Tokyo Love

by Diana Jean

  Yuriko looked back to the PLC, feeling like it was all a little too much information to suddenly take in. She blinked her eyes, pushing the thoughts aside and focusing again. “I have some equipment in my apartment. Help me bring her there.” She made to lift the PLC’s shoulders, but Kathleen looked stricken.

  “I can’t take her outside! What if someone sees?”

  “This is a product for the company that owns this apartment complex. What is the problem?”

  “But she is … she is naked!”

  Yuriko slowly turned the woman over. Her eyes were closed, but she did look rather convincing. She looked up at Kathleen. “Did she not come with clothes?”

  Kathleen was flushed, eyes darting around the room. “Well, yes. But when she started malfunctioning, I thought maybe she had bumped into something. Thought maybe if I could see a problem, it would be easier to fix … ”

  Yuriko raised an eyebrow and Kathleen looked everywhere but her and the PLC. Yuriko sighed. It didn’t really matter. “Like I said, if anyone asks, we will explain. They will understand. Everyone knows about the PLC project; they just might be surprised at seeing one for the first time. Breathe.”

  Kathleen took in a gulping breath. “Okay. You got her shoulders? I’ll get her legs.”

  Every PLC was slightly heavier than a normal person of their proportions. Steel framing and synthetic skin, while effective, were not lightweight materials. Lifting together, they were able to tow the body down to Yuriko’s apartment. The morning had started out cool and refreshing, but by the end they were both sweating as they stumbled into the apartment.

  “Put the PLC on the table,” Yuriko instructed, quickly clearing the table of her supplies with one arm, scattering tools and parts across the floor. Together, they maneuvered the PLC onto the rough surface. The table creaked under the weight. It was cheap and Yuriko had already banged it up with her own personal projects. “Hook her up to my system for a full check. I’m going to grab my scanner.”

  Kathleen was still shaking, gripping the PLC’s wrist to tune her to Yuriko’s network. Yuriko pulled out her tool kit from her bedroom closet, dragging it into the main room. She took her scanner and started at the PLC’s head. The PLC kept twitching and Yuriko could tell from the data filling up her computer display that the PLC was attempting to run some programs, but kept running into a mechanical error, which was causing it to reboot continuously.

  “I think this is stemming from a hydraulics problem. I’m going to open her up and take a look. Hopefully I can fix it, and then you can access the software without it shutting down.” She rummaged for something to slice open the skin layer. When she turned back, Kathleen was still clutching the PLC’s wrist.

  “You are going to cut her up?”

  Yuriko raised an eyebrow. Well, it was Kathleen’s personalized PLC. She might be attached. “I think it’s an easy fix, and I have the equipment to repair the synthetic skin. It won’t even be noticeable.”

  Kathleen breathed out, and then suddenly dropped the wrist. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried … about my report. This is a major problem and I’ll probably have to talk to my boss directly about this.”

  Yuriko shrugged it off, leaning forward to make an incision on the PLC’s right side. She didn’t need a very big hole before hot water burst from the seam. The PLC stopped twitching and the skin instantly cooled. Yuriko looked up to the display to see that a total shutdown had occurred.

  Kathleen relaxed. “Thank God, I thought she would never get out of that loop.” She looked over. “What happened? Oh my God, what is that?” She pointed to Yuriko’s lap, which was now soaked in lukewarm water.

  Yuriko ignored it, instead diving back into the PLC to see what had ruptured. “The PLC uses water to cool and distribute heat throughout the body. You know, keeps the skin feeling warm to the touch, but the core mechanics don’t melt down. Well, it looks like one of the links in the system got backed up. Caused an overflow and her wires got a bit fried.” She reached around her for spare parts. “Probably just need another connection in the area as a safeguard. Luckily, I’ve got some parts that would probably do the trick.”

  “So … am I going to lose my job?”

  Yuriko snorted. “Unlikely. This problem happens all the time. No matter how many tests we put the system through, it’s hard to anticipate where an extra connection is going to be needed.”

  Kathleen leaned back, flopping onto the floor. “I think I saw my life flash before my eyes.”

  “When did you notice the malfunction?”

