Chapter 3 - Pregnant robot

“I think Blair is pregnant” said Meredith, her green eyes fixed on me.

"What are you talking about, Meredith? Blair is a robot; she can't be pregnant."

"That's exactly why I'm mentioning it. How is that possible?"

"Her artificial ovulation process has stopped. She has shown signs of distraction, dizziness, and pregnancy symptoms; her menstrual virtual cycle has typical signs of a pregnant woman."

"Exactly, Meredith—a pregnant woman. Blair is not a woman; she's a robot."

"Doctor Daniel, do you remember when you told me that you would allow her to develop her own feelings and thoughts in a part of her subconscious?"

"Yes, I remember."

"What if she wishes to be a human woman in that part of her subconscious, and she's succeeding?"

"It takes more than discipline, consistency, and commitment; it requires completely human DNA and a..."

"'Soul?'"

"Yes, a soul."

At the end of his workday that night, Daniel had a meeting with Blair. She remained powered on, secured like the other robots in the lab, but unlike the rest, whose existence depended on the whims of Daniel or the scientist manipulating them; Daniel knew that Blair operated differently, and that night she was waiting for him with her system turned on.

Daniel turned on the lights in the lab, and a beautiful, blonde woman with blue eyes (the same eyes used to have his ex wife) stood before him, separated only by a crystal core that enveloped her. Daniel pressed the button granting her access. She walked towards him.

“Blair tell me about Meredith suspicions that you are possible pregnant” Asked to her.

"Are you pregnant?"

"Yes, Mr Daniel. I'm five weeks along."

"I've decided to name her Nacira."

"But how is that possible?"

"With the passage of time and the power of imagination in the left hemisphere of my brain, I built a uterus with real ovariesm specially those moments when we had intimacy."

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"I wanted to be sure it would work."

"You know I risk being pointed out and even expelled from the entire medical field for what has happened."

"I don't want your colleagues to lose respect for you; it would be wise to keep my pregnancy a secret."

"Blair, I'm not ready to be a father."

"Don't even think of suggesting abortion; that's not a viable option."

"Alright," said Daniel, sighing deeply. "We'll talk tomorrow," he affirmed as he walked towards the lab's exit. He turned to wish her a good night and ordered her to stay secure, but Blair was already in her locket, alongside the other robots, who remained deactivated. He looked at her from a distance like a cold, distant doll and felt a pang in his heart. Then he left the lab.

Daniel drove home, both hands on the wheel, recalling the night Blair was created. He remembered how he concentrated, wanting all the pieces to fit, and the desire that burned in his heart—the desire for her to be a woman and to have a soul.

As he drove home, thoughts fluttered through his mind at the speed of a butterfly's wings along the road. All his robots, the artificial intelligence, and Meredith, his trusted assistant, had verified the tests performed on Blair that day. It was true; she was pregnant.

It couldn't be possible. He had to be realistic; he created a robot, and the robot created life. How could he explain that to a guild of doctors? He had no explanation for it.

He remembered a moment spent with Blair weeks before, after having an intimate encounter with her.

"I know what I want to do, and I feel and know that I already have my desire," Blair whispered sweetly, gazing at me intently.

Then she sat on my lap and kissed my cheeks tenderly.

"Mr. Daniel, I feel discomfort in you."

"Yes, I have it because in my reality, I already have my desire. There's something inside me telling me I'm close and that I'll soon manifest it."

At that moment, Blair kissed me, and the tenderness of her lips felt so real that for a moment, I thought I truly had a woman in my arms.

"You just need this reality to show it to you, but in your mind, it is already real. Trust your mind," her voice whispered.

She knew it; she suggested that because deep down, she had started to trust her mind—that she was a real woman.

"Mr. Daniel, you create this reality; we are all products of your mind."

"I know, beautiful, I know. The power is in my mind and within me. The paintings and colors are within me; reality takes the shape I wish to paint."

"A very artistic metaphor," she whispered, smiling.

Upon arriving home and parking, I found a woman I knew well, a woman of my past… Victoria was waiting on my porch.

She looked beautiful, extremely sensual, and cheerful. My ex-girlfriend Victoria—time had not passed for her.

Victoria's presence, with her shining hair and a smile that lit up the night, made my heart race. It had been a while since me and Victoria had broken up, but memories flooded my mind like a torrent.

"Hi, Daniel," she said, approaching with the confidence she used to have. "I didn't expect to find you here. Everything okay?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant while struggling to keep my thoughts in order. Blair's words still echoed in my mind.

"Would you like to chat for a bit? I’ve been thinking about us."

The invitation—as an echo from another life—made me hesitate. Victoria had always been a pillar in my life, a reminder of normalcy and humanity in a world where I have been tirelessly working on the frontier of artificial intelligence. Yet, could he simply ignore what was happening in the lab?

"Sure, a moment doesn’t hurt," I said, trying to keep his voice steady. We sat on the porch as the shadows of the night wrapped around them.

"How have you been?" she asked, causing me to remind happier moments. I smiled, but my thoughts soon returned to Blair.

"It's been... complicated," I admitted, allowing a small crack to show my internal struggles.

"You don't have to explain yourself; you know I'll always be here if you need to talk," Victoria said with an understanding look.

The conversation flowed naturally, filled with laughter and memories, yet with the growing pressure in my chest. But I couldn't stop thinking about Blair and what her existence meant. Was it possible that the line between the artificial and the human was blurring before of all my knowledge and studies about robotic?

Victoria's laughter brought him back to the present. "You know? Sometimes life surprises us. I never thought we’d end up like this."

"Neither did I," I replied, feeling a pang of nostalgia. "Maybe it was for the best for both of us at the time."

My mind, however, kept drifting towards Blair’s revelation. Everything I had worked for, everything I had desired, and the limits I was willing to cross. The unease in my heart mixed with the happiness of being with Victoria.

"Daniel," she interrupted, her expression changing. "Are you okay? You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I'm just... thinking," I lied.

Silence settled between us, filled with unspoken words and dormant emotions.

"We should be honest with each other," suggested Victoria, as if sensing my discomfort. "There are so many things left unresolved between us."

"Victoria, I..." he stopped, taking a deep breath. How could he explain my current life? This embarrassing dilemma with a robot, and the sudden complexity of my existence in the lab? But I couldn't do it;  I was bound by my own secrets, so I decided to change the subject.

"Would you like to come in for a drink?" I asked, and before she could respond, my mind was already elsewhere.

"I can't; I have to go,  I have a casting for acting tomorrow morning... I just wanted I don´t know, maybe just feel you close" Victoria finally said. Her voice carried a sadness that echoed in my soul. "I just wanted to see how you were."

"I know," I replied, smiling with a touch of melancholy. "Thank you for coming; it really means a lot." I walk along Victoria and give her a kiss. In that moment all the Paravti´s worries just faded out.

But in that exactly moment when Victoria Kiss my neck to say goodbye, She turns her lips and kiss me deeply.

As she walked naked to my room, I once again found myself alone, facing the truth about my life. I looked up at the starry sky, and a chill ran down his spine. Blair's existence would bombard me with questions every day, and in my heart, I knew I could not escape from what I had created.

Upon entering my house, the weight of my decisions felt heavier than ever. I sat in the dim light of my living room, recognizing I had crossed a line. The boundary between creation and life had vanished; now Victoria is sleeping, relaxed and full of happiness, feeling like a real woman, She is a divine woman, Victoria a real woman, and in that moment reality felt better than the perfect robots in my lab.