Inception - Ascension Paradox, Book 1
Copyright© 2023 by L.R. Thornton
Chapter 37
Daniel could hardly believe it. The knots in his stomach tightened even more as Amy gasped out, “She’s crying!”
“I can see that,” Jackson retorted, carefully moving C. A. D. I.’s chin back and forth to observe the phenomenon. “Mark, what is this?”
Mark’s dreadlocks swished against his back as he went over to study her face. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself.
“Are they ... real?” Karlo asked, wonder softening his words.
Jackson touched the finger of his other hand to the trails of water that trickled down the android’s cheek. Capturing a droplet, he rubbed the liquid between his thumb and forefinger. “These are very real.”
“How is that possible?” Karlo took as step forward, his eyes behind the pink, triangular shaped glasses wide as saucers.
“The synthetic skin has sweat glands for cooling,” Jackson answered as he reached again and snagged another one, this time bringing it to his mouth and licking the moisture.
“What are you doing?” Amy asked, her eyebrows perched upon her forehead.
“I had to know,” Jackson muttered as he wiped his fingers off.
“Know what?” Karlo came forward, having taken off his glasses.
“How they taste. They’re not salty.” Jackson cleared his throat briskly. “C. A. D. I., do you know why you’re crying?”
Daniel eyed her. It was a very good question. It couldn’t be because she was experiencing an emotion. Emotions were strictly for humans.
Well, that had always been his thought anyway. Emotions were very real, even if they weren’t always reliable. In his mind, what made robots and machines superior was due to the lack of emotions. To make objective decisions without chemical releases in the brain.
Until now.
“I don’t understand, Jackson,” C. A. D. I. said in a clear voice.
Interesting, Daniel noted. Her voice remained clear and without a hint of sadness. Not that he’d had much experience with women but he remembered seeing and hearing women cry. Usually their voices shook with the force of their anguish.
C. A. D. I.’s did not.
Was she simply mimicking human emotion then? Was there some sort of protocol he had yet to discover that simulated sorrow?
“I never expected to actually use them. I never thought I’d—”
Jackson grabbed C. A. D. I. by her arms. From the intent look, Daniel wondered if the young man was trying to peer into the android’s soul.
But she didn’t have one. Did she?
“What made your tears fall?” he asked.
“Jillian is gone. She has been taken.” C. A. D.I.’s gaze didn’t waver. “The idea of this has been in a constant loop in my mind. She has always been there. And now she is gone.”
“And what do you think about it, C.A.D.I.?” Amy gently rubbed the androids back as if to give comfort. Which was entirely ludicrous.
“This is wrong. Why would someone do something like that?” Though soft-spoken, C. A. D. I’s eyes swelled with more tears. Her nose wasn’t red, nor her eyes. After all, she had no blood vessels to mar the silken perfection of her synthetic skin.
But her tears were real.