Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  Lucas cracked a smile. “No, I wasn’t aware of that fact.”

  “The name switched over in 1614.”

  “That’s interesting.” He slid a sideways glance to her. “Do you like dogwood trees?”

  Kaitlyn looked at him blankly. “It’s a tree.”

  Disappointed, his shoulders slumped an inch.

  “Do you like trees?”

  Lucas blinked at her in surprise. “They are needed for clean air, so yes, I like trees.”

  She didn’t ask anything more. They continued walking, Lucas so aware of her presence beside him that he couldn’t think of anything else.

  When they came to a large birch tree, Kaitlyn reached out and pressed her hand to the peeling bark. “This is my favorite.”

  Lucas stared up at the massive tree. She wasn’t built to have preferences for something like that. He kept a straight face, trying to squash the hope that built within him. Maybe he hadn’t imagined it. Maybe he really had seen emotion in her back at the lab.

  “Why did you come to my room, Lucas?”

  “I-I don’t know. It was foolish. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “It’s not a bother. I like to get out of the room.”

  That word again. Was she trying to tell him something?

  “You do?”

  Kaitlyn nodded once, a horribly robotic gesture, and kept walking. He hurried to catch up.

  Lucas tried another tactic. “Kaitlyn, if I told you that you didn’t have to leave, would that make you happy?”

  She tried to hide it, but he saw it: a flash of hope in her wide grey eyes. “Can you do that?”

  “It depends. Do you want to stay here?” He didn’t have the authority to make such an offer, but he wanted to see her reaction. Maybe he could plead his case to Harrington.

  Yeah, right.

  She glanced down at the ground, and then back at Lucas. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t like it here, but I feel safe.”

  His heart rate accelerated. Holy shit. This was huge. Lucas wanted to run back and tell Professor Adams, but something in her face told him not to. How could he have missed the signs that she still had feelings and emotions, hopes and fears?

  Lucas thought of the ramifications. Maybe he should keep this to himself. Professor Adams would want to remove any emotions, any humanity that Kaitlyn had left. He found himself wondering what her laugh sounded like. What a strange thing to think of at a time like this.

  Kaitlyn’s clear voice startled him out of his thoughts. “Do you know where they plan on sending me?”

  “No. I just know it will be for a government contract.”

  “Will I see you again?”

  Taking a deep breath, Lucas’s shoulders slumped. “I hope so. Since we created you and all, I think they’ll need us to stay involved.” He really didn’t believe that to be true, but he wished it were. The thought of never seeing her again …

  “I’m going to miss you.” He stiffened, surprised. Had he said that out loud?

  “You are?” Kaitlyn asked, staring at him curiously. “As in feeling of loss?”

  He laughed. He knew her brain analyzed words and phrases at lightning speed. “Yes, that is exactly what I meant. We’ve spent a lot of time together.”

  “Can you really help me to stay here?”

  “I can try.”

  Chapter Ten

  They continued down the path into the woods. Kaitlyn couldn’t believe she was alone with Lucas. How many nights had she lain awake thinking about this moment?

  He looked so handsome in the fading sunlight. His coarse, dark hair was sticking up in odd directions because he kept running his hand through it. Her sensors told her it was a nervous gesture, and Kaitlyn tried to dig deeper to find out if he was nervous because of her. Her sensors just flashed No further report.

  She fought the urge to trace her fingers around the stubble on his usually clean-shaven face and press her body to his. He looked like he hadn’t been sleeping well; today, he had dark circles under his beautiful eyes. She wanted to ask him if something was bothering him, but that was not something a robot would ask. Therefore, she continued on in silence.

  It was so hard to hold up the façade, being so close and completely alone with him.

  Something inside of her wanted Lucas to know she was more than just a shell of what she used to be. Their time together was quickly coming to an end. Soon, she would be sent off to who knew where. The thought of never seeing his face again left a dull ache in her chest.

  Maybe she should get a check-up to see if something was wrong with her. Her body felt so different whenever he was around.

