Leo Newall must discover the secret his domestic android Xander is keeping before it threatens their companionship.
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Leo Newall is captivated by his household's latest state-of-the-art domestic...
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It must've entered the house when I was sleeping. Only the sound of soft piano echoed throughout the rooms from the living area. Not a knock on the front door, not its handling with the door lock, not even its footsteps stirred me. Only the foreign yet beautifully played classical music.
As I crept down the hall toward the melodic tune, two things came to mind. First, what did it look like? And second, androids were machines capable of perfecting piano or any other instrument, so was I supposed to be impressed?
I passed the vanity table containing a picture frame that changed between several digital images of Dad and I every thirty seconds. I managed to capture his genuine smile in those shots and was glad to immortalize it because I haven't seen it since the accident.
I continued, anticipating what I would see.
Colife had assured Dad and I would receive the latest, state-of-the-art domestic android. I hope it was nothing like the previous droid Dad named Junkard.
Dad complained of Junkard's plastic "skin" and how it irritated his own during sponge baths. He swore a chemical in the synthetic casing was causing the sores on his hips, although any medical specialist would tell him bedsores were from his inactivity and immobility.
Colife Industries could have supplied him with the mechanics to stand on his own but stubborn should've been Dad's first name. He refused to become a "dirty cyborg" and insisted on learning to walk on his own.
That dream became as dead as the severed nerves in his spine, but no one could tell him otherwise.
I entered the living area and stared at the back of its head as it stiffly sat at the piano bench. His fingers gently scaled over the ivory, and I finally took a moment to take in the sweet melody.
Its hair sat, short, dark, straight, and neat atop its head. Boring. The circuitry on the back of its neck reminded me of Junkard's, as Colife made sure to brand their double C insignia on the loaner androids. Of course, they would send us another off-market droid with visible branding. The court order never said the droid they sent had to be a custom model like the ones rich families splurged on.
Its back and shoulders weren't as stiff as Junkard's either, and if it wasn't for the black cybersuit it wore, I could've compared the rest of it too.
The music stopped and I froze. I dare not blink. My eyes widened as it turned in its seat to greet me with its stare. Its almond shaped bright grey eyes pulled me in, as I never seen anything like them before. Its clean, even, soft-looking pale skin, fully pouty lips, dark, neatly shaped eyebrows, and perfectly placed nose reminded me of the members of South Korean boybands that took the world by storm in recent history.
Stunning.
"Hello," he spoke with a low yet rich vocal tone.
"How did you get in?" The thought swam in the back of my head but wasn't meant to leap from my lips. Too late.
