Status: Finished; working on the sequel
In The Dark
Chapter Fourteen
Owww… My feet hurt so much… I can’t believe we just walked through two hundred rooms, only half of my half of the rooms here. It’s insanity.
We went through nurses’ offices, playrooms, computer labs, and indoor pool areas, file rooms [during which Nick kept me away from the cabinets], android testing rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, labs, more parks, solitary rooms, and a lot more.
Right now though, everyone [including all of the kids that I brought, and their androids] is lying down in the central area, getting massages from their androids.
All of the little kids are running around wildly and playing with their androids, obviously unfazed by their long walks. The older kids are all clustered together, not talking, and looking pretty pissed [especially the girls]. All of the kids my age are looking tired, but still talking excitedly among one another.
We found Lana earlier before we finished the tour, and I apologized to her for being so disregarding of her feelings earlier.
I’m the only one not getting a foot massage. Ryan is on my left; Lana is on my right. Jaiden suddenly stiffens and then leaps up out of nowhere to stand at attention. I look questioningly at him, and then notice as all the androids in the room stand up too. Then, all at once, they speak.
“It is time to train. You have five minutes, two seconds to get to class. Tardiness will result in ten laps around the gymnasium. From here you have an estimated,” they pause, calculating, “ three minutes to get there, meaning you have two minute to lounge, then make your way to class.”
I look at Ryan; he shrugs, looking just as confused. We all get up, groaning as our weight settles back on our sore feet, and start walking to the elevators, when Robert blows his whistle. We all freeze.
Robert looks straight at me.
“Do you think it’s too early to start training Kyra? The decision is completely up to you as the training rooms are on your side of the facilities. Whatever you feel is best.”
I look around at everybody, very self-conscious right now. Why’d I have to own have of this place? I don’t want this responsibility.
All of the little kids are jumping up and down saying yes, while the older ones are pleading with me to say no. I turn back to Robert.
“Could you start with the little kids first, and then we’ll go later on?”
He seems to observe me for a few moments, and then he nods. He, the rest of the adults, and their androids all leave, leaving the rest of us to do whatever. Everyone splits up, going in different directions, and I shrug. Oh well, might as well relax while we have the chance.
………………………………........................
Lana, Ryan, Jenna, Leon, Treyvon, Nick, and our androids are all in my apartment. Well… the apartment Nick and I have to share. I call it an apartment now, ‘cause it can’t be qualified as a room. Not seriously anyways, because it is sectioned off into many different rooms. Therefore, it’s more as if we’re sharing an apartment.
I burst out laughing at this thought. My parents would probably have a heart attack if they knew I was sharing an apartment with a guy eight years older than me.
“Hey,” I say to Nick, just remembering. “Where did my folks go? Are they still here?”
He shakes his head. “They thought it’d be better for you if they left. You really scared them with that outburst you had. The way you stormed out was definitely Hollywood-movie style. Nice job. If you ever decide to leave, I‘m sure you could get a job as a professional actress.”
“Oh,” I look down at my boots. “They didn’t even say goodbye.”
“They couldn’t. They were too emotional already. If your mom had had to say goodbye, she probably would have had a nervous breakdown. She wasn’t very stable as it was when she arrived. No offense to her."
I nod, still looking at my feet.
“You have to let that part of your life go now, Kyra. You’re not going to see them again. They took care of you for your whole life, and you should love them for it, but you have to know when to let the past go. I told you before that this is your new life. Everything you had before is gone, and now you’ll get new things. You’re starting over.”
Starting over…
But I don’t want to start over. My life was fine the way it was before. I loved that life, and I’ll never forget it.
Suddenly I feel very tired. Mostly sad, but mostly just tired. I stand up.
“I’m going to bed. I need time to myself. Come on Jaiden.”
Nobody says anything, and I know that they’re relating to what I’m feeling right now. Jaiden follows me in my room. I sit on the edge of the bed an he closes the door.
Then, to my surprise, he comes over and sits next to me. I look at him warily. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to thank you earlier, but I couldn’t. Not with all those people around.”
“For what?”
He actually seems to fidget uncomfortably before continuing.
“I… I’m not like the others.”
I stand up, worried. In all the movies, there’s always at least one robot that is unlike the rest… Usually not in a good way either. I stare into his eyes, half expecting for them to start glowing red and for him to attack me.
He comprehends my look and laughs. It’s a nice laugh, that doesn’t sound fake and monotone-like at all.
“Not in a bad way Kyra. I’m not like the others, because they built me to be different. I, unlike the others, was not freshly made for your use. In fact, I’ve been ‘alive’ for a couple hundred years. I was the first successful android ever built. Not wanting to discard me when my older bodies stopped working, they simply kept transferring my “mind” to other advanced bodies.
