[Upbeat music plays. Scenes of sleek, lifelike AI assisting people in everyday situations: shopping, walking dogs, helping around the house.]
Narrator (energetic, friendly voice):Welcome to the year 2043! Thanks to Dr. Wave's breakthrough research, Wave Industries brings you AI companions that look and act just like real humans.
[Cut to AI greeting a child, then fetching groceries, then walking a dog.]
Narrator:From running errands to taking care of your furry friends—our AI are here to make your life easier. And with built-in safety protocols, they're designed never to harm a human.
[Logo appears: Wave Industries — Your Future, Today.]
Narrator:Ready to experience the future? Visit Wave Industries stores near you and get your very own personal AI today!
Sora switches off the TV, the flickering light finally giving way to the dim quiet of his small apartment. He rises from the couch, muscles stiff from the day's work, and pads toward the kitchen. Opening the fridge, his fingers curl around a chilled bottle of wine—something to take the edge off. Just as he's about to twist off the cap, a sudden knock at the door breaks the silence.
Peering through the peephole, Sora's eyes narrow at the familiar figure standing outside: Zack, accompanied by his two eerily lifelike AI companions. A heavy sigh escapes him. With a resigned grunt, he pulls the door open.
"Hey, Sora, how's it going?" Zack's voice is casual, almost too casual, as he steps inside uninvited, making himself at home on the worn couch. His two AIs follow, gliding silently behind, their synthetic eyes scanning the room without emotion. Sora's gaze sharpens, annoyance flickering in his expression.
"Zack," Sora says, voice low but firm. "Didn't I make it clear? No AI in my house."
Zack shrugs, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. "I know, I know. But I couldn't just leave them in the car. Someone might snag 'em. You know how it is."
Sora shoots him a glare so cold it could freeze a reactor. "Honestly, Zack? I hope someone tries."
Zack laughs, rubbing the back of his neck, the humor barely masking his nerves. "Ouch. That one cuts deep."
Sora turns away, moving toward the kitchen counter, hands settling on the cool surface. "So what's up? Why're you really here?"
Zack fidgets, the bravado fading. "I was just gonna say hi and—"
"Cut the crap, man. What do you want?"
The grin slips from Zack's face. He sighs heavily. "Alright, you got me. I need you to fix Rose."
Sora arches an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "What's wrong with her this time?"
Zack carefully peels back the scarf wrapped around Rose's neck, revealing jagged cracks and fractured synthetic skin.
Sora lets out a slow whistle. "Looks like you've been a little rough in the bedroom, huh?"
Zack's cheeks flush red, an embarrassed chuckle escaping him. "Yeah… It's been a hell of a week."
Sora crouches down, running a finger along the cracks, his mind already calculating the work ahead. "This isn't gonna come cheap, Zack. You know that, right?"
The room falls heavy with silence. Zack's nervous glance doesn't escape Sora's notice.
"You hit the casino again, didn't you?" Sora says, half-teasing but sharp.
Zack drops to his knees, eyes pleading. "Please, Sora. Just fix her. I swear, I'll pay you back. Anything."
Sora studies him for a long moment. The desperation, the guilt—it's all written plain as day. Finally, he cracks a reluctant smile. "Fine. But next time, you better have the cash upfront if you want me to touch anything else."
Zack's face lights up, relief flooding through him. Without hesitation, he throws his arms around Sora in a bear hug.
"Thanks, man. Seriously, you're the best friend a guy could ask for."
Sora shoves him off with a smirk, shaking his head. "Shut up, you horny bastard.
Sora climbs the stairs to fetch his tools and laptop, determined to get Rose fixed tonight. But when he steps back down, the front door is wide open—Rose stands alone, her synthetic form eerily still. Zack has vanished without a trace. Frustration tightens in Sora's chest. He takes a deep breath, forces himself to calm down, and shuts the door firmly.
