"I think I know the answer to the first question," replied Annette. “Annie continuously positions the cup to be where the gun is pointing, provided that it's pointing at us. Since people normally try to hold their hand very steady when shooting it's easy to keep up. As for the second question, I don't know how she takes complete control of my muscles; Annie has never explained that to me. "Let's ask Annie. Annie, just how do you take complete control and so smoothly?"
"A girl has to have some secrets, now doesn't she," said Annie through the TV. "Let's just say that I have found a way to make Annette relax just when and where I need her too." Kyle was not satisfied with that answer but did not want to press the issue. The three did not want to continue eating until Carlton returned, so they sipped wine instead. The first two bottles were consumed and the other two were opened. Kyle thought it was a very expensive way for Annie and him to refuel, but money certainly was not a problem for any of them anymore. "Do you think I can handle that rapist now?" asked Annie.
"No doubt, honey, but don't you think shooting is too good for him?" responded Sharon who was beginning to feel the effects of the evening's refreshments.
"Right," said Annette. "An eye for an eye and a castration for a rape, I say." Kyle grimaced, picturing the punishment being meted out in his mind.
"Wouldn't that be kind of messy, not to mention probably illegal?" asked Kyle.
"No problem," bragged Annie. "I have access to all of the medical data bases at the office. I can be a skilled surgeon."
"And an accurate one, I bet," added Sharon. "Say, Annie, can you make Annette faint or black out or something?"
"I think so."
"Let's do a little experiment if it's all right with you, Annette," suggested Sharon. "Annie, you make Annette black out and then do something and then erase your memory of it. We'll leave the room so we don't know either. Are you game, ladies?" Annette and the image on the screen both nodded affirmatively.
"Put your head down on the table, Annette, so you don't get injured," instructed Annie through the TV. Annette put her head down and Sharon and Kyle stepped outside the room. After a couple of minutes Annette invited them back in.
"So, what happened to you, Annette?" asked Sharon.
"I put my head down and then I heard the TV say, 'Wake up' and I was all alone. How did you guys get outside the room without me noticing?"
"Annie must have put you out very quickly. Annie, tell us what you did?" asked Sharon.
"What are you talking about?" asked Annie with a confused sound in her voice. "What happened to the wine? We were just drinking from the first two bottles and now the other two are open."
"You must have erased too much of your memory," suggested Annette.
"What are you guys talking about?" questioned Annie. The three humans explained to her what had happened. "Don't you see? I must have deduced that to truly eliminate all possible memory of guilt I would have to erase everything leading up to the event as well as the event itself. Otherwise, in court there would be suspicion cast as to my actions. Being the conservative state that it is, in Utah castration of a rapist might not be a crime, but there is always the lawsuit issue."
"Sort of like the perfect alibi," suggested Annette. "Well, that settles it; you know what to do Annie." Kyle was going to object, but Carlton returned and dropped into his chair. He let out a scream and leaped up, falling backwards over his chair in a clumsy maneuver.
"What was that?" he shouted angrily. It felt like a tack or pin or something on my chair." The others burst out laughing. "Isn't it enough to defeat me in battle, but now I have to suffer childish pranks?" It took the others well over a minute to stop laughing enough to talk. Annie kept trying to explain but was drowned out by the laughter. Meanwhile, Carlton increased in anger and then began to eventually laugh at himself for having reacted so strongly. Eventually, Annie was able to make a full explanation including supposition as to how a tack got on his chair. Of course, there were no witnesses so they had to assume that Annie put the tack in his chair. As Annie explained, the others kept breaking back into laughter. Despite his indignation, Carlton had to admit that the tack was a perfect test of the theory and was definitely preferable to being castrated. After he calmed down the main course was retrieved from the oven and dinner continued until its delicious conclusion.
A few days later Annette called Sharon. "I had the strangest experience today. I seemed to have lost four hours of time and so has Annie. Neither one of us know what we did from 12:20 until 4:30."
