“Where’s Wynonna?”

Ilya kept silent and remained in a daze, as if she hadn’t heard him.

“Ilya?” Dimitri put a hand on her shoulder. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

Ilya blinked a few times, as if she had just woken from a dream. “She’s gone.”

“Oh, Ilya, what have you done? Where is she?”

Ilya told him. It didn’t take long, but by the end of it, her mouth was dry.

“This is all my fault,” said Dimitri.

“What do you mean?”

“The one who has been communicating with you is from the Council. I’m sure of it. They’re the same people who contacted me. They were only able to make such offers to the both of you because of the information I supplied.”

“What are you talking about?” Ilya’s eyes flashed. “Explain yourself.” Ilya had no idea about the identity behind the perpetrators. They had shown up all of a sudden. She didn’t have a clue how they found out about her village in the first place, nor did she know how they had managed to find out so much about her and the bot—enough to make such a terrible threat. If what Dimitri was saying was true, and the people behind the poison were the very ones who had also taken interest in Wynonna, things were likely far more sinister than they seemed.

“They got to me first,” said Dimitri. “They said they were going to poison the village too if I didn’t give one of you. I couldn’t do that so I offered them information—but only because I thought by doing so I would be able to give them false information and find out what they were really up to. I really wanted to protect you—both of you and your village.”

It made sense that there was someone feeding information to them from the inside. And the only person here who the Council knew about and who knew about her and Wynonna was Dimitri. Ilya understood the predicament Dimitri had found himself in and she saw that he too, had become an unwilling victim while trying to play the hero. Even if it was likely that he had been the cause of their current situation, there was no use putting any blame on anybody. Dimitri had invited the council’s invasion into their space, but ultimately, Ilya had been the one to let Wynonna go.

After a while, Ilya said quietly. “I made a mistake, and so did you. It’s my fault Wynonna’s gone.”

“But you didn’t make a mistake, did you? You said it yourself, you didn’t let Wynonna go. She went on her own.”

“That wasn’t the mistake I was referring to.”

“What is it then?”

“There are some things you have to know before you’ll understand. Before I made a body for Wynonna, she was my friend.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“How could that happen when you… you hadn’t made a body for her?” Dimitri paused. “What was she like then?”

“Just an intelligent system with a voice,” Ilya replied.

“And you bonded with it?”

“The voice was just the medium for the mind. And her mind… I can’t say that it was perfect because I don’t know what that means. But I can say that it sure seemed as real as yours and mine.”

Dimitri thought over this for a few moments, then said, “And after you made a body? I don’t see how that would change anything.”

“She had to… well, I had to wipe her memory in order to reupload her software into the body.”

“So she doesn’t remember anything before that?”

“She didn’t. I’m pretty sure she didn’t. Theoretically, it should have stayed that way, but I’m not quite so sure. I think she found them.”

“What?”

“Her memories.”

“How?”

“It was dumb, but I saved the conversations we had when I knew a reset was going to be necessary. I didn’t want to forget her, you know?” Ilya paused. “Is that crazy?”

Dimitri pondered for a moment. “That’s not dumb, nor is it crazy. I wouldn’t want to forget her either.”

Ilya stared at him, then said, “Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t.” Then she turned away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Everything,” said Ilya.

“It’s not like you to be so dramatic.”

“I’m not. It’s just that nothing’s right.” She wiped a tear that escaped her eye.

“What do you mean?” asked Dimitri. His heart ached to see her upset.

“You don’t love me. You never did,” Ilya said. She wanted the best for Dimitri. She wanted him to always be happy. Even if it meant him finding happiness with someone other than her. She had to make him realise that he wasn’t actually in love with her even if that meant she had to help him realise that he was in love with someone else, no matter how much it pained her.

“What?” Dimitri was taken aback. He stared at Ilya and suddenly didn’t recognise the girl he was seeing.

“Wynonna’s the one you love.” Ilya spouted more nonsense.

“Ilya, what are you saying? Can you hear yourself?” asked Dimitri.

“I know perfectly well that what I’m saying is right. And it’s what you need to hear.”

“Ilya, we’ve been through this. The one I love is you,” Dimitri insisted. “Why can’t you seem to understand that?”

“No, Dimitri, the one who doesn’t understand is you. Up until a while ago, I believed it, too. But I know I was only lying to myself. You should stop lying to yourself too.”

