The year is 2045. Neon advertisements blazed across the chrome skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. Charlie’s avatar was waiting for his date. Dating apps had changed. Potential partners were AI projections that could be customized. Actual body features could not be altered, but trappings of dress were a matter of choice. (Suzy’s avatar had blonde highlights in her auburn and gold dangling earrings. She wore a little black dress with a scoop neck that revealed just a hint of her breasts and a gold necklace with a heart pendent. Very nice, Charlie thought.  

He dressed his image like a model from a Brooks Brothers' catalog, sporting a buttoned-down egg shell colored shirt and midnight blue suit and New Balance blue gym shoes.

Charlie smiled to himself when he recalled reading about the Salem witch trials near the end of the 17th century. He thought that this whole avatar dating was much like what the girls in Salem accused the so-called witches of doing by projecting their specters to torture their chosen victims. Now, in 2045, specters were a reality or at least a virtual reality. In today’s dating world, one had to submit to such a circumstance if one chose to use a dating app.

“Oh, Charlie, so sorry, I’m a bit late.” Suzy’s digital form winked. She worked as a surgical nurse who specialized in operating intricate robotic instruments powered by AI assists aiding doctors when performing intricate operations. She loved her job, not only because she was doing important work but also because she had contact with real people during her workday.

Charlie, on the other hand, worked as a data analyst for the Long Life Annuity and Insurance Corporation, a large company with accounts and employees throughout the world. His work life was a multitude of virtual reality conferences employees attended from their homes. Computers were passe and had long been replaced by neural implants with AI assistance by which Charlie, as a data analyst, could manipulate complex financial models with thought. But there was a growing social problem with the manner in which white-collar jobs were evolving. This highly complex thought world had given rise to an isolated work force. The loneliness of his position gnawed at him. No more watercooler chats, or meeting after work with colleagues for a drink and sharing office gossip. Communication with fellow workers was carried out through video calls that had to be focused on work because HR personnel monitored them. There was no camaraderie or workplace friendships.

There was, however, a measure of relief. A company called “Haven” provided virtual reality playgrounds where anything was possible. At Haven, a person could do anything he or she desired. Charlie put on the cyber helmet and tactile suit. He decided to scale a holographic Mount Everest with Suzy's avatar by his side. The wind whipped through their digital hair. In his suit, he felt the physical strain of the climb. The two avatars struggled but managed a triumphal quest to the peak.

Charlie liked Suzy and wanted to meet her in real life. Suzy felt the same after her virtual reality adventure with Charlie on Italy's Amalfi coast bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea.

There was a comedy club called Way Back When, with the turn of the 20th Century as a theme. Charlie and Suzy agreed to meet in their human forms on Thursday evening when charades were played instead of presentations by stand-up comedians. The club policy was no avatars admitted on Thursday nights. Charlie and Suzy entered the club together, happy with each other’s physical appearances. Four people seated at a table were looking for another couple to play the retro charade game. The group invited them to join.

The absurdity of using their own arms, legs and facial expression instead of the neural implants in their brains was indeed awkward. The physical gestures caused infectious laughter among the participants. But the physical movement and verbal contact was a revelation. Somewhere deep within the participants, there was a spark of the old humanity, a feeling of vulnerability, yet euphoria that one could not achieve with avatars and simulations.

Later, as they left the club, Charlie took Suzy’s hand. It was a risk. Would she reject his physical touch? Suzy glanced at him. Charlie loosened his grip but didn’t let go. She squeezed his hand and said, “No, please, don’t let go.”

He knew their future was uncertain, a tangled mess of technology and humanity. But maybe, just maybe, they could share their humanity. After all, even in a world of virtual relationships, a genuine human connection could still be the greatest adventure of all.