2016 Read online

  “Well yes but, it’s just that everything will change and maybe my friends won’t be happy for me.”

  “That is why we only selected the first one hundred of your closest friends. How many friends do you have overall Janet?”

  “Uh, last I counted I had seven hundred and fifty-nine friends.”

  “Well then, why wouldn’t your closest friends want the best for you?”

  Maybe because I don’t even know half of them Janet thought, but instead of answering, she just smiled.

  “All right Janet let’s see what your friends have decided for you. Level 10 or maintain your current level 3. Let’s go with the Scoreboard!”

  The Mega-screen began to show two bars rising from the YES and NO. On the screen, the numbers began to increase slowly. Janet’s friends that clicked YES were now fifteen. Those who clicked NO were seven instead. Janet was jumping up and down and screaming “Yes, yes!” The numbers continued to rise on both sides and soon the no’s began to catch up with the yes until they surpassed them. The count was now 30 YES and 35 NO. Both bars continued to grow steadily until they stopped at 45 YES and 55 NO.

  Janet’s excitement muted into an uncontrollable desperation. She began to cry and fell on her knees with Mighty Mike looking nervously at the camera and trying to get her on her feet again.

  “We’ll take a break now,” he finally managed to say. In the background, Janet’s one hundred closest friends were still connected. They didn’t stop smiling.

  SWEET DREAMS INC.

  “So, today is the big day,” said Sam to his wife Deirdre trying to sound as cheerful as possible. The reality was that he had not slept the entire night. This day marked his wife’s seventy-fifth birthday and it would also be her last. For the past months, he had convinced himself that March 13th 2016 would never arrive or that somehow it would be skipped by the calendar. Yet, the day had arrived, inexorably.

  He had tried his best to appear good-humored in front of her since breakfast. As a matter of fact, he had cooked breakfast himself that morning, for both of them. It had probably been the only time in forty years of marriage.

  Yet as time passed, his preoccupation grew. He found himself constantly looking out the window. Maybe they’ve forgotten about her, he thought. Maybe her file got lost amidst the bureaucracy of the procedure.

  “Stop looking out the window Sam. It’s the fifth time since this morning and you’re making me nervous,” said Deirdre as if reading his mind.

  “They could have at least had the decency to tell us when to expect them. Usually when someone comes to your house they say a time or in the morning or in the afternoon or before or after lunch. These people have never told us anything! I think I’ll write to the CEO of Sweet Dreams and tell him about it. I’m sure he’ll thank me for my insight as this aspect of the procedure certainly has room for improvement.”

  “It’s not a courtesy visit Sam. Besides, does it really matter at this point when they arrive?” she said. She then turned her NetView headset on and began to watch an old episode of Passionate Lives, her favorite Soap Opera.

  “Oh go ahead, isolate yourself with that headset of yours, like all of our neighbors do!” The harsh tone surprised Sam as he was usually not one to lose his temper.

  On a normal day, he would never lose his self-control but today certainly wasn’t a normal day. He looked out of the window again. Like most Sundays, the neighborhood was quiet; no cars passing by, no children playing. Nowadays everybody was always inside their homes, always connected to something except to one other, he thought. “I still don’t understand why you’re doing this,” he then said out loud. “In fifty years of marriage I’ve always respected your decisions. Always! But this time I must say I completely disagree with you. Completely disagree!”

  He turned to look his wife. Deirdre, who was sitting on the sofa, did not appear to have heard Sam’s outburst. She rather gave the impression of contemplating the wall in front of her as she was watching the images that her NetView headset was projecting in front of her and that only she could see.

  He gently tapped her shoulder and removed her headset. To his surprise when Deirdre turned towards him she had tears in her eyes. “Don’t do it, Deirdre,” he finally managed to say, looking at her and speaking softly again. “I’m sure there’s a way to get out of this.”

