The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

Sai wakes up to a violin concerto and reflects how Tilly the AI has awakened him at the right time with the right song. He speaks to her, telling her so. As he goes about his morning routine, Tilly reminds him about a date he has after work. Sai recollects that the last relationship Tilly arranged for him worked out well. He asks Tilly about his breakfast and his schedule. She suggests a smoothie place, and he agrees, saying, “Tilly, you always know best” (17).

Sai’s neighbor, Jenny, is wearing a strange getup for a sunny morning in California. She tells him she didn’t want the door camera installed, and Sai says he has a right to keep an eye on his own door. She thinks Tilly is intrusive, and Sai and Jenny have a short altercation about the issue. Sai thinks Jenny is a freak; after all, Tilly is “the world’s best assistant” (28).

After work, Tilly accompanies Sai on his date. Ellen is eminently compatible with Sai, but Sai realizes the date was boring. He remembers something Jenny said: “Tilly doesn’t just tell you want you want. She tells you what to think” (30). He turns Tilly off and tries to suggest Ellen do the same.