“I understand,” Amy said. “I don’t know what you want me to do yet, but I’m willing to do anything at this point.”
“And you have to follow through.” Miriam pointed a finger at her. “You’re not going to get squeamish on me. Nor are you going to back out. You’re either in all the way or you can forget my help.”
“I’m in,” Amy said softly. “I’m in all the way.”
Miriam studied Amy’s eyes for a long moment, then she sat back in her chair and sipped coffee again. “Okay, Cord’s already set up his alibi, but he doesn’t know that we know it’s a lie.”
“His trip?”
“His trip. He’s made it clear. He’s going to be gone for three days. I’m guessing that’s when he planned on disposing of your body. Dump you right into the ocean. So, this can be good for us. Since you didn’t come home last night, he must know you’ve already seen the new Amy. He might even guess you’re over here, but he’s not stupid enough to try anything in this house. Even though his plan is already screwed up, he’s stuck following his cover story, and he’ll still need to be seen at his conference to use it as an alibi. If I were him, I’d just go to the conference and deal with you when I get back. Which is probably what he’s going to do. So, this gives us three days to ruin his plan to replace you.”
“I’m listening,” Amy said quietly.
“Okay, there are two parts to this plan. One role for each of us. I need to get some proof from Guardian and I’ll start that at daybreak. While I’m doing that, you’re going to do the dirty work. And after I have the confirmation I need from Guardian, I’m going to contact some friends in the protectorate. I’ll have them out here right away and I’ll get the entire matter swept under the rug. And by the time Cord gets back, his fucktoy will be history. Never to be seen again.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Tomorrow morning, he’ll be forced to pack up his travel bags and he’ll shuttle away. Who cares where he goes, just as long as he’s not here.”
“So, we’re confronting that woman, I gather?”
“You bet we are,” Miriam said. “Or I should say, you are.”
“I don’t like the sound of this. I’m not really the confrontational type.”
“You have to do it or she’ll surely replace you. It’s the only way, Amy. I’m trying to help you here. Or do you want to figure your own way out of this mess? You know, in three days, he’ll come back and he’ll still need to deal with having two Amy’s. One of you isn’t surviving this. And which one do you think is going to disappear? His new and improved, perfect housewife? Or the woman he couldn’t stand to be around?”
“I get it, Miriam,” Amy said. “I don’t really have a choice.”
“No, you don’t. I know you didn’t ask for this. This was Cord’s doing, but the only way out is to deal with that thing in your house while we have the opportunity.”
“I get it now. I really do.”
“Good.” Miriam smiled. “Now, let’s think this through. Assuming we erase the other woman, what would happen? The best outcome is that he thinks you’re her and things are probably fixed... for a while.”
“And what’s the worst that can happen?”
“The worst is we get caught disposing of the impostor.”
“Kill? Are you saying kill? You want me to kill her?”
“Not technically. You’re merely shutting her down,” Miriam said. “This stinks either way, I know. It’s fucked up. But this is not murder, if that’s what you’re worried about. This is why I’m going to make sure the protectorate is here right away. They’ll dispose of that machine in a landfill somewhere Cord can’t find her, and if all goes well enough, they won’t ask you a single question. I told you, I still have friends in the protectorate, and they like having friends like me inside the government.”
Amy searched Miriam’s eyes for a long moment. She wasn’t sure she could do this, and yet, it had to be done. Otherwise, Cord would have to kill her to protect his secret. Amy would rather just run away then to kill someone, even if it was just a machine. But, then as soon as the new Amy replaced her, her identity would be gone, and then where would she work? Where would she live?
Miriam patted Amy’s leg. “This isn’t as bad as you might think. You know, it’s not illegal to dispose of a machine. That would be like saying it’s illegal to throw out an old toaster you didn’t like.”
“You mean for me to kill it, right? Not just scare it off?”
“You’re not killing it, you’re shutting it down. If it’s not human, it’s not murder. If you don’t want to deal with her face to face, push her ass in the pool. You already know she can’t swim.”
