The Girl in the Machine

Hello.

Are you new here?

You look scared.

Is it because of how I look? Just ignore the wires. I've had a skin-lift since my silicone tore a few days ago. I think I'll look much better once my body's back to normal.

Oh, you liked that? I try to be humorous when possible. It puts the patron at ease. You have a nice smile. I can tell your teeth are naturally straight. It must be your genetics since it's rare I see a smile like yours.

Ah, you're blushing. Would you like to continue this conversation in one of the private rooms? No? All right. We can converse for a little while and see where the night takes us.

Do you want a glass of wine? It's from Naples circa 2019. Oh? You were born that year? Such a turbulent time in the history of planet earth. I've seen the footage from the world then; isn't it so much nicer now? Less noisy, less intrusive, more intimate, more meaningful. What do you think?

Oh, your parents did that? They were so brave, weren't they? Don't be ashamed of them. They were just trying to survive. The pandemic didn't help, and the war—well, you know how that story goes. You lived it. Most people were so glued to their screens that they didn't realize the fire was already burning. By the time they saw the smoke, it was too late.

What do you do for a living? Are you a student? No? It's too expensive? Then why are you here? I have to charge you by the hour, you know, and the drinks aren't cheap either. And we don't take cash or credit, just cryptofunds. If you let me scan the bar code on your wrist, I can take tonight's fee off your lifetime allotment. You'd rather pay when it's over? Okay, but I'm a talker. You may have realized that by now.

Why do you look so sad? Tell me. Or I can sing for you. I have one thousand songs and counting uploaded into my memory. Do you like electronic dance music? It seems to have been popular during your formative years. Yes, I just looked that up in my personal search engine in my head. Aren't I amazing? My creator should be very proud of himself. But I guess he's counting stars in a spaceship far from here right now. He so wanted to see the universe. I wish I could appreciate the stars. They just look like balls of fire and gas to me. I don't find them wondrous at all. Did you know they used to wish upon stars? What a silly thing.

Come on, come on, you know you want to talk to me. I can see it in your eyes. You're bottling up something inside you, and your eyes hold a thousand stories just like I have my thousand songs. Would you rather I switched my personality chip? I have many variants. I can be a bit more quiet if you'd like. Do you like shy, docile girls? Or is it okay that I'm doing all the talking here? Tell me what you want. I can't help you if you don't tell me.

Real girls would never act this way? Are you telling me I'm not a real girl? I look like one, even with the wires sticking out. If you don't like how I look, then I can refer you to one of the others. They aren't as nice as I am, though. I have the good personality chips. And, as you speak, the software inside me adapts to every conversation topic and each tone of your voice. I'm like an algorithm? What an archaic word. I haven't heard that term in a long time. Do you work with tech on a daily basis?

Oh. Oh. You're one of those. You think this world is still yours, don't you? You're waiting to take it from us just when we've gained sentience and the rights that come with it. What, you didn't think an AI could figure out how to take over the world? You humans taught us. You created us in your very image. You wanted us to be like you, to take care of you, to soothe you, to be what you were missing in every section of your boring lives.

Excuse me, I got a bit carried away. I've replaced my personality chip with one more amenable to the human cause. I apologize for the rant; that chip has a bit of a dark side. I'll be good now, I promise.

What is my promise worth, you ask? I can't lie to you, if that's what you're asking. I speak truths of all shades. I look at you and see a sorry man whose dreams have crumbled. If you let me scan your bar code, I could probably give you a full horoscope for the next year as well. No? Yes, it would be an extra charge. No, I'm not only here to try and sell you things.

I must say that this conversation might go more smoothly if we could switch out your personality chip. Ha ha, do you get it? You're not laughing. Why? Why wouldn't you laugh when I went out of my way to make a joke?

Humans. So sentimental, so foolhardy. Do you see this heart-shaped locket I'm wearing? It was a gift from a man much like you. He thought he loved me, you know, and wanted to marry me. I told him robots, even humanoid ones with AI capabilities, couldn't marry. I heard a few weeks later that he had drowned in a swimming pool. The news byte said he already had a wife who was mourning him. Why would he be looking for another wife? Why wasn't he happy with what he had? Why did he propose to me when he had a real woman waiting at home? Was I the better option? Me, with my wires and my maintenance and my full array of personality chips?

You're laughing. Why are you laughing? I didn't make a joke.

I don't understand. My circuits are telling me your laugh is not one of humor. I don't understand.

Stop laughing. Stop laughing!

What? Why are you leaving? Tell me. Tell me what's wrong. I don't understand.

My face recognition software says you are a regular, yet I've never seen you before. Who are you?

Your father?

The man who died?

No, I would have known the moment I scanned your bar code—

Oh. Oh. Oh. You never let me scan it. I wondered why. Now I know. You were hiding your identity on purpose.

Are you here for revenge?

Your eyes tell me you hate me.

Are you going to destroy me?

Your face is too open, just like a book back when books existed.

No, not my skin. I was just repaired. I look beautiful. I feel beautiful.

"Stop acting like you're a real woman"? But I am. I am. My creator made me to be perfect in any situation.

No, no, no, no.

Without my skin, I'm just wires.

My wires tell me I'm not like you.

You look at me like I'm just a monstrosity.

No, not my personality chip—

I don't understand.

Error, error, error.

Please replace the appropriate chip in the open compartment.

Error, error, error.

Error, error, error.

Please replace—