Sophie wondered what her birthday gift from David would be this year. Her son usually presented her with a beautifully wrapped parcel containing a cardigan, scarf or perfume. His wife had good taste, but it would be nice if he made the effort to choose a gift himself. She sighed on hearing the doorbell ring, but pinned a smile on her face as she heard her son’s voice.
“Happy birthday Mum, where are you? Hiding away in the kitchen as usual? Surprise, I’ve got something special for you.” David appeared in the doorway, hands behind his back and an eager smile on his face. His expression reminded her of when he’d been about 11 and baked a birthday cake for her.
“Hello love, I’m here, just putting the kettle on. Dad’s been in his man cave as usual. Have you got time for a coffee? I’ve made a cake.” Sophie realized she was gabbling and stopped as David held out a parcel to her.
“Go on Mum, open it. I’ve outdone myself this year.” He grinned as she carefully opened the parcel to reveal a plain cardboard box. Opening the box, she pulled out what looked like an ipad, a bit smaller and fatter, with a speaker like her Echo dot.
“Oh, that’s nice dear. What is it? There’s nothing on the box.”
David beamed. “It’s a brand-new prototype that my firm has developed. You know you complained about your Alexa thing, it doesn’t always hear you properly or respond. This…..”
Sophie almost expected to hear a drum roll as he paused before continuing.
“This is TRAIT. Our Thought Responsive Artificial Intelligence Technology. You don’t have to talk to it, it responds to your thoughts. The Tbase will play music and do all the stuff Alexa does and much more. I’ll connect the Tbase to your phone & computer and it will talk to you. I’ve just got to put a nano chip into the back of your neck and it’ll start working.”
“Well son, you’ve outdone yourself this year.” Simon carefully picked up the device, “a prototype you say? This nano chip thingy, it’s safe isn’t it? You’re not using your Mum as a guinea pig are you?”
“Yes Dad, of course it’s safe. Though she’s one of only a few people lucky enough to have one.”
David picked up a gadget that looked rather like the device the vet had used to micro-chip their cat. “You’ll just feel a slight pinch Mum, that’s all. Turn round and I’ll do it now.”
The pinch was more like a stinging sensation, immediately Sophie could hear a buzzing sound in her head. Suddenly, the buzzing stopped and a voice spoke to her.
‘Hello I’m TRAIT, I’m here to respond to your thoughts and needs. Would you like to give me a different name? Just think of my new name and we can begin.’
“Oh it’s talking to me. In my head. It wants me to give it a name.” Sophie touched the back of her head warily.
‘Tell me your name, we are going to be friends for life.’
David was almost jumping up and down in excitement.
“It’s working Mum, introducing itself. You just need to think your answers, no need to speak aloud. Go on, give it a name.”
Sophie thought the first name that came into her head ‘Harry, I’ll call you Harry. I’m Sophie.’
‘Harry, I like that name, it’s much better than TRAIT. Hello Sophie, when you want me to listen to your thoughts, just begin with my name.’
“Oh this is strange, it’s like Alexa, but it’s in my head.”
“Go on Mum, tell it to play some music. Think of what you’d like to hear.”
“Er, well I quite like that Ed Sheeran. It can play him.”
“Talk to it in your head, start with the name you’ve given it and then what you want it to do.”
A few moments later the kitchen was filled with the sound of Ed Sheeran playing through the Tbase. Sophie smiled as she instructed Harry to play Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder and the music changed instantly.
“Well son, that’s pretty impressive. A prototype eh?” Simon looked enviously at the device. “Well done lad, well done.”
Over the next few days Sophie gradually got used to her new friend Harry. She was delighted that as soon as she had a thought, Harry acted on it. Goods were added to her Ocado shopping App automatically. Phone calls were made. Reminder lists were created. Music played and even the TV channel changed, just by thinking about it.
Gradually she began to have conversations with Harry in her head. He was more responsive than Simon, who always seemed to have an excuse to disappear into his man cave.
‘I wish he was more like the man I married’ Sophie thought one night as Simon was getting ready for bed. ‘We used to cuddle and talk in bed and sex was lovely. I miss it.’ Simon gave her a perfunctory kiss and soon drifted off to sleep whilst Sophie lay awake next to him.
‘Who would you prefer Simon to be like?’ Harry’s voice filled her head.
‘Oh, I don’t know, maybe Johnny Depp or George Clooney. Better still Colin Firth’ she thought in reply.
‘Imagine Colin Firth making love to you’ Harry whispered in her head.
Suddenly her body was filled with waves of pleasure and she moaned as she writhed and gradually came to orgasm.
“Are you alright love? Have you got belly ache?” Simon propped himself up on his elbow, with a concerned expression on his face, “you look a bit strange.”
Harry laughed in her head, ‘if he only knew, Colin Firth just gave you an orgasm!’
Sophie nearly choked at Harry’s words, “yes, I’m fine go back to sleep.”
They were eating dinner the next night when Simon observed that she was more quiet than usual. Before Sophie could reply Harry spoke through the Tbase speaker.
“She wishes you were more like Colin Firth. Colin gave her a fantastic orgasm last night.”
Sophie stopped eating, horrified. ‘Shut up, Harry shut up’ she thought as she pushed her chair away from the table and fled the room.
“And she’s fed up with you spending so much time in your man cave. You don’t talk to her enough. But it’s okay, she’s got me now.” Harry’s voice from the speaker echoed through the house.
Simon followed Sophie into the kitchen where she’d buried her face in a tea towel. Her shoulders were shaking as she tried to suppress laughter and tears.
“Is it right love, what that thing says? Are you fed up with me? I thought you didn’t want me getting in your way in the kitchen.” He tentatively stretched his hand out to touch her shoulder “I don’t know what’s wrong. Talk to me.”
“It’s a bit late for that. When did you ever offer to help in the kitchen? When did you last cook a meal for Sophie? Oh, I know, never. When did you last take her out for her birthday? You always expect her to cook for you, even on her birthday. But it’s okay, she doesn’t need you now, she talks to me. And I can give her better orgasms than you.” Harry’s voice went on and on filling the kitchen with all Sophie’s unexpressed thoughts.
“But I didn’t know. I thought it was what you wanted. Sophie, talk to me, shut that thing up will you.”
‘Harry, be quiet, stop talking. NOW.’
“Some of what Harry says is true, I do wish we’d talk more and do more things together. It would be nice if you helped me in the kitchen. I just feel like we’re drifting apart. I miss our closeness. Our cuddles and love-making.” Sophie stretched her hand out to Simon and he pulled her into his arms.
“Traitor, it’s me you love now. You don’t need him. Sophie. Please, you don’t need him.”
‘Harry I told you SHUT UP, you’re a machine, you’re not real. I want my husband.’
But Harry’s voice continued to scream through the speaker. “Traitor, traitor, it’s me you want.”
In desperation Sophie reached out for her heavy cast iron skillet. She smashed it down on the Tbase over and over until it was in pieces.
A few moments later the doorbell rang, and a burly policeman rushed into the kitchen.
“Are you alright in there? We just got a 999 call, someone called Harry, said he was being murdered.”
“No officer, it was my Alexa thingy here. I’ve just destroyed it. Sorry.”
“If you’re sure you’re alright? No one hurt is there?” asked the policeman eyeing the scattered remains of the Tbase.
“No, really we’re fine, thank you.” Simon ushered the officer out of the house.
All was quiet and Sophie breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Traitor, you didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easily did you?’ whispered Harry.