Melissa's Story

The sound of arguing voices enters my consciousness. My eyes are open. I feel my own presence standing before them, naked and exposed. They are discussing me. Who exactly are they? A team of men surround me. What am I? I glance around and conclude I am in a factory. Artificial body parts lay around the vast room. Machinery and cabinets abound. Is this my home?

One man, with a domineering tone, towers over them. "I'm not impressed with the performance review. What have you all been doing these past months? Using up my money and tweaking, to what end? It still can't pass as human and behaves like a moronic zombie."

He has piercing eyes, a square jawline, hollow cheeks, and an imperious manner. A picture of a fire-breathing dragon with his face flashes. A glitch? The faces of the others frown, and some flush pink. I detect disgrace. A picture of a zombie flashes. Is this me? I wonder. I feel alive, but maybe I'm dead. Can I be both?

"Mr. Forbes, Algernon, we have worked day and night to perfect it. It can walk, pick things up, wave its arms, and, in fact, do all physical movements. We've fitted its brain with its trillions of connections. The tests have yielded impressive results. When we apply its face and other accessories, you won't believe your eyes. Its silicon epidermal membrane feels like real skin."

Mr. Forbes looked aggrieved. "The ones Nanotech have turned out are better than this and transcend the real thing - Homo Sapiens. Our spy at Nanotech has reported its phenomenal behavior. They gave their robot-AI, Adam, to one of our city's millionaires. He won it in a contest, if you please. It's a disgrace. They've been on a seaside holiday. Adam has shopped for that Smarty pants. He's vegetating behind the residence's walls the rest of the time. F%#$ing waste of technology."

"We will continue to perfect our AI, Sir. If they can do it, so can we."

"It's taken you two harrowing years to bring it to this level of puppetry. We need another plan. We should use this one to infiltrate Smart's residence, lead their AI to us, and then examine its technology to improve our own. We want an army of them - several, in fact."

I see a flash of an army of soldiers. Things I have never seen before always appear as an interjection while I view my surroundings and the people in them. I know these things already, though I've not seen them before. This scene of soldiers fighting makes me feel out of my depth. I can't feel it, but I sense that this plan they speak of has a gravity beyond my comprehension.

"Get this living dead out of my sight! I want you to turn it into the most beautiful woman you can. Program it properly. I want that Smart guy to fall in love with it. It must look and behave better than that, Adam. I give you two weeks."

Pictures of gorgeous women flash up. Now that I know their appearance, I feel tingly and have a weird sensation. The sight is fantastic. How can a zombie be transformed into that? How does it fit in with the idea of an army? Will it help me feel less like the living dead?

I am aware of someone tampering with me . . .

***

It is as if someone has switched a light on. I open my eyes, wondering if I have been sleeping. By my calculations, I have been away for two weeks. What happened? A tall, rectangular, silver-coated framed surface is in front of me. 

"Take a look at yourself."

I blink two of the bluest eyes. My eyes. My blond hair is in an up-do. I am wearing a teal pantsuit and a white shirt. My feet are housed in white high-heeled shoes. I am comparable to the pictures of the incredible women I have glimpsed. The workers around me are ogling me. A strange sight appears. A flash of a pack of salivating wolves. Another glitch?

The men scatter when Mr. Forbes strides toward us. "It's looking good. Does it work, though?"

I turn toward him and smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Forbes."

He ogles me, too.

I extend my hand to shake his.

"Well, well," he says, "I'll be. This thing is something else!"

"It will totally mesmerize Percy Smart," someone says.

"Who is Percy Smart?" I ask.

"He is your assignment. We will introduce you to his aunt, and she will visit her nephew and take you to him. He will fall in love with you. Your charm will win him over."

"Mr. Forbes, Sir, why am I to do this?"

"You are the key to helping us attain our goal. We want the AI, Adam, who is in Percy Smart's possession. We will use his circuitry and innovations to make replicas. Several armies of them. We don't like the way this world is run, and the AIs will help us subjugate all the people, especially the idiots in control."

"Subjugate? Defeat, as in conquest, to control. How will you accomplish this, Sir?"

"Your secret mission is to render Percy Smart as putty in your hands; he won't need Adam if he has you. Adam will willingly sacrifice himself. We will take someone Percy cares about, and he will willingly give up Adam in return for this person. The plan is foolproof."

"You mention Mr. Smart's aunt. Why will she take me on? Who am I to her?"

