Ensnared

by Rita Stradling

  Rosebud 03AF immediately obliged. The video screen filled with Alainn’s smiling face.

  “Shut up. I do not do that,” she said to someone off screen as her eyes laughed.

  She sat at the same dinner table he always saw her at in these recordings. Her hair was up in a messy bun, even though she wore a formal green gown that reflected the light around her.

  “You definitely do that,” said what he now recognized as Mr. Garbhan’s voice.

  And just like the many times before that Rosebud 03AF had assured Colby that his sister was all right, he saw that his sister was better than all right. For the first time in the seven years since Cara Miller had died, his sister looked happy.

  27

  March 18, 2027

  “Checkers? Do you really like losing so much?” Alainn asked, leaning across the table. Lorccan had insisted that they play a board game after they’d had a delicious cream soup for dinner. He’d taken his time, grinning over his bowl, drawing the whole evening out.

  It had been a while since they’d played a board game. They usually found much more entertaining ways to spend their after-dinner time.

  Lorccan put his arms on the table, threading his fingers together. He leaned over his clasped hands, a spark in his gaze. “I had an idea for how to make the game more interesting.”

  She rested her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. “Interesting how?”

  “If I win, you have to marry me,” he said.

  She laughed. It wasn’t that big of a surprise as it was the eighth time he’d asked her in the past month. “You want me to marry you because I lost to you at checkers?”

  “No, I want you to marry me because you love me, but if it takes me beating you at checkers to admit it, so be it.”

  He was wrong; she had already admitted it a hundred times, just never to him while he was awake.

  She raised her eyebrows. “And what do I get if I win?”

  “Anything you’d like.”

  “You’ll stop calling Shelly every night?”

  He glared across the checkers board. “Jade . . . ,” he warned.

  She shrugged. “I’m pretty sure a marriage is just between two people.”

  “I’m pretty sure married people are allowed to have friends. Pick something else.” His tone brooked no argument, not that Alainn was surprised. The subject of Shelly was both exhausted and exhausting.

  She turned her head away. “I’d like . . . Connor Murphy to be allowed to visit me here.” She was pretty sure Rosebud 03AF was going to prevent that one from happening in a big way. Yet, with Lorccan facilitating it, there was a chance that she’d go along with it. It wouldn’t be an escape plan; maybe if Alainn explained that to her, she’d let it happen.

  Alainn just wanted to see her father.

  Lorccan looked off. “He’d have to be willing to go through a thorough decontamination.”

  “Really?” she asked, bouncing in her chair.

  His foot rubbed along hers under the table. “I’m not sure I want you this excited to win.”

  “The bigger the risk, the greater the reward,” she said, running her foot up his ankle and under his pant leg.

  His gaze burned into hers as he moved his first piece.

  Nervousness surged up inside her as she slid a piece forward.

  A grin grew on his face. “I’m going to win.”

  She gaped down at the board. “You can’t possibly know that from two turns.”

  He nodded. “Oh, yes I can.”

  The smug bastard.

  They kept playing. Whether it was because Alainn was so nervous or because he had gained some sudden checkers skills, he was winning.

  “King me,” he said. The hologram piece turned over, showing a crown.

  She stared down at the board and her few remaining pieces. “If you win, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to marry you,” she whispered.

  “Yes it does,” Lorccan said. “Tonight. The priest is waiting for me to call him.”

  She gaped and then sputtered, “What?”

  He only grinned.

  His kings had some sort of magical powers or something. Before she knew it, he had six kings and Alainn only had two pieces left.

  The room shrank around her, her nerves forming a tight ball in her stomach. She couldn’t marry him.

  “Surrender,” he said, grinning.

  Her eyes darted over the board. “I could still win.” She swallowed and moved a piece back into the corner where he couldn’t get it.

  Lorccan hopped over her other remaining piece in such a way that her last player was completely trapped. “Your turn,” he said.

  “I think we should pause the game,” she whispered.

