I’m prefacing this story by letting you know this was my submission to ANVIL Issue #5, which you can find in the link below—if you don’t know about ANVIL then take a look and see if it peaks your interest!
Even though this didn’t get accepted, I’m happy with what I created. It took multiple drafts and got under the eye of a couple of people who very kindly reviewed it for edits, so there was some amount of effort to refine it. It’s possible I could resubmit, but I think it’s time to move on from this one and create something new. Enjoy!
Dinner was rarely over when the food ran out, even though part of him didn’t want it to end. Empty plates held the memory of food, as the cups did with their drink, but the soul of the meal was in conversation. And there would be plenty of conversation at this dinner—Tanner DeCarte was certain of it. The four others had already reclined politely as he still nursed a few soft peas and chicken from the re-hydrated stew. They would not keep silent for long. His mother surely wouldn’t stand him stalling any longer, and his older sister Charlie had her elbow on the table to clap her mouth from laughing. There would be no escaping tonight.
In Tanner’s apartment on Gamlen Avenue there was only room for one table in its living space, its top made of a bleached synthetic rubber mass-printed for all the units in the building. He hadn’t had time to decorate more intentionally, which meant they avoided eye contact with the S7 noise dampener in the middle of the table. It was boxy and had too many wires protruding to look anything less than a mess. Next time Tanner would see about getting its cover from his crotchety neighbor, but for now he reached across the table and turned its dial until the traffic noise outside died down completely.
His mother, Yvette, watched him with the slightest scowl she was capable of making. He could almost sense when she was upset about a thing from a quick glance at her otherwise placid expressions. This was made doubly apparent by her choice of casual dress. Yvette had chosen to be comfortable above formal, despite the requested special dinner to introduce his wife Honey, and he couldn’t place exactly why. The simple top and skirt were perfectly suitable, just without the regal flash and spark he knew she regularly wore. Yvette loved dragging his father to dinners and parties. She sent a clear message here: there would be nothing special about tonight.
Charlie couldn’t wait any longer and took advantage of the new silence to strike up conversation with Honey, and quickly asked his wife a question. Although unsuccessful at fishing out more from the prolonged glower by staring, Tanner caught Honey’s response.
“There were some paints I was eye’in recently, but I’ve got plenty of time after the house is settled and we get back to our lives from moving. I wouldn’t mind your help on the details, Yvette.” Honey smiled openly, although Tanner suspected she missed the undercurrent of inappropriately stiff politeness from a corner of the table.
“Nevermind about the house, it’ll sort itself. You must—must—tell me if you know anything about the maglev rails being put up between Hattenfield and Callem. Since you went to college there and everything,” Charlie continued. “It’s a passion of mine, one I’ve been keeping an eye on. I love going on the Minute rail to Pines, and there’s talk of getting one across the Attundran Sea. It’ll make for wonderful trips if they do. Will you take me over to Hattenfield sometime? Oh, you don’t have to, but let me know when you’ve got some time.”
“Would you find interest in these...rails, Honey?” Yvette interjected a little loudly, then lowering it after she received attention. “I believe there must be some design work available, yes? Within your expertise, I imagine.”
“Mother, please keep up, I already—…” Charlie started with a quick pout.
“Yes, Charlie asked me if I learned anything about it from college,” Honey recounted with a chuckle. “I don’t want to be a bore with the details, but Professor Fara made some advancements in super conductors while I was taking classes. I never studied under him, but it was an interesting read on the school’s Signal.”
“I knew it!” Charlie exclaimed. “Maybe with some luck you’ll get on with them. If you need any help in prepping a résumé, count me in.”
Honey blushed profusely. “Oh, I don’t know. Don’t do it on my account, of course. I think I would like…”
“Of course you will,” Yvette suddenly demanded. “Take Charlie over to Hattenfield and explore. It’ll leave plenty of time for you two to discuss the best way to approach the rail company. I insist.”
“It’s fine mom, Honey is quite alright for now. We’re already quite busy as it is. And you know Charlie has her own work to return to in Halton Rey tomorrow.”
Yvette directed her attention back to him. “Tanner, it’s better to stay busy and keep moving forward. It isn’t wrong for me to want Honey to get further ahead, is it? Dear, please tell me again what you do?”
She was too slippery though, and Honey answered before Tanner could put a stop to it. “I worked for the Jefferson’s Group before we moved, but you know...put in so we could…” Honey trailed off as she looked with confusion at Tanner.
