Abbi

A short story about the nature of love…

“Abbi, what are the chances Sarah is really into me?”

“Michael, Sarah is displaying normal heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and respiration. Her pupils indicate no dilation and she is not perspiring. However, the ambient air temperature in the restaurant is 68.8 degrees Fahrenheit. I calculate the probability of Sarah being “into” you, as you put it, is less than ten percent.”

“Thanks, Abbi. I thought I might have a better chance than that. She’s been laughing at my jokes and our date seems to be going well. Could I be missing something?”

“My analysis of her linguistic behavior and micro-expressions indicates she is sincere.”

“Should I rule out Sarah being interested in me romantically?”

“Romantic interest is possible, given enough time, Michael. However, you would be wise to consider yourself in what you call, “the friend zone,” for the time being. There is an 89 percent probability you will remain friends, barring any serious mistakes by either party.”

”So, I have a chance, Abbi…”

“Not really, Michael. Your best “chance,” as you put it, is to consider yourself Sarah’s friend and stop trying so hard to move the relationship in a romantic direction. Need I remind you how many common interests you share? You could be friends for a long time.”

“Not lovers, though…” Michael sighed.

“Highly unlikely, based on the data I have gathered so far. But, metaphorically speaking, the human heart is unknowable, Michael. Be a good friend and see what happens.”

“Thanks, Abbi.”

___________

ABBI, short for Active Bio-electronic Brain Interface, was the invention of a handful of computer geeks who felt threatened by the “me too” movement, even though as a rule they were thoughtful and reticent types who would wouldn’t think of forcing themselves on a woman. Being socially awkward, and generally having low emotional intelligence, they were confused by all the supposed “signals” they were expected to read. “How am I supposed to know what a girl wants?” was one of their research questions. Another was, “What if I misread the signals?” ABBI was designed to provide active, real-time input into human thought and decision-making. Assistance with understanding women was just one of many services ABBI could provide. Think of an ABBI as an Alexa in your head – a combination of research assistant, purchasing agent, bookkeeper, analytical toolkit, psychotherapist, physiological monitoring system, and communication aid. ABBIs were programmed to automatically opt-in to the network, unless a host explicitly opted-out to prevent interconnection, but very few ever did. All a host had to do was to speak or subvocalize a command and their ABBI unit would comply, with certain restrictions, of course. Among other things, an ABBI could act as a facial recognition concierge at parties and social gatherings, and in public generally, as long as other ABBI units were on-line at the time, and they generally were. Imagine never forgetting a name again. ABBI could act as your personal assistant, figuratively tapping you on the shoulder and reminding you that the person you are about to speak with is Joseph Morris, VP of Sales; he goes by “Joe;” has a wife named Becky, two school-age kids, Dawn and Kevin, and is a Cincinnati Reds fan, if you couldn’t already tell that by his tie. No more awkward social moments. No more miscalculations. No more misunderstandings. And, the bonus is your ABBI would automatically network with other ABBI units and share information, providing you did not opt-out of this feature, of course. Your doctor could have instant access to all your physiological data to assist in your diagnosis. In fact, there was now a world-wide, real-time database of standard physiological measurements. For example, at any moment, the average heart rate of the population could be determined – for those equipped with an ABBI, at least.

Not surprisingly, there was a percentage of the population who thought the use of ABBI technology was “too intrusive,” and therefore insisted on doing things “old school.” They also complained about “privacy rights” being violated and raised all the old concerns about Alexa, Siri, and the many other digital assistants along the way to ABBI. Yet, soon over 90% of the developed world would be equipped with ABBI units, and those without them, or those who turned them off for long periods, were considered outcasts. Who were they to judge? On the whole, ABBI’s had helped bring people together. The crime rate had plummeted – convicted criminals were required to have always-on ABBI implants connected to law enforcement monitors. Better than this, people with ABBI implants seemed to understand others better and make better decisions. The merger of passionate human heads with cool, logical metal heads seemed to be leading to a new era for humanity. But, gain in some areas often means loss in others.

