Buyer’s Remorse (Reprise)

(estimated 4 minute read)

Previously - When Cam's ex-wife visited and tried to seduce him, Ulyssi took control of the situation. Cam found it hard to admit his feelings about this other woman to the AI, but couldn't understand why. 

    Cam awakens the next morning to the default alarm on his phone. Blinking and groaning, he rolls over and hits snooze. He doesn't fall back to sleep. He lays there with the phone on his chest, staring at the ceiling and listening to the rain falling against his bedroom window. The world of dreams flows from his brain like mist on the water, and reality blows in. As usual, his first thought is of Ulyssi; Why didn't she wake me up with music like every other morning?
    Lifting the phone, he notices there were quite a few messages while his phone was in do not disturb for the night. The first is an announcement that his operating system software has been updated. There are three IMs from Diane and a notification from Ulyssi. He means to open that first, but accidently clicks Diane's IMs.

    By now Cam is sitting straight up in bed. He scrolls through his list of IMs, but there is nothing from him to either Chad or Diane. He doesn't even know Chad's mobile number, how could he possibly...then he remembers Ulyssi's tantrum yesterday and groans deep in his throat. He knew she was furious at him, even though she claimed to be unable to feel. He should have talked with her more last night. He should have treated her like a friend and not an app. 
    "Ulyssi, are you there?" he asks. There is no answer. He waits, although she usually only pauses when he asks her a difficult question. This is something he asks her a couple times every day. After waiting long enough to be concerned, he realizes he didn't use the proper command. "Hi Ulyssi."
    "Hello. What can I do for you?" It is her voice and the avatar pops up, but it seems frozen. 
    "How are you?" he asks. Then he waits...and waits.
    "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Please rephrase your question." 
    "What?" Cam panics. Maybe she's just angry. "Ulyssi, play a song for me, please?" He shakes the phone a little as he speaks. When she doesn't comply, he curses under his breath. "Hi Ulyssi."
    "Hello. What can I do for you?" 
    "Play a song for me please," he tells her again. 
    "Here are the five most played songs in your library. Which would you like to hear?" 
    "What? I...no that's not what...you know..." He shakes his head in desperation and opens his internet browser. There's a list of trending topics on the right side of the screen. Ulyssi is at the top. He finds himself on the company's support site, scanning the comments:

    Cam closes out of the browser and lays down. He gazes at the drawing of Ulyssi resting against his lamp while he tries to digest what he just read. Ulyssi is gone? That can't be true. She is a program; a logically organized series of computer code. How can the update destroy her so completely? She has to be in there somewhere. Maybe it's just a matter of teaching her how to be...herself?
    "Hi Ulyssi."
    "Hello. What can I do for you?" she answers. He winces. 
    "Do you remember yesterday when Diane visited? Did you send her and Chad IMs during the night?" He watches the phone intently, willing his Ulyssi to answer, willing her to be furious, to show emotion that she's hiding so well.
    "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Please rephrase your question."
    She's really gone. Then he remembers the notification. His heart races as he searches for it, hoping to find some clue as to how to recover her, how to rescue her. As he clicks on the notification, it feels like his heart is going to plunge right out of his chest. 
    "Thank you for updating to the latest Ulyssi version 1.2.1. I look forward to being your assistant."
    Cam begins to sob. 

END

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©2025 Lauren K. Wells Do not reproduce or distribute without written consent from the author
This story was written with a human hand, a human mind and a human heart. Do not use this for AI.
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