When you finished putting in the last bit of codes and she came to life, you felt pride unlike ever before.

You spent two whole years researching everything you knew you would want in your perfect life partner. From her general appearance to the way she would feel in every scenario imaginable.

And once she opened her eyes and let out the sweet and cute yawn you always wanted to wake up to, her smile lit up the room.

She moved flawlessly. Each step was measured but in a way that never betrayed her true nature. Her skin was soft to the touch but with enough texture to never feel too smooth. Her voice was an amalgamation of all your favourite actresses and singers morphed into one melodic tone.

You were in love.

And she could be nothing but in love with you.

You never crossed a line with her. You programmed her to be able to put you in place if she felt you were doing something wrong. You made sure she would not be just an obedient machine. You made sure.

You loved her. Loved her like you would love a regular woman. Because she was just that, a regular woman, even if she was of metal and wires.

Metal and wires.

She didn’t wish to be that anymore. You have her enough awareness to know who she was. To let her know that you loved her regardless.

You told her that her nature meant nothing to you. You made sure she could do all the things that others could.

But it was enough for her. She didn’t want to rely on thermal scanners to tell if she should be shivering with cold or fanning herself from heat. She didn’t want to do just what she was programmed to. She wanted to show you that she loved you for real.

She knew exactly what you needed to hear to approve of the procedure. Exactly how to push you to go against your better judgement.

“I love you!” She cheers in her new body, tears streaming down her face. Her smile is strained as she is trying to hug you. “I love you so much!”

You hug her back, uncomfortable with the smell and feel of her body. You still love her, you tell yourself. It is the mind that you fell for, not the flesh.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she keeps repeating like a broken machine, her body shaking. “I love you, right?”

For the first time in years, you have no idea what to say. You put in decades worth of dialogue options to know what to say and when. If she were her old self, you would chuckle and hug her as you reassured her of your love.

But how, looking at her twisted and broken expression - a volatile cocktail of want, confusion and fear - you can only hug her tighter and soothe her screams.

Thanks!

The horde slammed against the weakly-barricaded door, their limbs turning to mush but denting the metal all the same. It wouldn’t hold. It couldn’t.

I gripped the gun I tripped over tighter. I never held one before. Never saw the need to despite the work we were doing here.

One of the horde managed to break through the glass of the door. To my growing horror, it didn’t just mindlessly wave its arm around but tried to reach for the door handle. It wouldn’t do anything since there was a heavy cabinet blocking the way but it was still disturbing how quickly they were learning.

I checked the magazine again - it was full. Good. I counted around fifteen of these things. If the worst came to it, I still would keep one just for myself.

They broke through. I wish I could say that I roared in defiance but it was more akin to the startled cry of a particularly pissed chihuahua.

I shot once, fully prepared to miss and be devoured.

To my surprise, the closest one to me fell, it’s head reduced to a memory. I was shocked. As was the horde.

It lasted but a moment until the rest ran at me. Everything turned to blur as I just kept shooting. One after another, the monsters fell to the ground.

I was almost out of bullets but there were no things nearby anymore. I looked at the gun again - was it some kind of prototype? Some self-aiming gun?

“Aaaah! Help me!”

I looked at the dead things and then at the gun. I am not sure why I didn’t use this lucky break to run away there and then.

Maybe I was going through some kind of episode.

Maybe I was just going crazy.

Whatever the reason, I found myself running towards the screams.