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#1
Old 06-17-2014, 03:10 AM

Jasmine only had to travel a few miles outside town to get to the little cottage. It was a single-floor thing that looked to have been built by hand over years, but kept in good condition. Until recently, however. It seemed the place was going to Hell, with an overgrown yard, ivy beginning to creep up the sides of the house, and the windows dark as if no one lived there. She puffed out a breath and shook her head, her dark brown dreads flipping over her shoulder as she stalked forward. She'd been calling for the past two days and no one was answering, and she was not only worried, but annoyed at her longtime friend for not giving her---or anyone---the time of day. Not even a moment to let anyone know he was okay. Which of course he wasn't, but she at least wanted to know if he was even alive.

Stopping outside the door, she shook her head again and slammed her hand into the door several times. "Alois! Open up! I didn't come out all this way to be ignored, you ass!" She huffed, closing her eyes and steadying her outburst. Then she spoke easier. "Alois, please, c'mon..." She tried the doorknob, surprised to find the door was unlocked, and it swung open easily. The hinges creaked gently, which gave the interior an eerie tone. Like a haunted house of sorts, or a place of the dead. It was cool inside, and dark, and the smell of alcohol hit her like a brick to the face. "Oh, come on..." She stepped in, her platformed boots toeing aside empty bottles. They were dark, completely drained wine bottles. Closing the door behind her, she flipped on the light and saw no sign of life in the living room. But there were similar bottles all over the place, even littering the furniture. All but one space. In the kitchen it was similar. There was spilled wine on the counters, near a couple wineglasses that looked to have been abandoned in favor of drinking right out of the bottle.

Leaving the kitchen, Jasmine walked down the hall. She first passed the spare bedroom, which wasn't used much, if by her from time to time. The bed was made, but there was a thin layer of dust on the furniture inside. She left that room, pausing to glance into the bathroom. Shockingly, there were two empty bottles on the side of the large bathtub too. "Alois..." The sight broke her heart, and it just seemed to get worse. She was terrified of what she'd find in the last rooms, so she couldn't move.

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#2
Old 06-17-2014, 03:23 AM

He still wasn't there. No matter how much Alois slept, how much he drunk... He couldn't bring Sam back. The man he had fallen for, the man he had married and started a life with. The man that died in his arms as he tried everything in his power to keep him alive. He sniffed, his eyes rarely dry nowadays, especially when his thoughts fell back on Sam. The man he had loved... He rolled over in his bed, an empty bottle of wine rolling off the mattress and onto the carpeted floor. His bed was lower to the ground than usual, it had helped Sam get in and out easier, as the man had been paralysed from the waist down.

Photos hung on the walls around him, happy faces which hurt him to look at. It had been days since he had left his bed and his stomach protested the mainly liquid diet he had been forcing himself to consume. Maybe he could die from alcohol poisoning. Then he could see Sam again. He covered his face with the clothes he had been sleeping next to. They smelt like him. He buried his face deeper within the folds, pausing when he could have sworn he heard someone knocking at the door. Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He had forced himself to remain by himself while he mourned the passing of his lover, even though such seclusion would usually drive others to insanity. Alois had always been a loner, and had few friends. Sam had said he was loyal, like a dog.

He heard a voice and it sounded like it was coming from within his house. Was he hearing things? He rolled out of bed and struggled to his feet. It was hard to keep balance as he was probably drunk. He wasn't sure when the last time he had been sober was. He wore old pyjamas, stained with sweat, tears and God knows what else. He thought about getting dressed, but decided against it, stumbling from his room and finding a familiar face standing in his hallway.

"Jasmine? Whadya doin'?" his accent was masked by a drunken slur, his usual serious and silky voice harsh from misuse.

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#3
Old 06-17-2014, 03:37 AM

When she heard something thump, sounding hollow and glassy, Jasmine could have sworn that her stomach dropped. It felt so haunted in here, mainly because she just wasn't used to it being so... empty and dark. Quiet. It used to feel so warm here, kept clean and homey and smelling fresh. She had loved coming here. Now... Nothing was right. It was all... strange. Alien. She turned to the last door to the left and gasped when it opened to Alois' familiar face. "Damn it, you bastard, you scared the hell out of me!" She hit the wall beside her. "And not only that, you look awful!" She made a face at the terrible smell clinging to the man, since he normally kept himself wonderfully groomed. His blonde hair was matted and dirty, clinging to his head, his eyes bloodshot and watery.