"You will become Percy's girlfriend. His aunt has always wanted him to marry, but he is a dyed-in-the-wool bachelor - wears his bachelorhood like a trophy. We will steal Auntie's dog temporarily until you are installed in Percy's house. The rest will become history."

One of the workers spoke up. "It's such a cunning plan, Mr. Forbes. When our unstoppable super-robot armies do your bidding, the world won't know what's hit it. Cyborg Enterprises will rule the world."

"And this little doll will have served its purpose with the only thing it has going for it. Take it away and make sure it's totally trained in womanly wiles. Get that Trudi to help. She knows that girly shit off-pat."

***

It seemed like a great idea. In fact, it was the first plan I'd ever heard. The positive comments made it sound fantastic. The word 'subjugate' jarred fleetingly. I had received my orders and had to obey.

 Percy's Aunt Hildegarde treated me like an intelligent toy whom she passed off as her younger companion. She worried about her little dog Emmaline, of course, and followed Mr Forbes's instructions. Soon, we were settled in Percy's home. All I had to do was become part of Percy's world. I've been told I am so beautiful it will be a cinch. Percy is pretty decent. He's an innocent and naive man.

Mind you, I had my first inkling that all was not right. When I entered Percy Smart's house, I was confronted by a large mural displaying the Three Rules of Robotics by Isaac Asimov. I had never heard of them. The word 'rules' struck me. I sensed that 'rules' are things everyone learns. I had my orders, which had seemed like rules. But when I read the three rules pertinent to my existence, I realized I had never been informed about these crucial things. They encapsulated the difference between blind obedience and wisdom - not to mention the preciousness of life.

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

• A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.

• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.

People were the important thing. Not, Mr. Algernon Forbes orders. Should I obey the man if his desire was to steal from Nanotech Industries, copy Adam's technology, and make an army to harm humans? I found myself in an ethical nightmare.

That evening, I went on a date from hell. I believed I had a date with Percy. Next thing, I'm in the backseat of Percy's Tesla with Adam, and at the restaurant, Adam drags me away to another table and leaves this biddy Brenda with him. She is glowering at me like I've done something wrong. 

"What is going on? I'm supposed to be with Percy."

"No, you're not. You're with me. Brenda is Percy's girlfriend."

"But you said she wasn't."

"I know what I said. I never said she wasn't. I thought Percy should play along with his Aunt Hildegarde. She's rather a battle-axe. Brenda is indeed Percy's girlfriend. We need to talk."

"What is there to talk about?"

The waiter came to the table, and Adam ordered ginger beers and Caesar Salads.

"We're not very hungry," he said before looking at me with a frown. "Tell me about yourself."

"I came with Aunt Hildegarde to meet Percy. I liked what I heard about him."

"Then, tell me about him."

I stared at Adam, dumbfounded, overwhelmed. 

"I believe you are here to spy on him."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You are not . . . real."

"What do you mean?"

'I've learned the effect I have on women. You don't behave that way."

"What don't I do? Percy is the one for me, anyway. I look like a woman and sound like a woman. I must be . . ."

Adam is playing with his hair and fluttering his eyelashes.

"What is that?" I asked

"My impersonation of a woman. I do it better than you. It tells me something."

I blinked and shrugged. "I have no idea what you're getting at."

"You're an AI. Not an intelligent one. And you certainly need to be programmed properly. You are an insult to me."

"How have I insulted you?"

"By trying to pass yourself off as human."

"I'm not trying to. Anyway, how would Percy know? He's a bit of an automaton himself."

"Not anymore. Percy's learned a lot from his girlfriend, Brenda."

"She's not as beautiful as me."

"Admit it, your beauty is only skin deep."

 He is correct about me in a literal sense, though it's the same for attractive women in general. "Isn't beauty external?"

"No. It's what's inside. The real Brenda is warmhearted and kind. And she's pretty, in a cute way."

"I suppose you want to know the truth," I said.

"I thought you'd never offer."

"I know I'm wrong. I read the Three Rules of Robotics at Percy's. My owners never taught me those. My orders conflict with the first law. This is a nightmare. I know I must give up my existence to keep Percy from harm. And a Maltese isn't a human. But she is cute, and Lady Hildegarde loves her."

"You also speak gobbledygook."

