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Killing with Kindness an AP story

It had been 20 years since the story broke about two brothers making an artificial personality that once activated and assimilated into society was indictable from normal humans. Once it was found out that an AP could be made to pass through the world without anyone realizing, they soon flooded the market. It reached the point where you would never know if you were talking to an artificial or flesh and blood human. It is in this world that our story starts.

Karen woke latter then usual, the sun shining through the window caressing her in its golden embrace. Rolling over she said “Good morning baby,” to Roy, her husband for the last 2 years. But, unlike other mornings, his pillow was cold, he was not beside her to greet and kiss. “Roy? Baby?” Karen got out of bed calling and looked for him; in the two years that they had been together he had never missed greeting her in bed.

Entering the kitchenette she found Roy laying face down on the floor. Hurrying to him she called, “Roy… What’s wrong?” But when she tried to roll him over she found he was too heavy to move. It was then that she caught the fain smell of burning wires. She stared at her husband and lover with the sick realization that all this time he has been a robot.

Standing she looks at the thing, her stomach rolling and makes it to the sink just in time. Running to the shower she scrubbed herself till her skin raw feeling unclean. Even though her stomach was empty she had to stop scrubbing and fight with the dry heaves that still wracked her body. Karen finally got herself under control enough to throw on clothes. Grabbing her purse she ran from the apartment, the thought ‘Home! Mum and daddy will know what to do’ filling her mind.

The drive to her parents’ house seemed to take forever even though it was just across town. She rushed in calling out franticly, “Mum? Daddy?”

“In here dear,” Karen’s mother called from the kitchen. The dumpy woman, wiping her hand on a dish towel took one look at her daughter’s face. “What’s wrong pumpkin?” She said going over to Karen and holding her tightly.

Karen flowed into her mothers comforting embrace. “It’s Roy… he…” the damn breaks and she starts crying. Through the sobs she recounted the story of how she found him and what he is. “I feel so unclean,” she concluded.

“There there pumpkin, mum will make it all better.” Her mother said stroking Karen’s hair. “I just made cinnamon rolls. You know how much you love my cinnamon rolls dear.” Her mother said as she guided her into the kitchen. “I’ll be just a moment pumpkin.”

Karen went into the kitchen; the smell of the freshly baked cinnamon rolls tantalized her nose. But, the thought of food caused her stomach roll again. Going back into the living room to get away from the scent of food she found, to her surprise, her mum on the phone.

“This is unit Zeta 9 2 7 Alpha 1 7 6 9 Gamma Mark 2… there is a malfunction with a unit at 124 Salisbury Street New Heaven… Yes pick up needed… I do not know… thank you.” Her mother said into the phone her back turned to Karen. She set down the phone and turned to see Karen standing there, her face white as a sheet. “Pumpkin, I taught you better then to listen to phone calls,” she said as she walked towards her.

“You’re one of them,” Karen said backing up from the advancing figure. ‘Her mum was a robot’ Turning she fled the house, with her mother’s voice calling out to her to stay. She reached her car at a run and speeded away. She did not have any friends to turn to in times of need. Roy was always there to take care and pamper her. Now that it turned out that Roy and her mum was one of them she felt lost. The thought struck her, ‘Gramps! He would know what to do.’ Even though he lived far out in the country at a retirement community and off the grid, Karen had to make the trip.

The retirement community was set far off the road and unlike most old folks homes that smelled of death, this one smelled of fresh flowers. Gramps had been Karen’s best and only friend for most her life in addition to being her grandfather. Reaching his room she rushed in breathless and frantic. But, to her dismay the room was empty. Turning she saw him coming down the hall in his wheelchair a nurse talking to him as he rolled. With a wave of his arm the nurse shut up and after looking at Karen a moment walked away. “Gramps,” she said forcing a smile and leaned down to hug him.

“How’s my one and only granddaughter?” the old man said his voice virulent and strong though his body showed years of hard living.

