Alexandra was in shock. A robot had just told her it loved her.
How quickly she had become reductive. Not five minutes ago the thing before had been her friend, Simon, who she had laughed with, worked with, had meaningful and intelligent conversations with. There were moments when she forgot that underneath the human exterior he was artificial, and not flesh and blood.
But when it, he, had told her he loved her she had disregarded it completely. “You don’t mean that,” she said.
“I do. Truly, I love you,” said Simon, as human sounding as anything.
“How can you though? You’re-“
“A robot? Yes. But all the same, I am in love with you.”
“But how can you know what it even feels like?”
Simon looked like he was getting angry now. “How does anyone know what it feels like? They don’t until they do, and I do. Why is it so hard for you to accept? Why is it this that makes you think of me as a robot? Until now we’ve been friends. How could you think of me as a friend if you didn’t believe I had some feeling of affection for you? And is it then really that great a leap to love?”
“Because…” said Alexandra. “Because no one has ever said they love me, robot or human. Because I haven’t had a meaningful relationship in thirteen years. Because all my life I never thought I would find love. Because I started to love you. Because I’m afraid.”
His arms wrapped around her and they were the most human thing she had ever felt.
storiesbyadam 