One of the wonderful moments in “Calypso” – the second episode of Short Treks – was the dance sequence between Craft and the visual representation of “Zora,” the Ship’s A.I. What’s so fantastic about it is how much it encapsulates the relationship that this man has developed with this advanced artificial intelligence. The dance is really a gift Craft makes to Zora in return for the care and kindness “she” has shown him. It is a very human – and humane – act that has Craft finally realizing he is developing feelings he doesn’t have the freedom to have. Craft is falling in love with an inanimate artificial intelligence.
Finally aware that he is despondent over his inability to leave, Zora helps Craft return to his family by creating a space suit to protect him as he takes the final shuttlecraft aboard the ship, one that has never been flown in almost a thousand years. His destination: Alcor IV where his son and lover last lived.
Their parting is bittersweet. Although they saying goodbye forever Zora and Craft acknowledge they will remember the other. The dance they shared does provide Zora with another gift: a holographic simulation of Craft to dance with throughout eternity.
Here’s a clip from the 1957 Paramount Pictures musical that is the inspiration for the sequence. Enjoy.
