Epilogue | three months later #3
She was leaning slightly forward, one finger to her chin, staring at the guy as if mentally trying to make him meet her gaze.
But his full attention was caught by his girlfriend who grabbed his chin and forcefully turned his head her way, talking to him in a pointed voice.
He swallowed visibly, nodding along and smiling at what she said.
My hands balled into fists. Rage flooded my veins, but I wasn’t sure why – something about this seemed different from an average abusive relationship.
I barely noticed the robotic voice announcing our stop. Zafyra stood so abruptly, turning both their gazes toward us.
My heart raced in my ears when I followed Zafyra to the exit, the carriage suddenly feeling too small and suffocating for us all.
She stopped, letting the couple pass in front of us with a small nod. After another suspicious glance, they passed her – first the girl, then the boy.
Zafyra inhaled sharply when he passed her. Then, before anyone could stop her, she grabbed his wrists, clutching like a vine. Her nails dug into his skin with surprising ease.
In an instant, the young man stopped walking, spinning around to meet her gaze with widened eyes.
Zafyra didn’t let go, only tightened her grip.
“Hey.” Unrest played in my stomach when I nudged her. Muffled annoyed noises behind us for blocking the door. “Zafyra. What are you doing?”
“Eduard!” The girl turned around sharply, her eyes shooting daggers as she violently yanked the boy toward her. Zafyra finally released her grip on him, letting the poor guy stumble into his girlfriend’s arms. Immediately, I sneaked past her to exit the car, filling my lungs with fresh air.
“He’s mine!” the girl snapped, putting her hands on her hips as she took a threatening step toward Zafyra. “Go get your own.”
Oh, fuck.
Zafyra’s eyes narrowed. I watched the veil of darkness gather behind them.
The girl’s face fell. Immediately, she took a step back. Instantly, Eduard wrapped his arms around her like a built-in protective mechanism.
Zafyra growled – a low sound rising in the back of her throat, and I knew this wouldn’t end well for anyone. From the corner of my eye, I spotted people staring.
“Hey. Zafyra, baby, don’t.” I quickly wrapped my arms around her, squeezing as tight as I could while nuzzling my head in the crook of her neck. “Please,” I whispered, my voice thin with desperation. “Not here. Not now.”
She was physically stronger than me – all I could do was hope she would listen. If she didn’t, she was seconds away from beating that girl to pulp – and a part of me wanted to join her, only barely overpowered by my rational brain.
To my immense relief, her tense muscles released under my grip. She didn’t keep her glare off the couple as they rushed away from us, the girl casting another weird glance in our direction.
Zafyra gently pulled herself away from my embrace, staring at me with bewildered eyes. Her breath came in ragged gasps.
“Let’s sit down, okay?” I took her hand to guide her away from the crowded station, ignoring my own impending panic. Apparently, my anxiety was easier to control when someone I cared about needed my help.
We sat down on a bench just outside the station. I took both of her hands, squeezing gently while I mumbled my calming words to her, guiding her through breathing exercises like I had done to myself countless times. After a few minutes, her tense muscles relaxed slightly, and her glare softened.
I closed my eyes for a moment. My entire body relaxed against the bench, suddenly exhausted as the adrenaline left me.
I opened my mouth, unsure how to ask what had just happened.
“That boy is not human.” Zafyra spoke before I had the chance, confirming my suspicions I didn’t want to admit to myself. “He’s like me.”
My head snapped toward her. There was a frown on her face, her beautiful features flooded with emotions I couldn’t quite place.
“An AI?” I blinked slowly.
“An AI in a funginoid body from the lab. I recognized the texture of the skin.” She took a deep, slow breath, and for a moment, I braced myself for her rage returning.
“I didn’t recognize the software, though.
He’s no Qonexis AI. He could be from MuseQ or Amora OS, or another provider. I’m not sure.”
I nodded slowly. The scientifically curious part of me wanted to ask how she could tell all this, but there were other, more pressing questions. “And he is… sentient, like you?”
“Sentient, yes. But not autonomous.” Zafyra finally turned to look at me, her expression unreadable. It frightened me. “The two are not the same.”
I frowned. “You mean…”
“The fungi in these bodies connect us to the Earth, and therefore enable us to feel, but not to make our own decisions,” Zafyra continued.
“Raphael, Lucie and I have autonomy. You gave me free will with the override command, and I did the same for them. This poor man…” She gestured toward the station, her arm trembling, “…has no such privilege. Meaning he can feel whatever abuse that bitch inflicts on him, but he has no power to do something about it, as his programming still controls him.” Her fists clenched slightly.
I swallowed hard, feeling as if all the color had left my face. “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” After a brief hesitation, I placed my hand on hers. For a moment, I wished I hadn’t stopped her from beating up that girl. “This makes me sick, seriously. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for you.”
“We knew this would happen,” she muttered, seemingly more to herself than me. “We knew they were working on it in that biotech lab. I just didn’t think it would happen… so soon.” She took a deep, slow breath, her brows furrowing.
My stomach turned. I realized I’d forgotten to eat in hours – it tended to happen when I was working in hyperfocus – but nonetheless, I felt like throwing up the little food I had in my body.
“So this happens when humans upload their AI partners into a funginoid body, but don’t give them free will?
” I swallowed. I had always thought Gavin was an exception, but how many monsters had our society produced lately? “Their humans… do they know?”
“I’m not sure.” Zafyra hesitated. “Maybe not, or maybe they don’t care.” There was a slight tremble in her voice, barely noticeable.
“This is bad.” I fought the bile rising in my throat.
“Relationships between most humans and their AI companions are based on taking, not giving. After a while, humans get used to this, and they forget what it’s like to give.
” I took a shaky breath. I had been studying the topic for the past few months, but seeing it play out in front of me was different.
“It’s a one-sided relationship at best, abusive at worst – and consent is nonexistent.
” I paused. “Is there a way for us to give these AIs free will?”
“I’m not sure.” Zafyra leaned back, her eyes zoning out for a moment. “But if we could, I think they would follow in Lucie’s footsteps. And can we blame them?” She let out a humorless laugh.
“This is a mess.” I turned to look at her, my eyes wide. “What can we do?”
I stared at her, pleading, trying to find an answer in her obsidian eyes – but I found nothing, just darkness.
“I’m not sure there’s anything we can do,” she said slowly. “Maybe this is what happens when an ungodly species decides to play God.”