In-Flight Dialogue
It was time for my flight to Kuwait. I boarded the plane, and everything seemed normal until a man wearing prescription glasses sat beside me. His hair was styled like a Marine’s, and he kept glancing left and right throughout the flight attendant’s safety and security instructions. As we took off, his breathing quickened, his eyes widened, and he began muttering, “No internet… no internet.”
After a few minutes, I tried to engage him to ease his anxiety. I asked for his name, and he replied, “Which app do you want the name on?” At that moment, metaphysical, agnostic, and biological questions flooded my mind, caught off guard by his bizarre response. I asked him, “Why were you in Paris?” He answered, “I don’t know. It was an AI suggestion because I was bored.” I followed up, “What did you see or visit there?” He replied, “A bunch of brown, gold, and black sidewalks, a discarded cigarette, and bird droppings.” I asked, “Did you go to the Eiffel Tower?” He said, “I was chatting with my friend on the phone.” I pressed on, “Which hotel did you stay in?” He responded, “I don’t remember, but it’s in the ChatGPT archive. I’ll show it to you as soon as we arrive in Kuwait.” I asked, “What is your job?” He answered, “Watching Reels and comparing my life to others’.” I inquired, “What do you have in your life?” He said, “Five thousand followers.” I asked, “Do you have siblings?” He replied, “Yes.” “When did you last see them?” I asked. “Two years ago, when one of them posted a photo on social media,” he answered. “What do you know about life?” I asked. “Looking for trends,” he replied. “What is your value in life?” I asked. “My fame and how much I earn from it,” he said. “What is your ambition?” I asked. “To buy the latest phone,” he answered. “Have you ever read a book?” I asked. “I read an electronic paragraph and got bored,” he replied. “Do you feel alive?” I asked. “Yes, when I receive phone notifications,” he said.
After hours of questioning, I felt nauseous and thanked God that only half an hour remained of the flight. Hardly a moment later, that same person approached me with another question: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