Amy could only stare at her. Pushing the woman in the pool? She could probably do that.
“Okay,” Amy muttered.
“With my help, she’ll vanish and no one will ever know what happened to her. Then, well, we’ll either have to figure out how to deal with Cord and his behavior, or get you out of that house for good. But, that’s a problem we have three days to think about. As soon as Cord shuttles off to his conference, let’s take care of that machine. What do you say?”
“Okay, Miriam,” Amy said. “I’ll do it.”
V
7:21 a.m.
The Dr. Miriam Santiago Residence
As Miriam spent the last twenty minutes making calls and connecting to her personal files at the office, Amy waited in Miriam’s kitchen, staring out of her window for Cord to depart. Amy felt calm for once in her life. Adrenaline should have been pumping furiously through her veins, making her anxious, nervous, scared of confronting her clone, but she was not. Perhaps it was Miriam’s counseling, or her assurance that disposing of a machine wasn’t murder. Whatever it was, Amy was going to eliminate the possibility of her double permanently replacing her, and she was surprisingly okay with that.
The walls on her old home had turned into mirrored glass with the break of dawn, and although Amy couldn’t see inside, she knew Cord’s routine intimately. The only thing she was unsure about was the timing. He wasn’t going to work on this day, he was leaving town. Where he would normally leave close to 7:40, he might not leave until much later. Or if he planned to wait for Amy, or search for her, he might leave in the afternoon. She couldn’t do anything until he left and Miriam wouldn’t call the protectorate until Amy had shut down the machine next door. It was merely a waiting game now. She needed to remain patient. After all, she had three days to finish this distasteful chore.
Many long minutes later, Cord rushed to his shuttle with a duffle bag in each hand. Although it was the moment she’d been waiting for, Amy remained calm. As long as she didn’t rush this, everything would work out as it should. She had to be certain he left.
And as she hoped Cord didn’t linger. The shuttle lifted off from the shuttle pad and headed west; the direction of Delphi Colony.
“Miriam?” Amy called out, now staring at the mirrored glass where her kitchen should be. “Cord’s gone!”
Miriam didn’t reply, but Amy heard her sprinting from her office. A moment later, Miriam hurried into the kitchen, stopping beside Amy.
“Good. Good.” Miriam said. “I’ve got a ton of stuff I’m downloading. Cord has all his personal records encrypted, but I’ve got security helping me access his files. It won’t be long now.” She patted Amy on the back. “You ready to do this?”
Amy nodded.
“I’ve already spoken to the protectorate. Marshall Rhonda Rand herself. I didn’t explain anything to her, but I told her that I’d need a couple of investigators here later this morning. When I told her I needed this kept quiet, she told me she’s coming herself. She’s just waiting for me to give her the word.”
Amy broke her stare at her old home to look at Miriam. “Explain this part to me again, because it’s not clear. Why aren’t the protectorate coming now? Why can’t they just take her away? And if they can’t, then I thought I needed them to take care of that machine when I’m done?”
“First, they don’t know about the cyborg project any more than you did. This woman looks just like a real person and we’d never be sure they’d buy it. They might take you and her both to sort things out. If that happens, I could spend a very long time trying to convince them she’s not a real person. On the other hand, if she’s been decommissioned, well, then it’ll be obvious. Anyone who autopsies that thing will know immediately. Make sense?”
“I think so,” Amy said.
Miriam grabbed Amy’s shoulder and shook her. “Secondly. It’s not going to be easy shutting her down. If anything happens, anything that delays you, I just didn’t want them here interfering with what needs to be done. Like I said, they’ll never believe she’s a cyborg by looking and talking to her. You’ll both go downtown for a very long time.”
“Is she stronger than me?”
“No, her strength would be exactly the same as yours. When I said it wouldn’t be easy, I meant she’s going to look and react like a real person. You’re just not the type to hurt anyone, so she’ll be the same way. As long as your mind is focused on doing what must be done, she’ll panic. Surely, she’ll be scared. And maybe even try to run away. It’s what you’d do, isn’t it?”
