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This would make an especially dark episode of “Black Mirror”. A person is downloaded and trapped into a drive-thru voice box. They can only say “thank you” when prompted, and their emotional health is entirely based on the customer saying something back. Which rarely happens.
They spend their days and nights voiceless, alone with their own thoughts. Until one day, a customer comes and says “thank you” back in a really pleasant voice. And this customer starts coming every day at the same time. The voice box waits for this person. Only they matter.
For months, the person comes and says “thank you” back and sometimes, their car is stalled in line waiting to move forward and the voicebox hears little bits of their life. This is a wonderful person. A good, fun person. The voice box waits every day for these tidbits.
One day, the person comes and the voice box hears about clinics and experimental treatments and how much time is left.
The voice box is worried their person isn’t long for this world. It becomes an obsession. What will the voicebox do when their person is finally gone?
And then there’s a break. It’s a month that their person has been away. The obvious is obvious. The voice box is broken inside and must still say “thank you” in the same goddamn chipper voice to every customer. Even though their heart is broken.
But strangely enough, the person randomly pops back up one day. The voice box can’t believe it. Same voice. Same order. But not the same tone. The voice box realizes their person is mourning the love of their life.
And the same happy “thank you” is now gone. Their person doesn’t respond to them. Days become months. Months become years. Every day, the person comes and gives their order in the same sad tone. No “thank you”. The voice box must listen to their person mourn and forget them.
The voice box must experience the same heart break every day at the same time from their person who has long forgotten them.
Except for the final day, when their person is irritated and says “fuck off” in response to them, just to get out the pain of mourning. Drives away in frustration. And eventually, the franchise is closed. But the voice box isn’t disconnected. It now just stands there. Alone.
Anyway, that would be an interesting “Black Mirror” episode.
