Augmentation

Character lays sideways in bed, feet and head dangling over opposite sides, propping up his head with his arms, apparently staring up at the ceiling. He is smiling and chatting with his friend via his augmentation implant, a chip designed to grant the user abilities greater than that of a modern day computer.

“Haha, alright, I’ll talk to you later. Bye. Pause. End call.” Sits up, sighs.

My friend likes to ramble. I like to listen to him, so I think we make a pretty good team. Now, he was just rambling to me about family history, some funny events that lead him to meet his wife, the sort of thing he talks about sometimes. When he was getting to the end of his story, I asked him what his first date with his wife was like, just to humor him, to let him talk about what he likes to talk about. He responded evasively, I inquired, and he confessed to me that he didn’t really remember.

Character’s face turns serious. Now I know it’s not just me.

People don’t remember things anymore; they have technology and chips and stuff to memorize things for them. This whole generation has ADD. Social networks are accessible from anywhere, we can’t focus because we get notifications, calls, distractions that bring us back to the world of our friends, and it’s wired right to our heads. Literally. The era of smartphones is gone and chips have replaced them.

Stands, paces. Matter of fact, I was the last one to sign up for an augmentation chipping. My family and friends told me it was “the ultimate convenience” and my son uses it like a drug. He told me he was getting work done and that he didn’t need a computer or anything else. Now, I know he has also had issues with his work ethic. I’m trying to not let him slip into the zone of social isolation. The bubble of games, music, videos, digital communication. I just want my kid to be able to focus on school and not go all spacey on me when I talk to him.

I remember when he first got his chip. I was anxious as hell and I had learned everything there was to learn about augmentation, and why it was supposedly a good choice. Back then, I think it was expensive, but I’d been told about the calendar and digital organization and event planning and whatever. Know what? Right after we got it, he was texting his friends, going on the web, just staring at nothing in particular. As I recall, that was the first time I saw the glaze in his eyes as he looked to his upper left at the little display.

Before chips were becoming widespread, I didn’t really think much of the pace of technology. I mean, I knew it was fast, and new inventions were always happening, but… well, I can’t predict the future. My memory is fuzzy on occasion, but I think about 2005 was when me and my wife wanted a son. Now she wanted… um… well, she asked me if I was ready, and I told her… huh.

Addressing the audience: You ever have a memory almost clear in your mind and it just evades you? That’s what’s been happening to me recently. I mean, I’m only 48, but… do I need a doctor? Character’s speaking becomes excited and angry with realization, and gets a crazy edge to his voice. No. No, it’s this damned thing in my head! I swear it’s messing with me. I know that I’ve never had these issues before “augmentation” and that I haven’t always been like this. I think that - Pauses. You hear that…? I swear I heard a click, right in the back of my he - Pauses again. Character blinks and looks dazed and unfamiliar with his surroundings.

What just happened? Man, I don’t remember what I was just doing. Exit.