Evolved(34)

His gaze shot to mine. “I do not want them to take me.”

“I won’t allow it,” I said adamantly. I held his hand in both of mine. “Shaun, look. It’s not likely they’ll ever know. I mean, how can they? They won’t ever see you again.”

“I have internet connectivity with the SATinc mainframe. If they can download updates into my microcontroller at will and without my consent, then is it safe to assume they can upload my data as well?”

I hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t know. And I can hardly ask them without raising suspicion. I don’t want them poking around in your head without your consent.”

“Neither do I.” Shaun frowned.

We were both quiet for a moment. “What’s a microcontroller?” I asked. He’d used that word and I hadn’t heard it before.

“A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input and output peripherals.”

Right. Okay, so that was a definition. Clearly, I needed to think about how to better ask him questions. “What’s your microcontroller.”

“My brain, as you called it. It contains the CPU and allows for inputs and outputs, which interprets signals from my sensors and adjusts my actions and reactions accordingly, memory, synthetic emotions. Much like your human brain.”

I sighed and leaned back on the sofa, pulling him with me so I could slide my arm around him, hold him. “There’s so much I don’t know about you,” I murmured. “About your internal components.”

He was quiet for a second. “I have some internal components you can check any time you’d like.”

Did he…? Was that a…?

He turned his head to look at me, a grin on his face.

He did just make a sex joke!

I barked out a laugh. “I thought that’s what you meant!”

“You mentioned internal components. How could I not make reference to my internal sensors?”

I tightened my arms around him and kissed the top of his head. I could have so very easily told him right then that I loved him. But I didn’t… the words were right there on the tip of my tongue, but it wasn’t the right time. We had enough to think about right now.

“How about we forget about what might not ever happen and just enjoy the last night before I have to go back to work.”

“Yes. I like the sound of that, very much,” he said softly.

“Want to watch TV?” I asked.

“No.”

“Want to read?”

“No.”

So much for androids being compliant… I chuckled and kissed the top of his head again. “What do you want to do?”

He turned in my arms and pulled me so I was lying down on the sofa. “Well, about those internal sensors…”

I laughed but the sound was cut off when he kissed me.





Chapter Eight





I got to work a little late. Still earlier than most of my colleagues, but late for me. Leaving Shaun was harder than I thought it would be. I reminded him he had books and puzzles and TV and movies, not that he needed reminding—it was more to comfort myself than him.

I was certain he read my anxiety, and he assured me he’d be fine.

But I still worried.

The idea of him sitting at the dining table, straight-backed with his hands on his knees, surrounded by silence and so very much alone made my heart hurt.

I told myself the time apart would be good for him.

Then I told myself the time apart would be good for me.

Yet I still wasn’t convinced.

I missed him, that was true. But I was also concerned.

He knew how to call 000 if he needed. He knew how to leave if there was a fire. He knew how to keep himself entertained.

Just breathe, Lloyd.

“Ah, I wondered if I’d see you today.” Jae’s voice interrupted my mental chastising. I’d taken my usual lunch seat in the staff room, trying to avoid as many other people as possible, though Jae normally sat with me. He seemingly had the same aversion to humans I had and his lunch tray was blessedly as neat as mine. I couldn’t have coped if he was a slob. “How was your week off?”

“Oh.” I took a second to compose myself. “Very good, thank you.”

“Get everything settled?”

I shot him a startled look. What did he know? “Pardon?”

“With your family,” he explained. “You said you had family concerns.”

“Oh, yes, we did, thank you.” I fought a smile at just how settled Shaun and I became. “I trust nothing exciting happened here in my absence?”

He waved his hand dismissively and proceeded to tell me all the goings on with the people we had a mutual dislike for.

Same old, same old. It always was, and I found strange comfort in that.

The other professors and teaching staff milled in and around, though none of them paid any attention to us. To them, we were the quiet, nerd types. Most of them avoided conversation with us because our IQs far exceeded theirs and they didn’t like to be reminded of the fact. Or maybe it was because Jae and I both exuded a stay-away aura.

Either way, I was grateful.

At the end of my lunch hour, I almost called home. I wanted to talk to Shaun. I wanted to ask how he was, if he was okay, if he was bored, but I didn’t want to impose. What if he was upset? Or if he asked me to please come home? I couldn’t very well leave halfway through my day. And then I had a thought. What if he didn’t answer?