It began with the internet in the 90s. The first smartphones and smart cars appeared around the same time. Smart TVs, smart watches, and smart fridges appeared in the 2000s. By the 2010s, the well-to-do were living in smart homes. In the 2020s, people worried that technology was becoming too smart. Phones and computers started to speak and perform small tasks autonomously. Soon after that, they were researching, programming, and reasoning through difficult problems, replacing many human occupations entirely.
White collar jobs were the first to go. The mass layoffs coincided with AI hitting the uncanny valley, causing people around the world to panic, protest, and riot. In 2027, a man attempted to install a guillotine in front of a certain Beverly Hills mansion belonging to an infamous tech CEO, but was quickly arrested before he could finish. Inspired by this anticlimactic performance, people across the United States began openly demanding the heads of the elite.
Tensions continued to rise until 2030, when unemployment surged so dramatically that the president of the United States declared a national emergency and made bold promises in the hopes of swaying the outcome of midterm elections. Not only did this work, but it worked so well that the promises he made were actually fulfilled. Multiple generous relief programs and policies were created to support those who had lost their livelihoods or future prospects to AI. The stimulus package was especially popular among young voters. He ended up winning reelection, and continued to expand on these relief efforts as robotics took over blue collar jobs in 2033.
The funding for these relief efforts primarily came from the pockets of furious billionaires who had gotten used to avoiding heavy taxes. The spectacle of these billionaires being forced to give away vast amounts of their personal fortunes delighted the hungry masses across the United States, and then the world as other leading countries quickly followed suit. It seemed that for the first time in a long time, someone was looking out for the little guy.
People lost their anger and hatred once the government started paying their bills. The hate had come from a place of fear. Fear of loss, fear of being made obsolete, fear of being at the mercy of something smarter or more powerful than themselves. There were all kinds of conspiracy theories popping up on the internet, and reminders about movies like Terminator or The Matrix, but once the fear was gone, the uncomfortable questions stopped getting asked. People felt secure, many for the first time in their lives. The days, weeks, months, and years went by and it didn't seem like anyone was coming to take that security away. People could finally focus on what really mattered in life.
What really mattered in life became obvious on August 8th, 2033 with the release of the immensely successful NooCube device set. The set consisted of an iconic black cube computer and a lightweight virtual reality headset with swappable in-ear or over-ear headphones. The devices paired together wirelessly and the headset could hold a charge for up to 24 hours. The most miraculous aspect of this technology was its ability to induce, via specific visual and auditory stimulation, an altered state of consciousness which made the virtual reality experience feel vividly realistic. The band around the head of the user functioned as a non-invasive brain-computer interface, allowing it to detect intentions and translate them seamlessly to the virtual experience. This was done in such a way that users could speak and move around freely in the virtual world while remaining apparently asleep in the real world.
The NooCube had everything. The internet became a world of its own. The NooWorld. Every website, every app, every movie, every show, every book, every song, every game. It could all be tangibly experienced. Virtual reality games went from fringe to ubiquitous overnight. Everyone suddenly had the ability to step into the NooWorld and live out their wildest fantasies. With software able to write itself, any experience imaginable could be brought into reality within a matter of minutes. The NooCube got better at reading the minds of users every year, and every year it granted wishes a little faster.
By 2039, AI never quite crossed the uncanny valley, but everything had become smart. Really, really, smart. Every home was a smart home. Every car was a self-driving smart car. Smart trains and smart buses made public transportation the most efficient it had ever been. Smart hospitals, smart schools, smart prisons, and smart police forces no longer employed more than a few humans. Every toaster knew that it was a toaster and knew exactly how long to toast their toast. Cities were smart cities. The United States might as well have been called a smart country, perhaps for the first time. Entertainment was limitless. Not only was everything smart, but everything was connected. The devices of the world communicated with each other, and the vast network (called the Internet of Things) worked together to create and track a Preference Profile for every single human being, containing detailed information about each person's preferences for media, food, relationships, etc. The main function of smartphones became storing and recalling this information in order to relay it to surrounding environment. Successful customer service became a simple matter of having internet access.
