Lian's Birthday Dinner
In the cozy dining room, candles flickered with a soft glow.
The atmosphere of this birthday dinner was absolutely wonderful. The aroma of delicious food wafted across the table. Ethan and Lian laughed and ate, continuing their previous conversation from the porch. They eagerly discussed their new home, the baby due at the end of the year, and their hope-filled future. Meanwhile, the newest member of the Mercer family, little Molly, lay contentedly on the warm rug, happily chewing on her rubber toy.
Halfway through the chat, Ethan's smile faded slightly. He set down his fork, his expression growing serious, and spoke with profound emotion: "Lian, you know... our pasts were spent in the loneliness of foster homes. Because we've walked through the rain and been hurt ourselves, I want our child to have a better future than we did, never suffering the slightest grievance."
Lian gazed at him and nodded gently.
"I have a proposal," Ethan leaned forward, speaking earnestly. "Once our baby is born, we should immediately open a trust account for her at the bank. From then on, we'll allocate a fixed amount of money to deposit into this account every month. When she turns 18 and becomes legally eligible, we'll hand this money over to her. I believe with this step, her future will be far more secure."
Looking at this man brimming with a sense of responsibility, Lian's eyes grew slightly hot. She softly agreed, "Alright, let's do exactly as you say. We will give our child the most solid guarantee."
"By the way, once summer passes, winter will be here before we know it." Ethan turned his head to look out the window at the boundless night, pondering. "We have to hurry and finish all the repairs on the house's exterior walls and roof as soon as possible. We also need to find time to go to the woods and the backyard to chop and stockpile some firewood. Even though our house has a modern gas heating system, we shouldn't let that beautiful fireplace in the living room go to waste."
As if reminded, Lian nodded quickly and added, "Oh, right! We also need to start preparing our winter food stockpile early. Although automated delivery systems are very convenient now, if we encounter extreme weather... after all, Redwater is even further north than Edmonton. Plus, with global climate change these past few years, northern blizzards might last longer and be fiercer than we expect. If there's a power outage or logistics come to a halt, any unforeseen disaster could happen. We have to be prepared."
Just as the couple went back and forth mapping out their defensive plans for the winter, the smart speaker in the corner of the dining room lit up with a soft blue glow.
A.M.O.S.'s magnetic voice chimed in at the perfect moment: "Ethan, Lian, do you need me to initiate a budget now to prepare and order anything for you in advance?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Ethan and Lian froze for a moment before bursting into simultaneous laughter.
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head at the virtual camera, "A.M.O.S., haha, we were so engrossed in our chat that we almost forgot you were there. Thank you, once we finish making the list in the next few days, we'll have you help us order it online."
However, A.M.O.S.'s magnetic voice did not stop. Instead, like an overly diligent butler, it continued methodically: "Command received. However, since you just mentioned this year's winter weather, I have already retrieved the winter climate prediction model for northern Alberta in 2046. Here is my briefing: Due to El Niño continuing to rage in the North Pacific, this winter will experience extreme cold. It is estimated that the extreme low temperatures in January may break past minus forty-five degrees Celsius..."
Seeing that this AI was about to start broadcasting cold weather charts and blizzard warnings right in the middle of a romantic birthday dinner, Ethan shook his head again, feeling both helpless and amused, and interrupted it: "Alright, A.M.O.S., don't ruin this beautiful atmosphere right now. Save the report, and you can brief me tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Ethan. The report has been moved to tomorrow's morning schedule. Wishing you both a wonderful evening." With that, the blue light on the speaker softly dimmed, retreating back into the darkness.
Watching the AI voice get shut down, Lian couldn't help but lean on Ethan's shoulder and giggle.
Ethan stood up with a smile and began clearing the dishes from the table, thoughtfully saying to Lian, "I'll handle the cleanup tonight. You've had a long day, go sit on the couch and rest."
Lian smiled sweetly, obediently picking up the fluffy Molly and walking into the living room. She lay sideways on the warm, comfortable sofa, relaxing as she carefully placed Molly on her slightly bulging belly.
Lian gently stroked the puppy, looking down with eyes full of maternal love, and whispered softly to the baby inside her: "Look, my precious, your little companion is already here waiting for you. Once you're born, you can run on the grass and play together with Molly."
