NJ-0912

Chapter 1

This has been up on my A03 for about a year, but I figured I might try and post it here to see if it'll get some more traction. I have no idea when I might update this on here - just probably whenever I feel like it - so if you want to read it when up to date, check it out on A03. I'm under the same username there.

As you stared up at the building, you couldn't help but hesitate. Yes, you've wanted an android for years but still the thought of finally making that jump to purchase one was... nerve racking. Not to mention how much of an economic disadvantage you were at. It wasn't like you were poor; you held a decent data-filling position that paid the bills and gave you some wiggle room to save, but it wasn't nearly enough to afford an android. Especially one from The Gero-Hadaly Corporation. There were other brands, but the GHC was the most reputable. Even though they didn't come out with new models every year, they took things one step further, and would make you a customized android: built to your specific requirements.

And as much as you'd love to entertain the thought of getting one of those, if you couldn't even afford a mass-produced one...

This is also why most people bought their androids from The Gero-Hadaly Corporation. When they did release a new model, it was always part of a set, which is why they would only 'officially' release models every couple of years. But as you stared at the holographic poster lining one of the windows of the store, you couldn't help but be in awe of the six beautiful faces staring back at you.

Introducing the Bulletproof Boy Scouts line! Six new android models, each one proficient in a specific skill. From cooking to companionship, The Gero-Hadaly Corporation has got you covered in whatever you'd like to learn or improve yourself in. Invest in your own BBS today!

Aah right. Of course. That was also why you were here. GHC's investment plan. With androids growing more and more popular by the day, GHC made the smart decision to let you pay off your android with monthly increments. Only instead of leasing your phone or furniture... it would be a robot. This of course came with its own set of consequences. The GHC wasn't exactly a fan of delinquent accounts. You've heard stories, of even paying your bill late by one day, and representatives of the collection agency would be knocking at your door asking for their robot back. Only for you to get billed later on, fees on top of fees for resetting the android, wiping the memory, restocking, and so on...

Your eyes waivered over the word 'companionship'. It's why you've wanted an android for so long. Your dating life has been in the toilet for as long as you can remember and you never had a lot of friends growing up; you just wanted another body around your apartment, even if it wasn't real. Steeling yourself, you sucked in a breath, marching forward as the door slid smoothly open for you, Synthetic Solutions shining in elegant font as you passed the threshold.

Inside, they already had some of the Bulletproof Boy Scouts out for viewing. This model line was due to drop later in the month and you, like everyone else in the store, were here to pre-order one of them. Even though you craved companionship, you couldn't help but be enthralled by the other models. All of them seemed to be modeled after the Asian ethnicity, with dark hair and almond eyes, making them even more of a commodity. Minority androids were a rarity.

You stopped in front of the first one. They were all wearing the default clothing of a white shirt and black pants, but you couldn't help but notice how this shirt seemed to be too small for the model, his broad shoulders making the fabric stretch across his synthetic muscles. Glancing down at the floating sign, you read the model number and type.

SK-1204

Cooking

Well, as if the bowl and whisk they made him hold didn't give it away. You liked to cook, and it was easy to imagine this large android hovering next to you, helping you prepare dishes that he couldn't taste. You glanced to the android placed next to the SK model. This android's shoulders weren't nearly as broad, but he was far more muscular than his companion. His arms were crossed over his chest, veins bulging with immeasurable power. It contrasted greatly with how round his face was.