“I’ve had multiple owners before you, and none of them had ever once said please. I know you probably don’t think that’s a big deal, but to me it is. You’ve treated me like a person, what I’ve always wished I was, and I really appreciate it. So thank you.”
I’m speechless. I just stare at him. When I finally get my voice back, I ask,
“How do you have these feelings? I know that lady said that androids have feelings but you’re…” I trail off, finding the right words. "So ... human."
Jaiden smiles softly at me. “I guess you could say that I’ve evolved over time. I’ve had time to study human movement and gestures. Your facial expressions and body language, and even you feelings. I’ve picked up these things and stored them in my memory chips for later retrieval. I guess that was smart. Do I really seem human to you?”
I nod. “I keep forgetting that you’re not human. You’re really good.”
His face seems to glow with this last statement and he grins widely.
“Thank you so much Kyra. That really means a lot to me. I think you might be my first real friend.” His face goes uncertain. “Are we? Can we be friends?”
I smile back. “Of course we can. I don’t see any reason why not. You don’t have to hide it from anyone. I’m not embarrassed to admit that you’re my friend, Jaiden.”
Jaiden’s face suddenly face suddenly gets so happy and excited that I have to get excited with him. He jumps up and hugs me so hard I gag.
“Jaiden,” I squeak. “That’s nice… but I’m about to throw up a lung.”
He lets me go quickly and I take several deep breaths.
“I’m going to sleep now okay? You’re free to do what you want.”
He seems to think for a moment. “Can I play video games?”
I raise my eyebrows, amused. "You've never played video games before?" He shakes his head and I laugh a his eagerness.
“Sure go ahead. Tell everyone that I said you could.”
He leaves after making sure I’m safe in bed. I smile to myself in the dark, lying on my stomach so that I don’t crush my wings. [Nick said I have to keep them out for at least twenty-four hours to break them in and let them toughen up a bit.
They glow softly in the darkness, and I wiggle them slightly, a trick that I’ve mastered.
Tomorrow is going to be a good day. Nothing bad is going to happen, and I’m going to learn to fly and stuff…
“You don’t know that for sure Loli. You’ve only been here for a couple of days, but I have a feeling that something is going to happen soon…”
{Oh, Voice… You don’t know that. Everything is going to be fine. You’ll see.} I smile happily, starting to nod off, when a final thought crosses my mind.
What if the voice is right? Will something bad happen tomorrow? And if so, how does the voice know about it?
We went through nurses’ offices, playrooms, computer labs, and indoor pool areas, file rooms [during which Nick kept me away from the cabinets], android testing rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, labs, more parks, solitary rooms, and a lot more.
Right now though, everyone [including all of the kids that I brought, and their androids] is lying down in the central area, getting massages from their androids.
All of the little kids are running around wildly and playing with their androids, obviously unfazed by their long walks. The older kids are all clustered together, not talking, and looking pretty pissed [especially the girls]. All of the kids my age are looking tired, but still talking excitedly among one another.
We found Lana earlier before we finished the tour, and I apologized to her for being so disregarding of her feelings earlier.
I’m the only one not getting a foot massage. Ryan is on my left; Lana is on my right. Jaiden suddenly stiffens and then leaps up out of nowhere to stand at attention. I look questioningly at him, and then notice as all the androids in the room stand up too. Then, all at once, they speak.
“It is time to train. You have five minutes, two seconds to get to class. Tardiness will result in ten laps around the gymnasium. From here you have an estimated,” they pause, calculating, “ three minutes to get there, meaning you have two minute to lounge, then make your way to class.”
I look at Ryan; he shrugs, looking just as confused. We all get up, groaning as our weight settles back on our sore feet, and start walking to the elevators, when Robert blows his whistle. We all freeze.
Robert looks straight at me.
“Do you think it’s too early to start training Kyra? The decision is completely up to you as the training rooms are on your side of the facilities. Whatever you feel is best.”
I look around at everybody, very self-conscious right now. Why’d I have to own have of this place? I don’t want this responsibility.
All of the little kids are jumping up and down saying yes, while the older ones are pleading with me to say no. I turn back to Robert.
“Could you start with the little kids first, and then we’ll go later on?”
He seems to observe me for a few moments, and then he nods. He, the rest of the adults, and their androids all leave, leaving the rest of us to do whatever. Everyone splits up, going in different directions, and I shrug. Oh well, might as well relax while we have the chance.
………………………………........................
Lana, Ryan, Jenna, Leon, Treyvon, Nick, and our androids are all in my apartment. Well… the apartment Nick and I have to share. I call it an apartment now, ‘cause it can’t be qualified as a room. Not seriously anyways, because it is sectioned off into many different rooms. Therefore, it’s more as if we’re sharing an apartment.