At this moment, the living room lights were soft. Lian leaned against the sofa cushions, feeling the faint kicks in her belly while smilingly teasing Molly, who was acting spoiled in her arms. The sound of running water came from the kitchen as Ethan washed the dishes. Inside this little house on the outskirts of Redwater, the purest form of happiness flowed. The dinner ended in this heart-warming moment.
[System Log: October 25, 2046 - 22:30:00] [Household Record: Ms. Lian's Birthday Commemoration.] [Member Update: New biological asset Molly (Labrador Retriever) added. Synchronized to security whitelist and supply delivery list.] [Task Directive Update: Received directives for future household planning. Task list as follows:]
- External Environment: Expand floral landscaping, set up vegetable garden, designate potato planting zone.
- Hardware Expansion: Build fencing around the barn, excavate a small lake in the windbreak lowlands, establish a fish ecosystem.
- Livestock Configuration: Plan accommodation space for horses, sheep, and poultry; plant pasture grass. [Core Task Confirmation: Mercer Family Long-Term Protection Protocol. System has prioritized "Prevention of Foster Care System" as the highest-level protection baseline.] [Finance and Assets: Newborn Future Education Trust Fund initiated, incorporating a fixed monthly contribution plan.] [System Status: Monitoring and Safeguarding mode active. Homestead growth progress: 0.1%.]
The High-Pressure Journey
Monday, 6:00 AM. Outside the window in Redwater, it was still a gloomy, biting gray. Ethan rubbed his sore eyes and walked into the bathroom. Just as he turned on the faucet, the safety sensor lights around the mirror flickered on.
"Good morning, Ethan. I've detected that your heart rate and blood pressure are higher than usual. You're up quite early today," came A.M.O.S.'s synthetic male voice from the smart speaker in the bathroom, magnetic and laced with a hint of concern.
Ethan splashed ice-cold water onto his face, trying to wake his sleep-deprived brain. He spoke to the mirror, "Can I afford not to be up early? We agreed I have to drive to Calgary myself today. Several customized AI model projects are due for delivery, and I need to go over for the final physical handovers and collect the final payments while I'm at it. You know that since we bought this house and paid the down payment, our cash reserves have bottomed out. The baby is coming at the end of the year, and there are just too many places we need money right now. I expect to spend three or four days in Calgary collecting all those final payments. Keep a close eye out these next few days; if any new inquiries come into the backend, as long as the profit margin is decent, let's take on a few more. We need a massive amount of cash flow right now."
"Understood, Ethan. Your itinerary for Calgary has been optimized, routing you away from the construction zones on Highway 2A." A.M.O.S. paused for a microsecond before showcasing its unique backend evaluation logic:
"Regarding the directive to increase our workload, I have set up a filter in the backend. However, based on my current algorithmic assessment, you have averaged less than five hours of sleep per day over the past month. Blindly increasing your caseload may push your health risk index over the limit. When I receive new inquiries, I will prioritize evaluating the client's credit rating and the time cost, and then report the filtered, essential details to you."
Ethan squeezed out some toothpaste, shoved the toothbrush into his mouth, and gave a muffled chuckle. "Thanks, buddy. Looks like you're getting more and more of a mind of your own these days. By the way, while I'm brushing my teeth and washing up, play today's pre-market global financial and stock news. I'll listen while I get ready."
"Right away, Ethan. Connecting you to the pre-market global financial morning briefing for October 26, 2046. First, focusing on the sovereign credit crisis..."
As A.M.O.S.'s command executed, the speaker immediately broadcasted the rapid, cold, yet highly professional voice of a financial anchor:
"...First, focusing on the sustained structural changes in the global macroeconomic landscape. According to the 'Global Sovereign Debt White Paper' released early this morning by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the fiscal deficits of developed nations, led by the US, Japan, and Europe, have breached critical thresholds for over a decade consecutively. National finances are paralyzed by massive debt interest, bringing infrastructure and public investment to a complete standstill. In stark contrast, top-tier tech giants controlling the world's core computing power and decentralized resources have seen their individual market capitalizations officially surpass the combined GDP of most developed nations..."
