.....*....."dreams of untold strangeness".....*.....

"so, what did they say?" he asked.

"they said happy monday..." she replied.

"they should know better. mondays are terrible," he retorted, "can you pass me that salt grain?"

-----------nothing-----------------------------------

"(sigh) regulation 22. pass salt grain. location. down two twenty," he said.

"yes, master," she replied, passing the salt grain.

"it just seems so wrong. she's so mechanical...and it's all my fault. maybe i never should've"

he thought.

"sir?" she asked.

"please, you know better. call me MURPHY" he retorted.

"no programming assistance" she replied, automatically.

he sighed again.

"yes?" he said, sadly.

"situation report, sire," she said, looking at the wet ceiling.

"no thank you. please, just relax for a second," he replied.

"relax? no such word in programming, master." she said.

"ok, okay, sorry. please go outside and collect diseases," he sighed.

her smile formed. it was so real looking. he fell into it, even if it did not exhist. her eyes-they even twinkled. they allowed the light of her soul in and warmed her whole face. her red cheeks lit up and-wait.

"she isn't real. none of her. this isn't real. she has no soul. no smile. no twinkle to her eyes. no light. no red. no warmth to her face. no and? wait, that doesn't make sense...oh never mind. just stop now" he thought, frantically.

she turned and retreated out.

"I LOVE YOU" he said...though he knew she couldn't hear or even understand the words.

after all, they weren't in her programming...