Betrayal

A lot of my friends had humanoids, I of course didnt. My family didn't have the money for it, the few friends I have that, in fact, do have humanoids, are in a pretty good place financially. I'm aware that Emma uses her humanoid more like a friend than a helper. Ariane uses hers kinda like a maid. I guess the programming in her AI wasn't as focused in emotional programming as Emma's.

I do wonder though, if I did have a humanoid how would I treat it? I sighed, only in my wildest dreams would I get such a gift of owning a humanoid. Although maybe all the horror stories would keep me from wanted one. I remember being scared of my vacuum after I read a story.

I jumped, startled, at the sudden ringing of my phone interrupting my thoughts. I swiped the accept call button and was greeted by Emma's cheery voice.

"So have you asked your mom if you can come over? Mia wants to see you, and well I need help with my homework." Mia was the name of her AI. Honestly, i'm not surprised Emma needs help with her homework but she has a robot that has access to all the internet we have access to. "Dont you have Mia? Im sure she could give you a much clearer, better answer than I could." I suggested. "Well yeah but..." She paused. "But what?" I pushed her. "But I want to do our home work together, its funner that way. Mia is programed to act exactly like a normal human would. Laugh, talk, have actual emotion but I wanna hang out with my human friend too, ya know." I could practically feel Emma making that sad face she always makes whenever she wants me to do something and I refuse. "Alright I'll ask." I gave in. "Okay bye, thank you!" And the beeping of the phone signaling the call had ended ringed in my ears. Well I guess I better go ask now, I sighed.

I peeked into my mom's room, "Hey mom, can I go to Emma's for a little bit?" I asked anticipating her answer. "Sure sweetie I'll drive you but when will you get back?" She asked worried. "I'll probably be back around 4pm. And don't worry about picking me up I'll ask Emma's parents to drive me back." Its better I dont tell her I'm helping Emma with homework, she'll probably think I'm cheating or something, knowing there is an AI there. "Okay I'll be in the car in 20 minutes." She sighed.

As I left her room I noticed mom looked more tired than usual, she was juggling two jobs, one was at home on the computer and one was around the time I would get back from Emma's. Thats why I told her Emma's parents would drop me off.

I speeded to my room, only 20 minutes to get ready and I look like a mess. I guess I could put less pressure on myself since I'm seeing a friend.

I slipped on a tight plain black T - shirt and put a cropped hoodie over it. I slid into my tight, black, ripped jeans and headed straight to the bathroom.

My hair was a different story. I'm not sure whether I would straighten it or keep it natural. Naturally my hair has waves but I'm not too fond of them. I sighed and stared at my hair straighter. I'll just straighten the side bang that is practical begging for a trim. If I let it go where it wants it covers half my face which I'm fine with. It's just I don't think it looks as good with glasses.

I slipped into my Converse and grabbed my computer case. Most of homework and assignments are posted online since well, we have AI's why not make everything technological. I actually prefer it, this way, I dont keep losing the papers.

The ringing of my phone echoed in the hallway. I stopped what I was doing, setting my hair straighter down for a moment and speeded into my room searching violently for my phone.

"Sooooo, what did your mom say?" Emma asked expectantly. "She said yes, I'll be there soon." "Good! Text me when your close." "Okay I will." I giggled. She sounded excited. "Okay bye Amy!" That's a new nickname. She usually calls me Mimi or Mira. "Okay bye see you soon." I hung up.

I scurried back into the bathroom finding that I left my hair straighter on. I smelled of burning plastic in the bathroom. I realized I left it on my hair brush on high heat. The brush looked like it was melted into the counter top. But my hair straighter, its ruined.

"Sweetie are you ready?" Mom called out from outside interrupting my grief. I sighed, "Yeah, im coming." I rushed outside and hopped in the front seat.

"Whats wrong?" Mom asked. "Uh, I kinda..." I hesitated. The last thing I want to do is complain to my mom about my hair straighter. I dont want her to feel obliged into getting me another one. "Its nothing." I brushed it off. She responded in a look that told me she would help me with anything if I needed it.

Once we reached Emma's house I walked to the front door watching my mom rush out of the driveway. I knocked feeling self conscious. Its just Emma's house, I chanted in my head. I didnt like standing infront of her door waiting, I felt watched.

"You forgot to text me!" Emma scolded. "Oh right, sorry." I giggled, she ended up laughing along with me. She opened the door wider revealing Mia behind her grinning ear to ear. "Hey Mia." I waved. Emma welcomed me into her house, her large, gorgeous, spotless house.

"So where's your parents?" I asked. Last thing I need is to find out her parents aren't here. If my mom were to find out, I can only imagine her anxiety levels rising.

"Uh, yeah about that..."

"Emma!" I shouted. I'm not scared of being alone with Emma and Mia. Mia has built in protection and weapons but there was just this feeling I couldn't shake.

"I'm sorry! But before you get even more mad, I dont need help with homework. Mia helped me." She smiled.

"So why did I come over?"

"Because! Its your day off at work and you deserve something fun to do. So I thought instead of sending you and your mom together I invited myself." She grinned.

Honestly, how can I get mad at her. But I should have known this was a trick. Congrats to her for even thinking of a plan that works, she rarely ever thinks of something that works. "Alright, alright. Where are we going?" I sighed.

"The mall!" She ran upstairs grabbing her bag and pulled me out of the house. "Take care of the house while we're gone Mia!" She called out.

