V's POV
Earlier that day
I was conceived without my mother's heart beating next to mine.
Because of that, I believed all my life that matters of the heart were not for me. Just like my mother's love, they felt foreign, almost strange.
And just as most people had always felt so distant from me... I kept myself at a distance from others. I couldn't let them see what my parents had seen, whatever it was that made them turn away and abandon me.
Being alone felt like the safest choice, one where I would never give anyone the chance to leave me or hurt me again.
Until today.
Sade had entered my life and disrupted everything.
Against all odds, I was no longer afraid she would flee. When we looked at the stars and she pressed her hand against my chest, I wished she had taken my heart with her bare hand.
I wished I could have given her everything.
I no longer cared about my heart, the one thing that made me appear human. If tearing it out of my chest meant being closer to her, I would have done it myself.
By bringing Sade to the oasis, I had wanted to put her on equal grounds with me. She needed to know of an escape, a way out, not only from me, but also from the company that created her.
It scared me how much I wanted to lose control with her. Every new day she chose to stay with me made me hope she would be able to go rogue one day.
After all, humans become human... in relation to others.
Having wrestled with my humanity all my life, I didn't know what my deepening bond with a machina said about me. All I knew was that I wanted to follow it and explore it for as long as I could.
That was why I felt so confused seeing Sade's mood deteriorate day by day. I had tried talking to her, but she didn't seem to notice the problem. I made sure she ate all her meals, kept up with her hobbies and studies, and got the minimum physical exercise required each day.
That day, I was at work, writing down all the new information I had learned about her that week:
Likes lying in the grass at the park
Prefers coloring over sketching (but both necessary for her studies)
Makes new friends very easily, I added, as I had met Norah, the Chief Archivist, who had joined us yesterday for lunch at the cafeteria. I had only exchanged via chat with this colleague for the past years, and yet, I had never known anything more about her than her working hours.
In just a few library visits, Sade already knew about Norah's favorite snacks, her ASMR obsession, and the story of Shellbie, Norah's robot turtle, which had gone for a "hospital stay" after spending too much time stuck on its back.
Thinking about robots and hospitals, I went to check the Love Machina app. Perhaps Sade required a special kind of maintenance? But no, the app showed her perfect machina vitals, with nothing looking wrong. I saw a Frequently Asked Questions section and clicked on the one mentioning Can I change my machina's characteristics (such as intelligence level, humor responsiveness, or sexual drive)?
As expected, you couldn't.
I wish I could have given Sade the most free will possible. That was what I had tried to achieve by showing her the oasis's escape.
"V?"
I startled at the familiar voice at the door.
"Hey, Chandra," I greeted her, hiding the notebook in front of me already. "How are you?"
She glanced at my sudden move as she entered my office.
"I'm good. And you?" she asked back, and I nodded. She leaned against the doorframe, fists digging into her lab coat. "We barely saw each other at Malik's dinner. Did you have fun?"
"I did. The lasagna was great. Did you?"
She pursed her lips, her eyes going up to the ceiling.
"I did but..."
"What's wrong?" I inquired, clearly noticing her nervousness.
"I wanted your opinion on something... Malik offered me a new job... on the Homo Fortis project. I know you were part of the first team working on it. I was wondering... Did working on that project help you win the Ministry's Grant for your current research?" I nodded, and she continued. "Ah, that's interesting."
"Why?"
"Just curious," she shrugged. "I've been feeling quite stuck in my career lately. If working on this project puts me in a better position for a grant... Well, that's tempting."
I frowned, folding my fingers on the desk. My memory of studying epigenetic plasticity for Homo Fortis came rushing back. With the growing concerns about climate change, it was indeed extremely relevant to have a team of geneticists study how humans were adapting to their new environments.
"Why would they need you for this project?" I wondered aloud, tapping my chin thoughtfully.
When I looked back at Chandra, I realized too late that I had been careless with my words. She looked hurt, probably thinking I doubted her abilities.
"I mean, why an engineer?" I quickly clarified. "Homo Fortis is about reporting on epigenetic changes... aren't you specialized in correcting genetic disorders?"
Chandra was a brilliant engineer who had helped design an improved CFTR gene to help people with cystic fibrosis. I struggled to see how her career would advance by joining my peers on the Homo Fortis project, whose work was mostly bland observations of how genes changed under environmental stress.
But she shook her head, half-smiling.
"Never mind. You're right. I'll ask Malik if they really need me... What about you? How's your research going? I heard your manager say your deadline's next week. Are you excited to be done with it?"
I gulped, my fingers fidgeting with a fountain pen.
"Well, not really..."
"Why not?" she asked, her expression showing genuine concern.
I let out a long sigh as I rubbed my tired eyes, wondering for the hundredth time in my life how much I could confide in Chandra without revealing too much of my secret.
But her next question took me by surprise.
"Wasn't Sade supposed to help you?"
My eyes darted back to hers, wide with panic.
Did she find out?
"The botanist?" she added quickly, frowning. "From the West? The one specialized in Nutrient Delivery Systems?" She tilted her head, as if my expression had made her doubt herself.
"A-ah. Y-yes," I stammered, tugging at the collar of my shirt. "Indeed." I cleared my throat, seizing the opportunity she had unknowingly handed me. "I would have liked her to stay longer... Her expertise was invaluable these past weeks. I was finally making progress... But with the deadline so close, my conclusions feel... rushed."
"Why don't you just ask for more time?"
"Well, my manager—"
Chandra laughed, cutting me off.
"V, you truly have no idea how much leverage you have here, do you?" She shook her head, amused.
"You could ask for anything, and they'd give it to you."
My eyes blinked fast, wondering if she was making fun of me.
"Move," she said suddenly, rolling up her sleeves as she walked to my desk.
"W-what?" I stuttered again as she pulled me out of my chair and dropped into it herself.
"Let me write the message for you." She cracked her knuckles and glared at my vintage keyboard. "What is this? Give me a real board!" she mocked, and my desk tablet obediently projected a slick digital keyboard onto the surface. "Trust me... I bet they'll get back to you in less than an hour."
"They?" I asked, my hands gripping the back of the chair, half-frightened, half-awed by her confidence.
"Yes, they. The secret ingredient..." she said with a devilish smirk, "...is to put Malik in copy."
🗓️ Next chapters: this Monday, September 15th 🗓️
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