"What are you doing..." Jasmine sighed. "... I swear, Alois... Since... it happened... Why don't you talk to me?" She was, after all, one of his closest friends. Alois was sweet, but now... he looked broken. Like a loyal dog---something Sam always called him---abandoned by his owner. Some ugly side of her thought that maybe he had been.

"Al, you have to get out of this house. You have to see the sun for once since it happened for God's sake." She narrowed her green eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Damn it, Al... I can't stand seeing you like this. Move." She stalked forward, shouldering past him and into the room he seemed to spend most of his time in. Some of Sam's clothes were crumpled on the bed, as if he had been clinging to them as he slept. "Shit..." She blinked hard, then turned to the closet, peering inside. "I'm dragging you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to, Al. It's not fucking healthy."

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#4
Old 06-17-2014, 03:48 AM

"Whad... Whadya on 'bout?" Alois turned to watch her walk into his room. She seemed mad. Why was she mad? How could she be angry at him for hurting so bad? He staggered a bit and fell on his bed. "Dun wanna go out. Stay 'ere with... With Sammy..." He curled up in the bed, imagining his husband lying next to him. He snuggled into the clothes, the smell bringing tears to his eyes. "Dun come in 'ere... Sayin' stuff... You dun know nothin'. 'Ow it hurts..." He started to cry again, covering his face with Sam's pillow.

"I miss 'im so much... Jaz... I miss him... I want to die... Let me die so I can see him again..." His sobs were muffled by the pillow. He felt pathetic. He had been Sam's rock, silent and cool while Sam needed to vent, or needed to talk about how bad he hurt. But now Alois was the one that hurt, and it hurt so much he couldn't bear it. "Jaz... Sammy... Why did 'e... I... Why couldn't I save him...?" He cried harder, hating himself. It was his fault. He couldn't save the man he loved. He had tried, but it wasn't good enough. He swore in French, pulling at his hair and gritting his teeth as sadness became anger once more.

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#5
Old 06-17-2014, 04:03 AM

The prickling sensation in her eyes only left when she forced it away with sheer will. Damned if she would cry here, and now, with Alois feeling the way he did. Like his heart had been ripped out and shoved through a grinder. She breathed in when he went to lie down again, and followed, smoothing her layered skirt to sit on the edge of the bed beside him. "Sweetie, I'm not saying you shouldn't hurt." She bent down, brushing hair out of her friend's face. "I'm not saying to get over it but... damn, babe, you can't waste away in here. I won't let you. I've been calling and calling, I thought you were dead too! And you know what?" She clasped his face between her hands. "I'll be damned if I lose two friends. I won't do it. I just won't, you got that?"

She bit her tongue, focusing on the physical pain while the wave of despair willed itself out, then she grabbed the scruff of Alois' shirt and hauled him into a sitting position, putting her arms around him. "Ain't saying you can't cry, either. But... I don't think he'd be wanting you to sit here, ruining yourself. Just 'cause you couldn't save him... Sweetie, it was terminal. There was no cure. You know that. Your colleagues know that. Sammy knew that. I don't think he'd like you doing what you're doing." She sighed and looked at the bedside table. There was a tall box sitting under one of the lamps, dark, shining red wood lined with brass and locked with a simple lock. The ashes inside were all that was left of the physical Sam. "You can't keep staring at that. It'll ruin you."

She stood and forced Alois to stand, supporting him where she could. She was a strong, stout girl, surprising to anyone that didn't know her. She could lift Sam easily while he was still around. "Now. Al, please. Please find some clothes. I want you to at least come outside with me. I'm gonna go in your bathroom and I'm gonna run a warm bath for you; you smell like the Devil's landfill." She squeezed him, stepping back and out of the room. Once she was in the hall, Jasmine allowed a few tears to fall.

