Short Stories
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
"Just a Man"
A free short story for you:
http://www.wikifictionstories.com/index.php/%22Just_a_Man.%22
"JUST A MAN"
by: Anna Parrish
3,500 words
****** HANS’ PART: ********
I look like a man for I was made in the image of a man, but I am not a man. I am an android. I was created to protect and serve the humans who manufactured me. But I am different from the others for when my model was produced, my makers installed a ‘mother’s’ chip into us because our programming was for childcare. We were able to love, to give comfort and attention to the children in our charge. It did not matter what the child was like; our love automatically shot into full force the moment we came near them. We would have died for the boys and girls under our care, that’s how strong our internal systems were set. I was bought by Dr. Leavitt, activated, and sent to him. He had a four year old daughter. His wife had died and his child was not responding to anyone or anything. The father had to go away a great deal for he was a reconstruction surgeon, and he needed someone trust worthy to care for her.
The first time she saw me, her eyes were dark and sad. She sat at her little table, playing with her long, black braid, simply looking up at me. I waited patiently. She finally said, "You’re bald."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"They did not think I needed hair to serve children." Actually, no android had hair on the head. Even the sex-bots wore wigs that came off. It was a mark that we were creations, a sign produced to keep the real humans from becoming uneasy around us.
She thought about that. "Father said you’re a machine."
"I am."
"You don’t look like a machine."
"They made me to resemble a human."
"Why?"
"They wanted it easier for people to accept me."
"Oh." She thought again, and asked, "Are you like the coffeepot?"
I sat on the floor so I could look into her eyes, but I did not touch her. "In a way. We both have programming but I am not able to produce coffee." I saw the spark of interest in her eyes, and rejoiced.
Her voice was solemn when she spoke. "Why?" She seemed to understand my words as I explained to her the difference between the coffeepot in the kitchen and myself. "So you came to play with me?"
"I came to play, to teach, to protect."
She reached up, and took my hand. "I’m Lena."
"I’m model K1-L10."
She shook her head. "No; I’m going to call you Hans."
Hans... I had a name. It pleased me, that acceptance of hers. It would make things easier for her to receive me willingly into her life, for her to react favorably to my presence in her life.
****** LENA’S PART: ********
He told me that he had come to play, to teach, to protect, and he did. I was happy with him. He was my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, all rolled into one. When I tore my teddy bear, he fixed it. When I woke in the night, crying, he came to comfort me. When I fell, he was there to pick me up. He was kind, gentle, loving, everything my father was not. Oh, I know, Father had to be away, often, and I needed someone to be with me. That was Hans. I called him Hans for he had no name, just a model number, and I did not think that was right.
Father always refused my name for the android. He had insisted on using that stupid model number. Once, when I reminded him that I called him Hans, he said, "Stop being silly, Lena. Androids don’t have names."
"Mine does."
A hard look came to his face. "You’re being foolish. Child, leave me."
And I left. Why shouldn’t androids have names? I went to Hans and asked him. He said, "We do not need them."
"Why not?"
"We only serve one family at a time. You know me; I know you. I do not need a name."
"I have a name."
"You go out into the world where there are many humans. You intermingle with them. One must be able to tell you from another person. I do not go out into the world as you do."
"Oh." I hugged him. "Well, you’re always going to be Hans to me!"
"Thank you, Miss Lena."
When I was fifteen, my hormones kicked in overtime and I fell in love with him. Call it a crush, if you will, but I know it was love. And, when I was fifteen, father sent him away, selling him to another family who had children who needed a nursemaid.
A nursemaid....
Didn’t father know Hans was more than that to me? Perhaps he did; perhaps that was why he sent him away. I woke one morning and went looking for him, but could not find him. I ran to father and asked where Hans was.
"Model K1-L10 has gone to a new family."
Gone to a new family? I stared at him, bewildered. He stared back, cool, distant. I finally asked, "Why?"
"You are too old for a nursemaid."