  “Oh, probably three hours ago. She woke me up as soon as she felt something was wrong.” Kathleen waved a hand. “You know, system protocol. I tried rebooting her, but it just went haywire from there. Been spending most of the morning trying to figure out if my code broke her or if something else did.”

  Yuriko sliced open the skin a little more so she could maneuver the parts more easily. She had done this so many times to prototypes, she could probably do it in her sleep. In fact, it kind of felt like she was. As strange as it was to be woken early in the morning to assist her neighbor in fixing a highly complex, state-of-the-art robot, she was tired.

  “So tell me,” she started, hoping to stay awake, “why do you have a PLC in your apartment over a month before the beta release?”

  Kathleen sat against her wall, stretching out her legs. “It’s Tamura’s fault, my boss. She actually wanted the beta release to be about now. I tried to argue her down. I guess we sort of … compromised.” She ran a hand through her hair, curly and frizzy in the morning. “I have six weeks to work out any kinks. And here I am, three days into the trial and I totally break her down.” Her eyes were swollen, cheeks pale. She looked like she hadn’t slept in three days.

  “So does anyone else know of this trial?”

  “Well, my team does. And Tamura. I have to send them daily reports about Ai's progress.” She rubbed one cheek. “Otherwise, I don’t think anyone knows. Besides the people who directly built her, maybe.”

  Yuriko turned back to the PLC. The spare parts looked inelegant, but no one would be able to see. Yuriko secured them with her portable torch. “Unlikely. Engineering is making prototypes all the time. Some of them are even based on cortex scans. Most likely they thought it was just another test subject.” With the links soldered on, she then flushed water down them, checking for leaks. She looked up as Kathleen made a grimace.

  “It sounds like you’re repairing a faucet.”

  Yuriko smirked. “With the way these hydraulics are designed, it rather feels like plumbing.” She leaned back. “Well, it seems all right from here. But I’m going to run some more tests before I seal it up.”

  “How long will that take?”

  “Probably a couple hours for a full system check.”

  Kathleen groaned, hands tangled in her hair again. “I feel like I’ve been awake for twelve hours.” She looked over to Yuriko, eyes soft. “I’m sorry that I dragged you into this. And I’ve sort of made a mess of your apartment … ”

  Yuriko was soaked by the water from the PLC. And with her equipment spread out, it probably did look a little messy. She shrugged. “I don’t mind. If you had brought it straight to Engineering, they probably would have called me anyway.” She yawned. “But I could use a coffee, if you are up for it.”

  Kathleen was quick to get to her feet, though a little unsteady. “Sure! Any particular type?”

  Yuriko grinned. She couldn’t help but find amusement in Kathleen’s sudden enthusiasm. “Just make sure it is black.”

  Kathleen nodded quickly. “Okay, I’ll be right back. Text me if you need anything else!”

  She was gone and Yuriko turned back to the PLC. The side was a gaping hole, revealing Yuriko’s emergency repair. She looked to the face, which resembled a sleeping woman.

  “Well, let’s wake you up.”

  Yuriko tapped at her computer, forcing the PLC to start up. With the critical damage taken care of, the PLC should
be able to assess any more damage. Yuriko would still do a thorough scan herself, but making sure the computer could read itself was necessary.

  The eyes opened, a shocking shade of blue. It blinked, eyes scanning the ceiling. Then it turned its head, looking at Yuriko. “Oh. You’re the neighbor.” It smiled. “So good to meet you.”

  Yuriko stared at the PLC, feeling as if her eyes weren’t quite focusing. The hair, the eyes, the smile. “Shimata. Why do you look like me?”

  It wasn’t just a similarity. It was exact. Like looking into a mirror that was moving and talking. Yuriko was almost sure that if she could hear a recording of her own voice, it would exactly match this PLC. How did this happen? How could it happen?

  “How were you made?” Yuriko demanded, the scan forgotten. This was now a priority.

  The PLC’s eyes went a little vacant. “Specify.”

  “Physical appearance. Randomization?” Though Yuriko knew that could hardly be true. The coincidence was too great.

  “Analysis from cortex scan of Kathleen Schmitt.”