  “Lucas, do you think I’m pretty?” she blurted out. Where did that come from?

  “Excuse me?” His eyes were wide and so blue it was like gazing at a cloudless day.

  “I asked if you think I am pretty.” The muscles in her stomach clenched. She cautiously maintained her blank expression. Suddenly, she had the strange desire to clear her throat and look at her feet, but she didn’t.

  “Kaitlyn, do you really care if I think you’re pretty?” He rubbed the back of his neck and stared intently at her. Curious and confused. The images in her scan told her.

  Heat rose to her face. “Never mind. It was a stupid question. I know you think I’m just a machine in a human body.”

  “That’s not true,” he stated hoarsely.

  “Forget I said anything.”

  Kaitlyn couldn’t place the sensation that arose within her. Heat filled her face and neck, and she stepped away from Lucas, unable to meet his gaze. She activated her scanners, searching for what was wrong with her. Was she malfunctioning?

  A split-second later, her symptoms came up with a definition: humiliation.

  “Kaitlyn.” Lucas reached for her arm.

  She took off at a run, her shoes silent on the soft grass. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Why would she ask such a ridiculous question? It was absurd.

  “Kaitlyn! Wait up!”

  She ran harder, faster, her feet pounding into the ground as she tried to put as much distance between them as possible. Trees zipped by her peripheral, and the chilly wind whipped against her. The machine analyzed speed, wind direction, and counted the beats per minutes of her artificial heart, but she had no control over it whatsoever.

  “Kate, please!” Lucas yelled.

  She stopped in her tracks. She turned slowly, sensors working to stabilize her limbs. Lucas was running to catch up, his coat flapping behind him. His heart rate was accelerated and sweat gleamed on his forehead. Strands of his curly dark hair fell down in his left eye as he slowed his pace and thudded to a stop before her, leaning over to catch his breath. He obviously needed to work on his cardio.

  “Why did you call me Kate?” she demanded.

  Lucas straightened up. “I … I don’t know. I’ve always thought you should be called Kate. Kaitlyn sounds so formal.”

  “I like Kate.” She paused, saying the word once more in her mind. “It makes me feel strange to hear you say it.”

  “It does? It makes you feel?” Lucas asked. He seemed flustered, like he didn’t know what to say or do.

  “I don’t know why.” Kaitlyn kicked at the ground and glanced off into the tree line. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a beautiful shade of violet swirled through with pink. It was amazing that such beauty existed, and yet there was such ugliness in the world. Such as herself; not human, but not fully robot.

  Lucas studied her face. “Kaitlyn, do you feel more than you let on?”

  She shifted her feet and shrugged, discomfited by his gaze. “I don’t know what I feel—if anything—most of the time.”

  “I can relate to that.”

  “You couldn’t possibly understand what I’m going through,” Kaitlyn said through clenched teeth, taking a step backwards. Her vehemence surprised her; that reaction had come from somewhere deep inside.

  “You’re right.” Lucas held up his ha
nds. “That was insensitive and unfair. To answer your original question: You are hands down the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.”

  He thought she was beautiful? Frowning, Kaitlyn shook her head. “You don’t have to say that. I know I’m a freak.”

  A hurt look crossed his face. “Kate, you’re not a freak. You’re incredible. There is not a woman out there that could compare to you.” His troubled eyes met hers. “I’m sorry we did this to you.”

  “You’re sorry?” What did he have to be sorry about? It wasn’t like it was his idea. He just worked there. If anyone was to blame, it was Harrington for coming up with the crazy notion of merging humans with machines.

  “You should have had a chance to live your life without our interference.” Lucas laughed, but it wasn’t in humor. Kaitlyn’s sensors supplied a definition for irony. “Kate, you’re amazing. You are beautiful, and the person you were … We took that from you.”

