CHAPTER 38
One year later, the baby floated in a rocking psychedelic crib. Above it was a Day-Glo mobile, rimmed by holograms of the 1960s. A hologram of Old Tom sat next to Allison and Jake, who were adorned in hippie garb, toking on a joint while Laurie's hologram balled Jimi Hendrix. The holograms of the Lime Sausage were on a stage modeled from the one at Woodstock, about to play their next song. During the past year, Jake and Allison we able to have their 60’s friends visit the future, but they preferred to live in the past, at least for the time being. Jake had perfected their holograms, so it was like they had never left.
Jake's 2069 friends Gilbert and Samantha, although they hated the sixties and Woodstock crap, as Gilbert called it, we're doing a decent job tolerating the evening. They were smiling occasionally when Gilbert cracked a joke. Steve was extraordinarily pleased, carrying a pair of boots and dragging another rat bastard away.
Just as the Lime Sausages began performing a psychedelic version of the Beatles’ “IN MY LIFE, “ Steve returned, not grinning like a mobster after a fresh lucrative kill, but like a psychopath who had temporarily tapped into genuine feelings. He brought the real Old Tom, George, Bill, Kurt, and Laurie, practically straddling Steve. The Lime Sausages joined their holograms on stage and sang.
There are places I remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more
When "In My Life" finished, an elderly man screamed loudly, "End Virtual Reality Son's program," Pop looked around at his wife, who, like him, was exactly as she was portrayed in Jake's virtual reality family. Nothing disappeared, not Jake, Allison, the baby, or their friends or the sixties holograms. The Lime Sausages broke into another song.
Mom scolded Pop, “You said you got the house computer fixed!”
“I thought I did. But the damn thing has a mind of its own.”
"Let's wait outside for the kids and then get out of here. You know they won't be happy." Then, just as has she finished speaking Flash, their dog scampered in and started barking and trying to bite the virtual reality holograms.
“Too late,” Pop said.
Billie entered, “Not this again!”
Janis strode in and immediately yelled in frustration. “I’m out of here,”
Jake arrived and threw his hands up in disgust. "Not this again!
“I just said that,” Billie interjected.
“I didn’t hear you; the music is so damn loud!"
“That’s the first sensible thing you said in years! And whose music is it?" Pop pointedly asked, staring at Jake.
“I told you to scrap this antique computer months ago!” Jake fired back.
“Is Mr. Big shot going to pay for it?”
“Will you guys cut that out!” Mom screamed over them and the music.
“Now you got Janis upset,” Billie said and shook his head disparagingly.
“Us! It’s always us!” Pop and Jake yelled at the same time as if of one mind.
Janis turned and burst into tears.
"See what you did to her!" Mom spoke, looking directly at Pop.
“Me! It was his stupid hippy program!”
Mom turned to Jake. “You’re both to blame.”
“I’ll pay to fix the damn thing!”
“With what? Your good looks!”
Janis started crying louder. Flash ran around growling, barking, and trying to bite the holograms and accidentally bit Pop, who screams, "I'll kill that dog!"
“End Virtual family, “Allison said as she walked in carrying a two-year-old dressed in an androgynous outfit with Jake right behind her. All the virtual reality images, including his family, disappeared. Instead, the area transformed into a comfortable living room with a few enhanced pieces of furniture resembling sixties decor.
"Steve is right; no sense fixing the thing. It's better than a watchdog! With this commotion going on, no one will break in. Other than mixing up holograms and memories when it's left alone, it responds perfectly!
"Amazingly, Tracy is asleep" Looking at the infant, now proud that they had given birth to a hermaphrodite. "What do you say? First, we smoke some weed, I'll order food, and then we will chill out listening to music, and after that, we can…." Allison said softly and seductively, letting Jake's mind finish her sentence.
“Far fucking out!’
“The Doors, please, but give me a minute.”
“Right on.”
The couch rose to engulf him, and the lights dimmed; a few three-dimensional blacklight posters appeared and hovered in the background. A large, freshly lit joint drifted into Jake's hand just as Allison arrived.
“Okay, I’m back.”
"House computer. Play the doors." They both inhaled. Before they could exhale, a half-dozen boxes of pizza floated in and opened, displaying a wide variety of toppings. They reached for the pizza and giggled as Jim Morrison and the Doors' "Love Me Two Times" blasted from everywhere.
“Love me two times, baby
Love me twice today
Love me two times, girl
I'm goin' away."
Love me two times, girl
One for tomorrow
One just for today
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Love me one time
I could not speak
Love me one time
Yeah, my knees got weak
But love me two times, girl
Last me all through the week
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Oh, yes
Love me one time
I could not speak
Love me one time, baby
Yeah, my knees got weak
But love me two times, girl
Last me all through the week
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Love me two times, babe
Love me twice today
Love me two times, babe
'Cause I'm goin' away
Love me two times, girl
One for tomorrow
One just for today
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
Love me two times
I'm goin' away
THE END (I THINK)