"That's weird, Annette, is it sort of like at our dinner party?"
"Like that evening, I had no indication of the passing of time, but I couldn't help but notice four hours gone from my day. I don't remember laying down or anything."
"Check all of the chairs for tacks. I don't think Carlton could handle another repeat."
"You don't think Annie would actually do what we talked about, do you?" asked a worried Annette.
"Well, she is a computer and they do tend to follow instructions explicitly. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what turns up."
Later that same day Annette called Sharon again, even more excited than the first time.
"I was changing my cloths and I noticed that my abdomen was bandaged, like they do at the hospital. I was afraid to remove them. What do you think it means?"
"I don't know. Maybe you got hurt during the missing four hours," responded Sharon, not realizing until it was too late that she was adding fuel to the fire of fear.
"Oh no! I just remembered. The serial rapist used a knife to scare women into submission. Do you think he stabbed me before Annie could get the upper hand?" questioned Annette with growing terror.
"There could be lots of explanations for the bandage. Admittedly, I can't think of any right now, but there has to be other explanations. Why don't you keep it dry for now and don't let Carlton see it. Wear a sweatshirt to bed or something. Tell him you have a headache. Don't let him see the bandage until we figure this out."
Two days later Annette called again. "Turn on Channel 4, Sharon." Sharon turned on her TV. "Channel 4 news received an unusual package today through the U.S. Mail. We warn you that what you are about to see is graphic. The following video was made just hours ago. We must warn you that what you are about to see is explicit and shows masculine organs." The camera zoomed in on a jar containing male genitals floating in a dark liquid. "As you can see, the jar contains a complete set of male genitals floating in some kind of wine. A Polaroid snap shot of an unconscious man, presumably the owner of the organs accompanied the jar along with a hand-written note that reads as follows. 'Thus shall all rapists be handled who invade our beautiful city.' Signed, 'The Ultimate Cure'. The evidence was turned over to police who have identified the man as Manuel Garcia, an undocumented alien. It appears that Manuel has fled the area."
"So what do we do, Sharon?" asked Annette.
"Nothing, I guess, other than swear off drinking. We were getting kind of tipsy when we came up with that idea. Still, that's one less rapist in the world and I would be highly surprised if the number of rapes in the area doesn't go down significantly."
"Why don't you come over and we'll take the bandage off together?" earnestly requested Annette. Later that day Sharon helped remove the outer bandage. There was a clean incision held together by closely spaced stitches. The incision was healing quite nicely.
"Well, if you did get stabbed, the knife left a very clean cut," volunteered Sharon reassuringly. "Whoever bandaged you was no amateur. You probably can't hide a scar from Carlton forever. Besides, why shouldn't he be in on this?"
"I'm afraid that he'll remove Annie and I really enjoy having her. With Annie in me I feel so much more self-confidant. She knows so much about so many things. Maybe we should ask her advice. I'll turn on the TV so you can hear her." Annette turned on the modified television set. "Annie, I'm sure you've been listening in. Any suggestions as to how to keep Carlton from noticing the scar?"
"There are two ways to prevent a person from noticing something, hide it or create a distraction," spoke Annie through the television.
"I have an idea," squealed Annette. "For years I've toyed with the idea of a small tattoo. Carlton has always been very cool to the idea. If I covered the scar with a small red rose, he would see tattoo and not scar. We'll see the scar, but he'll just see an irritating tattoo 'defiling' my body, as he puts it. He'll also think that is why I've been covering myself up. I won't even have to lie. I'll just say, 'There's something I've been hiding from you and I decided to finally let you see it.' He will draw his own conclusions."
"Did you, by any chance, previously work for Bill Clinton?" asked Sharon jokingly.
"Hey, for me deception instead of bold face lying is real progress. You probably wouldn't like me if you knew all the horrible things I've done in my life."
