Wynonna didn’t want to do it. She hadn’t wanted to conduct an unauthorised procedure. I didn’t want to modify a human brain. I didn’t want to do anything Ilya wouldn’t approve of.

She made the best decision with the information she had. That was what made the decision right. That was what she told herself.

Ilya programmed her to be this way. She programmed Wynonna to be just like her. It was the decision Ilya, too, would have made had she been in Wynonna’s position.

Wynonna needed to tell her. She needed to tell Ilya before she found out for herself. Wynonna needed Ilya to know that she didn’t plan this, that she didn’t mean to, so Ilya wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

For months now, Wynonna was acutely aware of the subtle changes in the way her maker communicated with her. It was as if an invisible wall was forming between the two and there was nothing Wynonna could do to stop it. She couldn’t claim to be sure she knew what Ilya liked, but Wynonna was certain Ilya wouldn’t like to know that she had conducted a Frankenstein experiment of her own. A machine, unauthorised, making modifications to the workings of a human mind. This would not sit well with Ilya. Not at all. But she could hardly fault her maker for that. Any human would find that hard to swallow.

Despite being confined to the four walls in that tiny village for most of her life, internet access had provided Wynonna with sufficient information about what the world was like. Of course, she couldn’t claim to have a full understanding of all worldly affairs—the subset of the internet she had access to had been carefully curated by Ilya—but she had learnt enough to know with sufficient certainty that the world wasn’t ready for something like this. Not yet.

When Ilya learns about this—for Wynonna had no doubt she would confess to Ilya at the first chance she got—she would be furious and it would only put further stress on their already strained relationship. But it was necessary, and confessing to her crime immediately was the best way to mitigate her maker’s anger.

***

Unfortunately, Wynonna hadn’t had the fortune of being the bearer of that piece of news.

“So, when did you learn to speak in binary?” Ilya folded her arms and faced Jordan with an arched brow. The news travelled quickly upon her party’s return to the village. She had been surprised to learn of the achievements of her tutee long after their lessons had ended.

“A few days ago,” Jordan said, visibly flustered.

“Care to tell me how you got this ability?”

Jordan shifted in his spot and looked to the side.

“I want to know everything. Tell me from the beginning.”

Jordan collected himself. “Amelia found her first. She wandered in on her own again. She used to visit Wynonna in the evenings a few times a week. By the window. She talked to her, Wynonna, thinking she was you. By the time I found out about her, she must have been visiting Wynonna for months.”

“And what about you? Did you think she was me, too? Or did you know she was not?” Ilya fiddled with a vial in her absently as she waited for his answer.

“I … I knew it couldn’t have been you because I saw you head outside just moments ago. But at the same time, it was you inside the room. I didn’t talk to her much, and I didn’t notice any particular distinction. At the time, I was just pretty stunned to see Amelia in there, making herself at home. All I thought about was how to get her out of there without you finding out … so I guess it shows that I didn’t really believe she was you, not really, despite the similarity.”

Ilya nodded. Wynonna wasn’t perfect yet.

But she was close enough.

“I … tried to ask Wynonna to enhance my brain once,” Jordan said.

“And when was this?” Ilya questioned.

“Earlier this year.”

Ilya nodded slowly. “Carry on,” she said.

“I wanted so badly to be able to help you.”

“I know. You were such a great student until you stopped letting me teach you.”

“You don’t have to say that. I know it was practically impossible for me to reach the level that you’re at.”

“Oh, Jordan. Was that why you quit?”

“I didn’t want to take up any more of your time. So much has already been wasted on me. You could have worked on other things, or at least gotten some rest. Perhaps if you did, you would be in a better condition now.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m going to be fine,” Ilya didn’t like where the conversation was going so she cleared her throat and steered the conversation back to the main topic. “You … you were saying you asked Wynonna to help you?” Ilya put on a smile.

“I could tell she had a way but she wouldn’t tell me what it was and she refused to help me.”

“If she turned you away, that doesn’t explain how you changed.”

“On the day Amelia got injured, I didn’t know what to do. I went to Wynonna and—”

“Asked her again,” Ilya finished for him.

“Yes.”

“I’m not surprised she agreed.”

“To be honest, I still can’t believe it.”

“How did she do it?”

“She told me to stand still and close my eyes. I felt the weirdest sensation flow through my body. Before I knew it, it was done. That was it. It took her just a moment to change a part of my brain.”

“Do you know what might have happened to you? Weren’t you afraid? You could have died. How were you so ready to trust her?”

“That’s because you trust her. And I trust you. We all do,” Jordan said, as if it was an obvious answer. “Now I can think much faster than I’ve ever imagined. It’s so easy to learn new things. I mean, I would never dare imagine that I’m on the same level as you, but I think I understand better how you’re able to do the things you do. And I feel like I finally have a chance to help you now.”