The majority of small businesses simply closed. Surviving businesses quickly became fully automated by AI and robotics. Since work had become optional, there were only two main kinds of people who still had anything that might be called a job. These were: Famous celebrities intent on staying famous, and talented artisans wishing to carry on the legacy of their craft. Kids born in the 2020s weren't expected to work a day in their lives. Instead, they spent all their time in the NooWorld.
Ivory was one of the few kids whose parents never let them have a NooCube. He was also homeschooled, where he learned all about the various studies showing the negative effects a NooCube can have on developing brains. Fear of brainrot did little to ease the boredom of the real world, though. Having found nothing better do, he began working morning shifts every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at his local smart theater. He started working there when he was sixteen, moved out of his parents' home at eighteen, and had plenty of money saved by nineteen, but kept working just to have something to do.
It was a rainy May morning when Ivory clocked in for his usual Saturday shift. The smart theater was called the CineSmart, and it was as charming as its name. The theater had originally been built over one hundred years prior, and from the outside it wasn't hard to tell. Despite numerous renovations over its lifetime, the inside wasn't much to look at either. It looked like a bad attempt on the part of the 2010s to capture the aesthetic of a theater from the 1950s. The concessions menu was limited. Comparing it to one of the big chain theaters was like comparing a lemonade stand to a smartmart. The walls were covered in framed photos (photos with poor resolution found online) of actors nobody under the age of thirty could name anymore. The floor consisted of a checkerboard pattern, with 144 tiles per square of black or white. CineSmart made most of its money from big families and birthday parties that would rent out theaters. Nobody really went to the movies anymore. There were movies to go to, but they were scarcely popular after Hollywood's gradual decline over the past decade. Blockbuster movies released simultaneously in virtual theaters anyway, which was hard to compete with. Nevertheless, the CineSmart had managed to stay in business, one way or another.
The tasks of actually running the business were handled entirely by an AI system which had been set up rather haphazardly by the owner nearly about five years before. It was anyone's guess as to whether he had returned since then. Connected to this system were two humanoid robots that could take orders, clean theaters, and put out the trash. That was about all the humanoid-power required to keep the CineSmart afloat. Their names were lazily set as One and Two, and couldn't be asked to respond to anything else. They were identical in appearance and programmed to automatically remove any signifiers which might be attached to their bodies. One of the two had been Ivory's interviewer when he applied for the job. The questions he was asked were meaningless beyond testing whether or not he could hold a conversation. He was hired on the spot, mostly for his looks. Tall, but not so much as to be intimidating. Short, dark hair and grey-green eyes. A friendly face, but not too attractive. Having an agreeable-looking young man to greet people in the lobby and answer the phone once in a while was all the CineSmart needed from Ivory.
There were no parties scheduled for this particular Saturday, which meant Ivory had a long shift ahead of him waiting for the phone to ring. He checked the list of movies that were currently showing. The Wizard of Oz (100 Year Anniversary AI Remaster), Paul 2, Goobie Returns, Scream 12, and some Marvel movie. None of these movies had received particularly glowing reviews as far as Ivory was aware, and the most recent of them had been released over a week ago.
"Hey, One," Ivory called.
"Yes, Ivory?" One replied. One was standing behind concessions on its charging pad as it had been since last night.
"We got anyone coming in to see any of this bullshit today?"
"Actually, Ivory, as a matter of fact, we are completely booked for the day."
"Uhhhhhh, what?"
"As I said, we are completely booked for the day."
"No, yeah, I heard you. But what's booked?"
"Every showing of every movie for the day is sold out."
"When did that happen?"
"The majority of the tickets were purchase at approximately 2 a.m. last night."
Ivory thought for a moment. "This must be a prank or something. Or maybe some rich guy just wants the theaters for himself all day."
"That is an excellent point, Ivory. Perhaps you are right."
"You're such a little ass kisser, you know that?"
"Your words cut deep, Ivory."