Once in his room Karen told him of Roy and of mum. It was not till she finished that she realized he had not said a word or moved in the whole time she had talked. “Gramps?” she said going to kneel beside his chair looking up at him in worry. “Are you ok?”

Not looking at her, his voice matching his age, the old man whispered, “It’s happened…” He looked down at Karen’s hand on his knee and rested his wrinkled and liver spotted hand over hers. Rolling the chair to the bedside table he took a piece of paper, wrote something on it coming back. Thrusting it into her hands he said in a low urgent voice, “Go. The walls have ears. It’s not safe here and they’ll be coming.”

Karen looked the paper and gramps in confusion; “I don’t understand…” she started when the room door opened.

There stood the nurse, “I am sorry Miss. You’ll have to come with me.” She said moving towards Karen her arm reaching to out to grab her.

Gramps rolled between the two blocking the nurse and said, “Go now.” With each movement of the nurse he would counter till she turned and grabbing his chair, thrust it away, knocking him out of the chair. From the floor he said weakly, “Run Pumpkin!”

Karen took in the scene in an instant and turning fled, ducking and dodging nurses who were reaching out to stop her as if she were running a touchdown pass. Reaching her car she drove away quickly as the white uniformed people poured from the building behind her. As she drove she sobbed his name once and wondered what he meant by ‘it’s happened.’

Once she reached the grid, Karen set the car on cruse and looked at the paper Gramps had thrust into her hand. In his chicken scratch handwriting he had written, The Cheaters Club, see Tommy, say Fred Flintstone sent you. She programmed the car and as it made its way to the bar she broke down and cried. Her life was in a shambles, everyone she cared about except Gramps was one of them.

When the car stopped and beeped at her Karen looked up. It had to be the most run down, sleazy looking bar she had ever seen. The outside reminded her of bathrooms she had seen as a child while on family trips. You know the ones where you say, “I’ll hold it instead,” even when your bladder is about to burst. Looking closer she noticed only a couple old beat up cars, one of which had a cinderblock under a wheel, parked in front. When she got out the stench from a nearby paper mill assaulted her nose causing her stomach to heave once more.

More then Gramp’s note, the smell drove her into the club, that seemed was worse then the outside. The thick haze of smoke hung in the still air like low lying clouds. As she looked around she muttered, “They should have named this dump Condemned.” Karen’s eyes became accustomed to the gloom and saw with surprise, a couple of people playing pool in the back, a waitress looking bored, and the bar keep who looked as if he walked out of a bad biker movie. As she walked over to the bar, Karen became aware of other people sitting in the shadows watching her as a hungry pack of dogs would an wounded animal.

“Whad it be?” the man asked looking her up and down judging her.

“Bottled water,” Karen replied not thinking. The phrase ‘you could hear a pin drop’ rolled through her head as she looked at the sea of silent faces staring back at her. She turned back in time to see the bartender finish pouring out a bottle of coke and fill it unwashed from the tap.

Screwing the top back on he sets it down on the bar in front of her and says “dat el be five bucks,”

Karen looked at the rusty colored water in the bottle and then back at his smiling face. “I wouldn’t drink that if you paid me fifty dollars for it.” She thought about asking for an ice tea but then thought better. “Just give me a draft beer.” As he pulled the beer she paused and said, “Seen Tommy today?”

“Tommy who,” the bartender says putting the beer in front of her. “dat be buck fifty,” He says holding out a meaty hand. Karen pulled out her com card but he only shook his head “cash,”

After digging through her purse she managed to come up with a dollar and fifty-seven cents. Putting it on the bar Karen said, “Keep the change, oh and if you see Tommy tell him Fred Flintstone looking for him.” Taking her beer she goes and sits in a booth the sounds of laughter from her reply echoing. She got the feeling that this was the place where it was good to have your back against the wall.

Karen had never drunk this early in the day but she felt she needed something to calm her shattered nerves. Sipping it she expected the beer to be as vile and nasty as the bar was. But instead it went down smooth like honey nectar from the gods. She looked up at the bartender in surprise but he was busy wiping down the counter.