A.I.

Chapter 5

      "Are you sure you're all right?" Ryan asked Anna for the third time.

"Yes, I'm fine," Anna replied, "I just grazed my head on the table when I fell. I'm okay, stop fussing."

She was sitting at the table in their motel room. After the confrontation with Brad Sullivan at the park that afternoon, Ryan had carried her to the other side of the park where she had recovered from the effects of the stun gun. They had left the park, hailed a taxi and checked in at a motel in the northern suburbs.

"I'm hungry," she said, "Here's my card. Call and order us a pizza."

The pizza arrived an hour later, and Ryan sat watching Anna as she ate.

"Why don't you have some?" she said smiling.

"You know I don't need to eat."

"I'm just joking."

Her phone buzzed with an incoming text message. She read it, then looked up at Ryan.
"They want to do the handover tonight at one am."

"That's twenty four hours early. I don't like the sound of it."

"Me neither, but we'll have to go along with it or they may pull out. I'll finish this pizza then we'll go across the road to that twenty four hour car rental place and rent us a car. They've sent the coordinates. It will take about an hour to get there."

*****

Tracy and Lisa returned to the table where Brad had just finished his meal.

"Okay, Lisa, tell us what information Ryan has been sending you," Tracy instructed.

"Please understand this communication system is new and untested," Lisa said, "So far all I am getting from Ryan is that he is unhappy about the handover. He doesn't want to leave Anna." She gave Tracy a puzzled look.

Brad spoke up, "In the park when I fired my stun gun at Anna, Ryan became highly agitated. That's when he attacked me."

"He's formed an emotional attachment to Anna," Tracy added.

"An emotional attachment?" Brad looked surprised, "But he's a robot. How can a robot have emotions?"

"Lisa, how about you answer that question."

"Of course," Lisa said, "Because the A.I. units need to be as realistic as possible, Ryan and I were programmed to act and react to emotional situations, and that includes feeling an attraction to a member of the opposite sex."

"I see," Brad muttered, "but what I don't understand is why is it so important that you look and act exactly like humans? What have you actually been created to do?"

Lisa smiled, "That's easy Brad. If no one can tell us apart from real people we can gradually infiltrate key positions in government and industry, and eventually take over the world, which of course would also include eliminating all humans who could be a threat to us."

Brad gaped at her in astonishment. "You can't mean that." He spluttered.

Both Lisa and Tracy burst into laughter.

"Brad you should see your face," Tracy laughed, "Lisa is also programmed for humour."

"Haha, very funny," Brad said, "Okay then what's the real reason for creating A.I.'s that are identical to humans."

The two women looked at him without answering.

"Oh of course," he said, "Security Level 1A."

"Well I'm going back to our room to have a shower," Tracy said walking towards the door. "Why don't you two have a chat and get to know each other."

After she had gone, they sat in an awkward silence until Lisa spoke.

"Just talk to me like you would talk to any other woman. I'll get the conversation going. How long have you and Tracy been going out together?"

"A little over a year now," Brad replied, "She is an amazing person, super smart, pretty, good sense of humour."

"I've only known her for a few months when she comes into the lab," Lisa said, "But I agree with you. She is all of those things."

Brad thought for a few seconds, "Lisa, I'm going to tell you something," he said, "Can you keep this to yourself?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Brad got up, walked to the door and locked it. He sat back down and reached into his jacket pocket bringing out a small box. He opened it to reveal a ring with a modest size diamond which sparkled under the light.

"When this is all over I'm going to ask Tracy to marry me. What do you think of the ring?"

Lisa took the box and gazed at the ring with a look of awe on her face. "Oh Brad, it's beautiful. Oh Tracy is so lucky, and you are lucky too to be marrying such a woman."

"Hold on, she hasn't said yes yet."

"She will. I've seen the way she looks at you."

"Well I hope you're right."

Lisa handed the ring back to Brad, "I'm right, and don't worry, I'll keep your secret," she said.

They talked on for a few minutes until there was a knock at the door. Tracy came in wearing a robe. 

"Did you two have a good chat?" she asked.

"Yes we did," Brad answered, "Lisa is a good conversationalist."

"Exactly. And she needs to talk to people to improve her general knowledge. The more she mixes with people the more she learns. After all this is over we'll be taking her and Ryan out of the centre as much as possible to experience the world. Are you looking forward to that, Lisa?"

Lisa's face suddenly turned serious, "I'm getting something from Ryan," she exclaimed, "They're going to do the handover in two hours from now."

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