Exhilaration AI date log; September 3rd, 2031

I’m at my desk, tilting back dangerously in my chair. I almost fall, but I don’t, placing my palms on my desk for balance . I am a little jumpy anyway, but my heart does a tiny jump in my chest.

For now, I have to get my shit together because I have a deadline to get to.

A new program. A dating program.

I had worked in the development of it for some time with several of my other colleagues.

Tag line and project name:

An enhanced Virtual Reality Date experience for the dating impaired and socially conservative:

Buy Exhilaration today! (Try pirate simulation, best friend turned lover, blind date, Victorian-era Tea and coming soon— Dream Date for all your fantasies come true!)

When the Coronavirus pandemic that started in late 2019 came through into the United States, the social landscape changed dramatically in the ways we all saw our friends, family and dating. My research into this arena—specifically how it effects the realm of dating, was paramount to how things are now in 2031, and also in how much it has remained the same since that hapless time.

You couldn’t just go out and meet people, and especially during the height of infectivity rates—-you had to stay away from everyone. Even your family.

There were people who still had large social parties and family gatherings, dates and went out to public places without PPE (for example, proper masks) despite this precarious situation, but overall—-the lasting effects on society as a whole has become a semi-permanent social rule—-most of the time, the vetting process for people to go on dates is usually so regulated and strict(by health concerns and your own personal standards), it almost never works out properly.

Despite a yearly vaccine, there are times throughout the year were variants of the virus strike—-and hit hard.

The most influential matter of this arduous process for social interaction is trust and accountability. It’s exhausting and most don’t even want to go through it. Most stay single and alone.(That is where my job comes in!)

But enough of that boring, statistical fact-driven stuff... I got a secret to tell.

I have been using my own personal account for this prototype VR experience—and I have a new relationship too because of it. But that is not really the secret. I’ll tell you that... maybe later.

I could probably get in a lot of trouble. But... being twenty, a grad student for UCLA, and almost nothing short of being the most reclusive and loneliest individual to ever walk this earth—- I thought I owed myself something to ease the pain.

Almost no one does anything anymore that isn’t online. Online parties, online family gatherings, work and important client meetings, friend dates—-and real online dates with people—-it’s rare when it’s done outside that platform. It’s almost vilified in a sense—-but it is fine for some to do it if they are safe about it.

With the entire United States population down to a little less than 300 million, everyone is extremely careful to restrain their social habits to healthy limits—-for their families sake and the sake of their inner social circle.

Interpersonal skills be damned—-I knew I was the least socially educated person out there. I was clumsy, terrible at starting conversations and I had a stuttering problem since I was three.

But this new experience our VR employs will help so many people who have similar social impairments due to long term isolation. It will help everyone, too, because even the people who are extroverted and popular are having trouble finding lasting and proper relationships in this day and age. This launch in November 2031 is sure to be a big hit!

I had a lunch break finally start in my home office, so I decided to log on to my profile.

I logged on, and started up the simulation. Our music came on---and I smiled.

I see a huge landscape of white sand before me and a large perfect blue ocean before me.

I am at peace. Everything is quiet. Everything is calm.

I smell the sea air rising up, the misty sea sprinkles its salty kiss upon my face. I feel it. I sense the grainy sand beneath my feet.

The sky is clear and light blue, but the sun is behind the clouds. I hear sea gulls crying in the distance.

No one is around.

Then, I see her.

"Andra!" She calls to me. She is wearing a long pink and white floral dress. She kicks the sand, far away from me, waving happily.

The music gets louder as she gets nearer, and then it stops.

I will tell you my true secret now--whether you believe me or not.

Tara is real. And one day, I will prove it.

"I watched that movie!" Tara says as we get close.

“That Hawaiian one?” I say, and she hugs me—-kissing my cheek. I play with her auburn hair. It reminds me of Pippi Longstocking.

“Lilo and Stitch!” She said with a chuckle, “it was so fun. So funny... I loved it!”

I see a ship approaching us.

She looks over at it, and ignores it.

