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below her, and she surmised that she was in the attic, locked away, while Brad entertained a woman.
    Why did he feel the need to hide her, and why was he so rough and calloused with her? She tried in vain to make sense out of what had happened, but after an hour of being stuck and unable to move, she powered herself down to preserve her sanity.
    When she was turned on once again, she found herself in a smaller apartment with a head full of curly black hair and bronzed skin that ran the length of her body down to her legs. Her hands and feet were still translucent, but she looked every bit the part of a human being, a beautiful human being at that. She looked about to see who had turned her on, and Brad sat grinning at her, while using a small device to touch up her eyebrows.
    “Sorry about keeping you powered down for so long, Trish. But you will be happy to know that it’s over.”
    “What’s over, Brad? Everything is different now, including you.”
    She was right. He had grown his hair out and he was bigger, more athletic-looking. He wore glasses that looked both fashionable and expensive.
    “Well, lots happened. A whole lot, really. Remember Mika, the girl that kept giving me the runaround? Well, let’s just say she underestimated me. I no longer have to deal with stupid, wishy-washy girls who don’t know what they want.”
    “What do you mean by that?”
    “I mean that I’m no longer that awkward kid in the back of the class, Tricia. Women notice me now. They more than notice me; they want to see what I’m about. I’ve been on dates, I’ve kissed a few of them. Before you know it, you’ll have another pretty face around here to talk to.”
    “Another pretty face? Do you mean an android like me? Are you building more of us?”
    “No, Trish, I mean a human woman. Someone who can teach you the things I can’t. Though she would have to be a real cool chick to understand why I have you though. Ha, I’m not looking forward to that conversation.”
    “How long have I been powered down?”
    “Several months. I showed you off to some of the hacks on the SEC network. They are all impressed, and one of them even donated an upgrade to your knowledge matrix. The upgrade is amazing. He showed me videos of his android and I couldn’t tell if he was playing a trick on me or if it was real. His android was so human, just like you are now. I traded him my knowledge on getting you to move so smoothly for the matrix. You may feel a little different now, but trust me, it was for the best. You are perfect now.”
    “Did you show me to your classmates, too?”
    “I dropped out of school to build you. My parents weren’t willing to support me in my work so I dropped out. The world doesn’t need another uninterested doctor, playing at it to appease his family. I no longer let people push me around. That’s the biggest difference with the Brad you see now. I’m almost done with the treatment from Hoshi Tan—you know, my Japanese contact who gives me the pills? Well, never mind, but you are almost complete in your transformation. Tell me, does this hurt?” He poked her hand with a needle that stung her badly, forcing her to withdraw her hand.
    “Yes! I don’t like that sensation, Brad.”
    “It’s called pain. While we all dislike pain, it is one of the best indicators that we are indeed alive.”
    “Why did you build me?” Tricia asked.
    “I don’t know. To be honest, I thought I built you to further my career as a robotics engineer, but the more I worked on you, the more I realized that was a lie. The truth is, I built you to love me…unconditionally. To be the woman I would never meet in life. I mean, just look at you; you’re gorgeous. But it felt wrong after a while, like unnatural to build you for that reason.”
    “So, I was to be your bride and lover?”
    It was a question that put Brad off. He had not wanted to admit any of that to himself as he worked on Tricia. She was meant to be much more than a