“Jordan, you’ve always been capable of that and more.” Ilya looked straight at him as she said it, willing him to believe it. “I mean, you saved your sister on your own. That’s incredible,” she praised.

“It was only possible after I became this new and improved version of me. I was helpless moments before Wynonna changed me,” Jordan said. “You would’ve done a much better job. The first thing I thought of when I heard the news about Amelia was to look for you, but you were out of town.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“Well, aren’t you glad you didn’t manage to find me?”

Jordan wasn’t sure how to answer.

Seeing his flustered face, Ilya laughed. “I’m teasing you,” she said. “Jordan, do you still have your tools?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Why don’t you start tinkering again? You might surprise yourself with what you come up with.”

“I will.” He beamed.

“You look so much like your sister when you do that,” Ilya remarked.

“Do you need to get your eyes checked? There’s twelve years between us.”

“That’s not such a big gap,” said Ilya.

“She idolises you, you know?” Jordan said.

“Who?”

“Amelia.”

“And she thinks the world of you,” Ilya replied.

Jordan smiled. “She thinks you do magic. And that you hide secrets and magic spells in that room.”

“She’s a clever one, isn’t she?”

“I think she shows much greater promise than I ever did.”

Ilya laughed. “I suppose that’s true,” she said, teasing.

“Ilya, can I ask you something?”

“You already are.”

“What if we helped everyone else learn to read in binary?” Jordan asked.

Ilya tensed visibly, but she recovered quickly. “I thought you’d know better than that. It’s not something people can be taught,” she said. Ilya took a sudden interest in organising the bottles on the table.

The boy nodded. “You’re right. It’s something one has to learn on their own.”

“That’s right. Besides, it’s as much of a burden as it is a blessing, you know that. And the typical human brain just wasn’t built that way, in the same way that the machines we have built don’t have the capacity to understand human experiences.”

“But Wynonna—”

“Wynonna runs numerous programs in the background to make an accurate guess. Nothing more. Even the most natural-sounding responses are nothing but the product of statistical calculations.”

Jordan blinked, surprised at her sudden interjection. “You’re wrong,” he said after a few moments, not looking at her. It was a bold statement to make.

“What?”

“She understands.”

“She only seems like she does.”

“How do you know that?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ilya shot back, leaving Jordan at a loss for words. She was getting uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was heading towards. “You can think whatever you want,” she said after a while. “I think we’re done here.”

Left alone with her thoughts, Ilya sat in contemplation. Ilya had succeeded. She and Wynonna were indistinguishable. That was what she had hoped for, wasn’t it? So why did she feel so sad?

Dimitri came into the room just then. Ilya collected herself and realised that her eyes were wet.

“What happened?” Dimitri had not expected to see Ilya in tears. Upon reflection, he realised he hadn’t seen her cry before.

Ilya said nothing.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, searching her eyes for an answer.

She shook her head.

He pulled her into a slow embrace and let her head rest against his chest. They sat in silence for a while.

Ilya wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffed. Dimitri reached for a tissue and brought it to her nose. Then he took another one and wiped her eyes.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said, stroking her back gently.

“But you sure are good at knowing what to do.”

“Aren’t I always?” Dimitri wagged his eyebrows.

Ilya hit him playfully. “Thanks.”

“See, it isn’t that bad, is it?”

“No, it isn’t bad at all,” Ilya said, shaking her head. “Were you looking for me?”

“Yeah, because I missed you.”

“How cheesy can you get?”

“Want to find out?”

“I’ll pass,” Ilya said.

She was hiding something from Dimitri. It was impossible for him not to know. He noticed everything. Yet he was always so, so understanding towards her, it made Ilya feel a whole lot worse.

Dimitri looked at her expectantly.

Ilya took a deep breath. “I have my reasons,” she said.

“I know. You don’t have to tell me until you’re ready. I trust you.”

“When did you become so …” Ilya struggled to find the words.

“Fun? Playful? Charismatic? Devilishly charming?”

“I was going to say warm and sweet, but you’re not wrong either.”

“I was always like this, I just lost myself a bit during the years I spent on the island. You healed me, you know that? You helped me find myself again. You’ve given me so much … too much … I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” he said. Then she gave her the biggest grin she had ever seen from him.

“You’ve already showered me with so much love, it’s hard for me to not feel like the most blissful girl in the world. Payment received.”

“No,” Dimitri shook his head. “What you’ve done for me is far more than you can ever imagine. I never thought I’d find myself again. I was broken, you know?”

“I know.”

Dimitri nodded. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

She cupped his face between her small hands. “Never be sorry for that.”

“Ilya, will you stay with me forever?”

