Chapter

17

Quill watched the two monitors, each conveying a POV.  Marsha stared up at the sky.  Urian’s screen showed his focus on her naked body, now draped in a silk robe.

“I’d prefer to pick this up in the morning, if that’s all right with you, Quill,” said KH5.  Both were sitting before two foldout monitor screens from his briefcase.

“Does it bother you?” asked Quill.

“You know it does.  Voyeurism has never been my pleasure.”

Quill glanced up at her.  “My purpose in asking you to join me here was for your advice, not your judgmental thoughts.  What you’re looking at is an important part of that purpose.”

“If you’re telling me that the ‘mistake’ is you getting off watching them make love, I agree without watching, okay?”

“That’s not the mistake.  I didn’t ask you to stay overnight here in the suite to play voyeur,” answered Quill.

“It’s not that I’m ungrateful, Quill... for the ‘stay.’  My God, you taking time off from that desert hide-a-way and flying into New York so we could have another stay at Manhattan’s Emerald Towers is always a treat, but I’ve been in this suite going over all these Godard archives all day like some kind of scientist, which I’m not, and you still haven’t told me the fricking mistake.”

“Just bear with me, it’s coming up.  I had you watch all those hours of tenant activity because you need to know what I’m trying to do, and if there’s an error in my judgment, you’re the only one I want to hear it from.  Do you understand?”

KH5 wandered over to the bar.  “I’ll understand better with some more scotch.”

“Help yourself,” said Quill, as he wiped his moist hands on the sides of the overstuffed chair. 

“You’re still some kind of freak; you know that, don’t you?”  said KH5 as she poured.

“Would you still be working for me if I wasn’t?”

“Of course not.  You’ve known that for years.”

“Just like to hear it once in a while.”

She walked back over with two glasses of scotch, each with two ice cubes.  “You’re a hopeless romantic, stuck with a woman who’ll never say yes.  Here.  Two cubes.”

Quill took the glass and held it with both hands, staring down into the caramel colored liquid.  “Even VR can’t give me the real you.  What a bitch.”

“No VR for this babe.  You keep those little bot-fuckers to yourself.  I’ve lived just fine for seventy-two years and I ain’t about to start experimenting now, even if you insist on calling me KH5 instead of Zelda, my real name, you know.” 

He nodded.  “I know very well, Zelda.  But, A2 is less confused with your persona if I retain the KH5.” 

She took a sip and noticed he was still gazing into the glass.  “And we mustn’t tilt A2’s balance, must we?  Jesus, Quill.  What’s with you?  You’ve been especially nuts on this trip.”

He looked up, his eyes not the usual pleasant, ever confident expression she was used to.  “You really need to watch this with me.  You… really do,” said Quill, his voice hinting of sincerity foreign to her ears.

KH5 moved over to his side and patted him on the knee.  “C’mon, Noodles, I…”

Quill leaned back slightly, a smile enveloping his face.  “You haven’t called me that for years.”

KH5 remained fixed on his eyes.  “And you haven’t called me Zelda for ages either.”

“That was a choice we had to leave up to A2, remember?  You’re the one that said ‘keep it all business.’  KH5 was your idea, lest you forget.”

“Stupid name.  But, yeah.  So, it was my idea.  So… hey, if I’m gonna be subjected to a mistake that’s got you crazy, then Noodles and Zelda better get down.”  She took his hand.  “Now… how much longer?”

He opened his eyes wide several times trying to ward off the tears.  “Well…”  He took a long swallow of his drink and after placing the glass on the coffee table, patted her hand.  “Ball’s in their court.  We’ll just have to wait and watch.”

“Wait and watch?”

“Yes,” said Quill.

They both looked at the double screen as Quill pressed an icon on the perimeter, sending both screens into a quad split. 

