Lifel1k3 (Lifelike #1)(104)
“No, that makes no sense,” Ana said. “I’m not fast like them, I’m not strong like—”
“MONROVA’S INTENTION WAS THAT YOU WOULD LIVE AS A HUMAN. THE STRENGTH AND SPEED OTHER LIFELIKES ENJOY WERE SUPPRESSED IN YOU. YOUR BODY WAS ALSO PROGRAMMED NOT TO REGENERATE AT A SUPERIOR RATE, EXCEPT IN THE EVENT OF CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO KNOW. AND YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE, HAD GABRIEL NOT REBELLED.”
I’m in a white room, in a soft white bed. There are no windows, and the air is metallic in the back of my throat, filled with the chatter of machines. Every part of me hurts. All the room is spinning and I can barely move my tongue to speak.
“… Where am I?”
“Shhh,” Father whispers, squeezing my hand. “It’s all right, Princess. Everything is going to be all right. You’re back. You’re back with us again.”
“No … ,” she whispered.
“YES,” Myriad replied.
“But why didn’t her eye grow back when Dimples shot her during the revolt?” Lemon shook her head, amazement and horror on her face. “Or does a bullet in the head not count as ‘catastrophic damage’?”
“… Her implants,” Ezekiel realized.
“CORRECT. THE CYBERNETIC PROSTHETICS SILAS CARPENTER IMPLANTED AFTER THE REVOLT PREVENTED FULL TISSUE REGENERATION. THE SAME WAY A KNIFE WOUND WILL NOT HEAL IF THE BLADE IS LEFT EMBEDDED IN THE FLESH. IF THE REPLICA WERE TO REMOVE HER PROSTHETIC EYE, HER REAL ONE WOULD REGENERATE. IT WILL HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO SO FOR TWO YEARS NOW. I IMAGINE IT HAS BEEN QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE AT TIMES.”
Talking true, the glossy black optical implant that replaced her right peeper saw better than her real one. But it always gave her headaches. Whirred when she blinked. Itched when her nightmares woke her crying.
“SILAS INTENDED THE CYBERNETICS HE INSTALLED TO SERVE A DUAL PURPOSE,” Myriad continued. “FIRST, TO IMPLANT MEMORIES OF A FALSE CHILDHOOD SO THE REPLICA WOULD NEVER SUSPECT HER TRUE ORIGINS. BUT THEY WOULD ALSO PREVENT REGENERATION OF THE NEURAL PATHWAYS DAMAGED BY YOUR BULLET, EZEKIEL. THE REPLICA WOULD NEVER REMEMBER EXACTLY WHO SHE WAS, NOR WHAT SHE’D BEEN THROUGH.”
“This is impossible.” Lemon looked at her in horror. “Riotgrrl is … an android?”
“YES. THE THIRTEENTH MODEL IN THE LIFELIKE SERIES.”
No …
Cricket glanced at the body of his maker, cold and still on the gantry behind him.
“How the hell do you know all this?” he growled.
“I ASSISTED WITH MOST OF IT. THE REST, SILAS TOLD ME IN HIS CELL.”
“But …” Ezekiel shook his head in bewilderment. “Why would Silas lie? Why wouldn’t he tell … Ana … what she was?”
“I ASKED HIM THE SAME. HE SAID SHE HAD SUFFERED ENOUGH. HE WANTED TO GIVE HER A NEW LIFE, AWAY FROM ALL OF THIS. AND IF HE SUCCEEDED, SHE WOULD BE THE CULMINATION OF EVERYTHING THE LIFELIKE PROGRAM HAD BEEN MEANT TO ACHIEVE. SILAS WOULD HAVE CREATED A MACHINE WITH NO UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS A MACHINE. A NEW FORM OF CONSCIOUSNESS. A NEW FORM OF LIFE. AND TO THAT END, HE NAMED HER EVE.”
The holograph regarded the girl, wings rippling in a breeze only it could feel.
“ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A VERY REAL RISK THE REVELATION WILL DRIVE HER MAD.”
“No,” Ana breathed.
“YES,” Myriad replied.
“NO!”
“Ana—” Ezekiel began.
“No, stay away from me!”
She backed away across the landing, hand up to ward them away.
“This is insane. This is insane!”
Oh, you poor girl… .
A barrage of images. A storm of sound bites. A kaleidoscope of moments strobing in her mind’s eye.
One after another after another.
Oh, you poor girl.
What has he been telling you?
I don’t know what it was for you, but for me, it was real.
And you’re the girl who made me real.
BLOOD SCAN COMPLETED. IDENTITY: UNKNOWN.
You look wonderful for a dead girl.
You are polluted. You and all your kind.
Lies.
It’s you, me, Crick and Kaiser. No matter what.
Stronger together, together forever. Right?
Upon lies.
So just be straight with me from now on, okay?
That’s all I’m asking.
I’d never do anything to hurt you.
I tried to tell you so many times… .
I’m so sorry.
What has he been telling you?
Upon lies.
I was made for you.
All I am.
All I do,
I do for you.
And I cup his cheeks and draw him back up to look at me, and as we sink toward another long, aching kiss, just before our lips meet, he whispers it.
He whispers my name.
“Ana …”
No.
No, my name is …
… What
is
my
name?
What do you think, Princess?
Father’s going to save us.
He’s going to save the world one day.
Of all the mistakes I made, I think you were my favorite.
And we still have so much work to do.
Most people don’t get a happy ending in real life.