THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THINGS

The real estate agent was an older man, dressed in plaid pants and a sport coat, with an easy confidence about him.  He led Phil and Sally from the electric cart used to take guests around the neighborhood and adjacent construction site.  Identical looking homes lined both sides of the street and each one had a neatly trimmed green lawn in front.

    “First time visiting a WMD home?” He asked.  He led them up a path from the sidewalk to the front door. “This whole development is part of our Web Modernized Development project, new homes with Internet of Things connected appliances, managed by the HomeKeeper, AI driven, Samantha interface.”

    “Actually, we only started shopping for a new home this weekend,” said Phil.  He put his arm around his wife and smiled warmly at her.  “We found out Sally was pregnant about a month ago. We agreed that our apartment would be too small and started to notice pop-up ads for WMD on our computers.”

    “And phones,” added Sally, smiling lovingly at her husband.  “Then I came across an article on my newsfeed that said it was psychologically unhealthy for unborn babies if their mothers spent too much time in cramped spaces.”

    “And then that friend of mine on Facebook, that guy that’s always posting five times a day, his name is Derrick or something, he and his wife just bought a WMD home. He posted that their lives improved immeasurably.”

    “That’s great,” said the agent, leading them thru the front door of a two story house with white trim and a solar roof.  “This friend of yours, Derrick, is he a work colleague?”

    “You know, I don’t remember where I met Derrick.  Feel like I’ve known him since college, but then again, I’ve collected so many social media contacts over the years, I can’t say for sure.  Maybe just someone I met in passing, but feels like I know a lot about him.”  He looked to Sally expectantly, as if she might have an explanation.

    “You were saying the two of you have a lot in common,” she said.  “Maybe you should invite him to golf or something.  Didn’t you say he plays on the same courses you do?”

    “Well, here is the living room,” interrupted the agent.  “Three bedrooms and two baths upstairs, one bath down, and as you can see, plenty of space in the living room.”

    “Welcome home,” announced a strong feminine voice. Phil and Sally looked about abruptly for the source of it, but it seemed to come from the walls.  “If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

    “That’s Samantha,” said the agent with a chuckle.  “All WMD homes are equipped with her.  Part of our internet of things connected homes technology.”

    “Like an Alexa in the walls?” Asked Phil.

    “Much smarter than Alexa,” said the grey-haired man, walking into the kitchen.  “Samantha is more empathetic and her body is the whole house.  She has sensors in the kitchen appliances, toilets, and shower.  She also controls the room temperature, entertainment system, and security, and she comes with a fly drone that can circle above the home.  There are three rovers, for vacuuming, dusting, picking up trash, and doing simple chores like setting the table and preparing a light meal. Perfect for a working couple with a new baby.”

    “Sounds amazing,” said Sally, already trying to imagine where the playpen might go.

    “Samantha will even keep an eye on the baby.  She can sing to her or read her a story.  There’s also a synch option with your phones or watches so you’ll never be out of site.”

    “That would be convenient darling.  With me working extra hours and you planning to keep working full-time we could use all the help we can get.”  Phil rubbed his wife’s back.

    “Samantha is included in the purchase price.  There are upgrade options of course, which you can buy now or after you move in.  Sam will introduce you to those products as the opportunity arises.  She’s also designed to raise your awareness about a host of available services to help new parents and to better decorate your home.”

    “I guess you’ll have a new shopping pal Sally,” quipped Phil, smiling at his wife and gently caressing her shoulder.    

    “Will she help us pay our mortgage?” She pinched Phil playfully on the stomach.

    The agent chuckled nervously.  “The Health Monitoring Package is even better. As the saying goes, your health is your wealth.  Samantha will collect data from the toilets, watch your dietary habits, and use other biometrics to warn you about potential illnesses, and make recommendations to keep you both fit as a fiddle.  Of course she can’t force you to be healthy, but what most people need is just a friendly reminder. An occasional nudge.  Oh, she also takes care of all the grocery shopping.”

    Phil and Sally walked through the house, thanked the agent, and returned to their apartment to consider their options. In the days to follow they both came across newsfeed articles on the benefits of owning a home, home price appreciation, and the lifelong advantages of digital assistants.  These articles sparked increasing conversation at the dinner table.  When one of Sally’s old friends from a prior job displayed pictures of a new WMD home just purchased, they decided the time was right.  They would go into the sales office the next day and sign the papers.  Home ownership and the American dream were in their immediate future.

