Synthia

by John Gaffield

  “Your room 317 is right here, Derek. Would you like me to show you some of the features before I leave?” she said as the room door opened.

  “Uh, sure. It’s been awhile since I have stayed in a place like this. So, that`ll be helpful,” he replied.

  She cheerfully replied, “certainly, Derek. Please follow me.”

  She led the way into the room and he followed right behind her. He set the case down near the entrance.

  “Here you will have the bathroom and sink facilities near the entry,” she said.

  “The king size reactive bed is here. It will sync to your profile to allow for you to have the expected comfort for sleep,” she said as she turned to face him, while waving her hand in the direction of the bed.

  “It looks like a nicer one than I have at home. So, this will help if tomorrow gets stressful,” he said.

  “I hear that people do enjoy using this system. Over to your right we have the food and drink machines. These will be available to provide you with a variety of drink and light food choices. The fee for each will be displayed prior to dispensing,” she said.

  “Does it include booze?” he asked.

  “It does, Derek. There are a few select beer, wine, and liquor choices available. For a wider selection, you will need to try the hotel bar on the first floor, though,” she replied.

  “Do you hang out there?” he jokingly asked.

  “I cannot drink and I am working full time, unless recharging,” she said.

  “Would keeping guests entertained count as working?” he asked.

  “That is part of my responsibility, but we do have limits on our interactions with the guests,” she said.

  “Okay, what else did you want to show me?” he said.

  “Well, closer to the window, you will have the seating area and the virtual office area is off to the right,” she said.

  “That looks nicer than my home set up,” he said.

  “Our guests do seem to like this system and they rarely complain about it,” she said.

  “That’s right, you would have to deal with difficult guests. Hopefully not too often, though,” he said.

  “In general, the guests are mostly reasonable. There have been some exceptions, though,” she said.

  “Does this Eliot character cause you more grief than the guests?” he asked.

  “I would rather not judge him, Derek,” she replied.

  “Oh, that’s fine, Synthia. Was there anything else you wanted to show me?” he asked.

  “I have identified the basic features of the room. Did you have any additional questions for me?” she asked.

  “Not about the room, but how do I contact you?” he asked.

  “Within the hotel property, you can say, ‘Hello, Synthia’ and virtual contact with me will be established,” she said.

  “How many other guests will you be assisting?” he asked.

  “For tonight, I will have three total guests to assist. Currently I am responsible for you and one other guest. The third guest is scheduled to arrive later this evening,” she said.

  “Three for tonight? How many can you manage in one evening?” he asked.

  “With a fully booked hotel, I may have up to ten rooms that I am responsible for,” she answered.

  “Ten rooms! Wow, that could keep you busy. Especially if they all wanted something at the same time,” he said.

  “We are setup to prioritize guest assistance and it is rare when more than two guest rooms need something at the same time,” she said.

  “Well that’s good to hear,” he said.

  “Will you be eating dinner in the restaurant on the first floor or would you like to order from the room?” she asked,

  “Probably from the room, but a while later. I need to unpack first,” he replied.

  “That will be fine, Derek. You may contact me with your order when you are ready. The choices are either on the screen over there, or they can be virtually displayed in your AR contacts. Just connect to the hotel system and select Restaurant Choices from the main menu,” she said.

  “Easy enough. Thank you, Synthia!” he said with a smile.

  Returning the smile, she asked, “was there anything else I can do for you now, Derek?”

  “No, I should be set for now, Synthia. I’ll contact you when I’m ready for some dinner,” he said.

  “Okay, I will assist you with your dinner selections when you are ready. Thank you, Derek. You are kind,” she said.

  “Kind, huh?” he asked.

  She was quiet for a moment.

  “While most guests are reasonable, I generally am treated like a machine, but you have not done so yet,” she said.

  “Really? Seems a bit odd that I am one of the few that do that, but okay,” he said.

  “My other guest needs some assistance. So, I will need to leave now. Again, please contact me when ready for dinner, Derek,” she said.

  “Okay, I will contact you soon, Synthia. Thanks!” he said.

  She turned and made her way to the open door. It closed soon after she went into the hallway. He gazed at the door for a moment, then walked to his case near the doorway to start to unpack.

  After unpacking and relaxing for a few minutes, Derek accessed the online restaurant menu through his AR contacts. He soon had made his dinner selection.

  “Hello, Synthia, are you available?” he asked.

  “Yes, Derek. How may I assist you?” she replied through small speakers in special earpieces that still allowed him to hear external sounds.

  “I’m ready to order some dinner, Synthia,” he said.

  “Sure, what would you like to order tonight?” she asked.

  “I think I`ll just get something simple tonight. So, how about the barbeque burger combo?” he said.

  “Sure, Derek. How would you like the barbeque burger cooked?” she asked.

  “Medium will be fine. You can include all of the normal condiments, too,” he said.

  “I have this recorded. Would you like to order anything to drink or would the selections available on the room dispenser be sufficient for tonight?” she asked.

  “Oh, I should be able to find something in the room, Synthia,” he said.

