That’s the continuation of my previous idea, Personal Ghosts.
This thing can be enhanced and imitate the living. But the other living, the other version of someone.
I have some relatives in Russia, they went bonkers with all that crazy-ass propaganda they consume over the last quarter of the century. They were decent people in the 2000s, the last time I communicated with them. But today, they’re full-blown fascists. I’d love to talk to some of them these days, but actually, they’re no longer. Some of them are long gone, like my uncle. Some of them are just so different, there’s no hope left they’ll ever turn back to normality.
E.g. some of them hate me for the pure fact I’m living in Ukraine.
I’m in Lviv, and that’s a satan’s liar in their vocabulary.
When I write them ‘fuck you already, with your Victory Day and your Victory Parade too’ they don’t understand. They don’t read the room, that I don’t want to have these fucking congratulations from them about the Grand Fucking Victory they’re so proud of. Which will never happen without both the US and the countries they themselves enslaved, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and of course Ukraine.
They don’t understand super-basic things about our real world.I guess some American fellows who have their relatives went full-MAGA too, they may udnerstand this. It’s not too much different from my experience.
I’d love to have some sane relatives, but unfortunately I’m having none. Could be great to have them at least in this virtual space. But when I think of it, I’m feeling nauseous.
My mother, she never had a son she wanted. She never had that person she thinks I am.
Weirdly, I’m a much better person she thinks I am. Not that she sees me as some criminal or some loser. It’s just we live in parallel universes, me and her imaginable son. Not that I never tried to break her illusions, I just gave up at some point. There’s no point in doing that. I’m me, and I’m living my life, and I cannot fit into someone elses’ persceptions of me. Probably, she could get this illusionary son she always wanted. The one who cares of her the way she wants, and isn’t overly toxic to some topics. This idea might be complicated to formulate, and I don’t mean being the process of becoming an adult yourself. Being not rude and attentive to your parents, I mean other things.
There are people who never get the change to actually get the know me better, they prefer the version of me they know, and the primary idea is that’s a static person.
What I mean here is being the way they want you to be. Which ultimately conflicts with the way you want yourself to be. They can get this another version of you, and probably be happier.
Some friends, they could have a different me.
That’s a very debatable question, whether you need the friends that don’t want to have the you you, and would prefer another you. The friends are different from relatives and parents, you choose them. Still, it feels like most friends from my past — especially those that are long gone from my life, they would prefer a different me. Well, they could get the different me either.
Or I could get my different them too. If I wanted to.
Certainly, that can imitate a public figure, and allow the plebs to have them as their bestie, for a small1 price, obviously.
As an idea, it feels futuristic and decent. Virtual communication optimised! I am super sure that’s happening already.
Porno stars hiring an avatar, who can interact with the fans in private rooms, for the price.
Some AI-weirdo making an AI assistant who’d talk to their friends, or mum, or even virtual wannabe girlfriends or boyfriends at some dating website.
But when I think it all through a bit longer, it’s so fucking terrifying! That’s certainly the future I’m not willing to have.
Well, you know … ↩︎