. . .
After lunch, Rayna had driven back to Rivertown to drop off Lali. She was very interested at the prospect of working for Synergy Corporation.
"And the building is just on Lathrop Street? That's a close drive from my place!" Rayna said, excited.
Lali was a bit puzzled. "I didn't even know they had a facility in Detroit."
"Hmm, I think it's the same building where the old AT&T was. A military base is nearby there."
After their short drive, Rayna dropped Lali at her apartment complex. As she was walking up the stairs, a self-driving cab pulled over on the curb. A familiar android stepped out, hauling several bags of groceries.
It was Abigail. The load looked quite heavy, but Lali automatically assumed that she was stronger than the average human and could handle it.
However, the artificial girl looked like she was struggling and suddenly prostrated to the ground, dropping one of the bags and spilling the contents all over the sidewalk. By habit, Lali strode over to help her.
"Hey, you alright?" she asked, bending down to gather the various items. She noticed they were boxed and frozen foods. Most of the brand labels were unfamiliar to her, but one had the name 'Thirium' in bold, golden letters.
Abby let a self-deprecating chuckle. "I am now. I should've known this melon weighed about a ton. Thanks!"
Lali glanced over, realizing Abby had placed a paper bag down. A large watermelon was peeking out of it. At least she caught before it completely dropped; otherwise, it would have been a splatter of green and red chunks all over the pavement.
Abby then went over to retrieve the last bag from the seat of the cab, but again, she groaned from the heavy weight of it. "Ow…"
"Do you need help carrying these?" Lali offered.
Abby looked a bit sheepish. "Oh no, I don't want to trouble you."
"It's no trouble at all. It's just the second floor."
After moment, the android conceded. "Okay then. Can you take this one?" She indicated another bag, stuffed to the brim.
"Sure."
Working out at the gym paid off, because Lali had enough muscle flex to pick it up with a bit of ease. Abby smiled in relief, as she balanced out the other grocery bags. As they entered the building and into the elevator, the android let out a frustrated groan.
"Ughhh, I wish Susan and Byron would get back here soon."
Lali turned to her. "Hmm?"
"My room mates."
"I see."
Lali recalled seeing the other two androids a few times. Like with Abby, she could have sworn that she'd seen them before – one was a female with strawberry blonde hair and looked quite attractive. The other was a male android with a medium build and short brown hair. He looked like he could be Abby's 'brother,' given the facial resemblance.
As they reached the floor and stepped off the elevator, Lali couldn't help but wonder about something. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "I thought you androids were supposed to be strong."
Instantly, she felt she had come off as a bit rude. But Abby only shrugged, with a rueful sigh.
"Don't I wish! I can barely lift a 25-pound box of kitty litter."
"I'm sorry…" Lali sputtered. "I assumed all androids were built with superior abilities and all…"
"No, don't worry." Abby gave her reassuring smile, as she unlocked the door. "My friends and I get asked that sometimes. I hate to disappoint, but not all of us are created equal. Some of us will have the strength of – I dunno, a gorilla? While others will have the puny strength on the level of a mouse."
Lali marveled at the other girl using a somewhat informal analogy. Were these machines even capable of abstract ideas? But then she remembered Abby and her room mates were deviants; maybe with it came unusual developments in their machine code that eerily paralleled cognizant behavior in humans.
"Come on in!" the android invited.
Stepping into the apartment, Lali saw that it was an exact replica of her cousin's next door, except that the kitchen location and living room were mirrored. The walls were painted periwinkle, instead of a Navajo white. There was a plush, brown sectional sofa, adorned by an oval coffee table made of smoky glass, and a large television mounted on the opposite wall.
A rectangular, beveled mirror with a silver frame hung over the couch; two canvas paintings of the ocean accented either side of it, giving the whole place a modern feel. A few moving boxes were stacked near the kitchen entrance, waiting to be taken out.
A pleasant smell filled the room, having a calming effect on Lali. Sniffing a few times, she turned to a bamboo diffuser perched atop a half-moon table.
Abby followed her stare, realizing what caught her attention. "Oh…do you like it?"
"It's a nice scent, yes," Lali replied, a bit entranced. "What is it?"
"It's lavender. I like it too. Susan must have put it on."
"I...never smelled lavender before."
Abby frowned. "Really? Well, call me silly, but I thought all humans knew its scent."
"No, not silly at all," Lali assured. "I heard about the flower itself, but I never actually smelled it. Some human populations in certain parts of the country…even regions of the world, grow up and never know about it."
The andoid walked over, placing her grocery bag on the table. "Hmm, that's a shame! I think everyone should know about." She turned to Lali with another one of her affable smiles. "It's so awesome when you can discover amazing things about this place…. this world."
Lali had to agree. "Indeed." She then glanced down at her Smart watch. "Well, I better get going. Have a nice afternoon, Abby."
The android lifted her hand up. "Hold on a moment." She walked over to the hallway, opening the linen closet.
Returning, she handed a little dark bottle over to Lali . "Here!"
Lali glanced down, gingerly taking it.
"It's lavender. An essential oil," Abby explained.
"Oh! Well thanks."
"Try it. All you need is a diffuser like that one..." she gestured towards the aromatherapy machine. "Just add water and several droplets of the oil, then soon you'll be in one of the most calm, peaceful states ever!"
