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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Xander held my hand in his palm, gently dabbing the remaining remnants of coffee from my skin. Although his attention felt sincere, my mind raced with all that had been revealed.
"Are you scared of me, Leo?" He kept is eyes on my red and swollen skin. "I promise I will never hurt you."
"I'm not scared," I shook my head. "Of course, you will never hurt me. I never once thought you would. I just don't understand. Why would anyone want to experience the things my dad did to the previous android?"
"To understand," Xander finally raised his eyes to me. "By seeing things through your mother's perspective, do you better understand her and her decision to leave?"
"Yes...Maybe," I added. "But I don't like her decision."
"Do you like your father's decisions?"
"Not all the time." I took the cloth from Xander and lay it on the counter. Grabbing his hand instead, I tugged him toward the downstairs area. "Let's go down there to talk about it." Even though I knew Dad couldn't hear us because we made sure to keep our voices low, I still glanced over my shoulder towards his room as if he would be standing there, watching and judging.
Once downstairs, I strolled into the guest room. While it still felt cold and vacant, it was more welcoming than the empty, stark white conference room or the laundry space.
I sat on the bed where Xander followed me, sitting so close our thighs touched.
"Do you have emotions?" I asked, taking note of all the previous signs I'd seen. The love for piano, the occasional looks of concern and other facial expressions. "You're nothing like our previous domestic caregiver."
"I learn," Xander said. "That's what I do best. I learn by engaging, perceiving, experiencing, and imitating. I learn who people are by their actions as well. You are a good person, Leo. I'm very fond of you and I enjoy all the experiences you give me."
"Thank you, Xander." I took a deep breath as his compliment settled in. "But can you really enjoy? When you say you like and love something, do you really?"
"I understand the concept," he said. "Maybe with time I can learn to do those things too." The slight smile on his face slowly dissipated. "Some of the experiences I've had with James I do not enjoy, but it is necessary that I learn from those experiences too." Xander stared at the closet door again. "I've also come to learn that some people would rather disregard, torture or even kill other sentient beings before they confront their own inner darkness."
"I'm so sorry, Xander." I turned to face him, casually placing my palm on his thigh to show my sincerity. "I should've known that keeping our previous caregiver in that closet was wrong. I would never do that to a human being or any animal, so I don't know why I did that to him."
"I know you're a good person," Xander said with a heartwarming smile that heated my chest. "You don't have to convince me."
"I feel so bad." I let my head hang between my knees. "I just feel so guilty."
