The Android Human (Editing)

Chapter 2

Ricardo

  I stormed out of the Science Lab, my mind whirling as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Behind me, I heard Jeremy calling out, his footsteps quickening. “Ricardo! Wait up!” He caught up to me as I slowed down, his hand held onto my shoulders. “What’s going on?” he asked, falling into step beside me. “Not all of us were built for speed, you know. Some of us didn’t get that upgrade.”

  I ignored his playful jab, my thoughts elsewhere. “That girl…she isn't human,” I muttered as I reached my locker and punched in the combination. The door swung open, and I quickly grabbed my things.

Jeremy frowned, clearly puzzled. “Naomi? What do you mean, ‘she’s not human’? She looks pretty human to me.”

I slammed the locker shut. “I can just... feel it. She’s not a human being..”

Jeremy let out a low whistle. “Whoa, easy there, Ricko. You think she was made in a lab, like us? We should be getting signals from her like we get from other crappy androids”

I shook my head, exasperated. “No, she’s not an android. I know that much. But the feeling I get when she’s around—it’s not something a human could give off. Maybe she’s a witch or something.”

Jeremy chuckled. “A witch? Seriously, man? You’ve been watching too many movies. Maybe what you’re feeling is just a glitch from the latest system update. Gaston’s always tinkering with us.”

   I rolled my eyes. “Maybe, but I’ll need to keep an eye on her, just to be sure.”

  Jeremy’s grin widened mischievously as he waggled his eyebrows. “Or maybe... you’re falling in love with a human?”

I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Come on, Jeremy. We’re androids. Love isn’t exactly in the equation. We are Androids for heaven's sake.”

He shrugged. “So what? Gaston and Daniella seem to be doing just fine. Besides, we’ve got emotions programmed into us, right? We’re not like those cheap, mass-produced androids out there. They have emotions alright but ours are far more advanced. We’re special. Just yesterday, I watched a sad movie and cried real tears. No idea where they came from, but it felt real.”

  "You think I’m falling for her?" I shook my head, more to convince myself than Jeremy. Even so, the Android-Human relationship is absurd and not advisable. Humans are biological beings, they pass away, have needs to procreate etc. Partnering up with an artificial being like me or any technological being would simply not do. I haven't even heard of an Android that genuinely fell in love with a human. Yes, I said genuinely.

  As we made our way toward the school exit, I couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve always been the emotional one but I'll hand it to you, you have the most advanced intelligence among us all . Mine sucks as hell, I am just happy it didn't fail me in the test. The wind hit us as we stepped outside, a welcome change against our synthetic skin. “This wind is great,” Jeremy said, his arms outstretched. “It’s like a natural coolant.”

  He then shot me a sideways glance. “So, why were you giving Naomi a hard time today?”

I snorted. “She’s a nerd, like you. That’s why.”

  Jeremy raised an eyebrow, amused. “What’s wrong with being a nerd? Nerds are the ones who save the world. Thanks to a nerd, we both exist. You know. Maybe if you gave her a chance, you’d see she’s not so bad.”

  I scoffed. “You act like you've known her all her life.”

“I don’t need to. I can tell she’s cool,” he replied. “You were acting like a glitchy android back there.”