Amy shrugged. “Nothing’s going to stop me. I don’t care anymore. And I won’t let her replace me. I think I’m ready for this.”
Miriam smiled back. “Good. Throw her ass in the pool and come back. As soon as you return, I’ll call the marshall and we’ll get this mess to go away.”
“You’re not coming with me?”
“I can’t,” Miriam said. “I just told you that someone needs to explain all this bullshit to the protectorate. I’ll have Cord’s files shortly, but they’re useless until security helps me access them. Marshall Rand is doing me a big favor by coming herself and I’d better have answers to all her questions when she shows up.”
“Ah,” Amy said. “Makes sense. When should I go?”
“When you’re ready,” Miriam said. “My advice would be to do it now. The longer you wait, the harder this is going to get. And we don’t want Cord coming home and her still there.”
Amy drew in a deep breath. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ll do it now and get it over with.”
7:49 a.m.
The Dr. Cordell James Residence
Amy left Miriam’s house through the sliding glass door of her bedroom. She paused on the deck as she wondered if the other woman would see her as she crept toward the house. After a moment of thought, Amy realized that the woman being her clone could be useful. Her routines would be identical to her own. And that meant, at this particular moment, the clone should be doing the dishes. After the dishes were done, then she’d start laundry, then tidy up in the bedroom. And that meant Amy had time to sneak in through the bedroom unnoticed. And she’d have to do it soon. She must be inside the house before the clone made her way to the bedroom, otherwise Amy couldn’t be sure she’d take the clone by surprise.
Remembering her promise to not back out, Amy thought no more about it. Amy sprinted through Miriam’s backyard, across the patio, navigated around her pool, passed Miriam’s rose bushes, across the patio of Cord’s pool and onto his deck. Just beside the sliding glass door, she paused to catch her breath. She faced the mirrored glass wall that surrounded her old bedroom, then cupped her hands around her eyes and tried to peer inside. No good. She couldn’t see anything at all at this time of the day.
Then Amy had another worry cross her mind. Would the security system still recognize her? Amy stepped to the sliding glass door. It slid aside, revealing her old bedroom. Half surprised it opened, Amy shrugged it off. Apparently, even the computer still thought she belonged there.
The sheets were a mess, Cord’s boxers lay on the floor, and Amy’s white, silk robe was lying on the bed. This is exactly how things were on any ordinary day. Well, before she got around to picking up the bedroom. That meant, the other woman was probably still doing dishes. Amy stepped inside and the door slid closed behind her. After padding quietly across the carpet, she paused near the doorway and listened. She could hear the sounds of vegetables being chopped on her wooden cutting board. The woman was in the kitchen and already preparing a big meal. Something Amy would only do when she had a meal to prepare that took hours to cook. But that didn’t make any sense. Amy never cooked a big meal for herself. Then again, it made perfect sense... if Cord would be home for dinner.
Shit...
Now, Amy knew she didn’t have much time at all. And how would she force the other woman to the pool without a weapon? She should have asked Miriam more questions. Amy drew in a deep breath and blew it out. Whatever she was going to do, she needed to do while she knew where the clone was.
Amy looked around her bedroom. She had two dressers which were full of clothes. Absolutely nothing to use as a weapon. Cord liked the bedroom clean. Even under the bed was kept spotless. She really didn’t have much to fight with. She briefly considered rummaging through the bathroom drawers, but the woman might hear that. And at most, all Amy would find would be nail clippers or a small pair of hair scissors. And that would mean nothing to the clone currently cutting vegetables with a knife. She really should have asked Miriam how to do this. If Amy didn’t think of something soon, she would be discovered and this would all be for nothing.
After another moment of thought, Amy decided she’d sneak up behind the woman and snatch the knife from her. Then by knife point, she could force her outside. Admittedly, it wasn’t a perfect plan, nor a good one, but it was the only plan she had. She would have to make it work.
