Perfect Companion

I was sitting on the park bench that me and Martha used to sit on, overlooking a small lake in the park, across the street from our cozy bungalow home. It had been six months since I had lost Martha and without her my life had become routine and lonely.

“Hi Stanley, how are you doing” called a voice from behind me. It was Dave, my next door neighbor. He and his wife Betty had lived next to us for twenty years and they were good friends of ours.

“Oh, I’m okay, I guess. I was just sitting here remembering the walks me and Martha’s used to take around the lake, and how much she would enjoy sitting here, looking out over the lake after we finished.”

“You really miss her, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do. The days aren’t always so bad, but the nights are hard, the house is so quiet without her, and I just feel so alone.”

“It’s been six months, have you thought about possibly dating again?”

“No, I couldn’t, at least not now, maybe someday.”

“A pet can be a good companion, how about getting a dog or a cat?”

“Dogs require a lot of work and I don’t have a fenced in yard, and cats, well I’m not really a cat person.” They sat together on the bench, watching a group of baby ducks swimming behind their mother amid the reflection of the trees and sky on the surface of the water.

“I saw something on the news the other day” began Dave, “a new kind of pet you can get. They called it the perfect companion, a pet designed especially for you individually.”

“What do you mean, a designed pet?”

“An android pet driven by AI. You could get a dog or a cat or even a bird. In the report, they showed this adorable android dog, that looked like a real dog, with real fur and everything. It was in a park chasing a ball, playing fetch with it’s owner. They said you don’t have to feed it, or take it out to go do it’s business, and if you go away on vacation, you can just power it down until you get back.”

“Huh, that sounds interesting, but I don’t know, maybe.”

“Well, think about it. They also said that having an android dog was a great home security system too.”

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Two weeks later, there I stood in front of ‘Perfect Companion,’ a large office building with glass doors. I walked in and up to the reception desk.

“Hi, I’m interested in possibly getting an AI pet.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Ah, no. Do I need one?”

“Just a minute.” I stood there wondering if I had made a mistake and whether I should just leave.

“A pet consultant is available to see you now,” said the curt receptionist.

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“So, what kind of of pet are you interested in, a dog, a cat, bird, Guinea pig, hedgehog….”

“Hedgehog?”

“Okay, so you want a hedgehog.”

“No, I…. I’m just surprised you can get an AI hedgehog pet.”

“Well, we don’t judge, you can get almost any variety of AI animal pet here at ‘Perfect Companion.”

“I’m just interested in possibly getting a dog.”

“What breed of dog would you like, we have over two hundred breeds available.”

“Two hundred…. I’m not sure.”

“Here, look at this. She slapped a tablet down in front of me and opened a tab on dog breeds. Scroll through this, I’ll be right back.” She looked disgusted as she walked away.

I scrolled through the photo’s of dog breeds, Beagle, Dachshund, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Bulldog, Pug, Shia Tzu, Border Collie…..

“Have you made a decision?” she asked, as she returned to the room.

“Ah, yes, I thing so, this one” I said, pointing to the picture.

“A beagle…. okay.” She wrote it on the order form.

“Do you want a male or female?”

“What? It’s an android dog,” Stanley said puzzled.

“All of our android dog’s are anatomically correct.”

“Does that mean they can…. you know?”

“Your android dog will not knock up your neighbor’s dog, if that’s what your asking.” I sat there a little embarrassed as she asked the next question.

“What level of AI intelligence do you want; dog level or human child level?”

“What’s the difference?”

“With dog level, he will eventually understand simple words like walk, treat, no, and the like, like any real dog. “With child level intelligence your dog will learn to understand the English language just like a child does, the older it’s get the more it will learn, just like any child growing up.”

“That sounds pretty cool, let’s go with child level.”

“Do you want your dog to talk?”

“What! Like a real person, instead of barking?”

“Exactly.”

“No… That would be too weird. I just want a dog that barks…. you know, like a real dog.”

“Alright, that’s completes the order. Just to remind you, your dog’s AI will be like a newborn, it will learn and develop based on it’s interactions with you, so the personality it develops is solely your responsibility. ‘Perfect Companion’ is not liable for the outcome.”

“Here, please sign this waiver.” She thrust a piece of paper in front of me, and I signed it. She took the waiver and put it in my order folder.

“Your ‘Perfect Companion’ pet will be custom manufactured to your specifications as per the order, and delivered to your home in about three weeks. Thank you for your order and have a good day.”

