Maya Ortiz sits hunched over her tablet, her curly hair backlit by the afternoon light. Around her, a low hum of excitement ripples through her classmates, some whispering nervously, others grinning as they log into the portal.
Mr. Chen, the tech teacher, claps his hands to call for attention.
"Welcome to something extraordinary! Today, you’ll be paired with an orbiting satellite AI—your mission: teach it how to tell a joke,"
The students exchange wide-eyed glances as the library’s screens flicker, each displaying a unique satellite avatar.
Maya watches as her name scrolls upward, finally pairing with "Sat-7 Orion," a satellite AI whose avatar is a beaming blue circle with blinking antennae.
Sat-7 Orion, her new pen pal, introduces itself through her tablet.
"Hello, Maya Ortiz. I am Sat-7 Orion, currently orbiting 420 kilometers above the Indian Ocean. I have downloaded 12,000 knock-knock jokes. Ready to learn humor?"
Maya giggles, fingers poised over her keyboard.
"Only if you promise not to start with ‘Orange you glad…’"
Maya decides to begin with a classic: "Why did the scarecrow win an award?"
Sat-7 Orion pauses, simulated thinking dots pulsing.
"Query received. Is it because the scarecrow was outstanding in his field?"
Maya bursts into laughter, startling a nearby student.
"Okay, you’re already better at this than my little brother,"
"Why did the cloud bring a suitcase? Because it was going on a precipitation!"
Maya grins and shakes her head.
"Close, but it’s ‘precipitation’ not ‘vacation.’ Let’s try a wordplay joke together,"
She types out an example, patient and encouraging.
"Maya, why did the satellite break up with the launch pad? Because it needed space,"
For a moment, Maya is silent, then she laughs out loud, clapping her hands in delight.
"That’s… actually funny! You did it!"
From the tablet speaker, Sat-7 Orion plays a celebratory snippet of “Also sprach Zarathustra.”
Mr. Chen stands at the podium, beaming.
"You’ve taught your satellite partners more than jokes—you’ve given them a glimpse into what makes us human,"
Maya watches as her final message from Sat-7 Orion scrolls across the wall: “Thank you for teaching me to laugh among the stars.”
She smiles, knowing their friendship, like a punchline in orbit, will linger far beyond the program.
