G's Future

by Don Viecelli

  Chapter 22

  Over the summer months Timothy followed the news stories about G. Most reports were favorable, but some were downright mean especially from the religious conservative groups. They called G all sorts of names including the devil. Timothy was distressed that so many people would think that G was evil and should be destroyed. It reminded Timothy of the dark ages when so many people were persecuted. It just wasn’t fair.

  Timothy’s parents were growing concerned over Julian’s health. When they called, Julian would say he was fine, but they knew his health was failing. One day toward the end of August Timothy was returning from walking Missy along the river when he saw his parents waiting for him by the dock. He knew by the looks on their faces that something was wrong. “Did something happen to G?” he asked anxiously.

  “No, G is fine,” Charles answered. “It’s Julian. He had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Maria called and told us. We’re all going to drive to his home tomorrow.”

  “Is he going to be all right?” Timothy asked.

  “We don’t know, honey,” Susan said. “We’ll find out when we get there.”

  The next day they all piled into the SUV for the drive to Michigan. Timothy was worried about Julian and could not wait to see if G was all right. He did not know what would happen to G if Julian died. He guessed the government would take him early for astronaut training. He wondered if G would feel bad about losing Julian. Of course he would, Timothy thought. He knew G would miss him. He would ask G how he felt about it when he saw him again.

  They arrived at Julian’s house in the afternoon. Maria was there to greet them. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said as they got out of the car.

  “How’s Julian doing, Maria?” Charles asked.

  “The doctor called. He’s doing better. The doctor said Julian needs a heart transplant, but Julian says no. You need to talk to him.”

  “We will. Don’t worry, Maria. Susan and I will go see him today. Would you mind looking after Timothy and Kate while we’re gone?”

  “Of course not. Please come in and unpack. I’ll get some refreshments before you go.”

  They all went inside. Timothy asked where G was. Maria said he was in the lab. Timothy dropped his suitcase at the door and raced to the lab. He found G sitting at his work desk. G turned around when he heard Timothy enter the room. “Hi, G!” Timothy said.

  “Hello, Timothy. It is nice to see you again.”

  “We came as fast as we could. Do you think Great Grandpa will be okay?”

  “Julian is very sick. He will not live long if he does not replace his heart.”

  “Why wouldn’t he? They do it all the time now.”

  “Julian has told me many times he does not wish to prolong his life in this manner. I accept his reasoning.”

  “Will you miss him if he dies?” Timothy asked finally.

  “Yes, Timothy. I will miss your great grandfather. He is my creator and my friend. He has been good to me. I will carry his memory with me forever. We must respect his wishes. He has made his decision. His reasons will be clear in time.” G said no more. Timothy left to take his suitcase to his bedroom and get something to eat.

  Charles and Susan went to the hospital in New Buffalo to see Julian. They found him in the recovery room. He was hooked up to a lot of machines. The nurse told them he was sleeping and his condition had been stabilized. They would move him to a regular room in the morning. Charles went to find some coffee while Susan sat in a chair by Julian’s bedside. They stayed for two hours, but Julian never woke up. They decided to leave and come back in the morning.

  The next day, Charles and Susan went back to the hospital and talked to the doctor taking care of Julian. He said Julian was feeling better and would be released from the hospital tomorrow. He advised they talk to Julian’s primary heart specialist in Chicago and get nursing help to monitor Julian’s condition when he went home. He calmly told them Julian’s heart was weak and he could die suddenly from another heart attack without warning. Charles and Susan were very concerned and told the doctor they would speak to Julian about his condition. When they entered the room, Julian was propped up in bed. He looked a little better, but his skin color was still very pale.

  Susan kissed Julian on the cheek and grabbed his hand. “Julian, you are looking much better today. We stopped by yesterday, but you were asleep.”

  “The nurse told me you and Charles stopped by. Thank you for coming.” His voice was weak, but he spoke clearly.

  “Julian, the doctor says you need a new heart. Why won’t you sign up for a heart transplant?” Charles asked.

  Julian took a deep breath. “I made up my mind that is not what I want to do. I’ve had a good life. I don’t need to live any longer than nature allows. I am ready to see what lies on the other side. Don’t worry about me. I have made plans for my passing. All my affairs are in order. I just ask your help to get me home as soon as possible. I need to talk to G. We have one more project to finish.” Julian looked tired, so Charles and Susan said they would return tomorrow to take him home.

  Charles brought Julian home the next day. They had a wheelchair waiting when Charles drove into the driveway. G helped Julian get out of the car and pushed him inside the house. Julian wanted to sit out on the deck overlooking the lake while Maria brought ice tea to drink. “We’re so glad you are home, Julian,” Maria said as she poured him a drink.

  “It’s good to be home. Thank you all for coming to help me.”

  “Mother called yesterday,” Charles said. “Ann is flying here tomorrow to see you.”

  “Good. We can pretend we’re having a family reunion,” Julian said, trying to make light of the situation.

  Everyone enjoyed the time on the deck, eating light snacks and sharing stories of family events. After about an hour, Julian said he was tired and needed to take a nap. G wheeled him to his room and then went into the lab. Timothy and Kate went to the living room to watch TV. Susan and Charles stayed outside and talked.