Too old? I would show him! He would have to bring Hans back then. Becoming a free-thinker rebel during that time period, I became involved with a hacker group who called themselves the Insiders, taking money from my father behind his back to help fund their research. They wanted to reprogram the androids. Besides that stealing, I did many terrible things; I took drugs, drank, ran away, but father never brought him back.
"If this is what he taught you," my father told me one day, quite angry, "I’m glad I sold him."
"I love him," I told my father coldly.
Glaring, he snapped, "That’s absurd. He isn’t human. Are you crazy? My God, girl, he has no heart; he has a positronic brain!"
"You don’t understand!" I yelled.
"Girl! Go to your room."
Sobbing, I ran to my room. I didn’t care what he thought. I knew Hans wasn’t human but I still loved him., but I did change my ways then for I realized I was giving my father a bad impression of Hans. I didn’t want that. One thing I did do, though; I searched through his records, stole all the paperwork he had on Hans. That wayward life gave me one good thing; I was able to steal without getting caught. Chalk one up for Lena!
I turned eighteen. Mother’s inheritance came to me. I moved into my own place, and then, I went to the Ginsberg Institute. I was going to buy Hans. I didn’t care how much of the money it took to purchase him. I wanted him back into my life.
That place was huge, almost a city in itself. Androids of all types, care-givers, worker robots, one eyed teachers, clerical personnel, sex-bots, you name it, all were produced there. Every year, a newer model took the place of an older one. They were always improving what they developed. I went to the front desk. They showed me into a room where I could make arrangements to buy one of their machines. It covered a city block, that room, with over a thousand cubicles, all filled with computer terminals and clerical androids. I took a number and waited. Three hours later, I was shown into a cubicle. The one who waited on me was an android clerk, male in apperance.
I told him what I wanted. He told me, "We have many model K1-L10's here."
"No, I want the one that matches this specific serial number." I pointed at the paperwork I had bought with me.
"May I ask why?"
"He took care of me when I was young."
"All our care-givers..."
"No. I want him."
He punched data into his terminal. "He is not here in storage; someone owns him," the man told me.
I wanted to know who, but he would not tell me that. It was against the rules of that business. "When he comes up to be resold, I want him. I’ll pay you double, triple, for him."
He argued with me, "There are newer models."
"I don’t want a newer model; I want him."
"We have others of that same model."
No. How many times did I have to tell him? I wanted Hans. That android shrugged, and made a notation on Hans’ file.
"We will not over-charge you for this android. He is used, old." He gave me a cost.
"I’ll pay you now..."
"No. The Institute will not accept your payment now. It is against their regulations."
Nodding, I signed paperwork and left. I put aside that amount of credit, and then used a lot of what was left to fund the Insiders. They still worked to re-do androids. Like human? Ah! Androids had no free will. They could not fall in love. They could not say no to a simple order. Bring me a glass of water... No, get it yourself. Androids couldn’t do that. They might look like humans, but they were not. Jacks still ran that group. He was grateful for the money I gave them.
They were developing a new chip, a self-programming, free-will chip. They tried the initial attempts a couple of times, back at the beginning. The androids, not used to their new emotions, were discovered right away. They taken, destroyed. Jacks and his friends persevered. When I added my money in with their intelligence, there was be no stopping them. I loved Hans and wanted him to love me, really love me. I realized that if Hans had free will, he might choose someone else, but that was a risk I was willing to take. I would try to win him without that ‘upgrade,’ but I would have Jacks insert it if needed.
It would take a year before that call came. Hans was being transferred again; did I still want to buy him?
Yes! Oh, yes.
Hans came back into my life. I knew from the moment he entered my home, that I still loved him.
****** HANS’ PART: *******
I knew who she was of course. Her name alone told me that. They did not wipe my memory for things I had learned from each of my charges served as a data base for future children, my life with her included. She was taller, slimmer. Her hair was now cut short. She wore the short jean suit so popular in today’s youth. I thought I had been bought to take care of her child, but she had none. She came to me, hugged me.
"Oh, Hans!" Tears filled her eyes.
"Miss Lena?"
"You’re to call me Lena, not Miss Lena."
"If you wish. May I ask why I am here? You have no children."
"No, but I was happy being with you. You can still be my nursemaid."
