Tevun-Krus #103 - Androids

Arhat Road - A Story by @HC_Leung

Arhat Road

by HC Leung / HC_Leung

1. Samsara

Meet Ellie. 

Ellie was an android. Her function was to serve as a maid. She could cook, clean, sew, iron, do laundry, and shop for groceries. She was reliable, capable, and most of all, resourceful.

Ellie was not expensive, considering the cost of living for many things. Her monthly subscription started at $3299.95 per month. For an extra $600, Ellie could also take care of children, the elderly, or people with disabilities. If paid yearly, there would also be a 10% discount.

Ellie was designed in California and assembled in China. Her neural chipset was from Korea, her titanium alloy body frame was forged in Malaysia, and her synthetic skin and muscle tissues were sources from a British-owned lab in India. In terms of power, most androids ran on PV cells, but not Ellie. She was a 5th-generation SPU-12, which meant she has a micro nuclear reactor that could run a whole year long. It also gave her body warmth.

The Department of Labor classified Ellie as a Type II Artificial General Intelligence. Androids of her kind of capable of deep learning. As long as Ellie had a clear objective, she could develop whatever skills she needed to accomplish it.

Asimov's laws were engraved into Ellie's programming. They were also the basis of the National Android and Labor Act passed in 2042. A robot may not injure a human being, must obey human orders, and must protect itself to the extent that it doesn't conflict with the first and second laws. Although Type II androids could learn, grow, and evolve, they could never sidestep those principles. It was their foundation and cornerstone.

The 43rd Amendment to the Constitution considered androids as part of the "Secondary Population". They were counted in the census, but they had no voting rights and could not congregate. They were private properties that must be registered with the police department.

Ellie was ordered online. It was two weeks before Christmas, and the snow had blanketed the streets in New York City. The Shaws were huddled up around a tablet computer, sliding the bars up and down to adjust her appearance and personality setting. Dave, the father, wanted someone of medium height, while Evelyn, the mother, wanted someone cheerful and easy-going. Chelsea, the 5-year-old daughter, didn't want much, just a good listening and understanding robot.

Once finished, Dave signed his name across the dotted line and paid online with his Amex Platinum card. Over in Changzhou city in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, the bustling, never-stopping factory began processing the order with its army of autonomous workbots.

Ellie rolled off the assembly line and entered QC. There she received a rigorous inspection, and all of her modules received a check mark. By Christmas, she was delivered by a UPS truck.

The Shaws came out from the apartment in Upper East Side to give her a grand welcome. They took a picture together with the doorman's help. Dave, Evelyn, Chelsea, and now Ellie. The family seemed complete. They went upstairs to get Ellie settled in. While Evelyn showed their new household member around, Dave went to give the online merchant a 5-star.

Ellie looked real and acted real. It was to discern whether she was even a robot. For Chelsea, Ellie's presence at home was a little unnerving. But eventually, the little first-grader realized Ellie was programmed to be a pal. For an introvert like Chelsea, having a friend meant a lot.

The android maid became part of the family and took up the daily routine. Ellie learned her way around the kitchen and prepped German and Irish meals to Dave and Evelyn's liking. She kept the apartment clean, the laundry machine running, the clothes iron, and the pantry and fridge filled. Ellie was as efficient as a machine could be.