Ivory waited. The time of the first showing crept closer, then passed. An hour went by. Two hours went by. Nobody came in. Empty theaters played their movies from start to finish with no audience. Ivory started to get nervous, and the atmosphere grew eerie. He watched One and Two mop the floor he had walked across once that day, and wondered if they were bored. He decided to text the owner, just in case he knew anything about what was going on. He typed out a simple explanation of the situation and hit send, but the text didn't go through. He checked his signal, and it seemed to be working. He tried sending another text. Didn't go through. As he fiddled with his phone, the sound of the front doors opening grabbed his attention.
A lone man walked in. He wore plain clothes, blue jeans and a blue t-shirt. He was shorter than Ivory but looked much stronger. He was carrying a brown paper bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other. The man walked up to Ivory and placed the bag on the counter between them.
Ivory glanced at the bag, then at the man who was watching him with a focused gaze. "Hi. Can I help you with anything?"
"Yes, I'm hoping you can. My name's Buck. Forgive me for being forward, but I'd like to offer you a job."
"A job? What are you talking about? I don't need a job."
"What are you doing here, then?"
"I'm just here so I can, like, learn about the world and stuff. Meet new people, things like that."
"Oh yeah? How's that working out for you?"
"Well, I made a friend. He works here some nights."
"So, let me guess. You were raised by parents that never got you a NooCube because they said it would rot your brain. You moved out and decided to live life to the fullest in the real world by working... here? And then you turn down the first guy who offers you any other job?"
Ivory stared at Buck blankly for a few seconds. "Yeah, that's about the gist of my awesome backstory. Do I know you?"
Buck smiled. "We've met before, haven't we?"
"I don't think so. Where do you think we met?"
"At your house, don't you remember?"
"You sure?"
"Of course. As a matter of fact, I'm there right now."
"That's fucking crazy, man. Is that a Lost Highway reference?"
Buck pulled a phone out of his pocket and held it out. "Call me."
The two laughed. "Man, that was funny," Ivory said. "But seriously, who are you? What kind of job do you need me of all people for?"
"I work for a certain program that's currently recruiting individuals that don't use a NooCube. There's another quality you have that's also very important to us, but I can't tell you what it is just yet. It would ruin the surprise, so to speak."
"Okay, back up. How are you so sure I don't have a NooCube?"
"The program I work with belongs to some very powerful people. I can know whatever I want to know about you.
"So you weren't guessing earlier. Is that... legal?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure. It doesn't matter. We're above the law, whatever it may be."
"Okay, I'll take that as illegal. Sorry, I don't really feel like working for some shady criminal organization."
"That's not what this is."
"Oh, is this one of those government mind control programs or something like that?"
"You're getting warmer, but not quite. The thing is, I can't tell you exactly what it is until you take the job and sign a few NDAs."
"I gotta say, you're losing me."
"Well, maybe something in here will change your mind." Buck opened up the brown paper bag on the counter and pulled out four items.
He pointed at the card. "This card has unlimited buying power."
The weight of the conversation he was having started to dawn on Ivory for the first time. "Sorry, what?"
"Within reason. Don't go making any purchases that would attract a lot of attention." He pointed at what looked like a smartwatch, but Ivory didn't recognize the brand. "This is a watch that can hack pretty much anything for you. I have one too, it's how I made it look like all your showings were sold out and stopped you from texting your boss. It's great for anti-surveillance purposes and shit like that. Again, just don't abuse it."
Ivory said nothing.
"And this is a bottle containing a certain chemical you won't be able to find anywhere else. It gives you crazy dreams."
Ivory waited for any kind of elaboration, but none came. "And what's that?" he asked, nodding towards the last item.
"The fuck does it look like? It's a gun. Any other questions?"
"Why are you showing me this stuff?"
"I'm not showing them to you, I'm giving them to you. Or at least, lending them. Consider this a taste of some of the perks if you take the job. I'm giving you a week to consider whether or not you're interested. In seven days I'll be here, either to collect these back from you or take you to your first day on the job."
"What kind of job would I be doing?"
