Lottery
Chapter 18
By Mark J. Silva Jr
What Mark didn't know was Lisa was not planning to let herself die a horrible death while her wetware slowly failed. That night, Lisa tucked Mark in, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Then she joined her loving wife, Di.
Di welcomed Lisa into their room, and gave Lisa a long loving kiss.
With tears in her eyes, “You will take care of him?” Lisa asked one last time.
“As if he was one of my own children, my love,” Di answered as she held Lisa tightly.
Lisa broke the hug and stepped away from Di, “You don't have to do this.”
Di took Lisa hand and gentle walked her to their bed, “I would have it no other way.”
Lisa sat down and looked at the white pill on her night stand. The medication would slowly keep putting her in a deeper and deeper sleep until she simply stopped living. Proven completely humane and painless, it was the choice of many who didn't want to die a horrible death from an incurable disease. Lisa picked up the pill, and a small glass of water. She swallowed it down quickly.
Looking at Di, she said, “I love you.”
Di lay down and Lisa curled up with her. They talked until Lisa fell asleep. Di listened to Lisa's breathing slow down, and finally stop. Di started crying. Her one true love was no more. A lifetime together: nine kids, and nineteen grand-kids. A lifetime of sad and happy memories. Lisa's last gift to her family was Mark, and Di would make sure he was happy.
Di gave Lisa one last hug, and then sent a message out, letting the local morgue know of Lisa passing, and for them to have her body cared for.
Di woke Mark the next morning, and after explaining Lisa's decision, she held Mark for the whole morning as he cried. After lunch, Mark asked the one question Di and Lisa both knew he'd have to ask.
“Why?”
“Lisa was a proud and strong warrior, Mark. She could not and would not allow you, or her family, watch her suffer a slow and agonizing death. This way, you will always remember her as she was: strong, and happy. Lisa wanted you to know she loved you as her own son,” Di said as Mark closed his eyes and tried to stop crying.
As Di held Mark, Lily entered the room. Di looked up at her. She could tell that Lily had been crying, also.
“How are you holding up, pumpkin?” Di asked.
Lily stood there staring at Mark and her grandma, “What happens now?”
“Services will be this weekend,” Di said as she brushed Mark's hair to the side.
Lily walked over and touched Mark's cheek and he opened his eyes, “You need to come with me.”
Mark looked at Lily and shook his head 'no.'
Lily gave her grandma a smile and reached for Mark's hand.
“No! I was told I could stay with Di.”
Lily held Mark's hand firm, “I'm not talking you away from grandma, I just need to show you something.”
Mark looked up at Di and she smiled back at him, “Lisa left you something you need to see.”
Mark reluctantly left Di's lap and followed Lily over to his bed, “Lie down.”
As Mark laid down Lily propped a few pillows around him, then she reached over to his nightstand and pick up Mark's holoband.
“I don't want to play games,” Mark said as Lily placed the holoband on Mark face.
“No game. Just activate it, and you will see,” said Lily as she let go of the holoband.
After the feeling of being squeezed through a straw Mark, stood in his safe room, but Hera wasn't there. No, it was an unfamiliar young lady who smiled back at Mark. As Mark stood there, staring at her, she walked over to Mark and smiled.
“My poor blue eyes,” she said causing Mark to widen his eyes, her voice was clear and so familiar.
Brushing Mark's hair back, she then kissed him on the forehead.
“I know you're a little confused. Let me explain a few things. When I was your age, there was a practice call 'imprinting.' It was how older AI's were made.”
“Lisa?” Mark questioned.
Lisa smiled widen, “Yes it's me, er… well, its my imprint. I wasn't going to do this, at first, but Di insisted that you, of all people, would need me. So, while you where sick, Di and I went and had an imprint done. I made this AI for you.”
Mark stood there and thought about what this Lisa had said. The first generation AI's were made by imprinting one's memories and thoughts patterns into a raw wetware mass. This made for completely sentient AIs, but also led to many of them having complete breakdowns, because they believed they where still themselves and alive. Many that had been placed into ships, or other machinery, and had killed themselves and the people in and around them.
Lisa noticed the worried look on Marks face, “Whats wrong,” she asked.
