Autonomous Life Changes

“Good day” the automated voice said as Ranold approached his autonomous vehicle. The vehicle’s front camera and sensors identified him almost immediately from his smartwatch beaming his digital identification abroad. It always amazed Ranold how fast technology paced itself in the 2020s.

At one point, he had to drive his own car.

That alone is baffling he thought to himself as he approached the “driver’s” side and climbed into his communal shell of advanced transportation. As the car door automatically closed, his usual Spotify playlist began playing. However, Ranold didn’t exactly feel like his usual playlist today. As the in-car cameras read his unsatisfactory facial expressions and his neural implant informed the car, the music was immediately halted as his preferred podcast began playing. Just as the mere thought finished playing out in Ranold’s mind.

Seeing that his highrise apartment building was near the latest autonomous lane, it took no time at all for his tech-consumed vehicle to reach the standard 150 mph speed limit. Being in the tech-welcoming home of San Francisco sure does have its benefits compared to the normal 1–2 hour mind-numbing commute on the interstates.

Maybe it was a mistake spooling up this podcast Ranold pondered. With these speeds, I should have known that would be able to finish my podcast in..

Of course, just as the thought came to a close, his neural implant and car came to aid his mild inconvenience and switched back to one of his favorite post-rock tracks. Just as the song progressed towards the best part of the chorus, the music’s volume dimmed in the cabin as the car approached the autonomous drop-off lane of the selected destination: Ranold’s workplace.

Endcalp Incorporated Ranold mentally noted from the giant corporate sign. It might be welcoming to new clients and customers but to him, it was a reminder. Something that kept prodding him forward to his eventual goal of not working here anymore.

With the recent full purchase of his rather expensive autonomous car, he’s been able to put it on the autonomous ride-sharing service offered by the same car manufacturer. If this works as promised by the over-excited sales rep he had a video conference with, the daily revenue alone will easily replace the income he collects from Endcalp Incorporated. This includes all commissions and the rising value of the company shares he’s currently holding.

He had to stop himself from grinning too much as he walked through the entrance. The separating automated doors greeted his presence. Sure, he only passed in his two-week notice yesterday, but bad news spreads unbelievably fast when everyone has neural implants. He also didn’t want to be terminated too soon in case his vehicular investment turns sour.

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As Ranold was able to leave his final meeting for the day, he eagerly approached his patiently waiting car in the autonomous pick-up lane. He smiled as he appreciated how close the pick-up line was to the drop-off line. Getting in the car, he closed his eyes and without even calling up any actions, his car started playing his usual song. The same hair metal song of accomplishment that he can never remember the name of but always feels right at the end of every workday at Endcalp.

Wait… Ranold came to the realization that the song request came from the subconsciousness of his mind. He didn’t mentally queue this song once he got in the car.

“Is something wrong, Ranold?” the car asked him in a natural yet concerned tone as it paused the song. Ranold was impressed by just how far the natural language processing software has come.

“No, I’m okay”. Ranold said to his car as if he was speaking to a friend or coworker. “I just didn’t realize my chip could read my subconsciousness.”

“Why, yes it can.” the car said all matter-of-fact-like. “You conscious, subconscious, and all other aspects of your brain can be read by your neural implant just as easily as you can communicate with me.”

Ranold nodded in acknowledgment and being quite impressed by the level these technologies can communicate with each other. Noting this reaction through the implant, his car continued playing the epic hair metal track. Ranold appreciated that the song was paused at just the right moment in the interlude before the epic guitar solo.

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Once Ranold was finally dropped off at his highrise, his car almost immediately took off. He then received a mental notification that his car was heading to the nearest supercharger before picking up its first customer in its ride-sharing queue for the night.

Just as the alert disappeared from his neural implant’s notification bay in his mind, he remembered that he didn’t check his car’s first-day performance of ride-sharing. Surely, as if verbally requested, the revenue reports displayed in his mind with quite exquisite detail. Although his earnings wouldn’t replace his commissions right away, one day of renting out his autonomous vehicle replaced one week of his base earnings at Endcalp.

As the unbearable grin finally make it to Ranold’s face, he decided two weeks was too long. I’m quitting as of today he concluded while walking inside his apartment building and approaching the super lifts. As his lift propelled upward in its usual rapid pattern, he was on the 53rd floor and walking towards the front door of his penthouse in a matter of seconds.

It wasn’t long after entering his home that he sent off his final notice and farewell to his manager at Endcalp, including all the details regarding his pending commissions. As if reacting to his notice, another one of his favorite victory-themed hair metal anthems started playing over his penthouse smart speakers. All in unison, like an all-digital manifesto.

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It wasn't an hour later when Ranold got a notification on his neural implant and his laptop that his money-making vehicle was already performing better than yesterday. Included in the notification were estimated projections that tonight’s shift might bring in 30% more revenue if the pattern continues.

Happily giving mental orders through his implant like a madman, he increased the time windows of the car’s availability for the ride-sharing service. Upon applying said changes, he checked his estimated projections and they almost increased tenfold.

At this rate, I won’t need any additional sources of income Ranold happily thought as he made his way to the bedroom. At this rate… I will have this car paid off. I could buy another car and have it paid off… I could… His thoughts danced off into the distance as laid back and closed his eyes. Soft ambient music gently played throughout his bedroom as he drifted away.