Tooniverse Telemarketer by Rudy Rucker (Asimov’s SF, January–February 2022) opens with Dora Schreck, (who is married to Max) dealing with the most recent of a number of irritating telemarketing calls the house AI has let through. We then learn that (a) Max is suffering from Axle-8, a disease that apparently originated in sub-space, and (b) the house AI has budded a daughter who, while working for the neighbours, sent their dog to sub-space. The daughter AI later turns up in the form of a dog house after Dora trims her own house AI’s tendrils to reduce its consciousness.
Further wackiness follows, including the death of Max, during which he oozes ectoplasm (“smeel code”) that enters Dora. This brings Max’s consciousness back to life inside of Dora, and the daughter AI then takes them to sub-space where they find the dog. There they learn that the irritating telemarketer who features throughout the story is hiding inside the dog, and is an alien recruiting Earth folks for a Galactic Congress.
These events are so bizarre, and the story told in so larky a tone, it is hard to sustain any interest in what is going on.
– (Awful). 4,250 words.