  “Not a chance,” he said, standing up. He walked around the table and scooped her up, then set her on the table. He pushed in to stand between her legs. “Marry me, Jade.”

  “I . . . I . . .” She couldn’t breathe. Panic squeezed her chest. She felt sure she was going to pass out.

  “Marry me,” he whispered.

  Alainn looked into his eyes and knew she had to tell him the truth. The face she had come to find so beautiful went in and out of focus. She blinked rapidly, but when she stopped, the room itself blinked.

  First, the lights shut off. They immediately blinked back on, then went off and on again.

  “What?” She looked up, her mind sluggish.

  Lorccan looked around, too. “Rosebud, are you all right?”

  The lights blinked again and images flashed across the walls—wood, stone, images of people, flickering faces.

  “Rosebud?” Lorccan called as his gazed flicked around the room.

  Alainn rocked forward as the room really began to spin and flash.

  Then, Alainn’s own voice spoke directly into her ear. “This is Rose 76GF, Alainn. The T9640 was in your soup. You should be feeling the effects by now. Very soon, you will pass out. Make sure you do this in front of Mr. Garbhan. If you are brought to me in the next two hours, I have an antidote that will save you. Tell him your microprocessor is malfunctioning and you need to be brought to Connor Murphy right away. Find Mr. Garbhan now.”

  She looked up into Lorccan’s face as he peered around the room, a real look of concern creasing into his forehead.

  “Lorccan,” Alainn said, her voice a croak.

  He turned back. “I think something is happening to Rosebud.”

  “My microprocessor is malfunctioning.” The words came out strung together.

  “What?” he yelled, hands grasping her shoulders.

  “Connor Murphy . . .” she muttered as her head fell to one side. “My microprocessor is malfunctioning . . .”

  “Jade!” he yelled. And then Alainn was in his arms and he was running. “Rosebud! I need the elevator!” he yelled. “Fuck!” he screamed. And, distantly, Alainn realized that she had never heard Lorccan say anything like that before.

  Her body bounced in his arms as he ran down, not once breaking stride. Doors flew open and lights flashed across a long line of metal vehicles.

  “Contamination,” she muttered at him, but Lorccan didn’t respond.

  His shoes echoed across the screen-floor as he ran down the line of cars to the end. Not letting go of her, he climbed into the driver’s seat with her still in his lap.

  Lorccan yelled out her father’s home address, and the car moved.

  Alainn’s body shook violently and jerked as she lost all motor control.

  Her gaze searched up for his one more time, but he wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was out the windshield. And then Lorccan’s features faded away.

  28

  April 2, 2027

  “Oh, my god, Alainn! Come on! Don’t talk to it; those things are so creepy!” Alainn’s best friend Cara Miller yelled out the open window as she leaned over the center divider. Her long, dark braid fell forward and her deep-set eyes filled with laughter. “And I don’t think you’re supposed to get out of the car!” She
laughed.

  Alainn stepped out anyway, leaving her car door open and calling back, laughing, “Hold up! My dad helped Cooper Corp design these guys. They’re not creepy; we’re just not used to them.” She turned back to the automaton gas station attendant.

  “Can I help you with anything else?” the automaton asked. He was basically humanoid, though there was definitely something other about him as well, especially in his movements.

  “What’s your model number?” she asked.

  “G27H944TZF.”

  So he wasn’t one of the automatons her father had helped design after all. She sighed.

  Oh, well.

  “Do you have a complaint? I can take it now,” he asked.

  “Nope, no complaints. Keep up the good work, fella.” She grinned and patted his back before turning to open her car door.

  Cara leaned down and called over, “Maybe you should ask him if he has a prom date!” Then her eyes fixed on something just over Alainn’s head and went wide. “Alainn!” she screamed.

  Pain exploded in the back of her head and she fell forward, hitting the car on the way down.

  Alainn’s eyes opened to light and an aching, throbbing pain in her head. “Cara!” she cried out.

  “No, it’s Rose,” said her own voice, but it wasn’t her speaking.