The left had Marsha in the present, at home sitting before her computer screen, with another quadrant showing her gazing into Urian’s eyes aboard the houseboat, the final two squares showing Liz dreaming of child, teen and adult memories of herself.  On Urian’s screen, the quad split showed one square with a soccer-ball shaped dome pulsating in a clear chamber on Quill’s desk, including A2’s massive dome a few feet behind rendering orbiting strings of images.  The second square showed his POV of Marsha gazing into his eyes, the moonlit sky behind her, and the other two squares with Richard dreaming images suggesting a Christian cross, and a POV from the pulpit, showing a congregation with heads bowed in prayer. 

Quill leaned in and turned the volume up, then touching the pulpit picture, Richard’s voice came up, “… and may we heal as sinners who know our actions offend thee…”

“Noodles?” said KH5.

“This is only the beginning,” he answered.

“Of what?”

“I’ve been listening more to A2 lately.  Her pattern recognition is progressing exponentially, you know.”

KH5 remained fixed on the screens.  “Is that what this is all about?”

“Don’t let the screens confuse you’, said Quill.  “A2, the real answer, is nearer than we think.  She wants to do some preliminary testing… address some troublesome dreams with some VR.”

“Urian and Marsha’s virtual reality?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a violation of your contract with Urian, and it’s invasive at best for Marsha.”

“You’re sounding bureaucratic, Zelda.  This is a minor intrusion for Marsha, and one that no one will ever know about.  To Richard, it will be just a dream with a woman he will never see or know.”

“Why?”

“Because, my little mother hen, Richard’s disturbances are largely buried.  A2’s summary of Richard’s hundreds of hours shows Richard is burying his neurosis deeper and deeper.  It can never be fully corrected unless an interjection of positive reinforcement takes place.  That therapist he’s been seeing is only touching the surface of his problem.  A2 may have the answer here.”

KH5 stood up and stretched, her face remaining troubled.   “What’s with Liz’s dream state you’ve got on the other screen?”

“A2 suggested we have it available in case.”

“In case?  In case of what?”

“You know how she is.  A2 has the gender problem all of you have… secrecy.  What’s a guy to do but go along and hope.”

“You trust the bitch that much?”

“Come now, Zelda.  A2 is hardly a bitch.”

“By whose standard?  She’s got you wrapped around her finger.”

“You mean around her neurobots?”

KH5 gazed into Quill’s eyes.  “Is she watching you watching me right now?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I built her, didn’t I?”

“And you’ve got the same implant in cornea as everyone else, so…”

“But I have some additional toys that nullify transmission whenever I want.”

“Like now?  Is that what you’re saying?”

“Like now.

“You never told me about that… toy.”

“I don’t tell you everything, Zelda.”

Zelda waited for further explanation, but Quill kept his eyes on the screens.  Finally, she stepped up to the bar.  “You don’t mind if I have another drink, do you?”

“I’ve been expecting you would ask.”

She paused a moment, then poured a double scotch.  “You?”

“No, thank you.  This is going to require I stay super alert.”

“So the bim… so A2 doesn’t go ape?”

“You’re really getting excited over nothing, you know.”

“What makes you think she’s not pushing you faster than you’re ready to handle?”

“Because I know exactly what she’s been fed and I trust my judgment... except for the mistake I may have made.  Story of my sinister career.”

“I never said that.”

“No, but many have…”  Suddenly, he leaned into the screens.  “A2 is going to be using this, I’m sure.”

“What?” said KH5 as she sat back down next to him. 

“A2 is equipped to work emotional overlays.  The advanced nanobots in her system are capable of generating the neurological correlates of emotions, sexual pleasure and other derivatives of our sensory experience and mental reactions.  That gives her some unique power.”

“And you trust her with this power?”

“She’s about to prove you wrong, and me right.  Watch.”

***

“What’s the matter,” asked Urian.

Marsha leaned her head back and locked her outstretched arms supporting her as if suspended in an asana yoga pose.  Urian didn’t move and from his prone position beneath her, he could see the pulse beating on her neck.  “I’m… oh, God…”

“Marsha?”

