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“Hello there.”
Alex folded her arms across her chest, scowling at the AX800 android that stood beside her husband in their living room. Max had called on his way home to say he would be dropping by the store — more of a relief than an inconvenience, honestly — but she had expected him to come home with the mint chocolate chip ice cream she had been craving.
But no. He had come home with a fucking robot.
Alex ignored the android’s greeting, looking away from the polite smile she wore, and turned to her husband. “What the hell is this?”
“You’re not stupid,” Max replied, rolling his eyes. “Don’t bore me with stupid questions.”
Alex’s jaw clenched. Of course she knew what it was. That wasn’t the true meaning behind the question and Max knew as much. He just liked to take whatever opportunity he could to put her down, especially lately.
“Why is she here, Max?” she demanded.
“We’ve lost three human housekeepers in the past month. Two due to incompetence, one due to burglary. I certainly can’t expect you to keep the house orderly in your…condition.”
Alex lowered one hand to her belly, cradling the bump self-consciously. Max always managed to make the one good thing she had left in her life feel more like a handicap, an inconvenience, rather than a blessing.
“This will never tire or complain.” Max pushed the android closer to Alex with a hand on her back. Alex looked away. “It can stay functional without charging for 350 years—”
“I know the CyberLife spiel,” Alex interjected harshly, glaring at him. “We didn’t discuss this. I never agreed to an android in the house.”
“We don’t need to discuss it,” Max scoffed, his dark eyes narrowing. “This is my house, my money, and you are my wife. I will make whatever decisions I see fit.”
Smarmy son of a bitch.
Alex seethed with rage but said nothing. She wished she’d never married him. If she’d been smart enough to keep her legs closed, she’d never have gotten pregnant and she’d never have been put in this position. Locked into a marriage she didn’t want with a man she had always had a contentious relationship with at best.
“I’m leaving for Switzerland for a business trip in an hour,” Max continued, unfazed.
Alex bit her lip. “How long will you be gone?”
“About three weeks, provided all goes well. Longer if further persuasion is necessary.”
“I’m due in two weeks,” Alex reminded him. “If you leave, there’s a chance you’ll miss the birth.” She had no real desire to have him there, but this was his child. He had a right to be there, and the last thing she wanted was to hear him complain she hadn’t told him before he left the country.
“The android will be here,” Max replied, his tone cool and disinterested. “Give it whatever instructions you see fit. Perhaps it will be useful in satisfying your…other desires. You know the spiel.” He eyed her knowingly, and a pit of dread amassed low in her stomach.
“I should be going,” he said, looking at the watch around his wrist. “Contact my secretary in case of emergency.” He nodded at her curtly, then left the house. The front door clicked shut behind him.
That left Alex alone with the android.
She eyed the female figure silently, assessing her. She was slender and tall — maybe even a bit taller than Alex herself. Long blonde hair fell in waves past her shoulders, and her face was kind, her lips full and her blue eyes quietly discerning. Alex’s heart jumped in her chest when she realized those eyes were examining her just the same way.
Alex pressed her lips together and considered her options. She couldn’t very well return her to Android Zone now. Max wouldn’t allow it, and there was bound to be some sort of alert if the money refunded to his Amex. He had saddled her with a new permanent housekeeper. If he had a conscience, Alex might believe it was an attempt to assuage the guilt he felt for being gone so long. But she knew better than that.
“Do you…have a name?” she finally asked.
The android cocked her head. “No,” she replied. Her voice was soft and a little on the lower side but still very feminine. Alex immediately liked the way it sounded. “Would you like to name me?”
Alex smiled wryly. “I was never great at naming. I never named a single stuffed animal when I was a kid. Not even my favorite stuffed otter.”
The android nodded. “I can give you my identification number if you’d like.”
Alex cringed and shook her head. “No, that seems too…inhuman,” she muttered. Max would have laughed at her for saying that. No matter how human she looked, she was a robot. She wasn’t alive or human, and it didn’t really matter what Alex said to her or did to her. She was conscious, but she was a machine, created in a factory in Michigan.
“What is your name?” the android inquired, her light brows lifting curiously.
“Oh.” Alex blushed, scratching the back of her neck. Max hadn’t introduced her, and she’d been too busy arguing the android’s very presence to do it herself. “I’m Alex. Alexandra but just… I go by Alex.”
The android nodded seriously, her polite smile returning. “It’s very nice to meet you, Alex. Is there anything I can do to assist you?”
Alex shrugged awkwardly, wincing as she shifted uncomfortably where she sat. The baby made the few positions she felt comfortable sitting in change on an hourly basis, and her back was starting to ache.
“I could rub your back?” the android suggested, apparently having taken note of her discomfort. “I can use whatever pressure you find most pleasing.”
“I don’t know,” Alex sighed. “I-I’m not sure how comfortable I am using you that way. Especially before I’ve even, you know, named you.”
The android seemed to think about this for a few long moments. It was a bit eerie how very still she stood. She blinked regularly and looked very human overall, but this proved very clearly that she wasn’t. There was no sign of restlessness, no fidgeting, not even a hint of fatigue.
“One of my creators,” the android finally said, “called me Kara. Would that be an acceptable name?”
Alex frowned. She wondered how the android could recall that. From what she knew about android creation, any memories of their time before selling were erased before they were sent out to stores to be sold. How could the android possibly know what anyone there had called her?
But she did like the sound of the name. It was short, easy to remember, and there was an air of innocence and elegance about it that felt fitting. She met blue eyes again and swore she saw a glint of hope.
“Yeah,” Alex agreed, dismissing her momentary unease. “I like that. Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Alex nodded. “Then Kara it is.”
The android — Kara smiled brightly.