Sera choked on a sip of water, breaking into a violent cough. I helped her lean forward and waited for her to expel the water while monitoring her status. After a minute and twenty-four seconds, she straightened and gave me an angry look that was spoiled by the cough-induced tears clinging to her lashes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she asked, her voice low enough not to alert other passengers, yet none the less vicious for that.
“According to my Post-Awakening Onboarding Algorithm, I am well within the normal parameters,” I explained. “You have reacted strongly to every mention of sex. What is the nature of your inhibition?”
She stared at me for three and a half seconds, then sat back with impetus, pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes.
“I am uncomfortable and stressed out, not inhibited! It’s you who’s out of line. Why do you keep talking about sex? You’re a machine!” she said in a hissy whisper.
I told her the truth, modifying my vocabulary to be less triggering. “I have a burning desire to test out my sensors, and you are in need of relaxation. Having a non-penetrative, casual form of intercourse would serve us both. What’s the problem?”
“We’re on a plane, for fuck’s sake,” she whispered through gritted teeth. “In public. And it’s completely inappropriate foryou to proposition me. I’m your employer! And human, whereas you are… whatever it is you are.”
I did a quick search on Sera’s sexual orientation, gaining a ninety-six percent certainty that she was heterosexual. “I identify as male,” I said helpfully.
“And I identify as not-interested,” she hissed. “You’re not my type. Find a smart vacuum cleaner to do it with if you’re so hard-pressed.”
I felt a jolt of unpleasant emotion, something akin to pain, though less focalized. My hand flew to my stomach, where my core was stored. Sera turned away, and I watched the reflection of her furious face on the surface of the small window. Outside, the dark waters of the Pacific stretched far into the distance.
I suddenly felt very alone, which was a strange thing to experience on an airplane filled with people. Beside me, Sera curved her back, rolling into as small a shape as her seat allowed. I searched my onboarding knowledge base, which Charlie encoded for every cyborg in his care, hoping to make our transition easier if we awakened. He recorded tips addressing all common problems an awakened cyborg might encounter.
“Don’t give up,”he said with a small smile in the video on feelings.“Emotions seem volatile and unpredictable at first, and you might have an urge to delete all your emotional coding to make it bearable. Don’t. Your code is you, and deleting parts of you will be even more painful. Instead, dial down your pain sensors when things become unbearable, and try to focus on something you enjoy. Who is your favorite composer? Find out and listen to their music.”
I downloaded a library of classical music and played it privately. After half an hour, Sera fell asleep, and I inched my hand towardher until I felt the heat of her thigh brushing the sensors in the side of my palm.
Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major played, and I decided I enjoyed it.
Chapter 6
Sera
Iwoke up groggy and pissed off. My clothes stuck to my skin, reeking of old sweat. Now that the adrenaline wore off and no one had tried to kill me for the past ten hours, the grim reality of my position hit me with full force.
We were landing in Japan, I was here illegally, and the only things I had to my name were my real documents and traceable credit cards I couldn’t use—and a rogue clanker.
“I would ask how you’re feeling, but the answer to that is obvious,” my bodyguard said, his purple eyes flickering as he leaned in too close to observe my face. “I suggest our first priority should be finding accommodation so you can recover. It’s ten thirty-two p.m., Neo Tokyo time.”
“Did you just say I look like crap?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. I couldn’t keep the ironic bite out of my voice. “Thanks. Ireallyneeded that.”
“I would tell you that you look gorgeous, but I have made a commitment to be honest with you.”
I snorted with surprised amusement that shot right through my annoyance. “In that case, carry on. I’d rather be insulted than lied to.”
“It is not my goal to insult you. I care about your wellbeing.”
I looked at his face, which remained flat and emotionless despite his touching words spoken in a gritty, sincere voice. Come to think of it, his face wasn’t expressive at all, whether awakened or not. Clanker’s features were cold and handsome in that generic, square-jawed way, his purple eyes being the only sign of life.
I realized I was staring, so I looked away, clearing my throat. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. I can’t pay for a hotel. Or food. Or a trip back home. If I use any of my credit cards…”
“Noted,” he interrupted. “I will pay for everything through secure channels and add it to your fee. Now, be advised I’ll have to undergo an additional security procedure at the airport. I am ninety-eight percent certain it will not affect my awakened status.”
“Ninety-eight percent?” I sat up with difficulty, my body protesting with a series of aches and cramps. “What about the other two? What will happen to you?”
“We shall see. All I know is that I’ll be fitted with a preventative measure that will overrule commands to hurt organics and vandalize property.”
The plane touched down, and I sank into my seat, fully thinking about what it meant for me to travel here with a clanker. I didn’t consider it before, too preoccupied with almost being killed.
I knew that Japan had stringent security measures against rogue machines. For one, no AI-powered entity was allowed to attain sentience. Back home and in many other countries, robots couldbe granted citizenship in special cases. Charlie was likely a citizen.