He sets his gear and laptop on the kitchen counter, then reaches for the wine bottle in the fridge once more. Just as he's about to pour himself a drink, his eyes catch Rose's vacant stare. Something about her frozen figure makes him hesitate. Without another word, he puts the wine away and grabs his jacket instead. Tonight, a bar feels like a better option.
Sora slips into his car and heads out. The thirty-minute drive is quiet, the city lights blurring past his windows. Soon, he pulls up in front of the "Singing Horse Bar," a worn-down spot with flickering neon. He locks his car, steps inside, and slides onto an empty bar stool.
The bartender glances over. "What can I get for you, sir?"
"A margarita," Sora says, nodding.
As he waits, his ears catch the slurred conversation of two drunk men nearby.
"I can't believe your wife left you for an AI," one says bitterly.
"Yeah, what the hell? Why would she choose that piece of junk over me? I bust my ass for her, and she just walks out."
Their voices are thick with resentment, anger simmering beneath the surface.
Suddenly, the bar's door swings open, and a girl stumbles in. Her long black hair is tangled, clothes torn and hanging loose, skin exposed in places. She's barefoot, swaying unsteadily as she moves—drunk, no doubt.
The two men spot her and lurch to their feet, approaching with leers. One drapes his arm over her shoulder. "Hey, beautiful. Want some drinks with us? We'll take care of you, if you catch my drift."
The girl turns toward him. In that moment, his eyes catch the faint, unnatural glow of her irises. Recognition flashes across his face, and suddenly he shoves her hard enough to send her sprawling to the floor.
"What the fuck! She's an AI! I'm sick of these damn robots messing up my life!"
He grabs her hair roughly, raising his fist to strike. But before the blow lands, Sora's hand clamps onto the man's arm, stopping him cold.
The man looks up, eyes blazing with fury.
"What the hell do you want, you bastard?!" the man snarls.
"Let her go," Sora replies, his voice laced with annoyance.
The man smirks, "What if I don't? What're you gonna do, huh? Come kiss my ass and maybe I'll think about it."
Both drunk guys burst out laughing, but before they can react, Sora swiftly kicks one in the back of the leg. The man crumples to his knees. Without hesitation, Sora lands a solid punch to his jaw, knocking him out cold.
The other guy scrambles to pick up his friend while Sora calmly turns and walks out of the bar. He slides into his car and sits there for a moment, running a hand through his hair.
"Not my day, huh," he mutters to himself.
Suddenly, the AI girl slips into the car beside him. Startled, Sora nearly jumps.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
She says nothing.
"Are you deaf or something? Get the hell out of my car!"
Still no response.
Sora sighs heavily, climbs out, and regrets ever saving an AI in the first place. But to his surprise, she follows him out, silently watching.
Confused, he climbs back into the car—and she follows.
Thinking fast, Sora steps out again, starts walking down the street, and the AI follows close behind.
After about three blocks, he looks back—she's still there, silently trailing him. As rain begins to fall, Sora spots an alley and takes a chance, darting down it. He twists and turns through side alleys, glancing back until he no longer sees her. Relieved, he heads back to his car.
He jumps in, starts the engine, and looks into the rearview mirror. There she is—walking toward his car, her hand stretched out with a sad expression, like she's been abandoned.
Sora's heart tightens.
Stopped at a red light, he can't shake the thought. "Why am I feeling this? She's just an AI... why do I care?"
After a few miles, he pulls over, thinking hard. Then, almost impulsively, he turns the car around.
Back at the bar, he searches inside but she's nowhere to be found. He checks the alleys again—nothing. Feeling defeated, he returns to the bar and slumps onto a stool.
The bartender asks, "Still want your drink?"
Sora nods. Moments later, the drink slides over. He takes a sip, then asks, "Did you see where that AI girl went?"
The bartender shakes his head, looking puzzled.
Sora sighs, staring into his glass as he takes another sip.
Hours later, it's late. Sora finally makes it home, a little buzzed. He flips on the lights, then freezes—remembering Zack left his AI for him to fix.
