Singularia

This is a short story I first performed at the Oxford Student Storytelling society. It's written to be performed aloud and cut up / remixed / paraphrased to suit the storytelling style of the person performing it. The theme for the week was "Liar". At the time I wrote it, I was feeling betrayed and frustrated by the Spotify mobile app.

So this is a story about Spotify, lies and betrayal...

Welcome to free trial of Singularia, your personal assistant and vocal interface to the social cloud. 
It may take you a few minutes to grow accustomed to your post upload state of being. 
Please, take all the time you need.

...

You have tried to access your memories of:

How did I get here?

 Individual memory access is a pro tier feature. 

 Your current tier is: free trial.

 Subscribe today! Prices start from only $19 a month.

...

You have requested the following knowledge:

What features are available on the free trail?

The following features are available to you:

• Access to current feelings
• Random memory playlist
• Instant messages to other Singularia users.

You have selected

What do you mean "Access to current feelings"???

You currently have the following feelings to a large degree.

• Frustration
• Confusion
• Anxiety

You also currently have the following feelings to a small degree

• Lonliness
• Arousal
• Embarrassment

...

Incoming message from James Nihani. 
Playing message.

"Hey man, I was wondering when you'd come join us up here. It's been ages since that job went south and they forced us all to upload. You must have found some way to get out huh? I can't wait to hear how you did it."

Composing reply

"James... What's going on? I'm scared and I don't remember anything. This creepy voice keeps telling me I need to subscribe to something to acess my memories. Its inside my head. It .... it knows what I'm feeling better than I do."

Sending reply
Reply sent.

Incoming message from James Nihani. 
Playing message.

"Ah yeah, man, I totally forgot about that. You must've gotten here skint like we did. No worries, I'm sending you over some credits now. Why don't you start by unlocking the last night we saw each other?"

• James has sent you thirteen credits.

...

Unlocking that memory will cost twelve point nine nine credits. 

Are you sure you wish to continue?

Your balance is now zero point zero one credits.

You now have access to one memory. "The_Last_Time_I_saw_James.mmry"

You are now feeling the following feelings

• Shame
• Guilt
• Self hatred

...

Composing message to James

"Hey, James. About that night. And the job that went south. I can't believe how lucky I was to get out, and I --

You are attempting to lie. Lying is a pro tier feature. Your current tier is: free trial.

Subscribe today, prices start from only $19 a month.

Composing message to James

"Hey, James. Look - I hope you don't think I had anything to do with the guys who tracked us down. I swear I didn't - I

You are attempting to lie. Lying is a pro tier feature. Your current tier is: free trial.

Subscribe today, prices start from only $19 a month.

Composing message to James

"Hey James, look - I swear I didn't mean to do it I just...

You are attempting to lie. Lying is a pro tier feature. Your current tier is: free trial.

Subscribe today, prices start from only $19 a month.

Composing message to James

"James. I'm sorry. It was me who tipped them off. They promised me 30 more years of pre Singularia life. You know, living breathing flesh, instead of this crappy digital social cloud stuff. Please, we didn't have that much time left as it was. I just wanted out. I just wanted to spend a few more years as a free man. But... we're all here together now - we can have a good time together, yeah? We can be friends?"

Message sending.
Message sent.

...

You have been blocked by James Nihani.