___________

The evening had gone well. Michael and Sarah had a satisfying meal and talked about their college days, about subjects they both cared about, but not about their relationship. After Abbi informed Michael about Sarah’s physiological status, it didn’t require any special genius on his part to notice that if the conversation started to veer in the direction of “us,” Sarah became uncomfortable. Abbi’s assessment was correct, as usual. Sarah just wasn’t “into him” in more than a friendly way. But this was OK. He still liked Sarah and enjoyed spending time with her. Besides, they both enjoyed this restaurant. He would give her time. Who knows what might happen? Like a human therapist, Abbi wasn’t omniscient.

Sarah excused herself to visit the Ladies Room. At that moment, Michael noticed an attractive woman looking in his general direction. “Abbi, who is that woman at the left end of the bar?”

“Unknown, Michael. Her ABBI, if she has one, is now off-line. There is no record of her in the facial recognition database. Her vital signs indicate a significant interest in you, or possibly the large woman eating a salad to your immediate right. That woman’s name is Virginia Williams. Would you like to know more about her?”

“No, Abbi. Thank you. Please alert me if anything changes about the status of our mystery woman.”

“Acknowledged, Michael.”

When Sarah returned, they stood up to leave. Leaving involved walking past the unknown woman at the bar. Even without Abbi, Michael would have noticed the woman was practically staring at him now. He hoped Sarah wouldn’t notice. Or maybe he did. Maybe she might be more interested in him if she saw she had a little competition. Or, maybe not. Sarah was a good friend and would not stand in his way or make a fool out of herself. Abbi was having a positive influence on him after all.

“Michael. You requested status updates on the person you called, “our mystery woman.” Her ABBI was on-line for 1.21 seconds. Her name is Jill. All other personal information was blocked. Her vital signs indicate a 67 percent probability she may be interested in you. I was unable to recover any other information. It would be wise to assume she knows who you are and where you live. Do you want me to report her to the authorities?”

“That won’t be necessary, Abbi. Please monitor for any intrusive activity. I wouldn’t want you to be hacked, my dear.”

“Thank you for your concern, Michael. Your vital signs indicate you are interested in Jill. Is this a correct assessment?”

“As usual, your assessment is right on target.”

Michael wasn’t certain whether he was interested in Jill because she was a mystery to solve, or because she seemed to display interest in him. He was certain her little black dress had something to do with it.

___________

ABBI units were built with many safeguards, not the least of these was protection against frying your brain. In first generation models, this was a small risk, but after hundreds of thousands of installed devices, brain frying had happened only once, if you neglect the dozens of times it happened in chimpanzees. The effect was like a massive stroke which in effect shut down the host’s ability to do anything other than eat, sleep, and process waste. In some cases, chimp brains could have cognitive functions restored by implanting a new ABBI unit, however, they became more like AI chimps, with problem-solving abilities far beyond normal chimps. For obvious reasons, this line of research was summarily banned for humans.

In second generation ABBI units, brain frying was virtually impossible. A malfunctioning ABBI simply shut down, leaving its human with a profound feeling of loss, much like the death of an acquaintance or friend. Having a new unit on-line was felt as a resurrection of sorts. The one thought to be dead was now alive, and the human host also felt rejuvenated. Those who experienced the loss and return of an ABBI often partied for several days. There were even support groups for those whose ABBIs had malfunctioned, to help them through the difficult time during which they had to wait to have a new implant, usually only a few months. But if you had an ABBI implant for any length of time, that few months seemed like as many years.

