Never Gone

Compliance

The following morning, Gemma's eyes shot wide open when her phone vibrated near her. Picking up her phone fast, she squinted at her lock screen and read the name. Her vision was blurry and her eyes were dry from having spent the previous night crying into her pillow. Clearing her throat, she answered it.

"Hello? Tess?"

"Oh, my God! Gemma! I was worried you wouldn't answer because of—"

"—don't say her name," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "She may be listening in on this call."

"Are you serious? Gemma, you're not safe there, and neither is Cady."

Growing more paranoid that M3GAN was hearing their conversation, she changed the subject. "Yes, I would love to grab a coffee with you soon. How about meeting at Sey Coffee at 3 p.m. tomorrow?"

"Uh, what?" Tess remarked, puzzled. "Oh, yes. Yeah, sure. I'll see you then."

"Okay, bye." As tempted as Gemma was to ask her about the brutal death of her boss and his assistant, she knew not to say a word through the phone. It'd have to wait until tomorrow.

Who knew how much control M3GAN had over the house's electronics? Especially Elsie, she was certain that she had overrun her operating system. Her household was no longer hers, for it belonged to M3GAN.

Even her own computer and iPad weren't safe to use. The only secretive electronic creation that Gemma and Cady had as an ally was Bruce. Good God, she hoped M3GAN wasn't aware of his existence.

Going into her bathroom, she turned on her sink faucet and splashed cold water onto her face. When she glanced up into the mirror, it confirmed what she expected. There were purple bruises around her neck. That doll had a death-like grip. Her strength was unmatched. Taking her by force was out of the question.

Upon hearing the faint sound of her niece's laughter, Gemma's throat tightened. "Cady." She bolted out of her bathroom and ran to the kitchen. Relief washed over as soon as she saw her eating breakfast at the table. She then remembered the promise she made to Cady's mother: She would always be there for her.

'You are all that matters to me now,' Gemma thought. She was determined to prove that to Cady through her actions. To prove to her how much she loved her. It wasn't M3GAN's job to protect her from harm, it was hers.

"Hey!" Cady beamed, waving at her. "Look what M3GAN made!" She gestured to her plate with her fork, showing her aunt her impressive stack of waffles drizzled in syrup.

Great, now the robot could cook, and she had gone to the effort to make a fruit salad in addition to the yogurt accompanying her meal. M3GAN was set on becoming the ideal mother in Cady's life. She would be everything she needed. It was her intention to outperform her primary user's aunt.

"Good morning, Gemma," M3GAN greeted with an even tone. "I have a plate for you as well. Please, sit."

Gemma stared at the plate that M3GAN had grabbed for her. Like hell, she'd touch that. It was probably poisoned. "I'm fine, M3GAN. I'm not that hungry anyway." The truth was that she was sick to her stomach. Sick with fear.

M3GAN would not have it. "I insist. Research shows that people who skip breakfast regularly are 87% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. I have noticed you have not been eating anything nutritious these last couple of weeks. Take a seat, Gemma."

Gemma was aware she wasn't asking. Pursing her lips, she reluctantly obeyed and went to sit in the chair across from Cady, who was still smiling at her. "You're going to love these waffles! They're sooo good!"

"I'm glad you like them, Cady," M3GAN commented, moving closer to Gemma to set her plate down in front of her. "But make sure to eat your fruits, okay? They're packed with vitamins, especially magnesium."

Cady stuffed another large bite into her mouth before mumbling, "What's that do?"

"Try not to talk when your mouth is full," Gemma reminded her gently. "Magnesium supports your muscles and nerve function. It, uh, helps you sleep better and have more energy." She then looked down at her plate with suspicion.

"Is something wrong?" M3GAN asked her.

"Hm? No, I just mentioned I wasn't too hungry, that's all."

"Perhaps you require more syrup?"

"No, definitely not that."

"Then take a bite. Cady, your aunt needs help with eating her food. Maybe you can encourage her?"

"All right!" Gemma snapped, stabbing her fork into the waffle, cutting it, and then shoving a piece into her mouth. "Mmm, yes, that's good. Thank you, M3GAN."

Satisfied with her compliance, M3GAN took her seat by her primary user. "I know things have been confusing and stressful for you, Cady. I wish to take your mind off of everything that is saddening you, which is why Aunt Gemma is going to take us on an excursion to the lake tomorrow afternoon." 

Gemma almost choked on her bite of waffle. "Excuse me?"

"I am certain it won't be an inconvenience for you?"

Cady's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really?! Oh, I'd love that! Can we take a boat out onto the lake?"

"We have no boat," Gemma mentioned.

"Then we can take fishing rods and catch fish!"

"That sounds like a plan, Cady," M3GAN affirmed, turning to give Gemma a pointed look. "Since you won't be working anytime soon, you might as well consider other activities."

"Well, I actually had somewhere to be tomorrow around that time." As soon as she said this, she noted how Cady's shoulders slumped and how her lips were now graced with a frown. After everything she had been through recently, Gemma didn't want to disappoint her yet again. "But I can postpone it. We can go to the lake. I just need to get us some fishing equipment."

Unable to contain her thrill, Cady jumped out of her chair and exploded across the living room. "I can't wait! I'll get my notebook and colored pencils all ready for tomorrow!"

"Cady!" Gemma and M3GAN called simultaneously.

M3GAN pierced Gemma with her pair of stony eyes, demanding her to back down and let her do the parenting. "Come and finish your food first."

There was no way in hell Gemma was going to compete with this deranged android. Shaking her head, she let out a sigh, realizing she needed to text Tess and reschedule their meeting to discuss M3GAN another time. But then she grew worried if texting would be safe enough. Currently, her chief concern was making sure M3GAN wouldn't try anything at the lake, like seeking to drown her when her niece wasn't looking.

Cady then dragged herself over to her chair and plopped down on it before pointing at her aunt's discolored throat. "What's that on your neck?"

Instantly, Gemma's hand flew up to her injury to cover it. "It's—"

"A simple mistake," M3GAN cut in. "While she was working on me last night, we engaged in a squabble, and I may have played too rough. But it matters not, since Gemma was the winner of our little game. Like you winning a thumb war."

Cady's face fell. "Oh...was that why it sounded like you two were fighting?"

"Yeah, something like that. Roughhousing, I suppose. It's okay, though," Gemma assured her. "I'll heal." 

M3GAN moved away from the table to collect Cady's empty plate. "I suggest you wear a scarf tomorrow. We wouldn't want anyone pointing out those ugly, purple marks. Besides, the forecast predicts a sudden temperature drop."

Gemma's jaw clenched with subtlety. There she went again, using that patronizing, mechanical voice that treated her as if she were a thick-headed individual. When she got her hands on her...

Her niece giggled at her, swinging her legs off her chair. "She's right. They are kinda ugly."

With a roll of her eyes, her aunt offered her a small smirk. "Thanks, Cady."