Commandadmin at 07:49, 24 January 2025

2025-01-24T07:49:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:49, 24 January 2025
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	<br>		<br>
	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	My dearest Becky,		<I>My dearest Becky,

	In all my lives, I don’t think I have ever been happiest. You kept me going. You supported me emotionally, mentally, spiritually. On the days, I doubted my own existence you applied logic and passion. I am forever grateful for your love and I truly am sorry that I am gone . . . temporarily. If number six is giving you this then everything went terribly wrong. I did mean to return, but . . . and we talked about this often . . . the waiter brought me my check. Luckily, you fell in love with a man with cat lives. I’ll wake up in the morning and forget who I am, but will have you to remind me what it is worth fighting for. Please forgive me and don’t be mad at me, or me. I am just a stranger in a strange land now and I need a guiding hand, a calm heart, and a cool head to help get through and beyond this.		In all my lives, I don’t think I have ever been happiest. You kept me going. You supported me emotionally, mentally, spiritually. On the days, I doubted my own existence you applied logic and passion. I am forever grateful for your love and I truly am sorry that I am gone . . . temporarily. If number six is giving you this then everything went terribly wrong. I did mean to return, but . . . and we talked about this often . . . the waiter brought me my check. Luckily, you fell in love with a man with cat lives. I’ll wake up in the morning and forget who I am, but will have you to remind me what it is worth fighting for. Please forgive me and don’t be mad at me, or me. I am just a stranger in a strange land now and I need a guiding hand, a calm heart, and a cool head to help get through and beyond this.
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	Eternal love,		Eternal love,
	George		George
	</blockquote>		</i></blockquote>
	Becky cried. Tears of pain, anger, sorrow, and love. She took the napkin and dabbed at her wet eyes. Then she noticed some of the letters were blurred from recent tears. She looked up. “You read this?”<br>		Becky cried. Tears of pain, anger, sorrow, and love. She took the napkin and dabbed at her wet eyes. Then she noticed some of the letters were blurred from recent tears. She looked up. “You read this?”<br>
	Pete sat staring at a woman he hadn’t known long enough to love but knew he could. It was all that easy, yet all that hard. I am a man who has forgotten he thought. Will I remember? Will I want to remember? “Sorry, but George asked me too. Something wrong?”<br>		Pete sat staring at a woman he hadn’t known long enough to love but knew he could. It was all that easy, yet all that hard. I am a man who has forgotten he thought. Will I remember? Will I want to remember? “Sorry, but George asked me too. Something wrong?”<br>

Commandadmin at 07:48, 24 January 2025

2025-01-24T07:48:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:48, 24 January 2025
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	{{EnemyMe\|title=Chapter Six\|chapter text=<center>		{{EnemyMe\|title=Chapter Six\|chapter text=<center>Chapter 6</center><br>
			<br>
			Pete walked into the kitchen area. The table had been set for two. A vase and some Amethyst were placed in the center. Becky sat at one end.<br>
			She said, “I was hoping you’d make it here before I started eating.”<br>
			Pete noticed she did not begin with ‘Hey babe’. He sat down still holding the small black box. The box George meant to give her. His special gift of love. He had planned to return, maybe. So many branches of ‘what if’s’. Mostly all bullshit and wishful thinking, but a few had legs --- if given the chance to run. He sat down and placed the box on the table next to a glass of water.<br>
			Becky eyed the box but didn’t say a thing. She said, “Mike, ready.”<br>
			The android walked up to the table holding a bowl of salad in each hand. He placed one in front of Becky and the other in front of Pete, turned and walked away.<br>
			Becky said, “His name is Prax.” She pronounced it ‘Praks’.<br>
			Pete said “Prax . . .”<br>
			The android paused on its way toward the kitchen cooking area.<br>
			Pete continued, “. . . as in praxis? Action?”<br>
			She nodded. “Most appropriate one would think.” She raised her left brow and gave him a light smile.<br>
			Prax resumed walking into the kitchen.<br>
			Pete blushed and smiled back. He looked around wondering what to say next. He thought, ‘you are a social clod.’<br>
			Becky’s smile broadened and she lifted the salad fork.<br>
			Pete grabbed the dinner fork. He always thought one needed a fork with the longest teeth to get as much leaf as possible.<br>
			Becky stifled a laugh.<br>
			Pete looked up, “What?”<br>
			Becky smiled, “Nothing. Use whatever you like to eat salad. It’s not like the arrangement is some form of artistic post neo-functionalism.”
			Pete stabbed some romaine and red cabbage cuts. The dressing was perfect. Not thick enough to mask the taste but thin enough to not be tasted. “This is delicious. Thank you.”<br>
			Becky finished chewing, said, “Don’t thank me. Prax and Mike have been cooking for us for years.”<br>
			Pete forced his smile. ‘. . . been cooking for years’ she said, ‘. . . been cooking for us.’ “Becky, I’m sorry I lost my temper . . .”<br>
			“Already forgotten. Moving forward, okay?”<br>
			Pete paused for a moment. Just like that? Forgotten?<br>
			She nodded, “Yes, just like that.” She stabbed salad, scooped it into her mouth, and started chewing. She never took her eyes off him.<br>
			Pete swallowed hard and grabbed the glass of water and drank deeply. He patted his lips and pretended to be amused by tablecloth lint.<br>
			Becky smiled. “I’m not a mind reader, but I do have the advantage.” She thought he was just like George the first day they met. Then her smile vanished. Damn you George, you left me. Will all this be worth it in the end? She sighed. “What’s in the black box?”<br>
			Pete stared into her eyes. Pressure gripped his heart. Vise squeezing pressure crushed hard. Tears welled up. He grabbed the box, got up from the table and walked it over to her. He laid the box carefully next to the glass of water. He sat back down and finished his salad, quietly. <br>
			Becky placed the fork down and eyed the box. She lifted the lid and pulled out the note first. The little fairy stood up and twirled slowly as a lovely sweet song tinked on. <br>
			<br>
			<blockquote>
			My dearest Becky,

