The large amount of people on the streets made the running a chore. Emily slowed and tried to blend in, knowing that someone would be coming after her. She saw a cab ahead and spoke to the driver. "Go west and just keep going. Fast." She then opened the back door and waited. She saw Michael coming through the crowd. "Get in," she called when he was in hearing distance.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"That wasn't a request." Michael got in, and Emily followed. The cab started and both artificial humans looked at each other. "I wanted to say good-bye," Emily explained.
"We're even more likely to be caught when we're together."
"I know. I'm not worried."
Michael looked surprised. "Maybe you should be. This is never going to work."
"Thanks for your faith in me."
The sarcasm in her voice stung. "No, I didn't mean that."
"Whatever. Doesn't matter." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to try to make this quick. I've really enjoyed knowing you, Michael Wiseman, and I wish you the best of luck in this life that you have now." She held out her hand for him to shake.
He looked at it and shook his head. "Where are you planning to go?"
"I don't know. I'll keep moving. If they find me, I'll just make sure I don't have to come back to this life in a cage."
"What do you mean by that? That you'll 'make sure you don't have to come back'?"
She didn't respond at first. Finally she said quietly, "I just mean that I'll kill myself before I come back and work for the man who killed my family. Also, I'll be sure to destroy this artificial body so no one else can experience its curse." Her mouth curved upward in a small smirk. "You can tell the doctor that when he drills you about everything you know. Dr. Morris made a huge mistake by playing his last card."
Michael looked confused. "'Playing his last card?'"
Emily explained calmly, "He killed my family. That was the only thing he had left to use against me, the only thing left that I cared about. He used his only leverage to keep me with him too soon."
Michael nodded. "So, where are you taking me?"
Emily began to smile mischievously. "You'll see."
* * *
"I don't care if it's dinnertime. I need a team of agents out
searching for them NOW!" Dr. Morris shouted into his cellphone.
On the other end of the line, Special Agent Number One cringed. "I'll try, sir," was all he could manage to say.
"That's not good enough!" Dr. Morris barked. "I'm in rush-hour traffic in a limousine. I am not going to catch up with them, so you'd better come up with a way to get them and soon."
The agent answered meekly, "Yes, sir."
"That's more like it." The doctor flipped the cellphone shut
and felt the limousine again jerk to a full stop in the traffic.
"Damn," he muttered.
* * *
The two artificial humans rode silently for almost an hour. Any attempt by Michael to initiate a conversation was waved off by
Emily's hand.
When she finally spoke, it was to the cab driver. "Get off on this exit and pull over," she told the cabbie. Michael started to glance out the window. "Don't," Emily said sharply. "This is supposed to be a surprise."
The two artificial humans stepped out of the cab after it had stopped. "This is where we split," Emily explained.
"This is...my exit," Michael said, looking around.
Emily nodded. "I believe you have a birthday party to attend tonight."
Michael grinned. "You're right."
"I'm gonna go on." She gestured to the cab. "I've got to pay for this cab, and then get moving."
Michael raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on paying for the cab? Did you swipe Doc's wallet?"
"Not quite." Emily pulled out a wad of bills. "I figured it might come in handy to have some cash so I grabbed some while at my house. It will also be useful when I'm hitch-hiking across this great country."
"Be careful."
"You've got nothing to worry about. I'm stronger than *you*, remember?"
Michael rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me."
Emily paid the cab driver, and then walked back over to Michael. "This is it. You enjoy this life you're stuck in. Maybe Dr. Morris won't be so quick to kill your family. He seems like a man who would learn from his mistakes." She paused, trying find something to say that would sum-up all the thoughts and feelings she wished to express.
As they stood in a rather awkward silence, Michael unexpectedly
pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Emily Hanson, for making these past few days the best since I got into this mess of a second life," he said, holding her close. He didn't hold her long, though. He knew she had to hurry if she was going to have a chance at keeping out of the doctor's reach for very long. "Good-bye, friend," he said looking at her sadly.