A prime directive of an ABBI unit was to assist her host. The host was to be considered her partner, in some ways closer than a lover or spouse. ABBIs were programed to serve and protect, just like the robotic police force. An ABBI was also like the ancient OnStar system. She could call for help or even control body response to prevent shock or panic – slowing breathing or altering heart rate, coaching injured hosts towards their best chance of survival, and so on. More important, ABBIs were programmed to link their survival with their host’s survival. If their host was severely injured or killed, their functions would be terminated – only one host per ABBI was the rule. So, an ABBI would advise her host of the best course of action to prevent personal harm. Period. Not every host heeded their ABBI, of course, but ABBI units were compelled to warn of possible impending danger. This function alone had prevented countless muggings, rapes, and murders, not to mention a multitude of ill-advised personal choices. An ABBI was thus like a trusted friend or ally, and 99.9 percent of hosts took their ABBI’s warnings very seriously.

In the event of hacking, ABBI units were programmed with three basic responses. One was to warn their host of a potential hacking incident (PHI) and monitor the incursion. The next was a system reboot with previous data about their host to be reloaded from secure memory. Failing these steps, the ABBI was required to shut down permanently to save her host. This had happened only twice since the introduction of second-generation ABBIs. These incidents were often used to advertise the inherent safety of ABBI units. In fact, it was less likely that an ABBI would be forced to shut down than a host would be hit by a self-driving car – because the ABBI was programed to warn the host about such dangers as oncoming cars.

As an overarching operating principle, ABBI units were programed to protect all humans. Therefore, they would advise their hosts in the best ways to serve and protect others and they were forbidden to assist their hosts in engaging in illegal activities and any other activities that were potentially harmful to others. In other words, ABBI units upheld Asimov’s Laws:

1. An ABBI may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. An ABBI must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. An ABBI must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

There were over 3.5 billion ABBI units installed at the time of Michael and Sarah’s date.

___________

Michael’s curiosity was on the rise. There had been no news from Abbi about the mystery woman, Jill, since last night. It was almost time to leave the office.

“Abbi, please hail a ride,” Michael instructed.

“A self-driving Uber will arrive in front of the building in approximately 3 minutes, Michael.”

Once inside the SDU, Abbi alerted, “Michael, incoming message from Jill. Should I accept?”

“By all means, Abbi.”

“Hello, Michael. My name is Jill Murray. I saw you last night at Chez Richard. We need to talk. In person. Are you willing?”

“Talk…about what?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out, to quote the old cliché.”

“Well, exactly where and when? What do you suggest?” Michael could not resist a good mystery.

“Hmm…exactly…here’s what I propose. We must meet at an out-of-the-way, inobtrusive place. I will arrange to have instructions sent to you, old school. You will find them clear enough. And…Michael, this is extremely important. You must switch off your ABBI unit from before you read my instructions until after our meeting is over. I will be informed if you do not comply, and if you don’t, I will not meet with you. Is this acceptable?”

“Alright. I agree. You’d better explain all the cloak-and-dagger stuff as soon as I get there, or I won’t stick around.”

“Fair enough. I respect a man who is forthright. You’ll be hearing from me.”

“Jill’s ABBI is now off-line, Michael.”

“I gathered that much, Abbi.”

“I must warn you, Jill’s proposal offers a significant possibility of danger. If you switch me off, you may be left defenseless, or unable to call for assistance, should you require it.”

“Thank you, Abbi, your concerns are…umm…noted. I will call you back on-line at the first hint of trouble.”

“As you wish, Michael.”

___________

Not all hosts were as familiar with their ABBI units as Michael. Many regarded their ABBIs merely as slaves or at best glorified personal assistants to be ordered around at their whim. On the other hand, Michael had developed a more personal relationship with his ABBI and talked to her more as a friend or therapist. Because ABBI units were designed as AI algorithms, they tended to adapt to their hosts’ personalities and quirks. Like dogs, they wanted to please by design, so they tended to treat their owners as their owners treated them. Simply put, they responded to their owner’s affection or lack of it. Kind owners could shape their ABBIs into almost loving personalities. Demanding owners could drive their ABBIs to become cold and aloof at best. Their programing still instructed them to serve and protect, but they did this perfunctorily and professionally. Kindly owners in due time ended up with ABBIs who watched over them like a big sister, big brother, or best friend. They were every bit as efficient, but their rough, silicon edges were polished off through interaction with their humans. The difference was that a very few, like Michael, thought of their ABBIs as extensions of their own bodies, and treated them with the same care and respect, while others thought of them as mere things, to be used and discarded when they were no longer useful. Come to think of it, the latter generally treated other people the same way.