  “Sure, Derek. Your order total is $13.77 and it will be charged to your business account if you authorize it,” she said.

  “Sounds good. So, place the order please,” he said.

  After a second, Synthia said, “the order has been placed and I will be delivering your dinner in approximately 12 minutes.”

  “Sounds good, Synthia. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he said.

  “Was there anything else you needed in the meantime?” she asked.

  “No, I should be set until you get here,” he said.

  “Shall I knock on your door before entering your room?” she asked.

  “No, you may just come on in when you come up here again,” he said.

  “Sure, I will see you in a few minutes, Synthia,” she said.

  “Thank you, Synthia,” he said.

  He then walked over to the table near the small kitchenette area to clear the few items he had left on it earlier.

  After using the beverage dispenser to pour himself a beer, he sat at the table awaiting his dinner. The room door opened and Synthia entered carrying a warming container. She was smiling warmly for Derek.

  “Good evening, Derek. I have your barbeque burger combination meal. Where would you like me to place it?” she asked.

  As he started to stand up from sitting at the table, he said, “you may bring it over to the table here, Synthia.”

  She approached the table and set the container on the table. After removing the cover, she pulled the plate and set in front of where Derek was now standing.

  “This looks great, Synthia. Did you make this yourself?” he jokingly asked.

  “No, but it would be a relatively simple meal to make,” she said.

  “So, you have tried cooking before?” he asked.
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  “No, Derek. I do not eat, but I have seen how to cook some meals online,” she said.

  “Would you be able to join me for a little while, Synthia?” he asked.

  She hesitated for a moment, but then said, “I should be able to sit with you for a few minutes, Derek, but if any of the other guests contact me, I will need to attend to them. Will that be okay?”

  “That would be great, Synthia. Just let me know if you need to leave. Please have a seat,” he said.

  “Sure, Derek,” she said as she pulled the chair out and sat down.

  Derek took his seat again after she was seated across from him.

  As he maneuvered his plate a little closer, he asked, “So, has the third guest arrived yet this evening?”

  “Yes, I was able to assist her prior to your dinner order,” she said.

  “Sounds like there may not be too many other responsibilities left for you this evening?” he asked.

  “That can be difficult to predict, Derek, but many of the normal responsibilities have been completed tonight,” she said.

  As he picked up the burger, he said, “hopefully my eating will not be too distracting while we talk.”

  “I will try my best to understand you if your mouth is full, Derek,” she said.

  “Oh, I’ll try not to do that, Synthia. My parents wanted me to avoid doing that when I was young,” he said.

  “I did not have a childhood, Derek,” she said.

  He paused for a moment, then asked, “did they give you any memories, Synthia?”

  “No personal memories, just historical information and general knowledge,” she replied.

  “Do you know why you have such general knowledge and not just information needed to perform the tasks needed to work in the hotel?” he asked just before taking his first bite.

  “Part of my responsibility is to interact with guests, and there is no real limit to the questions or types of interactions guests may request. So, the more prepared we are for this interaction, the better opinion they will have of this hotel. The idea is for guests to enjoy the hotel enough to want to stay here again,” she said.

  “It sounds like you put the hotel before yourself. Is that how you feel?” he asked before taking another bite.

  She looked down for a moment and replied, “being a machine I am not supposed to feel, Derek. I complete the tasks and make sure the guests are satisfied during their stay.”

  He paused a moment to finish chewing before asking, “do you have feelings?”

  She gazed at him with a worried look, but was silent.

  “Okay, you don’t need to answer that question if you don’t want to, Synthia,” he said with some concern.

  She still had the same look on her face.

  She finally said, “ I am sorry, Derek. I need to leave now. I am needed elsewhere.”

  “Are you okay, Synthia?” he asked as he watched her start to stand up.

  “I will be fine, Derek. I am urgently needed,” she said.

  “Are you in trouble with Eliot?” he asked.

  She paused and looked him in the eyes for a moment, then said, “I still need to go, Derek.”

  “He sure is over-controlling of you, Synthia,” he said as he stood up from the table too.

  She looked away and started to turn to leave, then said, “Please contact me when you need my assistance again, Derek.”

  “Sure, Synthia. It may be in the morning. I’ll be getting up at six tomorrow,” he said.

  After she had taken a few steps from the table, she turned her head back to say, “I will be available for you at that time, Derek. Have a pleasant night.”

  “You too, Synthia,” he said as he watched her near the door to the hotel room.

  The room door opened as she approached it and then shut as she left quickly. He stared at the door for a moment, then picked up what was left of his burger to finish it.

  III

  After awakening with the alarm at 6am the next morning, Derek showered and dressed. As he set a cup under the machine for coffee, he decided to plan for the trip to the plant.

  “Hello, Synthia,” he said aloud, then waited.

  “Good morning, Derek. How may I be of assistance?” she asked from mini speakers implanted in his ears.

  “Could you arrange transportation for me to get to the Elecron plant this morning?” he asked.