"Good-bye," she said stiffly, unwilling to let herself cry. She turned slowly, walked back up the exit ramp towards the highway, and didn't look back.
* * *
"They've separated, sir," Special Agent Number One informed the doctor when he stepped on the Toys 'B Fun truck.
"Where?" Dr. Morris growled. Being stuck in rush hour traffic had not done anything to help his mood.
"Mrs. Hanson is moving west in some kind of vehicle. Mr. Wiseman is headed towards his old house on foot."
"Special Agent Number One, why don't you take this truck and these agents and go after Mrs. Hanson."
The agent nodded; then asked, "What about Mr. Wiseman?"
"I think I'll personally handle that."
* * *
Michael smiled thoughtfully as he watched his birthday party through the window of his own home. Lisa was showing home movies from years ago. Michael laughed as he watched his younger self try to teach Heather to ride a bike. He could hardly ride himself.
Everyone was at the party. Well, almost everyone. There was Roger, the Conners across the streets, some friends from work, but the absence of Daniel Hanson stuck out to him as he thought of Emily briefly.
His thoughts were quickly pushed away by Lisa proposing a toast. "To the memory of Michael Wiseman. I hope he's happy wherever he is." Glasses clinked.
"Don't worry, Lisee. I am." Michael said quietly from his seat on the ground outside the window.
A limousine pulled up behind him. Michael sighed. "Field trip's over," he said himself. He stood and began to move through the shadows toward the vehicle. He took what he thought would be his last look at his family, his friends, and his home and stepped into the limo.
"So, she's gone?" Dr. Morris went straight to the point.
"Emily? Yeah."
"We'll find her."
"Nah. You'll find her dead and destroyed artificial body before you find her. Sorry to be so gruesome. She told me to let you know."
Dr. Morris was silent. Too silent. Finally he said, "I was too hasty. I didn't take the time to research the history of the owner of the brain. I didn't want to have to wait. I made a mistake."
"A mistake?! Who could have guessed I'd live to see the day that Dr. Theodore Morris made a mistake, and then *admitted* it!" Michael couldn't hide his huge smirk. It faded slowly when the doctor didn't respond to the remark. "Well, I think you picked the perfect brain from a wonderful person. Your *mistake* was killing her family."
Dr. Morris rolled his eyes. He still didn't respond. He wasn't going to try to explain again how that had really not been his fault.
Michael's glee at seeing Dr. Morris admit how he was wrong passed. "It's no fun when he won't say some smart remark back," he thought.
When they had sat in silence for a minute, the doctor said almost dreamily, "Did you know the whole point in making her was to see if two artificial humans could reproduce?"
"I figured there was something like that going on," Michael answered. Again, there was silence. "I'm sorry," Michael finally said, deciding to say it before the doctor could verbally attack him.
"Mr. Wiseman--" Dr. Morris began.
"No, I really am."
"For what?" The doctor sounded almost calm.
"For, well, egging her on, letting her go...and then coming here."
"As for the first two, those are exactly the things a friend would have done."
Michael raised one eyebrow. "You're scaring me, Doc. You're not supposed to be okay with all this."
Dr. Morris gave an awkward smile. "I apologize. I'll be sure to give the regularly scheduled lecture later. But for now..." From behind his back, he revealed a small tub of popcorn.
"You are insane. What have you done with the real Dr. Morris?"
"Just try some, Mr. Wiseman."
Michael took a handful of the popcorn and walked cautiously back over to the window. With his mouth still full, he smiled and continued chewing. "Good!"
"And with a low sodium and fat content, too." Dr. Morris grinned, proud of himself.
"So, what's this for?" He said grabbing another handful greedily.
"Get out," the doctor said, handing Michael the popcorn and pointing the limo door.
"What?!"
"I'll be back in exactly forty-five minutes, and you will be here to meet me. Understood?"
"How do you know I won't run off with my family?"
"You would have done that by now if you had planned to."
Michael stepped out of the limousine, closed the door. He walked around to the other side and knocked on the window. It opened. "You sure, Doc?"