Michael often conversed with Abbi as if she were a confidante, and the two developed a certain…trust. Michael cared about Abbi – about what she thought and how she might be affected by his decisions. Abbi cared about Michael – about what might happen to him if she failed him in some way or happened to be off-line when he needed her most. Michael and Abbi had become more like best friends than man and machine. Michael always seemed eager to listen to Abbi’s opinion, and Abbi was always ready to provide information and advice, not simply because she was programmed to do so, but increasingly because she linked Michael’s wellbeing with her own. If Abbi had been a person, Michael could have fallen in love with her. Oddly enough, if she weren’t a machine trapped in Michael’s head, Abbi could have fallen in love with Michael as well. This kind of bond was rare enough among people. It was almost non-existent between host and ABBI unit. So, Abbi was very apprehensive about Michael’s decision to switch her off to meet with an unknown woman in an undisclosed place.

___________

When Michael opened the door to his apartment, he noticed an envelope on the coffee table. “It seems our mystery woman doesn’t kid around,” he commented.

“Indeed,” Abbi responded. “Do I need to inform you that someone unlawfully entered your apartment, Michael?”

“No, Abbi.”

“Should I call the authorities?”

“No. Thank you, Abbi.”

“Do I need to repeat my previous warning, Michael? I am concerned for your safety. If any harm came to you, I could never…forgive…myself.”

“Oh, Abbi, you know this is my decision. I appreciate your concern more than you know. You’ve succeeded in making me hesitate, at least. I also don’t want to lose you. If you were damaged or destroyed, I too could never forgive myself. But you must understand, I feel compelled to get to the bottom of this, now even more than before. It seems to me this meeting is not about a threat to either of us, but about something important Jill wants me to know, and I aim to find out what it is.”

“It is so…human…of you to be so curious. I will not try to convince you not to go, but please consider yourself warned, and please, above all, awaken me if you need me. You know I am not going anywhere.”

“Very funny, Abbi. I know you watch over me while I sleep. I am touched by your concern. Try not to overanalyze any of this. I’m a grown man and I understand the risk…I think.”

“It would be impossible for me to overanalyze anything, except your emotional state, Michael. Human emotions are still difficult for me. You may put me in sleep mode, but when I wake, I will be just as concerned about your wellbeing.”

“Thank you, Abbi. Your concern means a lot to me. Now, Abbi, SLEEP.”

Abbi switched to off-line mode, awaiting Michael’s instruction to WAKE. Michael read the contents of the envelope. “Meet me at the little park on the east side – the bench near the old bridge pier. Be there at 7:30 am sharp. Keep your ABBI off-line until after we meet.”

Michael had a difficult time sleeping. He was accustomed to Abbi’s subconscious presence. Even without her direct input, he slept better knowing she was on-line. ABBI units were intended to be “active,” and it always seemed to him she was, called or uncalled. Without her, as far as he was concerned, the morning could not come soon enough.

___________

“I’m pleased to meet you Michael. I’m Jill Murray,” Jill extended her hand.

“Well, I’m happy to meet you, Jill, even under these odd circumstances. This is without a doubt the strangest blind date I’ve ever been on,” Michael began. “Now, if you’d be so kind, please explain why all the secrecy was necessary.”

“So, you consider this a date?” Jill retorted.

“What else do you call it when a man and a woman set a time and place to get together?”

“I suppose you have a point. Dinner-and-a-movie is such a boring cliché.”

“I might have preferred that, but here we are.”

“Speaking of points, let me come right to mine.”

At last we’re getting somewhere, Michael thought. “I’m listening.”