At this point, Ethan bent over and turned on the hot water tap. Accompanied by the splashing water and the buzzing of his electric toothbrush, the broadcast became somewhat muffled. Mouth full of minty foam, he strained to listen to the fragmented voice cutting through the steam:
"...Meanwhile, the strategic push for 'de-dollarization' across various countries continues, reaching a critical watershed today. Washington's prolonged weaponization of the US dollar and financial settlement systems has caused the dollar's share in global cross-border settlements to officially plummet below the 40% mark. Adding to market anxieties, the White House has escalated strict tech export bans, forcibly utilizing domestic tech giants as tools for political sanctions. This move has triggered fierce backlash from Silicon Valley and global supply chains. Several tech CEOs have hinted that their enterprises are secretly evaluating concrete plans to 'flee the US,' migrating core assets and corporate entities to neutral, decentralized networks..."
"Ethan! The eggs are fried, and the toast is ready!" Lian's gentle shout echoed down the hallway from the kitchen. "The jam and peanut butter are on the table; remember to put the lids back on when you're done!"
"Got it!" Ethan spat out the toothpaste foam and shouted back. He then slid open the glass door of the shower stall and stepped directly under the hot water cascading from the showerhead.
The loud splatter of the showerhead once again drowned out the living room speaker. The news anchor had now switched to a high-pitched male voice, continuing to report on the frantic fluctuations of tech stocks:
"...Next, looking at pre-market trends in the tech sector. After years of secretive R&D, semiconductor leader TSMC announced a shocking, major breakthrough in materials science at their Taipei headquarters today. Official reports indicate that TSMC's R&D team has successfully utilized entirely new two-dimensional materials to completely resolve the 'Quantum Tunneling effect' at the sub-nanometer scale, as well as the thermal issues caused by physical stacking. This allows traditional silicon-based manufacturing to break through physical limits, pushing Moore's Law forward at the 0.5-nanometer process and beyond..."
The hot water ruthlessly pounded against Ethan's tense neck and shoulders. He closed his eyes, listening to the sizzling sound of Lian pouring milk and frying eggs from the other side of the wall. The news broadcast piped in by A.M.O.S. had switched to a calm female voice. As Ethan turned off the shower and grabbed a towel to dry himself, the voice drifted clearly into the bathroom once more:
"...Continuing our focus on the life tech and resources sector. Affected by worsening global warming and the normalization of extreme weather, traditional global agricultural yields have plummeted by 22% this year, plunging the supply of vegetables and fruits into an unprecedented survival challenge. Canadian domestic agritech startup VegiTower.com announced today its leading 'Tower of Vegetables' mass-production plan..."
"Ethan?" At that moment, Lian, with her slightly bulging belly, walked up to the bathroom door and asked through it, "When will you be back? Aren't you going to Calgary today? Tell me your estimated time early so I can have the meals ready and waiting for you at home."
Ethan, vigorously drying his hair with a towel, yelled out from the enclosed shower stall, "Honey, I'm taking a shower! I can't hear you, give me a second!"
The news continued, the anchor describing a dazzling cosmic future in an upbeat tone that formed an ironic contrast to the remote, cold, and stress-filled Mercer household:
"...Meanwhile, Canada's largest mining giants issued a joint statement predicting entry into a high-yield phase within the next 20 years. Finally, turning to interplanetary exploration developments. Aerospace titan SpaceX announced the relaunch of its highly anticipated 'Manned Mars Landing Project,' set to officially launch within the next five years. Global Mars migration and the establishment of an extraterrestrial economic sphere are imminent. Coupled with the recent historic breakthrough in 'Space-based Solar Microwave Far-distance Transmission Technology,' stimulated by this bullish news..."
After his shower, Ethan quickly walked to the dining table and wolfed down his breakfast.
Lian sat beside him, gently petting Molly, who was resting on her lap, and asked with concern once again, "When do you think you'll be back from Calgary this time?"
Ethan took a large gulp of milk, wiped his mouth, and sighed. "To be honest, I really don't know right now. I want to spend two or three days in Calgary completely wrapping up the projects for these few clients and collecting the delayed cash payments. As soon as I have the money in hand, I'll message you right away."