  “Lucas, look at me!” Kaitlyn said, lifting the hem of her shirt to her bra line. “I have so many chips implanted in me that I don’t know where I start and where the machine begins. Scars cover my body, and not to mention this.” Kaitlyn pointed at the translucent part of her arm; the patches of see-through plastic were spread over various parts of her body. “How could you possibly think I’m beautiful? I’m repulsive, a freak of nature.”

  A strange sensation on her face gave her pause. She reached up and touched her cheek, drawing wet fingertips away.

  What … was that a tear?

  Her artificial heart pounded in her ears as she stared at her hand, captivated. After all the time she had spent at the facility, all she had been through, she’d never cried. She didn’t think she could.

  Across from her, Lucas stared. “Oh my God. Kate.”

  She didn’t know what to say, so she just lifted her hand and murmured, “I’m … crying.”

  Lucas grabbed her hand. The wetness of her tears smeared on her skin as he closed the space between them and pressed his forehead to hers. Her mind screamed at her to run, but her body was rooted in place. She was so confused by the way he made her feel. His closeness was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

  “Kate, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” His thumb gently rubbed another tear away, making her shiver.

  “Didn’t know what?” She sniffled, and berated herself for showing weakness. Now that he knew her secret …

  “That you could feel.”

  “Why does it matter? Are you going to bring me back to the lab and erase what is left of me?”

  “No, Kate. We’ve done all of the programming we know how to as far as emotions go. In truth, it’s amazing. Goes to show how incredible the human mind is.”

  “It’s only you that makes me feel things. Well, I guess Quess, too. I like her.”

  Lucas stared at her for a moment. “No one else?”

  She shook her head and looked away.

  “Do you feel the same for me as you do for Quess?”

  “Definitely not. I like Quess as a friend.”

  “And me?”

  “You make my body feel like it’s revving up when I am standing still. I don’t know how to describe it. I wake up looking forward to seeing you, and I go to bed thinking of you,” Kate said quietly.

  Lucas took a step forward and leaned down, pressing his lips gently to hers.

  Kaitlyn froze, unsure how to react. She had pictured this many times, but now that it was happening, her body felt like it was going into overdrive. His firm lips pressed harder to hers, and she parted her own. She wanted to taste him; wanted to crawl into his body and never leave. Just one kiss, and she felt like the world had dropped from beneath her.

  She could feel his heart beating in his chest. Heart rate: one hundred and twenty. Much too high for a non-physical activity.

  Kaitlyn pulled away, his mint and cinnamon taste on her lips. “Lucas, are you sick? Your heart rate is so high.”

  He smiled faintly. “That’s what you do to me.”

  Alarmed, Kaitlyn touched his chest. “I did this to you?”

  “It’s okay, Kate.” Lucas pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. The touch of his hand made her tremble inside. “You drive me crazy. Being this close to you … I can’t explain it. I’ve dreamt about this moment. No one has ever had this effect on me. Ever.”

  Kaitlyn stiffened at the word dreamt, and the blond haired guy flashed in her mind. Who was he? Who cares? All she wanted was Lucas.

  Her body melted to his. The warmth of his skin against hers was almost too much to bear. Could he really want her the way she wanted him? Her hands ached to explore every part of his body. She wanted to know him from the inside out.

  His mouth made its way down her neck, causing her to go into sensory overload. She couldn’t concentrate or think; all she could do was feel. It was amazing. He calmed all of the random thoughts, the analysis, definitions and patterns that intruded on her thoughts. There was no analyzing, no patterns, and no past; there was only now.

  “Lucas.” His name escaped from her lips on a gasp.

  He made his way back up, and his lips met hers. His kiss was filled with urgency, and she felt like she was going to spin out of control. Her breath caught in her throat. How could a kiss take her breath away? The effect he had on her wasn’t rational, but she gave in to it anyway. He made her feel alive.

  When he pulled away, his eyes searched hers. “What are we going to do?” Lucas asked.

  Instantly, her mind ran through the scenarios. None of them looked positive. She shook her head, unable to answer. She wasn’t even sure what he meant. Was he talking about the kiss, her feelings, or her leaving soon?

