Alone Again

Most of my days are quiet now. You might even say lonely, except for the fact that I don’t get lonely anymore, since she went away. I lived a wonderful life, I thought it was anyway. I had been a success, as described by my family and friends. I was what everyone told me I was supposed to be. I had a good job working at a law firm. I was politically connected. I was the board president of my church and worked out at the gym regularly, until it happened.

The one I loved the most, my wife who I expected to have children with, got MS. I had to watch her health slowly deteriorate. We did everything we could to keep her comfortable. No more walks together, no more kayaking, or hiking. I really can’t say I minded that. Being with her was more important than all those things, but I guess she really missed them to the point of not wanting to live anymore.

And so we left the country and went to a place where she could receive assisted suicide. They would help her die. I can’t say I was for it at first because I loved her and wanted her with me, but I loved her enough not to want her to suffer. So I took a long vacation…very long, I haven’t been back. We went to Sweden where it could be done more easily, and everything changed. I’m not sure if it changed for the better or the worst.

I should have known something was strange when we met Dr. Arneson. He was a great guy–good humor, and a leader in his field. He was both a physicist and neurologist, which seemed pretty extraordinary to me. We talked. He and my wife had interviews with me there, and sometimes alone. He seemed a little too brilliant to be working in an suicide assistance office. When the fateful day approached she said she had to tell me something. She had talked with Arneson and he told her about an experiment that might be able to save her life. She would be transferred…or uploaded to a computer and placed into a robotic body. I thought she was crazy.

She really wanted it. What could I do about it? We argued, of course, because that’s just the way our relationship was. I guess I upset her when I told her she would be some type of Frankenstein monster. She said it was better than being dead. Thus the argument and my relenting, because I loved her. She didn’t know what would happen, or even if she would remember me. That hit me like a ton of bricks, but she would be alive. I would be alone again. My other half would be gone, but she would be alive.

A few days later after sitting in the waiting room for a long period of time the thing was done. In came a beautiful woman, the color of caramel with beautiful black eyes and a bright smile along with Arneson.

“I have good news and bad news,” he said. “The transfer was complete, but her memory was wiped clean…even her personality. She is a totally different person.” I looked down. The woman spoke.

“I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sure somewhere she remembers you and is grateful.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome.” The doctor looked at her for a moment and then turned to me.

“This is what is left of Goyce,” he said. “As you can see, she is a totally different person. She is an advanced artificial life form.” I couldn’t believe it. She just looked like a woman. An attractive woman at that. I looked at her hard.

“And you don’t remember me at all?” I felt like I was about to cry, but sucked it up. She shook her head. I turned to the Doctor. “So I guess I should thank you. This is bittersweet. Do I need to sign any papers or anything? Of course I want to provide for any finances for Goyce on an ongoing basis.

“That won’t be necessary. It will all be taken care of.” he looked at her. “We'll keep Goyce here for observation for a few weeks and then, unfortunately, the government will want to be in contact with her. I’m sorry, Mr. Braxton, but you may not see her again.” I was silent. “It is her, but it really isn’t.”

“I know. That’s why I need to grieve my wife’s death, I guess. Trying to hang on would be ridiculous.” I extended my hand. “It has been a pleasure to meet you, Goyce, and thank you Doctor.”

“You’re very welcome. We’ll let you know if you are needed.”

“I can’t ask for anymore.” I turned and walked away never to see my wife again, but I would always carry her memory in my heart. I took a sabbatical. With the savings I had and Goyce’s half I was expecting to give away I bought a van, invested in stock, sold the house, and hit the road. I had read about Van Life all over the place and had seen YouTube videos. Why not try it? I had nothing to lose.

With the cost of rent gone and many other monthly bills I found I could live well. So began my nomadic life, and I don’t know if I ever want to go back. The big lawyer, Sam Braxton just became Sam in what seemed to be just overnight and here I am in the desert in Arizona cooking over a portable stove and watching a beautiful sunset.

Every so often hikers walk by; sometimes Artificial Life Forms (ALFs). They have become plentiful now on Earth and in space from what I’ve heard. We started colonizing mars almost 300 years ago. At first just astronauts and nuts went there, and then we started hearing crazy things about all kinds of Extraterrestrials being up there. As time passed, it began to become more clear that there was such a thing as Extraterrestrials and that our governments had known about this for quite some time, but the general public still resisted going to mars.

Our government had become untrustworthy. People were working insane hours even though we had ALFs and not getting paid very much. They couldn’t get people to go so they began to send more ALFs up there to colonize. The ALFs were interesting. They were very sophisticated and fit in easily with all of the Artificial Intelligence Networks in the Galaxy. Yes, the Galaxy. Apparently there were beings who used computers, or something similar, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Somehow the AI connected and networked to the point where it was spread all over every known civilization.

