A Rubix (DRAMAtical Murder fanfic) (Boyxboy)

Chapter 2

As an android, I am not technically aware of my creation. However, I do recall tiny glimpses, and the feeling of touch. Not pain, just... touch. It's very comforting.

My creator must've cared very much for me. I've never met them. In France, androids are made either in large factories or by private makers. I'm the second of four of my model. Once we're finished, we're sent to special institutions that teach or program us with all we need to know. Knowledge is programmed, movement and speech is learned. Androids learn five times faster than humans during the first two years, a large window of possibilities. Once we've been educated, we're sold, auctioned, or gifted to our first masters. It's not unlikely for a single android to move from master to master.

Those who remember glimpses of their creation view them as treasures.

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"When working with watercolor, it's important to leave being minimalistic behind. Watercolor mixes easily, and is a long process of drying and painting again and again. So the focus word that I will stress for this section of our class is 'relâcher'. In French, it means to relax or relieve muscle tension."

The art lessons are the same. The only thing that changes are the students. Some continue through my classes until moving on to their own studios or lives, others dropping out mid-course to return to lives I've never dreamed of. An android does not dream.

By the time the class has ended, 14 new beginnings are on the shelves to dry. I do not look at them. It isn't my place to. I simply dress in my scarf and coat, Titan at my heels. The occupants of this island give him odd looks when we pass on the street. The AllMates here are small. The ones on the mainland are large.

Model R-2E-054 detected within radius.

Androids are rare on this island. Titan keeps track of them all, though I don't know what for. He used to be a monitor, patrolling city streets and keeping watch for defective or aggressive AIs. Meaning anything that wasn't human or even biological. I do not mind his watching. His voice is very electronic, deep and almost slurred. I enjoy listening to it, though it is rare I respond back. We are two broken things, existing with one another.

Model R-2E-054 is not programmed with set pattern. R-2E-054 has left effective radius.

"Excuse me... is your AllMate broken?"

I turn toward the voice, noting the unfamiliar pattern in clothing and differentiating hair color.

"Programming error. Impossible to fix."

"Oh. Well, it kind of weird that he's tracking things."

"Tracking is normal. Original purpose. Now he is.... companion."

"I see what you mean now. Are you an android?"

"Correct. Apologies with speech. Running update."

"I figured. Clear did the same thing when Grams maintenanced him.... Do you live around here?"

"Work in Okuri. Live... Live?"

Updates are not meant to mix with conversation. Thankfully the young man does not seem to mind as he walks beside us. Likely heading in the same direction as us.

"Apologies. Home is Taki."

"I live in the same district. I haven't seen you around, so you must live in the apartment building by the beach, right?"

"Correct. Unit 4."

"You should stop by sometime, I'm sure Clear would love to talk with you. I live in the only short house. It's not hard to find."

"Clear?"

"My android... Kind of."

"Noted. Apologies for update. See you. Soon."

Goodness. I really must update at home, conversation seems nearly impossible. I actually feel embarrassed about it. The man just smiles and waves goodbye, heading down the street. As friendly as he was, I don't think I will visit. Titan might view it as a 'pattern change' or something.

Somehow pattern changes are bad, I guess.