Michael 2.0

Part 12

Michael had never seen a movie before, so Charlie understood his excitement. He sat in front of the big television, his mouth opened and a glow in his eyes. Time to time, Charlie had to pause the movie to explain something to him, and answer his questions. He was enchanted by the many songs, the colors, the drawings, everything.

“Charlotte,” he interrupted the movie again. “Why are the images like this? It does not look like real life but… at the same time it does.”

“Drawings, Michael, I told you. It was made like this because children like them. It’s, well… It’s a way to call their attention to the movie, and it’s funny, it makes people laugh.”

“I am not a child, but I am laughing,” he said, defensively.

“Yes, even adults like it too.”

“So, it is not real life, but… it imitates real life, in a way?”

“Yes, I suppose we can put this way.”

He looked at her. “Like me.”

“What?” Charlie asked surprised. “No, Michael…”

“I know what I am,” he gave her a mechanic smile. “I have an idea, at least. I am not real life, but I look like it? Is that right?”

“Who told you that?” she asked in a low voice.

“No one. I heard one night, people talking outside my room. They said I am a perfect simulator. Is it true?”

Charlie closed her eyes, feeling stupid. Probably, he had heard Dr. Lawrence talking to her, or another scientist.

“Is it true, Charlotte? Is it what I am?”

Her eyes went all over his perfectly designed face and stopped in his eyes; his big, beautiful eyes, that knew so well how to show emotions, better than any human Charlie had ever met. And at that moment, she could see it clearly: they were agonizing, confused and miserable, yet there was a trace of hope in them.

“No,” she replied, holding on to the hope she had managed to find, and admiring as I grew with her words. “It is not true, Michael. You are real. I know you are, I can feel it.”

“I feel real,” he sighed. “I am glad to know you feel it too. I thought, if anyone would know it, it would be you, Charlotte.”

At that moment, the movie distracted Michael with a song. Charlotte looked away, so many thoughts in her head. She was trying her best to remind herself that Michael was not human, again and again; but he was so extraordinary that her senses would often deceive her.

“Charlotte!” he said, excited. “I love this song!”

She tried to focus on which song he was referring to. Turns out it was the soundtrack of “Tarzan”, the song in which Jane teaches Tarzan about his kind, about the world.

“Charlotte, this song tells about how I feel!” he said, astonished. “Exactly about how I feel. Every single word of it.” He paused, very thoughtful. “I am Tarzan. I am a stranger. But I want to know about the world, and you are teaching me. You are Jane,” he concluded with a surprised smile. “You are Jane!”

“Michael, I –” Charlie tried to find the words, but she could not; what Michael had just said was, perhaps, beyond his comprehension, but it meant a great deal for her. She thought of all the years she wasted with Mike, trusting him blindly, and how he had never said anything like that to her. She had never been a Jane to anyone. If anything, she was a Jane Doe to Mike, who treated her as if she didn’t matter. But for Michael… she mattered for him.

“Charlotte!” he said. “You are crying!”

“It is nothing,” she dried off the stubborn tears that had poured from her eyes. “Michael… can you tell me something?”

“Anything.”

“You told Dr. Gregory that I liked babies and puppies,” she said. “How do you know that?”

He smiled. “Remember the first day you showed me pictures?”

“Yes, I do.”

“There were pictures of puppies and a baby with his mom,” he reminded her.

“There were many pictures that day. Why didn’t you assume I liked other things we’ve seen, but those two in particular?”

“I saw it in your eyes,” he replied. “You looked at the puppy and the baby with such tenderness it was only logic to assume you like both. You even smiled a bit.”

Charlie looked down to hide her surprise; Michael had read her within a minute, and he knew more about her than anyone else.

“Was I wrong?”

“No. You were right. I love puppies and babies.”

Michael gently put his warm hand on Charlie’s face, wiping away her tears.

“Don’t cry. You are very special, Charlotte.”

Charlie closed her eyes, feeling the amazing sensation of Michael’s hand on her skin. She came a bit closer to his touch, and he did not back off. She could feel him coming closer to her as well, and she wished he would hold her…

“Charlie? Are you home?” a female voice called from the door, breaking the moment’s enchantment. Charlie opened her eyes and looked away, embarrassed. “Crap!”

“Here, Caroline!” she hissed.

Caroline reached the living room, her cheeks rosy with tiresome. When she laid her eyes on Charlie, and then on Michael, she raised her brows.

“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t know you had company, sis.”

“Michael, this is my little sister, Caroline,” she grinded her teeth. “Caroline, this is… Michael.”

Caroline looked at her sister and winked. “Oh, I see. Nice to meet you, Michael!”

“Nice to meet you too, Charlotte’s sister,” he replied.

“Carol is fine,” she smiled. “Anyway, I came quickly just to grab something I forgot, I’ll be leaving in a while.”

“We’ll be going too,” Charlie said standing up, suddenly realizing the time. “It’s almost 6PM, Michael.”

“Alright,” he said obediently, standing up as well. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Caroline.”

“We sure will,” she smiled mischievously at her sister. “See you, Michael.”

Charlie took her coat and keys, trying not to make eye contact with either Michael nor Caroline.

“Tell me everything when you’re back,” Caroline whispered to her before she left.

“A lot to tell,” Charlie thought.