"You are too old for a nursemaid."
She laughed. "Then you can be my friend." She led me to a sofa. When I stood there, she pushed me down. "Sit. Let’s talk."
"About what?" Talk? I could talk to a child. It was easy for me to explain why the sky was blue; what made up the air we breathed, but what could we discuss? She began to talk then, telling me about her life after I was sent away. I grew interested. Part of my programming was the ability to feel and show curiosity and enthusiasm, but to be honest, it was not hard with her. She had been my first assignment; she would always be special to me. She was animated, happy. We made dinner together, ate. When it grew late, we went to bed. I had a room of my own. I did not totally shut down but I slowed my body for hiatus. The noise she made as she came into my space shortly before midnight, aroused me instantly.
I sat up, looked towards her. "Lena?"
"I had a bed dream. Can I sleep with you?"
I saw no reason to tell her no. I moved over and picked up the blanket. She got in. She cuddled with me and went back to sleep. When she woke the next morning, she hugged me tightly. "Oh, I did miss this most of all. Did you?"
Honesty was an essential part of my make-up. I had to tell her the truth. "No." She quickly turned from me but I caught the hurt look on her face. "Lena? I am sorry. It was not my intention to hurt you."
"I know," she said sadly, sitting on the side of the bed, "You can’t lie."
"No, I cannot." I sat up.
She turned to look at me. "Did you ever want to?"
"No."
She chewed her lower lip. "Would you like to?"
"No." I slipped of the bed and went towards the kitchen. "What would you like to eat this morning?"
***** LENA’S PART *****
What did I want to eat? My heart was in turmoil and he wanted to know what I wanted for breakfast. Though I knew he was simply following the instructions written on his core being, it hurt. Holding my emotions in check, I told him, "Ice cream."
"That is not a nutritional breakfast, Lena."
"Then surprise me." I let him go to the kitchen and I went into my room where I showered and dressed. When I came out, he had the food on the table. While we ate, I made him tell me about the years spent away from em, and the other families he had served. Finally, I asked, "Was I that bad?"
"All children push to see how far they are allowed to go."
"Me included?" I took a bite of the oatmeal.
"Yes."
"I’m sorry, Hans."
"Why? You were being yourself."
Bitterly, I told him, "I was being a human. No wonder you don’t want to be one."
"I have no need."
"You’ll live forever and we’ll die, yet you can’t feel, not truly."
"I will not live forever. I am marked for demolition the next time I am sold."
I goggled at him, shocked. "You’re what?" When he began to say the same words again, I held up my hand to stop him. "Then I will never sell you."
"Assuming you will keep me that long, Lena, you will get old and die, and I will be left without an owner. When they come for your body, they will also come for me. They will take me into the Institute and remove my positronic brain, my core being..."
I shot up, alarmed. "Stop!"
"Why does my destruction bother you, Lena?"
"Because... because..." I couldn’t finish. I simply left him in the kitchen alone. Halting in the living room, I whirled and returned to him. He was calmly cleaning the kitchen. Gritting my teeth, I hissed, "I love you!"
"What you are feeling..."
I lifted my hand to stop him again. He grew quiet. "Don’t give me that psychiatric crap. I’ve seen all the talk shows, read all the articles; I’ve heard it until I’m blue in the face." I walked over to him, took the plate out of his hand and plopped it back on the table. "I love you... you, Hans, you."
"You are the only human that calls me by that nomenclature. I am model..."
My face grew hard, my voice cold. "I will not have you refer to yourself by model number any longer; do you understand?"
"Yes."
His face revealed nothing. I knew that was because there was nothing there to show. All his emotions were false ones inserted by the Institute. "If I kissed you, what would you do?"
"That would not be proper."
"I didn’t ask if it would be proper, I ask what would you do?"
"I am unable to respond to that type of touching."
"I know. I know, I know; your neural network isn’t set up for that. Even the sex-bots pretend to feel. Let’s go for a walk."
"Should I finish cleaning first?"
