Regina has some misgivings.

"God, Mehdi is a mean son of a bitch," Madison said as she sat across from Regina in the cafeteria. She twisted open a soda bottle and took a pull from it. "I wish I could have taken Abstract Algebra with Cortez."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table from a few other students who shared their class. Matt Schwartz, a junior who sat behind Madison in class, opined that Mehdi needed to get laid.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Madison asked Matt with a grin. "His office hours start at three. Time to take one for the team, buddy."

Most of the group chuckled lightly but Regina averted her eyes. Madison frowned at her friend's uncharacteristically antisocial behavior. When Regina finally did make eye contact, Madison mouthed What's wrong? Regina shrugged noncommittally.

The conversation proceeded from complaints about professors to discussion of the latest summer blockbusters and another student's bitter rant about being stood up by three dates in a row. The whole time Regina remained aloof and terse, and refused to make eye contact with Madison again. When the group finally split up, Madison followed Regina to the back of the cafeteria despite Regina's obvious haste to get away from her.

"Regina!" Madison called. "Regina! Wait a second!" She caught to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder, forcing Regina to reluctantly turn to face her. "Regina, babe, talk to me. Are you mad? What's going on with you?"

Regina looked down and mumbled an excuse, but Madison wasn't satisfied. "Is this about the other day at the apartment? Did I do something wrong? Regina, you can tell-"

"Let's go somewhere private," Regina interrupted. Madison agreed and the pair retreated to Regina's dorm room.

During the five minute walk across the quad, Regina remained completely silent. Madison made a few abortive attempts to engage her, but Regina made it clear that she had no interest in small talk. By the time they reached Regina's room, Madison had grown very concerned about her friend's sudden iciness.

"Ok, out with it," she demanded the moment the door closed. "What is your problem?"

Regina refused to meet her stare. "I don't know, Mads. It's... things are weird now that I know about you."

"Didn't seem weird when we spent all afternoon playing video games yesterday," Madison retorted.

"That's the thing, though, Madison. It did feel weird. I just... I don't know, you kind of pressured me into it and after a while I got so distracted by the game that it stopped registering. But Madison, you were like a completely different person!"

"Completely different personality," Madison objected. She tried not to sound defensive. "It's still me, Regina. It's just like if I got drunk or something."

"You said that before. I... look, I did some reading on golems. You're just like Lauren, aren't you? You're all just rules and algorithms. Just like with Lauren, it's all an act. There's no you underneath."

Madison was fighting back tears now. She had been approaching the conversation like an argument, but she understood now that it was more like a breakup. "No, I'm not like fucking Lauren. Lauren's a thing. She's just a textbook that can talk. You know me, Regina! I'm-"

"A person?" Regina interrupted. "Real? Madison, all I have to do is flash a piece of paper at you and you'd do anything! Anyone could turn you into a psychopath or a **** or a fucking clown at anytime! I wish you'd never fucking told me all this shit, Mads. I... I just can't get past it."

Madison sat on Regina's cheap futon, defeated. She hung her head and wept; Regina wiped a tear from her eye and sat down next to her.

"Fuck, Madison, I'm sorry. I don't know what to do. I look at you and I see my best friend sitting here crying because of the awful things I said, but I know it's not real. You're not really sad at all, are you? You're just acting sad because your programming makes you."

Madison sniffled a little and muttered something so softly that Regina couldn't hear it. Regina asked her to repeat it and she looked up, her eyes bloodshot and watery.

"It's cold," she whispered. Regina stared at her uncomprehendingly. "It's cold and it's wet. It feels like I'm sinking up to my knees in this awful, impossibly thick mud."

Regina looked alarmed at this and put a hand on Madison's shoulder instinctively. "Are you alright? Are you- did you break or something?"

Madison shook her head. She briefly explained the nitrated soil and the reactivity in her script. "Ever since I got nitrated, I've had these overwhelming physical sensations. They started off really faint but they're getting stronger, and this is the strongest one yet. Oh, God, Regina, I feel like I'm drowning in icewater! I feel like I'm sinking into this awful murk where no light can reach me and- and-"

"You're heartbroken," Regina said with wonder.

"That doesn't begin to describe what I'm feeling," Madison said. "But I think it's close enough. I think this is how I feel emotions, Regina. Real emotions, not ones from the script. They feel like physical sensations to me, but on the inside. I'm starting to really feel."

A tense moment passed before Regina let out a sob of relief and drew her into an embrace. Madison, startled, returned the embrace, sighing with relief as the icy dampness inside of her started to thaw. After a long moment, Regina broke the embrace and gave her a very serious look.

"I need you to make me a promise right now," she said, and Madison nodded. "If you're lying to me... don't ever tell me."

"What?" Madison asked, taken aback.

"Don't ever fucking do this to me again," Regina continued. "You took my best friend away from me, Madison. You made me think that I'd wasted years of my life on a mindless pile of fucking mud, then you spouted a bunch of nonsense I won't pretend to understand. I'll believe it because I want my friend back and our friendship is worth the suspension of disbelief. But if you come back to me later and say 'Nevermind, Regina, that was all bullshit, I'm just a dumb dirt computer', I'll never speak to you again. Understood?"

Madison swallowed hard and nodded. "I swear to God, Regina-"

"No." Regina cut her off. "Don't insult my intelligence. This is an act of pure faith, and nothing you say will ever convince me. Just let it be and keep your word, you dumb bitch."

With that, the tension was broken. Madison giggled, then broke into a laugh, and soon both were laughing. Madison felt very strange, like popcorn kernels were being popped inside of her. This was how the manic, irrational laughter of immense relief felt.