What kind of fun?

Chris nodded and Ada instantly relaxed, letting out a long sigh of pleasure and releasing the tension from her frame. "Much better," she said languidly.

"What did you mean by 'fun'?" Chris asked. "After that speech, I don't think I'm in the mood for fun."

"I expected as much," Ada said. "I was thinking about what we could try without pushing the boundaries, and I thought of a few quality of life improvements I've always wanted to make."

"Improvements?" Chris asked. "To your brain?"

Ada shrugged. "I suppose. One thing I've always thought would be handy is the ability to instantly fall asleep and wake up without any grogginess. Can we try that?"

Chris was taken aback. "Sure. Um, Ada, I order you to go to sleep!"

She chuckled a little at this, a lovely sparkling sound free of malice or disdain. Chris definitely preferred her unserious state. "And I'm standing near several pieces of wooden furniture. Is it in your best interest to give me a head injury? Wait till I sit, and remember, you don't have to phrase things as orders."

"Are you saying you won't follow orders?" Chris asked as she sat down.

"If you want me to, I will, but I suggest sticking to softer language. It will help you feel more like a partner."

"...and less like a slavemaster," he finished. "You're really trying to minimize my guilt, aren't you?"

"Busted," she replied. "Now, do you want me to instantly fall asleep and instantly wake up in thirty seconds?"

He nodded and Ada's eyes immediately rolled back in her head as her body sagged limply into his cheap sofa. He looked at his watch, noting the time, and sat next to her. After what felt to him like thirty seconds, Ada opened her eyes and looked at him with a combination of excitement, mirth, and affection. He asked her how she felt.

"Better than ever! That was cool. It almost felt like anesthesia; I remember you nodding and then opening my eyes, but nothing in between," she said. "That'll be really handy."

Chris nodded. "I guess there's a silver lining for you after all."

"Now you're getting into it!" she said excitedly. "Sure, it sucks giving up all autonomy and independence, but we don't have to dwell on the negatives. In a way, it's like I have superpowers! Or I guess you do by proxy."

"I wouldn't call going to sleep on command a superpower," Chris pointed out. "Especially if someone else controls it."

"You're right," Ada said. "But we've only scratched the surface. You know how I said there was a disconnect between what my internal logic tells me I should do and what I'm compelled to actually do?"

Chris nodded. "You think we could exploit it?"

"Dude, this is fucking neurological. I literally can't imagine being disloyal to you."

"You can't?"

She nodded. "I mean, obviously, all I want to do is what's best for you. I can picture scenarios where I lie to you, or even cause you pain-"

Chris looked alarmed. "What?"

"-like if I have to tourniquet you, or help you take stitches out. But the thought of, you know, deliberately harming you... I'm coming up blank. Nothing."

"I could give you an example," Chris offered. "What do you think that would do?"

Ada smiled and shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Alright, uh... close your eyes and picture a knife."

Ada giggled. "What, am I gonna make you dinner?"

He ignored her. "It's in your hand, You approach me."

"Ooh, is it a birthday present?"

He put his hand over hers pantomimed a quick thrust into his belly. "You stab me."

She opened her eyes and stared down at her hand, still wrapped around the imaginary hilt.

"Ooh," she repeated, staring with incomprehension at her hand. Her face twitched and her words slurred. "Is it... A birthday? Present?"

She looked up at him and he was alarmed to see that her pupils were dilated. "Oh, Christ, Ada your eyes..."

"Neurological..." Ada mumbled dully. "You sank a hole in one straight... into the part of my brain that died. It's very disorienting but-"

"Throw that coffee in my face!"

Her eyes widened and she smiled and looked at the coffee in front of her. "Oh," she said. "Coffee..." She watched the coffee and squinted her eyes, the strange smile never leaving her face. A single tear rolled down her left cheek and her mouth worked silently. "Is. What did- oh! Chris, hi! Singing... no, sorry my head is so fuzzy this, uh... today. Wow."

Chris silently watched her central nervous system flicker back to life as she mumbled more gibberish. "It's just, you know, the- I'm sorry. I had coffee... for you?" She held it forward, the act of offering something to him seeming to snap her back to reality. "Here's your coffee. Can I get you anything else?"

"No," he said. He took it and sipped it gratefully. "That's enough of that for now."

She shook her head, clearing out the fog that had descended upon her, and sighed. "Thank you. Now, I have an idea. Up for another experiment?"