by Luigi Robles
“It would be fine,” Kya continued. “I’ll be keeping a close watch on all our sensors. Plus, wouldn’t you be more comfortable with me there next to you?”
Fain felt himself blush as he thought about the literal meaning of the words. But literal or not, what Kya was saying was true. If Kya was near him, he would have a near-direct connection to what was happening around Sodenia, and that gave him a great deal of peace of mind.
“I mean,” Kya continued from a different set of speakers that were near Fain as he walked around his quarters, turning everything off, “if something happens, you would know the second it does. What if your wristband stops working, or you have no signal or something of that sort? I can move around satellites to make sure we have the optimum connection.”
“I’m not sure,” Fain said as he grabbed his backpack. “What about Truman and Green?”
“They were hesitant at first, but I managed to convince them. They said that they would be fine with whatever you decide. So?”
Fain took one more look around to make sure everything was off before heading to the door of his quarters.
“OK, you can come with me. But I need you to never lose sight of Sodenia, you got that? We need you more than you think. I think that if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be here now.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Kya said in a playful voice.
“So, meet you at the docks?” Fain asked as he headed towards the door.
“About that…” Kya said, sounding hesitant.
When the door opened, Kya was standing outside in the corridor, waiting for Fain with a large tote bag hanging off her shoulder.
“Wait!” Fain said as he walked out. “You knew I would say yes?”
“No, not really,” Kya said with bright eyes and a wide smile. She seemed genuinely happy. “I had a feeling you would. I guess you could say the odds were in my favor. But I didn’t know for sure.”
“What if I had said no?” Fain asked as he stopped in front of Kya. “Would you still be standing here?”
“Yep, pretty much. This would’ve been phase two.”
“Unbelievable.” Fain chuckled. “Have you told August about it?”
“Yeah, I just did, and I don’t know what to feel sorrier for, the wall or his forehead.”
They both chuckled.
“He’ll be fine,” Fain said as he extended his arm and thumbed for a pod. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Kya nodded with a slight smile.
Fain and Kya made their way to the Ouranos space dock, and from there they took the space elevator down to Earth. Along the way and mainly during the descent to Earth, the two talked and laughed and had a good time. Without realizing it, Fain had one hundred percent forgotten that Kya had come from an artificial inception. He only remembered her origins after Kya made a particular comment, and it wasn’t that the comment made her feel more synthetic, no, it was more that it made her seem more human.
“I think I need to use the restroom,” Kya said out of the blue. “Before we head to Neo LA. I need to pee, and I don’t want to be holding it.”
If it was anyone else, Fain wouldn’t have thought much of the comment. But this was Kya, the most powerful AI on Earth, who had made her own body out of parts of Sodenia, being totally human. Fain didn’t know if she was pretending to need the restroom or if she really needed to go. He stood quiet.
“What?” Kya asked, eyebrows furrowed and beginning to blush.
“Umm…” Fain shrugged. “I mean, I hadn’t thought… I didn’t think…” Fain shook his head. “Sorry, it just caught me off-guard.”
Kya chuckled, and Fain did so hesitantly.
“In case you’re wondering,” Kya said as she stood up, arms crossed, and walked towards the capsule’s door, “it’s not just to pretend to be human. I do really need to use the restroom. Just like you or anyone else. I do have the ability to control it though.” She rolled her eyes. “But I’d rather not. I’m trying to develop my internal clock to function the same way yours does. I’m starting to harvest energy and nutrients from the food I consume, though I’m yet to do it as efficiently as you guys do. But every day I’m trying to improve on something. Lungs, heart, it’s all there, though I still need space for my core. But like the entirety of my body, it’s all synthetic in the end, no matter how human it looks, unfortunately...”
“Hey, don’t say that,” Fain said as he got up and moved closer to Kya. “Ever. If there’s a marvel of science in this world, that’s you. Your body as it is now is what science and medicine had been striving for for hundreds of years. I’m sure that what I’m saying is barely the tip of the iceberg on what this all means for humans and most importantly for you. And I want you to know that no matter what, I’ll always look at you the same way. You’ll always be Kya.”
“Me being Kya… Is that a good thing?” Kya asked, her eyes tearing up.
“I think it’s the best thing,” Fain murmured as he took a step forward and reached out to wipe Kya’s tears softly.
“Welcome to Earth,” a disembodied voice said as the capsule came to a stop. “We hope that you’ve enjoyed your trip on board Ouranos, Earth’s first space elevator.”
“Maybe I should change that,” Kya said in between sniffles and a smile. “And Fain, thank you.”
The doors of the capsule opened, prompting Kya and Fain to take a step back. Fain cleared his throat.
“Shall we?” Fain asked as he gestured to Kya to go ahead.
“Yes,” Kya said as she began to walk towards the lobby.
They decided to stop by Fain’s apartment to change before they went out to explore Neo LA. Fain was first to change, while Kya waited for him in his living room, then Kya followed. Fain was thinking of where and what he would show Kya first, as it was going to be her first real experience, but as Kya came out of the restroom, his mind went blank.
