"I understand that people could be traumatized by a normal animated zombie, all rotted and awful." She made a face, then leaned a little toward me. "But you raise zombies that look like real people. My therapist says that Chase will look like he’s alive, that he’ll even believe he’s alive at first. If that’s true then how will it be traumatic?"
I was betting that if I called the therapist he’d back her story. Maybe it was her therapist’s confidence, but something felt wrong about her reactions. You usually saw grief even through a brave face. Either she was a sociopath or she didn’t give a damn about Chase Zell, her late husband.
"So, I raise your late husband as a zombie that can talk and think, and you talk to him and say good-bye, is that it?"
She smiled happily and leaned back in her chair again. "Exactly."
"I think you should ask one of the other animators at Animators Inc."
"But you’re the only one that everyone says can raise a zombie that thinks and looks and acts alive."
I shrugged. "There are one or two others in this country who can do it."
She shook her head, the expensive haircut bobbing as she moved. "No, I’ve checked. You are the only one that everyone agrees can guarantee that a zombie will be completely lifelike."
I had a bad thought. "What do you want your late husband to be able to do one last time, Ms. Zell?"
"I want him to be alive one more time."
"Sex with a zombie, no matter how lifelike, is still considered a crime. I can’t help you do that, not legally."
She actually blushed under the nice makeup. "I have no intention of doing that with him ever again, and especially not as a zombie. That’s . . . that’s just . . . disgusting."
"Glad we agree on that."
She recovered, though I had shocked her; nice to know I could. "Then you will raise Chase from the dead for me?"
"Maybe."