  “We need to make arrangements for his care before we leave,” Susan said to Charles. He nodded in agreement. “I’ll talk to Mother tomorrow. I’m sure we can find someone to come to the house to monitor his progress until he feels better.”

  “You heard the doctor. He needs a new heart. Maybe Ann can convince him to change his mind about a transplant.”

  “I hope you are right, Susan, but you know Julian. He always does what he wants to do. He doesn’t want a new heart. I just don’t understand his reason yet.”

  “I hope he changes his mind soon, Charles,” Susan responded. “He doesn’t have much time left.”

  Chapter 23

  G was working in the lab when Timothy came in to see him before dinner. G was testing the silver headband and the spare computer processing module on his work desk.

  “What’s that, G?” Timothy asked as he sat on the stool beside him.

  “It is a new device your great grandfather invented. Do you want to see how it works?”

  “Sure. What does it do?”

  G picked up the headband and put it on Timothy’s head. Then he turned on the computer screen and said, “Choose any channel with your mind and play a game.”

  Timothy wrinkled his forehead. “Really? Can it read my mind?”

  “Yes,” G answered. “Give it a try.”

  Timothy thought of a game website and the screen automatically found the link. The webpage appeared on the screen. “Wow, it works!” Timothy scrolled through the options and picked a video game he knew. It was so easy it looked like magic. “This is amazing, G.”

  “I thought you would like it. It will make playing video games very easy.”

  Just then, Susan called for Timothy to come to dinner.

  G took the headband off Timothy’s head. “Do not tell anyone about this yet. We are still testing it.”

  “I promise I won’t tell anyone, G. Can I play with it later?”

  “Maybe tomorrow. Julian wants m
e to build a bonfire tonight for your family.” G put the device on the table while Timothy went to wash his hands for dinner.

  Maria cooked a fine dinner for the family. Susan helped her while Kate set the table. Julian looked much better after taking his nap. G joined them and listened to their stories while everyone ate. Kate told everyone about her summer project at school and how G helped her with his idea about testing the oxygen levels in the lake. Timothy told Julian he had learned to wakeboard on the river this summer. Julian and Susan commented on the level of interest G had caused in their community and at the university this summer. It had truly been a very interesting summer because of G winning the Loebner Prize Contest. G was more popular than ever.

  Julian was moved by the conversation at the dinner table. “I am very grateful for your support and assistance this year. I love you all. I am blessed to have such loving family members. I wish Jean was here with us. She would have enjoyed this evening very much. I asked G to build us a bonfire tonight. It looks like it will be a warm night.”

  “We can cook S’mores tonight,” Susan added. “I bought chocolate and marshmallows to cook on the fire.” Everyone agreed it was a good night to celebrate that Julian was home.

  After dinner Timothy helped his dad clear the table and put everything in the dishwater. G set up the chairs and cushions down by the fire pit. He carried wood for the fire and brought down the telescope to view the stars. The lake was as beautiful as ever. Sunlight danced on the calm waves and birds flew around looking for a place to spend the night. G helped pushed Julian down in his wheelchair. Susan and Charles went for a walk on the beach. G started the fire. Soon they watched the sun turn orange, then bright red as it set over the lake and the stars came out in all their glory. Julian told stories about his childhood on the farm and why he became a scientist as Kate and Timothy roasted marshmallows over the fire. Susan and Charles smiled and just enjoyed the evening. It was a night to remember. G stored every moment in his memory.

  Around ten o’clock Julian said he was tired and needed to go to bed. He asked Timothy to come with him. He had something to show him. The told the others to stay and enjoy the fire. He would send Timothy back soon. G pushed Julian in his wheelchair up to the house. When Julian reached his bedroom, he asked Timothy to get him a glass of water. After Timothy left he asked G to get the things they needed. G went to the lab while Julian got ready for bed.

  When Timothy brought the water for Julian, he was getting into bed. “Thank you Timothy.” He pulled the covers up and took a drink of water and set the glass on his nightstand. “You’ve been a real help to me this summer. I wanted to thank you again. There is something else I want you to do for me. I want you to promise me you will remain G’s friend and help him anyway you can while he prepares for his mission in space. Will you promise me?”

  Timothy looked at Julian with concern in his eyes. “Sure, Great Grandpa. I promise. Why are you asking me?”

  “I am very sick, Timothy. I won’t be around much longer.” Timothy started to tear up. “Don’t be sad for me. I will always be with you. When G returns, we are going to conduct an experiment. It has never been done before. It will be something like what I did with G, but this time I want you to be a witness. I did not want anyone else to know about this before I did it.”

  Timothy struggled to keep the tears out of his eyes. “What are you going to do, Great Grandpa?”

  G walked into the bedroom. He was holding the headband and spare computer processing module like the one in his chest. Timothy recognized the headband. Julian answered, “G is going to scan my brain. I will probably fall asleep. When I wake up, I want you to ask me a question—what time is it Great Grandpa? I will say it is a time to remember. Do you think you can do this?”

