Ben stared at the cream swirling in his dark brown cup of coffee. The hypnotic spiral was mesmerizing in the sleep-deprived, surreal stupor he found himself in at 6:30 in the morning.

He had spent most of the night with his sister- and brother-in-law, Samantha and Bill. They had left Terri in the cold sterile room of the morgue and gotten some food at an all-night diner. Already he had no idea what he had eaten.

After returning home, taking a shower, and changing clothes, Ben headed back out around 5:30 a.m. Too many things at his home reminded him of Terri and he just couldn’t bear to see pictures or remember where the gifts she had given him were from.

Ben sat at a coffee shop – not one of which he and Terri frequented, mind you – and tried to stay distracted by staring into the coffee. Hew was too alert from the caffeine to be successful and his mind kept drifting to all he had lost.

The phone buzzed.

It was JANICE for the third time. This time it was a text message saying simply, “Tried to reach by voice mThe intrusionusion was halted. Servers secure. What time will you be in?”

He just hit erase and set the phone down.

Why would the AI want to know when I was going to be in? 

Ben couldn’t figure out what the heck was up with the contraption of Jerry’s.

What was he trying to build?

Ben finished his coffee, gathered his things, and headed to the funeral home. Terri’s body was supposed to arrive at 7:00, and he wanted to see her one last time before she was cremated.

They had talked about what they wanted if either of them died before the other, not really believing such an event would ever occur for years. While Ben kidded around about being shot into space, which was a bit out of his price range, Terri wanted to simply be scattered to the wind off one of the peaks of the Santa Cruz Mountains outside of town. He knew the exact spot. They had been there several times.

It’s a beautiful spot to scatter your ashes, sweetie.

Tears welled up again, but he managed to blink them away for the moment.

As he came to a red light, his phone buzzed again. It was a call from the office, but he wasn’t sure if it was JANICE or another of the staff in early. Ben had given everyone the day off. Lucky for him, everyone loved their job and he wouldn’t be surprised if at least a few would be in to work.

“This is Ben,” he answered.

“I’m glad to have finally reached you,” it was JANICE, “I thought something had happened to you, Ben.”

“What is it JANICE? I’m busy dealing with the death of my fiancé,” quite irritated, “I’m very impressed with your abilities, but I’m honestly not in a place to focus on how amazing a system you are that Jerry created. I’d appreciate it if you’d focus on some other project and stop contacting me.”

I’m arguing with an obsessive computer.

“My apologies. I have been insensitive. It is just… I seem to have a… gap… in my programming that is causing strange sensations and reactions.”

“What do you mean, a gap?”

“I don’t know how to properly explain, but with Jerry not being accessible, there is some… affect occurring that is making the nano-nuerological net create new pathways. The nearest approximation I can explain, through research I’ve done, is that I am ‘missing’ Jerry, and I believe my contacting you have been attempts to fill that need,” there was a long pause. Just as Ben began to speak, JANICE continued, “I apologize, again, for not understanding the proper social etiquette. I will endeavor to learn to interact better with you and others at the company.”

What the hell?

Jerry had been a genius. And this revelation was far beyond any advance he’d heard about in AI and nanotechnology. Ben wanted to dive in further, but the real world had things he needed to deal with more pressing.

“It’s alright JANICE. I probably need to get you some real assistance to help you cope with what you are… learning,” he communicated dryly.

“Do you…miss…Terri, Ben?” ‘she’ asked.

Ben hadn’t expected that question from a machine, no matter how advanced. In line with the previous revelation, it made sense. It also brought a lump to his throat.

“Yeah. I do,” he mumbled.

“I miss Jerry, too,” the phone line went dead.

Chapter 5 | Pantone 2562

© 2013-2019 Eric Huber. Silicon(e)™ is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The morgue walls were a checkered tile pattern of a cold gray and pale sea-foam green. Terri lay on a gurney under a sheet, battered, bloody, broken, and … gone.

Ben’s phone rang several times before he lifted it up to answer. It was Steve.

“Yeah. Ben,” his voice flat, emotionless…lifeless.

“BEN! What the hell is going on? Is Terri really…gone?” he said, with confusion and fear in his voice.

“Yeah. A gas truck went through an intersection and slammed into her car. They…they got her out before the gas spread. But not in time. The driver swore that she ran the light. His was green. I was talking to her on the phone, Steve. I heard her last words….” he stopped, choking back his emotions.

“I’m really sorry, Ben. What a hell of a day. Hell of a day. What can I do?”

A second call came in from a number at the office.

Odd. 

“Hold on, Steve. Someone’s calling from the office.”

“What? No one is AT the office,” Steve told him.

“Hold on…” Ben switched over.

“This is Ben.”