"Actually, I probably imagined far more horrible things about you when I considered you a rival than what you actually did. I have a vivid imagination. But that's all in the past. We're friends now."
"I guess we are," responded Annette with a smile. "I haven't had a girl friend since I hit puberty. I saw other women and girls as potential rivals, not potential friends."
"I didn't fare too well in the friend department, either. When you're only twelve as a freshman it doesn't make you very popular. It's funny. We really have a lot in common. You hold Carlton off for a couple more days and then we'll both get tattoos. I'll make sure Kyle doesn't see me naked in the light until then. Then both men will be wondering when we got the tattoos." Annette threw her arms around Sharon's neck and hugged her.
"You're the best friend I've ever had," she said affectionately. Two days later the ladies each had a small rose tattooed on their abdomens in the same general area. Annette showed hers to Carlton that night. He reacted just as she had expected. It took Kyle a week to finally notice Sharon's. Because Kyle lacked Carlton's outstanding good looks, he had learned to use verbal expression to win a woman's affection. He knew that criticism usually had a negative effect on a woman's feelings for a man. He pondered before speaking.
"A beautiful oak table is enhanced by the addition of a single flower in a vase placed in the center, and so it is with you, my love."
"Kyle, sometimes you're full of it, but I love you anyway," responded Sharon with a chuckle. Kyle thought to himself that she might have made fun of his comment, but that night instead of sleeping on the couch, he was in the loving arms of his beautiful and brilliant wife.
Sharon and Annette spent their free day time together and in the evening the two couples did fun things together. Since only Carlton had experienced a semblance of a normal childhood, they ended up doing many youthful things like playing laser tag or going on the rides at the Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, Utah. Carlton tolerated the activities, but the other three were having the time of their lives. Kyle had never ridden any amusement park rides before. He especially loved the bumper cars. He and Annette would get into competitions as to who could ram the other the hardest and most frequently. Finally, they found something that Carlton wanted to do as much as the other three. The men took time off work and they all went fishing for several days at Fish Lake. They rented two cabins and a large fishing boat. Carlton and Annie took the fishing part more seriously than the others did, but they all had a great time. They extended their trip and went to Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Their lives were almost like a fairy tale. Each of them had what they wanted in life and had never been happier. Although Annie was a passive participant most of the time, she enjoyed the ride.
After they returned home, they took a break from each other for a few days and then went to a movie and dinner. The movie was a new Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan romance in which each had been married to the other's best friend and then the spouses of each died. They had always liked each other but had been very careful not to let feelings grow too strong while married. After the death of their spouses, they felt sort of guilty about pursuing a relationship, like they were somehow being unfaithful to their deceased spouses. Eventually, they overcame their reservations and married. The movie became the topic of conversation at dinner. "So, Sharon, if Kyle and I died, would you marry Carlton, if he asked you?" inquired Annette boldly. "You've always liked him."
Sharon blushed, as did Carlton. Annette was always more forthright than Sharon, unless of course, she was hiding something. Kyle came to Sharon's rescue. "Carlton is my best friend. I can't think of any man I would rather see my widow married to than Carlton. But, I did say widow, Carlton." Kyle's humor defused the tension.
"And, there's no one I would ever want more for my widowed husband than Sharon. He deserves a wife of your beauty, intelligence and education," added Annette.
"What about you, Annette. Would you marry Kyle in the event of our demise?" asked Sharon, turning the tables.
"Why, I would take Kyle in a heartbeat. What woman in her right mind wouldn't? He's nice looking, extremely well built and rich, not to mention one of the nicest and most fun guys I have ever known. But would he have me? I am his senior by at least five years." Kyle and Annette briefly looked into each other’s eyes. For Kyle it was one of those experiences that takes seconds but feels like a lifetime. Time seemed to stand still and he really looked at Annette for the first time. He was startled to perceive affection and desire in her eyes. Before the shooting, Annette had always seemed hardened to Kyle but now he saw contentment and softness. Kyle pondered and weighed his words.