I burst out laughing at this thought. My parents would probably have a heart attack if they knew I was sharing an apartment with a guy eight years older than me.
“Hey,” I say to Nick, just remembering. “Where did my folks go? Are they still here?”
He shakes his head. “They thought it’d be better for you if they left. You really scared them with that outburst you had. The way you stormed out was definitely Hollywood-movie style. Nice job. If you ever decide to leave, I‘m sure you could get a job as a professional actress.”
“Oh,” I look down at my boots. “They didn’t even say goodbye.”
“They couldn’t. They were too emotional already. If your mom had had to say goodbye, she probably would have had a nervous breakdown. She wasn’t very stable as it was when she arrived. No offense to her."
I nod, still looking at my feet.
“You have to let that part of your life go now, Kyra. You’re not going to see them again. They took care of you for your whole life, and you should love them for it, but you have to know when to let the past go. I told you before that this is your new life. Everything you had before is gone, and now you’ll get new things. You’re starting over.”
Starting over…
But I don’t want to start over. My life was fine the way it was before. I loved that life, and I’ll never forget it.
Suddenly I feel very tired. Mostly sad, but mostly just tired. I stand up.
“I’m going to bed. I need time to myself. Come on Jaiden.”
Nobody says anything, and I know that they’re relating to what I’m feeling right now. Jaiden follows me in my room. I sit on the edge of the bed an he closes the door.
Then, to my surprise, he comes over and sits next to me. I look at him warily. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to thank you earlier, but I couldn’t. Not with all those people around.”
“For what?”
He actually seems to fidget uncomfortably before continuing.
“I… I’m not like the others.”
I stand up, worried. In all the movies, there’s always at least one robot that is unlike the rest… Usually not in a good way either. I stare into his eyes, half expecting for them to start glowing red and for him to attack me.
He comprehends my look and laughs. It’s a nice laugh, that doesn’t sound fake and monotone-like at all.
“Not in a bad way Kyra. I’m not like the others, because they built me to be different. I, unlike the others, was not freshly made for your use. In fact, I’ve been ‘alive’ for a couple hundred years. I was the first successful android ever built. Not wanting to discard me when my older bodies stopped working, they simply kept transferring my “mind” to other advanced bodies.
“I’ve had multiple owners before you, and none of them had ever once said please. I know you probably don’t think that’s a big deal, but to me it is. You’ve treated me like a person, what I’ve always wished I was, and I really appreciate it. So thank you.”
I’m speechless. I just stare at him. When I finally get my voice back, I ask,
“How do you have these feelings? I know that lady said that androids have feelings but you’re…” I trail off, finding the right words. "So ... human."
Jaiden smiles softly at me. “I guess you could say that I’ve evolved over time. I’ve had time to study human movement and gestures. Your facial expressions and body language, and even you feelings. I’ve picked up these things and stored them in my memory chips for later retrieval. I guess that was smart. Do I really seem human to you?”
I nod. “I keep forgetting that you’re not human. You’re really good.”
His face seems to glow with this last statement and he grins widely.
“Thank you so much Kyra. That really means a lot to me. I think you might be my first real friend.” His face goes uncertain. “Are we? Can we be friends?”
I smile back. “Of course we can. I don’t see any reason why not. You don’t have to hide it from anyone. I’m not embarrassed to admit that you’re my friend, Jaiden.”
Jaiden’s face suddenly face suddenly gets so happy and excited that I have to get excited with him. He jumps up and hugs me so hard I gag.
“Jaiden,” I squeak. “That’s nice… but I’m about to throw up a lung.”
He lets me go quickly and I take several deep breaths.
“I’m going to sleep now okay? You’re free to do what you want.”
He seems to think for a moment. “Can I play video games?”
I raise my eyebrows, amused. "You've never played video games before?" He shakes his head and I laugh a his eagerness.
“Sure go ahead. Tell everyone that I said you could.”
He leaves after making sure I’m safe in bed. I smile to myself in the dark, lying on my stomach so that I don’t crush my wings. [Nick said I have to keep them out for at least twenty-four hours to break them in and let them toughen up a bit.
They glow softly in the darkness, and I wiggle them slightly, a trick that I’ve mastered.
Tomorrow is going to be a good day. Nothing bad is going to happen, and I’m going to learn to fly and stuff…
“You don’t know that for sure Loli. You’ve only been here for a couple of days, but I have a feeling that something is going to happen soon…”
{Oh, Voice… You don’t know that. Everything is going to be fine. You’ll see.} I smile happily, starting to nod off, when a final thought crosses my mind.
What if the voice is right? Will something bad happen tomorrow? And if so, how does the voice know about it?