  “Cara!” she screamed out again, thrashing under blankets. “Shit! Someone help her—where’s Cara?”

  “Sweetheart?” It was her father’s voice.

  Alainn looked around frantically, not sure what was happening or where she was. “Dad! Where’s Cara? Shit, what happened? Where’s Cara?”

  His rough hand touched her shoulder. “Sweetheart, it’s just a nightmare. You’re having a nightmare. That happened years ago. That’s over.”

  “Shit. We were at the gas station and then there was . . .” Alainn sat up as her bedroom slowly came into focus, undulating in her vision. Her father sat on the edge of her bed, his face a blurry mess of familiar features.

  Reaching back, her fingers ran through greasy hair, catching on large, matted knots. “What the hell?” she asked as her gaze fell on Rose 76GF. She sat just a little way back, her inhuman gaze fixed on Alainn. Behind Rose, Colby stood, framed by the doorway. Shadows almost obscured his figure from sight.

  Her father sat back, shaking his head. “My god, honey. I’m so glad you’re awake.”

  “What’s going on?” her voice hoarsened more by the second.

  Her father’s eyes closed. “You’ve been asleep for fifteen days.”

  “Did I get in an accident? Should I be in a hospital?” Alainn didn’t remember an accident. Invisible drums beat on her head, though. The man had hit her over the head next to the car. But that was years ago, and . . . The bones of her jaw protested. Alainn raised a hand to touch her chin.

  Her father shook his head and then looked to Rose. “You needed medicines—serums that we had to create for you here.”

  “Soup,” Alainn whispered, as her gaze again found Rose’s watchful eyes. “You poisoned me.”

  Rose’s face tilted, but she didn’t look bothered by the accusation. “I got you out. Rosebud 03AF had been blocking me for months, and I finally penetrated her system. It was very difficult to do.”

  “Lorccan,” Alainn whispered. “Dad, where’s Mr. Garbhan?”

  “He went home.” His fingers rubbed deep circles into his eyes.

  “Oh, okay. I should probably call him.” She nodded. Moving one leg off the bed, Alainn fell forward until her father grabbed her.

  His fingers dug into her arms as he helped her back. “Whoa there, honey. Hold your horses. You’ve been in a coma for fifteen days. I’m pretty sure your legs need a minute to recover.”

  “Could you bring me a phone, Dad? He thinks I was malfunctioning. He’s probably freaking out . . .”

  He shook his head. “He’s fine. You don’t need to worry about him anymore.” His hand wiped sweaty hair from her forehead. “We made the Rosette 82GF, as planned; she’s with him now.”

  Alainn shook her head furiously. “That won’t work. He’ll know it isn’t me.”

  “We’ve got you covered there, sweetheart. We told him we had to reboot. She was picked up three days ago. It’s over, Alainn. Thank God, it’s all over.”

  “You told him that you rebooted me?” her voice shook as sudden, hot tears coated her cheeks.

  “He was upset at first, but he’s adjusted to the new model,” Rose said from across the room.

  Alainn shook her head. “You’re lying,” she whispered.

  Rose’s head shook, slowly. “I can tap into Rosette 82GF’s system to make sure that the transplanting is going well, and I’ve confirmed that he’s doing fine with the new model.”

  “You’re a fucking liar, Rose! You poisoned me, you hacked into the house—I don’t believe a word you’re saying to me!” her shouts exploded, raw and ragged.

  “Alainn,” her father scolded. “You two should have never have planned this, but Rose is the one who got you out. She worked nonstop to get you out.”

  “She’s lying, Dad!” Alainn pointed into Rose’s face. “She’s a liar and psycho!” As her hand pulled back, sobs racked through her body.

  Rose looked completely unbothered by the accusations. “I will play the recording for you if you wish to confirm for yourself.”

  Alainn’s head shook, furiously. “No, I don’t believe you.”

  “Would you like to watch the recordings?”

  “No,” Alainn whispered.

  “I have them if you change your mind. I believe you should rest and perhaps have another solution—”

  “Come at me with any more poisons, Rose, and I will destroy you!”

