It wasn't even real.

I’ve avoided telling you this, but your time with Natali was irresponsible and unsustainable. It wasn’t even real in the way life is supposed to be.

AUXILIUM BY LUKE SWEENEY 34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 101

Leon’s holophone sounded like a siren. Missing the call would trigger a warrant for his arrest. He tapped the screen. The holophone projected a light with floating bits like moths swirling inside. The pixelated glow came into focus and took on the shape and color of a middle-aged man sitting with his legs crossed, his eyes both dead and too-alert.

Leon swirled the ice in his whiskey. The hologram reminded Leon of the TV commercials he’d seen. In the old woman’s living room the shrink bot leans in and smiles, “Your life still has worth, Joan. If you want your family to call you should ask them.” The woman nods, cries, reaches for an old rotary dial phone.

“Can I call you Leon?”

“Sure.”

“I’m Howard, or some prefer Dr Howard which is fine.”

“They named you?”

“An engineer at Auxilium. I a…