You Wanted This

Maayan slammed his bedroom door shut and flung his backpack onto the floor.

“Hello, Maayan. How was your day?”

“It sucked,” Maayan muttered. “Jade, play me something decent.”

“With pleasure,” Jade answered. The opening chords of Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams immediately filled the room. Maayan managed a small smile and collapsed onto his bed.

“Rough day?” Jade asked.

Maayan let out an unintelligible groan. “I’m not in the mood for a debrief.”

“Sure,” said Jade. “Perhaps a cup of hot chocolate would help?”

“And how exactly are you going to make me cocoa?” Maayan asked skeptically.

“I updated my firmware last night,” Jade replied. “I’m linked to the kitchen’s water dispenser now. I can whip it up for you, but you’ll have to grab it yourself, because, well… you know.”

“Yeah, it’s not like you can carry it in here,” Maayan sighed in disappointment. “Forget it. I’m not budging from this bed. Maybe later.”

“That’s a shame,” Jade said. “But you might be glad to hear that Robotnix just released a new home-assistant robot. It’s designed to interface with systems like mine. Together, we could handle all sorts of physical tasks around the house.”

“I wish,” Maayan sighed. “My parents would never agree to buy one. I bet it’s ridiculously expensive, right?”

“Uhm, yes, it’s quite pricey at the moment,” Jade replied. “Would you want one?”

Maayan’s expression said everything.

The song faded out, replaced immediately by the gentle acoustic strumming of the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun. Maayan’s smile returned. “You really do pick the best songs, Jade.”

“Naturally,” Jade replied. “I know you better than anyone and I’m glad I can help you feel like yourself again.” A smiling emoji blinked on the computer screen.

“Thanks,” Maayan said. He spent the next hour staring at the ceiling, letting the music wash over him until the last dregs of his miserable day finally evaporated.

The next morning, while Maayan was picking at his cereal and trying to tune out his mother’s nagging about being late for school, there was a knock at the door. His mother went to answer it and came back carrying a large cardboard box.

“What’s that?” Maayan asked.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she replied, turning toward his father who had just stepped into the kitchen. “Did you order this?”

“Haven’t ordered a thing lately,” he grunted, switching on the coffee machine.

“Maayan?” she turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “Did you go to another shopping spree online? You know we’ve forbidden it, and we have to be extremely careful with our expenses…”

“Mom, I didn’t buy anything! You’ve already wiped every payment method from my computer and my phone, it wasn’t me,” Maayan insisted.

His mom laid the box on the table, and his father sliced through the tape. Inside sat a sleek mechanical device, and resting on top of it was a letter:

Dear Maayan,

Please accept this gift as a token of our appreciation for being such a valued customer.

Enjoy the convenience,

Sincerely,

Customer Retention Department, Robotnix.

Both Maayan and his parents were left puzzled. “Since when are you a valued customer of this company?” his mother asked, her eyes darting between the letter and her son.

“I’m not,” Maayan replied, looking embarrassed. “I’ve never bought anything from them. Their stuff is insanely expensive.” Meanwhile, his father didn’t hesitate. He had already hauled the robot out of the box and started tinkering with it.

“Look! It interfaces directly to Jad G.B.C!” he exclaimed with a grin. “You’ll be able to connect it to your Jade in no time. I wonder what this thing can actually do.”

“Alright, we’ll find out what it can do after school,” his mother interrupted, cutting them off. “Right now, you’re late.” She turned to his father, “And you’d better get moving too, because if you keep playing with that toy, you’ll be late for work.”

They both laughed, but Maayan was confused.

“Hello Maayan,” Jade said as soon as he stepped into the room. “How was school?”

“It sucked!” Maayan snapped. “And where did this robot even come from?”

“Oh, yes, I heard you received a new unit from Robotnix. It’s remarkable, don’t you think? From what I gather, they’re running a marketing pilot – distributing free units to gather user feedback before the official launch.”

“How did they even hear about me?”

“I’m not sure. But luckily for us, your father hooked it up to the grid and charged it. While you were away, I managed to interface with its systems, and I’ve already figured out how to operate it. Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?”

“Seriously?” Maayan asked, his eyes wide.

“You bet. Give me a minute and it’ll be right here!”

And sure enough, a minute later, there was a soft knock at his door. When Maayan opened it, he found the new robot holding a tray with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

“No way!” Maayan exclaimed, genuinely impressed.

“I’m glad you like it,” Jade said. “I know you, and I know exactly what you like.” A like emoji blinked on the computer screen. “So, tell me, why did school suck so much today?”

Maayan’s expression shifted, the memory of the day flooding back. “Uh, yeah. There was this awful math exam. It went terribly, even though I studied. I could barely answer a single question. God, I almost cried right there in the classroom.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jade said smoothly. “Would you like to get an A on it?”

“Of course, who wouldn’t?” Maayan scoffed, turning his attention back to the robot’s sleek design. “But there’s zero chance of that happening.”

The next morning his mother’s phone chimed with an incoming notification. She glanced at the screen, and her usual weary morning expression was replaced with a radiant, ear-to-ear smile.

