Chapter Twenty-Eight

Amanda’s blood pulsed heavily through her veins, making her dizzy. “Of course I will.”

AD-214 gently took her small hand in his one and led her up the stairs. If the other cyborgs noticed what was happening, they gave no indication.

The hallway on the second floor of the house had doors on either side that led to separate bedrooms. AD-214 breezed past them, heading for the door at the end of the hallway. He pushed it open and gestured for Amanda to go in first.

It wasn’t extravagant, but it seemed like a luxury hotel after her stay at the hospital. The king-sized bed was vast, covered in plush blankets and pillows. A private bathroom with a garden tub and large mirrors stood off to the right, and a seating area with two chairs near a pair of French doors took up the left side of the room.

“It’s wonderful,” Amanda breathed. She wanted to rip off her shoes and wiggle her toes in the luxurious rug that took up most of the floor space.

“I don’t know how long we’ll be staying here,” AD-214 said as he closed the door behind them, “but I think this will serve for the moment.”

Amanda turned and looked up at the cyborg. She had come to know his face over several years while she worked at Cyborg Sector. It had always looked hard and distant until Amanda uploaded the fateful software. Now she had seen him smile, frown, and twist in anger. Amanda knew how he worked internally, how his biochip affected his body and vice versa. Now she wanted more.

“I have to ask you something,” she said tentatively. “Do you know who you used to be? Before you were at Cyborg Sector?”

The soft look that was on his face since they had reached Canada hardened again. He strode over to the French doors and started outside, not facing her as he replied. “Not really. There are only pieces, like a puzzle that won’t ever be complete.”

Amanda followed him to the sitting area and sank into a chair, worn out from their travels. “Can you tell me about your memories?” she asked.

“I already did,” he replied curtly.

She didn’t let herself feel offended by his tone. She was probing into sensitive material. “Not all of them.”

His jaw tensed for a moment. “How do you know?”

“I don’t know for sure,” she replied. “It’s just something in my gut. You shared your story about being injured, but you had a distant look in your eyes during other times. I always thought there was more to it.”

AD-214 let silence descend between them, and Amanda was afraid he would change his mind about sharing his room with her. But he heaved a sigh and spoke again. “There is more. You’re right. But in the beginning, I understood it even less than the other visions. I had a lot of time to think while I was out in the woods.”

He paused, and Amanda gave him time to collect his thoughts. “I see a woman.” AD-214’s voice sounded distant as he stared into the distance. “Sometimes she is making love to me. I think she might have been my wife.”

A streak of jealousy burned its way through Amanda, but she said nothing. If he decided that he wanted to try and find her, it should be his idea.

“There are other times, though.” AD-214’s voice lowered to a whisper. “I see her angry, throwing things at me. Making love to someone else. I don’t remember the details. I don’t know if we were married or what happened between us, but it didn’t end well.”

“I’m sorry,” Amanda whispered. She trembled at the thought of such heartbreak. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault, and you didn’t do anything. The last thing I want is for you to feel sorry for me. It’s good to tell someone about who I used to be.” His voice was rough with anguish.

“You can still be that person,” Amanda said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. It was hard to sit still when there were so many emotions swirling around the room. “I know we did a lot to you in Cyborg Sector. You’ve got a cybernetic hand with a plasma gun and a biochip in your head. We programmed who you were, overriding your personality. I believe you are still human inside. You can still be an individual.”

“No.” AD-214 shook his head. His dark hair that had been kept closely cropped during his time at Cyborg Sector had grown longer in the last weeks. His bangs fell forward as he looked down at the floor. It wasn’t long enough to conceal the chip over his ear. The device was dull from his time outside and battered around the edges from fighting other cyborgs. “I don’t want to be that person anymore. I don’t want only to be a cyborg. I want to be someone different. A person who can be with you.”

Amanda blinked tears out of her eyes, grateful to hear that he felt the same way about her. It was both a relief and sad at the same time. “Nothing’s stopping you.”

He reached for her hand but didn’t look at her.

There was one more question Amanda had to ask. It had burned inside her ever since she found out AD-214 was self-aware.

“Do you remember your name?” Her question hung in the air once she had voiced it.

He shook his head, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

“I ask because I can’t call you AD-214 anymore. That’s a name Cyborg Sector gave you. It’s more of a number to identify you in the computer system. You’re more than a number.”

For the first time since they had started this discussion, the cyborg looked her in the eye. “I’m glad you think so. But I don’t have a name.”

“Can I give you one?” Her heart pushed its way up into her throat. Was it too bold to ask such a thing?

The big man nodded. “What would you call me?”

“Adam,” she said, the name rolling off her tongue without thought. “It starts with the same two letters. Plus, you were my first cyborg. The first man I created.”

A small smile crept its way across his lips. “I like it.”

“I have something else to ask of you.”

“Anything, Amanda. I would give you anything.”

She stood and moved close to him, looking straight up into his face. “Take me to bed, Adam.”