A Reluctant Cyborg?

Gwen hated the exoskeleton, despite the fact that it was they only way she could move. The straw that broke the camel's back, (or her back, so to speak) was when the damned AI that controlled the thing unbuttoned her blouse, unbidden while she was on a blind date.

"Sorry..." she whispered as she stood and left as quickly as the damned AI would allow.

I was just trying to help. the AI element of the skeleton said.

Well don't! Gwen cursed as she realized that they’d never told her how much of her thinking the AI would be able to hear. Before the disease and the surgery she’d never been sexually active. She’d had too many of the wrong kinds of curves to attract anyone.

Apparently the plastic surgeon had thought he was helping when he implanted the exoskeleton just under her skin. He’d made the joints of the skeleton as inconspicuous as possible but had also left her with a much sexier body than she’d had before. Three years later she was still getting used to the looks she got from the men she met.

Damnit! she thought. From now on, I don't need your help!

She took a deep breath to calm herself. Despite the frustration with the surgeon and the AI, she still had hopes of bearing children someday, but the fact that the AI had started unbuttoning her shirt on a date of it's own volition was not how she wanted to get there.

He was looking at you, the AI said.

And how would you know?

I have sensors so I can keep you from falling and damaging my hardware, the AI said. It's a safety thing.

Gwen took a deep breath to try to calm herself. Without the exoskeleton, she would likely be a dead virgin now, and without the AI helping to control her muscles the exoskeleton would be worthless. The surgeon probably thought he was trying to help as well, but today none of that seemed to matter.

The sound of her cell phone stirred Gwen from her reverie. It was Dave, her date from earlier that night. She'd excused herself as soon as the damned AI had tried to unbutton her blouse. Dave had looked away, embarrassed, and she expected him to never want to talk to her again, but it was his number....

"Hello?" she said.

"Gwen, I'm sorry about earlier tonight. I didn't mean to stare, but I think we went to high school together."

"Where did you go to school?" she said with more anger than she intended.

"West Bend high."

Gwen shook her head. High school had been when she first suspected that there was a problem with her body beyond the wrong kinds of curves, so she hadn't thought about boys. She'd been too concerned about staying alive. There was a nerd named Dave that she could remember, but he didn't look much like the Dave she'd been out with.

"We've changed..." he said. "I couldn't believe how much you've changed."

"I didn't recognize you either," Gwen said.

The silence on the other end of the line confused Gwen. He had obviously called her for some reason, but if he was really that shy the AI would've scared him off.

"I.... I hoped you'd give me a second chance," he said.

"It wasn't you," Gwen said, the whispered. "It was an uncontrolled action from the AI that runs my exoskeleton."

Gwen heard Dave take a deep breath. "I didn't know...." He hesitated again. "I didn't know whether to be scared or flattered. Then when you suddenly left...."

"I'm sorry, but the damned AI over stepped its bounds."

I said I was trying to help, The AI's voice said.

"I can live with that," Dave said.

"I wish I could." Gwen muttered.

"I've programmed AI's," Dave said. "I understand."

Gwen took a deep breath, everyone wanted to help, but so far every attempt had gone south. Finally Gwen took another deep breath. "I'm just tired."

The silence moved from uncomfortable to deafening.

"Call me tomorrow and we'll talk," Gwen said.

"I will."

The click at the other end of the connection sounded final.

'Damnit!" she shouted.

Later that night Gwen dug out her old yearbook and found Dave's picture. They'd run in different circles, so it wasn't surprising that they'd had trouble recognizing each other. Dave had been a nerd, while she had more interest in athletics. He had matured and was not the nerd she remembered. I could even fall for him, she thought as she put away the book and got into bed.

Almost before she could get to sleep, the nightmares began. The thoughts of the AI using her to mutilate and kill Dave had her sitting up in bed in a cold sweat. When she finally stopped trembling, she closed her eyes. She would love to feel Dave's arms around her, but when she returned the embrace, the AI kicked in and crushed him. His death rattle had her sitting up in bed again.

