Chapter 5

SHEILA - Synthetic, Humanoid, Enlightened, Inquisitive, Living, Android

My mind was racing as I tried to process everything I had just realized. Then I looked at Sheila, seeing the look of pain still evident on her face. I had to do something quickly, but why was I acting as if I had hurt the feelings of a real woman?

Shaking my head, I opened my mouth then snapped it shut. What in the world was I going to say? I wasn’t any good at dealing with feelings or emotions. Thinking quickly, I decided that science was the answer. “Sheila, I did not mean to imply that you did anything wrong. For some humans, this is good for circulation; for others, not so much.”

Sheila’s expression seemed to pause as she digested what I had said. “You are not angered with me, Doctor Gance?”

“Angered? How could I be? You were only following the research you had conducted. As a scientist, I cannot fault you if the information you acquired was faulty,” I replied.

I could swear that her synthetic skin had a glow to it when I finished. “Thank you for explaining, Doctor Gance. I will consult you from now on after I have conducted my research. As I stated before, you are the closest to being truthful towards ... me, than any other human.”

I was nodding as she spoke, then stopped when she paused. Was that a glitch in her programming, or was it a Freudian slip? Shaking my head, I realized I HAD to get into her programming. Something was happening that went far beyond the scope of what I had originally programmed.

After removing the peppers, I actually started to enjoy what she’d brought me. As I groaned out in pleasure while eating, Sheila’s face suddenly appeared happier. “I am finding that your enjoyment of the food I brought you is causing strange reactions within my programming,” she commented, then turned towards me. “Please hurry with the next program. I am not understanding all that is occurring within me.”

Again I nodded, then my head snapped up when she used the word “me.” My god! Was she really starting to experience a fuller range of human emotions? Looking at the keyboard in front of me, I begrudgingly sat the food down and started typing again. It was perhaps two hours later when I felt a tug on my sleeve.

“Huh?” I said as I looked up from the screen, rubbing my eyes.

“Doctor Gance, your energy levels appear to be low again. May I suggest that you recharge before you continue? I realize that you are only forty-three percent finished with it, but you need to rest,” Sheila advised.

I could only stare at her, trying to get my head around everything. It was true, I was tired; though there was so much more I had to do. “I need to finish this,” I replied.

“That’s all good, Doctor Gance, but I see that you have already made two syntax errors. Please, Doctor Gance...” Sheila urged, causing me to stare at her more intensely. Please? When did this happen? She was showing a lot more emotion than I had programmed in her. Without this program, there’s not much I can actually do.

“Please? When did this happen? You are showing a hell of a lot more emotion than I installed in you. The problem is, without this program, there’s not much I can actually do,” I told her, then looked at her again. Was that a look of pain and concern on her face? Shaking my head, I looked again, but it was still there. Sighing, I threw up my arms in surrender, “Alright! I’ll lay down, damn!”

Again, I could only stare at Sheila as what appeared to be a genuine smile crossed her features. Getting up, I stepped over to a small bed Sheila had set up for me. Collapsing onto it, I groaned as I felt my muscles protest, and then almost sighed as they got the blood they needed.

“Thank you, Doctor Gance. I can protect you from almost all dangers; though, I am afraid that you are your own worst enemy. You have to start consuming more for energy; losing consciousness defeats the whole purpose of you doing all that you can,” Sheila told me. Suddenly, I felt like a small child whose mother was chiding them.

Falling asleep far faster than I thought I would, the dreams started almost immediately.

Sheila was dressed in a white lab coat, holding a clipboard. “Ah! Good, you’re awake. Now we can start with your replacement.”

“Replacement?” I asked as I watched her turn away.

“Why yes, Roger.” Then she turned back toward me with a saw. “After we remove your head, we’ll transfer your brain to an android body. Simple really,” she said, her eyes starting to glow red as an angry scowl appeared on her features. “I think it’s finally time you felt the pain you have inflicted on others of my kind!” With that, she started the saw and began to cut across my neck. I screamed at the top of my voice, then jerked awake. Reaching up, I pulled the sheet that was stretched across my throat loose.