  “We’ll figure something out.” However, his words sounded hollow. They both knew nothing good would come out of the situation … she was too vital to Harrington for him to let her go.

  Chapter Eleven

  The dorm room door closed softly behind her, locking automatically. It took so much self-control to stop the grin from spreading across her face.

  She didn’t know it was possible to feel this alive. This happy. Lucas was responsible for the emotions; she knew that with absolute certainty. If she had known it would be like this, she would have told him long ago how she felt about him.

  Unfortunately, she would leave soon. The thought hit her hard. Panic rose within her, but it was quickly overridden by her sensors that sent signals to her microprocessor. The familiar hum washed over her body, steadying her. It was strange—when there was distance between them, her body could manage the reaction, but when he was near, she seemed to lose control.

  Before she made it to her bed, there was a knock at her door. She froze. Had he come back for her? No, it was Quess.

  Kaitlyn smoothed down her dress and turned to face the doorway. “Come in.”

  When the door opened, Quess hurried inside, her face lit with excitement. “I came by earlier and you weren’t here. Where were you?”

  “I took a walk with Lucas.”

  “You what? Are you serious?” Quess sputtered, her jaw falling open. “How did that happen?”

  Kaitlyn kept her face impassive, even though she wanted to tell Quess everything. The thought of smashing the camera crossed her mind, but she pushed it aside. Instead, Kaitlyn motioned to the camera with her eyes. “He needed to ask me some questions to make sure my programming was working correctly.”

  Quess glanced up at the flashing dot, and back at Kaitlyn. “Well, you need to go for a walk with me—now. My grandfather sent me.” She spoke a little too loudly, as if for the benefit of the cameras.

  “Okay.” Kaitlyn walked toward the door, exchanging a look with her friend as she passed.

  They made their way down the long corridor as classical music streamed from the speakers above them. There were two women standing in front of the exit.

  “Hey.” Quess waved and smiled. One of the women gave a strained smile, and the other avoided looking at them, as if the top of
her shoes were more interesting. This seemed to be the normal reaction of most of the staff when they saw Kaitlyn.

  They moved aside to allow them to pass, and Quess pushed the door open, stepping into shadows. Darkness was starting to fall. A misty yellow glare from the security lights illuminated the grounds as they flicked on in the twilight.

  Quess walked as fast as her legs would take her toward their safe zone, the place where Kaitlyn had taken Lucas. Kaitlyn wondered what had her friend so excited. Usually it was a new dress she wanted to tell her about, or that her Nanny had made special cookies. Everything seemed to make the girl excited.

  When they finally reached the birch tree, Quess squealed, “I was right … he was on Facebook. I found him.”

  “You did?” Kaitlyn asked, surprised. “Are you sure it’s him?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. His name is Evan. He’s twenty-one, has a labrador retriever named Spike, two younger sisters—you know the type—cheerleaders, and his parents divorced when he was twelve. He’s very hot, like on fire.”

  Kaitlyn’s mind whirled as she grasped what Quess was saying. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this news. On one hand, she was curious, but on the other hand, there was Lucas. He was her reality now.

  “That’s impressive, Quess. How do you know all of this?”

  “I told you. Facebook. It’s like a peek into someone’s private world.”

  “But … On fire? Twenty-one?” Kaitlyn asked, her mind sorting through the information.

  Quess smiled sheepishly. “He’s not really on fire, as in flames. He’s sexy. That’s what I mean.”

  “Oh.”

  “That’s not all …”

  “Well, tell me the rest.”

  “There are tons of pictures of you on there.”

  Kaitlyn froze. “Me?”

  “You looked so happy,” Quess murmured thoughtfully. “Although, I have to say your taste in clothing—not so great.”

  Kaitlyn suddenly felt lightheaded. The woods began to spin in her vision. Was her processor shorting?

  She heard a muffled, “Kaitlyn, are you all right?”

  The next thing she knew, there was only darkness.