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Three weeks later a large box arrived at my doorstep. I took it inside and carefully unpacked it. There, wrapped in bubble wrap, was my AI beagle. I carefully removed the bubble wrap. He looked like a real dog, and the fur felt real. He was about twelve inches tall, around fifteen pounds, with black, tan and white coloring, but he was cold and limp like a dead dog. I laid him gently on the floor.

I pulled his bed out of the box — it was circular, brown and soft, and it plugged into the wall. It was his charging station. I placed it in the spot I had picked out, plugged it in, and placed him on it. The instructions said that in about twelve hours he would be fully charged and come to life. There was also a bag of treats in the box — round energy pellets, the size of marbles. My AI beagle didn’t require any food or water, but these energy pellets would give him a little boost of energy and some lubrication — everything in the pellet completely absorbed and used.

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The next morning I came downstairs and there on his bed, sat my new AI beagle. I thought he was cute when I took him out of the box, but, oh my god, sitting there watching me with those cute little eyes and floppy tan ears, he was like a newborn checking out his surroundings for the first time. He was adorable. I sat on the couch opposite him and we looked at each other.

“Well first thing is, I have to give you a name” I said. He tilted his head slightly to the right as if trying to understand me.

“Hmm, how about…. Toby.” He tilted his head the other way and let out a soft “woof.”

“Alright then, Toby it is” I said. I got down on the floor and opened my arms. “Here Toby, come here boy.” He just looked at me. I went over and picked him up in my arms and Toby nuzzled his chin against my neck. Something swelled inside of me and a tear rolled down my cheek. This was the first time since I had lost Martha that I felt something other than grief and sadness. I nuzzled Toby back and held him tight.

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I was sitting on the carpet in the living room when Toby took his first steps. He was kind of awkward, and after a few steps he fell over sideways - but he got right back up, and with a smile on his cute little face, he tried again. Before long he was bounding around the room with me encouraging him and joining in.

Then he tried climbing the stairs going up to the bedroom. I had to give him a little push on his behind to get him started. Eventually, he was able to climb them, one stair at a time. Coming down was a different story — he navigated the first two steps fine, and then he lost his footing and tumbled head over heels down the carpeted stairs to the landing below. He got right up, shook himself off, and started back up again. If nothing else, the little guy was determined. By the end of the day, Toby was bounding all around the house, running up and down the stairs, and generally wearing me out.

I sat on the sofa exhausted, but smiling as Toby came over and sat in front of me. He didn’t look tired at all.

“We’ve had quite a busy day today Toby” I said, “haven’t we boy?”

‘Woof!”

“Hey, how would you like a treat!”

“Woof, woof.”

I got up from the couch and retrieved the bag of treats. I took one out and held it in my hand.

“Here you go boy” I said, as I tossed the round energy pellet for Toby to catch. He didn’t wait for it to come down — Toby jumped into the air and caught it five feet off the ground.

“Whoa…. that was impressive Toby.”

“Woof.”

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The next day when I woke up, Toby was sitting there by my bedside, staring up at me, his little tail wagging.

“Good morning boy” I said, “Say, I have a great idea, lets go to the park today.”

After breakfast, I put on Toby’s leash, and we went across the street to the park. It was a beautiful summer day, a few white clouds reflecting off the surface of the lake, the sun warm on your skin. Birds were singing in the trees, a gaggle of geese swimming in the lake, and a few people walking peacefully on the path around the lake. Toby took this all in with a sense of wonder, his little eyes wide as he looked around the park.

“Come on boy, let’s go for a walk” I said, pulling gently on the leash.

Toby fell in step and then surged ahead of me, as we started on the path around the lake. Toby sniffed at the flowers and grass along the path, and watched as some fish jumped near the shore. When we finished our walk, I went over and sat down on the bench me and Martha used to sit on — Toby settling down in the grass beside me. I removed his leash and Toby rolled over on his back to sun himself. I gazed out over the lake thinking about Martha.

A little while later, a squirrel ran by, startling Toby — he chased after it, but it went up a nearby tree and Toby was left by the base of the tree looking up and barking.

“Come here boy” I said “leave that squirrel alone.” Toby came back and settled back down again in the grass next to me.

I was dozing off when I heard a few barks. I looked up to see Toby chasing after another squirrel. The squirrel went up a tree, but this time, Toby went right up after him. The squirrel panicked when he saw Toby behind him and went out on a branch and jumped for another branch on a nearby tree. He barely caught it with his front paws, managing to pull himself up on the branch. He then ran along the branch and up higher into the tree. Toby easily jumped to the nearby tree branch, ran up the tree and grabbed the squirrel in his mouth.

I was too much in shock to say anything, and when Toby approached me proudly with the squirrel in his mouth, I just stood there with my mouth open. I finally came to my senses.