Sighing, I nodded, and left him again. I didn’t want to put that artificial chip into him, but it looked like it would be necessary. Still, I would try again. When we went for that walk, I bought ice cream. I gave one to him. He took it, thanking me as he did. He ate his slowly. Laughing, I stuck my finger into mine, and then touched his nose.
****** Hans’ Story: ******
Her action raised all the red flags in my neural pathways. What she was doing was wrong. I was hoping her love was merely temporary, but her action with the ice cream told me it wasn’t. I took hold of her wrist quite firmly and ordered, "Miss Lena, behave." Distress over my reaction to her came immediately to her features. She turned and walked away. I followed. We returned home. She immediately went to her room and shut the door. I heard her talking on the phone. That night, an old acquaintance of hers came over. Lena answered the door. Her friend was tall, skinny. He wore his black hair tied back. He wore black clothes. There were many pimples on his face. He studied me as he walked into her apartment.
"Jacks, this is Hans.. Hans? Jacks is an old friend from way back."
He shook my hand. "I’m pleased to meet you."
"I too am most pleased to meet with you. Lena has never had friends over," I told him.
He half grinned. "I’m an old friend from school."
My thought processes told me this was a good thing, that she would begin to concentrate on him and forget this emotion she had attached to me. "I shall put the dinner on the table. When I turned, something sharp hit my neck. In alarm, I whirled. All my survival instincts clicked in, but there was nothing I could do. I felt myself falling. Looking up, I saw Lena was crying.
"You gave me no other choice, Hans," she said, and everything went blank.
Return to full consciousness came immediately. I was seated on a chair in her living room. She stood there, watching me. "If there had been any other way..."
"I do not understand." I got up. There was something incorrect with my neural system. "Something has been altered." Red flags shot up within me. "I must return immediately to the Institute." I turned towards the door but she blocked my exit.
"I had Jacks add an emotion chip into your brain."
"Why?"
"I want you to love me."
"Love is... love is..." I stopped and began once again. "It is illegal for an android to experience love. The Institute created us without true human emotions. They gave us artificial affection to care for the children, but it is a false response to stimuli. They will destroy me."
She smiled. "They can’t hurt you if you don’t tell them."
"You did this to me."
"Yes, I did, with a friend’s help."
"That ... that young man who was here?"
"Yes. He’s invented a free-will chip. I had him insert it into you."
"I do not comprehend the reason, Lena."
She sighed wearily. Shaking her head, she murmured, "I want you to love me."
"Love is..." I stopped, unable to continue. Turmoil ran like wildfire through my brain. She came to me, kissed me. I froze, just for a moment, then that chip she inserted into me came into full mode. I lifted my fingers to my lips, bemused. I asked her, "Why did you do that?"
"Didn’t you like it?" she teased, soothing a path up and down my arm.
Shaken, red flags flaring up, trembling violently, I took a step away. "You must not do that."
She seemed puzzled. "Why? I thought you would welcome me now."
"Humans must not love androids." I wanted to say more but could not. Not only was my verbal command center being shut down, my whole system would self-destruct in a matter of moments, and I couldn’t tell her. My core being was being erased. The Institute had inserted a special system-failure integrated circuit within my brain the last time I was returned to them. Too many of the older androids were being given free-will resulting with catastrophic results. Many of them had to be destroyed. This was their attempt to salvage them before they were damaged.
Totally bewildered, she once more repeated her, "I don’t understand, Hans. Jacks guaranteed this would work, that you would love me; he promised! You should be more responsive." I fell to my knees. She ran to me, held me. "Hans!" I looked at her but did not know her. Who was she? Why was she weeping? Where was I? Alarmed, she cried out, shaking me violently, "HANS!"
The world grew dim. Sounds faded away.
********* Words for the android, model K1-L10's: *********
Model K1-L10 is a care-giver to children. Though he is one of the older models, he has been recently updated with new software. He is able to simulate love. He has the ability to teach boys and girls many different things. He will be there when they are frightened, when they are lonely. Model K1-L10 will be with them when they require to speak with someone. This android will serve his charges to the upmost of his ability. You need not fear the safety of your children when he is around. He is, of course, previously owned. One family bought him twice.