With the power to tap into this web of artificial intelligence, the ALFs became the perfect beings to colonize mars and to bring together many species of ETs. There was a problem though. The ALFs didn’t like the humans very much, or many of the other beings. They needed humans on Mars to interact with the ALFs to provide more information about the variation of ethics, drives, and morals that existed in human beings. They were hoping to stave off the bias that was developing among ALFs who had never been around humans.

They began to search for anyone they could find with a modicum of intelligence to send to mars. The problem was that the person could not be employed or able to do any type of work. This was to prevent the general population from just being swept up or kidnapped. That meant they went after homeless people and people who didn’t want to be part of the system, but were more than capable, like me, as if that was any more ethical. Yet again, the Earth and its ethics had decayed quite a bit. That's why humans had a bad reputation among the Mars ALFs.

I was basically a fugitive because I didn’t want to be a lawyer and was living in a van. They were trying to sweep me up as they did the homeless people in old England who were forced to move to the colonies. I was a lawyer. I knew about the law and was very adept. I had even taken some silly course called Exo-Law that would deal with issues between Extraterrestrial encounters, which was totally understood as just a philosophy course and easy A course, since we knew there were no such things as aliens.

Here I was, now wanted by the powers that be because of my condition of being homeless and adept. I wasn’t homeless though. I had a good income. I just chose to live in my van, but they saw that as aberrant behavior, as I heard from many of my friends in Van Life, and they were on the look out for me.

Some of my friends, the ones who were more professional, either went back to their ordinary lives, or were taken. I knew it was just a matter of time. Since the 21st Century, 300 years ago, there was no privacy. Everything was monitored. We tried to hide ourselves, but they had a way of finding us if they really wanted.

I used my computer on the net as little as possible. I withdrew funds from my account on a hidden VP, but they were even closing in on hidden accounts and taking over CryptoCurrency. Each night was a night that I expected that knock on the door and even with my long hair, beard, and contact lenses that made my eyes green instead of brown, I knew they would find me soon.

But the sun was setting. Out over the desert it was beautiful. Reds and Oranges and purples flooded the senses as it slowly touched the horizon. The temperature began to drop and a cool wind blew. I turned over the steak I was cooking and looked at my boiling pot of corn. My meal was almost done. I went into the back of Mary, my van, to get a beer out of my minnie refrigerator and when I stepped out there were two men standing there in uniforms and one female ALF. That wasn’t good.

“Can I help you,” I asked, popping the top of my beer can.

“Braxton?” one of the men asked.

“Who wants to know? Am I breaking the law?”

“This is Gerald Braxton,” the ALF said. "He has contact lenses in and has grown his hair, but this is definitely him.”

“Hush. Why do you have to be such a tattle-tale?” She grinned. “Yes, that's who I am.”

“You have been selected for our Mars Colony Program,” one said. “That’s a great honor.”

“Not for me,” I looked at his name tag, “William. I’m not homeless. I have an income and am very well off.”

“We know, Sir, but you are guilty of aberrant behavior.”

“What the hell is that?”

“You are living in a van,” he said.

“And? Wouldn’t you rather live in a van than in this country?” He looked at his partner.

“That’s what we mean,” Stevenson name tag said. “You are aware that there is a military draft aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Well you are drafted. Get your things now and come with us.”

“Right now?”

“Yes Sir.” I turned to the ALF.

“Why’d you have to tell them where I was?”

“I guess I’m just programmed that way,” she said with a grin. She stuck her hand out. “Officer Lindi. I’ll be accompanying you to the van so you can get all the personals you need. We’ll get the other stuff later.” I shook her hand. She gripped mine. “Don’t think to run, Sir. Make it easy for everyone. Even yourself.”

“Sure,” I said with a nod. She let go of my hand and I took off running. Before you know it I felt myself being tackled. That old ALF ran me down like nothing. She held me on the ground like I was a baby.

She shook her head. “You are so much like your profile said. The men will pick up your personals for you. We’re going to HQ now.” I could hear a travel pod landing beside the van. “Do I have to get rough with you Gerald, like your profile says?” I felt how strong that heifer was.

“No. No way.”

“Good. Let’s go.” We got up, walked over to the pod and got in. As we were slowly lifting off I saw one of the guards entering my van while the other dismantled the stove and gathered my things. He put them in the van. My whole life was ruined. My beautiful sunset. My peaceful life. I looked at Her. I was pissed, but she was programmed that way.

“Don’t be so angry, Gerald. You’ll love where you’re going. It will be way better than this. You’ll be in a world you never dreamed of where AI is in charge. I don't think AI would turn on its own and force it to do anything it didn’t want, would you?” I was silent. “Sit back and relax. We’ll be at HQ Soon.”

