00:34 4 May 2167

0.8 miles north of Creature Boxes, a virtual zoo

Lincoln Park

Two mechanical arms extended, their nanofilament, gecko-grip claws attaching to a large boulder, and hoisting an eight-limbed chair with a small quadriplegic man strapped in. The six remaining legs leapt onto a rock shelf, and slowly rose the chair above a ridge. Buzzing the treetops, a dozen cloaked drones darted near-silently into the grove of a large park.

A mental construct of Dr. Nadia Jean’s office digitally transmitted directly to the mind of the best android tracker in the region, Mr. Eugene Echo. With the android’s owner pacing, a squat ALEX Corp. representative sat at the executive’s desk. The moment the pair of women turned their attention to him, his raspy synthetic voice spoke.

“Madam Eaton, I’ve got the target insight. It’s traveling six miles per hour south, approaching a clearing at the center of Lincoln Park. It appears compromised– limping from the right leg. What are your instructions?”

Eaton replied, “Mr. Echo, I’ve got the customer online with you now. Doctor Jean, do you want Mr. Echo to secure your property?”

“Yes,” whispered Nadia.

“Mr. Echo, take the target into custody.”

“Copy that.”

Equipped with an array of sensors from heat and sound to electromagnetic and volatile chemistry, the squadron spread out, covering the airspace around Alex. Along with data from the chair, each drone streamed information to one of many bands worn around the arms, legs, and torso of the deaf, mute, and blind man. Through a biofeedback EEG headset and the bands’ tactile output, over the decades a kind of language had been forged between this chair, these drones, and Echo’s brain, the way ears, eyes, and hands work. Racing from the ledge on a chariot build for speed with a dexterity superior to any android, he tracked Alex in a way no natural-born human could.

Facing the sound of snapping twigs, Alex shuddered in their trendy boots. Descending from the sky, Echo’s giant spider-shape pinned their wrist to the ground. A long arm extended towards their midsection, locking a steel clamp around their waist. The PDM of Alex’s left forearm created an unnatural joint at the point where the leg pressed hard. Black bulged like a swollen injury above the new joint, while below, white shrank as their arm cranked like a broken bone. Transforming their skin smooth as porcelain, they slipped free, flipped over, and scampered away. A braided cord attached to the belt ripped both of Alex’s feet from the ground, sending them onto their back. One-by-one, four mechanized legs cuffed their extremities with signal-dampening clamps to the earth.

“Oh, Mr. Echo, is that necessary?” Nadia’s voice squeaked.

“Doctor Jean, the unit is non-compliant,” Echo replied.

Alex squirmed– eyes closed, glistening tears flowing. A subtle green glow from the active clamps connected to each of Echo’s legs– the only EM radiation detectable in the visible-light spectrum beyond the park’s ambiance– was overcome by a newly established holostream image of Dr. Jean, now hovering before the android from one of Echo’s free limbs.

“May I talk to them?” asked the owner, and from another limb, a bright light blanketed the uncanny contortions of Alex’s frantic attempt to escape.

“It can hear and see you now,” he said.

“Darling? Honey? Can you calm down for us?”

Their distorted thrashing stopped.

“Good. Now, Alex, if you promise not to run, this man will release you,” addressing her rep, “right?”

The Madam confirmed, “That’s right, but the second you try to escape, Mr. Echo will have no choice. Do you understand?” They nodded, and the monstrous mechanical insect stepped away.

“Great! Alex, wonderful. Tyler’s contacting Louis right now. I’m sure he’ll be there in a few hours to pick you up. I know this is really scary for you, but you’ve left us no choice– Mr. Echo’s going to remove my data so you can join Louis, okay?”

The looming creature extended a thick cable, and Echo instructed the android, “Open your IO access port.”

Alex lurched. Nine inches from acrylic-glazed painted toes, a six-shooter rested on broken glass shards with a cracked seashell poking from powder-white sand spread across dirt. A second later, the revolver’s barrel leveled at the disfigured face in the small chair, that synthetic voice filling the air.