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#6
Old 06-17-2014, 04:11 AM

Jasmine was a sweet girl and Alois secretly tahnked her, even though he didn't want to leave his room. He wanted to lie in bed with memories of Sam, with the smell of him nearby. He knew it probably sounded weird, but it helped him. It helped him remember the man he had loved, because more than anything else, he was afraid he'd forget. He'd forget all the good stuff and just remember the night Sam died and how he had looked as his last breath left his body.

He heard Jasmine clattering some bottles as she cleared the bath in order to run the hot water. He had been selfish. He had made her worry. What would Sam say? He shook his head slightly and got to his feet, almost losing his balance as he went to his dresser. He pulled out some fresh clothes, his eyes lingering on the container that held Sam. Once a beautiful man and now a pile of ashes in a container. And memories that made him laugh, made him cry... He sniffed and almost fell out of the room, empty wine bottles rolling out into the hall with him. He had emptied the wine cellar he had built. Being French, Alois had always enjoyed a glass of wine in the evenings. It disgusted him to think about drinking so many bottles in one go. How could he have fallen so far?

He came to the bathroom and mumbled a thanks to Jasmine, not sure if she had even heard him.

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#7
Old 06-17-2014, 04:29 AM

Jasmine had to shift the bottles, which bothered her. Just how deep had Alois been in the bottle recently? How devastated was his poor liver? It was probably on the verge of suicide, just like her dearest friend. As the water was ran, Jasmine sat on the edge of the bath and buried her face in her hands. She missed Sam too. She had been the shoulder Alois was leaning on when they had to go through the funeral. It was the worst experience of her life, and she never wanted another. Not so soon. Not when she might stumble upon Alois dead from some form of overdose or self-mutilation that she could have stopped. She was steeling herself for her proposal when Alois came in with an armful of clothes, and she hesitated, brushing her hands over her eyes quickly and sniffing. "Yep." She felt her voice was showing her emotion too much. The nasally sound, the sniffle. "I'm giving you fifteen minutes, then I'm barging in, got it?" She stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her and sighing.

It felt so stuffy in here. She flipped on the lights in the hall and went to work, grabbing the large trash can from the kitchen and dragging it around with her, picking up bottles and throwing them in, some shattering on impact and the rest clinking against the others. She hated how full it felt when she dragged it outside to dump into the other trash. She didn't bother releasing the trash can. She glanced into the kitchen and grabbed all the rotten food that Alois had abandoned, apparently, beyond the bare minimum necessary to keep alive, and threw it away too, scrubbing the floors, the shelves of the refrigerator, the sink of dishes and the dust off the surfaces wherever she found it. She used cloth cleaning supplies on the furniture and curtains in each room, then paused at the bed in Alois' room.

Carefully, Jasmine gathered the clothing Sam wore, setting it on the dresser nearby, along with the pillow that still had a few of his hairs on the cream-colored cover. She left that there, but pulled up the overused, dirty fitted sheet and balled it up, replacing it, then replacing Sam's clothes and pillow where they were. Sighing, she dusted herself off and went into the living room again, sitting on the newly clean armchair and curling herself up. If Alois didn't agree to this, she didn't know what she could do to help him. The poor thing was inconsolable, and had been since he had watched the life drain from their Sammy's eyes. When he had told her, she hadn't burst into tears in front of him. But she had when she finally got home. She bit into her knuckle as repressed sobs tried to crawl their way out of her throat.

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#8
Old 06-17-2014, 10:16 AM

Alois stripped once Jasmine was out of the room, stepping into the hot bath cautiously before sinking into the warmth. How long had it been since he had had a relaxing bath? He hadn't cleaned himself in such a long time. Sam would be upset to see him not taking care of himself. He closed his eyes and sunk lower into the water, so his head was just on the surface. His thoughts went to Sam again. His husband. The man he loved. Alois had never believed in a God, or an afterlife at all. But now he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe his lover was near him now, watching over him lovingly, caressing him...

He stopped himself before his desperation took a hold of him. He wouldn't resort to touching himself. Not when Jasmine was nearby and waiting for him to be finished in the bath. He cleaned his hair and body, screwing his nose up at the dirt that came off him. He heard Jasmine banging about and wondered what she was doing. He got out of the bath, drying himself and dressing in his usual brown pants and jacket before leaving the bathroom. He stood in the hallway, blinking at how much cleaner his house looked. And brighter. It was almost as if Sam was home again. He went past his room, happy to see she hadn't removed the clothes from his bed.

