In Real Life

by Elisabeth Warner

  “Lin, we have no choice. If Susan’s an android, we have to dismantle her to find out who she’s reporting to.”

  “But she’s so nice,” I say, throwing my hands in the air. “How do we know that the person who programmed her isn’t also nice? Isn’t on our side? Maybe it’s possible that she’s here to protect us.” The more I speak, the more I believe myself. Susan can’t be a bad android, if good ones even exist.

  “Even if the person who programmed her was on our side, she could still turn against us if her programming ever gets bugged.”

  His statement knocks the wind out of me. He’s right. Susan may be nice now, but if anything upsets her programming, she could get violent. I swallow hard. Maybe I was wrong about Spark. Maybe all along, he was trying to protect us.

  “Lin, androids have minds of their own. Someone created her, but eventually, she’ll start to think for herself. She wants to be human, and because she’s not, she’ll try to seek revenge on us.”

  “Revenge?”

  “Yep. Unfortunately, I’ve seen it happen too many times. Androids get jealous of our human abilities, so she’ll do anything to feel, think, and act like we do. So we have to stop her before she tries to hurt one of us.”

  I shuffle my feet as I think about Susan being jealous of me and Ace. I thought she wanted a relationship with him. Maybe she was just jealous of the fact that we could have an emotional connection.

  “So, Lin, are you ready to get to work?”

  I nod, averting my eyes toward the floor. “Whatever you need.”

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  After I finish work that evening, I make my way to the underground garden, where I know Ace is taking inventory before he goes to bed. “Lin, are you all right?”

  I’m out of breath by the time I reach him. He catches me as I stumble over a loose rock. “Susan’s an android,” I croak.

  “A what? One of those human-like robots?”

  I hum in the affirmative, digging my face in his shoulder. “Spark told me that the kill switch Susan has is only installed on androids.”

  “Well, that can’t be true—”

  “Have you ever seen another human being with one? And has she ever confirmed or denied that she was a human?”

  “I mean, that doesn’t usually come up in conversation.” Ace takes a step back and scratches his head.

  “I know it sounds crazy, but it makes perfect sense,” I say. “I wonder who programmed her, and if we can even trust her.”

  “If we can trust her? Lin, Susan is the most trustworthy person I know. Spark’s just filling your head with lies.”

  “Well, if she’s an android, she doesn’t have any emotional connection to us. She’ll only do as she’s told.”

  “What about you?” Ace grabs my hands and looks into my eyes. “Do you have an emotional connection to us? Will you only do what you’re told?”

  My lips grow thin as I pull away from him. “I didn’t realize you’d be this protective over her.”

  “Lin, like I told you when you first got here. Susan was all I had. Everyone who I loved before betrayed me, and I felt so alone.” He huffs as he starts pacing. “I told you that she saved me from myself. I was right where you were when you slipped into the brook. Except I didn’t want to fall in by accident.”

  I put my hand over my gaping mouth. “Oh, Ace, I’m so—”

  “Before I could even think about jumping, Susan came to my rescue. She sat with me and listened to me. Really listened. And she told me what she told you. That this Community was a safe place for people to get a new start. I wouldn’t have met you if it wasn’t for her. I wouldn’t have grown all this if it wasn’t for her.” He extends his arms and looks up. “So, if Susan’s an android, if she’s programmed to say nice things to keep us alive, I don’t care. She’s a good one.”

  I wrap my arms around him and listen to his pounding heartbeat. He kisses the top of my head. “I’m sorry I sprung this on you,” I whisper. “It was just a lot to handle on my own.”

  “Well, you don’t have to handle it alone. I’m here for you.” His tender touch around my torso makes me believe him. “How are you feeling?”

  “I don’t know what to feel,” I admit. “I mean, Spark had such a convincing argument for dismantling her—”

  “Dismantle? As in kill? Lin, that can’t be the right thing to do. She’s our leader. Of course he’d want to get rid of her.”

  “She might be our leader, but someone is controlling her. There’s no way of knowing who is.”

  “I know who is. Someone who cares about us. Because if they wanted to knock us off one by one, they would’ve done so already.” Ace kicks the ground. “But Spark wants to kill Susan. He wants to knock us off one by one. Lin, I think we finally have the evidence we’ve been looking for.”

  I pull away, chewing on Ace’s words. I don’t know who to believe. After all I learned about androids, I know they can’t be trusted. But Susan has been so nice to me, to all of us. It’s too much to think about right now.

  “What’s wrong?” He tries to take my hand, but I swipe his away. “Lin, do you actually believe Spark?”

  “All I know is that Susan—”

  “Susan was the one who got you the job in the first place. How could you even question her character.”

  “Who’s side are you on?” I snap. “If anyone is a threat to the Community, we have to deal with him or her.”

  “It sounds like you’re a threat to the Community. Susan trusted you with her secret about the kill switch, and now you’re going to use it against her.”

  I gasp. “Look, I know she saved your life, but she could be a danger to all of us.”

  “Lin, listen to yourself. This is the woman who picked you up and carried you to the clinic when you first arrived here. If she had any malicious bone in her robotic body, she would’ve thrown you into the brook the minute you came.”