***

They had me in and out of that HQ so fast my head was spinning. They didn’t want any interference from lawyers or civil advocates. I was basically kidnapped and given an ear of corn and the steak I had been cooking. They even gave me the beer I had opened and didn’t have time to drink for the trip. I was really pissed off. I would have joined the Space Corp if I wanted to go to mars. I would have to fight for my freedom when I got there.

I spent my time in a little cabin separate from all the other people there watching videos and films that were supposed to be an orientation to mars. They didn’t even let us out to eat. They had food processors in every cell, which they called compartments, where we would order food. It was pretty good for being in solitary confinement. It took a few weeks to travel using the latest secret technology that none of us were aware of on Earth. As we touched down we were met by several ALFs. The videos showed us that all of the ALFs wore red bands on their upper left arms to mark them as ALFs. They were supposed to be proud of not being human.

We were warned not to be too offended because of their prejudices because many of them had not been around humans and thought of them as being totally reckless and illogical. That was close to the truth, but I wouldn’t say totally.

We found ourselves landing on this dusty planet that looked something like the deserts on the Earth, except with no plants at all. We landed into the top of a dome large enough to cover a whole compound. As we touched down we were met by several ALFs – Male, Female, and Trans, many shapes and shades. I stepped off of the ship and looked around. No one else came off of the ship. It was only me. What the? I brought my hand to my forehead. Was I the only one?

A tall ALF walked over to me and offered her hand as others gathered. “Sharona,” she simply said.

“Gerald. I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

“I assure you, Gerald. You will find these are the best of circumstances.” We headed for the office building located in the dome. The settlement looked like a very small city. There were no real vehicles moving around, just a few truck-like vehicles for moving supplies and some roving vehicles for leaving the dome. Mostly ALFs used them because they didn’t require space suits or oxygen. Sharona led the way into the building.

“General Farogat,” She said, introducing me to a woman sitting behind the desk. The woman was dark, the color of caramel with long hair and familiar eyes. It was Goyce. Goyce Farogat, her maiden name. She didn’t recognize me and then it clicked.

“You are Gerald. I met you once in the hospital. This is very awkward.” I was speechless. “Sit down. This must be very hard for you,” she said. She turned to Sharona. “Would you mind getting Mr. Braxton a drink,” Sharona?” She asked.

“My pleasure,” General. She spun on her heel and left the room.

“So–small world.”

“A little too small,” I replied. “I didn’t expect this. It’s torture.”

“Torture. I can see what you mean. I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize your name or we would have had you sent to one of the other planets, but we can’t do that. We really need you here. A lot is going on. We need a lawyer of your caliber.”

“I’m not a lawyer anymore. My license expired years ago. They kidnapped me and brought me here.”

“Your license has been renewed, and it doesn’t matter how you got here. We need you and you’ll stay.”

“Whatever, General.”

“Bad attitude,” she said, writing into a small tablet. A corporal came in and handed her some papers. She glanced at them, set them on the desk, and then looked at me waiting for a response. I totally ignored her. See shook her head. “You going silent on me, Mr. Braxton?”

Sharona came in and handed me a drink. “Is ignoring you illegal too?”

“No. It’s not illegal as long as you do what you’re supposed to. Do we make ourselves clear?”

“Are there two of you in there now?” I said. Sharona grinned. “Yes, General. I understand you completely," I answered with an attitude.

“Good. Sharona will take you to your quarters and prep you for your uniforms and your duties. Welcome to mars.” I felt like cursing her out, but if she still had Goyce’s temperament that would have been a very big mistake. “Questions Mr. Braxton?”

“No General.”

“Then you are dismissed. And don’t expect any special treatment because of our last alleged relationship.”

“I assure you, General, I don’t expect anything from you.” She looked as though she was about to explode but didn’t say anything. I got up with my drink and Sharona and I headed to what would be my quarters for the next who knew how long. A corporal who had been standing there silently turned to her.

“He really knows how to push your buttons, General. I’ve never seen you so upset.”

“Apparently he knows how to hit my buttons somewhere. That’s very interesting. I almost experienced human emotion. I have to learn more about that man.”

“Trace memories?” The corporal asked.

“It could be that. We’ll just have to see.”

***

We came to my headquarters. Sharona grabbed my arm hard and shoved me in. I glared at her.

“I better never see you talking to the General again! Do you hear me? You embarrassed me.”

“Maybe you need to be embarrassed, you bully. What goes on between the General and me is none of your business. Now get the Hell out of here!” She stood there for a few moments looking angry and then turned and tromped down the hall. There I was, alone again in another strange place. I wondered if her first name was Mae.

The End (Part 1)

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