“I love you,” It said just like she would have. Still, the voice came from a different, perfect body and the words were calculated and rehearsed. Any other day and May would have fallen into her-it’s- arms.

To tell the truth, she was still considering it, fiddling with the ring on her finger. Anguish, however, once again overpowered her desire. “No you don’t. You’re programmed to love me.”

“There is a difference?”

“Love, real love, isn’t a series of ‘if thens’. And it sure as hell isn’t this complacent!”

CATE tilted it’s head, running quickly through it’s operations for a solution. “I could download a fight sim that would run randomly.”

“Sims don’t count! Just… shut yourself off for the night, I need to be alone.”

CATE nodded and left the room silently. It left May with the memories that she should have been married to someone else, that this should have been their anniversary, if not for the accident. Alone in that room, without even the comfort of her voice, she began to sob uncontrollably.