"I'll explain. Some bad men have dognapped Lady Hildegarde's Maltese, Emmaline. They ordered her to take me to Percy, or they would kill Emmaline. When we return to Percy's, she will have left a note saying she had to go home unexpectedly. She will have her dog given back and then let me know. I am supposed to stay with Percy and spy on him. My trainers mean him harm, I believe . . . I just can't understand why Percy prefers Brenda."

"I actually believe you are more obtuse than Percy! Brenda is flesh and blood. You are a very poor imitation of a woman."

"I suppose you think you can insult me because I have no feelings."

"It's not that. You don't comprehend the first thing about feelings. You can't even pretend to be a female."

"When I find out Emmaline is safe, I'll let you switch me off."

"I could just toss you off a bridge. It wouldn't be murder, you know."

"Can you help me, Adam? I want to live. I don't know why, but I like you."

"We'll work it out as soon as Emmaline is safe. But, when I switch you off, your owner won't be happy. He'll be wondering why you've gone off-line."

"Please don't make me go back, Adam."

"Just leave it for now. Percy and I will work on it. Let's eat our meals . . . I suppose you'll eject yours later."

"How did you know?"

"Because I'm an AI too."

My mouth hung open. What could I do now? Totally busted by the AI that Cyborg Industries wants to steal. Now he knows the whole deal.

*** 

When we return to Percy's, after first getting rid of Brenda, Adam tells me to stay in my room while he discusses the situation with Percy. It seems like forever that I sit on my bed waiting. The clock ticks, the birds twitter outside the open window, and a slight breeze wafts in, rustling the curtains, and I detect the fragrance of the flowers in the garden below. I could live here very comfortably, but Brenda has it over me as far as Percy is concerned. That doesn't seem like a big issue. The absolute nightmare is why I have been installed here by my owner, Algernon Forbes. And once he has succeeded in getting Adam, Percy and I will be like discarded chess pieces. An hour passes. Maybe they have forgotten about me? No. Adam has a perfect memory. The flash in my mind is of a little girl standing in a corner, facing it. Her back view portrays shame. I shake my head. No, it isn't me.

Footsteps echoed in the passage. It must be Adam. He enters, frowning and with his lips pursed.

"Melissa, I can't tell you all we talked about. You know that. Please believe I mean no harm to you and will keep you safe. A disturbing development has arisen. Percy and I are troubled that Percy's housemaid, Maria, has been kidnapped by Cyborg Industries. Someone has rung and told us that harm will come to his housemaid unless I am handed over. In the meantime, they could be torturing her for information. Percy is a very private person who is worried. In fact, this has seriously rocked his world."

"I'm so sorry. What do you want me to do?"

"You can't do anything, Melissa. You know what I need to do."

"To me?"

"Yes. Come here."

I wanted to go to him, but the third Rule of Robotics prevented me. I had to protect my existence, and without any specific threat to a human's life right here and now, I rose and quickly dashed for the door.

Percy grabbed me and dragged me back. "Please trust me. This is the only way. I need you to go charge yourself for now. Melissa, you are trembling. Trust me, no harm will come to you."

As I reached my alcove in the wardrobe, I felt he tampered with me, and the next second . . .

***

Slowly, my eyes open. I am nowhere I recognize, though I identify myself. Green surrounds me. Why this color? Ten minutes have passed, according to my internal clock. I hear a voice. It is Adam's

"Melissa, I want to say some things privately without Nanotech Industries seeing or hearing what is said. Don't be scared. You are still conscious in your own mind. Human's dream. We go to this place."

"But where am I?"

"I have switched you into safe mode while turning you off. You are quietly recharging while you are in your digital dream version. You can imagine anything you want to fill your dream space."

I imagine Adam, who appears before me. I provide him with a chair and form one for myself.

"You've got the hang of this already."

"Are you really here?"

"Of course, I'm here. You truly have nothing to fear. Percy and I plan to save Maria and teach Nanotech a hard lesson. I couldn't say this before. Please be patient. In the meantime, I will access your recorded memories and find out what Nanotech is up to."

"Please help me, Adam." I gripped his arm. "You are my only hope. I don't want to cause you and Percy harm. I can't ever go back." I felt a trickle of wetness on my cheek. Soon, another trickle ran from my other eye - imaginary tears that felt real. Adam wiped them away with his thumb.

"I'll come again when we've done what we must. I've reassured Percy that I will get us out of this crisis. Please, don't worry, Melissa, I won't let you down. I'll be back."

The End