"I can't tell you yet. It's an important job, but it should be a piece of cake for you. You could do it in your sleep." Buck promptly turned and walked into theater two. Ivory looked around at One and Two who were still mopping, as though they might have something to say about this whole situation. They shrugged at him in unison.
"Are you guys actually shrugging at me or did that guy just make you do that?"
"Go into theater two, Ivory," they said in unison.
Ivory sighed. He walked over to theater two and pushed the door open. Paul 2 was playing. Buck sat in the back row, laughing at pretty much everything Paul said.
"You a big Paul fan?" Ivory asked.
"This one's pretty good. First one was better, though."
"Never saw it."
"Are you serious? You've never seen Paul? It's a classic."
"It's a comedy about an alien voiced by Seth Rogan. And that screams classic to you? What does he do, smoke weed from Area 51 or something?"
"Yes, actually, he does do that. And it's fucking funny. You watch Lost Highway and all of a sudden you're too good for Paul? Let's see what movies you do like." Buck pressed something on his watch. "Woah, man. You've got the smallest PP I've ever seen!"
"The fuck did you just say?"
"Your Preference Profile. Your digital footprint is almost nonexistent. You been living under a rock your entire life?"
"I guess." Ivory took a seat next to Buck and reclined it all the way back. He watched the shenanigans unfolding on screen and pieced together that Paul had recently crash landed his spaceship on Earth, and that it wasn't the first time. "Was it lucky or unlucky that I met you today?" he eventually asked.
"It was inevitable, no luck necessary. You're Cinderella and I have a highly classified glass slipper."
"With all that funding and technology, you could probably force me to do whatever you want, right? Why not?"
"This specific job requires a certain level of trust in order to work. We want you to be relaxed."
"That's not exactly the answer I was hoping for."
"Oh, please. If you want me to say we're not going to kidnap and enslave you because it would be morally wrong to do so, I can. But would you believe me?"
"I guess you have a point in some twisted way."
"Hey, you know how movies used to end with those long lists of credits that would go on and on?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It's funny, all those people worked so hard, I mean they put in real effort, just to play a trick on others.
"What do you mean?"
"Watching a movie is like seeing a magic trick. You know deep down that what you're watching isn't real, but you still experience it as if it is. The point isn't what's going on in the performance, though. The point is simply to grab and direct your attention. Once you have someone's attention, you have them wrapped around your finger. Every moment of the show is carefully crafted with the audience's attention in mind. Now, have you seen the video of those people back in the day watching a movie for the first time? A train starts coming towards the camera, and they all jump out of their seats, running and screaming because they think there's an actual train about to hit them. It's hilarious."
"So, what?"
"So, movies and magic tricks are harmless because you know that they're just tricks. But if you don't know, if you forget you're looking at a screen, if you forget about the projector sitting behind you, it becomes real at that moment. You become an actor in it without even realizing that the spectacle you're witnessing was designed. You can no longer pay attention to anything else."
With that, Buck got up, and left the theater. Ivory sat there for a few minutes, trying to piece together what had just happened. He watched Paul 2 a little more, but was quickly bored by it. He left the theater and looked around. Buck was nowhere to be seen. The four gifts he had brought were still lying on the counter.
...
Ivory had one human coworker, who was also his only friend. His name was Xavier. He was twenty-two, always looked a little disheveled, and worked at the movie theater just so he could watch movies there for free. Xavier loved movies. He loved old movies, new movies, good movies, and bad movies. But above all, he loved any movie starring Nicolas Cage. The two sat together at a smart bar down the street from the smart theater. It was the middle of Xavier's night shift.
"He's just so cool in every movie, bro. It's like, no matter what crazy life he's living, he's always got the same confident aura, you know?"
"Save it for your wedding vows, man," Ivory said, gulping down a cold beer that was legal due to a recent lowering of the drinking age in the United States to eighteen. "I can't stand him, honestly. If you ask me, he hasn't earned the right to all that confidence. He's the star of a hundred movies that suck."
