Chapter 8
EIGHT
SIGIDI
She kept looking at me.
Every time I caught her gaze, it was like my central processing system had been pierced with a neurofilament, and there was nothing left for me to do but be lost in her eyes as all other potential thoughts fled before the magnetism of her gaze.
Adesewa was the center of my existence.
The way her eyes brightened when she saw me helping the others, teaching them, brought meaning to my life.
Before, when the chip controlled me, my tasks were monotonous, forced.
There was no joy in them. Now I felt joy in the uncertainty, in the fact that I had to recognize a thing that needed to be done and do it.
The human women had so much they wanted to learn, so much they wanted to change, and I was their access point to knowledge.
I knew that wouldn't last for long.
Sara was working on the next unit, and soon others of my kind, others who had been freed, would join me.
I knew that many would be like me, utterly fascinated by these human women.
They had been caged, stored away for spare parts, relegated to be nothing more than dross, and yet the moment they had an opportunity, they seized it.
They accomplished something none of us thought possible.
The work they did every day was fascinating.
They were creating something I had never experienced.
The idea of gathering together, of talking to one another, of figuring out how they wanted to approach their problems and how they could make their life together more enjoyable for everyone while also securing it against future potential dangers…
it was amazing. They were all a part of the decision-making process.
Adesewa led those discussions, guiding the group, but ultimately they worked together.
Even though she was a clear leader, she didn't order or force. None of the women had chips in their brains making them compliant and obedient.
It was beautiful.
But as mesmerizing as they all were together, none came close to the depths of the ache I felt inside of myself every time I caught Adesewa looking at me.
I wanted more, and I didn't know how to get it.
She had told me not to touch her, so I couldn't try the seduction techniques I had seen in some of the shows I had watched.
I could perform acts and support the visions she wanted to bring into reality, such as building the individual elements to make up the kitchen, but I wasn't clear on how to ease the feeling in my heart that welled up in the night as I wondered what it would be like to wrap my arms around her and feel the soft rise and fall of her breath.
The urges grew worse and worse with time.
It was getting to the point that I considered using my biological suppression system, but that wouldn't work if I continued to stay near the humans…
near her. I knew that my mating equipment was still intact, as those organs had valuable use in producing hormones for my musculoskeletal system, even if they did have to be suppressed on occasion.
Adesewa had already taught me something new about my own internal system that I didn't know before: that triggering the biological suppression too many times in a row would overload my organics, leading to a period of unconsciousness as my body filtered out the chemical overload.
I wouldn't be able to use it enough to ease my torment.
If I wanted to stay near her, I had to endure.
So I endured.