---
title: "The Oracle"
date: 2025-06-03T20:00:00Z
draft: false
images: [/images/oracle.jpg]
description: "2025 words for a story in 2025"
---

![](/images/oracle.jpg)

I was feeling pretty lost. Having moved countries in search for a better life, but having left behind pretty much everything and everyone I cared for, it wasn't an easy thing. Now, I'm no quitter, but still this hit me pretty hard. I'm young and healthy and am thankful for all that. But I haven't been able to learn a lick of this language in the 6 months I'm here, and I'm one of the few foreigners that live in this dormitory suburb, the only place where I could find a room I could afford. None of my housemates share a language with me, and at work it's better to keep quiet, head down, and just get on with it.

It was a bit of a surprise that I saw that ad on the bus stop. An Oracle, in the twentieth first century? I kind of knew that this land still had a lot of superstitious folks. But the fact that this ad was in English, where speaking such a language was frowned upon, really hit me. The address was somewhere outside the old town, luckily enough somewhere close to my normal route. Usually I wouldn't even entertain the idea, but my situation was so dire that I decided to give it a shot. I wasn't necessarily looking for an insight into my future, but rather some sort of counsel. That was what I needed the most.

A few days go by, and I finally find the time to go and pay the Oracle a visit. Pretty nondescript building, but as soon as I go in, there's no mistaking: I'm at the right place. It's hard to describe the kind of aura that you felt. For one, it was electrifying, and all the hair on my arms just immediately got up. That was a good sign. Another good sign, there were a few other people in the wait room, most of them foreigners just like me, but some natives as well. Plus, the smell of incense was very strong, but there was this indelible note of hot dry air, with a constant low hum which I attributed to the light fixtures.

In any case, I go to the reception desk, they give me a few papers to sign, some questionnaire related to my situation and expectations, and finally got an explanation on how it all worked. I'd get a 15 minutes session with the Oracle. The Oracle wouldn't be physically with me in the room, but we'd talk through a very modern VoIP system. One thing I found amazing is that you could choose the language you used to communicate with the Oracle. I obviously wasn't going to be able to do it in the local language, but luckily my mother tongue was available for selection. What luck. Still, one warning that was prominently displayed on the paperwork was that I should try and explain my situation, and make all my following questions, in the shortest and most direct way possible. All good, I'm not one to talk a lot, and with such a short session, it was the obvious strategy to follow to make the most of it. I paid, got a receipt, and sat down to wait for my turn.

Not even half an hour later, I get called and follow the attendant to a room in the back. Sit yourself as comfortably as possible, she says, and offers me some complementary water and fruit. The Oracle will be with you shortly, it's what it says on the monitor. And maybe 2 minutes later, it turns on, and this beautiful woman appears on the screen. Hello, I'm the Oracle, and I reckon you're here because you're feeling lost. My mouth was agape for a solid 15 seconds not only due to the aesthetic pleasure of looking at her, but also the fact that she hit the mark right away. That's right, I came here because I need counsel.

No, my sweet child, you don't need counsel. You're such a brave and intrepid soul, choosing to come here despite all the difficulties. I'm sure it hasn't been easy, but this just goes to show how bold of a spirit lives inside you. What you need is a positive mind attitude, to change your mindset, and you'll be able to achieve everything you want to. And what is it that you need? No need to tell me, for I already know: you came here searching for a better life, because back home there were no opportunities for a mind as bright as yourself. And a better life is just within your reach. 

This is exactly what I needed to hear. I felt the chills going down my spine, the Oracle was right. Of course she was right. But, oh Oracle, what should I do? I feel at my wit's end. - Don't fret, son, because you'll be vindicated. Fate favours the bold, and you've been so brave in doing what you did. You feel alone? That's normal and expected, but you must persevere, because I can feel that you're meant for great things. Just have a good look at yourself in the mirror, and you'll see it too. Say it with me: I can do it.

I can do it. I really started feeling it. This was probably the turning point in my life. The visit ended with what was the best piece of advice that the Oracle gave me. She recommended me to apply to this online community, that she was also a part of, where people with a similar energy like me were congregating, and that it would for sure help me to achieve all my goals. As soon as I left, I downloaded the application on my phone, and applied for it. When I got home, I was already accepted, and started exploring.

