Adventures of the Artificial Woman Read Online Free Page B

regular friends, if not ever, at least not yet. It was true that thus far she had performed spectacularly well, but even human beings have their lapses. If Phyllis had one, the game might be up in an instant.
    Her batteries obviously were holding their charge, else she would have retired temporarily to the back bathroom and replaced them with fresh units, as she was programmed to do when it was necessary, a little backup dry-cell system providing enough power to effect the switch. Nevertheless, Pierce felt it prudent to make the exchange before one became crucial, and he suggested as much when the guests had adjourned to the upholstered furniture for coffee and Phyllis and he were alone for a moment in the kitchen.
    â€œAll right, Ellery,” she said, turned quickly, and collapsed to the floor.
    The fall made little noise but was sufficiently violent to have had serious implications. Helping her to her feet, Pierce made a quick inspection by eye and touch and found nothing amiss, but whether internal damage had been done would be difficult to ascertain without a more thorough examination than was practicable at the moment. Yet allowing her to resume her full role as hostess would be risky.
    It was of course nonsensical to ask how she felt, but he did so anyway.
    â€œI’m fine.”
    Though he had only himself to blame, Pierce spoke irritably. “You don’t know how you are, Phyl. Are you even aware you just fell down?”
    â€œThat’s too bad.”
    â€œLift both arms, twisting the wrists, then lower them…. Spin in place…. Your equilibrium doesn’t seem to be affected. What’s the sum of six and eight?”
    â€œFourteen,” she answered promptly, but quickly corrected herself. “Or fifteen. Whatever.”
    He repeated the question and heard still another answer. “Maybe twenty-seven. Who gives a shit?”
    Another phrase he had, unwisely, given her as a joke, at a time when he could not have envisioned a future juncture of this sort. But he refused to panic. “Go to the bedroom and close the door.”
    â€œAll right, Ellery.”
    He observed Phyllis’s stride as she walked down the hall and saw nothing irregular. It seemed he was in luck: her “mental” problems, involving only a chip or two, were much more easily dealt with than the subtle physical functions.
    He returned to his guests and made the announcement. “I’m sorry. Phyllis isn’t feeling well all of a sudden. She’s had to go lie down.”
    â€œCan I help?” offered Janet, producing a sympathetic knit of eyebrow, an effect Phyllis could not as yet display. Pierce was learning a lot by watching a real woman at close range. Of course there were female colleagues and employees to observe at work, but the conditions were distracting.
    â€œA little rest will do the trick, I’m sure,” said he. “She exhausted herself on this meal.”
    â€œPoor baby,” groaned Ray. “I can imagine.”
    Cliff modestly echoed his partner’s sentiments, but Hallstrom showed the most dismay of all, his long jaw falling.
    â€œGo to her, Janet,” said he, and before Pierce, now pouring wine at the other side of the table, could block the route, Janet did as asked. She was more than halfway along the short hall when Pierce reached its entrance. He could only bring up the rear as she found the right door on her first try, opening it and plunging within, whining, “Darling Phyllis, it’s Janet. How—”
    Pierce arrived just as his animatronic wife delivered a powerful punch to Janet’s jaw, knocking their neighbor to the floor. He knelt to determine whether the woman was still alive, as she proved to be though altogether unconscious.
    He rose. “You’re out of control, Phyl. I’m going to have to dismantle you.”
    â€œAll right, Ellery,” she said with normal submissiveness, but when he came near enough she