“Imprints failed all the time.”
“Yes, they did; but I assure you, I will not be going anywhere for a long time. I awoke this morning after the Lisa you knew had passed away. I am fully aware I am not a living breathing human being. But what I am here for, is you. When you need someone to confide in or to talk to, I am here for you,” Lisa said.
Mark looked into her deep brown eyes. “Why do you look so different?”
“This me, is how I looked, when I was sixteen. I thought you might like to see me when I was around your age,” Lisa responded with a smile as she stepped back, and placed her hands on her hips, then she shifted into the form Mark recognized more: Lisa standing tall in her ONI uniform.
“Hi, Nana,” said Lily from Behind Mark causing Mark to jump and almost bolt from the room.
“How did you get in here?” Mark ask as he recovered.
Lisa wrapped her arms around Mark from behind and said, “She's your owner, Mark. Only she can come and leave without your permission.”
Lily walked over to Mark and said, “I didn't mean to scare you, but I wanted to see Nana, too.”
Mark stood close to Lisa, not wanting to let go for hours. Lily had her time visiting, and had left them alone. When someone removed the holoband from Mark, he instantly curled up in a ball and started crying once more.
For the next few days Mark was a wreck. If he wasn't sleeping he was crying. Even with visiting the AI Lisa, he couldn't help but to feel as though someone had ripped out his heart.
Then there was the day of the funeral services. Di led Mark to a set of seats in front of everyone else. As they sat, a coffin was rolled out. It was open for people to come and view Lisa.
When Di walked Mark up to view Lisa, she had to forcibly keep him from crawling into the casket, and lying down with her. Di held Mark's shoulder firmly, and guided him back to his seat. The Priestess took her place, and gave a speech about Lisa life, and how her family would miss her. She spoke of how the Goddess would look after Lisa and her family, and then said a few other things, but Mark just didn't pay attention.
To Mark, Lisa looked only to be sleeping. Even though Di had clearly explained Lisa was no longer with them, he just couldn't get past the loss and grief.
Seated a row back, Lily watched and felt so sorry for Mark. He had been so dependent on Lisa, that now she was gone, he was just totally lost. Di had her hands full, but she was the next best person to help him through this hard time.
Then, to Lily's horror and to the shock of most of the other family members; Lily's mother, Riley, grabbed Mark by the wrist, and tried to drag him off.
“Let go,” Mark screamed.
“You are coming home, now!” Riley yelled back.
“What are you doing?” Di said as she got up from her seat.
“Listen, old woman, he belongs to Lily, now! Since Lily is a minor, he has to follow my orders.”
“You're hurting me!” Mark whined.
“Let go of him, Mom,” Lily yelled.
Riley yanked hard, and everyone in the room gasped as they all heard Mark's arm snap like a twig as he screamed out in pain.
What happened next surprised Mark greatly. Mark had had to leave his pets at home, because it was not proper to have them at a funeral. But Di had brought Sasha along to handle moving things around at the last minute.
Sasha was a thin tall woman, and Riley was built like her mother. But when Sasha smashed Riley over the head with a food tray, it sent her flying onto her back. Sasha stood there holding the bent tray over her head ready to strike once more.
“Keep your hands off of him!”
It was the first emotion Mark had ever seen from Sasha, and one he would have never have expected from her, after how many time he sicced Penny after her.
“You Bitch!” Riley yelled as she got up, but now her sisters had formed a wall between her and Mark, while Lily rushed over to Mark who was still wailing in pain.
Di left Mark with Lily and her aunts and walked through her other daughters to face Riley, “I can't believe you would do this; especially today; and right in front of Lisa and I. What is your problem?”
Riley got back to her feet, “You gave him to us! And I need him to earn his keep.”
“What do you mean 'earn his keep'” Olive asked.
“Yes, what do you mean, he not costing you a damn cent while he lives with Mom,” Angie said as she went over to Mark, “Easy, let me see that arm.”
Mark looked at Angie and moved back.
Lily held him firm, “Auntie Angie is a doctor, let her see your arm.”
Angie look over at her own daughter, Susie get my case from the car.”
