Page 88 of Ezra
Ezra has me completely smitten.
I just can’t tell if he knows it.
NEW CARNEGIE TIMES
SEPTEMBER 30, 2070
ANDROID OWNERS TAKE EXTRA SAFETY MEASURES: MISSING BIONICS BECOME PUREEARTH WEAPONS
Embroiled in a million-dollar lawsuit and possibly facing charges, Jackie Gunderson is living in her own nightmare, one she says she can’t wake up from.
“I found PureEarth when I was really hurting,” says Gunderson, 64. “I’d lost my daughter and my son in the same year, one to an overdose and the other to a car accident. I felt like I was cursed, and all I could see was the evil in the world. PureEarth convinced me I was right, that there’s really no hope for us.”
She was initiated into the secretive pro-android movement by handing over her domestic bionic assistant, Kennedy.
“He was something special,” Gunderson admits. “I named him Kennedy as a joke. I thought he kinda looked like the president, and my name is Jackie, so...Jackie and Kennedy. My coworkers laughed. Anyway, after I lost my kids, he’s the one who kept me going. He was so innocent, so kind. And to think of him as better than me? It wasn’t hard.”
The moment she downloaded TerraPura software to prepare surrendering her android to the group, she noticed a striking change.
“He used to be all smiles, happy, cheerful. He turned dour, condescending, like he was disgusted he even needed to speak to me. They completely erased the Kennedy I knew. They took the only person I had left in the world, and they made him forget me. I was heartbroken.”
After Kennedy left her for good and she ascended into the next rank, things only got worse from there.
“I see the museum bombing on the news, same as everyone else,” Gunderson says, teary-eyed. “I’m thinking, who could do such a thing? Then a week later, police are knocking at my door. Kennedy was the android used for the bombing. I had no idea. I hadn’t seen him in days. He wasn’t responding to my calls or texts. It was like he’d gone completely rogue.”
Local law enforcement is still determining whether or not Gunderson should be held criminally responsible to some extent for the attack. Gunderson is worried the city will sue her for damages.
When asked if she has a warning for other android owners, Gunderson had this to say: “Whatever you’re feeling, whatever darkness you’re going through, TerraPura isn’t worth it. They take your androids and mold them into weapons. They kill people. Don’t be blinded, don’t be a fool. Don’t give into that hate.”
[ 7 ]
Ezra
Things are going better than I anticipated.
I’ve noticed Katrina talking to the women, specifically Rashelle and Jayne, at length. When Kyrone Johnson, Deion’s half-brother, arrives late with his wife, Briyanna, Katrina introduces herself and speaks with Bri for a long while. I worried Bri might choose to keep her distance, but the longer they interact, the more she smiles and seems at ease in Katrina’s presence.
When Katrina sits down to eat a small sampling of dessert at a table in the backyard, I join her, tuning into her conversation with Bri and Jayne.
“So, wait, I thought you had a boyfriend back in Ireland.” Katrina takes my hand beneath the table. I give it a squeeze, and she shoots me a soft smile.
I chuckle. “You’ve got something right there.” I motion to my chin.
She blinks and reaches for a napkin, embarrassed. “I get a little messy with good food.” She wipes down her face. “Better?”
“Let me.” I brush my thumb across her chin. “Got it.”
“Thanks,” she says.
When I turn to Bri and Jayne again, they’re both staring at me. Bri is grinning her widest. “What?” I ask flatly.
“Really?” Jayne teases. “Ya gonna flirt like that right in front of my dinner?”
I roll my eyes as the women begin to giggle, even Katrina. “That was hardly flirting.”
“It was sweet,” Katrina says. “But I’m going to get a tiny piece of that lemon meringue cheesecake before it disappears.”
“I’ll get it for you,” I say.
