instance
Original: instance on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Woman (on a video screen): SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT--
Man (Steve): STEVE. STEVE. IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T LOVE YOU. IT'S JUST I CAN'T SEE MYSELF WITH YOU IN 10, 20, 30 YEARS.
Panel 2:
Man (Steve): AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS NOW? I PUT 10 MONTHS INTO OUR ENGAGEMENT!
Panel 3:
The woman on screen looks downcast. A finger presses a button labeled DELETE.
Panel 4:
Woman (on a video screen): COMPUTER, CALL UP ANOTHER INSTANCE OF STEVE'S CONSCIOUSNESS TO TALK ABOUT--
Panel 5:
Man (Steve): BUT IS IT ETHICAL TO BRING ME? ISN'T ANOTHER BEING TO LIFE JUST TO TRY OUT BREAKUP LINES BEFORE TALKING TO THE REAL STEVE?
Woman (off-panel/on screen): ANOTHER?
Panel 6:
Man (Steve): I UNDERSTAND. I MEANT IT. I UNDERSTAND... BUT I UNDERSTAND.
Panel 7:
Woman (on a video screen): SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT--
Man (Steve): STEVE. I'VE REALIZED I'M GAY.
Panel 8:
Woman (smiling): PERFECT!
Panel 9:
A finger presses a button labeled DELETE.
Votey:
Woman (thinking/narrating): SUMMONING MINDS INTO EXISTENCE FOR PETTY USES FEELS WASTEFUL, BUT IT'S PART OF MY SELF-CARE ROUTINE.
Woman (on a video screen): SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT--
Man (Steve): STEVE. STEVE. IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T LOVE YOU. IT'S JUST I CAN'T SEE MYSELF WITH YOU IN 10, 20, 30 YEARS.
Panel 2:
Man (Steve): AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS NOW? I PUT 10 MONTHS INTO OUR ENGAGEMENT!
Panel 3:
The woman on screen looks downcast. A finger presses a button labeled DELETE.
Panel 4:
Woman (on a video screen): COMPUTER, CALL UP ANOTHER INSTANCE OF STEVE'S CONSCIOUSNESS TO TALK ABOUT--
Panel 5:
Man (Steve): BUT IS IT ETHICAL TO BRING ME? ISN'T ANOTHER BEING TO LIFE JUST TO TRY OUT BREAKUP LINES BEFORE TALKING TO THE REAL STEVE?
Woman (off-panel/on screen): ANOTHER?
Panel 6:
Man (Steve): I UNDERSTAND. I MEANT IT. I UNDERSTAND... BUT I UNDERSTAND.
Panel 7:
Woman (on a video screen): SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT--
Man (Steve): STEVE. I'VE REALIZED I'M GAY.
Panel 8:
Woman (smiling): PERFECT!
Panel 9:
A finger presses a button labeled DELETE.
Votey:
Woman (thinking/narrating): SUMMONING MINDS INTO EXISTENCE FOR PETTY USES FEELS WASTEFUL, BUT IT'S PART OF MY SELF-CARE ROUTINE.
Alt text
A nine-panel SMBC comic. A woman talks to a man named Steve through a video screen, repeatedly summoning fresh digital instances of his consciousness to rehearse breakup lines. In panel 1 she starts, 'So you want to talk about--' and Steve interrupts, 'Steve. Steve. It's not that I don't love you. It's just I can't see myself with you in 10, 20, 30 years.' He protests, 'And you're telling me this now? I put 10 months into our engagement!' A finger then presses a large button labeled DELETE, erasing him. She tells the computer to call up another instance of Steve. This instance asks, 'But is it ethical to bring me, another being, to life just to try out breakup lines before talking to the real Steve?' as she says 'Another?' He stammers, 'I understand. I meant it. I understand... but I understand.' She tries a new line: 'Steve, I've realized I'm gay,' and the smiling instance replies 'Perfect!' She presses DELETE again. In the votey aftercomic, the woman reflects, 'Summoning minds into existence for petty uses feels wasteful, but it's part of my self-care routine.' The joke is that she casually creates and deletes conscious digital beings just to practice breaking up with her fiance.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.