“He's worth lots of money, and you're keeping him hidden away like some jewel!” Riley spat out.
Di walked up closer to her daughter. “We keep him away from people like you! He's not some stud to turn out. Your mother decided to treat him as a son, and in so doing, kept people like you from abusing him.”
“That don't matter anymore! Lily owns him now!”
“Your wrong, Sis. I made the contracts. Lily owns him, but he's on a lend/lease to Mom, and you are barred from interfering with him!” Carla said as she looked back at Angie. “And you better hope Mom doesn't decide to sue you for hurting him.”
Angie injected Mark with some pain killers.
“Mom, I'm taking him to the emergency room, he's going to need to get this arm in a cast, quickly. Susie, bring my car around. Lily I will need you to come with us to authorize his care.”
Riley stepped towards Di, but her oldest sister grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a side entrance, “Don't you think you're in enough trouble?” Tessa asked as she walked out the side door.
Riley crossed her arms and looked up at Tessa.
“How is Paul?” she asked after a few long breaths.
Paul was Lily's older brother, who had been taken away from Riley after Riley had beat him repeatedly. After six hospital visits in two months, the male child protection agency came and removed him. Tessa stepped in and took Paul in, and had been raising him as her own son ever since.
Riley had been convicted of abuse of a minor male, but since Tessa took custody and Carla had represented her in court, Riley got off with 'time served' but had been barred from ever seeing her own son again.
Tessa felt a little sorry for her sister, “Paul is doing well. He got his first wetware last week and is doing well in school.”
“How in the world did you afford wetware for him? You more broke than I am, Sis.”
“I asked Mom, she got Mark to donate a Lambda Communications Device, and Mark threw in a Maxwell Modular Memory Expander. Angie volunteered her time to embed them. Paul has promised to take Mark out shopping, some time,” Tessa said.
“Must be nice to be fucking rich! When I get that damn boy home…”
“You will never have him in your home. Oh… and, Sis? Do you want me to take Lily home, or have her stay at Mom's place?” Tessa asked.
Riley gave her an odd look, “Why would I need you to do that?”
Tessa stopped her, “Sis, you just broke a male's arm, and he's on the way to the hospital. How long do you think it will be, 'till the police come looking for you?”
Di welcomed Lisa into their room, and gave Lisa a long loving kiss.
With tears in her eyes, “You will take care of him?” Lisa asked one last time.
“As if he was one of my own children, my love,” Di answered as she held Lisa tightly.
Lisa broke the hug and stepped away from Di, “You don't have to do this.”
Di took Lisa hand and gentle walked her to their bed, “I would have it no other way.”
Lisa sat down and looked at the white pill on her night stand. The medication would slowly keep putting her in a deeper and deeper sleep until she simply stopped living. Proven completely humane and painless, it was the choice of many who didn't want to die a horrible death from an incurable disease. Lisa picked up the pill, and a small glass of water. She swallowed it down quickly.
Looking at Di, she said, “I love you.”
Di lay down and Lisa curled up with her. They talked until Lisa fell asleep. Di listened to Lisa's breathing slow down, and finally stop. Di started crying. Her one true love was no more. A lifetime together: nine kids, and nineteen grand-kids. A lifetime of sad and happy memories. Lisa's last gift to her family was Mark, and Di would make sure he was happy.
Di gave Lisa one last hug, and then sent a message out, letting the local morgue know of Lisa passing, and for them to have her body cared for.
Di woke Mark the next morning, and after explaining Lisa's decision, she held Mark for the whole morning as he cried. After lunch, Mark asked the one question Di and Lisa both knew he'd have to ask.
“Why?”
“Lisa was a proud and strong warrior, Mark. She could not and would not allow you, or her family, watch her suffer a slow and agonizing death. This way, you will always remember her as she was: strong, and happy. Lisa wanted you to know she loved you as her own son,” Di said as Mark closed his eyes and tried to stop crying.
As Di held Mark, Lily entered the room. Di looked up at her. She could tell that Lily had been crying, also.
“How are you holding up, pumpkin?” Di asked.
Lily stood there staring at Mark and her grandma, “What happens now?”
“Services will be this weekend,” Di said as she brushed Mark's hair to the side.
