Mechanical Pulse (DRAMAtical Murder)(ClearxOC)

Chapter 10

They let me stay.

I remained in the lonely building beneath the tall remains of Oval Tower. Russia's leaders decided that as long as I stayed on the island, away from them, I was allowed to live. However, the humans who'd come with us were taken back to Russia. The leaders of the island had previously banned anyone from going near the area of what once was Platinum Jail, so I was alone. The building's network wasn't dead, but I had everything under my control. The only lights were the emergency ones lighting up the ground of the hallways, and the only door that would open automatically was my own.

I buried my brothers upon a hill on the uninhabited part of the island. Within the empty silence of the building, I stayed in my room. I gave in to my desires, making it my own. I finally had a large bed, a dresser below the mirror, and a chest to put silly items in. I surrounded myself with stuffed animals and old AllMates that no longer functioned. I spoke to them as if they were friends of mine. Perhaps it was the only thing I could do to comfort myself. I kept inside, but let my own self be free, letting the real me out. The childish me. The me before the war. The me I'd only experienced for a mere hour upon my birth.

I named each animal or AllMate after a fallen brother, be it from recent years or old. I dressed in human clothing, distancing myself from battle suits and weaponry. I changed my hair from the functional ponytail to a comfortable half-up/half-down style with a black ribbon.

Today was no different from the others. I wore a dark graphite shirt with a black hooded sweatshirt over it, black shorts, and black socks that reached to somewhat above my ankles. The shirt and sweatshirt were much bigger than than what actually fit me, so they covered the shorts. I kept to dark colors. They made my body stand out, a constant reminder of what I really was.

A message flashed across the display mounted upon one wall, drawing my gaze. The electronic female voice that has been the network speaks.

Outer door to Laboratory #1 forcibly opened. Shall defense systems activate?

"Activate camera 87 and 85."

The display splits, showing me each view. The door is partially open, enough for someone to squeeze by. Concerns of weapons powerful enough to kill me are erased with the sight. The second view shows the path to the inner door. Slowly, my guest makes their way close enough to be identified. Joy envelopes me at the sight of the android from my favorite group, alone and looking around curiously.

"Close outer door to Laboratory #1. Open inner door upon approach: recall 1. Deactivate camera 87 and 85. Defenses offline."

At your command.

The cameras turn off, and I take a moment to just breathe it all in. I set down the light blue teddy bear in it's place, crawling to the edge of the bed and swinging my legs over the end. The joy remains, but I start to worry. Why come now, months after everything?

Inner door to Laboratory #1 opened upon approach. Recalling.... Inner door to Laboratory #1 deactivated.

I take a breath, standing and leaving my room. I walk slowly through the tiny maze of back rooms, hesitating once I reach the door leading to the open lab area. The place where he'll be. I close my eyes briefly before activating the door and stepping through.

He stands in front of the large fish tank, an expression of happiness on his face as he watches the jellyfish within go about their simple lives. I sit on the top of what was formerly the desk for one of the humans, crossing my legs as I watch him from behind. He's dressed just as he always was, white coat, scarf, pants, white boots, white gloves, the see-through umbrella.

It doesn't really surprise me when he speaks, knowing I'm there.

"Aren't you lonely, in this huge building by yourself?"

"Mm... I suppose so. I can't bear to see those humans' faces, whose lives I've disrupted. My seclusion is my punishment. Even if I did leave, made a human friend perhaps... They would eventually die."

He turns to look at me, the smile gone and a thoughtful expression on his face. His hands move to his pockets after he sets the umbrella down. I study his face. White, messy hair, face almost having a soft, chiseled look to it. His eyes are pink, much like the jellyfish he just watched. Beneath his mouth, just to the right side of his face, are two moles. An identifying mark, most likely added by whomever created him. Perhaps he was marked as a 'failure' from the rest. I've seen many such marks on others who've been that way. Most were destroyed.

"What... are you?"

"I'm an android. No matter how my brain functions, be it wires or neurons, I am still an android, immortal and built as a tool. The only thing my human brain affects is my worth to Russia and the fact that I sleep for two hours every week."

"You still feel like an android?"

"Yes. My emotions are limited, at best. But we still feel, you and I, don't we?"

"Yeah."

His gaze lifts from the ground, expression brightening. I notice he's gotten closer to me, only a few feet away.

"I'm Clear!"

"I was once called Toya. But my real name is Luka. You can use either."

"Your real name?"

"The name given to me by my creator, only accessible once Sven was killed and my memories were returned."

"Then, Luka it is! Let's be fri-"

He pauses, as if realizing he was about to say 'let's be friends'. I watch him carefully, tilting my head a bit. Come to think of it, why was I so happy about seeing him? If I put one of the others in his place within my memories, it doesn't have the same effect. Why did he come visit me? He doesn't really seem to have come to deliver some sort of message or get any information...

"Luka-san..... Do battle androids love?"

"Love...? Emotionally... I don't know. Physically, we do. It's commonplace for us to relieve one another's sexual desires. That being said, though we're built for it, it's not common for us to... truly... do that. We only please one another. The rest is for lovers, which we are not allowed to take."

"Would you if you could?"

"I can, as an officially independent individual. And yes, I would in a second's notice. Such is the nature of we who have seen things defying all order. We crave company, yearn to indulge in material desires."

He looks down with that same thoughtful look again. I don't think he's used to asking personal questions and getting simple responses back. Or really interacting with another android at all. The way he words things... He's sensitive, and doesn't want to hurt or offend people.

"Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to see Luka-san."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Another silence, before I find myself saying something I've only ever said once before. I remember saying it to my master once, before he died. After giving me his brain, he was given an exact copy of his brain. Even so, his body failed him a week later. I said this the night he died, holding my beloved creator close to me.

"What is 'death'?"