Princess of AMBER

Chapter 7

Above..... just a coo picture! :) (not mine)....

"Uhmm... Hello!" was my awkward reply.

        Cole just continued to stare at me and Sharlene, but paid no much attention to her. What is wrong with all robots? They always stare me down, not braking the eye contact. It makes me uncomfortable. But... they probably don't feel ashamed or something along those lines, about their rude behavior. And Sergeant Cole didn't seem to be a polite robot either. Maybe I am too spoiled, because of my rich life and status, expecting everybody show respect towards me. I guess this is a different world.

"Ahaha... no need for introduction for him lady. He knows about you and about everybody else he encounters. The information about the whole Amber's registered citizens are installed in his 'brain'. Cole has every registered data about you in his system and of course about any other human being or legally registered  robot. It makes our job so much easier nowadays. No need to bring possible suspects to our office for recognition, just one glance of a robot and we know who we are looking at. No time spent digging in computers. We, slow brained humans!" detective laughed.

"Could we start with questioning?" bluntly asked sergeant.

"OK, OK. We are going, Cole." Detective Solace turned his eyes on us, as we were already walking upstairs to his office: "If he wouldn't be a simple robot, I would say, he is too eager to get his hands on your android, Ms Elkwood!"

Simple android? This is not funny, detective. He better stays a simple robot. I thought to myself.

"Detective! It is not funny. Bryce is not a simple machine anymore, and look, what it have come to." came a straight comment from Sharlene.

"Uhm, sorry ladies! I know this is a very sensitive topic for you both. My apologies."

     The whole ruckus in lobby was left behind, as we entered the quieter office section of the building. We walked through some corridors, were office spaces were separated by light brown glass windows. Detective gestured for us to come in his office and sit down in front of his desk. He himself sat on his own soft chair and Sergeant took his place next to him, taking his hands behind his back and making a security guard stance. Being in his presence felt like I am here for my own crimes and waiting for my questioning. Now I understood, I cannot lie to them about anything, as the robot was here with us. From experience with Bryce, I knew, they can detect a slightest lies from humans, as they have the ability to read our body language. And if I thought before, I am a good for hiding my real emotions - I am so wrong, as I remember my first encounter with my own robot in bathroom. It took seconds for Bryce to see, what I actually felt and attempted to hide. My fear of him. And I have a guess, that police robots are like walking lie detectors.

"So, Ms Elkwood and Ms ..." Solace gestured to my friend as she had not introduced herself yet.

"Just Sharlene."

"Sharlene... We would like to know some more specific details about your android. We need to be prepared for an encounter with him, so we would like to know his personal traits - his overall behavior, the traits he was programmed with in the beginning and how it has changed overtime, as well as his possible reactions to certain situations. Cole said me before, he wants to know every smallest detail." man looked at his robot colleague and then back at us, his fingers intertwined. "First, do you have his manual?"

"No. He broke it on a second day I got him." I looked down at my arms, sadly remembering the incident.

"Do you know, what was in it?"

"No." I looked at my friend: "But Sharlene got a glimpse in it, right?"

"Well... I did not see all of it." Sharlene scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Just some general personality traits."

"What kind of traits?" spoke Sergeant.

"Uhmm.... It said he is protective, intelligent, clever, brave, and.... I can't quite remember anything else...." Sharlene looked at me nervously with a hint of blush on her cheeks. She never blushes. What is up to her now?

"What else?" Cole voices his question, which sounded more like a demand.

     Sharlene looked back at him, clearly intimidated: "Uhm.. how to say this... I think it is not quite important." Cole gave her another glare and I saw that she can't take it anymore. "It was about his physique - it said he has a real human body, EVERYTHING." she added and gestured with her hands towards the lower part of her body. She was uncomfortable to discuss such matter with strangers.

"What is it?" another question from Cole, but detective rose his hand to stop him.

"I will explain it to you later, Cole." His attention was back on us in seconds. "OK. So you don't have any information about his set up then. BUT, how does it come you know nothing, who made him in a first place?

"Ah! It was Kyra's father!" said Sharlene, like she have made an important conclusion of the century.

"I will have to question him as well then. What else? Tell me everything you know about him, Ms."

"Like I said, he is very protective, smart. He is very good at lying. Hiding his emotions." there was a surprised look in detectives face, but he did not interrupt me. "He was hiding his true emotions and thoughts from everybody he met. He acted like a normal robot. His mood can change in seconds. If angered, he is extremely dangerous. Good at reading people movements. Extremely strong. Gentle, caring.... "

      I felt the tears start to well up in my eyes, but hold them in. I told detective everything about his symptoms I have noticed and his behavior. The more I talked about him, the more sadness I felt. I had not seen him for couple of days. I had no idea where he was or was he even alive. I looked up at detective Solace and asked him a one question, that was in my mind since I got to know, that Cole will capture him.

"Please, don't hurt him!" I said quietly.

    I was ashamed to ask for such a favor. Theoretically, Bryce should pay for every crime, he has done, but I could not forget the times we spent together, the way he made me feel. I had too big of attachment to him after everything.

    Detective clearly saw my emotions ready to spill over. He looked at Cole and said: "We will do everything to  get him back, without any damage, as much as possible." He looked at me worriedly. "I will let you go now. Go home and rest. Thanks for your help, Ms Elkwood, Sharlene."

     We left his office and went back through lobby to get in a car, where Mike was waiting for us. There were some people screaming and struggling against some robot policeman. I fastened my steps to get past them, as the whole aggression made me nervous. I got stopped, as one woman jumped in front of me, blocking my way. She had got free from one human policeman's hold.

"Here you are! Where are you going? Go back! Go back and sit in jail, in place where you belong to, bitch!"

What is her problem? I don't know her, have never seen her in my life before.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?"

"Don't play dumb, princess!" She said the last word full with hatred and venom. "How many robots are you going to infect and let free? How many people have to die because of you? We all will get you behind the bars. Your time of shining will come to an end, soon, very soon."

      I was in complete shock. This woman was accusing me of things, I had no part in. And it looked like she genuinely hates me. And she said 'we'. Who is 'we'? I felt panic rise up my throat. She was dangerously close to me now. I saw her fist raise up... She is going to hit me.... Was the last thought in my mind, before ...... before a dark metal hand came in front of my face taking the impact of this woman's punch.
"Get her under control!" I heard a calm order from, whoever have saved me. "You should better leave this place. It is not safe for you to to be here." he said to me.