꧁♲︎-𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂-♲︎꧂

Chapter 5

Year 2026
12/26/26 Christmas Day.

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up!" An eccentric six year old Finch hops up and down, standing at the side of his mothers bed.

Said woman groans, groggily looking over at the boy, "Yes, Finch, darling I'm up." Throwing her covers to the side, she sits up.

She puts her slippers on and holds Finch's hand. Ignoring the mewing cats swerving around her ankles.

"Let's eat breakfast before we open presents okay honey?" Finch nods vigorously.

Arriving at the kitchen, the automated house had already prepared pancakes.

Sitting himself onto the tall chair, Finch shovels the pancakes into his mouth.

"Finch! Eat slower! You look like a slob." His mother says with a stern voice.

"Sorry mother!" Finch says as he finishes his food. Standing up and running to the living room.

The two cat droids follow, easily matching his speed.

His mother frowns, but follows nonetheless. Entering the living room, Finch is patiently waiting with one of his many gifts in hand.

"Go on, open it." She instructs, without a second to spare, he rips the box open.

Inside the contents contain a few poetry books. Finch becomes giddy, he adores poetry.

Setting them down in a neat stack, he goes for the next box, this time there are books about robotics.

"I thought you would like it, since you help me build androids a lot." His mother pipes up.

"Thank you mother, I'll be sure to read them!" Finch tells her with a smile.

After Finch opened the rest of his presents, he remembered he made his mother some.

"I'll be right back! Stay here!" His mother chuckled. Doing what he said.

A few minutes later, he returned with a small armful of gifts.

Handing them to his mother, she opened the first one. There was only three presents.

The first one contained a scruffy braided bracelet, with a small charm on it.

"Oh it's wonderful. Did you make it yourself?" Finch nodded, it was really hard for him to make but he eventually got the hang of it.

The next present contained a ceramic flower, a red rose. His mother smiled, knowing her son remembered her favorite flower.

The last one contained a small trinket. About the size of a half dollar coin.

"What is it?" She asked him. "It's a snail! Turn it on!" The woman searched the body of the snail, surprised to find it was a tiny android.

Turning it on, the snail moved around in her hand. "Oh I love it.." she hates it. Snails are gross.

Finch was proud that he made her happy, "let's work on Aziel together!"
...
"I must go to the bathroom." Finch announces, leaving the room. Veronica takes the chance to throw away the snail. "Gross.."

The androids hand twitched...

The door opened, Finch entering once again. "Come here darling, I'm about to put more green blood in." Veronica calls him.

Opening the mouth of the android, she pours the equivalent of a gallon of green liquid into the androids mouth.

Suddenly, the androids chest cavity closes, without anyone touching it, Veronica pulls away, startled.

The androids pastel blue eyes open, looking through his long Icy blue hair, styled into a messy braid.

The android moves his eyes down, staring intensely at Finch, who looked ecstatic.

The android opened its mouth, his grey skin that sits under the synthetic skin making it hard to see his expressions.

Attempting to speak, the android lets out a sound akin to a broken vintage radio.

Veronica rushes to grab his voice box, sitting on the counter, opening a section of his tubes and synthetic muscle on his lower neck, she shoves the small item in.

Backing away, she observes the android. Who crouches down, lowering himself to Finch's level.

"Aziel! You've turned on!" The boy screams with happiness. "Aziel?" The android asks the simple question.

"It's your name." Veronica chimes in, Aziel turning his head to stare at her, scanning the woman.

The android was already equipped with a confidential database, which contained the whole internet inside his brain, uploaded to a chip which was inserted during the earliest stage of his making.

"Veronica Saski Barnette, female, age thirty-six renowned inventor. Mother to Finch Barnette, supposedly female. Age five." Aziel announces, completing his scan.

"Supposedly female? Mommy what does he mean?" Veronica glares at the unfinished android. "Its nothing darling, he doesn't know what he's saying."

Walking up to Aziel, she powers him down, so he doesn't spout anymore nonsense to her son.

Lifting the android back onto his stand, she carries Finch to his bedroom.

"Time for bed honey. Mommy has had a long day." Finch nods. Accepting his early bedtime.

After he was asleep, Veronica returned to the room. "Stupid android. Ruining my daughter." She mumbles as she adjusts her coat.