—the end---
http://www.wikifictionstories.com/index.php/%22Just_a_Man.%22
"JUST A MAN"
by: Anna Parrish
3,500 words
****** HANS’ PART: ********
I look like a man for I was made in the image of a man, but I am not a man. I am an android. I was created to protect and serve the humans who manufactured me. But I am different from the others for when my model was produced, my makers installed a ‘mother’s’ chip into us because our programming was for childcare. We were able to love, to give comfort and attention to the children in our charge. It did not matter what the child was like; our love automatically shot into full force the moment we came near them. We would have died for the boys and girls under our care, that’s how strong our internal systems were set. I was bought by Dr. Leavitt, activated, and sent to him. He had a four year old daughter. His wife had died and his child was not responding to anyone or anything. The father had to go away a great deal for he was a reconstruction surgeon, and he needed someone trust worthy to care for her.
The first time she saw me, her eyes were dark and sad. She sat at her little table, playing with her long, black braid, simply looking up at me. I waited patiently. She finally said, "You’re bald."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"They did not think I needed hair to serve children." Actually, no android had hair on the head. Even the sex-bots wore wigs that came off. It was a mark that we were creations, a sign produced to keep the real humans from becoming uneasy around us.
She thought about that. "Father said you’re a machine."
"I am."
"You don’t look like a machine."
"They made me to resemble a human."
"Why?"
"They wanted it easier for people to accept me."
"Oh." She thought again, and asked, "Are you like the coffeepot?"
I sat on the floor so I could look into her eyes, but I did not touch her. "In a way. We both have programming but I am not able to produce coffee." I saw the spark of interest in her eyes, and rejoiced.
Her voice was solemn when she spoke. "Why?" She seemed to understand my words as I explained to her the difference between the coffeepot in the kitchen and myself. "So you came to play with me?"
"I came to play, to teach, to protect."
She reached up, and took my hand. "I’m Lena."
"I’m model K1-L10."
She shook her head. "No; I’m going to call you Hans."
Hans... I had a name. It pleased me, that acceptance of hers. It would make things easier for her to receive me willingly into her life, for her to react favorably to my presence in her life.
****** LENA’S PART: ********
He told me that he had come to play, to teach, to protect, and he did. I was happy with him. He was my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, all rolled into one. When I tore my teddy bear, he fixed it. When I woke in the night, crying, he came to comfort me. When I fell, he was there to pick me up. He was kind, gentle, loving, everything my father was not. Oh, I know, Father had to be away, often, and I needed someone to be with me. That was Hans. I called him Hans for he had no name, just a model number, and I did not think that was right.
Father always refused my name for the android. He had insisted on using that stupid model number. Once, when I reminded him that I called him Hans, he said, "Stop being silly, Lena. Androids don’t have names."
"Mine does."
A hard look came to his face. "You’re being foolish. Child, leave me."
And I left. Why shouldn’t androids have names? I went to Hans and asked him. He said, "We do not need them."
"Why not?"
"We only serve one family at a time. You know me; I know you. I do not need a name."
"I have a name."
"You go out into the world where there are many humans. You intermingle with them. One must be able to tell you from another person. I do not go out into the world as you do."
"Oh." I hugged him. "Well, you’re always going to be Hans to me!"
"Thank you, Miss Lena."
When I was fifteen, my hormones kicked in overtime and I fell in love with him. Call it a crush, if you will, but I know it was love. And, when I was fifteen, father sent him away, selling him to another family who had children who needed a nursemaid.
A nursemaid....
Didn’t father know Hans was more than that to me? Perhaps he did; perhaps that was why he sent him away. I woke one morning and went looking for him, but could not find him. I ran to father and asked where Hans was.
"Model K1-L10 has gone to a new family."
Gone to a new family? I stared at him, bewildered. He stared back, cool, distant. I finally asked, "Why?"
"You are too old for a nursemaid."
Too old? I would show him! He would have to bring Hans back then. Becoming a free-thinker rebel during that time period, I became involved with a hacker group who called themselves the Insiders, taking money from my father behind his back to help fund their research. They wanted to reprogram the androids. Besides that stealing, I did many terrible things; I took drugs, drank, ran away, but father never brought him back.
