Science Fiction

IG Earth: Year 2433IG Earth: Year 2433

Continued from last week...

Summery

Trisha gets her VRIG - Virtual Reality Ideal Guy. But she's not satisfied, because he's not what she expected. And when her VRIG suddenly disappears she complains to the relevant authority - Pete. Pete is the developer of the VRIG programme. But he tells Trisha that she has to get her IIG - Imaginary Ideal Guy - straight, before he could do anything about her problem.

This is the very thing Trisha does not have any idea about. Finally Pete claims there is one other alternative. A new gizmo.

by Sajitha Prematunge

"So where's the new gizmo?" "This is it. "Said Piet waving the note pad "That's the new gizmo?" Said Trisha reproachfully. "Well, you wouldn't have come all this way if I told you I was gonna psycho analyze you, would you? besides the psycho scanner only picks up info not emotions."

He did something that resembled a smile. "No one's gonna psycho analyze me." said Trisha adamantly." Do you want an IG or not?" She hesitated for a few seconds and then reluctantly conceded. "First tell me..." started Piet indicating to her a chair in front of him.

"What are your likes and dislikes." Trisha slumped in to her chair miserably. She didn't feel like opening up to a total stranger, let alone an android. "I mean what's your favourite colour, how do you like your coffee and so on.

"He put his right shoeless foot on his left knee and leaned back in his chair. "I like coffee but I prefer not to take it, caffeine - bad for health and all... oh! I forgot... how would you know you're an android." She meant to be spiteful but Piet didn't appear to have realized it.

The psychoanalysis seemed to take much longer than she hoped. But several sessions behind her and a few more to go, she started feeling a little bit relaxed with Piet. But she never forgot that he was an android. "What was your favourite subject at school?" asked Piet on their 3rd session. Trisha contemplated "hmm... definitely Geography" "Really!"

Piet sounded surprised. "I though it would be atomic physics or something." "Well it is... now" Trisha sighed nostalgically. "My favourite's Geography too." He glanced at her to see her smile for the first time.

At the end of 5 sessions a complete psychoanalysis of Trisha was made. She also realized that she and Piet had a lot more in common than she first believed. For instance they both liked the same type of songs not those heavy metal loud staff everyone listened to. "Well, now that your analysis is complete I can create a profile for you and you can have your VRIG by the end of the week."

Though she knew she didn't have to contact Piet before the end of the week she found it irresistible. She longed to hear his voice. But Piet didn't seem to mind either. He appeared to be very mature, specially for an android.

They talked for hours on the phone about their newfound common interests. Inevitably there were differences but Trisha was more attracted to them than the similarities. Finally the day came when she was to receive her VRIG. Trisha was in the white room again lying on the black leather easy chair. "Put on your head set."

Piet's voice came out of nowhere. But she didn't have to see him to be comforted by his soothing voice. She put on her headgear. Few seconds later she found her self in a brightly lit white room again. Although, she knew, in fact she was still lying on the black leather chair.

This time it was night outside and she could hear the sound of the sea again. Even the curtains were of white lace, her favourite colour 'Piet has been paying attention'. She thought. She didn't know why but it brought a smile to her face. She scanned the room but there was no sign of her VRIG.

Then her smile broadened as she turned around. And there he was dressed in a beige, short-sleeved shirt and chocolate brown trousers - dressed pretty much like Piet himself, was her VRIG. He had black hair, clear black eyes and a precisely round face adorned with the sweetest smile. Tears came to Trisha's eyes.

It took only 2 days for this VRIG to disappear. "I don't know how this could have happened..." Piet sounded genuinely distressed and even looked it, pacing up and down the room. "I know..." said Trisha miserably, sitting back on a chair. "I'm altering my IIG again". "That can't be, it's not supposed to happen for at least another 2 years. Unless your psyche under went a complete metamorphosis." Explained Piet.

"I think it has" said Trisha, Piet slumped in to a chair in front of her. "I 'm leaving Earth next week" Piet paused "I've been reassigned by the company... to Centuria" "Oh. I see" was all Trisha could manage to say while trying to fight back tears. Centuria's a new human colony millions of light years away. "I'll try to develop another virtual before I go." "Don't bother..." She said getting up to leave, while forcing a smile.

"I just don't think it'll work this time." She hoped he hadn't noticed the tear that rolled down her cheek as she left. She realized then that she was in love for the first time. Really in love.

He called her once before he left. "I'm leaving on Monday. We probably won't see each other again..."

He said nonchalantly. Trisha didn't trust herself to speak. "Goodbye Trisha." "Goodbye Piet" She tried to sound equally nonchalant but her voice wavered slightly. The whole weekend she had to force herself not to pick up the phone and beg him not to leave. But she also knew that there was no point. They were never meant to be together.

She cried till Monday. On Monday she walked in to the balcony of her apartment and looked up at the night sky. She saw an-inter galactic spaceship reach the speed of light and disappear as it reached the mouth of an enlarged wormhole.

Trisha wondered if he was in it and whether he knew how much she loved him. Was he programmed to feel? did he have feelings for her? probably not. Even if he does it wouldn't matter. He's an android and they could never be married, her parents would totally freak out.

[email protected]