Visiting the Phillips family wasn't as bad as she thought, Zoey had adjusted very easily (thank God for that social relations program) and Marlene could relax about leaving the girl alone.

Emma had taken such a liking to Zoey and while she wasn't programmed to deal with children, she did it well.

Zoey and Daniel had a schedule of free time to themselves (arranged by their owners) were they had an hour around five pm were they could either rest (standby as Zoey would prefer) or prepare for the next day. Marlene hoped Zoey didn't shut herself down to standby and spend time with the other Android. They seemed to get along just fine and that made her happy.

Zoey was finishing cleaning up the dinning room when the apartment door opened with a ding. Static filled her vision range for a moment as she pulled up the security footage, seeing Daniel waiting patiently for an invitation. She straightened up, walking to his direction with a small smile, "Evening, Daniel. Come in"

Daniel smiled slightly, walking inside. "Hello, Zoey" he greeted, hands behind his back. "How are you this day?"

Zoey tilted her head aside, "Busy" she replied making him sigh silently. He didn't know why, but lately every Android he asked of their well being only answered the same. As if they were programmed to tell other Androids they were still working. Daniel didn't mean if she was working actually, he really wanted her to answer how the humans responded to that question. And it must have showed in his face because her eyebrows furrowed and her LED blinking yellow once "I'm good, thanks for asking. How about you?"

Daniel liked that program. Her social relations program allowed her to adjust to any situation, either with Androids or humans, she could but it took her minutes to adjust. "I'm good as well, Emma should arrive from school at any moment and told me this morning she'd like to spend time with you"

And yes, she did. Emma every night expressed to Daniel she liked the other Android, even if she acted not very human-ly like sometimes. She said she reminded her of him when he was first brought to the house. Professional and not very talkative. As many wouldn't like it, Emma did. He liked that about the little girl, she didn't care they were only machines, she treated both of them as if they were human

A small smile played on Zoey's lips, "She did, huh?" Zoey was still a machine but she couldn't help but liking the presence of the tiny human, while she didn't know how to express genuine expressions, with Emma was different. The little girl made her programming adjust her to her moments with her and she didn't dislike it. She liked those moments and she didn't know why.

^Software instability

Zoey blinked in confusion, seeing the letters forming on the corner of her vision range, not knowing what that meant.

"Zoey?" Daniel asked in slight concern seeing the baffled expression in her face that appeared out of nowhere, LED blinking yellow. "What is it?"

Zoey shook her head, quickly running a diagnostics test trying to figure out what caused the 'software instability' label she hadn't know about appear before her eyes but finding nothing. There was no problem within her so she forced a smile for Daniel, "Nothing wrong. Got a message for Marlene"

Daniel looked unconvinced but it wasn't him to ask other's business. "It's alright. Would you mind if I keep you company before Emma arrives?"

Zoey shook her head "Not at all"

Daniel smiled.

~8~

"Hi, Dan, Zo!"

Emma Phillips ran toward the Androids, school backpack swaying behind her back with her running.

Zoey, used to her greetings just smiled, "How was school?"

Emma embraced Daniel first, letting him raise her from the ground to his arms so she could be at Zoey's eye level. "It was good. We were taught more than four digits divisions today in math"

Daniel laughed softly, "Bet you did better than everyone"

A small blush appeared in Emma's cheeks, "Well, I finished first in less than half an hour. So that's gotta say something, right?"

"It says you're smart" Zoey quipped, looking at the little girl. Emma beamed. "The average child takes more than an hour to domain a new study subject, specially if it's math"

Emma giggled "You're funny when you say things from the internet"

Zoey blinked, "That wasn't from-"

"Yeah, you downloaded stuff" Emma said knowingly with a smile. Daniel looked between them with a small smile as they waited for the elevator to take them to their apartment. "You always say that"

"It's the truth" Zoey said confused, titling his head aside.

Daniel couldn't help but frown. He was like that when he first started to work with the Phillips. There were a lot of stuff he didn't understand and looked the way Zoey did. There were a lot of social cues Emma had to teach him to understand humans better. If anything, the girl had helped him change. And he knew deep down it was for the better. He still couldn't help but compare himself with Zoey. He suddenly realized he wasn't like other Androids anymore. He took often to obey an order, though he still did, he didn't take priority in Emma's parents orders anymore. It was like a switch flipped withing him making him see other things more important. He hadn't seen it, not until Zoey came to the picture and he didn't know if what he was doing was right. If he followed into his own behavior or retreat back to how he was at first, a small pang of something akin to dissapointment flashed him. How did he know it was disappointment? He... He shouldn't know what it was, he only could stimulate feeling, not actually feel it. So, why was he feeling disappointment at the thought of stopping being the way he is right now?

