Vesity

[10]

Y.N’s POV

It was six o’clock. Edwin hadn’t come to get me for dinner yet, like he did every night. I could only assume he was working on something in Vesity.

I got out of my harness and changed into casual clothes. I passed Mum’s room and made it to Edwin’s apartment. I knocked on the door. There was no response. I pressed my ear against the cold wood of the door. I heard nothing coming from inside.

I sighed and opened the door. It was unlocked, as usual. I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, choosing a coke. Obviously I chose a coke. It was the only choice.The can opened with a hiss, and I took a large sip.

I knew Ed kept his gaming station in his room, so I walked towards it and gently knocked on the door. There was no response. There was no sound from the other side.

“Ed?” I called out, expecting an answer. After a moment of silence, I felt my anxiety rising. What was going on? “Edwin?”

I reached out for the door handle. I turned it, ever so slowly. The suspense was killing me, but I couldn’t urge my body to move any faster.

The door swung open painfully slow.

If things had been the way I had hoped them to be, Edwin would be just logging out of Vesity, preparing to get dinner started.

“Sorry,” he would say, smiling at me with a dorkish smirk. “A sale ran a little late.” I would smile and we would laugh a little. Everything would be fine.

......

But things were not as I had hoped them to be.

Time seemed to freeze. Edwin was in his Vesity Station, his head hanging down. He was suspended in air, thanks to his harness. His limbs fell limp beside his torso.

I dropped my coke. I heard screaming. I think it was my screaming. I raced back into the kitchen and grabbed the old landline phone. I dialled 911. I heard a voice. I spoke. Time moved so quickly, I wasn’t completely sure what was happening and when.

Edwin was dead. I wanted to be dead. Everything was….. Dead.

They took him- I mean, the body. They took the body.

I stayed in his apartment. I laid in his bed. I had never felt so alone.

The night remained sleepless.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him there. Dangling in his station, dead. Dead. Dead. DEAD.

I wanted nothing more than to be dead.

Adler’s POV

I was waiting in my father’s office, out of sight. It was good day! I took care of Edwin, I knew I loved Y.N, and I was watching Dad make a few minor adjustments to my new body!

I watched him screw in the pale green eyes. I had gotten myself to turn green again. I’m not sure how. Yellow was not a good colour on me, I guess. I don’t think Y.N would like it. As I watched him secure the jaw, I thought of something.

“Hey, Dad,” I called. He looked to me.

“Yes, Adler?”

“Can you give me a realistic tongue?” The question confused him.

“Um… why would you need a realistic tongue?” I shrugged.

“I don’t know,” I lied. “They just seem really strange.” Dad looked at the robot. It looked just like me.

“I guess I can add a realistic tongue,” he responded, scratching his balding head.

“Thank you!” I smile brightly. He smiled back and went to get something to be the tongue.

I began thinking of what I wanted to do once I saw Y.N. How happy would she be to see me? She would be extremely happy! After Edwin, I’m her best friend, so she’ll see her best friend, the only person she loves, there for her! I began picturing how I wanted to touch her.

I remembered the things I learned from online. With a tongue, I would hesitate to-

There was a knock on the door. I went invisible on my stand, so I could still see what was going on. Dad came back and threw the sheet over my robot before pushing it on it’s wheeled stand into a corner.

“Come in,” he called. A man in a black suit entered. Dad seemed intimidated. “Oh, sir! I-”

“Save it, Larrow. I’m sure you’ve received the newsletter?” Dad nodded. “Then you’ll know the psychopath virus is still working?”

Dad nodded again.

“We want it fixed as soon as possible. No more people have to suffer. Goodbye.” The man left.