Dr. Morris signaled to the driver to leave and then turned back to Michael. "Happy birthday, Mr. Wiseman."
"What?" he asked, confused.
"That wasn't a request." Michael got in, and Emily followed. The cab started and both artificial humans looked at each other. "I wanted to say good-bye," Emily explained.
"We're even more likely to be caught when we're together."
"I know. I'm not worried."
Michael looked surprised. "Maybe you should be. This is never going to work."
"Thanks for your faith in me."
The sarcasm in her voice stung. "No, I didn't mean that."
"Whatever. Doesn't matter." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to try to make this quick. I've really enjoyed knowing you, Michael Wiseman, and I wish you the best of luck in this life that you have now." She held out her hand for him to shake.
He looked at it and shook his head. "Where are you planning to go?"
"I don't know. I'll keep moving. If they find me, I'll just make sure I don't have to come back to this life in a cage."
"What do you mean by that? That you'll 'make sure you don't have to come back'?"
She didn't respond at first. Finally she said quietly, "I just mean that I'll kill myself before I come back and work for the man who killed my family. Also, I'll be sure to destroy this artificial body so no one else can experience its curse." Her mouth curved upward in a small smirk. "You can tell the doctor that when he drills you about everything you know. Dr. Morris made a huge mistake by playing his last card."
Michael looked confused. "'Playing his last card?'"
Emily explained calmly, "He killed my family. That was the only thing he had left to use against me, the only thing left that I cared about. He used his only leverage to keep me with him too soon."
Michael nodded. "So, where are you taking me?"
Emily began to smile mischievously. "You'll see."
* * *
"I don't care if it's dinnertime. I need a team of agents out
searching for them NOW!" Dr. Morris shouted into his cellphone.
On the other end of the line, Special Agent Number One cringed. "I'll try, sir," was all he could manage to say.
"That's not good enough!" Dr. Morris barked. "I'm in rush-hour traffic in a limousine. I am not going to catch up with them, so you'd better come up with a way to get them and soon."
The agent answered meekly, "Yes, sir."
"That's more like it." The doctor flipped the cellphone shut
and felt the limousine again jerk to a full stop in the traffic.
"Damn," he muttered.
* * *
The two artificial humans rode silently for almost an hour. Any attempt by Michael to initiate a conversation was waved off by
Emily's hand.
When she finally spoke, it was to the cab driver. "Get off on this exit and pull over," she told the cabbie. Michael started to glance out the window. "Don't," Emily said sharply. "This is supposed to be a surprise."
The two artificial humans stepped out of the cab after it had stopped. "This is where we split," Emily explained.
"This is...my exit," Michael said, looking around.
Emily nodded. "I believe you have a birthday party to attend tonight."
Michael grinned. "You're right."
"I'm gonna go on." She gestured to the cab. "I've got to pay for this cab, and then get moving."
Michael raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on paying for the cab? Did you swipe Doc's wallet?"
"Not quite." Emily pulled out a wad of bills. "I figured it might come in handy to have some cash so I grabbed some while at my house. It will also be useful when I'm hitch-hiking across this great country."
"Be careful."
"You've got nothing to worry about. I'm stronger than *you*, remember?"
Michael rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me."
Emily paid the cab driver, and then walked back over to Michael. "This is it. You enjoy this life you're stuck in. Maybe Dr. Morris won't be so quick to kill your family. He seems like a man who would learn from his mistakes." She paused, trying find something to say that would sum-up all the thoughts and feelings she wished to express.
As they stood in a rather awkward silence, Michael unexpectedly
pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Emily Hanson, for making these past few days the best since I got into this mess of a second life," he said, holding her close. He didn't hold her long, though. He knew she had to hurry if she was going to have a chance at keeping out of the doctor's reach for very long. "Good-bye, friend," he said looking at her sadly.
"Good-bye," she said stiffly, unwilling to let herself cry. She turned slowly, walked back up the exit ramp towards the highway, and didn't look back.
