Barbie and Ken, a Modern Love Story Ch. 04

"You're wrong!" This part of the story was physically painful. "Jack never backed down from organ donation. It was the doctors who kept claiming your father was too sick; no surgeon wanted to risk him not surviving long term, because no one believed him enough to try."

Jack was by my side when I went into labor. He held my baby before anyone else; before me, before Ken. Over the next year, we fell in love. We raised Becca together, as a family.

"Is that why you married him on the anniversary of Dad's death?"

"Your father-"

"He told you it was fine, he said you shouldn't blame yourself for his death. I believe he even wished you well. Father was so kind, wanted you to have all the joy and happiness in the world with your new lover; his distant cousin, the scumbag soldier who conned his way into your bed! Father didn't blame you, but I did." Becca's voice changed, shifting from her childish tone to the menacing adult version. "I do. You robbed me of my real father. Do you even remember how he died?"

"He ate his gun." At least that's what the police told me. Jack had been the one to find the body.

"Oh, you do remember. Well, you can dwell on your memories for the remainder of your pitiful exist-

-end Transmission -

Dec 2455, the preceding information was drafted by Barbra-Ann Mercer, my biological mother. I'm somewhat impressed, given her lack of formal education, and the fact that she's nothing more than a copy of a copy of a brain in a box. Not only did this version of human consciousness manage to keep a detailed journal of her emotions; physical, emotional and even sexual. But she somehow managed to post the story to a primitive version of the world wide web. How quaint.

Oh well, on to trial number four, maybe this time the parameters will work. Maybe this time she'll do what needs to be done, and we can move on with the next stage of the project.

Memo from the desk of Rebecca Lynn Mercer, Brigadier General, US Military.