The inside smells like pine air freshener. She quickly looked around. It was clean, the chairs next to her were gray and plush. The driver and passenger seats are still there, as is the steering wheel. This is just a regular SUV turned into a self-driving car. A kind of evolution. Attractive. Her mother tapped lightly on the window and Zelu was shocked when it opened in response. She and her mother looked at each other for a moment and then laughed. “Wow,” her mother said, looking surprised. “I know,” Zelu agreed.
“Will you be okay?”
“I'm just going to the lake,” Zelu said. “I'll be fine.”
“Call me if you need me. I can come pick you up.”
“Please prepare for your trip,” an automated voice announced. Her mother jumped back, as if the SUV would suddenly run over her.
“Relax, Mom,” Zelu said. “Its sensors know you're there. It won't move until you're at a safe distance.”
“I'll believe it when I see it,” her mother said.
“I'm about to.”
Her mother waved as the car slowly rolled away. Zelu waved back.
And then she was alone, her life in the hands of the SUV.
“This is strange,” she muttered as she watched the steering wheel move on its own. This was the first time she sat in a vehicle alone. There was no one there, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was a presence; something has been controlled. It's like being controlled by a ghost. “Or should I say NoBody,” she said, laughing.
When the car stopped to turn onto the main road, her joy disappeared.
She believes in the science behind self-driving cars. The technology has been around for years, and she has been researching this new taxi service for the past few months. The idea of being able to order one with her phone like an Uber and not have to deal with a human being who looks at her strangely, asks awkward questions, might be a serial killer, etc., is a great thought. More importantly, it would free her from her family. Whenever she asked one of them for a ride, they responded with a strange mixture of pity, control, and obligation. She didn't think they even knew they did this. It always made her feel pathetic and childish, even when it was one of her younger siblings driving away. Oh, to be free of that feeling.
However, at this moment, she wanted to scream out of panic. She dug her nails into the armrest of the chair. Despite all the research and reassurance from the customer service people she spoke with, this was very different now because it was happening in real time. What happens if there are problems and miscalculations? What if another driver does something crazy that the SUV can't understand or adapt to? What if there's a ray of sunlight and the entire car stalls?
“Damned!” she hissed as the SUV turned. “I will die!”
Then they went on their way. Zelu cheered and laughed in relief, still sweating. The car was going at the speed limit, which meant other people had passed her. Some people took double shots, some pointed, and two people held up their phones to record video. Zelu was too stressed to pay attention to that. They are approaching the highway.