“Then it sounds like it settled. You’ve nothing to do, and now I’ve put in what you can do next. Darling, Chandler, would you grab my handbag? Oh, nevermind dear, I left it by the door. I’ll look into my contacts from that place Hattenfield later.”
Tanner’s father knew not to get up. Not that Tanner ever saw his father incapable of anything, really, but it was her look of disdain underneath the years of genetic synthesizing which was enough to tell Tanner that Yvette wasn’t after her handbag. So they all sat still a moment as his father slipped into a more relaxed position, and they waited for the next move.
=============
Charlie was always her own person. Her tattoos included some precision-filled waves which created the illusion of water in motion, and was dazzling to see in person. She was proud of them, and wore clothes to show them and others off. Her simple dress was in stark contrast, yet did just that. It was a straight-toned red fabric Tanner knew she kept tucked away for seeing their parents.
Her lifestyle was one of constant motion, going from place to place and job to job. At least as long as Tanner could recall about her, that is. Charlie had sincerely vigorous energy to pursue whatever interested her. Tanner had never been able to keep up with her, and spent time at their parent’s home after he finished college to identify exactly what he wanted.
“Charlie, I just remembered I don’t have any Queen Christina reserve left. I meant to have some to end the night with, but we’ll have to wait until next time,” Tanner said, apologetically.
“It’s okay Tanner,” she replied with a laugh. “Maybe you’ve got something else around here? Any gin or…?”
“I’m afraid not. I haven’t had any drinks around in a while, now that you mention it.”
“Nothing? At all?” Charlie’s brow furrowed, puzzled.
“We can go without tonight, just tonight, can’t we?” Tanner joked lightly.
Yet that spirit of jovial fun was swept away as Charlie exchanged a look with Yvette. Something passed between them, and Charlie’s manner changed. Tanner didn’t know what—he’d never seen this happen before, and more concern encased him.
“Tanner, why did you invite us here tonight?” Charlie’s words were speared straight through him.
He stammered the words in his mind, Because I missed you, but he managed to clap the thought back in time. “Is something wrong? What’s going on?” He choked out.
Charlie cocked her head to the side, and sighed. “I asked you what’s up with bringing us here?” She had a way to get him to talk and do whatever she asked—exactly this way—by being soft after being hard. Tanner wasn’t a child any longer, though.
“I...I told you earlier,” he said, trying to sound exasperated. “You came here to meet my w—...my new wife.”
“And you think this was acceptable?” Yvette asked, joining in.
Tanner looked between Yvette and Charlie, confused, and then to his father. His father crossed his arms. “I don’t understand what that means.”
“Tanner…” Charlie began, and trailed off. Whatever was brewing was nearly boiled over, it seemed.
“I brought you all here. So we could be together again…” Tanner pleaded in a small voice. He now dreaded what could come next. He could end this whenever he wanted, but Tanner needed to know.
“But this place, it’s atrocious. Tanner look around you,” Charlie demanded, and then accused, “You live here.”
“You can do better than this, sweet Tanner. I instructed you better, didn’t I? We all barely fit around this small table. You have no space at all. If you needed help, your father and I can help you.” There was something insensitive about how Yvette talked, but Tanner couldn’t put a finger on what it was.
“Mother, I don’t need to ask for any help,” Tanner returned.
“You clearly do,” Charlie countered callously.
“Have it out then. What is the issue?” Tanner could wait no longer, and asked directly for the answer.
Yvette answered first. “Your father and I have a certain image. One that I worked hard to cultivate even before we were wed. You may never have understood that, Tanner, but I worked quite hard to place us well into prosperity. Maybe you were too young when I stopped working, so you missed how important it is to put in effort with all that you do. Maybe I should have done better to guide you with a more firm hand. This is unacceptable. The food is wrong—this worthless soup isn’t the best you could do. I’ve never seen you dress so poorly. It’s clear you stopped taking care of yourself. And above all, you wasted money to purchase this tiny apartment? Think about where your sister is! It’s about time you listened to us. We’ll undo all of...this, whatever mistakes you’ve made, and set you on the right path. You can do better. You deserve better. You will have better. Tanner, it will be so.”
Yvette waved her hands expressively at Tanner while speaking, and stared him down. Tanner confronted Charlie next.
“Charlie?”
“Tanner, something has happened to you, and I don’t like it. I just want the best for you, don’t you understand? There’s still plenty of time left in your life, you know? If it’s a job or direction, we can find it together. Whatever you need to get back on your feet. Just like we did when you were in school and we worked on those geometry problems together. It was so much fun, wasn’t it?”
