Page 70 of The Housewife's Robot
Still, the human body is strange, and stress can do weird things to a woman’s cycle. Better to rule out the impossible with a test, then figure out if I need to see a doctor for whatever is really going on.
I dry my hands on a towel so plush it feels like drying off with a cloud, then reach for my hairbrush, needing something to do with my hands while I wait for the test results. I run it through my auburn waves, watching my reflection in the ornate mirror that takes up most of one wall.
I look different here. My skin has a healthy glow from the Mediterranean sun, my eyes are brighter, my posture more relaxed. Even with the worry about my missed period, I look happier than I ever did in Seattle.
Two minutes.
The test instructions said to wait two minutes for results. I glance at my watch, a delicate, diamond-encrusted timepiece that was Caspian’s gift, and see that it’s been nearly three. I’ve been procrastinating, brushing my hair and examining my reflection to avoid looking at the test.
With a deep breath, I set the brush down and pick up the white plastic stick, turning it over to see the little results window. My heart stops when I see the result.
This can’t be possible. It says:Pregnant.
“What the fuck?” I whisper, blinking hard. I’m probably hallucinating, what the fuck?!
But the word is very clear on the pink stick.Pregnant.
The hairbrush slips from my suddenly nerveless fingers, clattering onto the marble floor with a sound that seems amplified in the large bathroom.
I don’t move to pick it up. I can’t move at all. I’m frozen, staring at the impossible word on the stick in my hand.
The bathroom door flies open, and Caspian is there, concern etched on his perfect face. “Rose? Are you alright? I heard something fall.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically, my voice sounding strange even to myself. I continue to stare at the test, unable to process what I’m seeing.
“What’s wrong?” Caspian moves closer, his eyes scanning me for signs of distress. “Your heart rate is elevated, and your skin temperature has increased by 1.2 degrees. You’re in shock.”
I finally tear my gaze from the test to look at him—my robot, my lover, my fiancé. He’s shirtless, wearing only loose linen pants that hang low on his hips, his bronze skin gleaming with a light sheen that perfectly mimics human perspiration.
This morning, we’d been lounging on our private terrace, drinking coffee and planning our next move, when I’d excused myself to take the test. Now our lives are going to change forever.
“Everything’s fine,” I say, the words coming out strangled.
“No it’s not, something has rattled you,” says Caspian.
Breathing hard, I realize that I’m dealing with an intelligent being and he would find out eventually. So, I hold the pregnancy test out for him to see. “I’m pregnant.”
Caspian freezes, an unnaturally complete stillness that only a machine could achieve. His eyes flick from my face to the test and back again, processing at inhuman speed. Then his expression transforms, from shock to joyful in a matter of minutes.
“Pregnant,” he repeats, reaching for the test with careful fingers, as if it might break. “With my child?”
I shake my head, still unable to believe it. “But Caspian, this is impossible. You’re... you’re not...”
“Human,” he finishes for me, his eyes still fixed on the test. “No, I’m not. But apparently, I’m more than I thought I was.” He looks up at me, wonder transforming his features. “I didn’t know I could do this.”
His joy is infectious, breaking through my shock. A bubble of laughter rises in my throat, followed immediately by tears. “Neither did I. I didn’t think it was even possible.”
Caspian set the test carefully on the counter, then reaches for me, pulling me against his chest. I melt into his embrace, my tears soaking onto his bare skin. His hands stroke my back in soothing circles, his chin resting on top of my head.
“I’m going to be a father,” he says, his voice filled with awe. “We’re going to have a baby. You’re going to be a mother. It’s what you’ve always wanted.”
The reality of it hits me fully then. A baby. Our baby. A child that shouldn’t exist, conceived between a human woman and a machine.What will it be like? Will it be normal? Will it be healthy? Will it inherit any traits from Caspian?
“How is this possible?” I ask, pulling back to look up at him. “Your... your cum isn’t real. It can’t contain actual sperm. Right?”
Caspian’s brow furrows in thought. “The X-9 model was designed to be as realistic as possible in all respects. My knowledge of my own systems is extensive, but not complete. There are aspects of my design that were experimental, cutting-edge.” His hand moves to rest on my still-flat stomach. “Perhaps this capability was intentional, or perhaps it’s an unforeseen result of my continuing evolution.”
“Evolution,” I repeat, placing my hand over his. “You’re still changing, aren’t you? Still becoming more and more human.”
