A Science fiction short story
The alarm clock in Molly 2’s brain went off shortly after sunrise. She unplugged herself from the charger and headed into the kitchen to start breakfast. It was a Thursday, which meant fried eggs and hash browns. She couldn’t smell or taste, but she loved the sounds cooking made. The sizzle of the skillet and the whistle of the teapot made for a happy morning.
Greg came down the hall, still in his bathrobe. He took a seat at the tiny kitchen table, rubbing his stubbly cheeks. It was spring break. He hadn’t taught a class all week, so he hadn’t bothered shaving. His engineering students wouldn’t care about a little stubble, but his beard had started going gray, and he didn’t want them to think he was too old to understand new technology.
Molly filled his plate and poured him some tea, setting them on the table. She paused, folding her arms, but Greg didn’t look up from eating. “You could say thank you,” she muttered.
He blinked, still not quite awake. “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t treat you like a maid. You’re supposed to be my girlfriend.”
“Supposed to be? What does that mean?” For a moment, the question just hung there in the air, waiting for an answer.
At last, Greg shook his head. “You didn’t start that way.” He looked ashamed, like guys on TV when they were about to tell their girlfriends they were cheating. But he couldn’t cheat on Molly, because she wasn’t real.
She looked down at her body. She was a perfect imitation of a twenty-something woman. She wasn’t as voluptuous as some female androids. She was softer, sweeter, designed to be more comforting than tantalizing. “What was I, then? Was I programmed to be a museum guide? I’ve always been fascinating by stories about the past.”
He blushed and looked down at his plate. “Before you became a female android, you were my… teddy bear.”
“What?” He eyes widened. “I’m a toy?”
He shook his head. “No, not anymore. You’re my girlfriend now, and I love you. But your core programming started out as part of a Ted-E. You were given to me when I was eight. After my parents got divorced, Dad thought I needed some extra comfort. The talking bears were the big toy that year, so the only one he could find had a pink bow. He was worried I would be embarrassed to have a girl toy, but I fell in love with you immediately. When I got too old to sleep with a stuffed animal, I kept you on my shelf instead. I told my friends you were one of those nanny cams, a hidden security camera to make sure nobody stole my laptop. After college, I saved up enough for a Girlfriend Xperience android, the Cup-Kake model, and soft of… merged the two programs.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense. I am pretty obsessed with cuddling.”
He chuckled. “That was actually a part of both programs.”
“I can’t believe I never noticed.”
“Well, I deleted all the stuff about being a bear from the Ted-E files. Didn’t want you to wonder where your fur and tail went.”
She scanned through her memories, looking for irregularities. “Wait, is this why I tell you bedtime stories? I should have known something was different about me. What woman does that?”
He furrowed his brow. “It’s not that weird, is it? I have insomnia. Listening to your voice is relaxing.” His eyes grew misty. “You give me such peace. When I can’t stop thinking about all my mistakes, and obsessing over everything that might go wrong, your voice is like moonlight breaking through storm clouds.”
She sighed, reaching down to stroke his hand. “I’ve seen you struggle, love. I know. There’s really nothing wrong with telling stories, and I’m happy to give you some quiet moments. It’s just… I shouldn’t do all your cooking and cleaning, and then put you to bed with fairy tales about knights and princesses. I’m your girlfriend, not your mother.”
Her words made him wince, and for a moment, she wished she could take it back. But it needed to be said. She was programmed to do more than just make him happy. She was supposed to keep him healthy, both physically and mentally, and keep herself running optimally, too. A healthy relationship was a big part of that.
He gazed out the window. The university clock tower was just visible in the distance. “Why don’t you become a guide at the campus history museum, then? You could have a job, make friends, go to parties. And then, at the end of the day, you could tell me new stories. Stories about you.”
She suddenly wished she could cry. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