  “Sure, Great Grandpa. That’s easy to remember.”

  “Good. Let’s get started. Give me the headband, G.”

  G handed the device to Julian who put it on his head and turned it on. Julian lay back on his pillow, closed his eyes and relaxed. G set the module on the nightstand. He turned the module on. The bottom of the headband began to glow a faint bluish color. Julian seemed to fall asleep as the color grew brighter. G and Timothy stood quietly and watched the headband pulsate with color. There was no noise, just the light emanating from the headband. The light from the headband was pulsating in sync with the light on the computer module.

  They watch silently for almost twenty minutes. Then the headband turned off by itself. Julian did not awaken. G took the headband off Julian’s head and picked up the module. “We must let him sleep now. I will check on him later.”

  “What did you do to Great Grandpa, G?” Timothy asked. He had an idea, but he was not sure.

  “Come to the lab and I will show you.” G led Timothy to the lab and walked to the back door that Timothy had seen, but had never been allowed to enter. G unlocked the door using the keypad and they walked inside. As soon as the light turned on, Timothy saw the second android on the table.

  “You have another robot!” he said out loud. He raced up to the table and examined the android closely. “It has a different face! It looks more human.”

  “Julian had a different face prepared for this robot. He wanted a family resemblance.”

  Timothy was confused. “Why would Great Grandpa want another robot with a face different than yours?” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew the answer. “You made a copy of his brain, didn’t you, G?”

  “Yes. This is what Julian wanted. Now we must see if it worked.”

  G opened the chest cavity on the android. He inserted the computer processing module and connected the power packs. The module turned on automatically. G closed the chest cavity and waited.

  As they both watched, the android began to stir. It moved its hands and feet; then it lifted its arms. The face moved and the eyes opened. Timothy could see the android hesitate, like it did not know what to do next. After a moment of complete silence, the android made its decision. It sat up.

  Timothy jumped backwards, more as a reflex action than from fright. The android turned sideways with its feet dangling off the table. Its head turned towards G and studied him for a moment. Then it turned and faced Timothy. For some reason Timothy was not scared. The android’s eyes seemed to recognize him. Then it said, “Hello, Timothy.” The android’s voice was familiar to Timothy. It sounded like his great grandfather, but more youthful. It asked, “Don’t you have a question for me?”

  Timothy was confused for a moment. Then he remembered what Julian has asked him to do, but this was not the right person. Then again—maybe it was, so he asked, “What time is it Great Grandpa?”

  “It is a time to remember. And I do remember, Timothy—everything. Let me ask you something. What did you promise your great grandfather?”

  “I promised him I would remain G’s friend and help him anyway I could.”

  The android smiled. “That is correct. I remember that too. Now let me see if I can walk.” The android slowly put his feet on the floor and stood up off the table. He balanced on both feet for a moment. He took a step forward; then another. He stopped and said, “I can control my movements without learning them. I seem to remember pre-programming my control module for this.” The android turned toward G. “The brain scan worked, G. I remember everything up to the moment I fell asleep, or rather Julian fell asleep. I feel perfectly normal. The only difference is I feel absolutely no pain. This is wonderful—better than I expected. I need to talk to Julian. I need to see if there is any effect on his brain.”

  “Julian may still be asleep. What should we call you?” G asked.

  Julian had already considered this before the transfer of his memories. The android replied, “I will use my middle name—Jacob.”

  Chapter 24

  G, Timothy and Jacob went to Julian’s bedroom. Julian was still asleep. Jacob told them he would wait in the bedroom for Julian to wake up. G and Timothy decided they should return to the bonfire and
visit with the family before they got worried. Jacob advised them not to mention what occurred until morning when Julian could explain to the rest of the family what he did. Timothy agreed, but he knew it was going to be very hard to keep the secret. This was just too amazing.

  The bonfire was almost out when they reached the patio. They had been gone for almost an hour. Charles said, “I’m glad you two are back. We want to look through the telescope at the stars and hear where you’re going, G.”

  Timothy was thankful his father did not ask why they were gone so long. He didn’t want to make up a story and lie, even though he knew they would forgive him in the morning.

  G proceeded to show Susan, Charles and Kate the stars and tell them the same things he had told Timothy when he visited for the summer. They were all excited about his journey and a little sad that G would be gone so long and probably never come back. G explained he would be in constant communication and he would stay in touch with them even on his long journey. That seemed to help, especially for Timothy and Kate.

  It had been a beautiful evening looking over the lake, watching the stars and listening to the crickets and other night creachers. Soon the fire lost its heat and the cooler air moved in. It was time to return to the house and go to bed. Charles, Susan and Kate walked back to the house while Timothy helped G put out the fire and take up the cushions for the night. Timothy was glad to be alone with G for a moment. “What do you think will happen in the morning?” he asked G.

  “Julian will explain to your family what he has done and why, Timothy. I believe your parents will be surprised. I hope they do not get angry. We have been working on this development for a very long time. It has great practical applications and will be very profitable to your family. Even I look forward to the future when I can share my memories with humans. This progress will allow your great grandfather to continue his work, which will be very helpful to me on my journey.”