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AP – Angela

Driving back to my apartment, I marvel at how much I’ve changed in the last couple of days. First, going to bed with a woman. I look at her and correct myself, robot. Then the makeup, nail polish, hair down and high heels. Glancing at the polish on my fingers, and the sandals on my feet I realize how much I like this new look, and the feelings that come with it. Removing a hand from the wheel, I lay it on her leg and feel the comforting addition of Angela’s hand resting on mine.

Reaching the complex I lead her up the steps to my apartment, opening the door and ushering her in. “Welcome to my humble abode,” I tell her, though looking round I realize how mannish it must appear to her. “I’m sorry…” I mumble, feeling somehow I’ve let her down.

Angela turns to me, seeming to flow into my arms. As she hugs me and kisses me, I hear her voice soft and husky in my ear. “You worry too much Sam, its fine, honestly it is.”

I take the bottles of capture scent out of my pocket and leave them on the coffee table along with the antidote before removing my trench coat and shoulder holsters.

“Can I get you anything?” I ask as I go into the kitchenette to pour myself a stiff one.

Angela’s voice drifts in from the living room, like music to my ears. “Anything you fancy is fine by me.”

Pouring three fingers of bourbon into a pair of glasses I return to the living room. Angela is sitting on the couch; her coat and shoulder holsters have been laid on top of mine. Sitting down beside her I hand her one of the glasses and take a big sip, almost gagging on the sharp taste of the raw alcohol.

“You bought the capture scent from Fat Johnny,” I tell her.

Angela looks at me solemnly.” Yes Samantha, I did.

“Why?”

“To make sure you’d help me find Alvin.”

“And in the car?” I ask. For the first time she looks away.

“Because I love you, and wanted you to love me back.” Nervously her eyes come back to mine. I sit there, shocked; not just by her words, but by her movements. It was like watching a human struggling against a robot.

“But you only love me because of a command I gave you,” I tell her.

She shakes her head.

“You’re wrong Samantha. Alvin told me one day I’d find the one I was to devote my life to. My true love he called it.” She reaches out, takes my hand and looks deeply into my eyes. “You are the one,” she says, “You are that true love.”

I shake my head. “No. It’s just a command line Angela, it’s not real.” I look down at her hand resting in mine and whisper softly, “I only wish it were.”

“I’ll prove it,” she tells me. “Remove the commands Samantha, and I’ll still love you.”

Getting up I go to the bedroom and recover my little black book from its hiding place. Inside I kept a copy of the codes Jimmy the Geek had given me. Angela was still on the couch, watching me closely with a tear running down her cheek. Sitting beside her I kiss the tear away and taste its saltiness on the tip of my tongue. Opening the book, I ran my eye over the codes. My mind was torn with indecision, what if I was right, what if she doesn’t really love me?

“Read them Samantha,” her voice was soft in my ear.

Turning to Angela I kiss her hard and fast before looking down at the book and reading the codes out loud.

“Command override priority Alpha Beta Gamma X-ray Kilo Niner.” I look at Angela, sitting frozen in place beside me, and my heart sinks. A large part of me wanted her to be real and not an AP. “How do you feel about Samantha Shade?” I ask her.

“I’m in love with her.” Angela’s reply comes in a flat, emotionless voice.

“Remove program.”

She closes her eyes. “Ready,” she says, and I swallow uneasily.

“Remove all program entries relating to the names Shade, Sam and Samantha in any combination,” I tell her.

“Processing… complete.” She opens her eyes, staring off into the distance. I take a deep breath and ask her the question I’d rather not ask.

“How do you feel about Samantha Shade?”

“She is my soul mate,” comes her reply, “I love her.”

My breath explodes out of me, I hadn’t realised I was holding it in to that extent.

“End program,” I say, shocked, and not knowing what else I could say or do.

Angela blinks once and looks at me.

“I love you Samantha Shade,” she says. Taking my hands in hers she lifts them to her lips and kisses them gently. “I love you so much. I was wrong to use the capture scent on you, that isn’t love.” Letting go of my hands she picks up the antidote bottle and sprays me full in the face before I can stop her.

The spray hits me in the face with the force of one of Fat Johnny’s right hooks. As I rocked back from it, my world seemed to take one step to the left before clicking back into focus. Shaking my head to clear the last of the haze I give Angela a surprised look. Then I catch sight of my fingers, my nails an inch long instead of the short, stubby broken ones they’d been a few days ago. My hair is also a good four inches longer than it had been; I look at her in confusion.

“How did you? Why did you?” The questions came tumbling from my lips.

Angela looks at me with a shy smile on her face.

“Forced growth treatment,” she explains, “and as to the why – you wanted me to.”

I think back to the moment I asked her to do my makeup, when I close my eyes it comes rushing back to me. I can hear myself begging her to make myself beautiful; tears well up and I sob with the realization of how plain I was before she came along, how ugly.

“Thank you for making me beautiful,” I tell her.

“You’re welcome my love,” she answers.

I stand, my legs are shaky but I pick up my drink, walk across to the window and stare down at the street below. A car moves slowly, searching for a parking spot, an old lady walks her dog. I see them but my mind is elsewhere. Her reply has struck a chord in me, a longing for something lost. Looking out, I find myself looking in, trying to analyze my feelings. For years I’ve walked alone, but the last two days, even knowing I wasn’t myself, have been the happiest time I can remember; and yet when I ask myself the question ‘do I love Angela?’ The answer is no.

I hear her call my name from the couch and turn to look at her. It’s like she can read my mind.

“I’m sorry,” she says, “I didn’t mean to hurt you Samantha…I love you too much for that.”

Without thinking further I decide what I must do. Walking back to Angela, I leave my glass on the coffee table and sit beside her, reaching for the capture scent and spritzing a little on her neck. Looking her in the eye I catch a hint of the aroma,

“Help me,” I say. “Make me happy Angela, make me as beautiful as you, make me yours.” Wrapping my arms around her I bury my face in her hair, inhaling the scent and kissing her neck as she holds my head in place, cooing to me like a dove.

Snip. Time passes, and when I come to the sun is going down. I don’t feel any different and look up at Angela with confusion. “What’s wrong?” I ask, “didn’t it take love?” She strokes my hair lightly.

“It’s okay Samantha, we’ll worry about that after we find Alvin.”

Sitting up, I smile and kiss her again, “good idea sweet angel. I glance at my watch, “we’ll just be in time for the opening of The Pink Pussycat.” I turn back to Angela and take her hands in mine. “Frankie Desalvo is king of the underworld here, getting in to see him will be a lot harder than getting past the two goons we dealt with earlier.”