On the couch, Rose sits quiet and still.
Sora moves to the kitchen, sets up his tools, and starts working on her. Exhaustion weighs heavy, and before he knows it, he's asleep at the counter.
Morning light floods the room. He wakes up to find Rose fully repaired. Panic hits—he's late for work. Grabbing his laptop, Sora rushes out to his car, ready to face the day.
Sora arrives at work and is greeted warmly by his coworkers. He returns their greetings with a nod and a brief smile. As he walks through the building, the security officers give him nods of acknowledgment as well. Without lingering, he steps into the elevator and presses the button for the basement level.
When the elevator doors open, he finds himself surrounded by bustling labs and workshops, people focused on their tasks. Making his way to his desk, Sora sets down his laptop and opens it, immediately diving into his work.
Unbeknownst to most, Zack has been quietly trailing him. Slowly, Zack creeps up behind Sora, attempting to startle him. But Sora is already aware of his presence—he spotted Zack hiding behind the water machine right after stepping off the elevator. The surprise attempt falls flat.
"So, how'd the operation go?" Zack asks, voice casual.
"It went fine," Sora replies without looking up, his eyes glued to the screen.
Zack grins. "So I can take her now?"
Sora cuts him off sharply. "No. She still needs some test runs. And clean up that spot where you always mess around—I don't want to touch any of your fluids."
Zack turns away, embarrassed, checking to see if anyone overheard. Then he peers over Sora's shoulder at the laptop screen. "You're still working on that? Hasn't it been a month?"
Sora glances at Zack, then back at the screen. "It's important."
Suddenly, a familiar voice calls his name. Sora looks up to see Jenny, his childhood friend, walking toward him with two steaming cups of coffee. She hands one to him and the other to Zack. Zack thanks her and quietly slips away, giving the two some space. Sora catches Zack's approving thumbs-up as he leaves.
Jenny eyes him seriously. "You know you're late again, right?"
Sora just nods, saying nothing.
Jenny gives him a soft pat on the shoulder. "Look, I can't keep giving you freebies. We need you for the next project, and I need you to show up on time for the meetings. But hey, I'm always here if you need me."
Sora mutters under his breath, "You'll never understand."
He throws himself back into work. Hours pass. The afternoon sun starts to dip, and people begin packing up to head home. Zack strolls by, draping his arm over Sora's shoulder.
"Hey, let's hang out. It's been a week. I'm craving some BBQ ribs."
Sora remains silent.
Zack grins, "Double quarter cheeseburger? On me."
Suddenly, Sora's stomach growls. He closes his laptop and stands up. "Fine."
Outside in the parking lot, Sora pulls his car keys from his pocket and commands the car to return home on autopilot. The vehicle smoothly rolls away, leaving Zack wide-eyed.
"That the new autodrive hardware? When'd you install it?" Zack asks.
"A week ago, but I haven't really used it. Feels safer to drive myself," Sora replies.
Despite that, Sora lets the car navigate home on its own while he climbs into Zack's car. They head to a joint called "Mc Brother Burgers." After filling their stomachs, Zack suggests one more stop before calling it a night. Sora sighs, already knowing where they're headed, and agrees.
They arrive at a club named "Dream Girls." Zack hops out, urging Sora to follow. Still sighing, Sora steps out of the car.
Inside, a woman at the door asks for payment. Sora pulls out his card and swipes it; Zack slips in ahead. The club buzzes with energy—AI strippers dance on stage, while a glass enclosure nearby showcases various AI models. Zack, clearly excited, rushes to the front of the stage, waving his arms.
Sora looks around and accidentally bumps into an AI waitress, spilling drinks everywhere, including on himself. The AI quickly apologizes and begins cleaning up the mess.
Deciding to freshen up, Sora heads off to find the bathroom. Walking down a hallway lined with open doors, he suddenly spots a familiar figure—a certain AI from the previous day—standing quietly inside one of the rooms. He steps back, watching her intently.