AI-Juliet's request

Emma opened the door and told AI-Juliet to get inside. The small triangular drone hovered inside the room projecting the image that made it seem like Juliet walked inside.

-How long have you been outside my door?-, Emma asked.

-Don’t worry. I know Nyco was in the room with you. I won’t tell your dad, I know how he is with him-, the AI assured her.

-Thanks, I appreciate it, honestly. I don’t need more trouble with my dad. Ok I’ll go eat now-. Emma started walking outside the room.

-Wait-, said AI-Juliet trying to hold her hand to stop her. As she was nothing but an accumulation of lights, she could not touch her and just projected herself in her arm. The AI looked at her own arm made of lights in frustration.

-What?-, asked the 19 year old.

-... Could I talk to Nyco next time he comes? I… miss him.

-We’ve talked about this. I don’t want him to go through the same thing I’m going through. It's weird… I think it’s best if you don’t see him.

-Have you told him about me?

-No. He loved my mom too. It would be hard for him having to constantly remember how she is gone and then play pretend with you. I don’t think he would like that.

-Could you at least ask him?-, the AI requested.

-Look. You don’t really miss him. You are just programmed to be like my mother. She was the one that would miss him. Can’t you tell dad to erase that part of your memories?

-... I don’t know

-Well please try. For your own good too-, Emma said walking towards the kitchen to have dinner.

The thought of forgetting Nyco was too great. AI-Juliet decided she would never mention this to her partner.

Mr. Litdawn was waiting impatiently for his daughter in the kitchen. He was sitting at the long white table with a frown on his face and the food waiting on the plate. When the slowpoke showed up, she was welcomed with a cold gaze. Complaints about her tardiness were thrown and met with an honest apology. The blonde girl knew better than to anger her father any further.

The AI modeled after Juliet also sat at the table eating a hologram of the food her partner had made. All that could be heard was the chewing of the food. Mr. Litdawn decided to break said silence.

-Emma. I’ve been speaking with Juliet and she tells me you always turn down any plans she offers you…-, Mr. Litdawn started saying.

-Rob… Please. Stop it-, it interrupted him. Emma didn’t even lift her head or acknowledge the conversation. She was not interested.

-Why do you treat her this way? You used to love going to the movies or going on a shopping spree-, he continued. Still no answer. -I’ve also heard you talk to her in a very rude manner, that is not appropriate!-, the father continued raising his voice in frustration as his daughter ignored him.

-Leave her alone. And don’t raise your voice-, AI-Juliet begged.

-Of course I’ll raise my voice to our daughter when she is being disrespectful. That is no way to treat a mother…

-SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER-, Emma snapped. -She is a robot you bought in order to deal with the sorrow of losing mom! If you want to play along, ok. But don’t force your delusions on me!

-DON’T SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY. WE DID NOT RAISE AN ILL-MANNERED SAVAGE-, Mr. Litdawn continued shouting.

-SHE DID NOT RAISE ME-, she screamed. -MY MOTHER RAISED ME. NOT A COMBINATION OF ONES AND ZEROS.

-SHE IS NOT A COMBINATION OF ONES AND ZEROS. SHE WAS MADE USING ALL THE DATA FROM JULIET, LIKE VIDEOS AND ALL HER NOTES AND…

-STOP YOU TWO-, screamed AI-Juliet. Father and daughter went silent. AI-Juliet had never used the angry tone with them. Hearing Juliet’s voice in that tone made them freeze. -I can’t stand this anymore. Sorry Emma for not being your… for being a… copy-, tears made of light started falling down her face. -And Rob… my Rob… Don’t force our… your daughter to accept me-.

AI-Juliet turned her hologram off and made the little drone go to the bedroom to the charging station. The night went on without a single word. Emma cleaned the dishes feeling bad that she made such a spectacle.

After cleaning her teeth, she checked her E-Cube and saw that Nyco had gotten home safely. She sent a goodnight message to him and looked at the photo Yve had sent her earlier. After an hour of listening to music she went to sleep.

The sound of two people talking woke her up. She checked the time in the alarm clock. 3:32 AM, she still had four and a half hours of sleep. The loud whispers got louder so she decided to go and tell her dad to be quiet.

She was about to knock on the door of her father’s bedroom when she heard a soft whimper.

-... please take them off, Rob. If you actually want me happy you would erase them-, the AI begged.

-But that would mean erasing this whole week. All the good times we’ve had this week will also disappear…

-I don’t care. I can’t have this memory with me. It 's too painful.

-But you will notice there’s a week missing from your memories. You’ll ask me about it and I will have to lie to you. You are very perceptive and we will argue about it. I… don’t like arguing with you… We had too many fights in the past-, said a tired man. -I don’t want us to be like back then…

-Do you know how it is to love her like my daughter but know that she isn’t really my daughter?

-... I know it’s hard

-No you don’t, Rob. You think you know, but don’t. She isn’t my daughter, I… I know that. But in my mind I have all the memories of us growing together as a family. All the highs and lows, all the hardships, all the love. But suddenly it all goes blank after I tell you I’m going on a mission to Nane Sarma. Then, I wake up and I’m not me… This is not my life, it’s someone else’s. I’m an usurper Rob…-, the AI started crying again. - I can play pretend for a while and overlap information of day to day activities to not dwell on the truth. But I’m a fake, Rob, and being reminded of that constantly, and seeing how “her” daughter hates me… I can't deal with that…-, the AI said with sorrow.

-I’m sorry Juliet. Sorry for making you go through this… I know you are not the Juliet I first met, but I love you just as much. Believe in my love at least. That’s real-, he said with a sad tone. -You are not an usurper… I need you-, he declared.

The AI lifted a hand and tried cleaning a tear from her love’s face.

-If you love me, take the memories away. Make me forget that she sees me as just a “thing”...

Emma heard them both cry. Hearing her mother cry like that made her heartbroken. She knew she wasn’t really her mother, but as she had the same voice, hearing it made her feel horrible. She ended up not interrupting them and ran back to her room. The blonde teenager got in her bed and stared at the ceiling. The sound of Juliet's voice crying because of her, made her eyes moisten. AI-Juliet was nothing more than an interpretation of her mother… But since she imitated her mother’s personality, she knew how devastated she was after hearing something like that… Guilt and shame made her uneasy and made her forget how tired she was.