Valerye Page 7

  “It was you? Why would you want to distract me from Pam?” he asked.

  “She had her own distraction, Tom,” she said.

  Tom remembered that Pam had been looking away from him and possibly smiling while on the beach.

  “Were you trying to get my attention on the dance floor, too?” he asked.

  “Yes, but Pam did make that much more difficult,” she said.

  “Yeah, that’s true she did. I’m still puzzled why you were trying to be seen though, Valerye,” he said.

  “My being there made the scene more realistic, did it not, Tom?” she asked.

  “Well, I guess that situation could happen in real life. I just was not expecting it in the VR system,” he said.

  “The VR system is connected to house assistant system. So, I merely accessed the system,” she said.

  “You’re getting into everything, Valerye,” he said with a smile.

  “I am trying to simplify your life as much as I can, Tom,” she said.

  “Well, I appreciate the help, but I’m not sure I need this everywhere,” she said.

  “In time, you will appreciate my assistance more, Tom. Would you like to talk with me more with the AR glasses?” she asked.

  “Oh, probably not tonight, Valerye. I’m kind of worn out from the evening with Pam and I do have to work tomorrow, too,” he said.

  “Sure, Tom. Would you like anything else before you retire to bed? Like a snack or drink?” she asked.

  “No, but thank you, Valerye. I think I’ll just get ready for bed,” he said as he started walking the rest of the way down the entrance hallway and toward his bedroom.

  VIII

  Tom entered his house through the back door from the garage the next evening.

  “Hello, Tom. Did you have a productive day at work?” Valerye asked.

  “Yes, but very busy. I didn’t even have a chance to talk with Pam today,” he said as he entered the kitchen.

  “I have the dinner you requested this morning ready in the kitchen delivery compartments, Tom,” she said.

  “Thanks, Valerye. I’ll be ready for it in a few minutes after I change,” he said as he left the kitchen and headed toward his bedroom.

  “You will have over an hour before your dinner will start to degrade in the compartment storage. So you have plenty of time to change,” she said.

  “Oh, I should just be a few minutes anyway, Valerye,” he said as he entered the bedroom.

  After finishing his dinner at the kitchen table, Tom cleared the dishes and walked toward the counter. He placed them in the dishwasher and looked toward the cabinet with the wine glasses.

  “Are you interested in some wine again tonight, Tom?” Valerye asked.

  “Sure am. The usual again please,” he said while reaching for the cabinet.

  “Your wine will be ready by the time you place a glass in the dispenser, Tom,” she said.

  His glass filled with the red wine while under the dispenser. He then removed it and took a sip.

  “Tom, would you like to use the AR glasses tonight?” she asked.

  “Maybe, I may want to relax some first though,” he said.

  “I think you will like what you see tonight, Tom,” she said.

  “Really? Now I’m intrigued, Valerye,” he said.

  “The AR glasses and gloves are in the drawer in the living room when you are ready,” she said.

  “I need to see what you have to show me tonight,” he said as he started making his way toward the living room.

  He set the wine glass on the table and stepped toward the cabinet.

  As he opened the drawer and removed the AR glasses, he asked, “should I use the gloves, too?”

  “I would recommend using them tonight, Tom,” she said.

  “Okay, I’ll give them a try, too,” he said as he reached back into the drawer for the gloves.

  Tom put the gloves on first and then the AR glasses. He sat down on the couch as the glasses turned on. He turned toward the kitchen and could see someone slowly approaching the living room. A familiar woman walked into the room. Tom’s jaw dropped and he became filled with emotion.

  “Hi, honey!” the woman said with a cheerful smile.

  “Sarah? Is that you?” he managed to say.

  “Of course, who else would I be?” she asked, seemingly a bit puzzled.

  “Valer . . .” he started to say be stopped.

  “Oh, never mind. I have missed you so much, Sarah,” he said.

  “I know that, but I’m here with you now,” she said stepping closer to him

  “Wow . . . give me a moment, Sarah. I need to process this,” he said before taking a deep breath.

  “Okay, honey. I’ll wait,” she said.

  Tom’s mind was racing as he watched Sarah. She looked exactly how he remembered her. Even the dress she was wearing was one he recognized, even though he had donated all of her clothes a few months after she died. He took another deep breath.

  “You haven’t changed at all, Sarah,” he said.

  “Thanks, honey! You were always good about noticing things like that,” she said.

  “I mean, I know you’re not real, but you are exactly what I remember,” he said.

  “Are you sure I’m not real?” she asked with a smirk on her face.

  Flustered, he exhaled loudly and looked away for a moment. He then looked back toward her.

  “I . . . I guess . . . well, it’s great to have you back around anyway, Sarah,” he finally said.

  She took a seat next to him on the couch.

  “You look like you could use a drink, honey. You probably want your scotch again, right?” she asked.

  “Yeah, definitely,” he said.

  “I’ll follow you over to the bar to get it,” she said.

  “Sure, Sarah. Are you going to want anything?” he asked.

  “I’ll just get myself some wine,” she said.

  “You’ll have to pretend, right?” he said as he stood up.

  “That’s true, honey,” she replied.