  “If she did that, she would’ve blown her cover.”

  “What cover, Lin? What information could she possibly give to the Liberty party? How do you know she doesn’t work for the rebel party?”

  “I don’t know anything!” I scream, tears streaming down my face. “This is all news to me. That’s why I thought I could come to you and talk to you about it. But all you want to do is fix it, to protect her. I need you to protect me. I need you to be there for me. I need to know what to do next.”

  Ace sighs, taking a step toward me. His soft kiss on my forehead diffuses my anger. “I’m sorry,” he says. “You’re right. I should be there for you.”

  I kiss him on the cheek and wrap my arms around him again. “Thank you.”

  “So, what are you going to do about this?”

  “I don’t know what to do. That’s why I came down here. I don’t want to mess this up.”

  His intense stare pierces my heart and sends chills over my whole body. “I know that you’ll do what’s right when it’s time to make a decision.”

  As he kisses me, my anxiety melts away. Since coming here, I’ve had to make my own decisions. I chose to stay with Tee as she gave birth. I chose to trust God after my dreams stopped. I chose to go swimming with my friends and go beyond my comfort zone. Even staying here has been my choice.

  But will I be able to make the right decision when it affects the whole Community?

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  After settling into bed, I can’t find a comfortable position. Knowing that I’m seeing Spark tomorrow, that he’s probably going to have a plan, makes it impossible to even think about sleep. Either I kill Susan and help Spark, or I expose Spark for the traitor he is while letting an android run the Community.

  My eyes are wide awake until the sunlight pokes through my window. I guess it’s time for breakfast. I change out of my pajamas and slip on some clothes before heading out the door.

  As I walk, I play my thankful game, this time giving thanks to God. I’m thankful for the birds. I’m thankful for warm clothes. I’m than
kful for my friends. I’m thankful for…

  Susan.

  “Good morning, Lin. I hope you slept well.”

  My body breaks out in a sweat as I force a smile. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. How about you?”

  “Oh, yes, I’m very well rested. Thank you for asking.”

  That’s exactly what an android would say.

  I struggle to come up with what to say to her as we make our way to the dining hall. Before I reach the door, I notice Susan going a different way. “Aren’t you coming to breakfast?” I ask.

  “I’m just going to pay a visit to Spark. He asked me to stop by today to check something.”

  “No! You can’t go in there.” I bite my lip when I realize I’m yelling. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” I whisper.

  She approaches me again. “What’s the matter, Lin?”

  “I don’t want you going in there without me,” I say. “He’s up to something but I’m not sure what it is yet.” What a lie. Of course I know what it is. And I know that I might play a part in it somehow.

  “Oh, Lin. I’m sure I can handle Spark. I was the one who convinced him to offer you a job, remember?”

  I look around before replying and consider it safe when no one else is around. “Yes, but, he knows what you are.”

  She takes a step back. “Excuse me?”

  I take a deep breath. “Susan, I know what you are. And I want to protect you, but—”

  “What are you talking about? What am I?”

  I look around again. “An android. But I’m not upset about it. I actually—”

  She clicks her tongue. “An android? Why would you think that?”

  “Because of your kill switch. Only androids have that.”

  Her eyelids scrunch together as she glares at me, sending chills down my spine. “Lin, I’ll have you know that I’m just as human as any of you. They put the kill switch on me in prison, when I was taken from my family. It was only thanks to the hackers, my hacker, that I was able to break out of jail and end up here. I made this whole Community for you, Lin. For all of you.” She huffs and takes another step toward the clinic. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

  Susan’s words leave me numb as I watch her walk into the clinic. Spark’s either about to kill an innocent human or dismantle a sweet, caring android.

  I can’t let him do either.

  I don’t think about going into the dining hall to tell Ace my plan. At this point, I don’t even have a concrete plan. All I know is I have to save Susan, no matter what the cost.

  My heart pounds wildly in my chest as I run into the clinic. Blair smiles at the front. “Good morning, Lin. You’re early for work—”

  “Where are they?” I ask through gritted teeth.

  “In the operating room.” Blair points behind her. As I race past her, I hear her say something about Spark being glad I was here.

  When I open the operating room door, the place where Tee gave birth and I helped so many sick patients, I find Spark walking up to Susan and Susan with her hands in the air.

  “Get away from her,” I say, clenching my hands into fists.

  “Oh, Lin. You’re just in time. I was about to press Susan’s kill switch. But now that you’re here, I don’t have to.”

  A gasp catches in my throat and I want to gag. “You want me to kill her? That’s absolutely not happening.”

  He purses his lips. “I was afraid you were going to say that.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gun. As he points it in my direction, my heart stops. My breathing stops. Everything freezes in time as I try to anticipate his next move.

  “Lin, you have a choice. You can save yourself, and the Community, by dismantling this threat to our society. Or you can die, and let her betray all your friends.”

  My lips get dry as I think of a response. “I don’t want to play any part in your plan. You tried to kill Tee and her baby. You want me to kill Susan. It sounds to me like you’re the—”

  He quickly aims the gun at the ceiling and pulls the trigger. The sound of the bullet ripping into the air brings me to my knees. “Please, stop it!” I put my hands on my ears and fold into myself on the floor.

