Doting Upon the Exchange

5 CONVERSATION LOOPING IS EXPLAINED AS A SIMULATION

Errol is shown while Blue is speaking 

'BLUE' - A SMART-HOME AI ASSISTANT (V.O.):

Errol? Are you OK?

ERROL:

(fullscreen)

All of this practice, you think I'd have got it right by now!!

The YEARS of playing it over and over... trying to put the damage right. Was it her fault? Mine? There are SO few of us now. So few opportunities to find love, partnership, companionship. This may be 'the new normal', but I'm cursed to remember how it used to be. When we moved ANYWHERE. 

An endless continuum of opportunities. To meet people, find friends, find love. Move on. Settle down. Anything and everything was out there. And now it's gone...

I thought that if I practised, maybe I could put it right. Of course, I knew that I wasn't' REALLY fixing things with Laura. That moment had passed...

But maybe, if I figured out how not to make the same mistakes, I could still have a future. I'd know what to do differently. 

Sure, I could decide to relish my own company. I was strong enough to do that (with the help of a few remote friends). I could love myself enough not to NEED someone else. But still, I WANTED someone. Not to complete me, but to make me 'more' that I was, to challenge me, to break me out of my comfort zone and to help me grow... (tailing off)

Staying on Errol's camera view.

'BLUE' - A SMART-HOME AI ASSISTANT (V.O.):

Didn't I do a good enough job, Errol?

I did what you asked of me. I took that original video call with Laura. I simulated it. Took Laura's role, emulated her voice and deep-faked her face, so that you could practice. Over and over and over. In fact, we've now rerun that simulation 3,456 times.

I thought things were starting to improve. Did I fail you, Errol?

ERROL:

(fullscreen) 

No, Blue. You've never let me down. You're one of the only things that helps to keep me sane.