Evolved(49)

“I take it your input and output levels are back to within the normal range.”

“Yes, thank you.” He leaned down and kissed me. “Experiencing input overload may almost be worth it if you’d do that to me again.”

I laughed. “Oh, I can do that to you again, but no more input overloads, okay?”

He was still smiling beautifully. “Okay.” He stared into my eyes. “I love you.”

I touched the side of his face. “I love you too.”

He leaned into my hand. “I apologise again for calling you at work.”

“It’s fine.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “You sure you feel better now?”

Shaun nodded. “I think I shall only read books. Television only seems to disrupt my neural pathways.” Then his brow furrowed. “My brain… my CPU—”

“Your brain.”

The corner of his mouth twitched in an almost-smile. “My brain,” he said again, “Doesn’t appear to be compatible with television.”

I ran my nose along his jaw and kissed him there softly. “I don’t think it’s an incompatibility issue. I think you interpret more than they allowed for with your processor.”

He looked at me quizzically. “How so?”

“Whatever makes you different, makes you better than they allowed for.” I shrugged. “Maybe a normal android can watch television without concern, but you internalise, interpret and understand as a human would. It’s only the complexity of humanity that eludes you.”

He closed his eyes and whispered, “I am not human.”

“You’re better than human.” His eyes shot open, and I smiled as I held his face. “Humans—not all humans, but most—stopped caring a long time ago. People became detached. Interacting online became normal because interacting with humans and all the nonsense, effort, and trivial drama that came with it became too difficult. It was easier to speak to our friends online when we wanted, then close down the internet when we needed silence. Androids became commonplace and it was easy; companionship without unnecessary drama.”

I sighed loudly and cupped his face. “So you internalise and interpret what you see on television, and where a human would disregard it, you do not. Because you care, because you’re a good… person.”

“I’m not a person.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I am an android.”

“You are a person to me.”

He stared at me for a long while until his small smile turned shy and then became a grin. “Thank you.” He kissed me, still smiling. “You must be hungry. Let me fix you dinner.”

“Should you shower first?”

He stopped. “Oh, yes,” he said, disappointed. “I wish to get you dinner also. You could wait, or you could shower with me?”

I chuckled and kissed his frowning lips. “You go shower. I can get my own dinner. When you’re done in the shower, you can join me at the dinner table, okay?”

He was in the shower by the time I’d pulled on pants and a sweater, and no sooner had I set the table and put my meal on the placemat, than he joined me. Wearing neatly pressed pyjama pants and a matching top, his hair wet and neatly brushed. He looked immaculate and beautiful. He sat down next to me and smiled, opening his mouth to say something just as the phone rang.

I glanced at the holographic screen. The caller ID flashed, and I took Shaun’s hand. “It’s SATinc,” I said.

His eyes were wide and he looked a little scared. I squeezed his hand. “Answer Call.”

The line clicked and Myles Dewegger’s voice was loud and clear. “Mr Salter,” he began. “We have had an abnormal reading with your A-Class today.”

I stared at Shaun but answered Myles. “Is that so?”

“Yes. High level input error codes.

Jesus. They knew. Of course they did. I had to play this down without giving anything away about Shaun’s abilities. “Oh yes, that was my mistake. I do apologise.”

“Your mistake?”

“Yes. Are you familiar with edging?”

Silence.

I cringed. “Sexual edging is to bring someone to the brink of… climax.” I cleared my throat. “Without permitting release. Many times. It was supposed to be enjoyable. I wasn’t aware it would affect him like that.”

Shaun raised an eyebrow at me, but I put my finger to my lips in a shhh motion.

“The android’s input levels were almost catastrophic.”

“Yes. I do apologise. I realised the error and increased the output until he was back to healthy range.”

“I haven’t been notified by the AMA,” Myles said.

Oh God. “Do you think they know?”

“I’d be surprised if they don’t. We normally get notified. They haven’t contacted you?”

“No.”

“Hmm. Maybe you fixed the problem before the android notified them.”

My gaze shot to Shaun’s and he quickly shook his head. “I didn’t,” he whispered, too quietly for Myles to hear him. “I wouldn’t.”

I squeezed his hand and mouthed, “I know.”

Myles continued, oblivious to our private conversation. “So, apart from today’s little mishap, how has your android been this week? You’re clearly enjoying all his functions.” There was an edge to his voice I didn’t care for.