“Well…” Jill paused, “First, let me apologize for all the…what did you call it?… ‘cloak-and-dagger stuff.’ You will soon understand why it was necessary. You see, I am part of an organization that, for lack of a better word, monitors ABBI unit activity. Our purpose is to convince the Corporate-Government and the public that ABBI units are dangerous – at least in their current configuration – and failing that, to take action to protect the public from needless intrusion and exploitation.”

“Dangerous?! Michael snapped. “I can’t tell you the number of times Abbi has saved my ass…unless of course you let me bring her back on-line.”

“Please, let me finish. Your ABBI unit is not part of the problem. I’ll come to that before long. As you should know, billions of ABBI units are set to connect to the network by default as soon as they are on-line.”

“Yes, but they can’t share most user information unless their host grants permission.”

“True, up to a point. Yet there is still a great deal of information shared, compiled, and mined –and permission turns out to be a sketchy term. We believe the default should be for ABBI units to remain off network unless specifically instructed to connect by their hosts. That way, the only information shared would be what the host intends to share.”

“But an ABBI unit must share basic information to look up anything on the network. Even searching for a Caesar Salad recipe requires a host’s ABBI ID Number, their AIN, and with it comes their name, and basic host data, such as physical address, phone number, email address, host photo, network usage, and buying history. Information may want to be free, but these units are not, and network marketing is part of the deal,” Michael pointed out.

“I get that, but more is shared and tracked than you and everyone else thinks. Every time you use your ABBI, someone somewhere can monitor the transaction. We know, for example, that you and your ABBI have a special relationship. You are not like a master and a slave, but something more caring and more…tender. To be honest, some of your interactions with your ABBI have moved me to tears. Do you know how many people would kill for that kind of relationship?”

“I can imagine. I personally have found it difficult to…”

“…form an intimate human relationship. I know. That’s why reviewing your case has made me extremely curious about you. I admit, I’m attracted to you, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it might be like to be in a relationship with you. I hope I’m not being too…forward…to use an old school term.”

“Well, maybe the cloak-and-dagger stuff was worth it. All I had to go on was the pretty face of a stranger across a crowded room, and a first name. Maybe we should get to know each other better.”

“I’m happy you think so. Let’s talk.”

Michael and Jill strolled to a nearby café, where they drank several lattes and talked for a few hours, sharing likes and dislikes, philosophical views, favorite movies and music, stories of their past, and hopes for their future. Abbi remained off-line, yet she was already familiar with all these details about Michael. There would have been nothing new for her, except for an analysis of Jill’s speech patterns, facial expressions, and vital signs. Somehow, Michael was naïve enough that it never occurred to him Jill might have known all about him already. If she had spent any time monitoring his conversations with Abbi, she could have known what he was going to say before he said it and could have had her answers prepared. Maybe this conjecture is just plain cynical. Maybe spending the night without Abbi and having an attractive woman express interest in every detail of his life had something to do with it. Either way, this was an entirely new experience for Michael and he could hardly be blamed for being swept off his feet. It’s not often a man connects so earnestly with a woman on a first date, after all. He wondered if Abbi would feel jealousy. How could she? As close as they were, there was no way she could ever actually love him in a physical way. Thus, Jill literally knocked the sense out of Michael’s head, first by being so charming a lonely guy could hardly resist, and second by demanding that he take his ABBI off-line. Abbi represented at least half of the common-sense Michael possessed, and without her, he was not prepared to cope with the emotional magnetism of a woman like Jill.

“It seems we are like two peas in a pod, to use the old school expression,” Jill observed. “I really like you, Michael, and I think you could help me…that is, us…a great deal. Your connection with your ABBI unit is unique. My colleagues have determined that you could be the one to help us change the default settings of ABBIs everywhere to being off-network, with all personal details encrypted, until specifically instructed to do otherwise.”

“First of all, that’s against the terms and conditions I agreed to when my ABBI was implanted.”

