System boot-up.

It was 7 a.m., time for computer 303 to begin its daily operations.

A white pod, one in thousands, opened. Out came a small, humanoid robot, moving with quick and jerky movements. 303 navigated through the rows and rows of white pods in the deadly silent warehouse. Finally it reached the preparation room, a room where all systems went before leaving the storage building. Here they were checked for malfunctions, washed and dressed. Once 303 was dressed in its usual outfit, white tube top, khaki shorts, flip flops, and a pink smock, it proceeded to the syncing dock. Here it was hooked up to a large computer via a cord in its ear. The syncing began and all of the information that 303 had gathered over the years was loaded onto its hard drive. 303 left the building, moving more fluidly now.

303, or Wy, took a train to its 'home'. On the train it checked its programming. Relationship receptor, check. Fight or flight instincts, check. Portrayal of emotion, check. Everything was working fine.

It dismounted the train and checked it's hair. The side-pony was in is place, exactly 50 degrees above the left ear. Wy was beginning to warm up, the programs loaded onto its database being put to use. Wy began to think.

She would see her 'family' today. The family she 'loved.' Wy didn't feel anything, she was a computer. She would get rid of those who got in the way of her goal or those who figured out her secret, but other than that she didn't really care about those who surrounded her.

Wy arrived at her 'home'. Here she would see her 'caretaker', Australia. Her cheeks immediately pulled into a smile. Her smiles kept this man satisfied enough to leave her alone for a while. "Wy!" There he was. Australia approached Wy's small, mechanical body and picked her up. She automatically giggled, swung her legs and clutched his neck for support. Those were the things that normal children did when picked up. "Hi Aussie!" the pre-programmed joy in Wy's voice seemed so fake to her, but was enough to fool Australia. He put her down, "I've got a surprise for you!"

Wy's pony bobbed up and down as she clapped her hands and made a couple small jumps, the smile still wide on her face. Again, she was merely copying normal child behavior. "I'm going to take you to the zoo!" Wy froze, literally. Her system was confused. To go to the zoo would completely alter her schedule today. While her system thought of a new plan she remained motionless. It was done in a matter of seconds. She began to move again and smiled, "Yay!"

The Australian smiled back at her, "We're going to have lots of fun, won't we?" Wy nodded enthusiastically, but she knew that wasn't true. She wouldn't have fun or feel happy, she was merely a robot. She wouldn't be bored either. Instead she would be thinking about her goal, calculating how to achieve it and picking and choosing appropriate response to the things that Australia told her. "We're leaving at ten, alright?" Australia ruffled Wy's hair and she grinned up at him, just the programming kicking in. As he turned away Wy's face went blank, no need for emotions now. It was 9:47. That gave her 13 minutes to think about her goal.

At ten o'clock Wy took Australia's hand and they set off to the zoo. When they arrived Australia led her straight to the crocodiles and alligators. She found herself actually listening to him, hanging on his every word instead of thinking of her goal. She concluded that her system must be absorbing the information. It was programmed to do that. At lunch she consumed her food wordlessly while Australia droned on, this time thinking about her goal. Her system must have gone haywire for a moment.

However, the moment she lost focus on her goal she found herself listening to Australia with genuine interest. She couldn't be interested in anything, she was a robot. She wondered if she needed her system repaired.

Finally they left. Wy hadn't been able to work on her goal at all and on the way home something extraordinary happened. Australia told a joke. It was a joke he had told a million times before but it had just now dawned on Wy that it was actually funny. She laughed and laughed until tears came to her eyes. And it was real laughter. Not the forced kind that came from programming but the kind that would come from her heart if she had one. This caused another phenomenon.

Once Wy realized she had actually laughed she gasped. She felt surprise too. It was as if her programming was being chipped away. She was feeling emotion. But that wasn't possible. She was just a computer. She didn't feel emotions, she couldn't turn into a human.

Still, the odd show of emotion gave her hope. Perhaps, if she kept working at her goal, her goal to become human, and focusing on emotions, then maybe her dream would come true. Even if she was just a computer.