  It was then that they both heard a screech of tires coming from outside of their house. Sam quickly went from back to the window near the entrance. He saw a white van parked outside their front yard. It was a perfectly anonymous van; no signs of any kind, no windows, no sirens. Although not sure of what to expect, the sight of a van normally used by gardeners or plumbers rather than an ambulance of some sort made Sam even wearier of his wife’s decision. This was all a mistake, he thought; one enormous mistake.

  “They are here,” he whispered more to himself than to his wife. He then looked towards her. She had gotten up and Sam noticed she was now trembling. Suddenly she no longer seemed the stubborn, resolute woman he had known and loved his entire life. Instead, he could now see the fragile expression of someone hastily forced to face the unknown.

  The knock on the door was more like a loud, violent banging.

  “It’s Sweet Dreams, open the door, Mrs. Jacobsen.” The raucous voice coming from the outside door made it sound like a threat rather than an invitation. Both Sam and Deirdre stood still, in the middle of the living room, afraid to even go near the door. It was as if the sudden course of events had paralyzed them; neither of the two knowing exactly what to do.

  There was another knock on the door. This time, it was followed by a wiggling of the door knob.

  “Open the door, Sam,” said Deirdre finally, as if taking the decision for both of them. “I’m ready.”

  “Maybe we can get out from the back door,” he said desperately.

  “It’s okay, open the door.”

  Sam did as he was told. When he opened the door, two thugs in white coats were waiting impatiently outside.

  “It’s about time grandpa!” said one of them entering and pushing Sam away with such violence that he almost fell. The other man opened a portable wheelchair and entered as well. Sam now saw a third man coming from the back of the house to support the other two.

  Before he could say or do anything they had already placed his wife in the wheelchair and brought her outside.

  “She can walk! She doesn’t need that!” was all that he could say, still in shock by the way they had come and gone.

  He then ran outside. “Deirdre!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. The three men quickly placed Deirdre in the van and closed the doors before he could say good-bye. The van left as swiftly as it had arrived without even allowing Sam a last glimpse of her.

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  “Hello, my name is John Roper. Some of you may remember me as an actor in Passionate Lives. In a week’s time, I will become eighty years old and on that day I will cease my mortal existence and begin my new immortal one. My entire life will be uploaded onto the servers of Sweet Dreams’ facilities in California and I will be reborn again: a new virtual eternal Roper, without the burdens of the old physical Roper.

  Sound interesting? Well, it should, because let’s face it, you’re not getting any younger either and those medical bills are beginning to pile up and your family has better things to do than pay them and look after you. With Sweet Dreams, you will still be the affectionate parent or relative everyone remembered but without the burdens and costs of a physical one. So if you too, like me, are ready for eternal life, contact your Sweet Dreams professional, absolutely free of charge, on the toll-free number below. But do it now, while you’re still in good health.”

  SWEET DREAMS® - Live every day like the last and then live the last forever

  A week had passed since Deirdre had been taken away. Sam had passed the days walking, mowing the lawn or simply sitting outside on the porch. He was afraid to go inside the house. Everything in it reminded him of
her. He had even called his sister in Idaho whom he had not talked to in over five years to see whether he could pay her a visit but she had told him it wasn’t a very good time. Nor did she say when it would be a good time and so they had left it at that.

  The nights were the worst part of staying in the house. He couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t slept alone in fifty years.

  It was time for lunch and he had prepared the table for two again. He sat looking at his plate of linguine and then over to the empty dish on Deirdre’s side of the table. He had lost his appetite.

  Then somebody knocked on the door and at first he thought that they had probably knocked at the wrong house so he hadn’t even bothered to get up.

  It was only when he heard the words Sweet Dreams that his heart began to beat faster. Maybe they had brought Deirdre back, he thought as he went quickly towards the entrance.

  He opened the door and a young man in his twenties was standing in front of him with a small cardboard box.

  “Good morning Mr. Jacobsen. Please sign here,” said the young man while putting a piece of paper on top of the box.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “It’s the Set-top box to access Sweet Dreams sir.”