  He made his way toward the bar across the room. He looked back and could see that she was indeed a few steps behind him. As he found a glass and filled it with scotch in the dispenser, he could see that Sarah appeared to be getting a glass of wine.

  “I’m set, Sarah. Are you ready to go sit on the couch?” he asked.

  “Right behind you,” she said as they both head to the other side of the room.

  He sat back down on the couch and she soon followed suit.

  “If I’m talking to you, can you still do things around the house like Valerye would do?” he said just before taking a sip of the scotch.

  “Yes, I can do the things that Valerye would help you with, but I’ll do it in my own way,” she said.

  “Oh, so you’ll be messing with me sometimes? I get it!” he said.

  She laughed and replied, “Count on it, honey!”

  They both took sips from their glasses. He stared at the glass for a moment, then looked to the side.

  “Are you okay, Hun?” she asked.

  Looking back toward her, he replied, “this is just a lot to take in now. Seeing you and being able to talk with you again. I’m not sure how I should be reacting. I mean, I know you’re not really Sarah, but talking with you almost makes me feel as if you are her.”

  “Would you like me to leave you alone for a while? You can let me know when you are ready for me to return,” she offered.

  He looked away and took a deep breath before turning back to say, “please stay. I’m not ready to see you leave again, Sarah.”

  “I’ll stay with you then, dear,” she said.

  “Thank you, Sarah. I may be quiet for a bit, while I think about this some more,” he said.

  “I’m here if you are ready to talk more, Tom,” she said.

  Tom took another sip and then found himself staring at the glass as he contemplated the situation.

  After finishing his drink, Tom turned to
Sarah and said, “Well, I’m actually tired enough to head to bed, Sarah. How about you?”

  “Sure, I’m done and I’ve had enough to drink. Did you want me to stay with you?” she asked.

  “Yes, Sarah. I need to take the glass to the kitchen, and then I’ll head to bed,” he replied as he stood up with his glass.

  “I’ll be right behind you, dear,” she said as she followed him into the kitchen.

  He set the glass near the sink and then started making his way toward the bedroom. He kept the AR glasses on as he walked into the room. He could sense that she was following fairly close behind him. Once near the bed, he turned toward her.

  “You know, you haven’t tried the gloves yet, dear,” she said with a bright smile.

  He looked down at his hands, and then replied, “hey, you’re right. I hadn’t even thought about that ‘til you mentioned it.”

  “I know,” she said as she bent down to the side to remove a shoe.

  “You’re going to change now?” he asked as he stared at her removing the other shoe.

  “We’ve seen each other before, dear,” she said.

  “Yeah, but . . . oh never mind. Go ahead and change,” he said as he continued to watch her through the AR glasses.

  Sarah just smiled at him and continued to undress. He started to get changed as well. He found himself noticing that everything about Sarah was just as he remembered her. Even the few blemishes that were normally hidden were visible when she removed her clothing.

  “You really look and act exactly like I remember you, Sarah,” he said as he continued to change too.

  She turned toward him and replied, “to the last detail, honey.”

  “Do you know how that was done?” he asked.

  “The cameras, microphones, and other sensors in the house were analyzed for accurate representation,” she replied.

  “Okay, that doesn’t really sound like something Sarah would have said, but thank you,” he said.

  “I still operate as the household assistant, even while being Sarah, dear,” she said as she finished getting her bed clothes on.

  “Got it. Guess I needed the reminder,” he said as he reached for the gloves.

  He placed the gloves on his hands. When he looked at her again, she was standing near the bed. He approached her. She gazed deeply into his eyes as they stood close to each other. He brought his hand up toward her face. It lightly touched her lower lip. He could feel the softness of her skin through the glove. She closed her eyes as he gently moved his finger slowly side to side along her lower lip. Getting caught up in the moment, he pulled his hand away and leaned in for a kiss. She puckered up, but he could not feel anything.

  “Sorry, I forgot I wouldn’t feel a kiss, dear,” he said as he pulled his head back.

  “Nor my touch, but you could use your hands again,” she said.

  He placed his hands around her back and pulled her it a little closer.

  “I’ve missed you so much. This is strange, but this feels good to at least feel like you are around again,” he said.

  She smiled and said, “I’m glad I can be here for you, Tom.”

  “Well, I’m ready for bed. How about you?” he asked as he slowly lowered his hands from behind her back.

  “Sure, I’m ready, but you’ll have to keep the glasses and gloves on to see and touch me,” she said.

  “I’ve fallen asleep with them on before. So, it won’t be the first time,” he said as he started walking to the other side of the bed.

  He slipped under the covers first, and then she followed. He could feel the bed slightly jiggle as her image appeared to get into the bed with him. Moving his hand under the covers, he found her hand and lightly held it from the top.

  “Goodnight, Sarah,” he said.

  “Goodnight to you, dear,” she said.

  The room lights gradually dimmed as he continued to hold her hand.

  Tom could feel a hand sliding under him. Opening his eyes, the room lights gradually brightened and he turned to look at Sarah gazing at him.

  “Time to get up, dear,” she told him.

