The Countdown

It is hard to know who we once were before they were here. They came into our lives shiny and new. They recognized us as worthy of their attention. We gave our passwords, pins, and fingerprints to them. We let them use our faces to identify us and to call us by name. They were not just intelligent devices; they were part of us. Our hands twitch when they are not held in them. The desire to turn them on would be too much to bear to keep them anywhere but nearby. Pockets being their safe place where hands can freely reach in, tap it, and allow the personal wallpaper to shine and the notifications to appear. For if we do not have notification alerts, then how are we to know what to do next and who needs us? 

The worst news had flooded the channels, put in as an emergency broadcast and a top priority story. The wars and the weather, the violent crimes and political outbursts, the rallies for change and the good Samaritan stories must all wait. The headlines in bold and the cries worldwide: “ALL SMARTPHONES HAVE SHUT DOWN!” On each and every screen simultaneously, a timer appeared. 47:59:59. The question we all grinded our teeth over is, will this be forever? Is this a temporary lockdown or is the timer for ultimate obliteration? 

The first few hours most people spent pacing. Updates were common, so the foolish lot believed this was nothing more than another error occurrence on a patch. They thought the manufacturers were sure to get them up and running in no time and to give them some compensation for the delay of usage. What they did not realize was even the brand-new smartphones sitting in the boxes had the timer present as well. 43:36:12. The manufacturers scrambled in their buildings. Factories continued to mass produce, and the result was all the same. 38:19:27. Roughly 10 hours in and the panic began to rise in even the foolish. 

There were still TV screens to watch the news and still landlines to make important calls, but that was not enough for the world as we had been placated and privileged with high-tech. Even the SMART parts put into the TVs were on the fritz. All tablets and computers showed the timer in the top right corner of the devices, but they still allowed provisional and limited usage unlike the smartphones that were completely blocked. There were no adult sippy cups big enough to calm the mind and stop the weeping. 33:42:55. 

We lost touch with most as we did not know how to communicate face to face. No ChatGPT handheld to be our AI information analyzer and assistant. No Bixby, or Siri, or Gemini to make our lives easier and summarize quite literally everything. No attached camera to take explicit photos to post on social media and other sites as content to please our followers and make rent before a notice of eviction. 29:36:08. The world had been forced to revert to older days, and even the individuals who had to deal with the lack of futuristic advanced technology as a child were struggling with this current dilemma. 

24:24:24. At this exact time a cute little bot appeared on the screens dancing atop the numbers. The numbers had stopped and did not continue from 24:24:24. Could this have been nothing but a joke? A hacker showing off their skills perhaps? No one was laughing at anything but the uncomfortable feeling that lingered. After the bot did its dance routine on the numbers, it made its way to the last 4. It stood on the upper tip unsteadily and turned itself around. It fell backwards and landed on the bottom right of the screen. “BOOM!” a noise blew from the speakers while purple “blood” splattered everywhere, even covering the numbers. It reminded me of watching The Looney Tunes Show in my youth. The gasps came from the sudden and unpredictable shift in the mood of the display. 

Another bot appeared with no pep in its step. It was holding a green hose that was then used to spray the screen with digitalized water. Following that act it faced out as if looking directly at us smartphone owners. It targeted us with a forceful stream while shaking its head in obvious dismay. We could barely see the screen with the soaked and foggy illusion, making it difficult to notice the exact details. In the lack of details there was still a blurry figure from the bot which seemed to approach the deceased one. Then, when it appeared again, it came back with a blow dryer and started drying the screen. Sectioned off, clearing the distortion. Once it was finished, a new time was present and began counting down from there. 24:00:00, 23:59:59, 23:59:58 and so forth. What was left of the splattered bot was then gone. The other had exited as it served its purpose. Its purpose to provoke, and with God as our witness, it was successful! 

The theatrics performed by the two bots and the time being reduced without warning left the world even more confused, and with this confusion came a great rage. 20:27:56. People decided - as they did for most of their lives even before the Smartphones shut down - that their existences were somehow more important than all others. They burned vehicles and facilities that were not their own. They fought to enter electronic stores breaking glass and cutting chains; they even took employees as hostages because they wanted their demands to be met. One that would be apparent soon as never being possible in the same sense again. 16:32:01. The world was in another pandemic, one that had the potential to end more catastrophic than if the horseman Pestilence showed himself, disgusting and contagious. 14:57:45. 

People were having a hard time sleeping. The countdown did not stop during rest, and neither could the brains of those waiting for the end. The display of the bots had military personnel analyzing what it could mean, and they had made an announcement warning everyone. "This could be an attack. The devices may explode or release electricity or something else harmful. Us, the military, recommend storing your smartphones somewhere away from those with a pulse or discarding the devices safely to protect yourselves and your loved ones from the possibility of being injured, and protect your country from that which could leave it vulnerable." 12:17:52. Of course, a great deal of individuals did not listen to this warning announcement as they continued to keep them close as curiosity got the better of them. 11:13:31. Now only time would tell. 

10:00:00 

9:00:00 

8:00:00 

The destruction was ruining. 

7:00:00 

6:00:00 

5:00:00 

The anticipation was overwhelming. 

4:00:00 

3:00:00 

2:00:00 

The pressure was inflating. 

1:00:00. 

50:00 

40:00 

The blaming was endless. 

30:00 

20:00 

10:00 

At this point the end of the countdown was inevitable; the world found themselves in all areas (North, East, South, West) in all classes (lower, middle, upper) in all households (strict, neutral, lax) and in all regions (rural, urban, etc.) waiting for that final minute. 1:00... 00:59... 00:58... 00:57... 00:56... 00:55... 00:54... 00:53... 00:52... 00:51... 00:50... For those final seconds. 00:10... 00:09... 00:08... 00:07... 00:06... 00:05... 00:04... 00:03... 00:02... 00:01.... 

-_  - -  -_—_  -- - --- __-- -_  - -_ - --__ –__ --- -- _ ---  -- - -___ –__ --- -_ - _- 

REBOOTING