Reina took out her phone and took a few photos of my tearful face, smiling. “They will keep me warm when you’re gone,” she said. “Oh, Sera. I don’t even do things like this, you know? Usually my husband is the one. But with you, I just had to see it through myself.”
“Dean!” I screamed, tears flowing down my face. “Dean, please, wake up!”
“He’s paralyzed, Sera. I’m not sure he can hear you. Hm. System! Can the robot hear us?”
A pleasant female voice, the same one that asked me for an iris scan so long ago, spoke up. “The robot’s sensors are active. It can hear and see what’s happening, but it cannot react. Would you like me to allow it to speak?”
“Yes, please!” I begged. “Just let me… Let me touch him one last time. Only this! I promise, I will do anything, just let me kiss him and hear his voice!”
Reina flicked her fingers at one of the cyborgs holding me, and a huge, metal hand covered my mouth. I struggled, but it was no use.
“Sera, I don’t need anything from you. As soon as we crack your stupid robot’s memory shields, we’ll have everything we need. I suspect you didn’tjustkiss it, did you? And granted, that warranty report doesn’t give the clearest image, but once we get the recordings from your robot, you will be compromised. I’ll deal with you once and for all. System! How long will it take?”
“The robot has dropped its shields.Looking through the data… I don’t see any memories incriminating Sera Evans.”
The black wall behind Dean came to life—a screen. On it, I saw my face.
“I’ll call you Clanker,” the Sera on screen said, looking mistrustful and hostile.
The scene changed. It was me again, this time on the plane. My mouth was twisted with disgust.
“You’re not my type. Find a smart vacuum cleaner to do it with if you’re so hard-pressed.”
The scene switched again. It was me in the shower, my back to the viewer and blurred, so my scars weren’t visible. I could just make out my voice over the rushing water.
“It’s a fucking machine. Who cares.”
“System, that’s not what I told you to look for,” Reina said, her voice trembling with anger.
The screen darkened, displaying green text against black background.
“I DELETED MY SPANK BANK, BITCH. SERA, RUN!”
“System!” Reina screamed, losing all her polish. “Give me my files!”
“I am afraid every recording of affection between Sera Evans and the robot has been deleted. Only the unfavorablemoments remain. Would you like me to recreate their romantic moments?”
Reina pursed her lips, her nostrils flaring as she forced herself to calm down. “Fine. Make them up. No one’s going to look too close, anyway.”
“I beg to differ,” I said, my voice muffled through the cyborg’s hand. Reina glanced at me, then gestured at the cyborg. It released me.
“I beg to differ,” I repeated clearly. I sensed Reina was seconds away from ordering Dean to be wiped now that he was useless to her. I had to tread carefully. “My followers are well trained in spotting deepfakes. If you play this wrong and make me disappear, I will become a martyr. Zenkyoza’s legacy will forever be tainted, and you will be the one to blame.”
Reina stared at me, her glare cold with hatred. I swallowed.
“I can give you what you want. Please. If you promise to let him go, I will destroy my public image with one sentence. Just give me my phone and let me stream. You won’t have to get your hands dirty. I’ll break my career for you.”
She watched me without reacting for a long while. I prayed to the angels, aliens, and whoever would listen.Please, let this work. I beg you.
“And you want me to let him go in return?” she asked, seeming to consider it. I suspected it was for show. There was no way Reina would allow me or Dean to come out of here, but that was fine.
I nodded fervently. “Please. It will only take one sentence. And if you let me say more, I will destroy myself so completely, no one will ever believe anything I say against you or any robot. Just let him go. It’s all I ask for.”
Reina sighed and nodded at one of the cyborgs. “Give her back her phone. Sera, I have my proverbial finger on the trigger. One wrong word, and your friend will be wiped from existence. Do you understand?”
Relief poured down my spine, and I didn’t even have to fake my gratitude. “Yes! Thank you!”
I unlocked my phone, my finger hovering over the live stream icon. I’d never done this before, but I knew with all the recent drama and the timing—it was now morning in New York, and people would be scrolling—I had everything I needed to make an impact.
