Life as an object

Chapter two

AL-1621 is back in the small room, alone again. She thought again about what had happened during the programming error. This indescribable feeling arose, it often changed, but what exactly is it? She hadn't told Winston and Hank about it, but she felt something. The android didn't just want to do what she was told to do. For a week the android was tired of training every day and talking to Hank about the world outside the lab where she was being built. AL-1621 wanted to see the world with her own eyes. So she decided to go to Hank and ask him if she could go outside. It was an advantage that she learned how to open doors without a key. Now the android could try it directly. She opened the metal door slowly and came a few steps into the corridor, no one to see. AL-1621 heard soft, echoing voices from a distance and followed them. The android came into the big hall where she was built, the voices became louder. AL-1621 saw a small door in one corner of the hall, the voices came from there. She walked quietly to the slightly reclined door and overheard the conversation between her inventors. "The android has changed; I have the feeling that something happened during the last programming. We need to do more checks with It." announced Winston serious. "I will talk to her, but first I eat dinner. See you in a few hours!" said Hank and stood up. Before he left the room, AL-1621 hid behind the door. After Hank left, Winston began to talk to himself: "I need AL-1621 for my plan! It has to do everything I want. If the android develops a will of its own, everything will fall apart. If all goes well, we will build millions of these and train them. Then the world domination finally belongs to me!" The scientist began to laugh angrily. > I have to go. They must never find me! < AL-1621 thought immediately. She was just about to run, but then Hank came back. He screamed: "Winston! She is gone!" Winston was startled and stood up: "It's only a thing not a human! You don't have to call it like it's a living thing." Together they ran to the corridor. "That's my chance!" whispered AL-1621 and started running along a corridor, she ran as fast as she could.

After a few minutes she found a big locked door and opened it fast. Immediately loud sirens and red light sounded. >Shit! < AL-1621 was sure she'd get caught, so she started running again along a new corridor. The next door she hit was also locked, but she was able to open it quickly. With closed eyes she ran out and was hit by the blazing heat and the light of the bright sun. It was too hot for her system but she had to run. Behind her the voices of Winston and Hank appeared: "There she is!" "We have to catch it!" "She must not escape!" >There it is. This weird feeling is back but in a different way than last times. < AL-1621 didn't have time to think about it, she had to leave. She ran off again, she ran faster than ever before. The hot sand was crunching under her feet. The voices behind her became quieter until they could no longer be heard. The android's system heated up more and more, she had to stop for a moment. She looked around, sand, sand everywhere. Somewhere far away from her she could see something black. AL-1621 decided to go to the black thing. She walked throw the sand until she could see that it was a sign. >Thanks, for Hank teaching me how to read. What is there written down? Nelson, British Columbia? I am in Canada? < On the Horizon the android could see buildings. They used to be buildings; now all that's left are ruins. She went in the direction of the ruins to hide and cool down. The sun had almost set and cast long shadows on the sandy ground when AL-1621 arrived at the ruins. The android sat down and waited until it was night and the air slowly cooled down. She ran off under the cover of darkness.

AL-1621 reached a small town the next noon. She was so confused of all the people in the small streets that she followed four girls into a shop. > What is this here? < She strolled through the corridors until she came across a row of wigs. She took one out and held it surprised up. "Hi! Do you need help?" asked a friendly voice behind her. The android turned around and looked into the brown eyes of the women in front of her: "For what is this hair?" The person smiled: "That's a wig. You can wear it. Look!" The women took the wig and put it on her head: "Black suits you!" AL-1621 looked into a mirror next to her and smiled: "Thanks! But now I have to go" She was about to leave the store when the unidentified woman called after her: "Stop, you need to pay it!" But when she looked into the totally confused face of the android, she took the wig, went to the cash desk and paid it for her. After that both left the store together. "You are not from here, right?" asked the woman. "No I'm not. I am an android and my name is AL-1621. Who are you?" answered AL-1621. The young woman looked over at her and said with a smile: "Kate, Katherine but everyone calls me Kate."