"If this is what he taught you," my father told me one day, quite angry, "I’m glad I sold him."
"I love him," I told my father coldly.
Glaring, he snapped, "That’s absurd. He isn’t human. Are you crazy? My God, girl, he has no heart; he has a positronic brain!"
"You don’t understand!" I yelled.
"Girl! Go to your room."
Sobbing, I ran to my room. I didn’t care what he thought. I knew Hans wasn’t human but I still loved him., but I did change my ways then for I realized I was giving my father a bad impression of Hans. I didn’t want that. One thing I did do, though; I searched through his records, stole all the paperwork he had on Hans. That wayward life gave me one good thing; I was able to steal without getting caught. Chalk one up for Lena!
I turned eighteen. Mother’s inheritance came to me. I moved into my own place, and then, I went to the Ginsberg Institute. I was going to buy Hans. I didn’t care how much of the money it took to purchase him. I wanted him back into my life.
That place was huge, almost a city in itself. Androids of all types, care-givers, worker robots, one eyed teachers, clerical personnel, sex-bots, you name it, all were produced there. Every year, a newer model took the place of an older one. They were always improving what they developed. I went to the front desk. They showed me into a room where I could make arrangements to buy one of their machines. It covered a city block, that room, with over a thousand cubicles, all filled with computer terminals and clerical androids. I took a number and waited. Three hours later, I was shown into a cubicle. The one who waited on me was an android clerk, male in apperance.
I told him what I wanted. He told me, "We have many model K1-L10's here."
"No, I want the one that matches this specific serial number." I pointed at the paperwork I had bought with me.
"May I ask why?"
"He took care of me when I was young."
"All our care-givers..."
"No. I want him."
He punched data into his terminal. "He is not here in storage; someone owns him," the man told me.
I wanted to know who, but he would not tell me that. It was against the rules of that business. "When he comes up to be resold, I want him. I’ll pay you double, triple, for him."
He argued with me, "There are newer models."
"I don’t want a newer model; I want him."
"We have others of that same model."
No. How many times did I have to tell him? I wanted Hans. That android shrugged, and made a notation on Hans’ file.
"We will not over-charge you for this android. He is used, old." He gave me a cost.
"I’ll pay you now..."
"No. The Institute will not accept your payment now. It is against their regulations."
Nodding, I signed paperwork and left. I put aside that amount of credit, and then used a lot of what was left to fund the Insiders. They still worked to re-do androids. Like human? Ah! Androids had no free will. They could not fall in love. They could not say no to a simple order. Bring me a glass of water... No, get it yourself. Androids couldn’t do that. They might look like humans, but they were not. Jacks still ran that group. He was grateful for the money I gave them.
They were developing a new chip, a self-programming, free-will chip. They tried the initial attempts a couple of times, back at the beginning. The androids, not used to their new emotions, were discovered right away. They taken, destroyed. Jacks and his friends persevered. When I added my money in with their intelligence, there was be no stopping them. I loved Hans and wanted him to love me, really love me. I realized that if Hans had free will, he might choose someone else, but that was a risk I was willing to take. I would try to win him without that ‘upgrade,’ but I would have Jacks insert it if needed.
It would take a year before that call came. Hans was being transferred again; did I still want to buy him?
Yes! Oh, yes.
Hans came back into my life. I knew from the moment he entered my home, that I still loved him.
****** HANS’ PART: *******
I knew who she was of course. Her name alone told me that. They did not wipe my memory for things I had learned from each of my charges served as a data base for future children, my life with her included. She was taller, slimmer. Her hair was now cut short. She wore the short jean suit so popular in today’s youth. I thought I had been bought to take care of her child, but she had none. She came to me, hugged me.
"Oh, Hans!" Tears filled her eyes.
"Miss Lena?"
"You’re to call me Lena, not Miss Lena."
"If you wish. May I ask why I am here? You have no children."
"No, but I was happy being with you. You can still be my nursemaid."
