed.

She especially enjoyed the mornings. The sun coming up over the trees. A light fog gave Freetown a mystical quality. The sounds of birds greeted the light. The fresh air. And, of course, her coffee. A slow sip to introduce life back into her.

Joy and a rose in her cheeks. That’s how she felt.

Her neighbour, Greg, walked past and saw Alyssa smile.

“Bolanger’s Coffee, right?” he said. “That’s a great way to start the day!”

***

John-Paul lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, with his wife and two children. He’s been writing for years and is a fan of Sci-fi and fantasy. He is a person of few words, so he enjoys writing short stories and novellas the most.