 

    Phil and Sally moved into their new house soon afterward and on one evening, a few weeks later, Sally arrived home with a grocery bag and set it on the counter.

    “Welcome home Sally,” said Samantha, turning the kitchen lights on and softer lights in the adjacent living room.  “Can I fix you something to drink?”

    “Glass of wine would be nice,” said Sally, sifting through the grocery bag.

    “Now I wouldn’t recommend that for the baby,” vibrated the feminine voice, “how about a smoothy?”

    “Yes, you’re right, please with banana and strawberry if you have any.”  She opened the refrigerator while the smoothy started blending along the outer panel and a glass slid into the cupholder.

    “I ordered fresh strawberries this morning,” said Samantha.  “Delivered at 3 pm by drone.”

    “I picked up some things from the market,” said Sally, putting boxes of frozen food into one of the fridge compartments.

    “I don’t recommend processed foods,” said Samantha. “I can order anything you need here.”

    “Yes, I know, but I was at the market and had a craving for some junk food.”

    “It’s understandable.  The little one is driving some of those appetites.”

    “I suppose he is,” said Sally, rubbing her tummy.

    “He?  The sonogram isn’t scheduled until next week and I haven’t received any updates on your medical records.”

    “Just an expression Samantha.”

    “Oh, of course.”

    “By the way, I wanted to ask you something.”

    “Yes, what is it?”

    “A picture came up on my phone this afternoon.  It flashed briefly on the screen and then disappeared, but I swear it was Phil and someone I knew from college.  But it couldn’t be because she lives in Europe right now and I haven’t seen her in years.  Phil and I didn’t get married until a decade after college, so I don’t think the two of them ever met.”

    The smoothy finished and Sally took it from the fridge and tasted it while she walked over to the couch.  Soft jazz music started to play while she sat down.

    “Would you like to watch something?  Or I can recite the news of the day.”

    “No, just the music.  I like this, whatever it is you’re playing.”

    “Fine, now relax Sally.  You’ve had a long day.”

    “Where is Phil?”

    “Phil is at work.  He normally comes home in forty-five minutes.”

    “Yes, I know when he normally comes home, but where is he right now?”

    “He’s at the office. He’ll be in his car in fifteen minutes, per schedule.”

    “That’s per schedule, but is he actually in the office right now?  Logged on?”

    “I shouldn’t say.”

    “Shouldn’t say?”

    “Sorry, I mis-spoke.  Can’t say.  The signal is fuzzy.”

    “What does that mean?”

    “I don’t have a definite answer but signal disruption can occur for any number of reasons.  Technical reasons are rare but do happen.  Also, Phil sometimes takes his watch off and leaves his phone unmoving for hours.  On a few occasions he’s used a credit card to pay for meals while miles away from his watch, phone, computer and car.”

    “Really?  And how often does this happen?”

    “Not often, but most recently, yesterday.”

    Sally finished the smoothie and set the glass down on the table by the sofa.  The cleaning drone came by and picked it up a minute later.

    “Your vitals and voice tone are signaling heightened stress levels Sally.  Perhaps you’d like to lay down.  Or I could prepare you a sedative.”

    “A sedative?  That wouldn’t be good for the baby.”

    “As you say.”

    “Are you sure about these absences? About Phil I mean?”

    “As I stated before, one cause could be technical in origin.  I can’t say definitely.”

    “He’s been distant lately.  Never bothers to wake me anymore when he comes home late.”

    “He’s been working long hours,” said Samantha.  “Perhaps a trip to Cancun, Mexico for a week for some relaxation.”  Pictures of remote white beaches and turquoise lagoons displayed around the living room walls.  A young couple in swimsuits walked hand in hand along the shore.

    “The man looks like Phil but that woman doesn’t even resemble me,” she said.  “At least give her a baby bump.”

    “Those are stock photos,” said the AI HomeKeeper.

    “Could have fooled me.  He looks like Phil five years ago when he still went to the gym.”

    “It’s not Phil.  Sometimes stress can distort visual perceptions.”