Charlie looked briefly at Honey, stiffened, and then looked back at Tanner sadly.
“I love you, Tanner. Can you do that for me?”
Tanner understood now. He understand what this was about, what had been subtext to every action and every word the whole night.
“I love you too, Charlie.” Tanner paused. “Father...you too?”
His father sat up in his chair, his face suddenly less obscured. A soft nature came over him, and he nodded slightly. “Son, you should listen to your mother and sister.”
“Thank you. I think dinner is over now.” Tanner finished.
==============
Tanner calmly reached over his empty bowl to near the center of the table where an embedded button waited to shut off the Horizon AIP-440 model J. Charlie, Yvette, and his father’s image flickered with the static of an ancient computer screen, and the steady light of their holographic presence began to degrade until it turned off. The small dinner room fell into slight shadow without that additional light, and now only the warm yellow glow of a single globe overhead lit the room.
The device recreated his family’s presence through a combination of an image projector and a massive database of their videos, messages, and recordings. Family gatherings, holidays together, graduations, and everything he could think of was compiled and fed into an AI database to generate their likeness on command. He had signed onto Horizon’s products early on, as a way to tackle grief, and so often got his hands on the best they had to offer. If only his father had made more of an effort to be recorded, there would be more of his significant presence to draw from. Chandler was always in the background during these many dinners, and spoke so little.
Tanner resisted the rise of the unwelcome memory of his family’s early passing which threatened to distract him.
“Honey?” Tanner asked gently. He shifted in his seat to face her more fully.
“Yes, Tanner? I guess dinner is over now?” She was shaken by the sudden conclusion.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, please. I want to know.”
Honey took a moment to think before she responded. “I won’t say I fully understand what they were saying. They were very upset with you, both Charlie and your mom. What made them act that way? I’m just happy to be with you, wherever that is. Bless them, but it doesn’t seem like they really knew you at all, huh?” She laughed and smiled. Tanner couldn’t help chuckling too.
“It would have been nice to know them, to get to know them. Is that what they were really like? We had a nice time at first,” Honey said innocently.
“I know we keep having these dinners, Honey. You must be tired of them by now.”
“No...no no, sweetheart. This one was a bit harder on you, I think, but I’m okay.”
“Honey, I’ve always loved how good you are to me. I wish they had been up to the task of being equally as good to you. I finally get it now. It took me awhile, that’s all.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Did I miss something?”
There was a slight crack in his voice as Tanner began to explain. “You see...Charlie...and my mother...they didn’t really like you very much. They can act so polite all the time, and when I was young I never saw it. As I got older, I knew to pay closer attention to everything they did. They blame you for where we’re at now, and I just...I just never imagined they could be quite so cruel at times. I still love them, they’re my family. They’ll always be here if I need. But they very much hated you.” Tanner patted the table gently, and his eyes began to water.
“What could I have done differently?” Honey asked, her face fraught with concern.
“It’s okay Honey,” Tanner encouraged. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I was the one who missed family dinners. And now we know what the issue was. There’s nothing wrong with you. One advantage to the model J is we can try whatever we want. A short breakfast with my sister. I can call into Horizon and ask if they’ll remote install an option for simulating card games in the projection. Whatever we want, so you finally get a chance to be with my family. I still miss them terribly, after that painful accident.”
Honey shifted in her chair, and a certain amount of relief became palpable between them. The Horizon AIP-440 model J powered down fully, and left the table in even more quiet from the lack of its irritating whir sound.
“What next, sweetheart?” Honey asked.
Tanner smiled a little, and then rose very slowly from the table. He could barely straighten his back anymore, it had hurt so much. He was too old to be moving around for all the activities of today, to make his own dinner and set up the room just right. His eyes were tired now, and his voice had almost given out.
He wobbled to the end of the room to a sideboard crowded with pictures of Honey and him together. Their whole life was cataloged in these dozen photographs, with the rest saved away digitally. The rest home hadn’t let him keep too many things from his old home.
Tanner loathed having to shut down for the night, but he couldn’t keep his body going any longer. At least he had some small time to relive Honey in her chair at the dinner table. They were really there with him again, whenever he needed, contained in two small, boxed miracles.
Tanner switched off the AIP-532, the second of the AI devices, and watched as Honey disappeared and the room fell to perfect quietness.
That was a very good story. Well done
Wow! Powerful story. Very well done. So sorry it wasn’t accepted. Love you!