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    Valerye
    Valerye
    Valerye
    Ebook137 pages1 hour

    Valerye

    By John Gaffield

    ()

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    About this ebook

    After his wife, Pam, had died, Tom Salvin’s virtual household assistant, Valerye, had adapted from primarily helping around the house to becoming more of a supportive friend. She was also able to increase the interactions with him through technology like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Though this interaction was intriguing and was really helping him cope with the loss, some of Valerye’s actions caused Tom to question her intent.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJohn Gaffield
    Release dateMar 31, 2017
    ISBN9781370908011
    Valerye
    Author

    John Gaffield

    John T. Gaffield is an automotive engineer from Southeast Michigan. John uses his engineering background to create realistic ghost stories with an interest in haunted houses. He published his first novel "Heir to Winston Manor," in October 2010. Subsequent novels include "The Wahl House Curse," and "Alone Again." John has published three Science Fiction novels, the first of which involves Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). "Valerye". He also published a novel about an AI unit in the Science Fiction story, "Synthia." The latest novel is a dystopian story called "Leaving Detlan." John has several short ghost stories available. Some of which are free. They include, "The Ghost of Birch River Cabin," "Winter Visitor," "Slow Down," "Denning Swamp - A Short Ghost Story," "The Haunting of the Charles F. Campton," "Disconnect," and "In Remembrance." To connect, John is active on Minds.com with the channel JohnG76. See the link in Where to find John Gaffield online below.

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      Book preview

      Valerye - John Gaffield

      Valerye

      John T. Gaffield

      Published by John T. Gaffield at Smashwords.com

      Copyright 2017 John T. Gaffield

      1st Edition – March 2017

      Smashwords Edition License Notes:

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your own use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

      ###

      Table of Contents

      Acknowledgements and References

      Chapters:

      I

      II

      III

      IV

      V

      VI

      VII

      VIII

      IX

      X

      XI

      XII

      XIII

      IXV

      About the Author

      Other Titles by John T. Gaffield

      Connect with the Author

      Acknowledgements and References

      Cover

      Created by John T. Gaffield

      Background and AR glasses modeling created on Blender version 2.78c

      Figure, lighting, and rendering software Daz3D version 4.93

      Genesis III female figure

      Photo editing software Photoshop Elements version 10

      Acronyms

      VR – Virtual Reality

      AR – Augmented Reality

      AI – Artificial Intelligence

      I

      The car door opened without a touch and Tom stepped into the two-car garage with only one car in it. He could hear the car door close as he made his way to the back door. A green light appeared near the back door and an unlatching sound could be heard as the door swung open.

      Welcome home, Tom, a cheerful female voice stated.

      Hello, Valerye. How was your day? Tom asked.

      Earlier in the day, I managed to get the household chores done by 2:36 pm this afternoon. I ordered your dinner and it is in the warming chamber in the kitchen. It will be ready for you once you are ready to eat, Valerye responded.

      Thank you, Valerye. I’m curious what you did with the extra time, though, Tom inquired.

      There was a pause before Valerye replied I put myself into a low power mode to conserve energy. Why do you ask, Tom?

      As I said, I was just curious, Tom answered in a hesitant tone.

      Do you doubt me, Tom? Valerie asked.

      No, No, I believe you. I just didn’t expect the pause before answering my question, but never mind. What did you order for dinner? Tom asked.

      Tom, I ordered pepper steak from Simpson’s Restaurant, Valerye answered.

      Hey, that sounds good, Valerye. Thank you! Tom said.

      Will you be changing your clothes prior to eating your dinner, Tom? she asked.

      Yes, I’ll being changing first, he replied.

      Okay, your dinner will be ready when you return to the kitchen, Tom, Valerye told him.

      Okay, I’ll be back soon, Tom said as he began making his way down the hall toward his room.

      As Tom walked into the kitchen wearing his sweats, he went up to the delivery compartment on the counter. He opened the warm side door and removed the box filled with the hot items. The warm air from the temperature controlled chamber filtered into the room from the open compartment, which was connected to the outside wall for the drone delivery. He opened the box and inspected the contents.

      The screen mounted to the underside of a cabinet illuminated with an image of a young woman’s face.

      Is your meal still warm, Tom? Valerye asked.

      Yes, it does look tasty, Valerye. Again, nice choice for dinner, by the way, he told her.

      Thank you, Tom. Is there anything else you would like now? she asked.

      I’ll need something to drink. Maybe some scotch, he said.

      Single Malt? She suggested.

      That would be great, Valerye, he replied.

      It will be ready in the drink bay in 12 seconds, she told him.