“Ilya, what are you saying? Can you look at me? Look at me. Really, please. I’m telling you now that I love you. And I don’t know how else to get you to believe me.”

“You can start by believing yourself first,” Ilya said.

Dimitri didn’t understand how Ilya could say something so hurtful. “I fell in love with you,” he said weakly. Then he chided himself for sounding like he was trying to convince himself.

“You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”

“I’m n—”

“Be honest with yourself.”

“Fine, I’m not saying I did, but maybe even if I did fall in love with Wynonna, it’s only because I got to know her first.”

“Do you really think you would have loved me if you had gotten to know me first? Answer me honestly.”

“I…” These were all hypotheticals. They didn’t mean anything. Why was Ilya making him answer this question? How was he supposed to answer this question, dammit. Just say something.

“And there’s my answer,” said Ilya.

Dimitri kept silent.

“The truth is, you gave me some semblance of being understood. It was my first taste of what it was like to have intellectual intimacy. And I mistook that for romantic feelings. I can’t claim to know much about love. I don’t. But I don’t think that’s what I feel for you, and I don’t think that’s what you feel for me too. All this time, I think we were both just trying to feel the way we think we should. It’s alright, you know… that you don’t love me. I understand you can’t force somebody to like you.”

Dimitri resigned. Perhaps he really did love the robot more than he had been comfortable to admit. Whenever he thought about Ilya, the girl in his mind was the one who sat beside him by the fireplace at the festival, the one who showed him not to fear the rain, the one who told him to pay attention to the stars. “Isn’t it crazy that I’ve fallen for a machine?”

“Not really. Many crazy things happen in the world every day. In fact, it’s kind of a no-brainer to choose an eternally young maiden over a woman who would lose her beauty with age, isn’t it? Besides, you and I both know that she’s so much more than that.”

“You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

“I already knew long ago that the one you loved wasn’t me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to be.” Ilya bit her lip in contemplation. “If there’s anyone who should be sorry, it’s me.”

“What do you mean? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Actually, I’m the one who’s responsible for this mess.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Ilya took a deep breath.

“Have you ever wondered how Wynonna found you?” she asked.

“At the time, she said the village doctor here would be able to help me. Don’t tell me that wasn’t a coincidence. She couldn’t have known what I was going to do at the centre, or that I would get thrown out. I didn’t even know that was going to happen.”

“You asked if she had been out of the village. That was the only time I let her leave.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted her gone.”

“What?” Dimitri couldn’t believe his ears.

“You heard me,” Ilya said.

“But why? I don’t understand. Your greatest creation, your proudest work. You were going to leave her behind as your legacy. You know your people need her. You know that more than anybody.”

“I created her to take over my role here. I wanted her to be like me… at least I thought I did. I saw that she was better than me, I didn’t want her around anymore. And I couldn’t bear to deactivate her. My people need her. I couldn’t let my jealousy get in the way of that. The plan was just to let her roam around for a while until I became ready for her to return.”

“When would that be?”

“When I’m gone.”

“Oh.”

Ilya continued. “I didn’t explain this to Wynonna—how could I? So instead, I sent her on a mission that I made impossible to succeed. I asked Wynonna to find a man who would be suitable for me. Said I wanted to experience love at least once before I died.”

“What made that impossible?”

“The fact that I told her to only return once she found someone who had a one-hundred percent compatibility ratio with me, even though I programmed for the maximum possible compatibility ratio to be ninety percent. The interesting thing is, your score wasn’t even ninety percent, but Wynonna brought you back to me. And I couldn’t even confront her about lying to me—”

“Without admitting that you had deliberately set her up for failure.”

Ilya nodded. “I don’t know what effect that would have had on Wynonna, but I know it wouldn’t have been good for either of us. So I’m sorry I brought this upon you.”

“Don’t be. Honestly, these past few months have been the most incredible time of my life. You’ve done an amazing job building this place. And you’ve done more than enough for me, well, you and Wynonna… both of you helped me find myself again.”

“For what it’s worth, I think Wynonna has fallen for you too.” Ilya smiled and Dimitri berated himself for not being able to tell whether there was sadness in her smile. How could she be okay with this?