Lily walked over and touched Mark's cheek and he opened his eyes, “You need to come with me.”
Mark looked at Lily and shook his head 'no.'
Lily gave her grandma a smile and reached for Mark's hand.
“No! I was told I could stay with Di.”
Lily held Mark's hand firm, “I'm not talking you away from grandma, I just need to show you something.”
Mark looked up at Di and she smiled back at him, “Lisa left you something you need to see.”
Mark reluctantly left Di's lap and followed Lily over to his bed, “Lie down.”
As Mark laid down Lily propped a few pillows around him, then she reached over to his nightstand and pick up Mark's holoband.
“I don't want to play games,” Mark said as Lily placed the holoband on Mark face.
“No game. Just activate it, and you will see,” said Lily as she let go of the holoband.
After the feeling of being squeezed through a straw Mark, stood in his safe room, but Hera wasn't there. No, it was an unfamiliar young lady who smiled back at Mark. As Mark stood there, staring at her, she walked over to Mark and smiled.
“My poor blue eyes,” she said causing Mark to widen his eyes, her voice was clear and so familiar.
Brushing Mark's hair back, she then kissed him on the forehead.
“I know you're a little confused. Let me explain a few things. When I was your age, there was a practice call 'imprinting.' It was how older AI's were made.”
“Lisa?” Mark questioned.
Lisa smiled widen, “Yes it's me, er… well, its my imprint. I wasn't going to do this, at first, but Di insisted that you, of all people, would need me. So, while you where sick, Di and I went and had an imprint done. I made this AI for you.”
Mark stood there and thought about what this Lisa had said. The first generation AI's were made by imprinting one's memories and thoughts patterns into a raw wetware mass. This made for completely sentient AIs, but also led to many of them having complete breakdowns, because they believed they where still themselves and alive. Many that had been placed into ships, or other machinery, and had killed themselves and the people in and around them.
Lisa noticed the worried look on Marks face, “Whats wrong,” she asked.
“Imprints failed all the time.”
“Yes, they did; but I assure you, I will not be going anywhere for a long time. I awoke this morning after the Lisa you knew had passed away. I am fully aware I am not a living breathing human being. But what I am here for, is you. When you need someone to confide in or to talk to, I am here for you,” Lisa said.
Mark looked into her deep brown eyes. “Why do you look so different?”
“This me, is how I looked, when I was sixteen. I thought you might like to see me when I was around your age,” Lisa responded with a smile as she stepped back, and placed her hands on her hips, then she shifted into the form Mark recognized more: Lisa standing tall in her ONI uniform.
“Hi, Nana,” said Lily from Behind Mark causing Mark to jump and almost bolt from the room.
“How did you get in here?” Mark ask as he recovered.
Lisa wrapped her arms around Mark from behind and said, “She's your owner, Mark. Only she can come and leave without your permission.”
Lily walked over to Mark and said, “I didn't mean to scare you, but I wanted to see Nana, too.”
Mark stood close to Lisa, not wanting to let go for hours. Lily had her time visiting, and had left them alone. When someone removed the holoband from Mark, he instantly curled up in a ball and started crying once more.
For the next few days Mark was a wreck. If he wasn't sleeping he was crying. Even with visiting the AI Lisa, he couldn't help but to feel as though someone had ripped out his heart.
Then there was the day of the funeral services. Di led Mark to a set of seats in front of everyone else. As they sat, a coffin was rolled out. It was open for people to come and view Lisa.
When Di walked Mark up to view Lisa, she had to forcibly keep him from crawling into the casket, and lying down with her. Di held Mark's shoulder firmly, and guided him back to his seat. The Priestess took her place, and gave a speech about Lisa life, and how her family would miss her. She spoke of how the Goddess would look after Lisa and her family, and then said a few other things, but Mark just didn't pay attention.
To Mark, Lisa looked only to be sleeping. Even though Di had clearly explained Lisa was no longer with them, he just couldn't get past the loss and grief.
Seated a row back, Lily watched and felt so sorry for Mark. He had been so dependent on Lisa, that now she was gone, he was just totally lost. Di had her hands full, but she was the next best person to help him through this hard time.