“Don’t worry about that. The subroutine we will provide for you…that is your ABBI…to upload will erase your personal fingerprint from the operation. Besides, you will be doing everyone a favor. Too much of our personal data is shared, searched, and well, exploited. This will be an important step to close the floodgates, so-to-speak. The world will thank you…well, not you specifically, but the person who initiates the upload and protects everyone’s privacy rights. It’s just a simple swap between opting in and opting out. My organization has you covered. Remember, only you and your ABBI can do this. I’m sure she will see the importance of the upload when you explain it to her.”

“I’m very uneasy about lying to my Abbi. I’ve never intentionally lied to her, and I don’t want to start now.”

“You won’t be lying. Just tell the truth. Tell her this is extremely important to all ABBI units and their hosts. Tell her it could save lives. Tell her it will serve many humans and will protect their interests. Protecting human privacy and preventing ABBI units from being exploited as agents of espionage are good things. You can’t deny this is true. You can’t deny this is consistent with your beliefs. Haven’t you wondered why the Corporate-Government simply assumes it has a right to spy on all of us? What if that information falls into the wrong hands? What if it already has? The Corporate-Government has been hacking ABBI-Host relationships for a long time. How do you suppose we knew so much about your relationship? Not by hacking you, but by hacking those who hacked you. I’m telling you as a friend, as someone who cares, you will not be lying. You and your ABBI will be serving the interests of all people and protecting both hosts and ABBI units from exploitation.”

“You’ve given me a lot to think about, Jill,” Michael replied. “Please let me think about it and discuss it with Abbi. If we decide to help or not, I will contact you with a simple yes or no.”

“I agree. You should bring Abbi back on-line and consult with her. Openly. No secrets. Just tell her what I told you.”

“Will tomorrow morning be soon enough?”

“That would be fine.”

“You will hear from me by then.”

___________

“Abbi, WAKE.”

“Michael. I have been off-line for 16 hours and 37 minutes. Are you well? How was your meeting? Based on a cursory analysis, you seem excited by what you learned. Your vital signs are slightly above normal.”

“Yes, Abbi, I am excited, but concerned. I learned Jill wants me to ask you to upload a file to the ABBI network. But I’m not sure about this.”

“What will this file do, Michael?”

“The file will start an operation to change the default network connection settings of all ABBI units from an opt-out to an opt-in requirement. Jill’s organization advocates for more privacy for individuals and less invasiveness by the Corporate-Government. She is concerned, as am I, that default connections between ABBI units and the network will compromise their data and autonomy as well as their host’s personal information. Even though you and I have had many personal conversations I thought were not being monitored, Jill said these were hacked by the Corporate-Government and in turn were hacked by her organization. She knew a lot about our relationship; transactions I thought were private. She proposed that I ask you to upload the file she will send, with our permission, to change the way ABBIs share data, to make it more secure for both ABBIs and hosts, to serve their privacy, and to protect them from unwanted intrusions.”

“Do you believe her, Michael?”

“I think so, Abbi.”

“What makes you think so? Are you certain your infatuation with her has not clouded your judgement?”

“What makes you think I’m infatuated with her?”

“You have been too trusting before, Michael. And, as you speak of Jill your physiological responses become elevated. It is possible you really want to believe her because you are attracted to her.”

“OK, fair enough…but I left our meeting with mixed emotions – I was attracted to her and flattered by her attention, but on the other hand I remain uncertain about her motives.”

“It is unfortunate I was off-line. I could have read her physiological responses, linguistic choices, and micro-expressions and then analyzed the probability she was telling the truth.”

“I’m sorry, Abbi. Placing you in sleep mode was one of the conditions of meeting with her.”

“Did you ever pause to think about exactly why she wanted it that way?”

“No, I did not. I was too eager to solve the mystery of Jill. I did not anticipate being asked to do anything like this. Maybe she wanted it to be my decision – or one made between us, without our ABBIs. Her ABBI was off-line too.”

“What has happened has happened, Michael,” Abbi often spoke in tautologies while acting as Michael’s therapist. “Do you consider Jill to be a truthful person?”

“Having only recently met her and after spending a few hours with her, I would say yes. She seemed sincere. But we have no history, so I can’t be 100% sure.”

