Waking with the store chore on his mind.

Fredric woke with a shock, it didn't feel like time passed at all, but the alarm is never the less blaring opposite on top of the small table one meter from his bed, showing that it indeed was 8:00.

He twisted himself out of bed in a zombie like daze, this is not new, the alarm is far away for a reason. No longer trusting himself to not snooze for far too long.

He smacked down on the digital clock, aiming for the alarm button, only to push it to the side.

Grunting in lazy frustration he took the effort to focus on it this time, grabbed it with the left hand and with an increasingly steady right hand he poked the correct button to make the devilish item stop bothering his ears.

After dressing himself with a simple blue t shirt and black jeans he sat down at the kitchenette table with a simple sandwich and a glass of water.

Without much ado, he readied himself in the bathroom, brushed his teeth and quickly washed his face with cold water in an effort to perk up more.

He exited the bathroom into what doubled as living room, kitchen and hallway, took his gray rain jacket that hung on the coat hanger, the weather looked like it threatened with a downpour as he peered from a window.

Though it was hard to tell from the second floor were he stood, by the exit it looked dark.

Almost forgetting as he was about to leave, he hustled back to the kitchen table and shoved his phone into the left pant pocket and headed to the nearby store a short walk away.

Twenty minutes later he was at the store front trying to mentally recall the items he had to get in there. People exited and came, no one paid each other much notice, Fredric had his usual tunnel vision, not being the one to small talk to strangers. Something he wondered that he probably had to work on if he ever was about to find friends again, or wished to ever find a partner.

While standing in an isle the phone shook in his pocket.

There it is again, this time it is a normal push up notice but it is the same icon that flashed before, a heart with a plus, he opened the lock screen to now see it fill the empty space that frustrated him last night.

With a tired frown he opened the app to see what the thing was about. His mind making theories about being some kind of pulse reading app.

A splash screen appeared briefly showing the text:

“The Affection Multiplier app”

“This is a gift. Please enjoy it!”

“Huh, Weird” he proclaimed to himself lowly as he heard the shuffling of some one looking at the shelves nearby.

“We recommend reading through the glossary.”

Read it? YES/NO

He clicked NO by mistake, as his mind was trying to process what kind of app this was, was it a game, a kind of self help app, a joke from the store clerk he bought the phone off.

None of the options really struck him as as he quickly scrolled through the features that seemed weird enough as he was trying to make sense of it.

“Some weird tamagotchi style game maybe?” he hypothesized in his mind.

He saw the field featureing himself on the top, and clicked to expand.

Name: Fredric Bakerson

Age: 24

Relationship: Single

Wants: Achieve a stable financial situation, make a friend or find a partner to end the solitude, find out what the increasingly intrusive app is.

Likes: Technology, reading, decorating

Dislikes: Gas stoves, people who ask the same thing over and over, reading the terms of service agreement

“What the fuck, this is a new level in breach of privacy google!” he thought, starting to work up a worry with his eyes going wide.

With morbid fascination he looked on, might as well, he is deleting this for sure he though.

He clicks on the “traits” button on his breakdown.

It shows him a long list in alphabetical order and a search window near his “500 gems” counter.

Amber eyes

Amplifying voice

Analytical

Attractive visage

…

The list goes on for a while, mentioning all kind of things you can change or boost your person.

He would take offense if it was not for the fact that he could not make heads or tail regarding the intent of the app.

He strikes randomly at the option “Mental captivation”

The app then breaks down the effect of this trait:

“Mental captivation”

“You will captivate the mind of one individual that see you after the purchases of this trait, once it is active it will transfer to the person who saw you. Once there it will allow you to choose how you will captivate.”

“200 gems”

“Buy this trait? Yes/No”

Absentmindedly he clicks Yes and close the app to bring up the settings to uninstall it.

As he stands there swiping his fingers across the phone pushing through menus with an increasing frustration, a slender tall woman, excuses herself as she stretches to pick an item off the shelf above him.

He glances at the young woman and she looks down with an excusing look, she was a probably more than a head taller than him. She had a pretty face, but she could probably pass for a guy as she was well built without any pronounced curves.

Fredric quickly excused himself as their eyes briefly met when he looked up from the phone, and hurried to the other end of the of that isle to continue his search to uninstall.

Frustrated by his inability to remove this stupid app he puts it away and looks up to continue his grocery shopping, again he sees the girl glancing at him, but she quickly looks away and moves along.

He thinks nothing of it and does what he always does, ignore interaction and b-line to all the things he need, pays for it in the self checkout and moves back home with thoughts of returning the phone to the store he got it from.

His day passes as any other, this Tuesday seemingly being like any other day of the week. He work by staring at the screen, buying stock and reading up on the investments he can take. Reading financial reports and following the trends.

Things that would bore most people to , but the thought of one day striking that gold keeps his attention on the task.

Day goes to night, some procrastination watching netflix on the computer followed by heading towards the bed.

Just as he is about to drift to sleep the phone buzzes with a notification by the nightstand.

His eyes stares at the roof for a moment as he tries to recollect his thoughts, then reaches for the phone and swipes it open.

Its the damned affection multiplier app that is open.

“Your trait has been transferred, how would you like it to take affect?”

It then follows with a few buttons on what it can do.

“With every new idea, you seem like the best candidate.”

“With every question, you seem to be the one who is the best to consult first.”

“Everytime the thought of getting to know some one, you are the one first on their mind.”

“Everytime they have sexual imaginations, it involves you.”

He stares at the app in disbelief, unable to understand why and how this comes preinstalled.

Not only does it imply manipulations, it is perverted too.

He strikes his thumb hazily to see if it scrolls any more options, it doesn’t and the action selects the last option.

That takes him to a new break down, but not of himself.

Name: Unkown

Age: 28

Relationship: Dating

Wants: Get a promotion, find the right guy, get at least some curves

Likes: Exercising, taking matters in her own hands, all manner of fantasy media

Dislikes: The fact that she doesn’t think herself good enough, hypocrisy, restraint

Current traits: Mental captivation – Sexual imaginations,

Affection: 0

[locked]

[locked]

“This stupid thing…” he mutters as he turns it off and puts the phone back while closing his eyes to sleep.

It beeps again in his sleep, but nothing that wakes him up more than it stirs him.