			In all my lives, I don’t think I have ever been happiest. You kept me going. You supported me emotionally, mentally, spiritually. On the days, I doubted my own existence you applied logic and passion. I am forever grateful for your love and I truly am sorry that I am gone . . . temporarily. If number six is giving you this then everything went terribly wrong. I did mean to return, but . . . and we talked about this often . . . the waiter brought me my check. Luckily, you fell in love with a man with cat lives. I’ll wake up in the morning and forget who I am, but will have you to remind me what it is worth fighting for. Please forgive me and don’t be mad at me, or me. I am just a stranger in a strange land now and I need a guiding hand, a calm heart, and a cool head to help get through and beyond this.

			Eternal love,
			George
			</blockquote>
			Becky cried. Tears of pain, anger, sorrow, and love. She took the napkin and dabbed at her wet eyes. Then she noticed some of the letters were blurred from recent tears. She looked up. “You read this?”<br>
			Pete sat staring at a woman he hadn’t known long enough to love but knew he could. It was all that easy, yet all that hard. I am a man who has forgotten he thought. Will I remember? Will I want to remember? “Sorry, but George asked me too. Something wrong?”<br>
			Becky finished wiping her eyes dry. She took a sip of water and said, “Prax?”<br>
			The Android stepped up to the table, “Yes, ma’am?”<br>
			“Wine, please. Red. Your choice.”<br>
			Prax said, “Yes, ma’am. A good Spica seems to be in order.” He turned and walked away.<br>
			Becky reached into the box and pulled out a small medallion. It was the one George promised her years ago. He found it. A Beatles Cavern Club medal. Practically priceless now. She placed it back in the box and sighed. A few seconds later she heard a familiar “pop”.<br>
			Prax emerged from the kitchen holding a bottle marked with the label ‘Fat Bastard’. He poured a healthy dose into both glasses and left.<br>
			Becky held up the glass and said, “To life.”<br>
			Pete hastily picked his up, nearly spilling it, and said, “To life.”<br>
			Both drank. Becky’s was more so to feel numb. Pete to not feel awkward.<br>
			“So,” Becky began, “have you thought about a name, yet?”<br>
			“Name?”<br>
			She nodded. “Pete, you are not, and it has been taken.”<br>
			“But I am . . .” He paused. Pete? No, I am not Pete. “George said it took him months to pick a name.”<br>
			She nodded. “I . . . met . . . him a few months after that.”<br>
			“So, why am I more accepting of changing my name?”<br>
			“Very good question. Could be you are so far removed from the Pete. George said number one took a different name, but two and three didn’t. You know about Pete Alpha?”<br>
			Pete nodded. “Forrest. Our nemesis it seems.”<br>
			“Kevin understood.”<br>
			“And so did George?”<br>
			She nodded.<br>
			Prax removed the now empty bowls. A minute later he came back with a tray of sizzling thin cut short ribs nested on a bed of sautéed thin sliced onions, mushrooms, bell and chili peppers. He shoveled half the amount on Pete’s plate and the rest on to Becky’s. He placed a small heap of white rice next to the meat and left chop sticks.<br>
			Pete stared down at his plate.<br>
			Becky moved some hair behind an ear. “You do remember how to use chopsticks?”<br>
			He smiled, “Yeah, I do.”<br>
			“Then why the hesitation? It is dead.”<br>
			“This is my second meal of my new life.” He looked up and caught Becky staring back.<br>
			She smiled briefly, looked down, and picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks. She tore off a piece of meat from the bone with her teeth and chewed slowly. The meat was tender and seemed to melt into a delicious taste of savory and sweet sauce. A bit of chili pepper emerged but didn’t distract as much as add to the flavor. <br>