"Why... What are you up to... Jaz?" he asked, not feeling as sloshed as he had before his bath. "I... I'm sorry if I worried you... I've been selfish... I just... I don't know what to do anymore... Without... Without him..."

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#9
Old 06-17-2014, 08:34 PM

Jasmine was staring out the window. She was thinking about going outside to take care of the unkept yard and the ivy that had begun to grow, but decided against it. The house seemed so much brighter now, like it used to be, but it was missing a voice. It needed its other owner back, and not just in a little cherrywood box. That saddened her to no end, and when she heard a door open, she stood and walked across the room, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I know you miss him... I miss him too, and his family does too. I know it's so much harder for you though. C'mon." She pulled him into the living room and into a chair, then stepped into the bathroom to find a brush. When Jasmine returned, she didn't ask permission; she started running it through his hair.

"It'll just hurt worse if you keep locked up in here. And there's no way, no way I'm losing you too. Your friends miss you, Alois, and so do your colleagues. We all want you back." She went quiet for a time, then continued. "You know where I work. Designing replicants for people. I've been talking to Riley about how you're doing; we want you to have one for no charge."

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#10
Old 06-18-2014, 01:03 AM

Alois sighed and sat on a couch, grimacing at the light that made his eyes hurt. The gardens looked appalling. He hadn't been one to tend to them, but Sam loved gardening in his spare time. Alois almost expected to see him sitting outside, weeding the garden. He blinked away tears before they could start up again. He looked to Jasmine as she spoke, knowing the subject would rise. He just couldn't deal with it right then. Sam's family had wanted to have one made, a synthetic replica, a robot with all the memories and personality of the deceased. Alois didn't want it. Because Sam was closer to him, and as it was stated in the man's will, Alois would have final say about making a synthetic double of Sam.

"Jaz, please... You know... I... I just can't... It won't be him. I... I can't replace him with something that's supposed to be him..." He shook his head, glaring at his friend. "In his will, it stated that he was neither willing nor against the idea. He said it was up to me in the end... And I still say no."

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#11
Old 06-18-2014, 01:18 AM

Jasmine shook her head hard, going back behind Alois to hide the frustrated and sad tears that threatened to fall. She knew how hard it was for Alois, the state of his home and his body had been evidence of that. But he wasn't the only one hurting. Jasmine had managed to bite it all back in front of him so he didn't feel worse, but now... She breathed in hard, working the brush through a particularly hard knot. "Alois, damn it... You don't know that, okay? You don't know if it'll be easier. He'll be just like Sam. Just like him. He'll have Sam's personality, his likes and dislikes, and he'll love you the way Sam always loved you. It's just not healthy to sit here. Sit here and poison yourself and watch your whole life just fall away to nothing."

Striding around the chair, Jasmine set down the brush and knelt in front of Alois. "I. Will. Not. Stand aside and let you do nothing. I will NOT. I won't watch you kill yourself. You won't go to therapy, you won't even call me. And I'm one of your closest friends. You need someone. You need Sam. I can't bring those ashes back to human, but I can give you someone you know. And you love. And he'll be your Sam. And I'll have both of my family back." She paused, breathing in shakily. "Please, pleeease, Alois, you're all I have. I can't watch you die."

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#12
Old 06-18-2014, 08:49 AM

"Please... Jaz... I just..." He was afraid. Afraid that the replacement Sam would be too different and they would have to turn it off. He couldn't lose Sam again... "I'm not going to kill myself... I'll..." He closed his eyes, tears starting to fall again. "I know he was your friend too. I know how close you two were... I'm just... Not ready... I'm afraid... Afraid of replacing my husband... Jaz, he's only been gone for a month!"

He opened his eyes again and was shocked to see his friend crying. Off course she'd be emotional, but he had never seen her cry before. She was a lot stronger than any one he knew. He sighed and glared out the window. Having Sam back... Would it help or hurt? What would the real Sam think? Alois remembered how they once discussed synthetic replacements. Sam had said it was interesting and he wasn't opposed to the idea. "I... Don't want to lose him again..."

