This is Claire M sitting in row 24, seat C on flight 1707 Chicago to LaGuardia.

Claire has recently started listening to music that she thinks will make her look cooler in the database.

All these alt musicians, she hopes, will add an element of nonchalance and effortless

indifference to her file, which she checks at least twice per hour when she has access to Wi-Fi.

We do immediately update Citizens' files with new information as soon as it's available.

Any additional education, changes in family dynamics, work history,

dating experience, hobbies, even music taste. Each of these elements help us paint a fuller picture of the individuals each file represents,

ultimately to the benefit of said individuals and the United States at large.

After all, the more data we can access, the better the algorithm will do

at matching files to produce soulmates. On this flight, Claire will be without

Wi-Fi for two hours and 15 minutes.

And for someone like Claire, who keeps a hawk eye over her files every update,

this is almost untenable. And what can I get you today?

Now this is what I've been waiting for.

You still take these drink tickets, right?

I'm sorry, ma'am, these are expired?

Really?

But I found them in my desk drawer

and was like, I can't let these go to waste.

That would be a crime, you know?

This is, from what we can tell so far,

the impetus for Claire's trip.

...