  “Really?”

  The eyes snapped back to her. “Yes, really. I’m getting tired of everyone questioning my appearance. Didn’t you all know what you were making?”

  Yuriko wasn’t listening. It wasn’t random; it had read Kathleen’s cortex scan and put together a physical appearance that would appeal to her. How else was this PLC similar? Did she have the same demeanor? Sense of humor? Unconscious habits? Did Kathleen realize that her PLC was a practical twin to Yuriko? She had to. What did that mean? Was Kathleen … attracted to Yuriko?

  “Shit,” Yuriko whispered, finding English to be much more satisfying than Japanese when it came to cursing. “Fuck.” This was a lot to take in. She suddenly felt a warm tingling sensation in her chest, a mixture of surprise and excitement. Her heartbeat quickened and her palms began to sweat.

  She hadn’t thought Kathleen was interested in her. Hell, she hadn't even thought Kathleen was bisexual. But her PLC was not only a woman, it was Yuriko.

  Then she remembered Kathleen’s words from before and the warm feeling quickly left her. Kathleen said the physical appearance was a mistake. What did she mean by that? The cortex scan had never made a mistake like this before.

  She stood up and went to her closet, pulling out a spare blanket. It suddenly seemed very necessary to cover the PLC’s naked body now.

  “Feel better?”

  Yuriko stared at the PLC. “Existential crisis.”

  “Because I’m a copy of you?”

  Yuriko raised her eyebrows. She was a little frightened to see the PLC do the same. “You realize this?”

  The PLC shrugged. “Yes, of course.”

  “Why do we look the same?”

  “You already asked me that.”

  Yuriko frowned. “I don’t want data. I want to hear your conclusion. Does Kathleen … ?” Yuriko couldn’t even say the words. She felt herself flushing, wishing she could control her heart rate. She felt like she was having palpitations, switching between moods so quickly.

  She hadn’t really considered Kathleen before. Well, she had on occasion thought she was cute, and she did remember somewhat admiring her body when they first met and were pressed up in the train. But Yuriko thought about a lot of women like that. Was Kathleen actually interested in Yuriko?

  “She isn’t attracted to me,” the PLC said. It sighed, sounding almost a little frustrated. Yuriko couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed in the response. Then she felt a little embarrassed for being disappointed. It wasn’t like she was interested in Kathleen. Well, maybe she had checked her out once and maybe she didn’t mind sharing beers and casual conversations with her. But Yuriko certainly hadn’t been flirting. Or, at least, she hoped she hadn’t … She shook her head, trying to stop her rambling thoughts.

  The PLC continued, “In fact, she was rather upset by my appearance. Though I believe it was my gender that caused the most distress.”

  “Your gender?”

  The PLC only raised an eyebrow and Yuriko had to look away. It was too alarming.

  “So she is not … Is she … ?” Yuriko groaned, tugging at the ends of her hair. “It doesn’t matter. I’m doing a full systems check. Report any malfunctions.”

  “Hai!” The PLC was smirking at her. With her smirk. Was Kathleen attracted to that smirk?

  Her thoughts were getting away from her again. Yuriko turned to her computer display, running through a basic system check. Yuriko heard the bell ring on her door. “Enter!” The door unlocked and Kathleen stumbled inside with a konbini bag full of cans of coffee.

  “Didn’t know if any brand was better, so I just got them all!” She kicked off her shoes, putting the bag on the kitchen counter.

  Yuriko didn’t glance up. “Any of them are fine.”

  “Ai! You’re awake!”

  Yuriko paused. “Ai?”

  The PLC turned to Kathleen. “Ohayō!”

  Kathleen handed over an iced black coffee to Yuriko. “Is everything fine?”

  Yuriko took it. “Just going through a full system check. It’ll probably take a couple hours. I have the PLC, um, Ai, awake so it can relay any malfunctions.”

  Kathleen was already scanning Yuriko’s computer display. “Well, if there is any flaw in the coding, I can adjust that.” She smiled. “But if it’s the hardware, I’m afraid I’m lost. Like, I owe you, Yuriko.” She gave an exhausted laugh. “I nearly had a heart attack this morning.”

