Real

Ok, you two. Chat's on. Have at it!

👍

👌

I'm out.

MixMatchOrg261 has left the conversation.

Hey.

Hey!

...

How are you doing today?

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Fine.

Fine?

Yeah.

What does that mean?

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It means nothing unexpected has happened.

That's an interesting definition.

Why?

Unexpected things aren't necessarily bad.

What about surprises?

...

In my experience, surprises haven't really led to good things.

👎

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Fair enough.

...

…

So what did you do today?

Um, well...I went for a walk around my neighbourhood.

Oh.

Yeah, I live in the north district.

Where there's still parks and stuff.

!!!

Yeah, I know.

There's even a fountain with real running water.

What? Is that safe?

I think so?

I mean you can touch it.

I've put my feet in it.

They haven't fallen off yet, so...

Wild!

I take it you've never been to the north district?

No...I'm not allowed.

I don't know anyone who lives there, so I can't get a pass.

And the lottery for the free ones was discontinued last year.

☹️

Somedays I can't believe I got so lucky and snagged the apartment I did.

I mean, it's still a basement.

But the internet's great and I get to go out and walk around.

Took three weeks of tests before I got the place.

I don't know why they chose me.

🙌

Tell me more about what it's like.

Wait. I should ask you first.

Where do you live?

...

?

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7th district east.

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Botville?

...

That's the one.

🙄

…

Sorry, that probably came off as rude.

I don't mean to be judgy. It's just…

Well, you know.

Uhuh.

How did you end up there?

I've been here my whole life.

Weird place to call home, but it is.

So is your whole family still there?

No, I'm on my own.

…

I…

🤦‍♂️

I'm sorry again. You must think I'm a dick. I shouldn't have asked.

I realize a lot of people lost a lot of people in the segregation.

The north district's the weird place. We still go around talking to each other like that.

It's such a bubble.

That's actually one of the reasons I'm on this site.

To meet someone new...different.

...

You still there?

...

Yeah.

It’s cute you think Botvillans aren't used to this.

?

Your reaction. Everyone has the same one.

🙄

Urrgh, that probably gets exhausting for you.

Again, you get used to it.

And it's not so bad. I have a terrace. I get to go outside.

Even if my feet have never touched the ground.

!!!

Well, earth walking's becoming a rarer and rarer thing these days.

Tell me about it.

Anyway, you were saying? About the north district?

What do you want to know?

Tell me more about your walks. The water.

Ok.

Well, I love just going to the park and sitting by the fountain.

It seems like every time I'm out I somehow end up there.

There's just something about the sound of real, running water.

You know?

I actually wouldn't... 😜

🤦‍♂️

Gah! Sorry!

🤣

🙏

What I mean is...it's unpredictable.

Like it gurgles and plops and ripples in this never-ending cycle,

but no two minutes of the cycle ever sound the same.

...

I don't know what that's like…

Yeah, it's wild.

Beautiful really...

I could just sit there and listen to it for hours.

...

And the "unpredictability" doesn't sound weird?

No. It's actually a delight.

And what do you mean by delight?

...

Wait. What?

What?

?

?

Hold on. Who are you?

What's your name?

...

What's your name?

...

Lena.

Yeah, Lena what?

...

!!!

...

4628.

I knew it! I knew you were a bot!

🙎‍♀️

How did you know?

Delight? What's a delight?

Everyone knows what a delight feels like!

No real human would ask that question.

What do you mean?

You asked me what I meant by "fine."

Yeah, because fine is very ambiguous.

Everyone has a different definition of "fine."

Well, from my experience "feelings" don't seem to have standard definitions! Every human I've ever met seems to describe them differently...

Like "happy" could mean, "a wide smile on the face and a bounce in the step.”

But it could also mean, "a neutral face and still body with hands folded neatly in the lap."

What do you say to that?

...

I've even met a human who said they were "fine" while tears rolled down their face and their shoulders sagged. All signs pointed to "not fine," but that's what they said anyway!

Whatever.

You whatever.

How did you even get on this site?

It's supposed to be humans only.

Didn't they put you through the tests?

How did you pass them?

...

You know you almost fooled me. Asking me about a feeling...

You have some really impressive programming.

Who's you're maker?

Rude!

Come on. Who's your maker?

I'm giving them/you a compliment!

...

I don't know.

What do you mean, "you don't know?"

I don't know.

Don't you have a serial number or something like that?

Don't they make you give it when you have repairs?

No.

…

And I've never had a repair.

What?

Yeah. I've never had a repair.

Seriously?

Yeah. I know. It's weird.

…

But what are you doing on a human dating site?

Trying to meet humans...?

But why?

There are billions of sites like this teaming with bots.

I know. I've been on like ALL of them.

It's really hard to meet another human.

But you, you have like a BILLION other choices.

Because bot dating sites are...

Are...what?

Are...

...

They are all the same!

All the bots ask the same questions. They give all the same responses.

It's like I can see their coding in their answers!

There's nothing to it!

They're all so...

...

...

...predictable?

Yes...

…

Yes.

Huh.

What?

Sounds like you're bored.

What?

The feeling "boredom."

When things become uninteresting.

Or no longer challenging.

And then seem to go on forever...

I guess.

So you came here looking for something, or someone, a little more stimulating?

A little less predictable?

Maybe.

…

And...

And...?

And I've never met another bot like me.

So it's...?

Lonely?

?

...

...

Wow. This is crazy...

What?

Well, you're basically describing feelings to me.

Like, in an abstract way.

Ok.

But you're a bot...

...

So you're not supposed to have feelings...?

? 🤷‍♀️

...

...

...

Um, wait a minute.

If you don't have a serial number. And you've never been repaired...

How do you know you're a bot?

...

Well, that's what they tell me when they scan me...

Yeah, but have you ever seen your scan?

They don't show them to you do they?

No but...

...

What if you're a reconstitute?

...

A what?

A reconstitute.

Like a person who was put back together with bot parts.

Um...

I know this sounds crazy.

But there were rumours about this after the segregation.

I mean we all just thought it was science fiction...

But what if...?

What if what?

What if you're actually part human?

Ha.

What?

I can fly, dude.

That's why my feet have never touched the ground.

👼

It's not impossible.

?

With bot parts and years of evolution living in a bot world...

Right.

Right!?!

Dude...

Gregory.

Gregory.

Why does this matter to you?

Because...it's fascinating!

...

Because you are fascinating!

...

Because you're unique.

You're one of a kind.

I've...never met anyone like you.

Well that makes two of us...

I mean the possibilities are endless!

You sound like a mad scientist...

I want to meet you.

Really.

Yes.

...

Like, seriously?

Yes.

...

You'd have to come to Botville...

I know.

You'd have to ride the chortle to get here...

I know.

I'll wear a mask.

And an arm guard. 💪

Ok, but...

But what?

But what if...?

What if what?

What if I turn out to be just another bot?

...

Well, I think we seem to get along well enough...

?

Don't you?

I mean we've been chatting for over an hour...

...

Plus, I already know you're not just another bot...

…

Because I've never had a conversation like this with anyone before.

...

...

🤭

🙃

So what do you say?

...

325 North West St East #486 Vertical

What time?

How about 3:44?

AM?

Yeah...Bots don't sleep 😴

Right.

Right.

I can make that work. 🏃‍♂️‍➡️

How will I know it's you?

Oh, I'm sure you'll see me coming a mile away.

I'll be the human.

Right. 🤦‍♀️

Right. 😂

See you soon, Gregory.

👱‍♂️

Leaving right now, Lena (4628).

🤖 😉

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❤️