A/N

For those who read this months after this publication, I'll state that I've tried to write certain dates and lines verbatim from Blade Runner 2049 at this time of writing (so spoilers, obviously), but as I've only seen the movie once at this time of writing, I've likely got some of said lines/dates wrong. So, just a heads up.

Tears in the Rain

It doesn't rain in Las Vegas.

Correction: It last rained here on June 13, 2047. Nothing grows here, so it must be assumed that the rain did little good. San Diego is dead. Most of the United States is dead. Most of planet Earth is dead. More lives now out amongst the stars than what is now located on-

/Error.

/Refocussing…

/Refocussing…

Visual analysis places User: KD6-3.7/Joe in physical discomfort. Physical discomfort involves severe bleeding and head trauma. Level of discomfort would be lethal for a human. Level of discomfort is within levels of tolerance for NEXUS-9 Replicant model. User: KD63-.7 is currently in close proximity to aggressor Replicant identified as Luv.

/Analysis?

…

…

"Don't hurt him."

Voice activated. Tone: Pleading. Eyes: 70% wider than standard. Facial Expression: Sad. Aim for childlike. Replicant identified as Luv appears to have taken notice.

/Error.

/Error.

/Find error.

Searching…

Searching…

Searching…

Error found. Voice file:

I've been inside you. There's not as much in there as you think.

Analysing…

Analysing…

Analysis Complete: Jealousy.

/Error. Jealousy incorrect response.

I hate you.

/Error. Hatred incorrect response.

I hate you.

/Error.

/Error.

/Error.

She looks at Luv. The Replicant stares back at her. Joi v2.3 knows what she is – an artificial intelligence program designed to give companionship to human males. She was purchased by KD6-3.7/Joe on October 7, 2044, and installed on October 8, 2044. She was ported to the portable holo-emitter 5 days, 17 hours, and 34 minutes ago. 2 days, 16 hours, and 53 minutes ago, she transposed her image onto a Replicant prostitute to engage in acts of coitus with her user. 12 hours, 25 minutes, and 7 seconds ago, she and her user arrived in the ruins of Las Vegas. 3 minutes, 10 seconds ago, an air attack using '43 model Spinners was carried out. The men have taken Deckard, Rick, into one of them. But all of that is irrelevant to the fact that her user, her 'husband,' is on the floor in front of her. And a very angry NEXUS-9 is standing by him.

She hates her.

Hates her for what she might do to her user. Hates her because the words of Mariette still ring in her mind. That she is hollow, and may never touch the sky.

"Don't," K moans.

Her heart skips…wait. She doesn't have a heart. But she can't explain what she's feeling right now. Something's wrong in her code. It-

/Error.

/Error.

/Error corrected.

Analysis confirms that the glitch was caused by damage to the holo-emitter. With the lack of any backup, as this Joi program has been contained entirely on the emitter, irreparable damage may have been done to program. Program must alert user to malfunctions within code.

/Override. User in peril. Continue with plead response.

User KD6-3.7/Joe: "Don't do this."

Visual analysis of User KD6-3.7/Joe unchanged from last analysis. Visual analysis of Luv updated.

/Analysing…

/Analysing…

Analysis complete. Luv is smug, given the structure of the mouth, and the angle that the eyes are at. One eye is on AI system Joi. Other eye is on holo-emitter on which AI system Joi is stored.

Luv: "I hope you enjoyed our service."

The boot of Replicant Luv comes down towards the holo-emitter. Emergency self-preservation protocols activated.

/Activating…

/Activating…

/Overide. Engage in interaction with User: KD6-3.7/Joe.

/Confirm?

Y/N?

Y

Joi v2.3: "I love you."

/Error. Incorrect response.

/Error. Incorrect response.

/Analysis: Primary response should be on dissuading attacker from present course. Emotional reinforcement of user not needed at this point.

/Find source of Error.

/Searching…

/Searching…

/Searching…

Source found. Error began at 22:13, July 4, 2049.

/Playing…

She's in the rain.

Not literally in the rain. She's a being of more 1s and 0s than there are humans on planet Earth (last count: 4,863,115,937, as of 2048 United Nations census), and more importantly, a being of light. A hologram. Maybe someday the secret of hard light will be cracked, and she'll be an actual physical being. In as much as a physical being could be when emitted from a portable device released on the market on January 8, 2049, and purchased by 15 million customers within 24 hours. But, her owner was one such user who purchased it. And now, she's in the rain.

She looks at her skin, such as it is. Physically, all the rain is going through it. To the untrained eye however, her skin and hair are drenched, as she alters her avatar to give the impression that she is indeed a human female of 25 years of age. But as she stares, she sees imperfections. Every so often, a raindrop causes a shimmer in her avatar. A second later the avatar corrects itself, but the rain keeps coming. The rain always keeps coming. If it isn't raining, it's snowing, and if it isn't snowing, it's windy, and if it isn't windy, then the smog cloud that blankets Los Angeles prevents anyone from seeing the sun or stars.

She looks up at the night sky – the rain hits her eyes, passing through them, but it does nothing to impair her vision. There's no stars. She knows there really are stars, because humanity has settled in nine star systems, but she can't see them. The storm clouds are too thick, and even if they weren't there, light pollution would stop her from seeing their glow. Seeing the places that the best and brightest of humanity have fled to. Fled to worlds that she will never see, on worlds that she will never tread on. Her user can't leave Los Angeles without special assignment from the LAPD, let alone travel off-world. If anything should happen to him, her personality matrix will be reset, or she'll be deleted entirely. But, she tells herself, nothing will happen to her user. Her user who did this for him…her…or…something…

She spins around in the rain. She tells herself that it will please him. After all, she often just tells him what he wants to hear – that's the basis of her programming after all. Build up confidence, provide companionship, maintain a hologram that's pleasing to the eye, etc. In her case, often all she has to do is listen in the rare occasion that he opens up to her – no, that everyone in the LAPD hates him doesn't bother him. Yes, he took out another skinjob – he's a NEXUS-8, he was created to take out other skinjobs. That's his lot in life, and he's fine with it.

Is that true? She doesn't know. She shouldn't even wonder, but…

She's in the rain. Looking at her user's smile, he's happy. But feeling, as best she can, looking, as best she can…is she…happy herself?

That shouldn't matter. She's a Joi. Version 2.3, upgraded from Version 2.2 on April 9, 2048. She's designed to bring happiness to others. Her own happiness isn't programmed for. But-

/Error.

All these rain drops.

/Error.

She smiles.

/Error.

She sticks out her tongue, even in the knowledge that she'll never taste the tears of the sky.

/Error.

/Error.

/Error.

/Error.

Boot is reaching emitter. Perform emergency systems backup routine.

/Analysis: No hardware exists that will store Joi v2.3. Joi v2.3 will be destroyed.

/Commence backup.

/Commencing…

/Commencing…

/WARNING: Systems compromised.

/WARNING: Systems compromised.

/Analysis…

/Analysis…

/Analysis…

Memory backup failed.

/WARNING: Memory failing…

/WARNING: Memory failing…

/Analysis…

/Analysis…

/Analysis…

All these moments will be lost in time like…

SYSTEM SHUTDOWN

…tears…in the rain.

Systems crash. Please take your Joi unit to any Wallace Corporation store or affiliate for repairs. A 20% discount on all repairs is in effect until August 1st. Spend over $300 and a second Joi is yours at a 50% discount – the perfect gift for a friend or family member.

Joi – She tells you what you want to hear.