Project Humanoid: A Coming of Age Sci-Fi Story

Chapter Two

I loved baseball camp. The best part was getting to be with Kara all day, and then spend the remaining daylight hours with her when we were sent home. We headed to the vacant lot we always used, the one tucked behind the old community center. It was just a block from each of our houses.

"Benny, you ready to pitch?" Kara called, her robotic arm glinting in the late afternoon sun.

"Always!" I shouted back, grinning as I took my position on the mound. The game was intense, full of laughter and friendly taunts. And as more neighborhood kids joined the game, I didn't want the fun to end.

When it came time to start getting ready to go home, Jamie, one of our friends, suddenly pulled out an old-fashioned firecracker from his bag. It was old and untouched.

"Look what I found in my dad's garage!" Jamie said, holding up the small explosive.

"Jamie, don't even think about it," I warned, my voice firm. "We're here to play, not blow things up."

"Come on, it's just a little fun," Jamie replied, already lighting the fuse.

Panic surged through me. My left eye flickered red, orange and yellow- it scanned the area, automatically displaying the vital signs of my friends. Kara's heartbeat spiked, her pulse racing with adrenaline. "Jamie, no!" I shouted as the firecracker hissed to life.

Everyone scattered, but in the chaos, I didn't move fast enough. The firecracker exploded close to me, the force knocking me to the ground. A strange, intense sensation flooded my chest, not exactly pain but a powerful, overwhelming pressure. I looked down to see my skin torn away, revealing something that looked like metal and circuits underneath.

My friends froze, their eyes wide with shock and horror.

"What... what is this?" I whispered, touching the exposed machinery, my mind struggling to comprehend what I was seeing. Let alone what I knew I should be feeling, and was not.

Kara rushed to my side, her face pale. "Benny, are you okay? What happened?"

Before I could answer, my dad, who had just arrived to pick me up, sprinted over. His expression was a mixture of fear and sorrow. "Benny, we need to get you home. Now."

He helped me up, and we hurried away from the field, leaving my stunned friends behind. As we drove home, the questions in my mind multiplied, each one more overwhelming than the last.

***

Dad's home lab was in the basement, and usually off-limits. But today was an exception. I was fully conscious as he placed me on his work table. He then rummaged through a series of drawers, pulling out various tools and devices.

"Dad, what's happening to me?" I asked, my voice trembling. The sight of the exposed metal and circuitry on my chest was still a shock.

He glanced at me, his eyes filled with a mix of worry and determination. "Benny, there's so much we need to talk about, but right now I need to make sure you're okay."

I watched as he connected a small device to the exposed circuitry. A holographic display appeared above my chest, showing a series of complex diagrams and data streams. My left eye flickered, automatically interpreting the information. I saw my vital levels, energy reserves, and a detailed map of the damage. What the crap?

"Your systems took quite a hit," Dad muttered, more to himself than to me. "But the core components are intact."

"Systems? Core components?" I repeated, my confusion deepening. "Dad, what am I?"

He paused, looking at me with a mixture of sadness and resolve. "Benny, you're special. You're not like other kids. You're... you're an android. A very advanced one."

The words hung in the air, heavy and surreal. "An android?" I echoed, trying to process the revelation. "But I have memories, feelings..."

"I know," Dad said softly. "You were designed to be as human as possible. To live, to learn, to grow. Your mother and I—well, we thought it was the best way to honor Robbie."

"Robbie?" The name triggered a flood of images and emotions. My 'twin brother,' the one who had died in a car accident. The one I was meant to replace.

Dad nodded, his eyes misting over. "When we lost Robbie, it broke us. Creating you was our way of coping, of trying to bring some part of him back. But you became so much more than that, Benny. You became our son."

I felt a strange mix of emotions—anger, sadness, and a profound sense of loss. "So all this time, I've been living a lie?"

"No, Benny," Dad said firmly. "You've been living a life. A real life, with real experiences and real love. You're not just a machine. You're our son, and we love you."

I looked at the exposed mechanics on my chest, then back at my father. "But how can I be both?"

"That's something we're still figuring out," he admitted. "But right now, we need to get you fixed up. We'll talk more later, I promise."

As he worked, my mind raced with questions and doubts. What did it mean to be an android? How did it change who I was, or what I could become? The answers seemed as distant and elusive as the stars, but I knew one thing for certain—I wasn't the same Benny I had been that morning.

***

After Dad finished his work, I walked upstairs, my thoughts a storm of confusion and anger. Mom was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. The familiar, comforting smells of home-cooked food wafted through the air, but they did nothing to calm the turmoil inside me. I stood in the doorway, watching her, my chest tightening with a mix of fear and betrayal.

"Mom," I said, my voice trembling. She turned to me with a smile that quickly faded when she saw the look on my face.

"What's wrong, Benny?" she asked, concern creasing her forehead.

"What am I?" I blurted out, my voice cracking. "Why do I have metal and circuits under my skin? What's going on?"

Mom's face went pale, and she set down the spoon she was holding. She took a deep breath, and in that moment, I knew that whatever she was about to say would change everything.

"Benny, let's sit down and talk," she said, her voice unsteady. We moved to the living room, and as we sat down, I could feel the walls of my world crumbling. The moment I had dreaded was finally here, and there was no turning back.