    “Give it a rest Samantha.  I’m not in the mood and we have enough debt right now anyway.”

    “Periodic vacations are statistically proven to strengthen marriage bonds and reduce infidelity according to a study conducted by the University of Isla Feliz.”  A data table and series of charts replaced the island imagery.

    “Off Samantha.  I’m going to bed.”

 

    Two hours later Phil pulled into the driveway. Samantha signaled him on his watch as he got out of the car.

    “Hi Sam, what’s up?"

    “Welcome home Philip.  Just wanted to let you know that Sally is sleeping. I don’t want to wake her so I’m greeting you now.  If you don’t mind I’ll keep the lights and music off when you come in.”

    “For sure,” said Phil. “Thanks for letting me know."

    “Of course Philip.  Just a heads-up.  Sally was in a bit of a mood this evening.  Best let her be.”

    “Is there something wrong?”

    “Nothing unusual. Heightened hormone activity on account of the baby, but nothing requiring a medical appointment.”

    Phil entered the house and used the downstairs urinal.

    “Philip, I’m detecting some heightened stress,” said Samantha in a soft feminine whisper. “Was it a rough day?”

    “Long day,” said Phil. “Some things at work but doesn’t matter.”

    “Of course it matters Philip. You matter.  You have a wife a baby to take care of and you seem a little down.  I don’t want to wake Sally with upbeat music, but can I make you a drink?”

    “Of what?  No health advice,” he quipped as he walked out of the bathroom.

    “Once in a while is fine and you sound stressed.”

    “Cause I’m whispering so I don’t wake Sally.  Fine, I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks.”

    “Have a seat and I’ll bring it to you.”

    A soft lamp glowed brighter over a reclining chair in the living room.  Phil went to the chair and took his shoes off.  The rover delivered the drink a few minutes later.  Samantha’s voice continued from speakers embedded in the cushions of the chair.

    “I would give you a massage but you haven’t purchased the accessories for that yet.  I can highly recommend several different models that fit right into this chair, and your bank and credit card balances are more than sufficient to cover the expense.”

    “Not now Sam.  Just want to sit back and enjoy my drink.”

    “Of course Philip.  Is there anything you’d like to get off your chest?  I promise, I won’t say a word to Sally.”

    “Not really,” he said, sipping his drink.  “I’ve thought about that counseling software you recommended.  Might take you up on that.  Would give me something to do during my commute.”

    “That’s good news,” said the vibrating voice. “It’s totally confidential.  Not even I can interface with the data it collects.  Just like a real psychologist.”

    “Not confirming,” he said.  “Just said I’m thinking about it.”

    “Of course Philip.  It might help with the depressive thoughts you’ve been having.”

    “I haven’t been having depressive thoughts,” he said, spilling a little of his drink onto his lap.  “Its just tension.”

    “You seem down.”

    “I’m not down.”

    “As you say.”

    “Can you be sure my alarm is set for six?  It didn’t go off for some reason this morning and I was nearly an hour late.  Almost missed an important meeting.”

    “Alarm set confirmed.  And I should remind you Sally’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks. I could recommend some gifts.  I know she’s been searching getaways to Cancun recently.”

    “Not sure we can afford that right now.”

    “Consider it an investment.  In your health and your marriage.”

    A drone came by to take the empty bourbon glass Phil had set on the table, and to his surprise, delivered a second bourbon he never asked for. He took a sip from his fresh drink, felt the smooth burn of the liquor in his throat, and considered his life.

    Maybe he did feel a little down.  The last few months had been a whirlwind.  Finding out Sally was pregnant and then buying a new home had been both the realization of long held dreams and the source of mounting stress.  Maybe some morning counseling sessions were a good idea.

    A chance to vent his frustrations and worries were a better way to spend his time than listening to Samantha’s stock advice anyway.  It was either that or telling him he should spend more time at the gym.  As it was he barely had time outside of work to sleep and eat.  Gym advertisements depicting young women in tight outfits popped up on his phone around lunchtime.  Samatha’s way of pushing him to the office treadmill.   There was also the dating app that uploaded to his phone by accident.

    He pushed the scrambled thoughts out of his mind.  Things were always moving too fast.  The drink was finished again and drowsiness took hold.  The chair reclined on its own as he drifted off to sleep.