"Hey wait, don't pull me." I struggled getting out of her grip. I dont understand how she is so strong, as frail as her figure is.

I settled into the front seat of her high tech car, it could drive itself so technically there isn't a law for how old you have to be to drive. You're not even driving anyway, the car is. All you have to do is type in the coordinates into the GPS and your good to go.

I looked into the side mirror at my appearance. Going to the mall like this? My hair wasn't straightened so it was extremely fluffy and volumous with waves. I barely even had makeup on, and my clothes. Well my clothes are fine but everything else is not.

"Calm down, its just the mall, you're not even half as bad as the people I've seen in Wal-Mart."

"Yeah well thats Wal-Mart, this is the mall."

"Good point." Emma opened a compartment in front of her that seemed to have my whole bathrooms worth of beauty products. I stared at it wide eyed, "Do you get ready in your car?" I joked. She laughed, "No, but its just incase." She winked.

Layers and layers of foundation, powder, eye shadow, mascara, brushes, and fake eye lashes. I can't even imagine how much it all cost. They were all pricy brands that gave perfect coverage too. "Well go on. get whatever you want." She jestered her hand towards the pile of makeup.

I reached my hand in it getting mainly the foundation and mascara since that was most important to me.

"We're here!" Emma singed. "Get excited cause guess what? There's a sale! A sale Mimi, a sale!"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah c'mon." I dragged her in the mall while she squealed in excitement. I'm starting to get the feeling she did this more for her than me. Not that it's a problem since I'm just glad she even thought of me.

We wandered store to store for hours. Caught up in all the enjoyment trying all the food samples at different kiosk and trying on clothes, we lost track of time and stayed there way later than we should have.

"Emma we should really get going."

"Why? we just got here." She wined. Her shopping obsession is driving me crazy. I can't take her to a simple store without her buying everything in sight. She had about 5 bags hanging from each arm like clothing rack and she still wanted more.

"Emma, its 4:30 I was supposed to be home 30 minutes ago."

"Well ask your mom if you can stay the night, my parents are on a business trip, and I have more than enough space for you. You can have the master with me." She pleaded.

"I can't we have to go," My phone chimed interupting my sentence. I glanced at it, a text from mom. 'Sweetie where are you?' It read. "See I just got a text from my mom, we have to go."

"Alright alright, let's go." Emma said disappointed.

We hopped back into the car, typing in the GPS my house. It was a relatively long drive. I never noticed how far the mall was to my house.

The car came to an abrupt stop sending me towards the glass, the seatbelts stopping me from going flying. I gasped for air as the tight grip of the seat belt wrapped around me. Emma did the same. The small TV screens infront of us alarmed with a red flashing light.

'Emergency Warning: machine meltdown

In your area. Seek immediate shelter.'

I glanced at Emma, my adrenaline rising, and my cheeks flushing with fear. "Whats going on?" My voice my shakey.

The ear shattering sound of a gun shot made us scream and duck down. "We have to get out!" We tried opening the car doors but they wouldn't budge. Outside through our window was a war-zone. People were fleeing while others held guns, knives, any weapons they could get their hands on. That's when it hit me. Those weren't people, they were AI's. They betrayed us.

"Come on! Why won't it open!?" Emma panicked slamming her hands on the glass. "Emma open the thing infront of you." I commanded. "The what!?" She sounded panicked, too scared to think straight. "The thing with all your makeup in it!" The name of it couldn't even come to me, I was too scared. The only thing I could think of was how to get out of here.

"Now what?"

I grabbed one of her lipsticks and sticked it in the crevice of the glass. I slammed my hand against the lipstick and the glass shattered. Now I can really be great full she has all this pricey makeup. The sounds of gunshots and screaming erupted from the shattered window. I can't beleive how amazing the sound proofing in this car was.

I crawled out threw the window, a sharp pain crawling up my leg met with the feeling of a warm liquid trickling down my leg. Blood. I ignored it, that should be the last thing on my mind.

We stared out at the world infront of us, I cant beleive it. Just a few moments ago me and Emma were vibing to music while people and their AI's laughed together, working together. Now it was nothing but chaos.

"This... This can't be real..." Emma's voice was soft, and shaky. She covered her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. "We can't just stand here we have to go." I looked at her. "But where? Where do we go?" Her voice level rised. "I don't know but we'll think of something." I assured her.

Infront of us a man collapsed to the floor. The ground pooled with his blood. A little girl, maybe about the age of 5, screamed in terror. Emma collapsed to her knees at the sight.

I watched in horror as the feeling of a cold hand gripped tightly to my shoulder, shoving me to the ground. "Let me go!" I screamed, my voice reaching a high octave. "AMIRA!" Emma ran to me trying to shove the humanoid of me but it was stronger. Much stronger. For a split second it moved off me, the sound simular to that of thunder boomed, sending Emma flying towards the car. She hit it hard. I could feel it in my ribs. She collapsed back to the ground, her eyes were closed. She didn't move. I yelled, I screamed her name. No response.

My ears hurt. My head hurt. My leg hurt and was still bleeding. I started to cry. There was nothing could do. Nothing. Nothing at all but watch the world crumble before me. I was useless in this situation, the AI that was a top of me that resembled so closely to that of a human male, was scary. Its smile creeping upon it. The small yet sharp blood tainted blade in its hand. Emma lying motionless against the broken down car. Sirens banging in my head, peoples screams ringing in my ears.

I saw the gleam of the small knife in his hands raised above my head. Its over. Its all over for me.