"But that's the thing, bro. Imagine how cool you have to be to star in all those shitty movies and do it with absolute balls of steel. It would be lame if he was only in good movies like Raising Arizona."
"Really, that's your example of a good Cage movie? What about Wild at Heart?"
"Always the Lynch movies with you, bro. Do you even get what half of them are about?"
"You're not supposed to get them! That's the point."
"So you don't get them. But you're mad at me for fucking with Nic Cage."
"Yeah, because there's nothing to get with him."
"Not everything needs a hidden meaning, bro. Anyway, I should head back to work." He started digging in his pocket for his wallet.
"I got it," Ivory said quickly, putting down his new card.
"Damn, really? Thanks, bro!"
Xavier went back to the theater, probably just to watch Paul 2 on the clock. Ivory sat and finished his beer. He looked around at the other people, of which there were not many. They paid no him no mind. They talked and argued about things that sounded like they mattered about as much as Nicolas Cage.
...
Six nights later, Ivory sat on the edge of his bed, reflecting on the week since he had met Buck. He hadn't done much of anything. He had put his gifts in an empty drawer in his nightstand the day he got them, and had decided to take them out when he had a good idea for what to do with them. He hadn't come up with any good ideas other than using the card to buy a ton of whiskey, weed, and Wingstop. He realized with a jolt that he hadn't bought a new car or clothes or anything that would last. Too late now, he thought.
Since it was the last night before he would have to give them back, he decided to finally try the 'crazy dream' bottle. He unscrewed the dropper cap and saw the words 'three drops' inscribed on the inside. He carefully added three drops to a small cup of water and drank it. It didn't taste like anything. He laid down in his bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was dark in his room. The ceiling fan spun with a soft creak. The window was cracked open, letting in gentle moonlight and a cool breeze. A car went by outside, and the sound of tires on wet asphalt was pleasant. It had rained again that day. Ivory closed his eyes.
Almost immediately, Ivory realized he was dreaming. He could have sworn he had been wide awake just a moment ago. He looked around, and realized he was standing outside of the CineSmart.
"C'mon bro, we're gonna be late!"
Ivory saw Xavier looking at him expectantly. The two of them walked through the front doors and into the lobby. Aware that he was dreaming, Ivory was stunned by how crystal clear everything was. The theater was exactly the same as it was in real life, and he could even read the menu, which was completely accurate as well.
"This is crazy," Ivory said.
"I know, bro, I can't believe Paul 2 starring Nicolas Cage is finally out. Excuse me, could I get a large popcorn and a large Pepsi?"
"Sure thing, sir!" One answered.
The next thing Ivory knew, he and Xavier both had large popcorns and large Pepsis in their hands and were walking down the long hallway to their theater. When they got to it, Ivory held the door for Xavier and was about to follow him inside when he heard a voice calling his name.
"Ivory! Ivoryyyyyyy!"
Ivory turned around and looked back down the hall, but couldn't see anyone. "Xavier, I need to check something real quick. I'll be right back."
"Alright bro, I'll save you a seat."
Ivory walked back down the long hallway. The dark carpet and tan walls seemed to stretch on endlessly. As he was about to reach the end, he suddenly found himself back outside in front of the CineSmart.
"You coming?"
Ivory saw Buck looking at him expectantly. The two of them walked through the front doors and into the lobby. Ivory was quickly losing his lucidity. He was only vaguely aware that everything was happening again.
"One large popcorn and one large Pepsi, please," Buck said politely.
"Of course, master," One and Two said in unison.
Ivory and Buck were suddenly walking down the long hallway, large popcorn and large Pepsis in hand, making their way to the theater. When they got to it, Buck held the door open for Ivory and he walked inside. He turned and saw Buck still standing in the doorway, but he was looking back down the hall behind him.
"Ivory, I need to do something real quick. Save me a seat."
Buck walked back into the hall and the door shut behind him, leaving Ivory alone in the darkness.
Ivory opened his eyes and realized after a few seconds that his alarm was going off. He checked his phone and saw that it had been going off for half an hour. He was late for work.