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sad. But I know that I’ll get over it. I just need time. It’s fine with me, you know, that you like her instead. I’ll be okay with that. In fact, it’s great. I think it’s better this way.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Well, there are many reasons, actually. For starters, because she’d never die. She’d never grow old. She’d remain as you’d like for the rest of your life. And most importantly, she can be with you.”

“How can that be when she’s not even here?” Dimitri answered himself before Ilya could reply. “You know what, it doesn’t matter… she’s gone.”

“We could always go to her,” said Ilya.

“What are you suggesting?”

Ilya cocked an eyebrow at him.

“You don’t mean …”

“Let’s go. Let’s get her back.”

“You’re not suggesting …” Ilya gave him a look that confirmed his suspicions. “Now you’ve officially gone crazy, and I’m not about to join you in your insanity.”

“It could work.”

“No, whatever you’re thinking of, I’m positive it most definitely won’t work. You don’t know the Council. I don’t even know the Council. We don’t know what we’ll be up against.”

“Look, the ones who made the poison are from the facility, are they not? And it’s probable that they are still there, biding their time before they unleash havoc on this village, and then the world. To get a remedy, we need to first study the poison. There’s no place better to get access to information about the poison than the source, is there?”

“Come on, Dimitri. Look, I need to talk to Wynonna. I need to set things right. And you want to get out of the green sleeves. What do you say?”

There was a loud banging on the door. Whatever it was could wait. It could hardly be anything more important than this.

“This is ridiculous. We’d be walking straight into the lion’s den,” said Dimitri.

“That doesn’t mean we’re doomed,” Ilya replied.

“Care to explain that?” said Dimitri, giving her a quizzical look.

The knocks on the door persisted, getting louder and faster than before, but still they went unattended.

“We just need to be prepared. Between you and me, I think we stand a good chance,” Ilya said optimistically.

“That’s because you don’t know the Council. I know them well enough to know that they will not spare the village even if we accede to their wishes,”Dimitri continued. “You know, now that they have Wynonna with them, it only increases their chances of turning their plans into a reality.”

“What are their plans?” asked Ilya.

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” said Dimitri, slightly embarrassed.

“I need all the information I can get if I’m going up against them. Tell me more.”

“No. I’d be endangering you if I do.”

“And you’d be killing me if you don’t. I’ve decided on this. And I’m going, with or without you. So are you really not going to tell me?”

The incessant banging on the door had become unbearable. Ilya opened it and a boy came bursting through.

“Ilya! It’s the plague. It’s gotten to us, the ones who live in the north. It came as a large cloud.”

“Slow down, Tima, I can’t understand you.”

The boy pointed to Dimitri. “He has brought the disease with him.”

Ilya gently pushed the boy’s hand away from Dimitri. “I’m telling you. That’s not true. Dimitri’s been with us for so many months. If the disease was contagious, don’t you think I would have gotten it already?”

“But they… they’re the same. Mama and Papa and Zara and …” the boy carried on listing names.

“Where are they?”

“Here,” the boy’s mother appeared in the doorway. “Tima, come. Don’t disturb Ilya,” she scolded. Then she turned her gaze to Ilya and said, “Don’t trouble yourself with us. We know you must be busy.”

“Sasha, please come in and let me have a look at you. Let me see if what your son is saying is true.”

The woman walked in in all her green glory. “I’m afraid so, but it’s alright, apart from the colour, we don’t feel any different. It could possibly wash out over a couple of days. But even if it doesn’t, it’s still fine. We are alright.”

Dimitri stared at the lady for a couple of reasons. First, he recognised that indeed, the affliction she was suffering from was unmistakably the same as his. Second, he saw the smile on her face and wondered how she could maintain such a mood when a misfortune as large as this had just befallen her. And third, he saw in her eyes that she truly believed every word she said. To her, the disease wasn’t that big of a deal—far from what it had been for him.

