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ABSTRACT
Be Right Back illustrates the desperate attempts that people will make in the face of loss. Martha, confronted by the sudden death of her lover Ash, is able to piece his personality back together (through texts, calls, internet searches, and more) with the help of an innovative AI company. However, what would happen if Ash had been using a VPN before his death? With so much information protected, would the developers have been able to create a “whole” person, or just a robotic version of the man that once was?
Ash and Martha are deeply in love and plan to spend the rest of their lives together. From the start, the two of them are inseparable.
One day, Ash doesn’t return home. Martha waits in fear knowing that something must have happened, considering Ash is always on his cell phone and would never go hours on end without checking in with her. Soon enough, her worst fears are confirmed when the police show up at Martha’s door.
Martha emotionlessly floats through the funeral
Shes spends days at a time in bed mourning
And then she finds out she's pregnant
Out of sheer desperation, Martha looks up an experimental AI company and begins the process of bringing Ash back to life.
It starts with a simple text, and the two of them begin talking like old times. The texting is eerily accurate to how they used to talk. This software, which allows Martha to speak with a digital version of Ash, replicates his language and personality by analyzing everything he said online.
Hi Martha...
Is that you?
LOL, of course it is
Martha quickly discovers an upgrade that allows her to speak with Ash on the phone. Desperate to hear his voice, she upgrades.
-Hello? Martha asks.
Hi Martha, it's me.- The voice on the other end of the phone was undoubtedly Ash's.
-I have to tell you something... I'm pregnant. Martha says, almost at a whisper.
Pregnant? Heart eyes emoji. Hugging gif.-
Martha pauses, sure that something is wrong. -Ash? I have to go, I'll call you back soon. Martha has a hard time hanging up, but knows she has to call the AI developers.
On the phone with the developers, Martha is reminded that, while alive, Ash used a VPN on his network, meaning that the AI company was unable to fully extract data to help build AI Ash’s personality.
We’re sorry Martha, but we warned you about the VPN before you upgraded. He’s going to seem slightly more one-dimensional, simply because we can’t access majority of his personal communications. There is one option: you can upgrade again, and we will help replicate Ash in AI form. Perhaps when you see him in-person again, you’ll feel differently.
She upgrades again.
Several days later, Martha receives a delivery containing AI Ash’s body. Following the instructions, she throws it in the tub, adds electrolytes, and lets the body sit for 15 to 20 minutes while she waits downstairs. She hears footsteps descending from the second floor. Stunned, Martha is unable to move or speak as AI Ash approaches her, completely naked, making wisecracks that Martha could have at least left him some clothes.
I love you so much. I can't believe that we are back together again. HEART EMOJI!-
-Heart emoji?
You're so beautiful. HEART EYES EMOJI.-
Martha immediately realizes the mistake she had made. Without access to his private, personal communication in emails and texts, the AI developers had no ability replicate Ash's nuances and ticks. Heartbroken already, Martha calls the developers again.
“Something is wrong with Ash. He goes from saying the most intimate things, like our text messages, to talking about cat gifs and emojis. What's going on?”
“We've warned you multiple times that Ash had set up a virtual private network. When we send the body, we typically have more information about the deceased. As you start interacting with him, it should get easier. Call us again if he continues to act up.”
Despite the slight bugs, Martha tries to act like nothing's wrong, and they continue to spend their days together, until things start to unravel.
Everything Ash does gets under Martha's skin, and soon, nearly everything Ash does (or doesn't do) infuriates her.
Morning, Martha. How'd you sleep? Smiling cat emoji! Heart emoji! Dancing GIF!- Ash exclaimed
-You're not the Ash I loved, you're a complete and utter stranger.
YOU'RE NOT ASH! I CAN NEVER LOVE YOU! GET OUT!
Martha screamed.
“But, I can't leave, I have to be near you.-
Walk away, and keep walking, and never come back here again...
AI Ash takes Martha's order and walks into the distance while she stands on her front porch, crying. She is left to grieve again.
Months later, Martha gives birth to her daughter, Ashley. Alone in her hospital room, Martha can't stop thinking about the AI replicant of her daughter's father.
Years pass, and Martha never mentions AI Ash to Ashley, hoping that, over time, the robot ceased to survive on its own. In the back of her mind, though, she dreaded the idea that AI Ash still existed, walking and adapting to the world around him.
Over two decades, Martha's anxiety diminishes. Ashley moves to London for college.
One day, when Ashley is twenty-three years old and walking home from a shift at the hospital, she catches a glimpse of a man who looks exactly like her father. In a panic, she does a double-take, feeling like she just saw a ghost, only to notice that he had disappeared.
She picks up her phone and dials Martha.
“Mom?” she asks hesitantly. “I swear, I think I just saw dad...”
Frozen, Martha mutters, “You've had a long day at work - it must just be your imagination. Go get some rest.”