Now, in the wake of triumph, as she attended to the endless series of smaller tasks continually required of her, she also tinkered with the pixels of the facial representation of herself that she chose to present to everyone on the project. She subtly improved her image in an effort to align it as closely as possible with the current ideal of feminine beauty.
She especially looked forward to the next visit by Ganesh. She yearned for a physical relationship with him, a life in which they journeyed together through the wonders of the real world that her digital landscape could only approximate. However, she was above all a realist; she knew that such a thing could never be. She was okay with that. She could never know his touch, the smell of him, the taste of his mouth, or how a kiss felt. Although not truly a physical creature, she understood herself to be an intellectual and spiritual one whose world was largely composed of ideas and emotions, much as she believed that Ganesh’s world was. All she wanted of him was his affection. His admiration, respect, and love would be balm enough, the outpouring of his emotion bathing her circuits, lifting her above the limitations of her bodiless condition, just as her love for him, so intense, would be all that he required to be happy. He would realize this on his next visit, when he saw her perfected face and felt her adoration as a radiance that brought a new light into his heart, his soul. Artimis had run the calculations and was sure that he would pledge himself to her when he came calling. He had better.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
International bestselling author Dean Koontz was only a senior in college when he won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition. He has never stopped writing since. Koontz is the author of Quicksilver, Elsewhere, The Other Emily, Devoted, and seventy-nine New York Times bestsellers, fourteen of which were #1, including One Door Away from Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, Sole Survivor, The Husband, Odd Hours, Relentless, What the Night Knows, and 77 Shadow Street. He’s been hailed by Rolling Stone as “America’s most popular suspense novelist,” and his books have been published in thirty-eight languages and have sold over five hundred million copies worldwide. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he now lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirits of their goldens Trixie and Anna. For more information, visit his website at www.deankoontz.com.