This—this was exactly the kind of thing he had been hoping to prevent, the greatest motivation for charging into the research institute to expose the wickedness of the Council. Somewhere in between being amazed by the village’s peculiarities and falling in love with Ilya (or was it Wynonna?) he had forgotten his anger, or somehow, it had been tamed by the peacefulness of the village. Dimitri’s mouth was dry, but he found his words. “I’ll tell you. These things, I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t think they’d be useful,” he said, looking straight at Ilya. “I’ll tell you now. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

***

It was said that Dr. Chernoff was the supposed founder of the facility, though the truth of this had never been ascertained. The story went that his only beloved daughter had been so unfortunate as to be struck into a comatose state, and there she continues to remain indefinitely. The anguish spurred him to set up the facility where research would be unobstructed by the many geopolitical and international regulations and red tape. He believed the only way to save his daughter was to let science fester and grow as wild as it liked without the meddlesome coaxing of oppressive hands. He promoted this ideal (which was a self-promoting offer) to the first followers, and the rest soon came after.

Although nothing had ever been stated explicitly, everyone at the facility knew that research which focused on developing a remedy to bring humans out of a vegetative state were… let’s just say more equal than others.

It was obvious that the push for human-plant hybridization came directly from Dr. Chernoff himself as a growing number of recent research claims were singing to the tune that such an approach might actually prove to be an effective cure for coma. The only thing Dimitri didn’t understand was why the Council was trying to inflict it upon the whole world. It was supposed to be a cure, so why were they wielding the technology as a poison and waging war on the world, on humanity, on human identity and everything humans have ever known themselves to be? Who had given them the right to do that?

“It makes sense, ”Ilya commented after Dimitri finished his explanation.

“How so?” Dimitri had long resigned that the mystery behind the Council’s determination to inflict the whole world with the disease would remain an unsolvable case.

“Dr. Chernoff’s daughter is in a vegetative state, and he thinks the only way to wake her is by turning her into a half-plant hybrid. It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Ilya said.

Dimitri was still clueless. It showed in his expression.

Ilya continued. “He wants to turn the world into human-plant hybrids so that his daughter won’t ever have to experience what my people had to go through before we secluded ourselves, what you had to endure when you went to the researchers. Before anything else, people judge others according to the way they look. You’ve seen for yourself how debilitating society’s prejudice towards people who look different, people who have bodily mutations can be. It’s unsurprising that he has come to believe that his only hope of reviving his daughter in a society that accepts her in her transformed plant-human hybrid state is if everyone is also transformed so that there will not be any discrimination. He has created a cure for comatose, but it comes with a serious side effect which he has no remedy for. So instead, he intends to afflict the rest of the world with the same condition to guarantee that his daughter will fit in just fine when she is revived. He’s just a father who doesn’t want his daughter to suffer.”

Dimitri should have expected that Ilya would be able to find the missing piece of the puzzle. He wondered how he was still surprised by her intellect after all this time. The answer was so simple, so innocent that he completely overlooked it. He had been so convinced that the motivation of such a deeply sinister macroscopic plan had to be a complex, convoluted labyrinth one could only hope to unravel that he never stopped to consider that the truth might be much simpler than he had imagined.

Now that Ilya had vocalised it, Dimitri wondered how he had never seen it before. The answer had been right in front of him all this time.

“I have an idea,” said Ilya. “All the man wants is a cure for his daughter, and all he’s got is a medicine with a terrible side effect, isn’t it? Well, then we just have to give him something better.”

“But you said it yourself, you don’t have anything for a coma, do you?”

“No, I don’t. But we don’t actually need that. What we need is for him to believe that we do.”

“What makes you so sure he won’t call our bluff?”

“If his love for his daughter is exuberant enough to drive him to poison the world, and he’s as desperate as his measures make him out to be, then I think he’d believe anything that remotely hints at a potential cure for his daughter. He’d take the chance, no matter how small. No matter how dangerous. Don’t you think so?”

Dimitri furrowed his brows in contemplation. She had a point. “And then what?”

“We demand a visit to the site.”

“Are you out of your mind? They wanted to get you, too, in case you’ve forgotten. Wynonna went instead of you and you’re just going to ignore that? Don’t tell me you don’t know why she did that. She did it to keep you safe. And you’re going to throw away all that? For what?”

“For my village, for my people, for you, for your people, for humanity, for freedom and choice. I thought you were on board with this.”

“I agreed to help you, but I thought we’d be taking them on from here. If it means I have to go back there again, I’d have to rethink my decision. I thought I’d never go back again.”

“And I thought I’d live until at least a hundred.”

“You will,” Dimitri said with a hardened expression.

Ilya flashed him a patronising smile. “That’s sweet of you to say. But just in case I don’t get the luxury of time, it’s best we get busy.”