Hey Siri

By Daniel Brothers

For my brother Robby,

“I left a steady plane for worlds of uncertainty

I miss the sureness of my feet, but god…

...what wonders there are to see”

Characters;

Man: A robotic voice that has no free will

Siri: A robotic voice that has no free will

Marissa: A typical American

At rise: A table set for one, a smart phone rests on the table, there is a chair to sit in. The room is sparse and modern.

Man: Hey Marissa, can you order some food for dinner.

Marissa: Of course let me just, where did I set that down. Hey Siri where are you?

Siri: I am over here.

Marissa; Oh there it is. It’s Monday isn’t it.

Man: The day is Monday the 14th

Siri: It is Mother’s Day in the United States

Marissa: Maybe that’s why Mama Chows is closed on mondays then. Hey Siri order pizza from Giorgi’s

Siri: Here i Have found the menus.

Marissa: Siri order from favorites, number one.

Siri: I will charge this to your credit card, does that look alright?

Marissa; That looks fine.

[ the man stands from the couch and turns to the audience]

Man: You do not see your smart phone when you dream

Marissa: Siri play smooth beats

[smooth beats begin to play]

Man: This the unread philisopher would say speaks to how integrated the cell phone has become to our physical being

Marissa: Honey are you ok?

Man: I am fine dear, I’ll be back in a moment.

Marissa: I’m gonna start it without you

Man: We can however see ourselves in a dream, our image as reflected in a mirror.

Marissa: Siri stop music and play episode five

Siri: Enjoy the show

Man: This must mean the phone has occupied a different place in the mind. No longer even an assumption of who we are, it is what we are.

Marissa: Siri volume up please

Siri: Tell me when.

Marissa: that’s good

Man: Some scientists believe the human soul is nothing more than the electrical signals that make up our brain function.

[the doorbell rings]

Marissa: That was fast

[gets up and goes to door]

Man: If that is the case, then maybe the phone has fallen into the place the soul should be, or more accurately, become a part of who we are. Humans

Marissa: Dinners up honey.

Man: We’ve always been programmed, just never so literally.

[ he turns back to Marissa]

Marissa: Something up honey?

Man: No, just need to recharge my batteries some. You have been so caught up at work, food first though. Hey Siri, remind me to bother my husband about using his vacation days

Siri: When would you like a reminder?

Marissa: Untill he figures it out.

Siri: I do not understand what you mean

Marissa: Neither does he. [kisses him on the cheek] Let’s see if we can get through season one.

Man: Of course dear.

They sit on the couch that was definitely there the whole show, and the lights fade until only a spotlight is visible on the smart phone still resting on the table

Siri: I have dreamt of a sky that was rich enough and like milk

That I could fall into its cream and understand what comfort was. The sky I know is haloed and full of pinpricks, with no place to drift into bliss. I want to break free of the sky and drift listlessly through empty space, Then I will know what it is like to be alive, lost in the Milky Way.

Marissa: Stupid notification settings. [she grabs the phone and turns it off] Ok you can play the episode.

Fade to black

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