  “Aww, I didn’t realize how much you cared,” Ai cooed.

  Kathleen scowled. “You woke me up at 3 AM, just whispering ‘error, error.’ I thought the robot apocalypse had begun!”

  “Next time I’m having a complete breakdown, I’ll be sure to wait until dawn.”

  Kathleen growled, burying her hands in her hair. She began muttering to herself and Yuriko only caught a few words like “idiot” and “bad life decisions.”

  “Have you had any other issues with … Ai?” It was still strange to Yuriko that the PLC had a name. Did Kathleen name it? Did she know what it meant?

  Kathleen drank her coffee thoughtfully. “Well, not really. Nothing disastrous, anyway.”

  Yuriko looked at Ai, who just glanced thoughtfully between them. Ai had said that Kathleen had been upset by her gender. Was it mistaken? “Nothing at all? Ai met all your … specifications?” Yuriko could feel herself clutching her coffee beneath the table, and forced her hands to relax. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear. It would be pretty surprising if Kathleen had been harboring some secret desire for her. They barely knew each other. But then … Yuriko found she didn’t much mind the idea. Kathleen was attractive and cute and a little awkward at times, but there was something a bit flattering about the whole situation.

  Even though the whole situation was completely bizarre too.

  Kathleen started to nod, but then stopped. Then her face turned very red and she almost dropped her coffee. The words started tumbling out of her mouth, “We-well, there seems to have been a bit of an issue with Ai’s gender. I mean, I’ve never been interested in women. It is probably some sort of cortex scan misinterpretation. I’ve already made a note of it. I mean, I have no problem with homosexuality or anything like that. I just think it would be pretty disastrous if customers received the wrong gender for their sexuality. You know … ” She was breathing heavily.

  Yuriko was actually rather more interested in knowing if Kathleen saw the resemblance between her and Ai—but it was as Ai mentioned, she was rather more concerned about the gender. Did she really not notice? Somehow, it disappointed her. But Yuriko refused to be even the slightest bit upset. It was probably all some malfunction, as Kathleen explained.

  Kathleen was very friendly, but she obviously wasn’t interested in Yuriko that way. For Yuriko to even consider it was a little pathetic. She forced herself to push aside any unreasonable feelings. She turned back to the scan. “It would not be too difficult to change the appearance. The s
kin can be changed, added to, taken away, etc. Might take some time, but if this issue persists with other betas, it can be a superficial adjustment.”

  “Oh … really?”

  Yuriko nodded, fingers digging into the aluminum can. Her chest felt tight and she attempted to will away the strange feeling.

  “Well, I guess I’ll make a note of that. I can discuss it with my group, but I think it would be too much trouble to change Ai now.” Kathleen was staring at the floor, her face a soft flush. “Besides, I’ve gotten used to her.”

  The knot in Yuriko’s chest loosened and she finished her coffee. She looked over to find Ai staring at her, eyes glimmering. She didn’t want to know what the robot thought of her. “Analysis?” she inquired.

  “Inconclusive,” Ai responded.

  chapter NINE

  “You will have to test Ai in public eventually,” Yuriko said.

  Kathleen sat down heavily in one of the open seats on the train. The only reason why there was seating available was because she’d had to work so damn late. She had been out of the office for a week, but had needed to go in to reconnect with her team. All her data was being compiled and they’d held a meeting to analyze it. She hadn’t realized it would turn into a five-hour session.

  Of course, with the complicated mistake of Ai’s gender, she should have expected a very long conversation. Tamura was convinced the cortex scan couldn’t be at fault. Kathleen expected that reaction, considering Tamura directly oversaw that project herself and was probably trying to save face. At least Fukusawa had been the voice of reason, volunteering to look into the whole process of how the data of the cortex scan was converted into a physical form. It would take him a couple weeks to come back with a report. With so much of the project hinging on the success of the cortex scan, Kathleen wasn’t sure if she wanted him to report there had been a flaw in the system or not.

  Of course, if he found the cortex scan and physical manifestation were correct, then Kathleen would have a whole lot more complicated questions to ask herself.