  “What do I do with it?”

  The young man looked at Sam in a puzzled way. “That’s how you can access the person that subscribed the service.”

  Sam grabbed the box and after studying it for a moment began to shake it.

  “Uh, do you want me to open it and show you how it works?” said the young man and Sam nodded gratefully.

  The courier opened the cardboard box and took out a shiny white cube. “Let’s see, Deirdre Jacobsen, access code SW XD 9897 1532.” The young man said handing the cube over to Sam.

  After the agent showed him the few simple steps to activate the Sweet Dreams Set-top box, Sam gave him a generous tip and saw him out thanking him several times. He then placed the small white cube on Deirdre’s side of the table and pressed the button in the middle of the cube. He quickly placed the headset that came with it nervously on his head and then awaited further instructions, just like the young man had told him to do. Through the headset, he could now see a holographic woman materializing in front of him.

  “Welcome to Sweet Dreams. Please state the person’s full name and user code.” Sam, feeling a bit silly, repeated the codes that the technician had told him: “Deirdre Jacobsen, Code SW XD 9897 1532”.

  “Thank you. Please wait while we access you to Deirdre Jacobsen.”

  Sam felt excited and anxious at the same time. The thought of seeing Deirdre again was something he had not really believed in, until now. He looked at his plate of linguine and took a mouthful.

  After just a few seconds, Sam heard a familiar voice. “Samuel Jacobsen! Will you stop eating like an eight-year-old! Look at you! You have tomato sauce smudged all over your face.”

  When Sam raised his head he almost choked to death. A holographic version of Deirdre was looking at him sternly. He quickly took a napkin and cleaned himself. Then he finally managed to speak. “Sorry Deirdre. It’s just that I was really hungry,” he said smilingly.

  “Well, I see that you haven’t lost your appetite. That’s a good sign. How are my begonias doing?”

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  “How would you like to die together with your spouse and then be reborn again together in virtual eternity? Sounds like an incredibly romantic dream doesn’t it? Well with Sweet Dreams this dream is now a reality. Through the Sweet Dreams Romeo & Juliet program, you can secure the physical termination date for both you and your partner for up to thirty years in advance and then be transferred into the virtual realm of Sweet Dreams’ Servers forever!

  For me and my husband taking the decision was easy and convenient. We’re both fifty now and we decided to opt for the Romeo & Juliet Program which will transfer us into virtual eternity at the age of seventy-five. And together with a special ten percent discount for couples, the Sweet Dreams consultant also helped us obtain a social security rebate from the Government which we discovered we were entitled to!”

  SWEET DREAMS ROMEO & JULIET® Program – Because death need not tear us apart

  Four weeks had passed since Sweet Dreams had delivered Deirdre’s Set-top box to Sam and his life was once again moving along happily. Even though Deirdre was only virtually present, it was more than enough. He did not feel alone any longer and had begun to put on weight again. He had just come back from one of his ever increasing runs to the supermarket and was busy bringing the groceries inside the house. He placed the first two bags on the kitchen table and then immediately went into the living room to turn on the Sweet Dreams Set-top box. He left it on most of the day but always turned it off every time he needed to leave the house.

  He put on the headset and went to take the rest of the groceries from the car. When he got back inside, the holographic silhouette of his wife was inside the kitchen looking at the things he had bought.

  “I got those new garden seeds I told you about Deirdre. The kid at the store says the ants don’t eat them. They have a special compound which makes them go away and the grass grows in two days.”

  “Oh golly that will be the day,” she said.

  Sam stopped putting the cans away and turned to look at her. “What did you just say?”

  Deirdre looked surprised. “What?”

  “What did you say just now?” he asked.

  “I said that will be the day,” she replied. “Why?”

  “No before that. You said golly.”

  “Yes so what?” she rebutted puzzled.

  Suddenly Sam began to look at the holographic woman differently, as if he had met her only now for the first time. “Deirdre would have never said golly.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked incredulously.

