SincerelyJin

Metropolis
A forbidden narrative through android eyes.

Previously: The Annual Android Auction seemed to be going great for Cindi and her debut to the world, but things may have turned for the worst. Locking eyes with a human male in the large audience caused some strange effects, and before Cindi knew it, she shorted out and went into an unconscious state.

After auto-restarting, she finds herself surrounded by a number of observers: Parker, Lady Maxxa, Lady Maestra, and three women wearing bridal dresses and donning matching veils that covered their faces (Cindi refers to them simply as "brides"). One has been revealed to have Technopathy, which grants one the ability to read and communicate with mechanical beings, androids being one of them of course. Not much is known about these mysterious trio, but one of the brides sensed something that caused her a sort of disturbance.

Cindi Mayweather is in love with a human...

III.

So that was what love felt like? My feet sweeping me off the floor, my senses going dull—it was all because of love? I was entranced by the fact, curious to how this could be so, and who that man was. But before my mind became suffocated by questions and theories, I noticed a number of things: the (still existing) awkward silence that filled the brightly-lit room, Maxxa and Parker's faces struck with horror, and the seriousness painted onto Maestra's.

"A droid in love with a human? Ain't this somethin'," a bodiless voice fizzed.

A small projector in the corner of the room sparked to life, catching Parker and Maxxa off guard after knowing someone had heard the news. The lights in the room dimmed down a bit; the room seemed to be a place of storage. A whirring sound was followed by a beam of light that shot past me and transformed into a holographic wave that crashed onto the floor. The wave formed into the shape of a human, only to be filled in by a familiar sight.

"Good evening, ladies," Sir Lucious Leftfoot smiled a toothy grin.

Sir Lucious Leftfoot. Auctioneer Extraordinaire. Holographic Player. He's gone by many nicknames, but he is mainly known for his talent in auctioning. That is what he was custom made for, and he was the auctioneer for the Auction, like he is every year. The hologram politely bowed to the brides, the left one scoffed, Lucious frowned in disappointment.

"He knows, will he tell?" Parker was severely nervous. Maestra put her finger to his lips, silencing him quickly. She looked at Lucious, "Will you?" Lucious tipped back his hat. "I'm not, but I won't have to." I felt my heart skip a few beats or so. All I could hear was my heartbeats and the low humming of Lucious's form. "What do you mean by that?" I asked him.

"They've been cautious," said the hologram. "They've been-"

"Lucious?" Maestra's tone a worrisome one.

"Listening."

Next thing I could remember, a sharp, piercing sound emitted from the doorway. The storage room became brighter than it was when the lights were on; it felt as if the brightest star had fallen right in front of us. I felt someone grip my hand, it was Parker's. I could tell. Quickened footsteps came closer, and electronic buzzing surged. The blinding white and the painful pitch slowly disintegrated into the dimly lit room. The electronic buzzing was Lucious's image, flickering and stuttering, he even looked sickly. I turned: Maxxa was gone, Maestra was gone, so were the brides. Parker's hands were clapped over his ears. It was just the three of us, incapacitated.

I looked to the open doorway to see shadow-like figures, lined perfectly in a row that overstretched the entrance/exit. They were still, still as statues. A dark shade of crimson was the color of the illuminated buttons that went down their jackets. Their eyes revealed gazes of merciless intent from the little light that swam within their pupils. They were the Cybersoul Patrol, and nothing good ever came from their appearances.