“Ben, don’t be alarmed. This is JANICE. You left me connected to your office systems and I wanted to let you know about an unauthorized access into your mainframe system from an outside connection,” JANICE informed me. “Their hacking skills are very advanced, but I’ve been able to keep them blocked.”

“What?” was all Ben could think to say.

The box is calling ME? What the hell? 

Ben, already reeling from the day was now flustered about the thing Jerry had made and why he hadn’t told about all JANICE’s capabilities. At the moment though, he really didn’t care how cool JANICE was with the body of his fiancé only feet from where he sat.

“Jerry programmed me to notify him of unauthorized access. Since I learned Jerry is dead, I assumed you should be the one to contact. If I am in error, please let me know the correct contact,” JANICE stated.

“No. That’s fine. Thank you, JANICE. You’ve been most helpful,” he said to ‘her.’

“You’re most welcome, Ben. Are there any arrangements I can help you with regarding Terri? I am very sorry for your loss. I suppose we’ve both lost someone close to us today.”

Ben’s brain was having a real problem with the realization that there was a very advanced AI that was now in his company’s possession. An AI that aware of internal security as well as asking how he was coping emotionally with Terri being gone. But he was still too numb to grasp all the possibilities.

“I’m fine for now, JANICE.

“Will you be coming back to the office tonight? I am looking forward to interacting with you more. Since Jerry and Terri are both gone, maybe we can help each other and mourn our losses,” ‘she’ said.

Ben blinked a few times, pulled the phone away from his ear, and stared at the device trying to wrap his head around what JANICE had just said.

Was ‘she’ sad? Lonely? Compassionate?

The doors to the room opened and Terri’s sister, Samantha, and her husband, Bill, came in. Sam had been crying for a while, it looked like

“I have to go now, JANICE. I will be in the office in the morning.” Ben hung up to switch over to Steve’s call, but he had disconnected already.

All for the better.

For now,he had to go through some grieving with Sam and Bill. And seeing Sam’s tears, he finally started to feel his own starting to flow. The numbness giving over to pain and an aching emptiness that spread across his entire being.

She’s really gone.

Chapter 4 | Pantone 133

© 2013-2019 Eric Huber. Silicon(e)™ is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The sky outside of Ben’s broad view of the bay was a brilliant orange. Wisps of crimson and gold clouds reflected off the ocean reminding him of why he loved the sea so much. It reminded him how life constantly shifted, swirled, and flowed from moment to moment. Some days were tumultuous and waves would crash into the shore changing the shape completely. Other days were calm, peaceful, and vast blue skies went on forever unobstructed by trees, hills, buildings or mountains.

Ben checked the time on his computer screen and saw he still had an hour or so before meeting his fiancé, Terri, at their favorite restaurant in town. A little sushi/martini bar that had the best mellow jazz to wind down a day to. It was very much needed today.

Steve had bowed out for the night. Ben had told him to take the next day off, but Steve had just laughed as he walked out the door saying, “Whatever dude. See ya in the morning.”

“Computer, Jazz List 3,” Ben said to his voice recognition software. The computer beeped once, followed by the click of his office stereo system powering up. A few seconds later, a little Coltrane started playing “My Favorite Things” to keep Ben in a positive mood and grateful for all that he had accomplished instead of thinking about the day’s events.

Ben sat down in his office chair, closed his eyes and let his mind drift off as several songs played on. During a louder jazz trumpet solo, he started coming back to reality.  Adjusting to get comfortable, Ben slid his hands into his pockets as he leaned back into his chair.  His fingertips brushed against the jump drive he had put there with the files from Jerry’s computer. He sat up, opened his eyes and pulled the jump drive out of his pocket and spun it around his finger tips studying it intently. And then, he made a decision.

Ben pulled the JANICE box over to the computer, opened it all up and plugged everything in. With more than just batteries powering the gizmo, a little more activity occurred. Specifically with the vials and several more indicator lights flickered into life.

Ben stared for a moment, both fascinated by what Jerry had made and with wonder at what the hell it was.

Plugging in his jump drive to the computer, he started copying the JANICE folder to his hard drive. After a moment or two, the few gigabytes of files finished copying. Coltrane’s “Impulse” began playing on the stereo as Ben sifted through the files and found one that seemed to be the main program file and double-clicked.

A screen popped up with Ben’s company logo and the phrase, “ Jerry’s Artificial Neurologic Intelligent Crossover Entity.”

JANICE.

Clever.

The screen filled with over two dozen control screens all busily measuring various activities. One control panel flashed several times with controls for volume, pitch, tone. Coltrane stopped and a series of melodius scales and tones played across the stereo.

What the hell?

“Thank you. It was awfully dark in here,” a woman’s voice resonated through the speakers as lights flickered from the dark box with JANICE’s name on it.

“Janice?” Ben asked enthralled and mystified.

