Android

19

Instead of telling me what was going on, everyone decided it'd be better for me to calm down first. So, I weakly allowed Jupiter to wrap me up in a blanket, and for Pluto to give me a glass of water. We all then took a seat in the living room. I was on the couch between Jupiter and Pluto, the guy and girl from the kitchen sat on the floor, and the girl who was sitting on the couch took a seat on the kitchen chair she had pulled out to the living room.

Once everyone was settled and the silence had been long enough, Jupiter slowly stood up. When he did Pluto tried to wrap a reassuring arm around me, but I pushed him away. I didn't want to be touched right now. Especially by him.

"I know you must have a lot of unanswered questions and fears going through your mind right now Abigail. Before we address any of that though, I think I should properly introduce everyone," Jupiter said as he pointed to the girl sitting on the kitchen chair. "That's Neptune, our leader. She's a knowledge automaton and knows just about everything that was ever recorded." He then pointed to the two sitting on the floor. "Those are the twins. The guy is Mars and the girl is Mercury, they're our war automatons. They specialize in every weapon, fighting style, and battle maneuver there is. They can link together and do some impressive damage." His finger then drifted over to Pluto. "Pluto is our caretaker automaton and was designed to be a security system for families." He explained. "Then I'm also a sort of war automaton I specialize in combat, search and rescue. I'm second in command."

At that Mars snorted. "Only when Neptune lets you."

Automaton?

What was an automaton?

Were they special forces in the army?

If they were, what did all of them have to do with me?

Where was my family?

How could sweet little Jupiter be a military leader and grouchy Pluto be a defender of children?

None of this was making sense. If anything, Jupiter had managed to just confuse me even more. Instead of asking the questions I should've been asking though, I asked the least important one.

"Why do you keep calling them automatons? What's an automaton?" I asked quietly. For a moment Jupiter shared a glance with Neptune and when she nodded, he turned back to me.

"It's a fancier word for android, an android is robotic entity who looks like and has human characteristics."

At that my heart dropped into the deepest pit of my stomach as I slowly looked at the five boys surrounding me. They looked human. They talked like humans. They moved like humans. They seemed human. But they weren't?

"Are...are you trying to...to tell me that..." I looked up at Jupiter. "You aren't human?" I asked, entirely dumbfounded at the thought.

"Yes," He said, and they all looked away from me as I looked around the room again, feeling my already white face grow paler as I thought back to my nightmare.

"Abigail, I know this is a lot to process. I think it would be better if we gave it to you piece by piece. Your part of a horrible mess and I don't want to scare you furthermore." Neptune then cut in, but I shook my head fast.

"No. No, I want to know everything now." I looked over at Jupiter. "I want him to tell me everything. I want to know what's going on and I want to know where my family is. I want to know what kind of screwed up mess I'm in and why." I demanded, barely able to keep my voice leveled.

"Abigail I really think we should take this one step at a time." Neptune interrupted but I cut her off by standing up.

"No! No! You don't get to think! You don't get to make any decisions for me! I lost my entire family in one day, saw my best friend's house get shot up, watched my house get destroyed, and woke up in some strange house with people who are saying they aren't people!" I snapped, then turning on Jupiter. "You're going to tell me what's going on Jupiter, and you're going to tell me right now because you're the only I might believe." I demanded, with a sharp breath.