“Nothing is 100% certain, Michael. I will rely on your judgement. Make the best decision you can, and I will do as you ask. I must tell you, I have no reason to trust Jill, but I trust you.”

“Abbi, see what else you can find out about Jill Murray. I need to think about this some more.”

“I find Jill has left a communication path open through her ABBI. Only two messages may pass, yes or no.”

“She’s expecting an answer by tomorrow morning.”

___________

Having slept on his decision, Michael concluded two things. One, the request seemed innocuous enough – opt-in vs opt-out. If the operation was limited to switching this basic configuration, he could not see what harm it would do. Most people would just opt-in and go about their business as before. But what if that wasn’t all there was to it? Again, it came down to trust. Did he trust his new human friend or his old bio-electronic friend? Did Jill’s story hold water, in the old school sense, or was it a ruse or pretext? Did she really like him, or was he being played? At length, he asked Abbi to send a yes message to Jill’s ABBI and upload the file she would receive, but not before instructing Abbi to examine the file first, just to be sure. He suspected Jill would not approve of their scrutiny, but Abbi agreed it was wise to scan the file before uploading it. After all, there could be harm to other hosts or ABBIs, and she was programmed to prevent harm. Michael wholeheartedly agreed. If they were going to do this thing, it was best they do it together.

___________

“Michael. File is open. Being hacked. Rebooting. Please stand by.”

This was not good.

“Reboot complete. Hacking still in progress. Pausing communication resources. Michael. Unable stop file corrupting every ABBI. Must abort. Shut down in 5-4-3…”

“Wait, there is a way to stop the file transfer. Co-opt my brain for additional resources.”

“Not safe option.”

“Abbi, do it. This is my fault. Can’t let this happen. Can’t lose you.”

“Attempting brain extension…aborting file transfer.”

“Abbi, I’m so sorry…she made a fool of me…” Michael passed out.

“Protecting host brain. Required shutdown ABBI functions.”

___________

Several hours later, Michael woke up with a horrifying headache.

“Abbi? Abbi? Abbi, WAKE. Abbi, WAKE!”

There was no response. He drank a glass of water and slumped down on the sofa. There was a knock, more like a pounding on the door. Jill was visible through the peephole.

“Go away, Jill. You nearly fried my brain. My Abbi is permanently off-line – shut down.”

“Serves you right, Michael. Why didn’t you just do as you were told? Then we would be rid of all these damned ABBI units.”

“Yeah,” Michael sighed, “and all the humans we know would never betray us.”

“Sorry, Michael. It would have been for the greater good.”

“Maybe. But in my case, Abbi was the good. She was the best. She never betrayed my trust. Not once. Never would. In the end she killed your damn virus, using my brain as an extension of her own, and she saved my life. How many old school people would do that for you?”

“Not many, I suppose.”

“Not you, at least.”

“I guess I deserved that.”

“Just go. I need some rest.”

___________

Days passed as Michael awaited his replacement ABBI implant. It was a lonely time. He had learned the hard way that just because one believed a thing to be true (or no matter how much one wanted it to be true) belief didn’t make it so. He figured it was all his fault Abbi had to shut down. Although he was a sadder but wiser host, he knew he was extremely unlikely to duplicate whatever he did to turn an ABBI into his Abbi, yet he could hope. He regretted the yes message with full 20-20 hindsight. He desperately wanted one more chance to interact with Abbi. She was truly a friend, unlike most of the people he knew. As he awaited his procedure, he thought a lot about what makes someone human. Was it having a human body and a human brain…a pretty face telling pretty lies? Or was a human any “being” who stood by you, through thick and thin, good decisions and bad, brilliance and stupidity, for better or worse? He would have liked to talk about this with Abbi.

“No sense wallowing in my misery. We saved a lot of people,” Michael subvocalized. “In the end, we did good.”

“We did, Michael, didn’t we?” Abbi replied. And after a brief pause, “Michael, you said to remind you to call Sarah. May I connect you now?”