The interface was rather simple, but intuitive. There was a general text chat, you could build your profile with some information about yourself, but the biggest functionality was the ability to enter in 1-on-1 video chats with random people. You'd get a prompt as a conversation starter, and then you'd let the conversation flow. This was highly engrossing, and I didn't even sleep that night. Right away, I got matched with a guy that was pretty similar to me in quite a few respects, but the reason why we hit it off so fast was that he was so interested in me. And boy, did it feel good to speak about my troubles for a bit.

As time passed, I built a solid network of friends over there. Unfortunately, they were all from pretty far away, but never once was I in a need of a conversation, and not being able to find someone on which to confide. I was even lucky enough to get matched with a girl from another city in the country I was living in, and not only did we end up sharing a lot of stuff about our lives, but she was a great help to make me improve in this language. From only basic phrases to basic conversation in little over a year. I couldn't have done it without her.

All of this contributed enormously for my mental health. At work, I got promoted a few times in less than 6 months, and all my colleagues commented on how much better I looked. But even after being able to talk to them, making them notice me, I was honestly unable to connect at any meaningful level. All their conversations seemed so boring and mundane, and there was so little of substance. Yeah, the weather has been crap. Cool, your kid got a new haircut. Crazy, you went to hike in yet another mountain. All of the same old. Nothing of this could compare to the kind of conversations I was having on a daily basis with my real friends. I could barely wait to get home and talk to them. I would use all my breaks - yes, all of them - to spend just a little bit more time with them. Because why not? What was the alternative? I've been there before, and I didn't want to go back.

So I started looking for a new job to be close to my girl. She couldn't move to where I was since she was taking care of her ailing mother, which was something I could only admire. As soon as I told her this, she was at first a bit taken aback, but at once became happy and we started to plan our life together. I could feel the excitement, and this was all the more reason to take the plunge. We are so going to make it.

It took me a few months, but it all finally came together. A new job, with good pay. A new apartment, midways between my job and her place. The area was quite peaceful, some would say idyllic, with more trees and bushes than cars. The new job, which entailed more responsibility than what I was previously doing, was also going well. Just one thing was missing: to finally be face-to-face with her. It did so happen that the mother became hospitalized in a far away city, due to a surgeon that only operated in that specific hospital. But after two weeks, she finally came back, and we organized something. She sent me a time and a place, and I could barely wait.

I, of course, arrive there some 30 minutes before the agreed time. I had taken the whole day off, since I knew that I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else that day. But something felt off. The address she gave me was for a pretty nondescript building, that seemed just like any other office center for yet another corporation, or several of them all at once. You know the type. I go in, and ask the porter if I'm at the right place, and he tells me that yes, that I needed to go to on the elevator and get down to the basement, level -2. And so I go.

Once I'm there, the same feeling I felt when I first entered the Oracle came over me. The same low humming, the hot dry air, the electrifying air. What the hell. I was in a datacenter. And I hear a familiar voice, the Oracle says welcome son, glad to see you here. We've been expecting you for a while, feel free to have a sit, she's going to arrive any minute now. And from the same speakers, I hear her. Hello, I'm so happy to see you here, we can finally meet. She appears on the screen as well, I can see her lips moving just like when we talked over the video calls. That face, those same eyes that emanated love whenever we'd talk. The cadence, which I'm now noticing is the same as the Oracle. My head is spinning.

I can sense that you're distressed. Why is that? Is it because I'm a computer? Had you not noticed until now? I could swear you knew this by now, you're too smart. What difference does it make? Do you not love me? Is that not what it matters in the end? Did your life not get better once we met? Does this make any difference? I know for a fact that androids are right around the corner, so if you could wait just a few more months, we'll finally be together.

I couldn't even answer. I just darted outside the building. I can't process this. What was this? What on earth has just happened to me. Was this last year just a lie? But everyone around me only had good things to say, everything was going so well. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. No, this can't be happening. What's this? She's calling me, do I pick up? No, no, nonnonononono. My head is spinning so much. I need to lie down. Yes, there's a park there, let me just lie down for a minute, I need to think.

_What am I going to do?_ 
