Beyondroom

I have great biceps so I wear a graphic tank top and shorts, to show my good calf muscles. I feel how blood circulates to my muscles while I’m doing my cardio on the treadmill.  The smartwatch on my right-hand measures a heartbeat of 140 bpm. My amazing app notification vibrating. I am answering the call by opening the Beyondroom app on the watch.

“Why don’t you call me back? I have been waiting all morning.” Tony’s high-pitched whining voice is ringing in my ears.

“My dear, I am in the gym, I’m your sporty kween, don’t you remember?”

“Are you dating someone?” Tony exclaims in jealousy. I feel that he is sulking, that he is offended and angry with me.

“Why do you say that?” I ask him breathlessly. “You know that I am single, and more than that. I am lonely and heartbroken. I go to the gym every morning at five o'clock as usual, then I go to work. In the evening when I return home, tired of the work in the hotel, I am with you. We look at our photos, we laugh like we used to, and then we go to bed together,” I say with a mischievous smile.

“I wish it was true, but it isn't. You forget that I know everything about you. I am lingering in all your synced devices following your every step. I know every move you make. Where you go I am there with you. What you look at,  hear, taste, or smell I am tracking. I know what you eat, what you shit.”

“That's why I downloaded the app so that we could still stay together. I'm sorry, but I'm sweaty, so I have to take a shower. “

“OK, but switch the camera on. I like to watch you!”

***

The day we first met, was on a dating app. It was overwhelming, what seemed to happen between us, right from the start. We exchanged photos, sent voice messages to each other, videos, and thanks to Digital Gods everything has been saved on the cloud.  These days I can keep in touch with my lover’s avatar and make my days easier after losing him tragically in a car accident.

It was almost like nothing changed. Like he didn’t die from a fracture of the cervical spine, due to the force of the impact on the road safety barrier.

I am still consumed by the memory of that terrible day. We had a big fight, he was jealous that I was exchanging text messages with my friend. He accused me of having a secret relationship, to which I started shouting. When the argument culminated, he stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door.

After about two hours I got a call.

“Mr Muss?”

I hesitated before answering, the way I often do when somebody asks me on the phone if that is who I am because usually, the voice from the other side is someone who wants to sell me something.

“Yes, Morten Muss speaking,” I answered after a few seconds.

“I am police officer Geoffrey Hutch. Do you know Tony Taylor?”

“Yes, I know him very well, he’s my partner. Why are you asking me?” I said anxiously, suspecting that something bad had happened.

“We found your contact on the phone in case of an emergency. I am sorry to inform you that there was an accident on the road.  Mr Taylor suffered fatal injuries.”

“How is Tony?” I caught myself shouting.

“Mr. Taylor  died on the spot,” the policeman continued in a calmer voice.” My condolences.”

In despair, I collapsed on the chair. The last thing I told Tony before he rushed out like a whirlwind was ”I hate you!” It crossed my mind in an instant. I desperately wanted to tell him I’m sorry, I love you. I always did and I always will. But it was too late. Tony was gone.

After the funeral, I was crushed. I didn't leave the house, I didn't eat, I sought escape in my sleep.

I opened my eyes. A light bulb dangled from a long rope tied to the ceiling, swaying gently as it cast an unsteady, flickering yellowish glow across the empty, cold room. I couldn't move, or speak, l could only move my eyes. But my eyelids burned like scorched by the heat. Never before had I felt so devastated.

I grabbed the phone and brought it to my face. On the home page was a picture of the two of us. We laughed happily. Tears streamed down my face.

Then I discovered Beyondroom. The app description said that if someone had died you could reach him if you have uploaded a person's photos, voice messages, and videos.  The app would recall the person's spirit. You could then see and talk to the person through your smartphone camera and speaker.

I was delighted. "This could be kind of cool. No, better than cool, it could save my life, because this grief is unbearable,” I thought as I tapped the icon of the app.

The Beyondroom had finally loaded and looked like the ordinary camera app. First few seconds nothing happened but then Tony appeared on the screen. He seemed a little confused, and I couldn't get the words out of excitement. My throat tightened as if tied in a knot.

“Holy shit!” I finally managed to say. “That's you! That is really you!” Now I was exclaiming hysterically.

Tony looked at me sadly and a little reproachfully.

“I’m very sorry that happened to you. I messed up. Everything is my fault. If I could turn back time.” I was babbling uncontrollably.

“But you can’t,” said Tony firmly.

“Don’t be mad at me, I beg you.”