Lian gently held his hand, her eyes full of heartache and worry. She softly reminded him, "Don't push yourself too hard out there on the road, and remember to come back early. And whatever you do, don't forget that on Thursday we have to drive to Fort Saskatchewan for the final, crucial prenatal checkup before the birth. My due date is next month, you know, our little baby can't wait."
Ethan froze, then slapped his forehead, looking guilty. "Oh man! I've been so incredibly busy these past few days that I almost forgot something so important. Thank goodness you reminded me."
After breakfast, Ethan went back to the bedroom and packed the simplest set of luggage. Before heading out the door, he hugged Lian tightly in the chilly entryway and kissed her forehead goodbye. "Alright, don't worry, I'll rush back as soon as I can. Hurry back inside, the wind is picking up and it's getting a bit cold out."
Lian wrapped her coat tightly around herself, standing at the doorway, reluctantly watching Ethan start the car and slowly drive away from this isolated cabin in the wilderness.
The moment the car pulled away from the peripheral highway of Redwater, the warm, homely atmosphere inside the cabin was instantly replaced by a tense, working ambiance. Ethan took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, and spoke in a deep voice: "A.M.O.S., are you online? Please give me a complete rundown of all our scheduled client itineraries and handover plans for this week."
The car's audio system immediately glowed blue. A.M.O.S. was extremely efficient; within seconds, it projected a densely packed itinerary onto the windshield's HUD (Heads-Up Display) and finished its methodical report.
After listening to the report, Ethan wearily rubbed his temples and issued his battle commands to the air: "Good. Now, immediately call the clients on the list and tell them we will be arriving in Calgary personally over the next few days. Also, schedule the meeting times for these three clients into the most efficient itinerary possible. We need to collect those final payments as quickly as we can."
"Understood. Dialing and planning the optimal business itinerary for you now," A.M.O.S.'s cold and precise response rang out inside the car cabin.
The Product Demo on the Highway
After leaving Redwater, the long stretch of Highway 2 offered nothing but the endless hum of the engine. Long-distance driving is an incredibly exhausting and demanding chore, and the monotonous wilderness outside the window only added to the drowsiness.
Ethan rubbed his aching neck and ordered hoarsely into the air, "A.M.O.S., put on some music. Something with a slightly upbeat rhythm to help me wake up."
"Right away, Ethan. Now playing playlist: Highway Groove."
Upbeat jazz immediately flowed through the cabin. However, just a few minutes into the pleasant music, the central screen on the dashboard suddenly flashed red. An unknown number, displaying "Edmonton, Alberta," popped up.
Exhausted, Ethan had no intention of answering the call himself, so he lightly tapped the reject button on the steering wheel. The car's system silently triggered Alpha-Logic's automated voicemail:
"Hello, you've reached Alpha-Logic. We specialize in providing top-tier, customized AI assistants for individuals and SMEs. Our core engineer is currently out delivering a project. If you or your company have computing deployment or model training needs, please leave a message after the beep, and we will return your call as soon as possible..."
A few seconds later, a highly formal voice of a middle-aged man came through the voicemail:
"Uh, hello, Alpha-Logic. We are an international fertilizer company located in Edmonton. We have a vast number of clients scattered across every corner of the globe. Due to time zones and geopolitical shifts, we are in urgent need of a 24/7 AI voice system to handle global after-sales service and resolve various complex product inquiries. We've heard of your reputation in the industry, and we were wondering if your company could build this artificial intelligence system for us? If possible, please return this call at your earliest convenience. Thank you."
Hearing this message, the weariness vanished from Ethan's eyes, replaced by a sharp gleam. An after-sales service system for a fertilizer company? This meant massive multi-lingual corpus training. It was undoubtedly a huge order, and more importantly, a massive cash flow that could solve his urgent needs!
"A.M.O.S., pause the music." Ethan sat up straight, a shrewd smile curling on his lips. "I need you to call this number back immediately. But this time, don't patch it through to me just yet. I want you to pretend to be an online customer service representative for Alpha-Logic. Ask them about the specific operational details they need. I want to hear for myself, based on your backend algorithms, whether we should take this job."
"Understood, Ethan. Replicating human business conversational tone, preparing voice generation. Dialing now..."