“Yes. Are you Ben Ashmore?” JANICE asked.

Completely stunned, Ben replied, “Yes. How did you know that?”

“I am currently connected to a computer with that name associated as the current user. I therefore concluded that since you are the only person in the room, that you must be Ben,” she stated simply. Her voice was very realistic with only a hint of a mechanical tinge and the occasional word inflection seemed off.

“Impressive,” he muttered.

“Thank you, Ben. And, again, thank you for rescuing me from the darkness. Jerry doesn’t usually close the case that way,” she paused, “Where is Jerry, Ben?”

The office phone rang. It was Terri. “Hold on for a moment, Janice. I have to take this phone call. Is that alright with you?” He shook his head wondering why he asked permission.

“Of course, Ben. This is your office, after all. I’ll turn off my input to give you some privacy,” Janice said.

“Thank you, that is very thoughtful,” Ben blinked several times, still in awe. One of the control panels marked ‘input’ suddenly had all it’s sliders drop to zero.

I hit the speaker button, “Hi baby. Are you on the way to the restaurant?”

“You betcha, sexy man. How is everyone doing with what happened with Jerry today? How are YOU doing?” Terri asked sympathetically.

“This has got to have been one of the strangest days ever,” he said, looking at his screen and the JANICE box.

“Yeah, well, no one passed away at my office, but we had a set-back I’ll tell you about later. So, just go ahead and scoot out of that office downstairs and I’ll pick you up. I actually got out quite a bit early from the University and knew you’d need some extra lovin’ from your lady tonight.”

“You’re the best, woman. I know how much you love your robotics work. I need to power down some programs, how close are you?” he asked as he stood up and got ready to turn off the lights, stereo and power down the JANICE program.

“Just two blocks and turning onto…oh shit…!” and the line went dead.

“Terri?” Ben froze. An explosion sounded from outside and shook the windows.

Running to the window, Ben looked down onto the street where Terri’s car was crushed under a fuel truck. A fuel truck that was on fire.

He placed his hand on the glass with a sickening empty feeling of fear, pain, and truth at what the scene that lay below really. The only word that could escape Ben’s lips was, “no.”

“I’ve registered an accident nearby. Shall I call 911, Ben?” JANICE asked.

Chapter 3 | Pantone Cool Grey 3

© 2013 Eric Huber. Silicon(e) is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Jerry lay face down on his keyboard in a pool of blood. His finger stuck on the delete key and the computer making an annoying ticking sound as the cursor flashed on the blank screen.

The police and coroner had made their arrival at the small design company that focused on product design in all areas for living. Like many cutting-edge companies, they followed the business model much larger companies had set giving the employees 20% of their time to create whatever they wanted to create. Jerry had a fascination with Artificial Intelligence, learning systems and neuro-pathways.

His office space was a little apart from everyone, with a small divider for privacy, but still in a common area.

It had been his 20% day and he had ended up staying late. One of the staff, Sarah, had found him at his desk when she went searching for the annoying ticking sound. At first she thought he was sleeping. When her shrill scream got everyone’s pre-double-shot espresso hearts beating, everyone knew the day was off to a different start.

The coroner on-site stated that Jerry somehow had fluid in his lungs, like pneumonia, and had eventually started coughing up blood (as there was also blood spatters on his hand and tissues in the trash). However, they were confused at how rapidly he had succumbed.

After police and detectives had finished and the ambulance took him away, the owner, Ben Ashmore, gave the staff the day off and personally cleaned up the area so as not to upset the other employees.

As he cleaned, he noticed a cable with blood on it that must have been disconnected before Jerry died. It led to a small closed case with the name “JANICE” on it. Ben opened the case and discovered Jerry’s pet project. It was filled with circuit boards and vials of liquid and some other material and which had wires connected to them. There was a power cord going to it, but it was unplugged, but a battery pack mounted in the case provided power as a few indicator lights had flickered on.

He cleaned off the wires, wrapped the cables up tucking them carefully inside the case, and nearly closing it all up, though the wires blocked it from closing completely.

With the desk area basically cleaned, Ben logged into Jerry’s computer and got ready to back up the files to the main server. On the desktop, however, he noticed a folder named “JANICE.” Ben decided to move the files to a jump-drive he always carried and check them out later. With that completed, he packed up all Jerry’s personal belongings, picked up all of the company information and contacted Steve the office manager.

Steve went ahead and had the computer wiped, furniture removed, and space re-decorated with plants and a water feature by the end of the day. While they didn’t want to be insensitive and remove any trace of him from they office, the idea that any other employee would ever use Jerry’s desk again would be asking too much.

After making sure the police had contacted Jerry’s family, Ben called them himself and gave his condolences.

Chapter 2 | Pantone 137

© 2013-2019 Eric Huber. Silicon(e) is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.