Kya looked stunning. She had a form-fitting blue-gray one-piece suit on, with two dark stripes that originated on her shoulders and went down to her legs. She was also wearing seamless matching wedges that disappeared into her one-piece suit. Her long silver hair was in a loose and low ponytail. She made one full playful turn when she reached the living room.
“So, what do you think?” Kya asked. “Is this too much?”
“I would be lying if I said you look anything less than amazing.”
Fain then thought about what he was wearing and instantly knew that one of them would have to change and that it wouldn’t be Kya. What she was wearing looked too perfect on her. He, on the other hand, had on a pair of old jeans, comfortable shoes and a leather jacket.
“Looks like we’ll be going to the top of Neo LA,” Fain said as he got up from the couch. “And I’m not dressed for the occasion.”
“Wait, I can change if you want? I brought other clothes with me.”
“No way.” Fain walked into the restroom. “I’ll be quick, just give me a minute or two.”
Fain scrolled down his clothes inventory, trying to find something to wear to match Kya’s outfit, or more realistically, get close to it. Most Neo LA apartments had a rotating convoy-style closet next to the shower with a small dressing area. Usually, before someone took a bath or shower, the dirty clothes were tossed into the dirty clothes chute, where they were washed and sorted according to the tags on them. It was a service the tenants of the building paid for monthly. At any given time, tenants could have up to five hundred items with the basic service. It was also common practice to rename the clothes.
Fain quickly found a plain white cotton shirt, black casual oxford-style shoes and navy-blue pants to go with them. Though for the most part clothes had retained their names throughout the advancements of technology, the look and feel had changed to match the times they were in. Fain didn’t care much for the newer style of clothes, but he also didn’t mind it. The only thing he was missing was that stupid blazer he had bought some time ago, and that’s because he vaguely remembered that he renamed it as soon as he
added it to his closet.
What was the name I gave it? Dang it, Fain thought as he changed hurriedly, asking the digital screen for a belt once he zipped and buttoned the pants. What was that stupid thing called? Then he vaguely remembered what he’d been thinking about when he’d named it. He turned to the digital screen and began typing in the word “stu,” and on the third letter, only one item showed up. It was the black blazer with navy-blue cut lines that he had bought. He quickly made the closet pull it up for him.
Without giving it a second thought, he threw it on and looked in the mirror before he went outside; his attire looked appropriate now. Better than he thought that kind of modern jacket would look on him.
“Alright, I’m ready,” Fain said as he came out of the restroom.
“Fain Jegga,” Kya said as she got up from the couch. “You clean up nice, not that I mind what you were wearing or even your captain uniform.”
“We’d better get going,” Fain said as he nodded towards the door.
Kya nodded as she walked towards Fain and the door.
“So where are we going, Mr. Jegga?” Kya asked once she was standing next to Fain.
“There’s this fancy restaurant that I haven’t been to that seems to be the talk of the city. I figure we’ll go see what the fuss is all about.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Fain led the way to the building’s garage, where he had a hover of his own. Unlike when he had explored the city with Pycca, taking several forms of transportation during their date, this time it would only be one. He had decided they would go straight to the restaurant at the top of Neo LA, since it was a long way from his apartment building.
“So, a great pilot and a driver at the same time?” Kya commented when Fain pulled out of the garage as if he was tracing a line in the palm of his hand.
“Doesn’t it come hand in hand?” Fain asked as he got on the fast track above his building.
Amongst the array of routes a commuter could use to get around Neo LA, the fast track was the fastest, hence the name. On the fast track, hovers could easily reach speeds in excess of two hundred miles an hour. The only catch was that an A-grade hover license was required to enter the track.
“I wouldn’t say hand in hand, but it’s closely related.”
“We’ll be there in a few minutes,” Fain said as he reached for the radio and began to raise the volume of the music, but the volume wouldn’t increase. “Is this thing not working?”
For a second, Fain thought the worst, and he was getting ready to veer off course to head towards Ouranos, but then he saw a glint from the corner of his eye. When he turned towards Kya, he saw her smiling, and he returned his hand to the steering wheel.
“Don’t put music on,” Kya said, still with a smile on her face. “I want to talk.”
“Sorry, I guess it’s a habit of mine. For a second there I thought it was them. I was getting ready to head back to the space elevator.”
“They’d be sorry to ruin my evening with you.” Kya tittered. “But in all seriousness, I don’t think they’re capable of self-control.”
“What do you mean?”
“They would have just broken the radio to achieve the same goal, which was to control the volume. They’re the definition of monsters. They know it, and they aren’t afraid to use their power. Their goal is clear, and small things don’t matter.”
Small things don’t matter to them. Fain made a mental note of that phrase as he hummed in agreement.
“But let’s not ruin my night thinking about those things, let’s ruin your night.” Kya chuckled.
“What do you mean?” Fain asked as he chuckled together with Kya.
“Is Pycca still not talking to you?”
“Nope,” Fain said, emphasizing the “p” and “e” in the word. “She’s a stubborn one. She’ll come around soon, I hope. She just takes a little longer to gather her thoughts. I think that if we had talked right there and then, there would be no more us.”
