Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Title: Technical Difficulties

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Bruno/Yusei (main), Jack/Yusei (sub-pairing)

Author's Notes: First meeting = dialogue heavy chapter. lol, sorry.


He was perfect.

Yusei, though he had no plans to use the droid for any kind of romantic means, couldn't help but hold his breath, heart skipping a beat. Presumably the company made all their robots attractive unless requested otherwise, but Yusei couldn't help thinking that Antimony, the guy that the android was modelled after, must be very handsome. He wondered which features the company had changed to make the bot look just different enough from him to protect his privacy, and which of the m were straight from the source…

But it wasn't just the fact that the robot was extremely good-looking that had Yusei all aflutter – it was the sheer detail. Even up close, it was difficult to tell that this wasn't a human. The pores of his skin, the tiny hairs on his arms, the texture of the hair on his head and the way it fell about his face… it was all so amazingly realistic. There was nothing synthetic or manufactured about his appearance at all. It made Yusei doubt that, even if he searched under the robot's clothes, he'd be able to find a single seam on his body where the synthetic skin had been joined.

At present, the android still wasn't switched on, and so his skin was cool to the touch, but it felt realistic enough; having grown up in Satellite, Yusei couldn't say that he had never touched a dead body, unfortunately, and the robot's skin was similar in warmth. In fact, he currently had a very corpse-like vibe to him, what with his cool, eerily still form, and perhaps if Yusei had been anyone else, he would have been afraid. As it was, he wasn't particularly bothered, knowing full well that as soon as he was activated, the robot would warm up and begin moving in a way indistinguishable from that of a living being.

"I should probably switch you on," Yusei murmured to himself. If he was totally honest, he was probably more nervous about the android coming to life than he was about it looking like a body in a morgue. Once it was on, it would be the same as living with another person, and Yusei was still hesitant about taking that step. He enjoyed company, but he also valued his private time.

Still, he was curious to see how the droid would function, and so he retrieved the instruction manual from the box and leafed through it.

'There is a bracelet located on the left wrist of the Axel Android® which, when turned in a counter clockwise direction, will cause it to activate. This is bracelet is also where the cable to charge the Axel Android® should be inserted (for more on charging your Axel Android® see page 53 of this manual). Please note that the Axel Android® cannot be deactivated by turning the bracelet back in the clockwise direction (for more on deactivation, see page 82 of this manual).'

"A bracelet, huh." Yusei's eyes travelled down the robot's arm, noting that, sure enough, there was a simple band clasped around his wrist. "So I just turn this."

He let his fingers brush over the cold metal, chilled from the winter air. "Guess it's now or never."

Yusei grasped it in his fingers, turning counter clockwise as specified, until the bracelet gave an audible click and the robot hummed to life. It sounded very similar to a computer starting up, but that too quickly faded, replaced by a perfect replication of the sound of breathing as the machine's chest began to rise and fall. Yusei watched in fascination, fingers still pressed to the skin of its wrist, right above the bracelet. The change in warmth was almost instantaneous, skin taking on a much more lifelike quality as it heated to just above room temperature.

Finally, the android's eyes opened – Yusei noted that his eyelids didn't flutter the way a human's would, and briefly wondered if he should take a note and report on that – and focused on him. A small smile blossomed across his face and Yusei found himself responding in turn, lip turning up at the edges.

"Hello," the android said. "I'm Bruno… but… well… I guess you're the one who named me, so you already knew that."

He let out a shy almost-giggle and went to rub the back of his head, only to find that he was still firmly inside his box, unable to move.

"Oh… uh, do you mind if I get out of this?"

Yusei's tiny smile grew larger. "Please. It can't be comfortable."

He watched Bruno struggle out of the cardboard, then trip over some of the Styrofoam packing that had secured his leg, falling on his face and taking the box with him. Yusei struggled not to laugh. This guy… robot… seemed so alive, so human. There was nothing smooth or precise or mechanical about him. It was amazing. He seemed like a real person with real quirks – if the production team agreed to let him meet with Antimony in future, he would have to compare.

"I'm sorry, this is a terrible first impression," Bruno pushed the cardboard and other bits and bobs that had been packed into the box off himself. He stood back up, brushing down his clothes, and gave Yusei an adorable, embarrassed smile. "You're probably wondering how someone like me can be so clumsy."