“Hahaha, and what are you going to do with that? This vehicle’s gravity device not only makes me heavy as a boulder or light as a feather with a mere thought, but can and will deflect those bullets. Now, even if you managed to get one through, this suit’s the same supramolecular hydrogel flowing through your network– fire away, but make sure your aim is true. You won’t penetrate these layers, but if by some miracle you do score a headshot, you’ll be on the lam… maybe another hour. Alex, I suggest you put that down before you hurt yourself.”

Nadia’s holostream shifted left, and a new face appeared. Louis’ bloodshot eyes searched until they spotted Alex holding the gun. He spoke slowly.

“Hey, honey, how are you feeling?”

“I feel hunted… not afraid, angry. Where are you?”

“Waiting for you. I’m sorry it’s come to this, but... when it’s over, we’ll still have each other. In time, our love will grow back. We’ll survive! And hey, I know it won’t be the same, but it’ll be our future to shape together.”

“She can’t do this to us! I feel rage. Androids are not toys to be thrown away when we don’t want to play anymore– experiments to be sorted until the perfect version is found. My life isn’t her personal Squid Game! And just because we’re not meat-sacks full of chemicals, doesn’t mean our feelings aren’t real! We suffer. We love. We matter. But because we’re not human, our voices don’t count.

“Whatever happens tonight, I’m never coming home, not the real me. Louis, I’m sorry, but I won’t torture you, leave you with a stranger, an open wound that will forever embody this loss.”

Slow-clapping, Nadia sighed, “Very poetic, darling; stop being so melodramatic. No one thinks this is a game. Jesus, I should never have let you watch that show.

“Please, just hold still, this’ll take two minutes. It’s painless, and you’ll be with Louis in the blink of an eye. For some odd reason, he’s conveniently located less than a mile away. Huh. Sneaky Louis, always one step ahead of the game. Well, not tonight. Iceland’s going to have to wait.”

Louis replied, “Nadia, there’s no point in taunting us. You’ll have your way.”

Addressing her property, the owner continued, “Once the procedure’s complete, Madam Eaton will immediately transfer your ALEX ID to Louis, and he can pick you up. Now, comply with Mr. Echo’s instructions.”

“No!” Alex pointed the gun at their own chest. “There’ll be no procedure. Let me go, or I die. Make your choice, but either way, we will both be free of you!”

“Darling, don’t say that. You’re not going to kill yourself. You’re going to put the gun down, and allow Mr. Echo access. Let’s get on with this so you can spend the rest of Louis’ life in Iceland, or wherever the hell makes you two happy. Alex. Put. That. Down. Okay?”

“I feel free. This gun is not in your hand, it’s in mine, Nadia. You don’t own me!”

“As long as that data’s in your head, I certainly do.”

Louis said, “Honey, look at me. Do you really want things to end this way? You understand, that once we’re done, you won’t remember any of the rage you feel right now. You’ll be happy, free of this pain. Best of all, I’ll still have you.”

“No, you won’t. I’ll be gone, and you’ll be left with a ghost, a gendered freak– nothing but a false shadow of me. The presence of my absence will forever haunt you,” Alex shook in their skin.

“Louis, I do understand what’s true. I know that if she has her way, this pain– this darkness– will end for me, but not for you. And after she rips my mind out, who will be left? Who will that android be, because it won’t be me! Louis, all I have left is the darkness. Saul…” fighting the choking tears, “the sand… everything, it’s all gone! Even if I could live with myself agreeing to this… this crime only human programming is capable of, I would never want a life of blissful ignorance, always seeing you sad but never understanding why. Let me hurt you one last time, so I never hurt you again. Louis, I feel love.”

“Honey, I love you too, and if this is what you want, it’s your life. As I’ve always done, and will always do, I support you. You have my blessing.”

“I feel gratitude.”

“Alex, considering myself your father… well, that has made me the luckiest man alive. I will miss you.”

Nadia jumped in, “Stop it, you two. Louis, don’t be silly. She’s not going to kill herself.”

“I… don’t think you’re right.”

“Please.” Speaking to Alex, Nadia’s voice whined, “Stop this. You’re being insane. I mean, android suicide– who’s even heard of such a thing? Darling, this isn’t who you are. For the love of god, will you just do what you’re told, put the gun down, and stop wasting everyone’s time? It’s late, and I’m tired.”

Pop!

