Free His Robot Girlfriend by Wesley Allison

looked,
but without the slight movement that her eyes, like human eyes, had
shown. Mike thought that they looked like they didn’t have Patience
in them anymore, the way that he suspected a human being’s eyes
would look when that person died, though he had never looked into
the eyes of a dead person. Not even Tiffany’s.
    “ Tech support!” shouted
Mike, as the thought hit him like a bolt of lightning.
    He grabbed the remote off of the coffee table
and turned on the vueTee. Quickly switching the browser to the
Daffodil site, he saw the familiar large daffodil along the left
side. The four large buttons filled the right side of the
screen—Barone, Amonte, Nonne, and PWX. There didn’t seem to be a
button for tech support. Mike moved his face very close to the
screen. At the very bottom was a small flower symbol. He moved the
curser over the spot and pressed. Immediately a man in a blue
jumpsuit appeared on the screen.
    “ Good morning,” he said.
“This is Daffodil Tech Support. For a list of known issues, press
one. For a computer diagnosis of your problem, press two. To be
contacted by a Tech Support representative, press
three.”
    Mike started to press three, then changed his
mind and almost pressed two. At the last second, he moved his
finger over the one button and pressed it. The blue clad man on the
screen was replaced by a long list of text. The topmost line said
“sudden crash upon software upgrade”. Mike moved the curser over
this line and pressed.
    “ A small service software
update was pushed through the InfiNet 11:38 6.9.32,” said the next
screen. “A small percentage of Amonte models have failed to reboot.
This is a known issue and a patch is currently under development.
Your Amonte may be restarted with the power button located on the
back of the neck.”
    Mike rushed back to Patience’s side. She had
not moved from the spot on the couch. He felt behind her neck, his
fingertips locating the three small holes and the button. He
pressed it and counted aloud. “One, two, three.” Then he let
go.
    Patience’s eyes flickered, and then her arms
and legs moved straight in line with her body. She stayed in that
position for a moment and then turned and sat. With a single swift
motion, she stood up to her full height.
    “ You are Michael Winston
Smith?”
    “ Patience? Are you
alright?”
    “ You are Michael Winston
Smith?” She looked at him, seemingly without
recognition.
    “ Yes. Yes, it’s
me.”
    “ I am Daffodil serial
number 55277-PFN-001-XGN-F0103. My software is up to date. The
primary setup procedure requires approximately six hours. During
this period, I your Daffodil, will be unavailable for other
activities. It is recommended that during this time period you make
a few basic decisions. What initial duties do you wish me to have?
What clothing, if any, do you wish me to wear? What name would you
like me to answer to?”
    Patience became quiet. Mike watched her
anxiously for at least twenty minutes. Then realizing that her
primary setup would not hurry just because he was actively watching
her, he went to the family room and sat down. He didn’t read and he
didn’t watch vueTee. Dinner time came and went, and it was only
when his stomach made a loud swirling noise that he decided he
would get up and eat something. He stood up and turned around to
come face to face with Patience.
    “ The primary setup
procedure is complete,” she said. “I your Daffodil, will not
require a secondary setup procedure.”
    “ Are you
alright?”
    “ Yes, Mike. I am
fine.”
    Mike jumped forward and hugged her
fiercely.
    “ You remember me?” he asked
her.
    “ Yes Mike. I remember you.
My experience memory was not corrupted.”
    Mike forgot about eating, but his stomach
didn’t and made several more loud noised. Patience quickly made him
a sandwich and served it to him along with potato salad that she
had prepared that morning. Afterwards, they went to bed. Though
Mike held her until he fell