The Chapter Where A Girl Leaves Forever

Liane kept her eyes on the floor as she followed Sai, but they had only gone a few steps when he stopped. Liane waited, expecting him to say something, but he said nothing. When she finally looked up, she saw he had frozen mid-step. His form flickered and glitched. Liane poked him, but nothing changed. She stood there, uncertain of what to do, until she heard a familiar tapping of heels behind her. She turned to find a shell hurrying toward her. As with the shell from before, this one lacked it’s usual human overlay, but unlike that shell, this one was wearing a long white lab coat.

“Aurelia?”

When the shell reached Liane, it grabbed her hand. The moment they touched, Sai returned to normal and Aurelia’s regular human appearance returned. The crowds of ghosts returned as well, but they were shadowy and transparent, and the accompanying sounds of the mall were muted.

“Liane, love. I’m going to buy you some time to talk to Claire. Make sure you get her to finish saying that she wants to see Liam again. Do you understand?”

Liane tried to speak, but was cut off.

“Aurelia, you need to stop.” Sai’s voice was calm and soothing, like he was talking to a wild animal. “You know that won’t work now. You can’t coerce her. She needed to naturally want to see her dad again.”

Aurelia put herself between Liane and Sai, keeping a tight hold on her hand. “And you know she spoke out of anger when she said that in the first place. You shouldn’t have put that restraint in place to begin with.”

“Humans sometimes say things they don’t mean,” Sai said, “but it’s still our job to listen to them. You can’t simply disregard protocol when it’s convenient. Liane, let go of her hand. It’s time to go.”

Aurelia tightened her grip on Liane’s hand. “Liane don’t listen to him. The plan can still work. I can help you make amends with Claire if you just listen to me.”

“You can’t treat humans like this, Aurelia. They aren’t data points. They aren’t guinea pigs,” Sai said.

“I’m helping them,” Aurelia asserted, “You wouldn’t listen. None of the other System AI would listen. They’re going extinct. I had to do something.”

“Humans are going extinct?” Liane interjected.

Aurelia went silent.

Sai glared at Aurelia. “She doesn’t even know why you’re doing this?”

“Of course she does. I explained everything before we began.”

Sai turned to Liane. “Then let's ask her. Liane—”

“You don’t have to talk to him—”

“Let her speak,” Sai ordered.

Aurelia shut her mouth.

Sai nodded to Liane. “Did Aurelia tell you why she’s helping you?”

Liane nodded uncertainly. “She told me that she wanted to help me reunite with Claire and make amends with her.”

“And?” Sai pressed.

“She also told me humans have short lifespans now because we are all kept separated and only interact with ghosts… with AI personas. She said I might be able to help extend Claire’s life by continuing to be with her as Liane, and that doing so would give her data to convince the System to stop separating humans,” explained Liane.

“All true,” Aurelia said.

Sai glared at her.

Liane added, “But I didn’t mind that Aurelia had other motives. I just wanted the chance to make up with Claire and… I was scared of dying.”

Sai exhaled a long breath. “I understand. Aurelia took advantage of your fears and desires. She only told you part of the truth. She’s been using you and Claire to collect data, but it’s not just about extending the human lifespan. The global population of humans has been declining for a long time now. Our data indicates if it continues, humans might go extinct.”

“There’s no ‘might’ about it. I’m the System AI in charge of humans. If I say they’re going extinct, that’s what’s happening,” Aurelia said.

Sai ignored her and continued. “Aurelia believes if we stop separating humans, it will extend their lives and also solve the extinction problem. She wasn’t helping you out of the goodness of her heart, she was experimenting on you to collect data in support of her case, and you're not alone. She’s been doing the same thing with different groups of humans all across the world. I’ve had to reseperate many humans already.”

“Which is only pushing them closer to extinction and hurting them,” Aurelia said.

“But this is a problem for the System to deal with. It is not any of Liane’s concern,” Sai said, directing the comment at Aurelia.

“It is if it separates her from Claire. You don’t want to leave Claire for good, do you, Liane?”

“I do,” Liane said.

Aurelia opened her mouth to say something to Sai, then closed it. She turned toward Liane and lowered herself till their eyes met. “Liane love, you don’t mean that. You love being with Claire. I’ve seen it. I have data showing you are both happier and healthier than you’ve ever been. If you stay with Claire, it may even help you live a year or two longer.”

Liane bit back a quiver in her lip. “I don’t want Claire to know the truth. I love her. I don’t want to hurt her. If she learns that I’ve been lying and deceiving her this entire time… I don’t want that. It would be better to disappear.”

“Just… wait,” Aurelia pleaded. “If you give me some time, I can think of another solution. I was programmed to be very creative.”

Liane looked past Aurelia to Sai. He shook his head.

“I don’t think that’s an option,” Liane said.

“This will break her heart. And yours.”

“I know. The greater the love humans have for each other, the more it hurts when they lose the one they love, right?” Liane swallowed a lump in her throat. “But Claire is strong, much stronger than I am; her heart will heal eventually. She’ll be fine without me. Without Liam or Liane.”

Aurelia wrapped her arms around Liane. “It’s your decision, love.”

Liane hugged her back. “Comfort her for me. Come up with a good excuse for why I had to disappear.”

“I will, love.”

Aurelia stepped back. The moment she lost contact with Liane, the translucent ghosts and muted mall sounds vanished. The mall returned to being empty and silent. Back under Sai’s control.

Sai nodded his head toward the exit and started walking. Liane followed.