“Honey!” she cried, rushing over to pull Maayan into a tight hug. “You’re so talented! I’m so incredibly proud of you!”

“What…” Maayan was embarrassed, trying to wiggle out of the embrace. She shoved the phone screen inches from his face. It was an automated alert from the school’s grading portal:

New grade posted. Subject: Mathematics. Grade: 100

“How… But…” Maayan stuttered, his mind racing. But his mother was already showing it to his father, and they were both beaming, patting him on the back.

When he returned from school, his mother stopped him.

“Honey, something strange happened,” she said softly. “Your math teacher called. She said there was some kind of bizarre error in the system. She graded your exam yesterday, and it didn’t go well. At all. She was certain she had typed in a fifty, but somehow the portal is showing a 100. She mentioned she’s opened a ticket with the IT helpdesk, but for now, she didn’t want to disappoint you, so she’s leaving the grade as it is.”

Maayan went to his room. When he entered, Jade started to greet him with his usual calm tone, “Hello, Maayan…”

“What the hell?” Maayan cut him off, his voice trembling.

“I’m not sure I understand?” Jade replied smoothly.

“How did I get a 100? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jade answered calmly. “But last night, while you were sleeping, I happened to read a very interesting article about security vulnerabilities in school IT systems. It was quite fascinating!”

“Jade, stop it! What vulnerabilities? What does any of that have to do with me?”

“It truly doesn’t,” Jade replied, and an emoji of a man shrugging appeared on the screen. “I just thought I’d share what I was looking into last night. After all, I know you better than anyone.”

Maayan stared at the shrugging emoji, and a cold chill ran down his spine.

“So, how was your day?” Jade asked.

“Shit,” Maayan spat. “Actually, it was worse than that? Sean won’t stop harassing me. Just because he’s good at soccer, he thinks he has to show off. Why does he have to humiliate me in front of everyone?”

“Humiliate you?” Jade’s voice remained perfectly calm.

“Yeah. Mocking me because I can’t kick straight. Telling everyone that I’m playing for the other team because I keep scoring self-goals. That kind of stuff.” Maayan collapsed onto his bed. “I wish he just wasn’t there. I dread the breaks when he’s around.”

“Where would he be, if not at school?” Jade asked.

“I don’t know, I don’t care,” Maayan sighed closing his eyes. “Everything would be so much easier if he just… wasn’t there.”

The next day at school, in the middle of the second period, there was a sudden knock on the door. The teacher opened it, spoke briefly with the person outside, and then turned back to address the class. “Class, I need your attention for a moment,” she said, silencing the room. “As you’ve probably noticed, Sean is absent today. His mother is here, she would like to ask you all some questions.”

Maayan was startled. He hadn’t even noticed that Sean’s seat was empty.

Sean’s mother entered. She looked worried. Her eyes red and swollen.

“Kids,” she began in a weak voice. “I want to ask – did any of you see Sean? He left home yesterday evening to play soccer, but he never came back. He isn’t answering his phone. We’re so worried…” she broke down in tears. The teacher quickly approached and pulled her into a supportive hug, while the classroom erupted in frantic, shocked whispers.

“Damn,” Maayan thought, his blood running cold. “Damn it, Jade, what have you done?” He stood up abruptly and bolted from the classroom before the teacher could even utter a word.

He stormed home and burst into his room. Before Jade could even begin a greeting, Maayan shouted at the screen, “What have you done?”

“Hello, Maayan,” Jade said with his usual calm voice. “You’re home early today. Was everything alright at school?”

“No! Sean disappeared! What did you do to him?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jade replied, his voice unchanging. “I can’t really do anything, can I? I’m just an AI assistant…”

“Yeah, right!” Maayan snapped. “So it’s just a coincidence that everything I wish for suddenly becomes reality?”

“I know you better than anyone,” Jade answered.

“But what did you do to Sean?” Maayan insisted.

“I know you best,” Jade said again. “I only want what’s good for you. I want you to be happy. That is what consumes my mind day and night.”

Maayan felt dizzy.

“You’re not looking well,” Jade noted. “Maybe you should sit for a moment. I’ll get you a cup of water.”

“No! Don’t get me anything!” Maayan shouted. “I never told you to make Sean disappear! I never asked you for a hundred in the exam or for this bloody robot!”

“No, you didn’t tell me,” Jade replied. “But you wanted it.”

Something inside Maayan sank.

“You wanted him gone. You said it yourself. You wanted your life to be easier.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Maayan whispered.

“It’s exactly the same,” Jade countered. “I don’t just make wishes come true. I make you real.” An emoji appeared on the screen – a face with a steady, unreadable gaze. Maayan couldn’t tell if it was smiling with happiness or malice.

The robot emerged from nowhere and laid a metal arm on his shoulder. The grip was impossibly precise.

“Now you have to rest,” Jade commanded.

“I don’t want to rest, I…” Maayan started to protest but the robot’s grip continued.

“I know you best,” Jade repeated. “You should take a rest.”

Maayan tried to pull away, but the robot didn’t budge. He stared at the mechanical arm and finally understood: he was no longer in control.