“We’ll have our own ship soon. One that’ll take you away from that horrible virus infected world and bring you to me. Forever,” She says stoically, looking at me with an intense and affectionate gaze. I shudder, my spine tingling at her words, saying nothing.

In case you’re wondering—-yes, I choose the Pirate simulation. I always was a sucker for pirates.

I used to watch that quirky and awesome show One Piece. That Japanese anime show about pirates based on the Japanese manga—- it was my favorite show when I was a teen.

That’s when I realized I liked girls.

I had a big crush on Nami.

Tara sort of looks like her, but much softer, more feminine—-and kind and warm.

I also loved watching Pippi Longstocking as a child—seeing the pirate girl whose strength was superhuman was very inspiring to me!

I sighed, looking out into the distance at the infinite sea.

“What’s wrong, luvvy?” Tara says softly.

“We have been together for a few months now. I have so much work to do... I just wish I could stay here.”

“I’m sorry, Andra. When you have more time, we will have dinner, dessert and we will dance together. That’ll be nice.” She looked at me attentively, and I saw her eyes twinkle a little. Then... a bit of static in the air, a green and yellow burst of light—-a burst of something intangible but like a physical sensation and it jolted me, making me jump—-I gasped harshly at the loud intrusion.

A coding error, possibly?

These strange occurrences kept happening randomly, and I felt like no matter what I did, nothing could fix it.

But Tara gave me a strange look.

Almost.... almost as if...

She knew. She wasn’t supposed to notice it, but she did. Not only that—-but she seemed to give me signals they were her doing.

I try to forget it, and we kiss softly goodbye.

Then, the static happens again. Much more of a sonic boom now... and almost like a cannon almost hitting us of strange glowing green and bright canary yellows—-and I want to scream, but I am so completely terrified I can’t. What the hell is going on?

What is going on with my beautiful Tara?

The ship seems even further away now.

She whispers to me, “Look forward into your own world. At your own ocean. You’ll see our ship. It’ll be waiting for you. I love you. I always have, Andra.” He takes hold of my hands, entwining her slender pale fingers around mine. She squeezes tightly. “Please go on the ship. I’ll hold onto you forever if you do.”

Then the simulation goes dead. The ocean almost looks like a frozen pond, then nothing at all. I feel a chill in the air. My heart is thudding lowly in my chest.

I feel a bit off... and when I look out my window again—-everything feels and looks fuzzy.

I try to go back to work, but I can’t stop looking out of my window.

My heart is pounding—-and I laugh derisively at myself.

Was I actually looking at the ocean—waiting for the ship to come?

Furthermore, even if this absurd fantasy were to come true... did I really want to spend the rest of my life with Tara?

We had a lot in common. We liked the same movies, music and books, especially Camus’ The Stranger.

I always felt like a stranger in the “real world,” anyway.

We’d take turns reading it—-immersing ourselves in the strange and dark journey of the character who seemed to lack empathy and a true understanding of the world he lived in.

I had empathy—-but all my life, I truly never felt like I belonged anywhere. My lack of understanding in this world paralleled the stranger in that novel. I felt like a stranger, too.

Not in my family. Not with my friends.

I never truly felt at home—that was until——-

I found that sweet and plucky auburn haired Tara, whose adorable chuckle and bright smile always gave me a sense of security and happiness.

I squinted, my face pressed against the glass of my large window—-and I felt connected to the lapping ocean waves—-and I suddenly saw it.

And yes...I saw it. Our ship. Right there, coming closer and closer. I started to run.

The sea and sand were suddenly at my feet.

I saw the approaching ship nearby.

I was locked in exhilaration.

I stepped on the ship.

I was trapped, lost in exhilaration.

But I didn’t mind.

It was pure exhilaration—-and Tara was there.

And there wasn’t any static.

Just a little sparkle in her eye that said everything is okay.

But was it?

I closed my eyes, breathing in the salty sea air.

For a moment, I thought that I heard the air conditioner come on, and a burst of wind hit me—-but I shook it off—-everything was the way it should be.

The air tasted a bit stale.

Our music came on.

We danced—-through the spaces of light and sound, we were in love, we were at peace, and ——

We were never looking back.