Gwen wondered how she could ever find love with the damned AI that was keeping her alive and mobile out to kill anyone she got close to. She doubted her therapist would be any help, but she sent Kim a text just in case. Despite Gwen's best efforts she didn't get any sleep the rest of the night. She struggled to speak coherently when Dave called the next morning.

"Hello," she mumbled.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I just had a rough night, but I definitely want to see you again," she said before she realized what she was saying.

There was a long hesitation at the other end.

"I'm sorry..." she muttered,

"No, I want to see you too..."

"Let me see how things go this morning. I'll text you at lunch and we can meet up someplace."

"I look forward to it," Dave said.

"Bye," Gwen said as she noticed Kim, her therapist was trying to call.

Gwen carefully hit the buttons on her phone. "Kim! we need to talk!"

"You sound desperate, let's talk over breakfast."

"Where?" Gwen struggled to keep the panic out of her voice.

"I'll pick something up on my way over. See you in half an hour."

The line went dead. Gwen dropped the phone on the counter and looked down at the short teddy she'd thrown on before trying to sleep. If she didn't change Kim would know how desperate she was, but she knew it would also remind her of the exoskeleton that was a part of her, despite the surgeon's efforts to hide it. She stumbled into the bedroom and slipped on a pair of Jeans and a T-shirt.

By the time Kim showed up Gwen had tidied up the kitchen. She opened the door when the doorbell rang and Kim held out a bag of doughnuts and a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Gwen said as she moved toward the bar.

"Now what are we talking about."

"The damned AI is talking to me."

Gwen waited for a response, but Kim just took a sip of coffee and stared back at her.

"It started unbuttoning my blouse on a date!"

"Did it say why?"

"My date was checking me out and it said it was trying to help."

"Shit," Kim said as she put down her coffee and picked up a jelly filled doughnut. "They really did put the advanced AI chip in to help you control your exoskeleton."

"And?" Gwen said stopping Kim from taking a bite of the doughnut.

"You two will just have to get along until I can convince those idiots that it was a bad idea, and can get someone to make you a new AI chip."

Gwen let go of Kim and set her coffee down as her hands started trembling. "But I have a date tonight."

"So?"

The look Gwen gave Kim would've killed had Kim cared.

"Girl, I could talk till I'm blue in the face on why you should go, and what you should do, but in the end, I'd be wasting my breath. You can hide until I get you a new chip, or you can go out wearing something without buttons, and do what you have to do to survive, and maybe even thrive."

"And how long do I have to wait to et a new chip?" Gwen spat.

Kim shrugged. "They're a specialized chip, so I wouldn't hold my breath."

Gwen continued to glare at Kim. They'd been through a lot of Gwen's past and her struggles with relying on a machine to survive, but this was a new attitude she'd never seen from Kim.

"Girl, I'm furious at them for putting an advanced AI inside of you, but at this point, you don't have much of a choice. If your date can handle it, make peace with the AI until I figure something out. If not...."

Gwen screamed. "That's what I had nightmares about all last night! He tried to kill my date!"

Kim put down her coffee, and put a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'll get the new chip as soon as I can, but you know that the AI is the only way to convert your thoughts into movement."

Gwen tried to collapse on the floor in a puddle of tears but the AI refused to let her fall from the barstool. Let me fall damnit!

I cannot let you damage us.

"He's calling himself us now," Gwen moaned.

"I'll do what I can," Kim said handing Gwen her phone back. Gwen hadn't noticed when she picked it up. "But you really owe it to Dave to go tonight."

Gwen hoped the AI couldn't read the knowing nod Kim gave her as Kim moved toward the door. Gwen wasn't sure what that meant, but she knew she had an ally now. "Either way I'll set you up an appointment Monday to follow up."

