The setting: A fictitious future, not long from now, where ubiquitous communication with AI has reduced the human capacity for conversation to 10 word staccato sentences, or perhaps more self-referentially:
Setting: Soon. AI. Causes. Communication. Degradation. 10. Word. Sentence. Limit.
Hear. You. Say:
What? No. How? No! Why? NO!
10. Words?
Limiting! Ridiculous! Unrealistic! Unacceptable!
IRRITATING!
Correct. Yet. Irrelevant.
Show. Must. Go. On.
So: 10. Words. Max.
Begin. Story:
Lounge. Sunny. Afternoon. Peaceful. Dog. Asleep. Nearby.
Phone. Ring. Loud.
Dog. Perks. Up.
Answer. Greet. Listen. Speak. Listen. Respond. Farewell. End. Call.
Smile.
Happy. Elated. Joyful. Excited. Abuzz. Over. The. Moon. Why?
Hot. Date. Tonight.
Hot. Fuck. Tonight?
Maybe… Luck. Required.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Shower. Dress. Spill. Coffee. Swear. Shower. Change. Leave. Rushed.
Car. Highway. Park. Exit. Look. For. Train.
Board. Validate. Sit. Depart. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Arrive. Disembark.
Taxi!
“Destination?” Restaurant.
Destination. Restaurant.
Time? LATE. Crap! Never. Mind. Still. First. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Look. Around. Bored.
Tables. Chairs. Patrons. Food. Drink. Joy. Dark. Outside. Full. Moo-
There! Snap. Back. Present. Date. Approaches.
Pretty. Eyes. Lips. Chest. Ass… Beautiful.
“Eyes. Here. Thank. You.”
Yikes. Prude.
“Just. Kidding. Nice. Outfit. Sexy.” Wink.
Chemistry. Click. Feeling: Lucky!
Dinner. Plus. Conversation.
“Work?” “Yes. Work. Game. Developer. Flappy. Bird. Ripoff. Work?”
“Yes. Philanthropy. Donor. Major. Funds. Very. Wealthy.”
Pause. Gulp. Beyond. Depth. Another. Rejection. Incoming. No. Luck. Frozen.
Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Plates. Knives. Glasses. Unbearable. Silence.
Say. Something. How. About: “Really?”
“No. Again. Kidding. IT. Networking. Boring. Money. Nice. Pays. Bills.”
Relief. Still. Getting. Lucky… Maybe.
Skip. Ahead. 10. Minutes. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Conversation. Going. Well. 5. Topics. Per. Minute. Nice. And. Slow.
Dessert. Done. Chat. Done. Check. Done. Pay. Done.
“Sex?”
“Sex.”
Sex!
Tip. Leave. Drive. Arrive. Strip.
Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex.
Done.
Cigarette?
“Yes. Please.”
Puff. Cough. Puff. Cough. Puff. Laugh. Smile. Dress. Kiss. Leave.
Moment. Lasts. Forever. Yet. 10. Seconds. Later:
Walking. Through. Moonlight.
Sigh…
Alone. Again.
Alone. With. Just. 10. Words.
Alone. With. Just. 10. Thoughts.
Alone. And. Empty.
Fast. Sex. Fast. Car.
Fast. Lane. Fast. Life.
Fast. Life… Fast. End.
End. Of. Story.