Sequel: Flare ›
Status: Edited version of Human After All for NaNoWriMo.
Human After All (II)
I
Having robots was almost a nightmare anymore. To walk into an android shop and have the pick of the litter didn't seem like much of a luxury to Beau because after having three small androids, two of which had glitched beyond repair, he decided that he didn't want anymore robots.
PC897139, Dahlia, still functioned properly. She had a bit of programmed attitude of a teenager, but she was useful for opening the internet, sending documents, small things like that. Her core could never handle a hacking situation. She'd most likely glitch like Beau's other bots had.
Leslie, or PC304104, had lost her ability to see when Beau pushed her limits, using her for a meager hacking into a friend's computer. It was his fault her sight function had broken, so of course Beau felt a little guilty. Yet he didn't feel guilty enough to call a mechanic to help her regain her sight.
Finally, Kiyah, PC098453, was one of the first personal computers released for public use. But she had never learned how to speak for herself. Her core never picked up on it, and so she was stubborn, and annoyed when Beau couldn't communicate with her. But they learned basic sign language, an old form of language. It worked most of the time, and that was all he needed.
Beau remembered walking past the android and personal computer shop to find a posting with the newest personal computer robots. His parents offered to pre-order one, but Beau knew the company's tricks. The first customers would be, “guinea pigs,” to test the functionality of the robot, and any complaints they received, they would fix in the second generation.
Though there was an interesting rumor that these new robots were designed to pick up on human emotions, and act like a human being. Doubtful, very doubtful, Beau thought. The human mind was a complex work of art, and if scientists decided to clone it, they surely wouldn't put it in a robot for public use.
Abionmaton, year 2056, the day and age of technology, was the world Beau lived in. Through war, the society pillaged through, becoming a successful, neutral territory. The land was progressing to be civilized and peaceful, one computer chip at a time.
The wall seemed to become the most interesting thing in the world as Beau stared at it. He forced himself onto his feet, and changed into clean clothes. He had to go in public, and pick one thing he really wanted for the holiday. Of course the new droid came to mind, but it would end up being phony, and a waste of money. What a disappointment that would be.
***
“Leslie.”
“Yes, master?”
“Search for my entrance key, please. Take it easy though.” Beau said. Drew, a dear friend of Beau's, sat next to him with a loud, and unsatisfied scoff. “Kiyah.”
The ginger droid bounced on the bed, and into Beau's open palm. She looked at him, silently acknowledging his call of her name.
“Please watch Leslie's core levels. We don't want her to glitch anymore than she already has.” Beau mentally thought of how lost he would be without Leslie working the system. Dahlia certainly wouldn't do it, with her attitude and all. In fact, she sat on Beau's bed without a care in the world, picking at her painted nails.
“You could do something for me too.” Beau said firmly. She looked with dismay, but nodded.
“Oh, master, what can I service you for?” She sighed. Drew giggled, trying to stifle it as Beau glared at him.
“You could start,” Beau huffed, “by helping Leslie, since you won't help with the system as she does.”
“I love how we treat them like they're less than us.” Drew retorted. He never liked how people used bots, even for the simplest things like hacking, or using the internet. He thought that they had advanced too much to go back to a, “cheaper version of slavery,” as he put it.
The screen displayed seeders, people taking information from others to speed up their own servers. Sabotaging a fellow hacker was almost unheard of, and if somebody did, it was usually the government trying to imprison some hackers to kill the fun. They were usually lenient, but most were on a permanent watch list, and they couldn't do much on the internet without getting blocked or caught again.
“You're overreacting.” Beau said. “How am I treating them like they're less? They have names, they drink and eat the same food I do, wear clothes that I have to buy, and they can speak, breathes, and hear just like any other human being.”
“But we make them do things that normal people wouldn't.” Drew shook his head. “Some people use them for sex, Beau!”
After the hostile silence that followed, Drew stood and slipped his arms through the long sleeves of his jacket. He had to leave before he said something he regretted about Beau's bots. The robots themselves were very kind, but Beau's use for them was something he couldn't understand.
“I'll talk to you tomorrow. I think my mom wants me home so I can tell her what I want for the holiday.” Beau left the desk for a minute to follow Drew to the door. “I was thinking of getting a desktop. One of the older models, most likely. What are you getting?”
Beau shrugged. The holiday was never something he ever cared about, especially since the presents were cheap and useless things. He didn't need another robot, and that was the only thing that mattered in the slightest. Families never came together to celebrate. The holiday was about presents and money. It never had a name in the society. They just called it the holiday.
“Do you want anything? Y'know, from me?” Beau said.
“Why? To make up for your terrible treatment of bots? No, thanks.” Drew said. “I don't even want to spend this one with my mom.”
Beau laughed to himself. “What if I got you a personal robot?” Apparently the joke was only funny to him, because Drew went stone faced, and shook his head with disapproval in his eyes. He was too firm on his opinion of the bots, when he made it sound much worse than it actually was. Rarely was it that a bot was abused. Only a few used them for strange things, while the rest of the world used them for internet, hacking, companionship, and daily life. Drew made human beings sound like cruel monsters, beating meaningless pieces of metal to make them do their master's bidding.