"It's my fault," Yusei apologized automatically. "I didn't specify any traits in your personality form. The company contacted me to make sure I hadn't left it blank by accident, and then they gave me a rundown of your default personality. They mentioned that you might sometimes tend to… overbalance or drop objects, but I told them I didn't mind."

Bruno cast his eyes downward, the smile still on his face. "Well, if that's what you like, then…" He trailed off and looked back up, their eyes meeting. "So, your name is Yusei, correct? Fudo Yusei. Was the pronunciation input accurate?"

"Perfect," Yusei confirmed.

'"And my name? Is it… how you imagined it?" Bruno asked, and he sounded almost shy.

Yusei's smile took on an amused quality. He understood the relevance of these questions, assumed it was part of the regular setup process, but it was still funny having someone ask if they were pronouncing their own name correctly.

"It wouldn't matter even if it wasn't. It's your name. I'm not going to tell you how to say it."

He watched in amazement as a flush spread across Bruno's features, as naturally as it would across his own. Yes, he was definitely glad he had agreed to take on this testing job. The technology was incredible – he couldn't wait until he got Bruno settled and could see if he didn't know a thing or two about his own programming.

"I… well, okay then, I guess I'm Bruno. I'm sorry, it's standard protocol to ask. Once this product is out on the market, the consumers will be paying a lot for it. Some of them would probably get angry if we said our names in a way other than they'd imagined. Especially if we're ordered by overseas customers, there's a chance the name could be entered totally wrong."

"Ahh. That makes sense," Yusei nodded. He could see customers kicking up a fuss about that, especially if they were the extremely wealthy kind who were used to getting exactly what they wanted.

"I guess you're not exactly the kind of customer we're expecting to market to. Well, not for several years, anyway." Bruno peered at Yusei curiously, and Yusei couldn't help wondering exactly how he was programmed to read and register his surroundings; exactly how did he see Yusei?

"I'm an engineering graduate," Yusei explained. He could tell that Bruno was interested in who he was – well, he probably wasn't really, it was just the way that his programming worked. Maybe Antimony was the naturally inquisitive type.

Whatever it was, the way Bruno behaved was so much like a normal person that Yusei found himself conversing with him like one.

"I often test products for this company. If something goes wrong, my studies give me a broader insight into what might have caused it, and I know what to keep an eye out for that others might overlook."

Bruno's eyes lit up the moment the words 'engineering graduate' left Yusei's mouth, and he suddenly seemed a lot like an excited child on the morning of their birthday.

"You're into mechanics, then? Me too! I'm really interested in machinery and computers and I love programming…" he trailed off, suddenly looking embarrassed. "Oh, right. Now that I think about it, that's one of the few traits you asked to have input, hahaha.."

Yusei cocked his head, still amused. "You can tell me about yourself. It doesn't matter if it's something I asked for or not. Of course, I know you're good at mechanics, but I wasn't sure how you felt about it. You can be good at something without being passionate about it."

"Oh right, of course, you're right, I never thought of it like that…" Bruno seemed strangely flustered, and Yusei took a moment to once again appreciate the amazing reproduction of human behavioral patterns. "Ahh… I'm sorry. We've only just met and I must already seem so undignified." Bruno laughed. "You probably regret ordering me as a boyfriend."

Yusei responded with silence. It stretched out between them, growing long enough to be uncomfortable, and Bruno looked around nervously, suddenly seeming awkward under Yusei's unwavering stare.

"You, uh… don't actually regret ordering me, do you?"

Yusei shook his head. "No, I have no regrets. It's just about the boyfriend thing." He paused for a moment, wondering how to break the news to a love android – a machine whose specific purpose was to be someone's lover – that Yusei wasn't actually interested in that kind of relationship.

Bruno seemed to take his pause to mean bad news. "Oh… you… did you want a girl? Did you tick the wrong box and end up with a boy instead of a girl? Oh no, you're heterosexual, aren't you? It's okay, I'm sure they could do something about it, take me back, send you a Sherry model…"

"Bruno is a boy's name," Yusei pointed out, tone blunt. "No, it's that... I didn't volunteer for this beta testing job. It was offered to me. I do appreciate it, but I wasn't looking for a boyfriend… or a girlfriend. I was interested in your programming and design, however, and so I accepted."