* * *
"They've separated, sir," Special Agent Number One informed the doctor when he stepped on the Toys 'B Fun truck.
"Where?" Dr. Morris growled. Being stuck in rush hour traffic had not done anything to help his mood.
"Mrs. Hanson is moving west in some kind of vehicle. Mr. Wiseman is headed towards his old house on foot."
"Special Agent Number One, why don't you take this truck and these agents and go after Mrs. Hanson."
The agent nodded; then asked, "What about Mr. Wiseman?"
"I think I'll personally handle that."
* * *
Michael smiled thoughtfully as he watched his birthday party through the window of his own home. Lisa was showing home movies from years ago. Michael laughed as he watched his younger self try to teach Heather to ride a bike. He could hardly ride himself.
Everyone was at the party. Well, almost everyone. There was Roger, the Conners across the streets, some friends from work, but the absence of Daniel Hanson stuck out to him as he thought of Emily briefly.
His thoughts were quickly pushed away by Lisa proposing a toast. "To the memory of Michael Wiseman. I hope he's happy wherever he is." Glasses clinked.
"Don't worry, Lisee. I am." Michael said quietly from his seat on the ground outside the window.
A limousine pulled up behind him. Michael sighed. "Field trip's over," he said himself. He stood and began to move through the shadows toward the vehicle. He took what he thought would be his last look at his family, his friends, and his home and stepped into the limo.
"So, she's gone?" Dr. Morris went straight to the point.
"Emily? Yeah."
"We'll find her."
"Nah. You'll find her dead and destroyed artificial body before you find her. Sorry to be so gruesome. She told me to let you know."
Dr. Morris was silent. Too silent. Finally he said, "I was too hasty. I didn't take the time to research the history of the owner of the brain. I didn't want to have to wait. I made a mistake."
"A mistake?! Who could have guessed I'd live to see the day that Dr. Theodore Morris made a mistake, and then *admitted* it!" Michael couldn't hide his huge smirk. It faded slowly when the doctor didn't respond to the remark. "Well, I think you picked the perfect brain from a wonderful person. Your *mistake* was killing her family."
Dr. Morris rolled his eyes. He still didn't respond. He wasn't going to try to explain again how that had really not been his fault.
Michael's glee at seeing Dr. Morris admit how he was wrong passed. "It's no fun when he won't say some smart remark back," he thought.
When they had sat in silence for a minute, the doctor said almost dreamily, "Did you know the whole point in making her was to see if two artificial humans could reproduce?"
"I figured there was something like that going on," Michael answered. Again, there was silence. "I'm sorry," Michael finally said, deciding to say it before the doctor could verbally attack him.
"Mr. Wiseman--" Dr. Morris began.
"No, I really am."
"For what?" The doctor sounded almost calm.
"For, well, egging her on, letting her go...and then coming here."
"As for the first two, those are exactly the things a friend would have done."
Michael raised one eyebrow. "You're scaring me, Doc. You're not supposed to be okay with all this."
Dr. Morris gave an awkward smile. "I apologize. I'll be sure to give the regularly scheduled lecture later. But for now..." From behind his back, he revealed a small tub of popcorn.
"You are insane. What have you done with the real Dr. Morris?"
"Just try some, Mr. Wiseman."
Michael took a handful of the popcorn and walked cautiously back over to the window. With his mouth still full, he smiled and continued chewing. "Good!"
"And with a low sodium and fat content, too." Dr. Morris grinned, proud of himself.
"So, what's this for?" He said grabbing another handful greedily.
"Get out," the doctor said, handing Michael the popcorn and pointing the limo door.
"What?!"
"I'll be back in exactly forty-five minutes, and you will be here to meet me. Understood?"
"How do you know I won't run off with my family?"
"You would have done that by now if you had planned to."
Michael stepped out of the limousine, closed the door. He walked around to the other side and knocked on the window. It opened. "You sure, Doc?"
Dr. Morris signaled to the driver to leave and then turned back to Michael. "Happy birthday, Mr. Wiseman."