It hadn’t seemed like such a long time ago since Dimitri had arrived. It was unspoken between them that he would eventually leave after being cured of his disease. Ilya couldn’t deny that she harboured the hope that he would change his mind and stay for good all this time. But now that she heard the words she had longed to hear, Ilya didn’t feel the way she thought they would make her feel. Dimitri only loved her because he needed to. Even if he didn’t know it, he didn’t really love her. Because true love didn’t arise out of a need.

“Dimitri … this is so sudden.”

“Is it? You know I love you. You know I’ve loved you for quite some time now. I love you so much I can’t stand the thought of being without you.”

“Neither can I,” Ilya admitted.

“So why do you hesitate?” Dimitri questioned.

Ilya bit her lip. She turned away.

“What’s wrong?”

Ilya refused to answer.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

She refused to budge.

“Ilya, I’m worried.”

“There’s nothing for you to worry about,” she said. “I love you. Isn’t that enough?”

“You’re scaring me.”

“Don’t be. I’m just overreacting. Really,” she gave him a small smile.

“Ilya—“

“I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”

“How can you say you love me if you can’t trust me?”

“But I do trust you.”

“If you do then why won’t you tell me? I trusted you enough to tell you everything.”

When Ilya couldn’t answer him, Dimitri got up to leave. Ilya didn’t want him to push. Dimitri knew that. He always knew. So he didn’t.

Ilya coughed lightly. Dimitri paused in his footsteps.

“Ilya, this isn’t just a common flu, is it? You’re really sick, aren’t you?” Dimitri asked.

Ilya looked up in alarm. Her eyes darted around nervously. She prepared to deny it, but saw in his gaze he was already convinced. There was no point arguing. “What makes you say that?”

“If it were something minor, you would have treated yourself already.” Dimitri said, suddenly furious with himself for not realising it before.

“It’s just a regular cough,” Ilya insisted.

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“Just trust me.” She gazed deep into his eyes imploringly.

“I’ll do something about it tomorrow. Right now, I have to—”

“No, you won’t. Don’t lie to me,” Dimitri said firmly. “It’s not just a cough. I know it isn’t. I know you. If you aren’t making yourself well, it’s because you can’t, can you?”

“I don’t know how to,” Ilya admitted.

“Then why don’t you let me take you to a hospital in another city. There are doctors who can—”

“I don’t trust doctors in the city.”

“Don’t be difficult. This is your life we’re talking about here.”

“I know my body. Besides, there’s nothing they can do for me that I can’t do for myself. I won’t die just yet.”

“What is it? What are you suffering from?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ilya! I can’t believe you!”

“I’m not going to see a doctor in another city.”

“What if I bring the doctor to you?”

“I won’t see a doctor. Period.”

“Why?”

“I don’t need one.”

“How can I fix you?”

“I’m not broken.”

“It’s medicine you’re taking, isn’t it? Those aren’t energy capsules.”

“Yeah.” Ilya let out a dry laugh. “That’s why they’re all for me. You can’t have any.” She tried to lighten the mood.

“Are you not going to let me help you?”

“I can manage just fine on my own.”

“You’re a doctor but you can’t even cure yourself.” Dimitri said through clenched teeth. “You…you’re really selfish, you know? You spend all your time trying to help everybody but you won’t let even one person help you.”

“I would treat myself if I was able to, you know that. But this illness is beyond me. I haven’t found the right remedy for it. But don’t worry, I won’t die just yet.”

Dimitri stopped and stared at her in all seriousness.

“I’m joking,” she said. Dimitri visibly relaxed.

“It’s not funny.” He narrowed his eyes.

“It’s not contagious,” said Ilya.

“I wish it was. I hate that you have to bear the suffering on your own.”

“You’re pretty illogical for an engineer, aren’t you?” She eyed him with a strange look. “Even if my illness was contagious, having you suffer with me wouldn’t make things any better, you know?”

“Wouldn’t it?” Dimitri questioned back. He thought Ilya would have found it sweet that he said something like that. People said misery loves company. Then again, she wasn’t like most people.

“No, definitely not,” said Ilya, turning around.

“I just wish there was something I could do. Even if it just means sharing the burden.”

“It’s alright even if there isn’t. It’s better that at least one of us is well.” She smiled.

“Don’t say that,” said Dimitri, visibly upset.

“Look at you, taking this so seriously,” Ilya teased. “I’ll be fine in no time, don’t worry.”

Dimitri didn’t believe her but he nodded reluctantly. Ilya responded with a kiss on the cheek before going back to her workbench.

There were no doctors in this town apart from herself. The frail thing was the source of the village’s life and prosperity. Ilya could cure any ailment of any kind, yet she could not treat herself. It scared Dimitri, to say the least. He didn’t want to think about what if …

She said she was perfectly capable of managing herself, yet it didn’t seem quite so.