She stared at his tucked away hand, blinking. His initial reaction had seemed instinctive. Like reaching for her had been natural. They were engaged, after all. But for some reason he stopped himself.
She can see herself sitting on the bed, clutching the crumpled sheet to her chest as her heart caught in her throat. Almost feel her mind swimming as it did back then.
She opened her mouth to ask him how they might reconnect, but he said, “Enjoy the rest of your evening,” before turning and leaving her speechless.
She thought since he knew where she lived, he would come to her, but he never did. So she searched until she felt vacant and exhausted. The day she realized her efforts were futile, she wept. Why had he forgotten her so easily? They had shared something, hadn’t they? Sure, it started off as a fantasy, but it felt real.
Her flood of memories makes her clutch the GROW kit tighter, causing the box’s hard edges to dig into her skin.
How could she have been so stupid to confess such a vulnerability as a desire for a real human boyfriend to a stranger? Back then, her embarrassment almost made her delete her Old News subscription, foolishly blaming her fondness of the old articles for her romantic notions.
A little chuckle escapes her as she stares at the attentively waiting man before her. His copper eyes glitter as he studies her like he did all those years ago.
“Something funny?” he asks.
“Yes, but you wouldn’t understand.”
It was never the Old News articles—her desires went much deeper than that. For her first twenty years, she watched her parents’ dedication to each other. So unshakable that they held hands the day of their Peaceful Passing Procedure. They’d been 220, telling her they’d lived long enough. They came from a time when their life expectancy hadalready doubled. Her mother once told her they’d planned to do it a few years before she was born, but the morning of the appointment, they found out they won the birthing lotto. They continued living for a while longer to have her, postponing the procedure until after she was grown.
For that, K8 had been lucky. Living without them was difficult for the first few years, but their memory and the knowledge of their connection had helped ease some of the grief. But now she resented having to bear witness to such a pure connection because it only made what she’d never have so heartbreaking.
But it wasn’t her parents’ fault. Surely in eighty-six years she’d have found one person . . . Something was wrong with her. She was the one that didn’t fit. The oddity, the outsider. As though her programming had glitched at birth, like a faulty, twitching manupartner.
K8 shakes her head, anchoring herself to the present. She can’t let those thoughts seep in. Not in front of him. Not after how easily he forgot her. In all her life, she’s never felt so insulted. All those years ago, he didn’t want her. Made her feel like he chose her, only to have been faking it for a fantasy she was stupid enough to request. He offered her everything she wanted, just like she asked him to. But it was only a role—and like a helpless fool, she hoped it was real. Believed it. Tears would fall if she didn’t get it together.
“Even if you activate your kit today, your manupartner won’t be ready for a week. I’m free tonight,” he presses, interrupting her thoughts.
If only she could be satisfied with one of the flesh robots like everyone else.
“What’s your name?” she asks, because she needs to know.
His grin reappears. “Viper.”
Viper, really? The man she’s been pining for all these years is named Viper? Zorg, strike her down now. This situation can’t possibly get any worse.
“Valued Customer K8, the manager is ready to see you,” a voice calls over the intercom. K8 cringes, praying the shiny white tiles of the lobby floor will swallow her whole.
Viper’s brows twitch like they’re trying to lift in concern.
But when she sways, and he doesn’t even reach out a hand, her humiliation dips to a new low. No wonder she is in her current predicament. Yet she refuses to cower in front of this man.
She marches away with her chin held high. Before she makes it to the counter, Viper calls, “About tonight?”
The arrogance. Without thinking, K8 spins, holding the manupartner kit between them and throws everything she’s learned during years of Respectful and Considerate Conduct Courses in the recycle bin. “I would rather wait a lifetime for this manupartner to GROW than spend a single night with you.”
Gasps come from the several bystanders waiting for their turn with customer service. Viper’s mouth drops open, and she’s fairly certain he doesn’t know what he’s done. That doesn’t dampen her triumph as she turns toward the counter to find the original agent along with her manager, who is smiling pleasantly.
The manager says, “What excellent news to hear that you’ve reconsidered. We are pleased that you’ve decided to keep your GROW kit.”
Her eyes widen as she realizes her mistake.
The first agent chuckles. “Bye now. Be sure to let us know if you need help with the activation process.”
K8 makes her way home with the details of her failed mission clashing in her mind—her anger toward Viper seeming to win out every time. How dare he? She spent fifty years thinking about thatnight. About what she must have done wrong and why he left without ever giving it a second thought. How had it all seemed so real?
She determinedly unboxes the grow kit, positioning it in the center of the floor in her sparse spare bedroom. She’ll activate the thing out of spite.
Oh Zorg, is she really doing this? She grits her teeth. She should behave like the rational scientist she is and make a pros and cons chart, but here she is. Not only is she doing it to erase the memory of Viper from her mind once and for all, it’s time to see what the fuss is about. Why everyone is so crazy about these monstrosities. If that means she’ll have to make a trip to the recycle center, so be it. In a way, it will be the walk of shame she’s earned.
