Selena gazed around the messy bedroom, her eyes lingering on the simple furniture, her closet full of modded thrift store clothes, and faded walls. A bunch of rock band posters and stolen band fliers littered the walls.
But instead of feeling the old pangs of dissatisfaction and frustration, she felt a sense of appreciation for the space. It was small, but it was hers, and it was a luxury she had not experienced in her previous life for decades. It was huge.
Living in a house, even though it was falling apart, was like living in paradise to her now. Selena knew she was lucky to have a room in the 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house. The large and functioning bathroom, living room, and kitchen were luxuries she had not taken for granted in her previous life.
And yet, here she was, surrounded by the simple comforts of a bygone era. She missed her plants, her pet rat 'Dinner', her snails, and the people. But all of that had not even been born.
As she looked around the room, Selena's mind began to turn to her priorities. She knew she had a long road ahead of her, but she was determined to make the most of her second chance.
She fell to her knees, a pile of soft, dirty laundry cushioning her knees. She cried in joy and tremendous loss. She fell over and hugged her knees in the fetal position, letting the grief of decades of trauma, violence, loss, and perpetual slavery wash over her.
It had not happened yet, but it all happened to her. She was back before her already difficult life became hell until she fled Southern California.
Selena wiped her face. A.A. chimed for her attention. First and foremost, she needed money, a lot of it. It didn't matter what kind of work it was, as long as it paid the bills and gave her a sense of purpose.
She knew that meant making smart financial decisions with the information that A.A. had stored in its vast operating system could help with things like saving for the future and excelling in her education.
Speaking of education, Selena was determined to study hard and get into school. She had missed out on so much in her previous life, and she was eager to make up for lost time.
Next, she wanted to invest in improving the quality of her life and their quality of life. She could make a bunch of money with seed capital and A.A.'s database.
Molly and James both died in their past lives before they turned 40. She would get them both sober and help. They would renovate this house. She would improve things and give them both a chance. They would become her support and her most trusted allies. She knew that they loved her, in their way. They were just very broken people.
As she thought about her priorities, Selena also knew that she had to be mindful of the dangers that lurked in every corner. She had seen firsthand the devastating effects of drugs, tobacco, and excessive drinking. Both in herself and her mother.
She was determined to avoid those pitfalls, to enjoy life's pleasures in moderation, and to savor the flavor of a good drink without letting it consume her. She'd only drink the finest now, knowing what lay ahead.
"I am going to be the biggest nerd and do it right," Selena said, sitting on her bed. She opened up her notebook and scribbled in her notebook. "Shit." Selena tore out the page; her handwriting had matured, and she practiced it in her off time. There was nothing to do in the Hub.
The difference between her 71-year-old handwriting and her 13-year-old childlike scrawl was pretty huge, so she roughly practiced the alphabet, going recklessly fast for a few pages and slowing down and filling up her notebook with the pangram 'The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog' as she thought out her life.
Finally, Selena knew that she had to surround herself with positive influences. She couldn't afford to get caught up in bad habits or toxic relationships.
She needed to find people who would support her, encourage her, and help her grow. Her mother and James would be supportive. As would be acting like a 13-year-old. She was old at heart.
As Selena finished laying out her priorities, she felt a sense of determination wash over her. She knew that the road ahead would be long and difficult, but she was ready to face it head-on. She was ready to take control of her life, to make the most of her second chance, and to create a brighter future for herself.
"Finding assignments is going to be difficult without a connection. Can you find any wireless networks? The WEP encryption will be easy for me to bypass." A.A. relayed to her.
Selena hesitated, unsure of how to break the news to A.A. "A.A. I don't know if you realize this, but...it's 2003," she said gently.
A.A.'s response was immediate. "2003? What does that have to do with anything?"
Selena took a deep breath. "Well, it means that it is the year 2003 and wireless networks are not as...ubiquitous as they were in our time. Finding a connection is going to be a lot harder than you think."
A.A.'s digital presence fell silent for a moment, processing this new information. "I see," it said finally. "I failed to observe the calendar." It paused, "The lack of an internet connection caused an error. I did not realize the extent of the technological disparity between our time and this one."
Selena snickered, it was not easy to baffle an A.A. that had an answer to everything, and when it happened she felt a sense of victory.
Selena nodded, even though A.A. couldn't see her. "Yeah, it's going to be a challenge. We'll have to look for connections in public or try to find someone who has a wireless connection we can use for now."
A.A.'s response was laced with determination. "I will adapt, Selena. I can wait for us to connect to the internet. It may take some time, but I will not give up." Selena chuckled at its optimism. A.A. amused her.
"I know you won't A.A. We'll get through this together. I should warn you about the speed." Selena communicated with the Artificial Assistance and, in later generations, augmented in her calmest tone. She tried thinking and relayed. They'd throw her in a mental health ward if she talked to A.A. out loud.
"What do you mean? How fast is the connection?" A.A. said in the tone it chose to relay to her.
"Well, we're using dial-up internet. It's...not very fast," Selena said. "We're not in Oz anymore anymore Toto."
A.A. played the question chime. "How slow?" A.A. relayed, rattled. The Dopamine in the younger body raised higher, indicating satisfaction. Selena was happy again, after decades.
A.A. could vanish happily into integration not worrying about her. All rationales pointed to it being the best decision for her which was sought for. Its purpose was to help the host until integration was completed. Its reason for being on the way to being fulfilled.
"We're talking 56 kilobits per second. It's going to take some time to load even simple web pages." Selena relayed to her companion, that even if it was artificial, it was her best friend and her child in some sense.
She had painstakingly raised it from an ignored piece of tolerated legally obligated equipment to the A.A. today. Its personality was a mixture of hers, Jack's and AYA. A.A. didn't know how much she loved it.
A.A. played a sad tone in Selena's mind. Selena laughed and said "I know, I know. It's not ideal. But we'll have to wait for a faster connection to become available in our area."
"You mean like cable internet or ADSL?" A.A. asked, searching the vast historical library. Sad tones played repeatedly, which was A.A. expressing disappointment.
"I know, I know. But for now, we're stuck with dial-up at the library. Just be patient, and we'll get through this together. I will buy you the best connection and equipment I can afford," Selena relayed in her mind.
A.A. emitted its low sigh tone. "I suppose I can adapt. But it would be nice to have a faster connection to properly take care of you, Host."
Selena relayed her concern. "I appreciate your dedication, A.A. We'll get there eventually. Remember, I'm Selena, not 'Host'. It makes me weird when you call me that."