Then, to Lily's horror and to the shock of most of the other family members; Lily's mother, Riley, grabbed Mark by the wrist, and tried to drag him off.
“Let go,” Mark screamed.
“You are coming home, now!” Riley yelled back.
“What are you doing?” Di said as she got up from her seat.
“Listen, old woman, he belongs to Lily, now! Since Lily is a minor, he has to follow my orders.”
“You're hurting me!” Mark whined.
“Let go of him, Mom,” Lily yelled.
Riley yanked hard, and everyone in the room gasped as they all heard Mark's arm snap like a twig as he screamed out in pain.
What happened next surprised Mark greatly. Mark had had to leave his pets at home, because it was not proper to have them at a funeral. But Di had brought Sasha along to handle moving things around at the last minute.
Sasha was a thin tall woman, and Riley was built like her mother. But when Sasha smashed Riley over the head with a food tray, it sent her flying onto her back. Sasha stood there holding the bent tray over her head ready to strike once more.
“Keep your hands off of him!”
It was the first emotion Mark had ever seen from Sasha, and one he would have never have expected from her, after how many time he sicced Penny after her.
“You Bitch!” Riley yelled as she got up, but now her sisters had formed a wall between her and Mark, while Lily rushed over to Mark who was still wailing in pain.
Di left Mark with Lily and her aunts and walked through her other daughters to face Riley, “I can't believe you would do this; especially today; and right in front of Lisa and I. What is your problem?”
Riley got back to her feet, “You gave him to us! And I need him to earn his keep.”
“What do you mean 'earn his keep'” Olive asked.
“Yes, what do you mean, he not costing you a damn cent while he lives with Mom,” Angie said as she went over to Mark, “Easy, let me see that arm.”
Mark looked at Angie and moved back.
Lily held him firm, “Auntie Angie is a doctor, let her see your arm.”
Angie look over at her own daughter, Susie get my case from the car.”
“He's worth lots of money, and you're keeping him hidden away like some jewel!” Riley spat out.
Di walked up closer to her daughter. “We keep him away from people like you! He's not some stud to turn out. Your mother decided to treat him as a son, and in so doing, kept people like you from abusing him.”
“That don't matter anymore! Lily owns him now!”
“Your wrong, Sis. I made the contracts. Lily owns him, but he's on a lend/lease to Mom, and you are barred from interfering with him!” Carla said as she looked back at Angie. “And you better hope Mom doesn't decide to sue you for hurting him.”
Angie injected Mark with some pain killers.
“Mom, I'm taking him to the emergency room, he's going to need to get this arm in a cast, quickly. Susie, bring my car around. Lily I will need you to come with us to authorize his care.”
Riley stepped towards Di, but her oldest sister grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a side entrance, “Don't you think you're in enough trouble?” Tessa asked as she walked out the side door.
Riley crossed her arms and looked up at Tessa.
“How is Paul?” she asked after a few long breaths.
Paul was Lily's older brother, who had been taken away from Riley after Riley had beat him repeatedly. After six hospital visits in two months, the male child protection agency came and removed him. Tessa stepped in and took Paul in, and had been raising him as her own son ever since.
Riley had been convicted of abuse of a minor male, but since Tessa took custody and Carla had represented her in court, Riley got off with 'time served' but had been barred from ever seeing her own son again.
Tessa felt a little sorry for her sister, “Paul is doing well. He got his first wetware last week and is doing well in school.”
“How in the world did you afford wetware for him? You more broke than I am, Sis.”
“I asked Mom, she got Mark to donate a Lambda Communications Device, and Mark threw in a Maxwell Modular Memory Expander. Angie volunteered her time to embed them. Paul has promised to take Mark out shopping, some time,” Tessa said.
“Must be nice to be fucking rich! When I get that damn boy home…”
“You will never have him in your home. Oh… and, Sis? Do you want me to take Lily home, or have her stay at Mom's place?” Tessa asked.
Riley gave her an odd look, “Why would I need you to do that?”
Tessa stopped her, “Sis, you just broke a male's arm, and he's on the way to the hospital. How long do you think it will be, 'till the police come looking for you?”