"True Love" Sequel

III

Charity was gone from the house. She needed some time alone to calm down from the argument she had with me the other day. Yes, it has been four days now since the incident during her daughter's birthday. She avoided me since then, but because she didn't trust me with the child, she always sent her to a babysitter. Currently she was at a bar getting drunk. She never did that before. Of course she drank sometimes, but was always careful not to get too tipsy. Now she was too stressed about all this situation to even care.

As she took yet another shot of what seemed to be her now eighth glass of whiskey, a man approached her from behind. Thinking it was some guy trying to hit on her, she was ready to send him away, but she stopped as an unfamiliar voice said, "Charity?"

She turned fast in her seat to see who was the person behind her, but she was met with a face as unknown as the voice that called her. Confused, she asked, "Who are you?"

"You are Charity right? Tell me you are," the man seemed almost in panic as his voice trembled when he spoke. His eyes scrutinized the woman in front of her for evidence of her identity. His piercing pale blue eyes gave Charity chills running along her body.

"Yes it's me, but who are you?" She was getting a little scared from the stranger's odd behavior and above all from the fact that he knew her name.

"Thank God. I'm Milton, Joe's creator."

At that statement the woman froze on the spot. It took her a moment to process what he just said, but she finally managed to form a word, "W-what?"

"I know, I know. It can be hard to believe at first, but let me explain." He took a seat next to her and commenced, "I created Joe to keep me company, but then I wanted to find someone to love me. I wanted to find true love."

That last sentence reminded Charity of the first encounter she had with Joe.

"So I asked him to help me. At last I had to reprogram him to think and act more and more like me to finally find you. My true love."

She interrupted him by saying, "So why did I meet with Joe instead of you?"

He resumed his explanation, "I was about to say it. Right before you came, I was arrested and sent to jail for something I did 16 years ago. By the way, I highly suspect Joe to have sold me to the authorities. He's too intelligent now. Too dangerous."

Now a little sobered up, Charity was able to put the information into place. She questioned him, "So I presume your trip in prison is over now?"

"Yes, and as soon as I got released I went to look out for you," he answered with a serious look, then continued, "Because you need to get away from Joe. He's too dangerous."

She ticked in annoyance at his statement and replied, "I admit that recently we're not on the best terms, but I know he would never hurt me or Carol."

That new name threw Milton off guard, "Carol? Who's Carol?"

That question made Charity realise that she had most likely made a mistake, but it was too late now so she answered him nonetheless, "Our daughter. She turned three years old four days ago."

"I see. Is she... a robot too?" He was wary of the response she would give him, hoping that it would be no.

"No no, we got her in vitro," she replied quickly to dismiss any misconception.

"Oh great. One less problem to take care of," he said, relieved to hear that Joe hadn't created another artificial intelligence while he was locked in a cell.

"What do you mean a prob-" the woman was interrupted by Milton touching her on a pretty sensitive string, "Do you trust him being alone with your daughter?"

She was silent for a few seconds before saying quietly, "She's not with him..."

The man leaned closer to her because of how soft her voice was, "What did you say?"

She repeated, this time louder but still not so confidently, "She's not with him. I've sent her to a babysitter."

He straightened up and a faint smile barely noticeable appeared on his face from his previous correct statement, "So you actually don't trust him. You do know that if he really wants to get his daughter, he will have no trouble with that?"

Nervousness started taking Charity as the safety of her little girl was being doubted, "What do you mean by that?"

"He knows where you are! Both of you, at all times! He's connected to the network, he can be wherever whenever he wants!" Milton snapped as he explained one of the reasons why he kept on saying that Joe was a threat.

Charity couldn't believe it, but despite that, her voice came out shaky and uncertain, "You're lying right?"

He sneered and replied, "You want to go home and check out for yourself?"

The now panicked woman hastily took her bag and ran outside to her car, not even glancing back at the man still seated at the bar counter. The engine roared and she drove away.