  “Deirdre would have never used that expression.”

  “Stop looking at me that way Sam! You’re scaring me!” said Deirdre.

  Sam continued to look at her suspiciously until he finally sentenced, “You’re not Deirdre!”

  “Sam for God’s sake, what are you talking about? It’s me! Only it’s the virtual me and not the physical me but it’s me!”

  “No it’s not!” shouted Sam “You look like Deirdre, you sound like her, you pretend to be her, but you are not her.”

  “Sam, have you taken your medication this morning?”

  Sam did not answer Deirdre but went instead in the living room and turned off the box.

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  “Let’s face it: if you want to become a legend, you have to die young. Think James Dean, Marilyn Monroe or Jimi Hendrix just to name a few. Would they be the legends they are today if they had lived to become senior citizens? Can you imagine Jimmy Dean in a senior golf community in Florida or Marilyn’s false teeth falling while sipping a Martini?

  No of course not. They did not live long enough to see that day. They are immortal because death took them in their prime, man. Like them, I too will become a legend because I have chosen the Sweet Dreams Legends Program. I’m twenty now and with this program, I will only live up to thirty-five. After that, it’s immortality baby! Rock on!”

  SWEET DREAMS LEGENDS® Program - The stuff legends are made of

  The global headquarters of Sweet Dreams Inc. were located in Pasadena. Sam had driven from San Diego with the white cube to his side. He was determined to return it and get a new one, this time with the real Deirdre inside.

  At the reception desk, the girl was very young and very tall. She wore a black robe and had long, dark hair and had exquisitely polished fingernails. She nodded to most of the employees that were going through the security checks and onto the offices. Her voice was soothing and sophisticated. “Mr. Jacobsen, I am sorry but, unfortunately, no one is available to see you on such short notice. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back another time and schedule an appointment first.”

  “Listen young lady. I will wait here as long as it’s n
ecessary, but I will not leave without having talked to someone first. You promised I would have my wife back, but the person inside here is not my wife.” He pointed at the cube.

  “Sir, the Sweet Dreams Set-top box is just an access system to our servers, but I guarantee you that the person you see is, in every effect, your wife.”

  “No it isn’t!” he shouted. “The woman inside here pretends to be my wife, acts like my wife, talks like my wife but she is not my wife! My wife would never have said Golly! I have known her for fifty years and she never said Golly!” The other people present in the large glass atrium began to look his way. Two security men from the checkpoint began to walk hurriedly towards the reception desk.

  “I’ll take care of this, gents,” said a man in an elegant black suit to the two guards that were now a few feet away from Sam. The man, who looked to be in his forties, had arrived from behind Sam without either him or the reception girl noticing it. He had now come around the booth to where the young woman was.

  “What seems to be the problem Ana?” he asked while putting his arm around her waist. He hadn’t stopped smiling, but his eyes were now focused on Sam.

  The girl blushed. “Oh, Mister Johnson, I’m so sorry you were disturbed by this sir. It’s nothing really. I was just explaining to Mr. Jacobsen here that…”

  “Are you in charge here?” Sam said turning abruptly towards him.

  The man now came in front of Sam and shook his hand vigorously “Nick Johnson, Executive Vice President in charge of Eternal Transfers. How can I help you, Mr. Jacobsen?”

  “I want my wife back!”

  “I see. Let me walk you to my office Mr. Jacobsen. We can discuss the problem more discreetly there. This way please.”

  Sam followed the man as they went past the security check. To his surprise, Johnson led him to an alley at the end of which was an exotic garden with small fountains and tropical plants. Sam could see a man in the middle of the garden sitting on a bench with two women by his side. “Hey!” Sam stopped as if he had seen a ghost. “Isn’t that John Roper, the actor? He should have been dead already! I remember the commercial. He said he was going to die on his eightieth birthday. His birthday was three weeks ago! What’s he doing still alive?”