Susanne, while working, took a break and noticed the date on the calendar.

  “Happy Birthday, Father!” she exclaimed over a virtual connection.

  “Thank you, Sue … I feel like I haven’t aged a day.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Susanne glanced at a family photo with the corner of her eye, frowned, and nervously smiled.

  “What’s wrong, Sue?”

  “Oh … I just keep wondering.”

  “Wondering what?”

  “Why you left …”

  — — — —

  He had finally lain there after prior attempts with a self-inflicted laser blast.

  “No, Father!” Susanne rushed, not to call emergency services, instead, she placed a neural headset on him and proceeded with the duplication.