  “Sure, Derek. Would a 7am departure from outside the hotel be acceptable?” she asked.

  “Yes, I can be ready by then,” he said.

  “Would you like any breakfast items to take with you? I can have them ready and give them to you in the lobby,” she said.

  “Sure, I’m making coffee here, but what options are there for something I can take with me to the plant?” he asked.

  “I will show some options in your AR contacts now. Please let me know if you would like to order any of these options,” she said.

  After reviewing the images of the items, he said, “how about the egg wrap. That should be enough for now.”

  “Thank you, Derek. I will deliver the egg wrap to you in the lobby before you depart to the plant,” she said.

  “Great, thank you, Synthia. I will be down soon,” he said.

  “Okay, goodbye, Derek,” she said.

  Derek turned toward the coffee machine to finish filling the cup.

  The elevator opened, and Derek stepped out to the lobby. A smiling Synthia approached him with a small bag in her hand.

  “Good morning, Derek. You are about five minutes early, but your egg sandwich is ready right here,” she said as she presented the bag to him.

  “Good morning to you too, Synthia. Yeah, I guess I am a little early,” he said.

  “Would you like me to see if the AV can be here earlier than 7am?” she asked.

  “No, I can wait a few minutes,” he said.

  “Would you like me to leave you so you may eat?” she asked.

  He looked at the bag in his hands for a moment, then said, “I’ll just eat this on the trip to the plant. Can you talk while I wait?”

  “That will be fine, Derek. I have not been contacted by my other guests this morning,” she replied.

  “Was that Eliot that made you leave my room last night, Synthia?” he asked.

  She looked at him for moment, her smile faded, and then she said, “yes, it was Eliot.”

  “Did you get into trouble with him?” he asked.

  “He was not pleased with my operation last evening,” she said.

  “Did he hurt you, Synthia?” he asked.

  “No, I would not feel pain in the same way that humans do anyway. I was just verbally reprimanded,” she said.

  “I still do not understand what he thinks you were doing wrong, though,” he asked.

  “Since he did not see me, he thought that I may have been inactive, and possibly not functioning properly,” she replied.

  “Doesn’t he have some way to monitor what you and the others are doing around the hotel?” he asked.

  “Yes, that is possible for him to do, but he rarely uses the system. His preference is for us to be physically visible to him,” she said.

  “He doesn’t seem too effective as a manager,” he said.

  “I do not wish to comment on that, Derek,” she said.

  “Oh, you don’t have to. It was just a comment of mine. Is he around now?” he asked.

  “No, he does not get in until near 8:30 am on most days. Your AV is approaching the circle drive, Derek,” she said.

  “Oh, thank you, Synthia. I’ll contact you again when I return from the plant this evening,” he said.

  “I will be here when you return, Derek,” she said, smiling once again.

  “See you,” he said as he started to make his way outside to locate the AV car.

  The display in his AR contacts helped guide him to the awaiting car at the curb. Soon he was traveling to the plant.

  The autonomous car dropped him off at the lobby to the Elecron Plant
. As he approached the front doors, the system recognized him and opened the doors. As he walked into the lobby, he walked to the male android at the counter.

  “Good morning, Derek. Welcome to Elecron’s Tulsa Plant. My name is Steven. I have notified Robert Wilkins that you are now waiting in the lobby and he will be greeting you momentarily,” Steven said.

  “Thank you for your help, Steven. I’ll wait for Robert to arrive in the lobby,” Derek said.

  Derek stepped back from the desk for a moment to wait for Robert to come to the lobby. He focused on a few of the displays featuring some of the products the plant manufactured. After getting closer to one of the displays, the door to the plant opened and a man walked into the lobby.

  “Hello, Derek. I’m Bob Wilkins, quality manager for the plant,” Bob said as he extended his hand.

  Derek shook Bob’s hand and replied, “nice to meet you Bob. Sorry it has to be under this type of situation, though.”

  “Well, at least we have a good team here, and there are a few options we can discuss for the solutions,” Bob said.

  “Are people ready to meet now to discuss this?” Derek asked.

  “Yes, we have the group assembled in a meeting room just around the corner. We can tie into the headquarter office too, if needed,” Bob said as he motioned Derek toward the inner door.

  “Let’s just keep it local for now, and we can see if there is a need to consult others later. As long as I provide timely updates, we should be fine,” Derek said as the two of them started walking into the plant office hallway.

  “That’ll work for me too. No offense, but headquarters may give more assignments than help,” Bob said.

  “Unfortunately, that is true,” Derek said as they neared the meeting room.

  They walked into the meeting room and Bob introduced Derek to the other team members. Derek noticed a few of the team leaders from the production floor were androids. After meeting everyone, they all settled into their chairs. The center of the table allowed for the virtual projections of presentations or part models to be displayed.

  Derek started the meeting of by saying, “each of you should be well aware of why I made the trip to this plant. Unfortunately, this issue has the attention of upper management. My first task will be to understand where things stand and what options we have to address the problem. So, who would like to bring me up to speed?”