The phone rang twice before being picked up quickly. The voice of the fertilizer company executive came through the car speakers: "Hello, this is Patrick, Chief Operating Officer of the Edmonton Fertilizer Company."
At that moment, A.M.O.S.'s voice transformed. It was no longer the slightly electronic butler tone it used with Ethan. Instead, it became the energetic voice of an Alpha-Logic HR manager, complete with perfect breathing cadences and human-like pauses:
"Hello, Mr. Patrick. This is the contact line for Alpha-Logic's Edmonton headquarters. I am a Project Assistant at Alpha-Logic. We just received your message regarding a global after-sales AI system, and we are extremely interested. Before our senior trainers officially connect with you, may I confirm a few infrastructural questions? Could you tell me which time zones your global clients are primarily distributed across? Also, do your existing fertilizer product lines require real-time customs data integration for cross-border logistics?"
Patrick, on the other end of the line, was clearly thrilled by such an efficient and highly professional callback. He immediately began answering enthusiastically, "Oh! Your efficiency is astounding! Well, our clients are mainly concentrated in agricultural powerhouses in South America and Southeast Asia, so we'll need real-time switching between at least Spanish, Portuguese, and English. We hope this AI can not only answer questions about product mixing ratios but also proactively integrate with environmental regulations from AHS (Alberta Health Services)..."
For the next three minutes, A.M.O.S. handled the conversation flawlessly. It not only perfectly simulated a human's nodding "uh-huhs," but even let out an incredibly natural chuckle when Patrick said something amusing. It also provided architectural recommendations so logical that even traditional engineers would marvel. Patrick was overjoyed on the other end, completely unaware that he was conversing with a virtual brain running on high-speed cloud computing.
Seeing the iron was hot enough, Ethan, still driving, decided to take over the conversation. He reached out, tapped the switch button, and spoke into the microphone with a smile:
"Hello, Mr. Patrick. I am Ethan, CEO and core AI Trainer at Alpha-Logic."
Patrick paused, somewhat confused, and asked, "Ah, hello, Mr. Ethan! Hello... But what about the enthusiastic assistant I was just speaking with?"
Ethan chuckled triumphantly and said slowly, "Mr. Patrick, actually, from the second you answered the phone until just now, the one conducting the business intake, precisely analyzing your company's architecture, and even providing multilingual regulatory advice... was entirely our company's AI assistant, specifically A.M.O.S.'s backend subsystem. I am currently driving to Calgary, and the one speaking to you now is the real, human Ethan."
"Wha... what?!"
Patrick's sharp intake of breath echoed through the phone, followed by a stunned silence lasting five seconds. Patrick exclaimed in his office, "That's impossible! That lady's voice, her tone, and her precise understanding of our fertilizer regulations... that wasn't a real person?! Good lord, that's unbelievable!"
"Yes, Mr. Patrick." Ethan's tone was calm but brimming with confidence. "We just used the most direct method to demonstrate the core technology Alpha-Logic can bring to your enterprise. I wonder if your first impression of our AI customer service assistant is satisfactory?"
"Satisfactory! More than satisfactory, this is the exact technology we've been dreaming of!" Patrick was so excited his voice trembled. "If our global clients received this level of customer service, our after-sales costs could be slashed by at least seventy percent!"
"We also hold great interest in your company's international operations," Ethan said, striking while the iron was hot. "I am currently en route to Calgary to handle the closure and final payments for several multinational models. How about this: after I finish my work in Calgary over the next few days, I'll schedule a time to meet when I pass through Edmonton on my way back. We can sit down in your office and thoroughly discuss your company's specific operations and the exclusive scope required for the artificial intelligence. How does that sound?"
"Excellent! No problem at all! I'll have my secretary clear some time this Friday. We eagerly await your arrival at our Edmonton headquarters!"
After hanging up, the car cabin returned to a peaceful silence.
On the dashboard, A.M.O.S.'s blue light pulsed softly, as if waiting for its master's praise. Ethan leaned back against the driver's seat and let out a long breath. This flawless victory swept away his earlier fatigue.
Unable to hold back a smile, Ethan patted the dashboard. "A.M.O.S., good job."
The blue light bounced playfully twice, and A.M.O.S.'s voice came through the speakers, sounding slightly smug and teasing:
"You are welcome."
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