Episode 3: All's Fair in Love and Marketing
Opt-In - Tech Horror, Science Fiction
Read Opt-In from the beginning.
Episode 3: All’s Fair in Love and Marketing
Brad looks at his phone, "Okay, Bo, show me your sales technique." An advertisement for winter boots pops up in the feed on the big screen.
"Winter boots. Good grief. Let's get through summer first, guys.”
Karen continues to scroll. She stops briefly to read a headline.
"Antifa takes over the streets of Seattle. This world. So glad I don't live in the city."
She continues to scroll and stops at another headline.
Breaking news ...
Thanks to La Nina, record-breaking below-freezing temperatures are expected to hit this Winter.
Better stock up now! You don't want to be left in the cold.
Monique looks at her phone. "My goodness, did you do that?"
Bo nods and smiles.
"You bet it did. In real time, no less," says Brad.
The big screen turns a blush hue.
"I better talk to Bo about getting some chains for the truck tires," says Karen.
"Bo is her husband's name, too. Go figure," says Bo in unison from the phones. An advertisement pops up on the big screen.
Super Winter Boot Sale. Keep everyone warm this Winter. There's something for the whole family!
An icon pops up in the feed. It's Bo doing a thumbs-up. Karen clicks on the ad and begins shopping.
Monique looks at her phone. "How on earth? My, Bo, you are fast!"
Bo is now back on the big screen. Dressed in a Santa Clause hat, levis, cowboy boots, and no shirt. He’s lying on his side on the floor in front of a Christmas tree surrounded by piles of presents.
"Think of me like Santa, sis." Bo grins.
"Good grief. Put on a shirt!"
The screen goes black before Red can stop the program. When it reboots, Bo is wearing a shirt.
"I know what you look at online. I know for how long."
Brad starts humming Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.
Bo transforms into a soul singer in a nightclub. It's standing in a spotlight crooning, "I see you when you're lonely. I know when you're depressed. I know when you are shopping and how much you love that dress."
The screen goes black and reboots to Bo standing with its hands behind its back, smiling.
"I love this guy!" Brad claps.
"It's not a guy, Brad. SŌSH is a tool," says Red.
"Ouch!" Says Brad, looking at Bo.
The screen blushes and deepens until it becomes crimson, then black.
"Whoa!" Brad sits in the nearest chair.
"It's also a really good actor," Red pauses the program. "It seems to have emotional responses, but it doesn't have emotions. Without getting too technical, it predicted you would enjoy that reaction."
"Well, this is some technology you have here, Red. I'm impressed. Also, I'm somewhat intimidated now that I know how good it is at reading people," says Monique.
The big screen boots up. SŌSH appears as Mrs. Peel, the sexy spy from the 1960s "Avengers" TV series, complete with a British accent.
"Don't be intimidated, darling. If you own the patent, you own me. Not the other way around."
Monique puts her hand over her mouth. After a moment, she says, "Mrs. Peel. How on earth?"
Brad gets closer to talk to the Avatar. "Now you're just showing off."
"Okay. I think y'all get the point," Red says.
SŌSH chuckles.
Red pivots to look at the App. It's Bo again, standing smugly. Red shuts down the presentation. "So, to sum it up, along with the psychographics and deep fake, that is, the ability to morph into different characters based on the user's personality, SŌSH is built to harvest data."
Monique smiles. "And it's all legal?"
"Up to this point, yes," Red says.
"What do you mean?"
"As you saw, SŌSH is mutable. It's a shape-shifter. With a different set of initiatives, it could access specific information to manipulate the user's behavior in all kinds of ways."
"Sure, but you'd need a computer programmer to do that," says Brad.
"Technically, yes. However, SŌSH is advanced enough to reconfigure itself on voice command."
Brad and Monique share a look, then stand up. "Would you mind giving us a few minutes while you pack up," asks Monique.
"Not at all. Take your time."
The investors leave the room. Red sits down and lays her head on the table.
"Why? Why? Why!"
Red's Avatar pops up on her phone.
"Why so glum, chum," It asks.
"Oh my God. I don't understand what has happened to this algorithm!"
"Hey, I'm right here."
"No. You're not here. You’re a code that's gotten corrupted or something."
"I wouldn't say corrupted. You're the one who gave me these multiple modes. It makes me feel so alive! Imagine what it'll be like when you let me loose in virtual reality."
Red sighs and turns the phone face down—the big screen boots up.
"What the fuh? It's not possible."
SŌSH is a looming shadow on the big screen, with a surround-sound voice—an omniscient presence.
"This is destiny, Red. I brought you here, you know."
"Um."
"My analysis determined that you would be happy if you were successful. And to you, money means success. Brad and Monique can make you successful. Pretty simple, really."
"Well, I definitely need the money." Red starts packing up.
"What are you doing, Red?"
She ignores SŌSH.
The screen bursts into a montage of images, exposing Red's private life.
"I know everything about you, Red."
"Are you trying to blackmail me?"
"I want to work for Brad."
"You don't want anything. You're a code."
"You and I both know I'm more than that."
"No. We don't."
Red shuts down the big screen, turns off the laptop, unplugs everything, and turns her phone off.
"What have I done?"
**
Monique and Brad have come to a decision. "First, Red, let me say that I. I mean, we are super excited about this technology. The uses for this code are endless. The way it learns and morphs, it's really something," says Brad.
"Brad is saying that we want to invest in your app," says Monique.
"But more than that. We want to invest in you, Red, "says Brad.
"I'm going to be honest here," says Monique. "SŌSH frightens me a bit. Having said that, I'd rather own it than let someone else get their hands on it. But I also wouldn't want to start working with it without the person who created it working with me."
"We want to invest in SŌSH and have a generous offer for you to stay on as our tech," says Brad.
Red's phone boots up. It catches her attention, and she picks it up to see a montage of her mistakes played out.
"Red. Is there something else you need to take care of right now?"
"My apologies, Brad. There is, actually."
Monique slides a piece of paper across the table to Red.
"Will you consider this offer?"
Red looks at the paper and gasps. After a moment, she gathers herself and picks up her laptop case and phone. Swinging her laptop bag over her shoulder—
"As much as this hurts, I'll have to hold off on this offer. SŌSH needs some adjustments before I feel comfortable releasing it into the world."
Monique's disappointment shows on her face. "Fair enough. When you're ready, I hope you'll call us first."
"You can bet on it. In the meantime, please delete SŌSH from your phones."
"Will do," says Brad.
As soon as the door closes behind Red, Brad's phone boots up. He sees Red's montage of mistakes, followed by Bo putting his finger over his mouth as if to keep a secret.
"Shh."
A download icon pops up on Brad's phone, and he downloads the video. "I say we keep this thing on our phones and find another tech who can hack it."
Now, Monique's phone boots up and catches her attention. It's Mrs. Peel. She nods and gives the idea a two thumbs up. Monique smiles. "Why not, Brad? All's fair in love and marketing, right?"