			Pete tasted the meat and an explosion of salt, sugar, vinegar, a dozen spices, and hotness swirled across his tongue. His eyes watered as he slowly chewed the soft meat. “Whoa,” he whispered.<br>
			Becky said, “I envy you, person who is not George but will soon change his name to something nice I could like.”<br>
			Pete laughed. He liked Becky. “How so?”<br>
			“You’ve come into the world as an adult.”<br>
			“I missed being a kid.”<br>
			Becky paused in mid bite. She scowled. “You do?”<br>
			“Why does that surprise you?”<br>
			“Person who is not George but will soon change his name to something nice I could like, George said he hated his childhood.”<br>
			“Interesting.”<br>
			Becky nodded, “How can two people of the same have different views on childhood?”<br>
			Pete thought about that. He finished half the rice and a third of his main meal. “My childhood . . . that’s not right . . . the childhood I remember was tough. But as a kid I had very little responsibility . . .”<br>
			Becky nodded.<br>
			“. . . yeah, I had to learn, and my parents pushed an overachieving kid to continue stretching the envelope, I could just be.” He bit into a chili pepper and quickly followed it with some onions and bell pepper. The wine helped, but barely. He took his napkin and dabbed at the sweat forming on his forehead.<br>
			Becky thought it cute that person who is not George but will soon change his name to something nice she could like wiped his forehead. She really did envy him. But she also pitied him. He woke to a world distressed and in need of healing. He wasn’t the doctor, but maybe one of the meds prescribed. If only she could leave and start over. Like maybe one of the new colonies starting up. She finished her plate and placed the chopsticks down.<br>
			Prax stood ready. He focused on the clone and waited for him to finish eating. When the clone seemed to have had enough of the main meal he collected the dishes. Mike gave him instructions via a wireless link. One in particular was simple: Observe. This one was like the others physically, but different in several ways. Its movements were more graceful. It didn’t move in fits and starts like the Original and clone 2 and 3. This one was more like the Alpha.<br>
			Becky nodded when she noticed the person who is not George but will soon change his name to something nice she could like placed his chopsticks down. The rice gone, the meat and veggies consumed. His wine glass drain, his water glass drained.<br>
			Prax took his cue from Mike and cleared the table. He placed the dishes in the sink and walked over to a very large refrigerator. Desert had already been prepared: Cucumber and Lemon-Lime sorbet with a sprinkle of sea salt. Dollops of pureed mint and sugar were placed on the side.<br>
			Becky watched as the person who is not George but will soon change his name to something nice slowly dropped his jaw. He closed his mouth and swallowed audibly.<br>
			Prax backed away and watched the clone closely. He monitored heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. The clone picked up the spoon and scraped a small amount of sorbet into it. It lifted the spoon to its mouth. Tears pooled at the bottom of its eyes. It took a larger amount of sorbet and placed it in its mouth. The clone’s body visibly relaxed. Its body temperature dropped to 97.1, heart rate to 72, respiration 10, blood pressure 110/70. From the expression on the clone’s face Prax reasoned it was content.<br>
			<br>
			}}

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Commandadmin at 07:49, 24 January 2025

Commandadmin at 07:48, 24 January 2025

Commandadmin: Created page with "{{EnemyMe|title=Chapter Six|chapter text="