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#13
Old 06-18-2014, 06:31 PM

Jasmine sniffed and paused to wipe her eyes. She could understand his hesitations, of course. When someone came in to find a replicant that was just like their departed, they worried that it would seem to be some fake robot or encounter some kind of issue that had nothing to do with a human whatsoever. But in fact, the replicant would have all the previous memories of the one it was replacing. The same voice, the same mannerisms, the same personality down to a T.

"You won't lose him again, Alois." Jasmine said, soberly. "He'll be just like your---our---Sam. He'll talk like Sam, look like Sam, feel, smell, be Sam. Replicants are more human than you think, Alois. Once you give me the DNA, I'll be able to bring him back from the dead looking and feeling amazing, and he won't want you to feel bad. Remember when you two were talking about working on technology to possibly replace his legs someday? He was curious about it but didn't want to change if you didn't want him to. That little bit of him will still be there. And he'll love you as strongly as he ever did." She paused to take a breath, steeling herself. If anything she wanted to see Sam again. She wanted to see him, hear him and hug him as much as Alois, though he probably didn't know how much she was hurting as well. Jasmine had always been good at hiding her more emotional pain.

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#14
Old 06-21-2014, 03:08 AM

"I just... I... I don't know... Jaz... I..." Alois had of course thought about it. He had the pamphlets hidden away under his mattress, had looked it up on his computer. He had spent a week trying to decide if he should do it. Replicants weren't cheap, but he was certain because Jasmine worked in the factory that produced them, she'd offer one for cheap. But he didn't want to ask her. He didn't want her to get offended that he wanted to replace Sam. Then he managed to convince himself that Sam wouldn't have wanted it, wouldn't have wanted to be replaced by a robot.

"Jaz... Just let me... Think about it... I... I want him back more than anything in the world but... I... I just don't know. What if he's different? What if he... I..." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Fine. We'll do it. But if anything is wrong with him and we have to kill him... You know I won't be able to handle it..."

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#15
Old 06-21-2014, 03:19 AM

Jasmine bit her lips, breathing in slowly to keep her voice calm. But it didn't stop her eyes from stinging painfully and threatening yet again to spill tears she'd been hiding for too long. "Sweetie, listen to me." She crouched down more comfortably, grasping Alois's hands in hers tightly. "I'll personally make sure he isn't going to be different. He'll be just like Sam in every single way, no matter what. I'm gonna be sure of that. I won't let it be any different, hear me? You know why? Because if we have to kill him, I'll be losing him all over again too and I don't wanna do that again either."

She stood and put her hands on her hips. "Now. I want you to get me some of his hair. There's some on his pillow still, I checked when I cleaned your room. It needs to have DNA on the end, okay? I'm gonna do this on my dime, because it means too much to both of us to make you spend anything to get your soulmate back." She stepped back and reached into one of the dull-pink patches on her skirt. "I'm gonna call Harvey, he'll expect us to arrive soon. I don't want you to think this is like making some little project, okay? This is our Sam. Your Sam we're bringing back." She stepped away, leaving the house and dialing a number from memory onto her phone.

As she waited for Harvey to answer, she started peeling away ivy that had begun growing on the cottage.

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#16
Old 06-21-2014, 03:38 AM

Alois sat on the chair for a long time, before finally getting to his feet and going to his room. The replicants only took a day to make. Then they would be on stand-by mode until activated. Alois would make sure Sam was as he was before he got sick. He didn't want Sam to remember the painful illness that eventually took his life. This meant cleaning up the house and making it as if he had never left. He'd have to hide the ashes that sat on his bedside table.

He went to his room and looked on Sam's pillow, finding a few strands of hair that weren't his. He placed them carefully in a small empty pill bottle he had nearby. He then went outside, blinking in the sunlight. It had been so long since he had left his house. The gardens Sam had loved so much were dying and overgrowing. How would he explain the month's absence? Maybe they could create a false memory. That they had gone on a holiday... He found Jasmine, watching her from a distance talking on the phone.

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#17
Old 06-21-2014, 03:50 AM

Jasmine sighed and ended her call. Harvey had sounded sympathetic. He didn't like the thought of losing money, but didn't like the thought of seeing his best employee so dejected more. She glanced up and spotted Alois, and it spurred her forward. "You look pale." She said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "And just... Gods... Come on, sweets, we're gonna go." She led him forward, a hand around his arm. "Harvey's gonna let us do this free, okay? No fee for either of us."