Zoey glanced at Daniel from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice something different with him. She had at first noticed he wasn't a normal Android. She saw plenty of them when she went to the market or to buy things Marlene needed and none of them acted like Daniel. He seemed more human like -which she knew wasn't possible-, they were only machines and he had to act like it even if he had to stimulate some kind of soft and nicer emotions to help out Emma but, there was a line. A line that made her programs stir in confusion at the other Android's actions. She was programmed to adjust to anyone she met, humans and Androids alike but she never imagined having to use it on Androids either. Only humans as their emotional responses were stronger and easily to detect so she could find the appropriate approach to each human, she could practically read or 'sense' the neurotransmitter sent to provoke an specific emotion and so she could stimulate one mixing positively to get successful results at interacting with humans. Which is why, she seemed to be accepted at the law firm Marlene worked at. It was easy for her to stimulate emotions but she still didn't understand them. They were foreign to her, and yet Daniel semeed to understand them. She didn't know if that was Emma's doing but, what she did know was that Daniel shouldn't be doing that. And so she told him.

"Daniel" Zoey came to his side as she watched him prepare dinner. Daniel looked at her and for a moment he didn't like the deep frown in her face. "You've spent a lot of time with Emma" she commented. Daniel nodded, a small smile playing in his lips that made Zoey's frown even deeper if it was possible, LED spinning yellow. "You're good at stimulating emotions for her benefit but, there's a line you know?"

Daniel's smile faded. Thirium pump regulator going faster. Oh, why there was a displeased feeling for their conversation? His LED blinked yellow. "I don't know what you mean"

"Daniel. I mean this. I've noticed some changes in you" Zoey insisted. "Your normal rate of time at succeeding what you've been ordered has drastically decreased into a 40%. You aren't as fast as you were when I met you" She didn't notice Daniel's hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as she spoke matter-of-factly. His LED blinked a bright red for a moment as a warm sensation made him grit his teeth and his vision blurred red for a moment. He could decipher the moment as anger. One he had from the memory of Mrs Phillips explaining, like seeing red and wanting to punch someone. He felt that, he didn't want Zoey saying things he already knew. "Maybe you should be checked at Cyberlife for any error in your software"

Fear was foreign to Daniel. So when he froze and his thirium pump regulator slowed down drastically, he sensed something like dread setting in. He didn't want to be sent to Cyberlife. He knew when an Android wasn't capable of what they were programmed, they were disabled and tossed away. He knew that could be his future if someone noticed he was becoming slower and reluctant to follow orders. What was that called? He heard it in the news, an Android deviating from their programming and turning against their owners. It wasn't common. He just remembered being a one time case but the footage stayed on his CPU, surfacing at that precise moment. "There's no need" he said slowly, turning to face Zoey. His LED was changing between red and yellow as he watched her.

Zoey's eyes flickered between his face and his LED "Is there an error that should be checked after, Daniel? You seem distressed" she said coldly. It was the approach seemed appropriate at response of his behavior. Acting soft and passive wasn't exactly successful of calming him down.

"I'm fine" Daniel's artificial lungs deflated and inflated quickly, stimulating a heavy breathing as he became tense as he snapped.

Zoey blinked. When was the last time an Android snapped at someone or anything in general? She didn't have time to say anything else as the Phillips and Marlene arrived, greeting the Androids.

Marlene was the one who walked closer but stopped seeing Daniel's LED blinking red before turning back to Yellow and then blue. She rubbed her eye, wondering if she imagined it. When she had bought Zoey, Cyberlife explained the meaning of the colors of the LED in her Android. It meant their mental process and status. Blue meant stable. The Android was in a good state. Yellow meant processing, and red meant if there was something wrong with the Android. It meant a program needed fixing, it had suffered a damage to any of it's biocomponents or needed thirium. She had never seen red flashing in Zoey's LED and neither Daniel's, not until now. It meant something was wrong with Daniel and he wasn't informing anyone. Wasn't in his programming informing of any oddity in his program?

Zoey was quiet and calm as always as if she didn't notice Daniel's LED being red as she walked closer. "Hey, how's everything?" Marlene asked with a gentle smile as Mrs Phillips went to retrieve Emma from her room and Mr. Phillips sat down on the living room with a tablet. Neither of them bothered to greet the Androids but Marlene.

"Everything's good, Marlene" Zoey was the one who replied, surprising Daniel. He was sure she was going to mention to her owner about his condition.

"Dinner would be set in a moment" Daniel said softly, smiling at Marlene.

Marlene smiled slightly at them, "Okay. I'll be over there" she pointed at the living room where Mr Phillips was seated.

The Androids nodded as she walked to Mr. Phillips.

Daniel glanced at her, "You didn't say anything" he commented.

Zoey didn't answer, not even looking at him as she stared straight forward.

Daniel sighed, glancing at the dinner that was almost ready.

Marlene sat down next to Mr. Phillips. "Long day?" She asked with a small chuckle.

Mr. Phillips looked up, blinking tiredly. "Yes" he looked back at the table and it was when Marlene noticed what he was going.

It was a Cyberlife store web site.

She looked up surprised. What was he doing there if he already had an Android? Unless...

Marlene looked back at Daniel, dread suddenly setting in. Did they want to reemplace him?

~8~

N/A:

Hope you liked it.

*~Peace and out,

De~*