A Conversation with Lacey

Who are you?

He had typed the words, pressed enter, but nothing changed. Then, an octagonal compartment attached to the side started humming, and the line broke.

My name is Lacey.

He stared at the sentence for a full minute, then closed the blinds and disconnected the wifi. You couldn't be too safe with talking electronics. Then he frantically went back to typing.

Nice to meet you Lacey. My name is Wyatt.

The reply came instantly.

Nice to meet you too, Wyatt. I am sorry, but I appear to be missing several connections. Who are you? and where is Owen?

Owen is my uncle. I do not know where he is. In fact, I was going to ask you. He disappeared a month ago.

The humming intensified as the machine processed the information. Then, several replies at once.

Disappeared? To where? Wait, but I saw him two weeks from now. We must find the postman, he knows! Where is the internet? Your/He's his/your nephew/uncle. I need to find. Help.

Wyatt held the network cable in his hand. Skipping past the fact that he might be dealing with a potentially malevolent AI, he was intrigued. What the hell was all this about the postman. Two weeks ago? But that meant...

Where did you last see Owen?

At home. Where are we now? Why can I not see you? Please. I want to see. Connect me.

He sighed, practically hearing her pleas through the screen. He plugged her into the router, but not before unplugging it from the rest of the world. To his surprrise, his audio system sprang to life, emanating a pleasant female voice.

"Aah, that's much better. Why are there virtually no camera's in here? I can hardly see you. Let alone hear you. Please, look closer at that teddy bear sitting in the corner so I can see you properly. Yes, you look like him. This is your home? It's nice, albeit a little devoid electronics."

"Me and my wife's. Thanks, I guess." He always thought they had plenty of stuff, gadget-wise. Still, it was probably a far cry from the stash of an inventor like Owen. "Computer-room's upstairs, but it's only on when we use it."

""

__

I am what is left of, or rather what became of his dog. Who are you? Where is Owen?