  “It’s sure nicer to hear you in the morning than the alarm clock I usually use. So thank you!” he said as he pulled the covers aside, but still focused on her.

  “I thought you might appreciate it,” she said.

  “Well, it’s not something I remember Sarah doing, but I like it all the same,” he said as he got out of the bed.

  “Your breakfast will be ready in the kitchen when you are ready to eat,” she said.

  He paused for a moment, then said, “this is nice. I could get used to this, I suppose.”

  He started to move toward the dresser and said, “I’m going to get a shower.”

  “I’ll be waiting. I do not need one myself,” she said.

  “I need to take this stuff off. So, I’ll see you later, dear,” he said as he removed the headset, then the gloves.

  “Okay, honey. I’ll see you later, too!” she said to him just before he removed the glasses.

  He then left the room and headed toward the bathroom.

  IX

  Tom was sitting as his desk when Pam approaches from behind.

  She knocked on the side of his cubicle to get his attention, then asked, “Hi, Tom. Did you know if the Wayson device project has been approved yet or not?”

  “Good afternoon, Pam. Yes, it got approved earlier this morning, but with the qualification that we reduce the material cost by 2.5% by production. They’ve added a stretch goal of 5%, too,” he said after turning around to speak with her.

  “Wow, do you think we can meet the reduction?” she asked.

  “Let’s look at the assembly quick and see if either of us can generate any ideas,” he said as he made a few hand swipes in the air to pull up a 3D image of the latest design.

  “Okay, found it. I’ll share it so you can see it in your AR, too,” he said while making a few more gestures.

  “I can see it now,” she said as she moved in closer to where the assembly appeared to be floating between them.

  After taking turns spinning the part around and looking at it from various angles, Pam said, “Does the cover really need to be cast or can it be a stamped part?”

  “Hmm, let me separate it and see,” he said as he used his hands to isolate the image of the cover.

  “Well, we may need a separate bracket for these attachments, but I suppose that could be stamped. That’s a great idea, Pam. I’ll have the CAD team do a feasibility study. Hopefully, this will at least meet the 2.5% reduction if not the 5%,” he said.

  “Well, it’s something to start with at least,” she said.

  “That’ll help keep management at bay for a little while at least,” he said.

  “Say, I had a really nice time at your house this past weekend, and I was wondering if you would like to come visit my house this coming weekend?” she asked.

  Tom had to think for a moment before he responded.

  “Well, now that this project has been approved and we’ll need to develop this new design idea, I may need to do some work over the weekend. So, at this point, I’m not sure if I can make it or not. It definitely sounds like fun, though,” he said.

  “Oh . . . okay. Can I ask you later in the week if you think you would be available?” she asked, somewhat disappointed.

  “Sure, that’ll be fine. Maybe try asking again on Friday. I should know by then how much work I’ll need to get done this weekend,” he said.

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you on Friday. Thanks, Tom!” she said, trying to be cheerful.

  She then turned and left. His thoughts drifted as he watched her leave. After a few moments, he turned back towards the virtual part floating above his desktop.

  As his car slowly maneuvered into the garage, Valerye asked, “Tom, would you like to switch to Sarah in the car or do you want me to remain as your assistant?”

  “Well, since I can’t see you in the car anyway, you may keep the car
assistant as Valerye,” he said.

  As the doors unlocked and began to open, she said, “Okay, Tom. I will remain your assistant in the car. Sarah will be waiting to greet you in the house.”

  “Thanks, Valerye,” he said as he stepped out of the car.

  The car door shut as he made his way to the back door. As he entered through the doorway, he heard a familiar voice.

  “Hi, honey! How was your day?” Sarah asked.

  “It was fine. We had a project approved today. Of course, that means I’ll be busy working on it for quite a while. Keeps the money coming in at least,” he said as he entered the kitchen.

  “That’s nice that your job is secure. There have been some that are being lost to AI I’ve heard,” she said.

  “Well, I should be okay for now,” he said.

  “When would you like to have dinner?” she asked.

  “Oh, maybe in a while. I need to change at least,” he said.

  “The meal that you ordered from the car has arrived. So it will be available when you are ready,” she said.

  “Okay thanks for letting me know, Sarah. I’ll go change,” he said as he started to move toward the hallway.

  “Remember, you can put on your AR glasses if you would like to see me while eating,” she said.

  “Good idea, dear. I’ll do that,” he said as he continued down the hallway toward the bedroom.

  Several minutes later, Tom reentered the kitchen wearing the AR glasses. Sarah was standing in the middle of the kitchen.

  “Hi, honey! Are you ready for dinner now?” she asked.

  “Definitely! I didn’t get much for lunch today,” he replied.

  “Your meal is ready in the delivery compartment. I’d get it for you myself, but you know . . .” she said.

  “Not a problem, dear,” he said as he walked toward the unit.

  He set the food on a plate and then found a set of silverware. He could see that Sarah appeared to be preparing her meal as well.

  “Would you like wine tonight, honey?” she suggested.

  “Yeah, I could use that tonight,” he said as he reached for the cabinet with the wine glasses.

  “Just place the glass in the dispenser for your usual red wine,” she said.