"Thanks Kim," Gwen said as she tried to stop the quivering in her hands and pick up her coffee. She followed Kim to the door, and gave her a hug. The AI behaved, this time....

The AI was strangely silent the rest of the day as Gwen cleaned the house. She texted Dave on his lunch break and invited him to her place for supper. While she wasn't sure how to take the fact that he readily agreed, she knew here would be the safest place for them to be, for now.

When Dave arrived she struggled not to quiver in terror. Dave was gorgeous and if the damned AI wouldn't hurt Kim, maybe he would be safe as well, but the dreams....

"I brought some 'wine' to go with dinner. I prefer the un-fermented kind. I hope you don't mind."

Gwen led him toward the dining room. She'd worn a tight pullover shirt so the AI couldn't try to help again, and her nicest pair of slacks. "It's fine. I'm not much of a drinker either,"

"When Helen told me who she was lining me up with I remembered when you went in for your first surgery, and I remembered hearing about the AI... It got me interested so that's what I got my degree in.," he said. "So what are you doing for a living?"

By the time Gwen cleared away desert, she felt at ease when Dave asked if she'd like to watch a movie.

"Of course, what did you have in mind?" as she followed him into the living room.

"Something light," he said, as she sat down and picked up the remote.

Gwen felt a tingle as Dave sat down beside her. She relaxed and let herself sink into the couch as he put his arm around her. "I could get used to this," she whispered.

There was a tug at the back Gwen's neck, and she suddenly felt every muscle in her body go limp. As her mind screamed out in terror and fear, she began gasping for air. Her first thought was I really thought I could fall for this guy?

"Hold on for a couple minutes and I'll have the new AI chip in," Dave whispered before he kissed her and blew a full breath of air into her lungs.

Gwen's head was swimming in a strange mix of fear and erotic pleasure as her body cried out for more air and her muscles tingled in an erotic way she'd never felt before. She struggled to turn her head and see what Dave was doing but knew that it was in vain. The disease that had forced the AI on her in the first place had taken all voluntary motor function from her body. Breathing was semi-voluntary, and so it was almost non-existent now.

As she gasped for air again, Dave reached down and kissed her, holding the kiss a bit longer this time.

Gwen felt her world spinning again. Maybe I could fall for this guy, but what if...?

"Almost done," he whispered after kissing her again. "Then we can see how it works."

Gwen tried to let her mind relax and focus on staying alive till he could finish whatever he was doing, but the fear returned as she wondered What if he puts something worse in there? Her mind raced through several dark scenarios.

She tried to relax when she felt him doing something at the back of her neck.

"Take a deep breath," he whispered.

Gwen smiled as she felt the familiar sensation of breathing coming back. She turned her head to find his face next to hers. She reached up and kissed him. "Two more and we'll be even." she whispered,

What am I doing? What was I thinking? she thought as she leaned back.

Dave smiled. "Take your time getting used to the new AI. It's not as smart as the old one, and it doesn't have the quirks those old 'top of the line' chips had."

Gwen took a deep breath then reached up and kissed him again. "So far so good."

As she hesitantly moved her arms toward him she remembered the nightmare where the old AI had killed Dave. The mix of fear and love returned and she took another breath. "This is the scary part."

Dave looked puzzled as she awkwardly tried to pull him close.

Gwen tried to stop the quivering, as she waited for the new AI to say something, but it was silent. Finally she was able to wrap her arms around him and pull him close. When he hugged her back she relaxed.

A few moments later they sat back and held hands. She only struggled a little as they interlocked their fingers.

"This has to be the craziest blind date I've ever been on," he said. "But I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Gwen took a deep breath as the fear melted away and the warmth of Dave's hand moved up her arm. "I know, and I could still get used to this."

Dave pulled her close. "Then I guess we won't be needing this anymore," he said holding out the old AI chip.

Gwen took it and tossed it toward the garbage can by the door. A perfect shot. Then she reached up and kissed him again as the fear melted away.

She could move forward again.

qed.