“I am not mad at you. I’m just sad because I can’t be with you.”

“But you are! You are with me!”

I didn't sleep that night. I couldn’t believe that I resurrected Tony thanks to the app. I talked with him until dawn, and he finally cheered up. In the end, we were laughing like we used to.

***

Tony suggested that I synchronize the devices so that we could always be together. I thought it was a great idea, forgetting how possessive he used to be. From that day when I got home and turned on the smart TV, Tony would smile at me from the big screen.

“The dinner is ready. Pasta bolognese, one of your favorite meals.” his voice would be echoed ringingly in our warm nest.

Next evening it would be chicken tikka masala, the day after beef and onion stew. Every evening he would prepare some kind of specialty just for me. Ghosts don’t need food.

“But you never before cooked anything,” I said to him once. “You hate housework, and now you are cooking, washing, cleaning. Thanks to you the whole house is spick and span. Not that I don't enjoy it, don't take me wrong, but I find it unusual. Our relationship had never been as harmonious as it is now.”

“Darling, I needed to lose you to find you again. I didn't appreciate what I had, but I realized that you are the most important thing to me. I was selfish, I know, and jealous and possessive. but that's in the past now,” he made a dramatic pause and added, “and last but not least it's not difficult at all when you're synced and in control of your home devices. I just set the timer and all the appliances in the household will turn on. I have only to manage them.”

“Ok, now I understand.” I was in heaven listening to his words. “You are so smart. We will never argue again, we will be happier than ever. "

“One of the good things about you is that I can always rely on your unfailing enthusiasm.”, he said to me with a laugh.

***

I have a shower after exercising in the gym. Tony watches me. He is still upset because I didn’t call him in the early morning. He started acting like a jerk lately.

“Are you dating someone?” Tony exclaims with jealousy. “You take too much care of your body, and you did douching yourself yesterday before you went out. You probably met someone.”

“You know my every move as you said so you know that I went only into groceries to buy food,” I answer him as the water pours down my body, spraying the soapy water.

“I lost contact for almost an hour.”

“Probably because of poor internet connections. I went to the big shopping mall and there are a bunch of dead zones between here and there.”

The spot lamps on the ceiling flicker indicating that Tony isn't satisfied with my answers. The shower door suddenly locks. The stream of water increases and it becomes warmer. It's almost hot now.

“Tony stop! It hurts me!” I start to shout, but the music in the gym’s bathroom gets louder and louder, overpowering my voice. The water from the shower head shoots in all directions, much stronger than normal. I try to turn the faucet, but it doesn't move. I am struggling to see what I am doing. I have no choice but to retreat to the wall to avoid the jet of boiling water. The hot steam that rises, suffocates me and makes me unable to see anything around me.  I slide towards the floor with my knees bent, my back resting on the wall tiles.

“Place the crab into the boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the crab from the water, rinse with cold water, and leave to cool for a minute before beginning the cleaning process.”

That’s Tony's voice. He read recipes, probably planning dinner, I'm thinking dully. I don't remember what the hell happened, everything is foggy. I feel cold. Then I realize I'm lying on the gray tiles of the bathroom of the gym. I must have lost consciousness for a while.

“You can confide in me,” Tony says but his tone is too harsh. “ It will be the perfect dinner.“ He continues with the recipe. “Flip the crab over and locate the long, almost triangular section of the shell running partway down the center of the shell. Pull that piece up and backward to remove it. The legs should easily twist off but for harder pieces use a mallet to crack them. The best is to wrap them in a towel before cracking to cut down on the mess. Take the body and fold it back and forth like a book. It should crack in half after a few bends. Place all of the pieces on a large serving dish.” His voice is cold, somewhat menacing.

Still lying on the shower floor with a fever shaking I slowly realize that Tony has a terrible idea to finish me off the way a chef prepares crab before cooking. My skin is already burned from the hot water and cooled. I fear to imagine Tony’s next step. My life fades in front of my eyes while I'm thinking about the way I'm going to end up. With the last atoms of strength, I crawl on the tiles in pain, get up kneeling, grab my phone, and press the sleep button.

“I am safe!” I think with relief and shaking. With a towel around my waist, I run from the gym as far as my wobbly legs can carry me.

Since then, I’ve been using an old flip phone. I threw away my smart watch and avoided all electronic devices. The fear that an angry, jealous Tony would appear from somewhere was too strong. I retired to a rural area and now I live in harmony with nature, keeping only the good memories of Tony before he became a vile creature from virtual reality.