"You are too old for a nursemaid."
She laughed. "Then you can be my friend." She led me to a sofa. When I stood there, she pushed me down. "Sit. Let’s talk."
"About what?" Talk? I could talk to a child. It was easy for me to explain why the sky was blue; what made up the air we breathed, but what could we discuss? She began to talk then, telling me about her life after I was sent away. I grew interested. Part of my programming was the ability to feel and show curiosity and enthusiasm, but to be honest, it was not hard with her. She had been my first assignment; she would always be special to me. She was animated, happy. We made dinner together, ate. When it grew late, we went to bed. I had a room of my own. I did not totally shut down but I slowed my body for hiatus. The noise she made as she came into my space shortly before midnight, aroused me instantly.
I sat up, looked towards her. "Lena?"
"I had a bed dream. Can I sleep with you?"
I saw no reason to tell her no. I moved over and picked up the blanket. She got in. She cuddled with me and went back to sleep. When she woke the next morning, she hugged me tightly. "Oh, I did miss this most of all. Did you?"
Honesty was an essential part of my make-up. I had to tell her the truth. "No." She quickly turned from me but I caught the hurt look on her face. "Lena? I am sorry. It was not my intention to hurt you."
"I know," she said sadly, sitting on the side of the bed, "You can’t lie."
"No, I cannot." I sat up.
She turned to look at me. "Did you ever want to?"
"No."
She chewed her lower lip. "Would you like to?"
"No." I slipped of the bed and went towards the kitchen. "What would you like to eat this morning?"
***** LENA’S PART *****
What did I want to eat? My heart was in turmoil and he wanted to know what I wanted for breakfast. Though I knew he was simply following the instructions written on his core being, it hurt. Holding my emotions in check, I told him, "Ice cream."
"That is not a nutritional breakfast, Lena."
"Then surprise me." I let him go to the kitchen and I went into my room where I showered and dressed. When I came out, he had the food on the table. While we ate, I made him tell me about the years spent away from em, and the other families he had served. Finally, I asked, "Was I that bad?"
"All children push to see how far they are allowed to go."
"Me included?" I took a bite of the oatmeal.
"Yes."
"I’m sorry, Hans."
"Why? You were being yourself."
Bitterly, I told him, "I was being a human. No wonder you don’t want to be one."
"I have no need."
"You’ll live forever and we’ll die, yet you can’t feel, not truly."
"I will not live forever. I am marked for demolition the next time I am sold."
I goggled at him, shocked. "You’re what?" When he began to say the same words again, I held up my hand to stop him. "Then I will never sell you."
"Assuming you will keep me that long, Lena, you will get old and die, and I will be left without an owner. When they come for your body, they will also come for me. They will take me into the Institute and remove my positronic brain, my core being..."
I shot up, alarmed. "Stop!"
"Why does my destruction bother you, Lena?"
"Because... because..." I couldn’t finish. I simply left him in the kitchen alone. Halting in the living room, I whirled and returned to him. He was calmly cleaning the kitchen. Gritting my teeth, I hissed, "I love you!"
"What you are feeling..."
I lifted my hand to stop him again. He grew quiet. "Don’t give me that psychiatric crap. I’ve seen all the talk shows, read all the articles; I’ve heard it until I’m blue in the face." I walked over to him, took the plate out of his hand and plopped it back on the table. "I love you... you, Hans, you."
"You are the only human that calls me by that nomenclature. I am model..."
My face grew hard, my voice cold. "I will not have you refer to yourself by model number any longer; do you understand?"
"Yes."
His face revealed nothing. I knew that was because there was nothing there to show. All his emotions were false ones inserted by the Institute. "If I kissed you, what would you do?"
"That would not be proper."
"I didn’t ask if it would be proper, I ask what would you do?"
"I am unable to respond to that type of touching."
"I know. I know, I know; your neural network isn’t set up for that. Even the sex-bots pretend to feel. Let’s go for a walk."
"Should I finish cleaning first?"