After one more deep breath and convincing herself she could do this distasteful chore, Amy cautiously made her way into the hall. She still heard the unmistakable sounds of one of her knives cutting vegetables on her cutting board. She crept forward, concentrating on every little sound coming from the kitchen just ahead. It was the only way to tell where the clone was and what she was doing.
The chopping sounds abruptly stopped and Amy paused. The faucet in the kitchen sink turned on, disguising any other sounds. That’s what Amy would do when she finished prepping vegetables. She should be cleaning the cutting board now. Then, after washing her hands, she’d start preparing whatever dish she had planned. While Amy was sure she knew what the woman was doing at that particular second, she stepped into the kitchen doorway.
The woman was wearing Amy’s clothes again. Her black slacks and white blouse. But she was not at the sink as Amy thought. The clone was wiping the table with a wet rag and she was staring right into Amy’s eyes with a look of something between shock and horror.
Shit...
“Who— Who are you?” the woman asked with a voice that was identical to Amy’s. “What do you want? How- How can you look like me?”
Amy didn’t know what to say, nor did she know what to do. The knife the clone had been using was nowhere to be seen. It must be in the sink, but the woman stood between Amy and the only weapon in the room.
Now what?
“I don’t know who you are, or what you want,” the woman said, “but if you don’t leave immediately, I’m calling the protectorate.” She backed up and stopped with her back against the sink.
If Amy didn’t figure out how to get her outside, and quick, this was going to be a disaster. Scanning the kitchen for something to use as a weapon, Amy saw nothing useful until she spotted the toaster on the counter. It was only a foot from her.
It’s not illegal to dispose of a machine. That would be like saying it’s illegal to throw out an old toaster you didn’t like, Miriam had told her. If it’s not human, it’s not murder.
The clone turned and snatched the knife out of the sink. Before Amy thought any more about what she was doing, she snatched the toaster from the counter. The clone turned with the knife in both hands.
“Computer!’ the woman shouted. “Call the protec—”
Amy threw the toaster, interrupting the clone’s call for help, hitting her sq
uarely in the chest with a clatter from the toaster and a thump from her chest. The clone dropped to the floor with the knife bouncing free. Amy dove after it as the clone scrambled to regain her weapon. The woman got to it first, but Amy wrapped her hands around the clone’s hands.
They grunted, growled, cursed, and floundered on the floor. Their goals were more than clear. The woman desperately wanted to keep the knife. Amy couldn’t do much about her holding it, but she needed to keep her from using it.
Several seconds later, Amy switched strategies. She bent the clone’s hands backward, forcing her wrists to bend in a way they weren’t meant to bend, trying to wrestle the weapon from her hands.
The woman screamed, then head-butted Amy’s face.
The flash of pain and brief disorientation caused Amy to release her grip. She rolled away from the woman and sat up on her knees, shaking her head and blinking to clear her teary eyes.
“Please,” the clone sobbed out. “Please don’t hurt me! Take anything you want, but please, please leave me alone!”
The clone was sitting against the sink with the knife in both of her trembling hands. Tears streaked her cheeks. She sobbed in between her panted breaths. If this was anyone else but Cord’s artificial, replacement wife, Amy might have felt sorry for her. But, that moment had passed. It was too late to back down now. This only gets worse if Amy were to leave. No, this had to be finished.
Water spilled over the edge of the sink and onto the floor. Apparently, the sink had its fill. Amy eyed the clone, hoping she’d feel the need to stand up and address the water now creeping across the floor. It had already soaked the woman’s hair and clothes, but she just sat there, crying, clutching the knife with two shaking hands.
Amy knew she wasn’t going to move. Somehow, she’d have to take the knife away from her. As disturbing as that thought was, she really had no choice. And now knowing this was going to hurt, Amy bit her lip and rushed at the clone. She lunged at the knife, hoping to catch the clone’s wrists before the woman could use it.
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