“Don’t move,” said Marsha, her face becoming flushed, her eyes beginning to blink rapidly.  After a few moments, she collapsed on Urian’s chest.  She lay motionless.

“Are you okay?” whispered Urian.

“As okay as someone can be who’s just gone to the moon and back,” said Marsha, as she rolled off and stared up at the stars with Urian.

***

Richard shot straight up out of bed, his eyes darting about the room trying to orient himself.  “Shit! Shit! Shit!”  He rolled off the mattress and stood a moment.  His head slowly glanced down at his crotch.  “Oh, my God.”  Touching the moist area on his shorts, he quickly ran to the bathroom and closed the door.  Throwing off his soiled underpants, he stepped into the shower and turned the water on.  “My God.  Where the fuck did she come from?  Where?”  

From behind the pulled shower curtain, his voice continued.  “I have to…”  He started laughing to himself.  “I have to find you…”  He laughed again.  The voice in his head whispered, “You see that beautiful woman.  O course not.  Only in your dreams.  Only in your dreams is there such beauty.” 

He started scrubbing his body hard with a loofa, then soaped up and turned the water especially hot, then switching it to cold, back and forth.  He whipped back the shower curtain, grabbed the soiled underwear, pulled the shower curtain closed and began scrubbing the shorts with soap.  He threw them down on the shower floor and stomped them hard several times, then slowed down and began softly turning his feet atop the material, as if he were squashing grapes.  A smile enveloped his face.  “That was fine… oh, so fine… whoever you were.”

***

“Jesus,” said KH5.  “You fucked up his head good.”

Quill grinned.  “Nonsense.  Just a good wet dream.”

KH5 gave him a look.  “More than a wet dream, I’d say.”

“Look at the screen, Zelda. 

On Urian’s quad split, Richard was peering at himself in the mirror.  A glowing smile filled his face.  As he combed his wet hair, the smile became bigger, graduating into a joyous laughter. 

“Does that look like someone whose head is fucked up?  He’s never been happier.  He’s never been laid like that.  Maybe he’s never really been laid.”

“And Liz?” asked KH5.  “She’s still sleeping.”

“Yes, but she’s framed the face of Urian on her mind… right at the moment Marsha said, ‘don’t move.’”

KH5 gulped her drink and sat back.  “What’s really going on here, Quill?”

Quill looked over at her.  “What happened to Noodles?  I thought we were having a good time.”

“Jesus.  You call what we just saw a good time?”

“Science always provides rewards if you’re persistent, Zelda.”

“I think it’s sick.”

Quill paused a moment, then reached in and touched the corner of the screen.

“Yes, Mr. Quill,” answered the screen in a sweet woman’s voice, bearing a slight French accent.

“Oh, for gods’ sake,” said KH5.  “That isn’t A2, is it?”

“With a different accent.  Those engineers of mine thought it proper to give her a German accent… as you heard once… but so cold.  I figured, if I’ve got to live with her, she’s got to sound a bit less harsh.”

“A bit less?  Sounds like she’s making you.”

“Oh, come now.  What’s an old man supposed to do?  Sorry, A2.  Just some clarification needed.  You understand.”

“Of course, Mr. Quill.  Totally understood.”

“I’ll bet,” said KH5 under her breath.

“Pardon, KH5?” asked A2.

“Jesus, just tend to your business.”  KH5 rose.   “I’m still thirsty.”  She walked to the bar.

“She’ll be fine, A2.  Now, Liz.  Why the freeze frame?”

“She chose that, sir, not me.”

Quill stared at the screen.  “But it’s still there.”

“Yes, and she’s still sleeping.”

“She’s okay, correct?”

“Pulse rate normal… for having just reached an orgasm,” replied A2.

KH5 spun around from the bar.  “My, God, Quill.  Have you gone completely whacko?  That was Marsha’s orgasm.”

A2 laughed—a rather cold, digitized laugh. 