Sighing, I nodded, and left him again. I didn’t want to put that artificial chip into him, but it looked like it would be necessary. Still, I would try again. When we went for that walk, I bought ice cream. I gave one to him. He took it, thanking me as he did. He ate his slowly. Laughing, I stuck my finger into mine, and then touched his nose.
****** Hans’ Story: ******
Her action raised all the red flags in my neural pathways. What she was doing was wrong. I was hoping her love was merely temporary, but her action with the ice cream told me it wasn’t. I took hold of her wrist quite firmly and ordered, "Miss Lena, behave." Distress over my reaction to her came immediately to her features. She turned and walked away. I followed. We returned home. She immediately went to her room and shut the door. I heard her talking on the phone. That night, an old acquaintance of hers came over. Lena answered the door. Her friend was tall, skinny. He wore his black hair tied back. He wore black clothes. There were many pimples on his face. He studied me as he walked into her apartment.
"Jacks, this is Hans.. Hans? Jacks is an old friend from way back."
He shook my hand. "I’m pleased to meet you."
"I too am most pleased to meet with you. Lena has never had friends over," I told him.
He half grinned. "I’m an old friend from school."
My thought processes told me this was a good thing, that she would begin to concentrate on him and forget this emotion she had attached to me. "I shall put the dinner on the table. When I turned, something sharp hit my neck. In alarm, I whirled. All my survival instincts clicked in, but there was nothing I could do. I felt myself falling. Looking up, I saw Lena was crying.
"You gave me no other choice, Hans," she said, and everything went blank.
Return to full consciousness came immediately. I was seated on a chair in her living room. She stood there, watching me. "If there had been any other way..."
"I do not understand." I got up. There was something incorrect with my neural system. "Something has been altered." Red flags shot up within me. "I must return immediately to the Institute." I turned towards the door but she blocked my exit.
"I had Jacks add an emotion chip into your brain."
"Why?"
"I want you to love me."
"Love is... love is..." I stopped and began once again. "It is illegal for an android to experience love. The Institute created us without true human emotions. They gave us artificial affection to care for the children, but it is a false response to stimuli. They will destroy me."
She smiled. "They can’t hurt you if you don’t tell them."
"You did this to me."
"Yes, I did, with a friend’s help."
"That ... that young man who was here?"
"Yes. He’s invented a free-will chip. I had him insert it into you."
"I do not comprehend the reason, Lena."
She sighed wearily. Shaking her head, she murmured, "I want you to love me."
"Love is..." I stopped, unable to continue. Turmoil ran like wildfire through my brain. She came to me, kissed me. I froze, just for a moment, then that chip she inserted into me came into full mode. I lifted my fingers to my lips, bemused. I asked her, "Why did you do that?"
"Didn’t you like it?" she teased, soothing a path up and down my arm.
Shaken, red flags flaring up, trembling violently, I took a step away. "You must not do that."
She seemed puzzled. "Why? I thought you would welcome me now."
"Humans must not love androids." I wanted to say more but could not. Not only was my verbal command center being shut down, my whole system would self-destruct in a matter of moments, and I couldn’t tell her. My core being was being erased. The Institute had inserted a special system-failure integrated circuit within my brain the last time I was returned to them. Too many of the older androids were being given free-will resulting with catastrophic results. Many of them had to be destroyed. This was their attempt to salvage them before they were damaged.
Totally bewildered, she once more repeated her, "I don’t understand, Hans. Jacks guaranteed this would work, that you would love me; he promised! You should be more responsive." I fell to my knees. She ran to me, held me. "Hans!" I looked at her but did not know her. Who was she? Why was she weeping? Where was I? Alarmed, she cried out, shaking me violently, "HANS!"
The world grew dim. Sounds faded away.
********* Words for the android, model K1-L10's: *********
Model K1-L10 is a care-giver to children. Though he is one of the older models, he has been recently updated with new software. He is able to simulate love. He has the ability to teach boys and girls many different things. He will be there when they are frightened, when they are lonely. Model K1-L10 will be with them when they require to speak with someone. This android will serve his charges to the upmost of his ability. You need not fear the safety of your children when he is around. He is, of course, previously owned. One family bought him twice.
—the end---
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