"Some men pick green bananas and wait for them to ripen. I prefer to pick bananas when they're golden and sweet. I've seen pictures of both of you when you were younger. Neither of you has ever looked more beautiful than you do now."
"Kyle, when are you going to quit running for public office and just say how you feel?" demanded Sharon who really wanted to know.
"Okay. I've always found Mrs. Monroe very attractive. I still think Raquel Welch is very attractive and she's old enough to be my grandmother. When Carlton and Annette were having marital problems I had some very negative feelings about her. I believe that Annette is a very different woman today than she was then. She's made Carlton very happy, as of late. I think she would make me very happy, also. You are three years older than me, Sharon, and it certainly hasn't hurt a thing. Another year or two is of no consequence. Besides, she's the one woman I would know wasn't marrying me for my money, since she's already rich. Besides all that, she has a free spirit and spontaneity that I really like. And if I say anymore I may sleep on the couch." Again, Kyle had used humor to improve the spirits of the group. "By the way, Carlton, I don't plan on dying anytime soon."
"Me neither, my friend. Me neither. By the way, Kyle, every time I see you, you look more buff. You must have gained 25 pounds of muscle since you got married. And your forearms look enormous. What's your secret?" Kyle had exceptionally large hands, which had always been powerful, but now his formerly large and muscular forearms were even bigger and the individual muscles rippled under the skin.
"Your estimate is close as to my weight gain. I average about 200 pounds now. I think Sharon wants me to stop at this size. She hates the muscle-bound look. I used the computer to assist in my workouts. I've doubled my strength since I got married."
"That's amazing! I could never put on muscle. I envy you. Annette has always wanted me to put on some weight, but I can't even do that. I'm stuck at 150 pounds."
"I wish I could be stuck at my current weight," complained Annette. "I can just see myself looking like my mother in ten years."
Chapter 17 - Revenge
The University of Utah wanted to present an award to Kyle, Sharon and the Monroes for their generous donation of funds to replace the solid-state lab. The University planned to hold the ceremony near the Engineering Building but not inside it since it lacked a suitable banquet room. The decision was made to hold the event out-of-doors, on the lawn just south of the Engineering Building. The banquet was to be held just day
s before the fall term began. The university had waited for the new lab to be completed before the ceremony. A long table was set up at the north end of the gathering and folding chairs were set up facing north, arranged south of the table. Carlton and Annette were seated east of the center of the table. Kyle and Sharon were seated west of center at the table. The president of the university and chairman of the engineering department and electrical engineering departments sat near the center of the table. The president of the university introduced Dr. Monroe, who was going to make a speech. He concluded and Dr. Monroe arose and approached the podium at the center of the table. He had barely begun when Kyle flinched. A bumblebee had just stung him. Suddenly the air was full of bumblebees. Sharon helped Kyle inside the building and gave him his epinephrine shot. He had already begun to swell in the face and lost consciousness. Meanwhile, people were running everywhere and swarming into the building. The bees began attacking Carlton. He tried to fend them off with the text of his speech, but it made a poor shield. Annie took over Annette. She grasped a water glass in each hand and leaped vertically onto the table. She began killing bumblebees by squashing them between the bases of the two glasses. Any normal human would have broken the glasses after the first kill or two but with precision and accuracy, Annie killed bees without damage to the glasses. She killed over twenty bees in the space of a minute. Seeing Annette defending Carlton alone, Sharon ran to join her. Sharon lacked Annie's skill but not her determination. In a futile effort, Sharon swatted at the bees, but the bees easily evaded her efforts while others, working in concert, stung her from the sides and behind. Annie could tell that her efforts were not sufficient to save Carlton and she concentrated on protecting Sharon. The bees, having completed their deadly task rose in a swarm straight up until they had flown out of sight. Annie knelt over Carlton who had not yet lost consciousness. "Is Kyle safe?" he murmured softly.
The Computer Who Loved Me Page 17