She led Alois to her car, a low-riding thing she had built herself. It had wheels that raised and lowered with the terrain and could handle even soft ground. She more or less stuffed him into the passenger side, going around to get behind the wheel.

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#18
Old 06-27-2014, 01:49 AM

"Already...?" Alois wished he had more time to clean up the house and think about the decision he had made. But he was whisked away into Jasmine's car before he could even begin to turn back on his decision. He sat in the passenger side of the car, rubbing the stubble on his chin and staring out the window. They would be going to the city, to a facility right next to the famous Steamgear University. Alois had tried to study there, but found himself uninterested in any of the three studies provided.

He went to another school, one that taught human biology and became a doctor. It was there he met Sam, and they had quickly fallen in love with each other. Sam was a paraplegic, but that didn't stop Alois' love for the man. They married after they graduated and bought a little cottage just out of the city in the country. Alois thought they would live together for the rest of their days, but Sam grew sick.

He blinked away tears as he thought of his husband's illness. It was hard seeing him so sick and not being able to help. He tried everything he knew to save Sam, but the man still died. It was Alois' fault. There had to be something he could have done better.

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#19
Old 06-27-2014, 03:04 AM

Jasmine pulled her hair back tightly and put it in a high ponytail. She started the vehicle and it vibrated to life, then started its gentle glide away from the house. She glanced sideways to Alois and sighed silently. "Sweetie, whatever you're thinking about, stop it. It's not worth it. You need to be happy for Sam, okay? He needs his Alois, and you best pull it together for the both of you." She narrowed her eyes at him, then trained them on the road. It quickly became a two-lane road, then merged onto a larger street that led into the city. She rested her elbow in front of the window, running her hand over her hair. She washed it every two days, used beeswax to make it hold its form so she didn't have to bother with it afterward. Jasmine wasn't an average female, in which she worked only with men so she had some people to relate to. Then she'd found Alois and Sam, about a year before they got married, and actually cried at the wedding. After that she knew they were going to be the best friends she could ever find.

They slid silently into town, joining the usual late-morning rush here and there. They found their way by the university and their series of golden statues on the campus, then to the massive warehouse-like building beside it. A large amount of parking was reserved for the front of the building, though not many vehicles were there at any given time. The vehicle belonging to the Replicant Overseer was rarely moved unless he had Jasmine around. She pulled into the parking lot and coasted to a stop beside her boss's car. "Here we are." She turned the vehicle off and turned to face Alois.

"Tomorrow, you'll have Sam back." She said. Her voice was full of promise, like there was nothing else in the world she believed in more than that. "He'll be your Sam, you got it? All yours. Just the way he always was. Now let's go, we're gonna meet Adam in front." She opened her door to the warm air, and stepped out.

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#20
Old 07-03-2014, 03:09 AM

Alois hesitated. Part of him was telling him it was a bad idea, that he should just ask to be taken back home. It just couldn't be possible. To have his Sam back from the dead. Surely the replicant would be different? Maybe it would remind him too much of the real Sam and make him hurt even more.

He exited the car, hugging himself even though it was warm. He glanced about the streets with bloodshot eyes. It had been a long time since he had been in public, let alone the city. The last time would have been when he attended Sam's funeral. He shook his head. He shouldn't think like this... He didn't want to break down again. He shivered as they walked towards the large building. People were built in there. That was all Alois could think as they were met by Adam.

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#21
Old 07-03-2014, 03:25 AM

Jasmine grasped Alois by the arm and kept him close; it reminded her of Sam's funeral, when she clung to him on one side and Adam had her by the other arm. But this wasn't a sad day. It wasn't a loss---it was a return. She and Alois and Adam and everyone else would see their Sam again and it'd be soon. As they entered the facility, they were faced with white. White walls, floors, ceiling, and an information desk that stretched to the left. Adam left the desk and came to them, grasping Jasmine and pulling her into a one-armed hug.

"Hey, Alois." Adam smiled. "Doing okay?" He got a pinch in the side from Jasmine and yelped. "Ah! Okay, okay, well, ah, come on downstairs with us then... Ow... Um, Tanner has everything set up." He gestured to the large elevator doors across the room.

