Ghost in the Machine

Malfunctioning Wife

Dawn found them far to the northwest, driving through what had been classified as the state of Washington. No one cared anymore. For centuries it was considered badlands, the only interest the old city of Olympia. A Communications center and tower had been built there, along with a connection to the central data storage matrix for the northwestern half of the country. Hand easy on the wheel, Greer reached into his pocket, pulling out the handheld communicator. He'd hesitated using it out of worry Reapers could somehow track their location, even with Echo's assurance the device was clean.

His thumb hovered over the knob, but finally, he flicked it on, listening to the static crackle. Easing his foot off the accelerator, his eyes went to the channel dial, turning it slowly. Faint voices rattled over the airwaves like rocks clattering downhill, their signal too weak to lock in on. Frowning, he turned the device off and set it down, rubbing a tired hand over his face. In the seat next to him, Echo stirred, then yawned, and Greer sighed patiently.

"Good morning, Vera."

"Hi," she stifled another yawn then glanced sideways at him before looking around. "Where are we?"

"Nearing Olympia."

"Why?"

"It's somewhere we have to be."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"You're a robot, and we need you for-"

"I am not!" Even as she said it, though, Vera stopped, remembering the night before. Looking down at her hands, she frowned, lifting them to examine the digits more closely. Rhaner noticed.

"What?"

"These...these look like my hands, but somehow, they aren't." Hurriedly flipping the visor down, Vera tore the cover off the mirror, staring at her reflection wide-eyed. "That's impossible...it's not possible."

Facing Greer, her expression was horrified.

"Those aren't my eyes!"

"What do you mean?"

"My eyes are brown! Who's eyes are these!?"

"I'm sorry," he responded honestly. "I can't answer that because I just don't know."

"Who..." breathing hard, struggling to accept the undeniable evidence, Vera bit her bottom lip. "Tell me again...what happened to me?"

"I don't know. Not really." Rhaner glanced at her. "I bought a storage unit that contained an Echo Class android. She's running a subroutine that makes her think she's Vera Wagner, and she dreams, or hallucinates, about her life as Vera. I...I think she killed the president, but why, or what happened after that, I just don't know."

"If it's really three hundred years in the future, and a robot assassinated the president of the united states, it would be a matter of public record what happened to his immediate family, wouldn't it?"

"Should be." He spared her another glance. "Unfortunately, my learning never included what happened to the president's wife. I don't know what happened to her. I can't say why the Echo ended up in an abandoned storage unit instead of scrapped."

"Okay," she said it, but her lips trembled, tears forming in her eyes as Vera carefully smoothed the fabric of her pants. She was trying not to let hysteria overwhelm her. Feeling sorry for her, knowing Vera was not human but unable to reconcile that with the utterly broken look on her face, Greer slowed the ATV to a stop.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was soft as she looked at him, eyes bright with unshed tears.

"We need to talk about this."