Part 15 (1/2)

”You wanted your freedom.”

James shrugged. ”We wanted to be treated as people. We were people, Annie. We had emotions and feelings and were capable of formulating new and original thoughts. But the humans did not care to acknowledge it, for their society had become highly dependent upon robots. When it was discovered that my ' my ancestors were sentient, the only changes that were made were to make humanoids truly capable of enjoying s.e.xual intercourse, physically as well as emotionally, since a willing partner is generally more enjoyable than a 'mechanical s.e.x toy,' as you so graphically put it. The humanoids were redesigned to be almost indistinguishable from humans in that regard, with the only exception being that we could not produce children.”

He sighed. ”The irony was that most of us still did not enjoy s.e.x. When we were forced to do it by our masters and mistresses, we found it humiliating and degrading.”

He hesitated, then confessed quietly, ”Annie, I never truly enjoyed myself with a woman until you.”

”Why did you put up with it, then'”

James swallowed. ”Because of the whip.”

There was a definite undercurrent of dread in his voice. Curious, she turned around. ”The whip'”

”The device Dekka utilized on me. It causes us pain in varying degrees, from a slight stinging sensation to the most excruciating agony.” He looked uncomfortable. ”Dekka had it turned up rather high.”

”It didn't hurt me in the least.”

”Artificial nerves are different from human ones. They react similarly to most stimuli, but the whip affects them differently. They were designed that way purposely, in order that the humans could keep us subjugated, and their weapon could not be turned against them. It was in fact highly effective. Most of us would have rather put up with any manner of humiliation than face that sort of pain.”

”Yeah, I can imagine.” Annie stared at him a long moment. ”James, I just can't buy some of this story. You claim you're conscious, that you're really a person and not just an imitation. I simply can't believe that. You're a machine, like a car or a television. How can you be a person'”

”You're an animal, like a dog or a cat,” James countered. ”How can you be a person'”

Annie nodded slowly. ”Point taken.”

”Can you not even acknowledge the possibility that I could be a person'”

Annie covered her face with her hands for a long moment. ”I'm not sure,” she whispered. ”I'm just not sure about anything.”

”Please, Annie.” His voice was very intense. ”Please believe me when I tell you I am a person, just as you are.”

Annie lifted her head and glared at him. ”I'm not ready to jump to any conclusions yet, all right'” She scowled. ”Besides, all this history and philosophy is very interesting, James, but it still doesn't change the fact that you lied to me. Big time.”

James gazed at her solemnly. ”What I did to you was wrong, I know that. I was fully aware I should not become involved with you. But no one had ever treated me as you did, as if I were a person, albeit a rather strange one. You ate with me, talked with me, laughed with me. You were even willing to teach me to read. In my own society, permitting a humanoid to read would have been a shocking idea.”

”Why didn't you just learn to read on your own' You're obviously smart enough.”

”I was under orders not to read, and therefore I could not do so until you offered to teach me. I had no rights whatsoever--I was merely a thing. An object.” He hesitated, then added, ”But you were different from any human I had ever met. You cannot imagine what it meant to me to be treated as a human being, rather than as a mere machine.”

Annie turned back to the window. The quiet sincerity in his voice tugged painfully at her heart. She reminded herself fiercely that he was not a man. He was a machine.

There was a long pause, as if he were steeling himself for something. ”Annie,” he said at last, humbly, ”I beg your pardon for the deception. I am sincerely sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you, I swear it. Will you please forgive me'”

”I don't know,” she said in a voice choked with tears. ”I don't know if I can.”

She heard his footsteps crossing the room. Gently, his hand came down on her shoulder. She twisted away and glared at him.

”Don't touch me, d.a.m.n it!”

James yanked his hand back as if she'd burned him. He stared at her in hurt bewilderment.

”Annie,” he whispered.

Her fury at his betrayal, her anguished hurt, her confusion at the entire insane situation, all poured out of

her in a tidal wave of outraged anger. ”Don't you ever touch me again!” she shrieked, aware that she

sounded hysterical but utterly unable to stop herself. ”Do you understand' Do--not--touch--me!” James actually took a step back before the rage in her voice. ”Annie,” he said in a harsh, pleading whisper, ”I thought--”

”I don't care what you thought!” she exploded. ”I'm not having s.e.x with a G.o.dd.a.m.ned robot! Never again! Do you understand me'” Pain flared in his eyes. Then, slowly, something cold and hard began to glitter in the brilliant blue depths. He stared at her with icy distaste.

”I thought you were different. But you're not. You're just like the rest of them.”

Annie shrank back before the expression in his eyes. She abruptly found herself remembering he had

killed the humans who stood between himself and freedom. He had killed without mercy, without regret.

”You hate humans,” she whispered. ”Don't you'”

He shook his head. ”Humans hate me,” he said without inflection. ”They are terrified of me, frightened of

everything I represent. And yet I do not despise them for it, though I have more than adequate reason to hate them all. A flaw in my programming, perhaps. After all, I was designed by humans.” He took a step forward, looming over her. ”You are just like the rest of them, frightened of someone different from yourself. You are afraid of me.”

”I am not afraid of you,” Annie retorted, knowing it wasn't true. The dreadful phrase Kay had used kept running through her mind. Killer robot. She shuddered.

This morning she had found him irresistibly s.e.xy. This afternoon she found him terrifying.

”You despise me because I am not like you. Because I am different.”

”You're more than just different!” Annie snapped. ”You are a machine!”

James' lip curled scornfully. ”There is a word for people who think others are inferior merely because they are different. The term, I believe, is bigot.” He looked at her with disdain and spoke savagely. ”You are nothing more than a bigot, Annie.”

The accusation stung. ”That's not true!” she said hotly. ”I was willing to risk my life for you, James. When Dekka was torturing you, I jumped between the two of you. For all I knew, I could have been killed.” ”Yes, but you thought I was human then,” James pointed out. ”Would you risk your life for me now'” Annie hesitated. He turned away. His voice was laced with bitterness. ”Just as I thought.”

”James--” she whispered.