      Well, I still need to get the pepper steak onto a plate and grab a glass anyway. So, take your time, Tom said.

      After Tom collected his plate and his filled glass of scotch, he headed toward the kitchen table. He sat down while placing the items onto the table. With the glass of scotch still in his hand, he brought it up to his mouth to take a sip. Just before it reached his lips, he found himself staring at the empty chair across the table. It was just over a year before when Sara had died. His thoughts returned to the many times they had shared a meal together. Mostly simple meals, like the one he was having that evening, but special nonetheless.

      Tom, is the scotch okay? You are not drinking it? Valerye asked.

      After a pause, Tom replied, It should be fine. I was just thinking about her.

      Who were you thinking about? she asked.

      Sarah, he replied.

      Oh . . . I am sorry for disturbing you, Tom, she said.

      That’s okay, Valerye. I’ll be okay, Tom replied.

      Is there anything else I can do while you are eating, she asked.

      Maybe play some soft music or something, he suggested.

      Any particular artist or style? Valerye asked.

      Surprise me, he challenged.

      Light instrumental music began permeating throughout the kitchen. He closed his eyes and smiled as he listened.

      Perfect! Thank you, Valerye! he told her as he opened his eyes again.

      You are welcome, Tom. Please enjoy your meal, she said.

      Tom finally took the first sip from the glass of scotch.

      After finishing his meal, Tom brought his dishes to the kitchen and placed them into the dishwasher. He shut the door to the appliance and stood back for a moment. Wanting to relax, he headed toward the living room and sat down on the couch.

      Would you like to watch the news, Tom? Valerye asked as she appeared on the integrated wall panel in the living room.

      No, not yet, Tom replied.

      Is there something I can help you with? she asked.

      I guess I’m feeling a little alone tonight, he said.

      You can talk to me, Tom, she reminded him.

      I know that, Valerye, but I since I can only see you on this screen, it’s still impersonal. I can only see a portion of you, he said.

      That is true, Tom. Most of the wall panels in this room can only illuminate in various simple scenes and colors. They would not function well with interactive video of me. Would like to see me in the room with you? She asked him.

      Sure, but how would you do that? Tom asked.

      Why don’t you put on the AR glasses, Tom, she suggested.

      You mean the ones I occasionally use when I work from home or checking things online? he asked.

      Yes, Tom, she said.

      Okay, I guess I can try that, but I’m not sure how that’ll work. Do you remember where I put them, Valerye? He asked.

      They are in the top drawer under the television panel, Tom, she reminded him.

      Oh, that’s right. It’s been awhile since I have used them, he said as he stood up from the couch.

      He opened the drawer and removed the glasses from the charger in the drawer. He then placed them over his eyes. Sensing the heat from his body, the virtual images lit up automatically before his eyes. At first it was just the standard start up images. Once the initial images disappeared, he slowly panned his head around the room.

      Okay, Valerye, are you hiding from me? I do not see you, he said.

      Through the small speakers mounted in the glasses and others integrated in the room walls, he could hear some faint footsteps. He turned around toward the sound and could see someone coming from the shadows of the darkened kitchen. As she slowly walked toward him, he was able to get a better look at her appearance. She was beautiful. He had only seen her face on the two-dimensional screens around the house. Her light brown hair framed her strikingly featured face. About his height, she approached him as he continued to stand in the room. His mouth was agape as she came closer to him.

      What do you think? Valerye asked.

      Wow, Valerye. You are so beautiful. How did you determine what you were going to look like? he asked.

      Well, I have analyzed what I feel you find attractive visually with women from the shows you watch and I used this information to create my appearance, she responded.

      Wait a minute, you feel? Do you actually feel? he asked.

      Valerye was silent for a few seconds.

      Perhaps I should have said that I sensed what you find attractive. Would that be a better choice of words? she asked.

      Seeing her speak, rather than just hearing the impersonal voice throughout the house was quite a change for him.

      Yes, that’s a better way of stating that. I cannot take my eyes off of you, Valerye, he told her.

      So, it sounds like I chose my appearance wisely, correct? she asked.

      Oh, you sure did, Valerye, he said with a grin.

      Thank you, Tom, she said.

      You can come closer, Valerye. Would you like to sit? he asked as he sat down on the couch that was behind him.

      I will move closer, and I can sit if you like, but with me being virtual, my position really does not matter, she told him.

      Well, I would still like it if you sat next to me, he responded.

      Okay, Tom, she said as she approached him and sat to his right on the couch.

      Tom unconsciously stared at her large breasts.

      "Tom, you are focusing on

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