October 29, 21XX

Murder has struck our poor town. Apparently, at 3:20 PM yesterday, Mr. Fink was killed just outside of his home by unknown assailants.

His body was found horribly burned, as if he was doused in gasoline and left to burn for hours. However, there was no sign of a struggle, and no one heard any screaming. Just one gunshot and a muffled thump.

The circumstances of his murder are unfortunate indeed-he was something of a hermit, living a good distance from everyone else, and his house was surrounded by tall wire fences to keep people out. He was also a vile-tempered drunkard, and had plenty enemies. Although a death is always a tragedy, I cannot say that I wouldn't be sadder if it had happened to someone else.

Knowing that someone in this small, secluded town is capable of something like that is extremely distressing. I fear for Percy. I want to keep him safe, away from the depredations of lawless monsters. I don't want to raise a boy in a terrible world.

November 2, 21XX

Today, I tried to sign Percy up for the school's ball team. They didn't want him. They said it was unfair, that he was too good.

TOO good? Why would they hold this against him? He transcends the limitations of human flesh. Why should that invalidate his achievements?

Why does someone have to be shaped by the bumbling, inefficient, time-consuming business of evolution to be human?

November 8, 21XX

Some of the older kids were being rude to Percy and his friends. They threw rocks at them and made verbal threats. I just know what one of them was Chet, that overgrown brat from several houses over. He's a bit taller and more muscular than the other kids, so he asserts his superiority by harassing him. Percy, by comparison, is leagues beyond this flesh-bag, but isn't anything but nice to people.

This isn't the first problem that Percy has had with bullies. The other day, he had several smears of what I suspected were mashed potatoes on his back. He has also come home with obscene words dyed onto his frame. I guess he just lets them do it. I had Ivan burn all of it off. Percy doesn't deserve this.

I have told him time and again to stop playing with Max and Josh, but he insists that they need him. He also sees to get along with them better, for whatever reason.

November 15, 21XX

Percy seems attached to a 13-year-old girl named Mary. This is good news to me. I was worried that his metallic body would make him repulsive to girls. I'd considered giving him a skin-like outer cover, but his forearms are too broad, as if they are concealing something. His lower legs are also broad, instead of narrow, as in human ankles are, which gives him the appearance of wearing boots. There was no satisfactory solution.

Apparently, this does not bother her. They talk to each other and eat together, thankfully, usually without his other "friends" around. This is a step in the right direction.

November 18, 21XX

More kids seem to be mistreating my son. I cannot imagine why. Why would someone have anything other than respect for someone who is polite and good at everything? They must be envious. Their biological limitations mean that they will only live for 70 more years at most, and will never be able to bend steel bars or calculate 3-digit multiplicities in a split second like Percy.

December 4, 21XX

I am perturbed by the fact that Mary's parents do not want her to see my boy anymore. They are worried that it will make her an outcast. Also, they fear what he might end up doing to her physically. Percy has long mastered his own body, and, hunting aside, has never harmed another living thing, intentionally or otherwise.

Percy expressed his sadness to me. I have explained to him that not every relationship works out. It is the reality of life, robot or not. Of course, I haven't gotten into the business of explaining him why he won't be able to have children in the future. Maybe his info-banks will tell him why.

December 9, 21XX

Today, there was a large circle of teenagers in the schoolyard. In the center was Chet, that insufferable whelp, striking my son on the head and face with a metal pipe. Percy didn't react-it probably didn't hurt him at all-but the act was, to me, horrific. That other kids would take pleasure in meaningless violence toward my only son is beyond reproach.

December 10, 21XX

I have decided that his casual reaction to other's hatred for him is unacceptable. Today, I told him to fight back, and stand up for himself. He seemed confused. I told him to respond with physical violence with a controlled measure of physical violence,

He nodded, then straightened his body, closed his eyes, and said "target threshold lowered". Strangely, it came out in a very monotonous, articulate, female voice, rather than his own. I thought maybe it was a joke. He's a clever boy, I admit. But he's never spoken in another voice except when prompted to.

December 12, 20XX

A caravan came in from the north. It was a junk salvager who had a variety of exotic technological gadgets, probably picked from ruins. Ivan and I examined it-most of it was useless by itself, and pretty much trinkets to sell to the gullible.

I showed him Percy. He was very interested in him. Apparently, his team had never come close to finding or assembling an intact robot. He offered to buy him for about half of the scrap he had. I firmly refused.

Sadly, none of the few working batteries he had were compatible with Percy.