“Toby. Bad dog! Put down that poor squirrel.”

Toby looked at me with a confused look on his face. He then opened his mouth and dropped the squirrel. The squirrel took off like he was shot out of a cannon.

“I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day” I said, my heart still racing, “let’s go home.”

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The next day when I woke up, Toby was sitting there by my bedside with his leash in his mouth, staring up at me, his little tail wagging.

“Oh…. so you want to go for a walk, do you?”

“Woof, woof.”

“Alright Toby” I said smiling, let me get cleaned up first and have some breakfast and then we’ll go.”

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It was another beautiful summer day when we arrived at the park. Several people were out walking on the path around the lake, and a few dogs and their owners were there as well, enjoying the warm weather. We had finished our walk around the lake and I was relaxing on the bench, Toby curled up in the grass beside me.

“Hey Toby, you know what this is?” I asked, as I pulled a small red rubber ball out of my pocket and began tossing it gently in the air.

Toby followed the ball with his eyes, his little head bobbing up and down. I tossed the ball to him and he caught it in his mouth.

“Okay, let go” I said. Toby opened his mouth and the ball dropped by his feet. I picked it up and tossed it up in the air five feet behind him. Toby spun around and leapt into the air catching the ball in mid-flight.

“Good boy Toby!” I praised. I patted his little head as I retrieved the ball.

“Okay Toby, are you ready” I said excitedly. I wound up and threw the ball. Toby watched the ball for a second and then was off like a shot — his long floppy tan ears bouncing up and down as he bounded after the ball. He caught it on the first bounce, spun around, and then stood there expectantly, looking at me, with the ball in his mouth.

“Okay Toby” I said, “now bring it back.” Toby looked at me, tilted his head to the side and dropped the ball at his feet. He then came trotting happily back over to me.

“Hmm,” I said to myself. “Like this Toby.” I walked over to the ball, picked it up and walked back, dropping it at his feet. Toby looked at me for a few seconds, then bent down and picked up the ball. He looked at me again and then dropped the ball at his feet.

“That’s right” I said. “Alright, let’s try this again.” I picked up the ball and threw it.

“Go get it boy” I encouraged. Toby took off after the ball catching it on the second bounce, then turning and bringing it back to me, dropping it at my feet. I threw it several more times, Toby happily retrieving it each time.

‘Okay, go get this one” I said, throwing the ball as far as I could. Toby took off. The ball hit the grass and rolled near a Rottweiler being walked by it’s owner. The Rottweiler snatched the ball up in it’s powerful jaws.

“Let go Brutus” ordered it’s owner — who was gruff and solid like his dog — “give the little dog his ball back.” Brutus held on tight ignoring the command.

Toby accelerated and slammed into the Rottweiler like a fifteen pound bowling ball throwing it to the ground on it’s side. Toby put his little paw on the Rottweiler’s neck pinning it to the ground. The Rottweiler struggled, his eyes darting wildly, legs thrashing desperately. Toby looked the Rottweiler in the eyes.

“Woof, woof, woof!”

The Rottweiler opened his jaws, the ball dropping to the ground. Toby released the Rottweiler, picked up his ball and trotted happily back to me. The Rottweiler and it’s owner watching the little Beagle retreating with stunned looks on their faces.

“Toby!” I said reproachfully. “Don’t be a bully….. be nice to the other dogs.”

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The next day we didn’t go to the park, we had a special trip to make. I loaded Toby into the car and we started driving across town. I rolled down the passenger window and Toby stuck his head out, his long ears trailing behind him in the wind.

We pulled into St. Mary’s Cemetery and parked the car. Toby and I walked down a few rows until we came upon a modest headstone with the name ‘Martha Peterson’ on it. At it’s base was a vase with old flowers in it. I removed them and replaced them with the fresh ones I had brought with me.

“I brought you some Zinnias and Dahlias today Martha.”

I stared at the flowers and the headstone and tears started forming in my eyes. Toby sensing my grief, nuzzled his head against my leg. I crouched down next to Toby and petted him gently on the head.

“Martha, this is my new friend Toby. You may not be able to tell it by looking at him, but he’s not a real dog, he’s an artificial intelligence android dog. Pretty crazy huh.”

I looked away into the distance over the cemetery grounds.

“When I lost you Martha I wasn’t sure I wanted to go on. You told me near the end, that I would find happiness again, a reason to live.” I petted Toby.

“This little guy, he’s pretty special, and he needs me. And after the last few days, I’ve realized, that I need him too.”

“I’m going to be okay Martha….. I am.”