Eulogy story
Phillip is contacted by a company called Eulogy that collects immersive photo memories for memorials following the death of his ex-girlfriend Carol. Initially reluctant, he provides early photos where Carol's face is obscured, but technology allows him to "walk through" the photos with a woman only known as The Guide. He then reveals numerous defaced photos of Carol, revealing their strained relationship, which culminated in Carol discovering his infidelity, followed by his failed marriage proposal in London. The Guide reveals she is Carol's daughter, conceived during a one-night stand taken in retaliation. Phillip finds an undeveloped disposable camera from the trip, revealing a photo of a trashed room and an unread letter from Carol. In the letter, she asks Phillip to forgive her and meet her after her next shift if he is willing to move forward with her and the child she has chosen to keep. Having never seen the letter until now, Phillip is consumed with regret, realizing she had waited for him and he never came. He finally remembers Carol's face and attends her funeral in London, where her daughter plays the cello.
17 total · 5 choice · 10 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| coming to terms with one's past | choice | The story concerns Philip confronting memories of an old flame that had dumped him, or so it seemed. He had taken this badly enough to become an alcoholic and it had taken him a decades or so to recover. The grand revelation of the story is that the apparent dumping had actually been a huge misunderstanding. The story concluded with Philip making peace with everything that had happened. |
| old flames | choice | The story concerns Philip confronting memories of an old flame that had dumped him, or so it seemed. He had taken this badly enough to become an alcoholic and it had taken him a decades or so to recover. The grand revelation of the story is that the apparent dumping had actually been a huge misunderstanding. |
| remembering bygone days | choice | The story concerns Philip confronting memories of an old flame that had dumped him, or so it seemed. He had taken this badly enough to become an alcoholic and it had taken him a decades or so to recover. The grand revelation of the story is that the apparent dumping had actually been a huge misunderstanding. |
| the need for closure | choice | The story concerns Philip confronting memories of an old flame that had dumped him, or so it seemed. He had taken this badly enough to become an alcoholic and it had taken him a decades or so to recover. Philip had been beating himself up for decades, not only because she dumped him, but also because he couldn't figure out why. After the revelation that it had all been a misunderstanding, it seemed like he came to terms with the situation. |
| tragic love | choice | The epic love story between Philip and Carol ended tragically with an enormous misunderstanding. She had left him a letter but he never read it and therefore thought she walked away never to see him again, whereas she had, in fact, pronounced her love for him and beseeched him to come and meet her. |
| alcohol abuse | major | Philip described how he had reacted to getting dumped when he proposed: He trashed his hotel room, then "sank his sadness into the bottle". He had also drunk copious amounts of champagne by himself the night of the proposal. |
| alternate points of view | major | Philip placed the blame squarely on Carol for things not having worked out between them. However, the digital clone of Carol's daughter confronted Philip about his own actions (e.g., drinking, cheating, and undermining her cello playing in their band) that contributed to the break up. |
| being bitter about one's life | major | The story follows Philip, now old and alone, as he looked back with bitterness on his relationship with the love of his life, Carol. He had never understood why she walked away from him. |
| boyfriend and girlfriend | major | The story follows Philip, now old and alone, as he looked back with bitterness on his relationship with the love of his life, Carol. He had never understood why she walked away from him. |
| brain-computer interface | major | The story is premised on the use of a virtual reality device in the shape of a button that you put on your temple. By using this device, Phillip was taken inside his old memories, and conversed with a sentient digital clone of a girl that turned out to be his old flame's daughter. |