He expected Bruno to look offended, or at least a little disappointed or upset. The last thing he expected was a smile and a sigh of relief. But that's what he got.

"Thank goodness." Bruno rubbed imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Not that I'd never want to be your boyfriend, because… well." He smiled, and again, it was shy. "But we've only just met. Jumping into a relationship feels so sudden, and I don't know if it's from Antimony's personality, or an oversight in my programming, or both, but… it made me uncomfortable."

Yusei's eyebrows rose at this admission. That was definitely something he'd need to report back about. This development was fine with him – worked well for him, even – but for someone who was expecting a 100% willing lover right from the moment the android opened its eyes, it could pose an issue. Perhaps the free-will they'd managed to install in the robots was a little too great.

"Isn't the main purpose of the Axel Android to provide a… partner for the consumer?" Yusei couldn't help but ask. "If the product doesn't want to perform its job, then…"

Bruno's expression turned thoughtful, and he nodded. "Yes, that probably does need to be addressed before the market release. Of course, if you had wanted me to perform the role of your boyfriend, I would have done so, no questions asked. Like you said, it's my main purpose. But…" he shrugged. "I'm glad you don't."

Yusei nodded absentmindedly in agreement. Something about that seemed wrong to him. It seemed almost the same as a girl who didn't want to have sex with her boyfriend, but felt pressured into giving in. While Bruno was a robot, and thus technically an appliance, he appeared human enough for the comparison to cross Yusei's mind, and he didn't like it. Yes, he would definitely have to report back to Clear Mind Industries about this.

"I am programmed to react and develop to the likes and dislikes of my owner, though," Bruno was still rambling. "So I think I quickly would have grown to want to be your boyfriend… to enjoy it, I guess… but at first, it would have felt… awkward, I guess."

That was another thing Yusei wasn't sure he liked. He clearly wasn't cut out for this robot boyfriend thing, because the idea of Bruno editing his programming – essentially the foundation of his very 'personality' – to become more to Yusei's liking? It also struck a wrong chord in him.

"Is that a conscious change or is it inbuilt?" He asked. "How does it work?"

Bruno thought for a moment. Yusei wondered if he had the ability to analyze his own inner workings.

"If you can call it 'conscious' when we're programmed to do it, then yes, it is. I mean, I do have control over it." He paused briefly, as if thinking of the simplest way to explain the process. "Basically, we collect data on your responses to our actions. Body language, what you say, what you do… if it's positive, it reinforces the action and we continue to do it. If it's negative, eventually we learn not to do it anymore. It's like that. Or if you mention a like or dislike, we record that. Then once we have enough information, we update our system to reflect what we've learned."

"So you analyze us and change yourself to fit what you find," Yusei nodded. "Interesting."

"Yeah… so if my clumsiness started to get on your nerves, for example, I'd eventually register that, and reduce it," Bruno explained.

Yusei bit his lip, not making eye contact with Bruno anymore. So essentially, the robot's entire personality could change. Even traits you'd input yourself in the beginning could disappear if you changed your mind about them in the end. They could probably come back just as easily.

"You… don't have to change for me," Yusei eventually said. "I don't think I like that. If you're going to change anything for me, then I want it to be that part of your programming. Collect all the information on me that you want, but if you don't actually want to change, then… just don't."

Another long silence followed, this time more strange than awkward. Bruno was just staring at him with his lips slightly parted, the expression on his face almost disbelieving. It was kind of cute, Yusei thought, and he had to bite his cheek to keep from smiling.

"That's… are you sure?" Bruno appeared almost concerned. "I mean, that's…if you don't like something about me, why wouldn't you want it to change?"

Yusei couldn't help but smile – or rather, smirk – just a tiny bit. "Believe me, if I could change every trait my friends had that got on my nerves slightly, then they would be entirely different people." Jack certainly came to mind. "It's people's traits, annoying and wonderful, that make them who they are. Surely both of them, good and bad, are the reason you become friends in the first place"

A strange expression came over Bruno's face. "Yusei…"

"You, also, are fine the way you are, I can assure you. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."

The strange expression slowly turned into a smile, spreading across Bruno's face. "I… then… okay." He agreed. Then after a moment, "Yusei, I'm, uh… I'm glad. That out of all the people I could have been made for, I was made for you."

Yusei laughed, patting Bruno on the shoulder.

They certainly had done a good job with these androids. He felt attached already.