“You sound awful, A2.  Have to fix that,” said Quill.

“Oh, don’t bother,” said A2.  “Trust me, it was a good laugh.”

“Enough.”  KH5 downed her drink, slammed in on the counter, and strode for the door, picking her butt pack up on the way.  “I’ll be in the coffee shop when you’re through with this orgy thing of yours.” 

As the door slammed shut, Quill leaned back and slumped.  “I guess that’s what I was looking for.”

“Pardon, Mr. Quill,” said A2.

“I wanted her opinion.  Guess I got it.”

“She didn’t have the benefit of an explanation, unless that’s what you were doing when you blocked me off.  That’s not polite, you know.”

“But necessary, A2.  I’ve had enough experience with the gender to know when it’s not a good idea for me to be heard.”

“But okay for her to hear?  She is a female too, you know.”

Quill leaned forward and gazed at the screen.  “Yes.  I know.  What do you see right now, A2?”

“The reflection of Mr. Quill, sir.”

“A dark reflection off a computer screen.  Were I in front of a mirror, you’d see a bright echo of my face that would tell you clearly that I believe we crossed over into another phase tonight.  I’m not sure we’re ready.”

“Is that what you meant when you told KH5 you may have made a mistake?”

Quill paused, and then asked.  “Let me see Urian, please A2.”

“Which one?”

“The real one.”

“Yes, Mr. Quill.”

Urian’s screen faded the quad images out, replacing it with a picture of Urian playing poker with Skitter and Saeger. 

“Do you think Marsha was aware?” asked Quill.

“She was aware that she had never seen stars like that, Mr. Quill.”

“Nice way to put it, but I’m serious about her.  Was she conscious of Urian being any different?”

“I made his clone perfect, Mr. Quill.”

“And now with Richard’s dreams in his head… is he going to be alright?”

“I don’t know, sir.  That’s why we made the clone.  Time will tell if a perfect psyche can manage such an intrusion.”

Quill stood up and walked to the windows overlooking the southern most tip of Manhattan.  The waters surrounding the Statue of Liberty were dotted with ultra-modern ships, their lights sparkling like a mirror of the sky.  He pressed a wall switch and the suite began rotating.  As the view changed from lower Manhattan to the tops of skyscrapers doting the density of uptown, the imposing thick haze and neon lights began to transpose Quill’s expression into one of concern and fear.  “A2… we haven’t much time, you know?”

“Yes, sir.”   

“Make sure Urian is not harmed.”

“His clone is equipped to handle anything, sir.”

“I mean the real Urian.  We lose him, we lose… period.”

“Understood, sir.”

Quill turned and walked toward the door.  “I’m going to try and mend some bridges.  You can shut things down, okay?”

“Yes, Mr. Quill.”

Quill turned the lights out and left the suite.  From outside, a flying restaurant floated by.  Its trapezoid-like shape sent soft lights out from every surface, some of which rolled through the suite, momentarily highlighting the double screens of Quills briefcase computer.  The image on the left was Urian playing poker.  The image on the right was his clone’s POV sitting on the back edge of the houseboat.  The moon shone brightly as Marsha swam about, turning gracefully in the dark waters surrounding the boat.  “Race you to the bottom,” yelled Urian.

“We can do that?”

“Sure.  It’s VR, remember.”  He slid off the edge and disappeared beneath the water.  Marsha followed.

As the waters became quiet, the split screen showed the real Urian sitting before the computer screen in his quarters.  His eyes were closed.  A pulsating LED light on the screen began flashing rapidly.  Suddenly, his eyes opened, and he leaned toward the image of quiet water.  A trickle of perspiration started down his forehead.  “Marsha?”

Like a peaceful afternoon’s sunshine shattered by a tornado, A2’s surface began to transpose from layers of orbiting pastel colors to those of chaotic bright flashes, images swirling out of orbit, out of control.  “That is… not good,” said the quiet voice of A2.  “Not good at all.”