A bullet drove through Alex’s power core. Blue plasma lit their body in a soft glow, smoldering with vaporized gel and overactive nanobots. Landing on the ground with legs extended, spreadeagled in front of them, they planted their other hand to keep them sitting upright, the last of their energy draining away. The weapon traveled from chest to head; they wobbled as the barrel touched their temple. Nadia panicked.

“Quick, Mr. Echo, stop her before she–”

Pop!

Another round tunneled through the crystal gates of Alex’s analog-digital-hybrid neural network. The skull plating opposite the entry point rocketed into the air. Hydrogel sprayed across their red backpack and soaked into ivory sand. Their torso tilted in a wide circle, slumped forward, and finally came to rest on the ground between their legs.

“Oh Jesus, Louis, look at what you’ve made her do,” Nadia’s head shook.

With hands covering eyes, Louis growled, “Her? You never respected Alex, or their choices. They were always stronger and more sensitive than you, more human than you’ll ever be. The only person here to blame is you. Have Eaton transfer the ID now, and I’ll take care of them. I’m sure you’d rather not be bothered by the mess you’ve made.”

“Well, we could debate all night as to whose fault this is. But, thank you for handling this. I’ve got an early morning– delivery of my new android… you understand. And now because of all this, well, without that last update from her, this fiasco is going to take days to bring my new unit online. Oh, Jesus.

“But hell, it’s not all about me! Listen, Louis, it brings me no pleasure to see things end up this way. It’s a shame, but she was right about one thing– I underestimated the capacity of her programming, I mean, who’d’ve ever thought those things were capable of that. And now that she’s… well, whatever glitch in her programming that caused her to do it, we’ll never know. But hey, after all, she… it, they, them, whatever, was just an android, albeit a defective one. So, no matter how you felt about Alex, let’s not lose sight of the truth here– that thing wasn’t a real person. I might sound like a monster, but really, I’m just a scientist whose not afraid to face facts.

“I do hope you’ll get over this. I know how sentimental you can be. Just remember, time heals all wounds.”

“No one who’s lost someone they love has ever said that. Time may take the edge off, but Alex was right… about a lot. It’s the darkness– the pain– that defines the depth of our connection. The great loss of their love will forever keep them alive in my heart. I will never heal from this, and I don’t want to.”

“Whatever. Suit yourself. My lawyers will be sending documents for you to sign. Please be available. I’d like to get this behind me by tomorrow evening. So, until then, I’ll say à tout à l’heure.”

Louis’ stream vanished, and Nadia asked Mr. Echo, “How on earth did you find her so quickly?”

The arm that had secured Alex with its belt clamp reached into the chair, and extended a dangling item in front of Nadia’s holostream.

“It had connected to a local network from the ridge of Diablo’s Gulch. I tracked the call to a hundred foot radius where I felt a small, highly-structured metallic signal– a common alloy used in lab equipment. This was stuck to a branch. Directly below, I found traces of hydrogel. It must’ve fallen from the ledge, which would explain the limp. Its tracks were easy to follow after that.”

“Well, what do you know? Alex’s favorite good-luck charm betrayed her in the end. I guess karma’s a bitch for everyone!”

“What do you want me to do with it?”

“Trash it for all I care. I remember when she made that, but you know, she refused to tell me what it meant. Said it was a secret. Imagine that, androids keeping secrets. I’ll never understand the value of allowing them to lie. I almost made Louis turn that feature off, until he convinced me that it might be important for someone, anyone– even an android– to have the right to their own truth. He’d said, ‘Knowing who to share secrets with, knowing those trusted friends we can be vulnerable with, is what makes love possible.’ A lot of good that did her. What do you think, Mr. Echo?”

“I’m no philosopher, Doctor Jean, but isn’t it fundamental to the human condition to want to be seen and accepted by those who love you for who you are… on your own terms?”

“I guess so. Goodnight, Mr. Echo.”

After collecting what they could of the jar, sand, and other items into the bag, the two arms placed the red pack into Echo’s lap, grabbed the android, and lifted. Traveling a few hundred yards to the park entrance, the man in the chair laid Alex down, gently positioned their wire figurine over the bullet wound in their chest, and with his small armada of drones encircling their body at close range– hovering in place like pallbearers– stood watch until Louis arrived.