“And what about you? I’m sure that you don’t like what she’s doing now, just like she didn’t like what you did. Where does that leave you?”
“I don’t like it, but I’m trying to understand.”
“Always putting others before you,” Kya said, pursing her lips. “But I guess that’s one of the things that make you who you are. You want to know what I think?”
“Well, why not?”
“I think that if she’s not careful”—Kya raised her eyebrows—“she might end up losing you to someone else.”
“I don’t think so,” Fain said as he shook his head. “Lose me to who?”
“To whoever puts you first before them,” Kya said.
Fain was quiet for a moment and nodded slowly.
“But how about we stop ruining my evening and just try to enjoy the night?”
“I just wanted you to know that in my world, you come first. Even though I have to turn down the radio to let you know. And no matter what happens, what we face, I’ll be by your side.”
“Thank you, Kya,” Fain said, feeling his voice coming from his chest. “It means more to me than you know.”
“I do agree with you though,” Kya said with a smile as the radio’s volume began to rise. “Let’s enjoy the night.”
Minutes later, they reached the fancy Italian restaurant, La Grande Torre delle Scale. As they pulled up to the valet parking, Fain saw many famous people getting out of their hovers. Paparazzi swarmed the valet parking with their photographic orbs, despite security’s many attempts to disperse them. Fain knew that he and Kya would be instantly recognized. He thought about leaving, but there were already a few hovers behind him.
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all,” Fain said as he held on to the steering wheel.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re with me, remember?”
When Fain pulled up to where the stacker and greeter were standing, the greeter opened the door for Kya, and she got out of the hover. Based on the paparazzi’s excitement, Fain half-expected thousands of flashes in the first few seconds that Kya got out of the hover, but there was nothing.
“Is that who I think it is? Holy smokes, wow,” Fain heard as he handed over the keys to his hover and a hefty tip so that the hover would be parked nearby.
“I thought she was some kind of AI. She looks human to me. Elegant, gorgeous, one of a kind. Jorge, you better make this POS work right now. I need to capture this moment.”
“Why aren’t these things working?”
“What’s happening to the photo orbs? Are all of them not working?”
“Who is she with?”
“Is that…? Is that Fain Jegga?”
Fain wanted to bury his face in a hole in the ground as he made his way towards Kya. A large part of him was relieved that Kya had done something to disrupt the photo orbs.
“Saved the day once again,” Fain said as he extended his elbow so that Kya could hold on to it. As Kya got near him, he got a whiff of her perfume; its smell reminded him of the ocean breeze and cool seawater, flowers and woods.
“You can count on me,” Kya said as they began walking.
“Will the photo orbs work again? Or are they broken for good? I think a small part of me would actually feel bad if they were.”
“No, they’ll work again. As long as they’re not near us. Although, if they decide to point them in our direction once again, I’ll have to consider disabling them for good.”
“Let’s hope they are smarter than that.”
Fain and Kya got seated promptly once they entered the restaurant, although Fain found it odd that the hostess seemed a bit nervous.
“So, what are we eating?” Kya asked as she held up the menu in front of her.
“Whatever you’d like,” Fain said as he skimmed over the items.
The prices for a single serving cost an entire month’s salary for the average worker, but Fain paid no attention to that. He more than expected the prices to be outrageous, give
n the reputation of the restaurant.
“Can’t be whatever,” Kya said as she put the menu down.
“Have you already chosen?” Fain asked as he flipped through the menu.
“Not at all. I’m just reading the reviews, seeing what their best-tasting food is.”
“That might not be the best idea. Some of those reviews can be bought and are misleading.”
“I’ll be able to tell which those are and which are organic.”
“Still, there’s nothing like experiencing something yourself without bias. How about we order pizza? There’s probably no Italian restaurant in the world that doesn’t make good pizza.”
“OK, let’s do it.” Kya smiled widely.
Fain placed the order with a nearby waiter, and the pizza arrived minutes later. To La Grande Torre delle Scale’s credit, the pizza itself looked and smelled top tier. With three types of molten cheese overflowing from the edges and crispy pepperoni, it already looked like a top contender for the world’s best pizza.
As they were getting ready to eat, Kya paused halfway through unfolding her napkin.
“What’s wrong?” Fain said as he looked intently at Kya.
“Something isn’t right,” Kya said as she began looking around. “There’s an ongoing blockage of the video feed in the restaurant, and I’m not the one doing it.”
That was when Fain saw her, a blond, fairly young woman looking directly at Kya, sitting just a table across. Fain had seen that young woman’s face before. In the moment, he couldn’t remember how or when, but he knew that it was in the form of a report. What had Fain’s immediate attention was the contraption the young woman was holding.
The contraption was a little larger than the size of a softball, with wires and artifacts protruding all around it. It was certainly something that didn’t belong in a restaurant.
Kya turned around to where Fain was looking, and as she did so, the young woman launched the contraption at Fain. Kya reacted, catching the contraption in midair. As she held the wired ball, it began to take hold of her hand. Fain tried reaching for the device, but it stunned him as he tried to touch it, burning part of his hand in the process. Mere seconds later, the device began to emit a loud electrical whine, and Kya collapsed on the floor.
