The Living Memory Machine (TM)

    He had kept their mother alive in their thoughts. Too alive, perhaps. That was the downside of the Living Memory Machine (TM). Nathan had invented it as a way to keep his mother around, and initially his siblings approved. As time went on though, her nagging worsened, and her kindness and thoughtfulness diminished. They could always get up and unhook from the machine, but the implants left imprints of their mother in them for some time, and she always left them with "Get back here you ungrateful piece of sheep's hoof. Is that any way to treat your mother?"

    And inevitably they'd return. The guilt was too much to bear, and at least when they returned, the nagging would stop for a moment.

    They'd been able to deliberate briefly when they realized the situation was getting out of hand.  They all agreed the machine needed to be turned off, but it was easier said than done. It felt like killing their mother, even though she was very much already dead. As they ruminated on the idea, though, their mother eventually picked up on their plan, and she ascended to a new level of hysteric wrath. "DON'T YOU DARE TURN ME OFF! I AM YOUR MOTHER! WHAT CHILD WOULD SILENCE THEIR OWN MOTHER? THE MOST UNGRATEFUL KIND THAT'S WHAT!  I KNEW THE MOMENT YOU WERE BORN NATHAN THAT YOU --"

    Silence.

    Winston did the deed no one else could muster the courage to do. He unplugged the Living Memory Machine (TM) and silenced their mother from their minds for good. "Thanks Winston. That was hard but thank you."

    "Yeah. No problem."

    The siblings sat there for a bit before getting up and going out to clear their heads. Sheep's Hoof Pub it was, as usual.