“I'll see you.” Drew broke the silence, jiggling the front door open, and slipping out without a sound. Beau knew he was angry, but he usually was when he left the apartment. It was like he blamed the world for becoming the way it did. Time moves on though. With time comes knowledge, and with knowledge, change.
PC897139, Dahlia, still functioned properly. She had a bit of programmed attitude of a teenager, but she was useful for opening the internet, sending documents, small things like that. Her core could never handle a hacking situation. She'd most likely glitch like Beau's other bots had.
Leslie, or PC304104, had lost her ability to see when Beau pushed her limits, using her for a meager hacking into a friend's computer. It was his fault her sight function had broken, so of course Beau felt a little guilty. Yet he didn't feel guilty enough to call a mechanic to help her regain her sight.
Finally, Kiyah, PC098453, was one of the first personal computers released for public use. But she had never learned how to speak for herself. Her core never picked up on it, and so she was stubborn, and annoyed when Beau couldn't communicate with her. But they learned basic sign language, an old form of language. It worked most of the time, and that was all he needed.
Beau remembered walking past the android and personal computer shop to find a posting with the newest personal computer robots. His parents offered to pre-order one, but Beau knew the company's tricks. The first customers would be, “guinea pigs,” to test the functionality of the robot, and any complaints they received, they would fix in the second generation.
Though there was an interesting rumor that these new robots were designed to pick up on human emotions, and act like a human being. Doubtful, very doubtful, Beau thought. The human mind was a complex work of art, and if scientists decided to clone it, they surely wouldn't put it in a robot for public use.
Abionmaton, year 2056, the day and age of technology, was the world Beau lived in. Through war, the society pillaged through, becoming a successful, neutral territory. The land was progressing to be civilized and peaceful, one computer chip at a time.
The wall seemed to become the most interesting thing in the world as Beau stared at it. He forced himself onto his feet, and changed into clean clothes. He had to go in public, and pick one thing he really wanted for the holiday. Of course the new droid came to mind, but it would end up being phony, and a waste of money. What a disappointment that would be.
***
“Leslie.”
“Yes, master?”
“Search for my entrance key, please. Take it easy though.” Beau said. Drew, a dear friend of Beau's, sat next to him with a loud, and unsatisfied scoff. “Kiyah.”
The ginger droid bounced on the bed, and into Beau's open palm. She looked at him, silently acknowledging his call of her name.
“Please watch Leslie's core levels. We don't want her to glitch anymore than she already has.” Beau mentally thought of how lost he would be without Leslie working the system. Dahlia certainly wouldn't do it, with her attitude and all. In fact, she sat on Beau's bed without a care in the world, picking at her painted nails.
“You could do something for me too.” Beau said firmly. She looked with dismay, but nodded.
“Oh, master, what can I service you for?” She sighed. Drew giggled, trying to stifle it as Beau glared at him.
“You could start,” Beau huffed, “by helping Leslie, since you won't help with the system as she does.”
“I love how we treat them like they're less than us.” Drew retorted. He never liked how people used bots, even for the simplest things like hacking, or using the internet. He thought that they had advanced too much to go back to a, “cheaper version of slavery,” as he put it.
The screen displayed seeders, people taking information from others to speed up their own servers. Sabotaging a fellow hacker was almost unheard of, and if somebody did, it was usually the government trying to imprison some hackers to kill the fun. They were usually lenient, but most were on a permanent watch list, and they couldn't do much on the internet without getting blocked or caught again.
“You're overreacting.” Beau said. “How am I treating them like they're less? They have names, they drink and eat the same food I do, wear clothes that I have to buy, and they can speak, breathes, and hear just like any other human being.”
“But we make them do things that normal people wouldn't.” Drew shook his head. “Some people use them for sex, Beau!”
After the hostile silence that followed, Drew stood and slipped his arms through the long sleeves of his jacket. He had to leave before he said something he regretted about Beau's bots. The robots themselves were very kind, but Beau's use for them was something he couldn't understand.
“I'll talk to you tomorrow. I think my mom wants me home so I can tell her what I want for the holiday.” Beau left the desk for a minute to follow Drew to the door. “I was thinking of getting a desktop. One of the older models, most likely. What are you getting?”
Beau shrugged. The holiday was never something he ever cared about, especially since the presents were cheap and useless things. He didn't need another robot, and that was the only thing that mattered in the slightest. Families never came together to celebrate. The holiday was about presents and money. It never had a name in the society. They just called it the holiday.
“Do you want anything? Y'know, from me?” Beau said.
“Why? To make up for your terrible treatment of bots? No, thanks.” Drew said. “I don't even want to spend this one with my mom.”
Beau laughed to himself. “What if I got you a personal robot?” Apparently the joke was only funny to him, because Drew went stone faced, and shook his head with disapproval in his eyes. He was too firm on his opinion of the bots, when he made it sound much worse than it actually was. Rarely was it that a bot was abused. Only a few used them for strange things, while the rest of the world used them for internet, hacking, companionship, and daily life. Drew made human beings sound like cruel monsters, beating meaningless pieces of metal to make them do their master's bidding.
“I'll see you.” Drew broke the silence, jiggling the front door open, and slipping out without a sound. Beau knew he was angry, but he usually was when he left the apartment. It was like he blamed the world for becoming the way it did. Time moves on though. With time comes knowledge, and with knowledge, change.