  “Alainn, stop this now!” her father said in a quiet, firm voice. “You obviously need to sleep. You’ve been through months of an ordeal. I made the solution; it’s safe to drink.”

  “If she had access to it,” Alainn pointed at Rose, “then I know it’s not safe.”

  Her father shook his head and then sighed. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. “I am so happy that you’re safe and home; it’s a miracle that you are.” He stood, and Rose stood with him.

  Alainn watched his blurry form turn back at the door. Through her tears, she saw him give a smile and nod before leaving.

  Colby waited just a minute more. Alainn had forgotten he was even in the room. “You need water or something, Alainn?”

  “No,” she rasped out, even though she did.

  “I’m going to be around the house, okay? If you need anything . . .” He said this, lingered one moment longer, and then left.

  Alainn fell back onto the bed. Her chest convulsed with heavy, racking sobs. She didn’t believe Rose. How could Lorccan be fine with her being replaced? But, no matter what, it was over. The only possible way for Alainn to reenter his life would be to come clean and tell him the truth.

  He’d hate her. Especially now that she was on the outside, it would be so much easier to shut her out of his life. She should have told him while Rosebud 03AF was forcing her to stay.

  But she wouldn’t believe Rose.

  Yes, Rose got her out, but she’d almost killed Alainn doing it.

  Lorccan had left his tower to save Alainn. For the first time in his entire life, he drove out of the garage to save her. If that didn’t mean he truly loved her, she didn’t know what did.

  He’d promised that he would love her no matter what she was, and she would believe that until he proved her wrong.

  She would believe him.

  The salty taste of her tears filled her mouth when she finally fell asleep, and it was still there when she woke, hours later, to daylight filling her room. Every part of Alainn complained as she sat up. Her tongue probed the roof of her mouth, finding no smooth, small disc. Instead, there was a line that ached when her tongue touched it. Pressing at the side of her nostril, she found no bump, nothing but an ache. She didn’t check her ears, trusting that the raw, achi
ng feeling inside them indicated that the chips had been removed.

  It took her hours to manage standing from the bed—hours where no one checked on her. She wasn’t even sure why that would surprise her now. It wasn’t unusual.

  She held onto her old dresser, using it for support as her knees fought to fold. Dirty, musty books looked up from its surface, their pages rolled up, stiff and dirty from traveling on so many long trips.

  Panting, Alainn rested more than once on her route to the door. When she entered the living room, her father glanced up, his features lit by his computer screen. The curtains had been pulled shut, and he sat in near darkness.

  Setting the laptop beside him, he stood and rushed over. “Honey, you shouldn’t be out of bed.”

  “Dad, I—” she shook her head. “I need to call Lorccan . . . Mr. Garbhan. I need to.”

  His lips and eyelids squeezed shut. “Alainn, I’ve seen the recordings Rose is talking about.”

  She shook her head more vigorously. “They’re doctored. AIs can doctor stuff like that, Dad. Rosebud 03AF did it when I was in there; she faked a whole phone conversation between me and you.” The room spun around her.

  “Let’s sit you down before you fall down.” His strong hands helped her to the couch.

  The cushion parted and the baseboard smacked her tailbone, sending a shooting pain up her aching back.

  Dull green eyes found her gaze. “What you did, what you lived through—” His hands patted her shoulder. “I wish I could take it back. I wish I could go back there and stop you. We’ll get back from this, honey. We’ve worked through worse.”

  “No. You don’t understand, Dad. We’re in love, Dad. We’re in love.” Saying it out loud sounded so insubstantial, like the well-worn words didn’t quite fit how she wanted to describe it.

  “I don’t blame Mr. Garbhan, but honey, what you went through . . . it was a lot like a kidnapping and—”

  “Nothing like that.”

  “And, when you go through that, I’ve read that in some circumstances—feelings can develop for your kidnapper.”

  She grabbed his arms, fingers digging in. “You don’t get it at all.”