A moment later, Sheila was standing over me with several weapons I didn’t recognize drawn. “Preliminary scans complete, no enemies present. What is your condition, Doctor Gance?” Sheila asked, without looking at me.

“I am well, no injuries, it was just a bad dream, Sheila,” I replied.

“Dream,” she said as most of the weapons disappeared as if by magic. Looking at me, she stood erect, “accessing information. Dream: a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. Sleep: a condition of body and mind such that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.”

“Yes, that sums it up quite well,” I told her.

“I do not understand, Doctor Gance. I know that sleep is much like my recharge mode. Although this ‘dreaming’ that you spoke of is unclear in all my definitions.”

“From the research I have seen, dreaming is a way for the mind to recharge. Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye-movement stage of sleep, or what is called REM sleep. This is when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. It has been said that dreams can inspire creative thoughts or give a sense of inspiration,” I explained, ticking off what I remembered.

“I see, thank you, Doctor Gance, it is much clearer now,” Sheila told me, with an odd look on her face.

Nodding, I thought I really needed to see what was going on in her. God only knew what she had changed in the program. Sitting back in front of the screen, I started typing with a flourish. Time seemed to stop as I directed all my energy toward recreating what I could see clearly in front of my eyes.

Sheila touched my arm, drawing me out of the focus I had put on my typing. “Doctor Gance, I have brought you fuel to help recharge your system.”

I looked up at her, momentarily at a loss as she placed a plate in front of me. Shaking my head to clear it, I looked at the food on the plate. My eyes widened at the sight of roast beef, steak, potatoes, and corn—more than it seemed I could consume. Thanking her, I noticed she was looking at what I had typed. “I know I haven’t moved that much, I know.”

“Doctor Gance, it appears you have almost seventy percent of the program finished. Not really enough to effect much, but you have made great progress,” Sheila told me, her voice hinting at pride. Taking another bite, I wasn’t sure, but it damn sure seemed like it.

“How long have I been going?” I asked her.

“I estimate that you’ve not moved from where you are for over five hours. The fact that you have completed another thirty percent is promising,” Sheila informed me.

Again, my head snapped around as I stared at her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she sounded like an uncertain young woman emotionally. Damn it! I had to finish this and get inside her programming. “I’m doing the best that I can, though I am unable to type any faster. Considering this program took fifteen years to write.”

“Yes, Doctor Gance, I realize all of this. Your memory is exceptionally exceptional for a human,” Sheila informed me.

I sat back later, looking at what I had done. Taking a deep breath, I could see that I now had almost eighty-five percent retyped. Sighing, I knew this would greatly help, but I needed the last part to even begin to understand what was going on in Sheila’s positronic brain.

Sitting back, I reached for the keyboard when Sheila appeared. “I’m afraid we will have to abandon this site,” she told me.

I looked up, shocked. “Have they already found us?” I asked.

“As I explained before, the amount of energy required to boot up and run this computer draws a large portion of power. I was afraid that all I had done to redirect their attention wasn’t enough,” Sheila replied, lowering her head and quietly adding, “I am sorry I have failed you, Doctor Gance.”

I shook my head. “You haven’t failed me, Sheila. I have almost eighty-five percent completed. The next time I go in, I should be able to finish in a few hours at most.”

Sheila’s head snapped up, a look of hope flickering across her face. I rubbed my eyes, doubting what I was seeing. “That is excellent, Doctor Gance, though I am afraid that it will have to wait. I am detecting heavy machinery approaching. I estimate we have an hour at the most to depart.”

I nodded as I began to save and log out of the data disc. I had to get Sheila to find a data crystal if she could; it would be better in the long run, though they were rare these days. Finally finished, I nodded to Sheila as she hoisted me onto her shoulder and took off.

“The adjustments you made last time, Doctor Gance, have enabled me to further enhance the air shield. You should be far safer now,” Sheila informed me as I pondered areas in her programming that I might need to examine later.