Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 09:18:38 +0100 (MET)
From: Rick Chasez <jc.chasez@gmx.net>
Subject: Artificial Love 3 - boybands

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction, meaning everything is not true. 'Nuff
said

Thanks a lot to the people who wrote *Mwah*
Previous chapters and other stories can be found at
http://jcchasez.ifrance.com

-----------------------------------------------------

ARTIFICIAL LOVE
CHAPTER 3
by Rick - jc.chasez@gmx.net

JC woke up under the worried looks of his bandmates.
"Are you okay, JC?" asked Joey.
"How many fingers do you see?" asked Chris, with his usual dumb comments.
"I'm all right... where are we?" whispered JC.
"We're still at Wang Industries, JC" replied Lance. "Dr. Wang is telling
Wade how to teach Justin the dance moves".
It all came back to him.
"God, I thought it had been only a fucking nightmare"
"JC, you need to get used to the idea. We have to take Justin with us"
"Shut the fuck up, Lance!" JC cried angrily. "That thing is not Justin, it's
not even human!"
"I'm sorry, JC. You're right... It's just that it looks so much like
Justin... besides, we have to call him that from now on."
JC started crying. He wanted to beat the shit out of Lance... no, not Lance,
somebody else... anybody... he just didn't want to believe this was
happening.

When they were done with the necessary paperwork and after hearing all the
instructions they had to follow, they got ready to leave.
JC overheard Dr. Wang telling the manager he strongly suggested that JC went
to visit a psychologist.
JC felt so angry, how could that bastard think he knew what JC needed or
didn't need? The only thing he needed in the world was to have his angel
back.

---

JC lay on his bed that night staring at the ceiling.
// Just kill yourself //
// How would that solve anything? //
// Well, you wouldn't have to take this shit //
// What if Justin wakes up? Who will take care of him? //
// Do you think he'll ever wake up? //
// I don't know. I can only pray he will //

JC was staying in Joey's house for the night. He just couldn't will himself
to go to his house, the empty house he used to live in with Justin. Every
time he walked by Justin's room, he knew he was the reason why Justin wasn't
there anymore.
JC had to go get a glass of water. As quietly as he could, he went
downstairs to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed a pitcher with
water. He looked for a glass, so he turned the light on.

"Jesus fucking Christ!!!" he yelled and dropped the pitcher to the floor,
breaking it in a thousand pieces.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" cried JC.
Justin was sitting at the kitchen table when JC had come in. Joey had agreed
to keep him as long as he didn't get in the way, but he hadn't told JC. He
knew JC would be very upset and he thought he wouldn't even notice.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would come in"
JC was suddenly speechless. He didn't think the robot would reply, because
he didn't know what it was capable of.
"Are you ok?" asked Justin, standing up.
"Don't come near me! I'm fine"

"What's going on, JC?"
Joey was at the kitchen now, the noise had woken him up.
"Joe, you sonofabitch, why didn't you tell me this thing was here at your
house?"
"Oh, God... I'm sorry, JC... I was planning on getting him out of the house
before you woke up"
"I can't believe this, I seem to be the only one who remembers this is a
machine and not Justin," said JC bitterly.
"JC, please, be reasonable... we have to get used to the idea, Justin won't
be with us for a long time and we have to live with him," he said turning to
look at robot Justin.
JC looked at him too and thought he actually looked sad. His heart throbbed
painfully for a moment. He couldn't bear to look at Justin's face looking
sad, he had never been able to do it.
Robot Justin spoke: "I'm sorry, JC. I know you all lost the real Justin. I
wish it wasn't like this, but don't think I will hurt you or will try to
replace him"
JC froze for a moment. He never thought the robot could... think? His body
started shaking and the tears began to flow. He bolted out of the kitchen
and ran to the guest room upstairs.

---

The next morning, when JC woke up and went downstairs again, he didn't see
the robot anywhere. He wondered what had Joey done after the argument they
had the previous night.
After having breakfast, Joey and JC drove to the studio where they were
going to rehearse. The first thing JC saw was Chris and Lance talking to
Justin.
It was a familiar scene, the three of them chatting about silly stuff. He
didn't know what to make of it.
JC didn't greet any of them, he just stood in the middle of the dance floor
waiting for Wade to tell them what to do.
Wade arrived and said hi to all of them, then he told them he had been
working with Justin and that they should be ready soon.
The music started and JC was surprised to see how good the robot really was,
it was like looking at Justin master the steps in no time while the others
struggled, the way it had always been before.

During the break, JC pretty much kept to himself and went to sit in a corner
eating his lunch. He was thinking of going to see Justin at Cryotech after
the rehearsal when he noticed someone standing in front of him. He looked up
and saw it was robot Justin.
"Hi, JC"
JC frowned.
"Hi," he said coldly.
"I want to apologize again for scaring you last night"
"Um, never mind... I just didn't expect to see you there"
"JC?"
"Yeah?" he replied looking up and meeting Justin's gaze. He felt shivers
down his spine.
"Do you think you'll ever be able to be my friend?"
JC's eyes began watering.
"I don't know... maybe"
Justin kneeled and put his hand softly on JC's thigh.
"I hope so," he said flashing JC a smile.
JC knew he would go to the end of the world for Justin, just to see him
smile... this machine looked exactly like him, what was he going to do? He
felt that if he let the robot be his friend he would be betraying the real
Justin. Would Justin ever be back with him?

After a while, JC saw that the others kept talking to the robot just like it
was his angel. He still felt upset, but then decided that since he needed to
live with him anyway, he might as well try to be nice to him.
It still amazed him how the machine was able to carry on a conversation with
them. He also learned really quickly about the things Justin did and all the
facts he needed to know when they were doing interviews and stuff.
They were done for the day and all of them were going to Joey's house to
chill, but JC wanted to go visit Justin.
He was saying goodbye to all of them when the robot went up to him,
"Thanks for everything, see you tomorrow, Josh"
JC snapped.
"What the fuck? Listen to me, you... thing... don't ever call me that!
Justin was the only one allowed to call me Josh, got it?"
"I'm very sorry, JC. Really sorry"
"Whatever, just get the message" and he left angrily.

Later, JC sat next to the device Justin was lying in.
"Please, Justin... come back to me" he said crying.
"I... I love you, Justin"

TBC?

Feedback is greatly appreciated :-)

--
---[ Rick ]--------------------------------------------------
     My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot
-------------------------------------[ jc.chasez@gmx.net ]---