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"Well... Where do we start?"
The android pointed to the second file: vocal_chords.exe
"Yeah, that looks like a good start. Let's see...", she looked around, gave up and looked at the android, "I don't know how to help you".
The redhead grabbed ______ by the wrist without previous notice, making her gasp in shock and fear she would lose her arm. It placed the girl's hand on his nape. It pulled the neck of his shirt down a bit to reveal some kind of tattoo in its back, just where its nape started. It had the number 05 tattooed, and ______ realized there was a lid that could be opened. It was almost inconspicuous, but her eagle eye saw little screws in its back.
"Are there any tools nearby?", she stepped back a bit. The redhead pointed to a toolbox that wasn't there the previous day, "You have it all prepared... You were waiting for me, weren't you?". The android just gave her a mocking smirk, confirming her suspicions.
______ approached the toolbox and opened it. She picked a crosshead screwdriver and returned to her place behind the redhead.
"Uhm... Could you sit down?", she timidly asked. It turned his head around in annoyance, "It's not my fault you're two metres tall; I can't reach", she justified herself.
The android grabbed a stool from the table of commands and sat down, taking off its shirt. Good lord, why did he have such broad shoulders?
Without losing focus because of the android's well-built constitution, she began unscrewing each screw, taking off the lid that wouldn't be bigger than her hand.
"Wow", she was in awe watching the interior of the robot. There were lots of cables, but it wasn't chaos: they were nicely organized; there were plates with lights; little gears... She noticed that, in a plate, there was room for three fuses, but the one in the middle was missing, "Oh, no". She said, worried.
The android looked at her in confusion. She supposed it wouldn't know what she was talking about. Of course, it's not like he could see his own back.
"You're missing a fuse. I'm not an expert, but your system could get ruined if the current reaches your circuits being too high. That makes me wonder, do you work with electricity?"
The android looked at her sternly, reminding her to take care of the voice file.
"Right. First, the voice, then, the questions...", the redhead gave her a small card. She supposed she would have to insert it somewhere, "Let's see... Here". She inserted it in a specific spline.
The android stretched its neck. First to the right, then to the left. It cleared its throat and sounded as if R2-D2 had tried to speak. ______ held in her laughter. On the second attempt, the deepest voice she had ever heard in her life echoed in the room.
> vocal_chords.exe is: ON
"Finally...". It stood up, and now it looked even taller than before.
"It works? Great", the girl started to whisper more for herself than to get a reply, "Well, mister android, I should get going...". She tried to sneak away, but the redhead didn't let her.
"Eustass Kid. That's my name", he gave her a slight push to return near to the monitor, "Call me Kid".
"And my name is ______, but seriously, I should leave", she insisted. Now that he could talk, she felt more nervous. He was more human now. She hadn't been aware she was in the presence of a robot. He was so similar to a normal person that, if she hadn't read it before, she would have thought it was one of the neighbours in her town.
"You're not going anywhere". He stated, and ______ found herself nodding in return. Who the hell would have the guts to go against the words of a weapon of destruction?
Kid approached the table where ______'s camera was laying and started to press buttons.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
"Deleting what you recorded".
"WHAT?", she got near him, but when Kid looked at her, she stopped. She remembered who she was talking to, "Why?", she asked, bothered by it.
"I can't let the world know about my existence. It's in my programming".
"In your programming?", she mocked, "I thought you were implanted free will, why don't you use it to not touch my things?"
"Oh, I do have free will", he got closer to her with a smirk, "Want me to show you?". ______ gave a big step back.
"No, thank you, I'm alright". She quickly replied with a high voice.
"Here". He threw the camera at her and the girl barely caught it, letting out a sigh.
"Don't ever do that again. My reflexes are shit, and my camera is gold", she hugged it against her chest, "My baby..."
"Hey". He spat.
"Yeah?"
"You said I was missing a fuse. Put it back". He ordered with his arms crossed.
"Jesus, is being such an asshole also in your programming?", she muttered while placing the camera somewhere safe and approached the android, "Where are there?"
Kid approached a closet where there were lots of machines, tools, and scraps of metal. He rummaged through some boxes and drew out a fuse. It seemed he knew this place like the back of his hand. It was only normal, tho. He had been living there since he was created.
"Thanks", she took the fuse and put it in its place. Some lights turned on.
> full_vision.exe is: ON
Kid blinked and smiled.
"Finally, I have a full vision". He stood up and turned around to look at _____. He eyed her up and down.
"Is there anything wrong?". She furrowed her brow.
"No. I'm just checking if the zooming works".
"Alright, I'm out". She decided not to call him a pervert. She didn't know if android could be it.
"You still don't get it, don't you?", he blocked her path again, "I can't let a human alien to the project know about my existence". His voice was slow and serious. ______ was scared. But not only because that sounded like a threat, but because she wasn't the only one that knew about the existence of the android. She had told some of her friends.
Suddenly, she felt guilty about something that still hadn't happened.
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