A long-awaited reunion

The first time you came to my house you were so cute and shy. You were nothing like the extroverted boy I had met on the beach. When we grew older I realised it was because you didn’t want to make a bad impression. It was your first time in a family environment and you were terrified of not fitting in. My dad was away that day, so that really made things easier.

Mom noticed your nervousness and decided we should play a fun card game called “Space Wizards”.

-My wizard uses a level 5 wind spell-, I said proudly as I put the card down on the table over mom’s level 4 plant attack.

-Well I put the level 10 meteorite attack and win!-, you celebrated by standing up and throwing the card over mine as if it were a real meteorite, sound effects and all.

-How come you always win?!-, I complained.

-What can I say. I guess I have some magic within-, you joked.

-You certainly do. Now, it’s time for the winner to cast a real spell on the losers-, mom indicated. -The winner of each round casts a spell and the others have to follow the command. So, what will it be, Nyco?

-Mmmmm. Oh, I know. Juliet and Emma have to make me an orange juice-, you ordered waving an invisible wand.

-Jeeez, when will I be the one to cast a spell?-, I complained as I went to the kitchen.

-Hahaha, don’t worry, Em. You’ll win next round-, mom answered. -Oh, and Nyco.

-Yes?-, you answered.

-Call me Julie. Juliet is too cold. The people I care about call me Julie.

Hearing that made you understand you were welcomed. She really was the nicest person I knew. Years later she confessed she was giving you the best cards to make you win and boost your confidence.

---

Nyco was sitting on his hospital bed with Emma sitting right next to him on a chair. The boy was in a state of shock.

-What do you mean?... I can speak to Julie again?-Nyco asked, confused.

-A few weeks ago, my dad bought this… AI thing from this company called Memorabilia. This company collects every bit of information from someone, like videos, letters, any written conversation or interaction online… They even gather every recording of her on the streets to mimic the way she moves. They also made a profound interview with my dad about her past and upbringing. With all that information they’ve created an AI implanted with all this information as her memories…

-Wow… and does she seem real?-, Nyco asked. Emma looked down, hurt by what she was about to say.

-If you don’t look at her, you wouldn’t know the difference. It… scares me… The AI comes with a drone that projects a 3D hologram of her and… it copied her mannerisms too…

-Why… why didn’t you tell me?

-Because my father is acting as if everything went back to normal. Back to when mom was alive and… I was scared you would do the same-. Emma felt a tear forming and wiped it out before it could fall. -The thing is, it really does sound like her so I thought… you may want to talk to her about how you are feeling…

-Em… I… I don’t know what to say…

-She said she wanted to see you. IT… said it wanted to see you. It says it misses you. The AI wanted me to tell you this but I… I just didn’t find the right time to do it…

They both stood in silence for a while. Nyco had to process all this information. An artificial intelligence based on Julie, the only mother figure he has ever had, said it wanted to see him. A wave of curiosity and guilt filled his mind. He wanted to meet this AI but, would that be a way of disrespecting the real Juliet?

-This AI is just a robot my dad bought-, Emma said. -I don’t intend to embrace it and treat her like family like my dad does… But it’s true that it has my mom’s personality. Maybe it can help you with what you are feeling…

-Jeez… I feel weird… I don’t know, Em. If I see her… it. I would feel like I’m trying to find a substitute for…

-I’ve been thinking about this for a while now… If this thing helps you, or my dad or… me. I think my mom would want us to embrace it…

Saying this out loud made Emma cry. She leaned on Nyco's legs as she weeped thinking about her late mother and what she was doing. Nyco caressed her hair trying to comfort her.

-I think… I want to talk to… the AI-, he finally said. Emma composed herself and lifted her head up to look at Nyco.

-Ok… I’ll bring it later…

Nyco was left alone with his thoughts as Emma went back home to get the AI. The young boy wasn’t sure this was a good idea. Confronting the feeling of seeing someone you loved come back this way… scared him. This would be a trip down memory lane he wasn’t sure he could handle.

At around 12 AM he got a message from Emma on his E-Cube. “Open the window. It’s coming in” read the message. Nyco did as she indicated and waited in his bed. After a minute or so a triangular drone flew in the window. The drone was standing still in the air when it suddenly projected a hologram right below it. A perfect image of Juliet appeared and started running to him.

-Oh, Nyco. Are you ok? Em told me about your fight before… I’m so sorry you had to go through this….-, AI-Juliet backed away seeing Nyco’s reaction. He was in complete shock and disbelief. AI-Juliet could see him tensing his muscles so it backed away. -I’m sorry I surprised you.

“She sounds just like Julie. If I closed my eyes I wouldn’t know the difference. No… Even with my eyes open… The only difference is that it has that robot hovering over projecting her image. I guess… The robot is actually… it…”

The AI could see his confusion and felt bad for making him go through this.

-I… can come another time if you prefer. I know that my… image can be a sho…-, AI-Juliet stopped talking as she saw Nyco tearing up as he looked at her. He didn’t even notice he was crying. He was having too many feelings at the same time. -I’m sorry I made you cry… Do you want me to go?

-Are you really, Juliet?-, asked the confused boy.

-... I don’t really know how to answer that. All my memories tell me that I am but… I can tell I’m a machine and that my “body” is a projection… So I don’t know…

-... Tell me. What was the first thing I did when we first met?-, Nyco asked. The memory made AI-Juliet grin.

-You looked at me in admiration since I was a Planet-Gazer. Then you shook my hand, pretty strongly actually-, it chuckled.

-... And what was the first thing we did when we traveled to Mars?

-We never went to Mars-, it answered.

-What… happened on that frozen planet where…

-I… don’t have any memories of that. The last thing I remember is waking up at home and leaving the house. Since all Planet-Gazer’s missions are classified. I can’t recall what happened.

-Emma told me you wanted to see me… Why is that?-, the boy asked.

-I missed you.. I know it must sound weird since I’m an AI but… I wanted to talk to you-, it answered.

-... Do you think Juliet would mind if we… talked?

-All my data indicates that… she would love to be here with you if she could. I’m sure that what she regrets most is leaving you and Em behind. All she wanted is for you two to be happy. So… if talking to me makes you just a little bit happy then… I think she wouldn’t mind that we saw each other. I certainly wouldn’t mind if I stopped working and you got another AI that could make you two happy. I would… enjoy knowing that a version of me lives on to comfort you and be at your side… Though in my case… I guess I’ve never “lived” in the first place-, the AI replied with a melancholic tone. -But if I feel this way and I’m based on her… She probably felt the same way-, the AI explained. -And don’t call her… or me… Juliet… please. The people I care about call me…

Nyco jumped out of bed and hopped on his left leg towards her. Then he tried hugging her but obviously couldn’t. So he just pretended as the hologram wrapped its arms around him.

-I know you are not the same Julie I knew but… I’ve missed you so so much, and… Thank you for always caring and thinking about me-, Nyco said crying.

-Always. No matter what form I’m in... You’ll always be special to me-, AI-Juliet said with a hologram tear appearing in her eye.