  “Lin, it’s okay,” Susan says sweetly. “Do what he says. Please.”

  I lift my head and shake it side to side. “No, Susan. I can’t lose you. I can’t let him win. What are we going to do without you?”

  “My purpose is to take care of you. If your life is in danger, then I must surrender mine to protect you.”

  I focus my attention on Spark, whose gun is a few feet from my face. As I inch toward Susan, I crumble into a sob. “I’m sorry, Susan. I’m so sorry.” I pull back her hair and press the red button.

  I hear a click and my heart drops.

  “Don’t worry, Lin. I took care of you. Now you have to take care of the others.” With her last robotic breath, she smacks two kisses into the air.

  Just like Don used to do before he left for work.

  As Susan’s body falls lifeless on the floor, I stand up in horror. Don created Susan to protect me. And I killed her.

  I helped the enemy get the upper hand against us.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  As Spark examines Susan’s lifeless, robotic body, I step away and lean against the wall. What’s his plan now?

  My mind races as I try to process the last few minutes. But only one phrase comes back like a carousel running through my brain.

  It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault.

  My ears perk up as I hear the door to the clinic open. Blair speaks in hushed tones, but I can tell who she’s talking to.

  “Ace?” I bolt out the operating room and run into his arms, letting the tears fall.

  “Lin, what happened? I heard a gunshot.”

  “I did it. It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault.” I shake my head in disbelief as I voice my feelings out loud. I’m guilty of murder.

  It all makes sense. Susan was jealous of Ace because I wasn’t with Don. She was so protective over me because Don wanted to make sure I was okay. She didn’t want me spending time alone because Don knew that isolating myself would be the death of me.

  Even after he left me on that dirt road, he never actually left me. He was with me the whole time.

  And now another man is holding me, a man who I’ve loved for several months. A man who was so against me killing Susan that he threatened me.

  “Lin, is she…?”

  “Yes,” I whisper. “And I did it.”

  “That’s right, Lin. You did.” Spark’s voice behind me causes my shoulders to tense up. “And now you have to pay the consequences for murder.”

  Ace’s heart pounds against my cheek. “Lin, go back to your cabin. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  As I race out of the clinic, I turn back to see Ace punch Spark in the gut. I pray a silent prayer for God to protect Ace and give him wisdom about what to do next.

  Guilt wells inside of me. It was me. I killed Susan.

  Tee’s waiting for me outside of my cabin, cradling Ben in her arms. “Lin, I need your help. There’s something wrong with Ben.”

  I open the door and let her sit on the couch as I take her son. “What is it?”

  “It looks like he developed a cyst. Here, behind his ear. Is it normal for babies to have cysts this young?”

  I freeze, my eyes fixed on the familiar bump. “How long has he had that?”

  “Just noticed it a few days ago, when I was pulling back his hair. It looks big. But it also looks like he has a scar from it. Do you think it’s dangerous?”

  I turn him around in my hands, holding him by the torso. I remember Spark performing surgery on Ben after he was born. “Oh, no.”

  Tee stands and shoots me a frightened look. “Is my son going to be okay? Please, Lin, you have to—”

  I bring my finger to my lips, holding Ben against the left side of my body. “I’ve seen that before. It’s not what you think it is.”

  “What is
it?” she asks with a voice two octaves higher than usual.

  “Here, let me put him down.” I lay him on the soft, plush rug and lead Tee into my bedroom. “I think Spark put a recording device behind his ear.”

  “In him? Why would he—how long has he had it?”

  “Tee, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize it sooner. I did surgery on…well, someone in the Community who had a cyst behind his ear. It turned out to be a recording device that was sending information to his hacker.”

  “But Ben doesn’t have a hacker. I brought him here. Who could Spark have been delivering information to?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t know what he’s doing. This has all been too much for me…” As I sit on the bed, I start to sob again.

  “Lin, what happened?” I feel Tee’s arm wrap around my shoulder.

  “I did it, Tee. It’s all my fault.”

  “What? What’s all your fault?”

  I tell her all about my suspicions of Spark and how Susan was an android, leaving out the part about Don being the one dismantling her. “He had me dismantle her by pressing a kill switch button. It’s all my fault.”

  “Oh, Lin. I’m so sorry.” She holds me close to her and rocks back and forth, as if I’m her child. “You’re right. That’s too much for you to handle.”

  I push her away as another wave of emotions overtakes me. “What’s important right now is getting that recording device out of your son.”

  We walk back to the living room and Tee scoops up her son. “You said you did this before, right?”

  I take a deep breath. “One of the first, and only, surgeries I performed was removing a cyst from an adult.” I pause to gulp. “I’ve just never done it for a baby.”

  “I trust you more than anyone else here. Please, help my child.”

  I nod. “Okay. I’m going to see what I can do to perform the surgery here. The clinic isn’t safe.”

  As I reach into my backpack and pull out a scalpel, Nelle and June walk through the door. “Hey, we notice you weren’t at breakfast,” Nelle says. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, it’s a long story. We’ll deal with it later. I have to get a cyst out of Ben.”