Gray Matter

Activation

Some where in the world, a small series of islands dubbed New Eden was founded by several lost pilgrims. New Eden was a paradise; the waters were blue, no matter what season it was, and the plant life was rich and beautiful because of the volcanic soil that helped shape the islands. The pilgrims were in love with the new world around them, and built a new life for themselves. It took several years, but trade was soon established between New Eden and the rest of the world, and in turn; tourists.

New Eden was perfect, a true paradise in the middle of no where.

But there is no such thing as a true paradise. And as with its namesake, New Eden fell into evil. It took many years, but there happened to come a man named Thomas Hikari and his colleage Albert Wiley. These two men met each other at a famed robotic school, and they were friends, in some sense. Hikari mastered in programming, Wiley mastered in engineering. These two, with their combined talents, decided to create a robot perfectly capable of looking, feeling, seeing, sensing, and thinking just like a human.

Their first prototype was called Proto Man, and they were about to activate him. After that, the rest became history.

- - -
He didn't know much at that point. The table he sat on was cold, that was something.

"All basic systems are functioning." a man's voice said from somewhere near him. The voice was aged, like it belonged to someone over fifty years old.

"Heart and breathing patterns are stable." another man's voice said, this one much more gruff than the first. It sounded almost as old though, plus or minus two years maybe.

"He should be able to hear us now." the first voice said. "Are the optics functioning now Albert? Everything else is fine."

"Not yet, we don't have the eyeball covering to protect the main optics." the gruff voice said.

"Turn them on any way." the first voice said, hinting with signs of anger.

"But Thomas, if we do that, if he goes outside then..."

"Do it Albert!"

There was a hardened sigh, then there was a bright white light. He had to block it for a moment, but it was darkened a little as his sight adjusted.

"Proto Man, look at me." the gruff voice told him. He turned his head to scan the room. He stopped when he saw two men in white lab coats. One of the men had a white beard and pompadour styled hair. The other had a gray mustache and hair that was bald in the middle of his head, but was rather wild on the sides and back.

"Good job Proto Man." the man with the gray hair said, being the one with the gruff voice. The man with the while hair simply nodded.

"Who are you android?" the white haired man asked, having the voice that was first heard.

"I am Proto Man, DLN # 000." he said. "I am a creation of Doctor Thomas Hikari and Doctor Albert Wiley."

"As it should be." the white haired man said.

"Do you know who we are?" the gray haired man asked. Proto Man nodded.

"You are Doctor Albert Wiley." the android said, pointing to the gray haired man.

"You are Doctor Thomas Hikari." he continued, pointing to the white haired man.

"Good." the gray haired man agreed with a nod. At this, Proto Man smiled, a sense of feeling accomplishment filled him. If he had known there was a difference between him and a human, he wouldn't have noticed it.

For a moment, Proto looked from Hikari to Wiley, not sure what to do next. Likewise, Hikari and Wiley were contemplating what they were going to do with their creation.

"We need to cover the optic lenses Thomas." Dr Wiley finally said. "If only, for the most part, to protect the sphenoid supports."

"Then find something." Hikari said, simply waving his hand as if it were nothing. Proto Man looked curiously as Dr Wiley seemed to have said something under his breath before looking around for something. He found a pair of tactical sunglasses on a workbench.

"Try these on." Wiley said, handing Proto Man the glasses. Curiously, the robot took the glasses and placed them on his face. At first, the tint in the glasses made the world dark again, but his eyes adjusted to this like they had to the bright light. Soon the world was as colorful as it had been before.

“Amazing, his vision corrected itself so that it could still see properly, even with the tinted glasses.” Dr Wiley said, noticing the readings on a monitor of Proto's progress so far.

“Am I perfect?” Proto Man asked. “Am I everything you two have worked hard for?”

Hikari and Wiley gave Proto Man the same shocked look.

“So far.” Dr Hikari told the android. “You are the most brilliant and perfect robot we have created yet. You have exceeded all of our expectations, we are proud of you.”

Proto Man smiled to hear this. He was perfect. But he was still new, and he still had a lot to learn.