Machine Man (serial)

I followed Lola down the corridor to Angelica’s kid’s bedroom. As I did, I became increasingly nervous that the Contours were about to kick Lola in the back. Because, without having anything to back this up, I was increasingly sure they hated her. But we made it to the room without incident, and Lola closed the door behind me. Her arms snaked around my waist. Her face tilted upward.

“Uh,” I said. “Just a minute.”

“Kiss me.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Lola reached up, took hold of my face, and pulled it toward her.

“I think the Contours are—”

Our lips met. I forgot all about self-aware legs. All I cared about was getting closer to Lola. Then I realized I was getting closer to Lola. That invisible attractive force was rising again, dragging my metal parts toward her heart. Lola’s eyes sprung open. Her hands pushed against me. “Charlie!” Finally, she stumbled backward. “It’s back!”

I remembered something: the first time this had happened, back at Better Future, Cassandra Cautery had said: You had to go and excite Miss Banks. Now I had a second data point, there could be no doubt. “It’s your heart. It happens when your heart beats fast.”

“What?” Lola clutched at her chest. “What?”

“Whatever they put in there when they replaced your heart. It’s activating at high heart rates.”

Lola’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh. Wait. Don’t get scared,” I said. “That will make it worse.”

116.