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#22
Old 07-07-2014, 09:50 PM

It had been a long time since he had seen his friend Adam. The man seemed just as awkward as ever, and it brought a small smile to his lips. They went together down to where the offices were, where Adam pulled out multiple forms and paperwork. Alois frowned, but filled everything out as Jaz helped him. He had everything done in only a few minutes, handing the papers back to Adam and biting his lip. As Adam went through them, he turned away and covered his face, feeling uncertainty wash over him. When he was asked if he was ok, he nodded and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"I just... I just..." He couldn't think of anything to say, so just stared at his feet, defeated. Adam looked to Jasmine with a concerned look.

"If... You are having second thoughts..." he started, going quiet at the look Jasmine gave him. "Um... I just need a sample of DNA and then we can start making Sam..."

Alois pulled out the small tube that held Sam's hair in it, passing it to Adam and covering his face again. The tears came before he could stop them. He sobbed loudly.

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#23
Old 07-08-2014, 12:51 AM

The offices were small, but they weren't meant to have much time spent in them. They were for paperwork and quick discussions before one moved on to the main replicant room. Jasmine stood near Alois as Adam watched him fill out paperwork, helping here and there as needed. She had voided out the pay plan before Alois even arrived, as they had taken it upon themselves that this replicant would be a gift not only for him, but for all of them. She had contacted Sam's family the week before with the proposition, and for the sake of Alois and his sanity, and hope that they would see their Sam again as well, they had agreed, as long as Alois did.

She watched quietly as the bottle containing Sam's hair was handed over, and Adam was about to speak until Alois broke down again. Jasmine looked to Adam. "Sweetie, go on to Bernard and have him start the process." She pecked him quickly on the cheek and sent him off, then went to Alois. "Hon, come on." She pulled his hands away from his face and pushed tears off his cheeks. "It'll be okay. I know I keep saying it but it will. You just gotta be receptive." She pulled him into a hug. "We can stay here for a while if you want. But we gotta go see Bernard for some memory fills."

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#24
Old 07-19-2014, 01:07 AM

Alois lent into his friend. She was being so strong for them and he took courage from that. As he stopped crying, he thought about how close they were to having Sam back. Not a replacement... Sam. Back from his untimely death. Suddenly he was excited. "If... If you... If you say so, Jaz... I'll... I'll..." He smiled and stood up, wiping the tears from his cheeks and his runny nose. "We did have projects to finish together after all... I'm sure he'll... Want to finish them with me..."

He looked to Jasmine and then allowed her to lead them to where he'd have to help fill in Sam's memories. He decided to make it seem as though they had been together throughout the time he was dead. They had gone on a holiday to Paris, the place they had married. That way Sam wouldn't question the months he hadn't been around.

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#25
Old 07-19-2014, 01:35 AM

Jasmine smiled and led the way through the narrow hall. There were doors on either side of them housing cells and blood, bone and hair and DNA samples from millions of people both living and dead now. Only used once every four decades, but Sam's wouldn't be among them. There was only one Sam and she would make sure that would remain a fact for as long as she was around. For Alois, really. She pushed through a set of double doors and they stopped in a very small, white area, with a set of locked doors in front of them. She swiped her keycard, punched in a number, and pressed her thumb against the reading pad. Immediately a gust of air met them through the door seams and they swung open.

They stood above the incubation chamber. It was a massive underground housing unit, with rows of men and women of varying age and body type. Most were blank palates of living sells kept suspended, waiting for someone to come choose their traits, their personalities, their likes and dislikes. Each tank was circular, like a womb, and their nutrition tubes resembled umbilical cords. They had already developed Sam, but they needed to replace his memories and rearrange his DNA to who and what Sam used to be. What he was. And they needed to fill the month-long hole in his memory.

Bernard came in through another door, leaving Adam on the floor with the replicants. "Alois, my boy." He smiled a tired smile that looked like it lost something he held dear so long ago. "I'm glad to see you. Do you have any ideas on what you want Sammy to have on his mind to fill in the gaps?" He would program them in, then, make them surreal, like memories should be. Surreal but very solid.

 


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