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Description
An idea inspired by the new Blade Runner movie and the Japanese Hologram Azuma Hikari... (Any original images belong to their respective owners.)

"It's not really her." Nick had to remind himself of that. If he didn't, he'd probably go mad. She was gone, she really was. He didn't want to admit it, but he was there when it happened. He was there when the city hall was destroyed. He was there at her funeral. He was there to give a speech for the statue of her that had been placed in the park across from where the city hall had been rebuild. Nick saw it all.

Now, he'd just sit and stare at the electronic ghost. It cost him nearly $2,500. That's how much a ghost cost. Though it was depressing to be reminded of her, there was some redeeming value Nick found. Aside from the fact that the default rabbit's eyes were red instead of purple, the programming made up for that. It could produce it's own unique conversations based on what he said or asked. When he didn't feel like talking, it understood that too. It'd stare thoughtfully and sometimes lovingly. It'd laugh too, when they both awkwardly glanced each other's way.

"It can't be her."

"Did you say something Nicholas?"

"Nothing Cho," that was the default's name, "Just talking to myself."

It smiled and gently hummed. "Long day?"

"Long day." He lied. He lied on purpose. Odd. It seemed to know he was lying. But, it held back from saying anything like it understood what those kinds of lies were meant to be.

"How about I cook you some dinner?"

Nick laughed inside. It couldn't really cook dinner. The wireless connection to the microwave just allowed it to put in the time and start it up. "Okay." Nick pulled a frozen dinner out and held it up to Cho's tube so she could read it.

"Hmm, looks like about two minutes."

Nick set it in the center of the microwave and closed the door. He smiled as it beeped to life while he turned to fill a glass with water.

"Something's on your mind Nicholas."

Nick shuttered. Darn, it knew. It knew something. It could feel- NO, he reminded himself, it detected something. "Later."

"Oh," it seemed taken aback by his sharp response, "alright."

Nick watched as the plastic tray slowly rotated in the microwave. He tried to drown IT out. The thought of it. but, he couldn't. He almost felt bad for it.

"Nicholas, I-" strange, Nick had never heard that speech pattern before, "I want to ask you something." Must have been a software update.

Nick shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Shoot."

It seemed nervous, it, she really seemed scared. "Do I make you happy?"

Nick didn't hear the microwave's alarm go off when the food was done. He didn't even smell it. He almost missed the counter as he set his glass down. "I don't know." He felt sick as he limped over to Cho, somehow exhausted by what she asked. He couldn't speak. The memories welled up in his throat and silenced him. He remembered that day, the day before Judy left this world. She had asked him if he was glad to have met her. He spat out some joke like a fool. Nick felt the regret swell up again as he was faced with reliving the chance he missed to tell her how he felt. He had seen the same experience in Cho.

"Nicholas? What's wrong?"

Nick wiped at his eyes as he looked at her. "Can, can I call you Judy?"

"Oh Nicholas," Her face spoke nothing but love an empathy, "why didn't you ask me sooner?"

Nick sighed before he collapsed to his knees and wept.

"Shh, it's going to be okay, Nick."

Description
An idea inspired by the new Blade Runner movie and the Japanese Hologram Azuma Hikari... (Any original images belong to their respective owners.)

"It's not really her." Nick had to remind himself of that. If he didn't, he'd probably go mad. She was gone, she really was. He didn't want to admit it, but he was there when it happened. He was there when the city hall was destroyed. He was there at her funeral. He was there to give a speech for the statue of her that had been placed in the park across from where the city hall had been rebuild. Nick saw it all.

Now, he'd just sit and stare at the electronic ghost. It cost him nearly $2,500. That's how much a ghost cost. Though it was depressing to be reminded of her, there was some redeeming value Nick found. Aside from the fact that the default rabbit's eyes were red instead of purple, the programming made up for that. It could produce it's own unique conversations based on what he said or asked. When he didn't feel like talking, it understood that too. It'd stare thoughtfully and sometimes lovingly. It'd laugh too, when they both awkwardly glanced each other's way.

"It can't be her."

"Did you say something Nicholas?"

"Nothing Cho," that was the default's name, "Just talking to myself."

It smiled and gently hummed. "Long day?"

"Long day." He lied. He lied on purpose. Odd. It seemed to know he was lying. But, it held back from saying anything like it understood what those kinds of lies were meant to be.

"How about I cook you some dinner?"

Nick laughed inside. It couldn't really cook dinner. The wireless connection to the microwave just allowed it to put in the time and start it up. "Okay." Nick pulled a frozen dinner out and held it up to Cho's tube so she could read it.

"Hmm, looks like about two minutes."

Nick set it in the center of the microwave and closed the door. He smiled as it beeped to life while he turned to fill a glass with water.

"Something's on your mind Nicholas."

Nick shuttered. Darn, it knew. It knew something. It could feel- NO, he reminded himself, it detected something. "Later."

"Oh," it seemed taken aback by his sharp response, "alright."

Nick watched as the plastic tray slowly rotated in the microwave. He tried to drown IT out. The thought of it. but, he couldn't. He almost felt bad for it.

"Nicholas, I-" strange, Nick had never heard that speech pattern before, "I want to ask you something." Must have been a software update.

Nick shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Shoot."

It seemed nervous, it, she really seemed scared. "Do I make you happy?"

Nick didn't hear the microwave's alarm go off when the food was done. He didn't even smell it. He almost missed the counter as he set his glass down. "I don't know." He felt sick as he limped over to Cho, somehow exhausted by what she asked. He couldn't speak. The memories welled up in his throat and silenced him. He remembered that day, the day before Judy left this world. She had asked him if he was glad to have met her. He spat out some joke like a fool. Nick felt the regret swell up again as he was faced with reliving the chance he missed to tell her how he felt. He had seen the same experience in Cho.

"Nicholas? What's wrong?"

Nick wiped at his eyes as he looked at her. "Can, can I call you Judy?"

"Oh Nicholas," Her face spoke nothing but love an empathy, "why didn't you ask me sooner?"

Nick sighed before he collapsed to his knees and wept.

"Shh, it's going to be okay, Nick."