Lali grew even more curious at the fact that the girl could experience such a mindset – one that was historically organic in nature, gradually developed over millions of years. But for a mass composite of subprocessors and digital electronic components in the form of this walking A.I to allegedly feel such emotions?
Or is it because CyberLife programmed this very human trait into their behaviors?
She wanted to ask Abby about it, but attempting to differentiate humans from androids, now that they were considered fully sentient beings could come off as impolite.
"I'll certainly try it out," Lali replied graciously, before heading towards door.
"Let me know if you like it," Abby said. "Bye Lali!"
Lali turned to her with a small wave, before closing her apartment door.
. . .
Evening came, and Lali was resting on her bed. Pepper was lying beside her, eyes closed in a light sleep. A sudden notification ping sounded from her phone.
It must be Rayna…
Reaching over the nightstand to grab the phone, she tapped across the screen to read the message.
You are invited for an interview with Synergy Corporation. Please choose from the available time slots:
Wednesday 10:30 AM, 11 AM, 11:45 AM…
Lali couldn't believe it. They were considering her for potential employment in such a short amount of time.
"I guess my technical skills really fit their requirements for the position," she muttered.
A mixture of hope, enthusiasm and apprehension filled her core. But she didn't hold her breath…many people must have applied for the position. What if she was merely a blip in their vast pool of candidates?
The following week, the interview had went as expected, with Lali feeling the usual butterflies in her stomach. Though nervous, she was determined to make a good impression.
But the panel of interviewers had put her at ease – they were warm, friendly and easily impressed by her accomplishments from her previous tenure. Even their questions were not as challenging as she expected. A simple "do you know how to operate an oscilloscope?" came off more of a casual inquiry that a friend would ask.
Only two days later, they had contacted to say that she got the position. She finally had a job. To her surprise, Rayna had also been interviewed and passed with flying colors. The pay was pretty decent and the work schedule was only 30 hours a week. But it was enough for Lali to get back on her feet again; at the very least, get a place of her own in several months.
Since she and Rayna were to start their new jobs the following Monday, they decided to check out the location of Synergy Corporation.
"Whoa, they fixed this place up good." Rayna was gawking at the work site from the passenger side. "I could have sworn it was all run-down and abandoned like some of these warehouses around here."
"I'm not too familiar with this area," Lali admitted, brushing her brown bangs out of the way in annoyance.
"Yeah well, I passed here several times before. It used to be the old commercial district for Chrysler."
It was lunch time and soon the employees from the nearby businesses would be spilling out for their midday grub.
Lali turned to her friend. "How's your uncle doing?"
"He's doing a lot better. Can you believe he finally got hired? It's a good thing I picked up their information at the job fair!"
"That's wonderful Rayna!" While Lali was glad that one of her troubled relatives was working again, she couldn't help but wonder if the company had even considered his criminal past.
As if to answer her unasked question, Rayna added, "And, looks like the head honcho at the accounting firm accepts applicants with skewered histories – misdemeanors, felonies. Who'd have thought, right?"
Lali sighed. "I sure hope everything goes well for him."
"Uncle Dennis has always been able to push through – except during his youth with drugs and getting into trouble with the law."
A momentary silence, before Lali asked, "Rayna, do you mind if we stop at the drugstore?"
"Sure, why?"
"I want to buy a diffuser."
Rayna smiled teasingly. "Oh? Is Max stinking up the whole place with his feet?"
Lali let out a chuckle. "No, not really. Now that you mention it though, think I'll get some Odor Eaters spray for him. Those feet aren't exactly pedicure worthy either."
She thought fondly of the lavender oil Abby had given her. Yes, she would definitely try it out tonight.
. . .
After dropping Rayna off, Lali arrived home at around early afternoon. She was a bit startled when she opened the door and found Abby, as well her female roommate, sitting on the couch with Cassandra.
Her cousin looked up, with a bright smile. "Hello Lali! I was just getting to know our new neighbors."
Abby grinned with a wave. "Hey Lali."
"It was nice of you to help Abby here with the groceries the other day," Cassandra remarked, sipping some cranberry juice from a glass. "Lali, always the kind-hearted Samaritan."
Lali noticed the two androids had their own drinks as well – most likely a thirium one, judging by its blue color.
"Oh, this here is Susan," Abby introduced her friend.
"Nice to meet you," the other WR400 greeted pleasantly.
"Likewise," Lali replied, reaching out to shake her hand.
Again, Abby got that familiar vibe that she'd seen her before. A voice in the back of her mind kept telling her it may have been through the news.
"Susan here is very interested in animals," Cassandra explained. "She's training to be vet tech, so I'm giving her some pointers on what to expect in the career. What a coincidence, huh? Two pet nurses living side by side?"
"Eventually, I'd like to become a veterinarian," Susan added. "I really want to not only help animals but make them happy too. They're such a wonderful benefit to us all."
"We have a cat," Abby threw in. "A real one, that is."
"Ah, I see," was Lali could say. Well, it should come as no surprise that her cousin would quickly befriend these androids. She did sympathize with their plight after all.
"Hey Lali, I was just saying how Susan here looks exactly like the Jericho representative, North, " Cassandra commented.
"We're the same model," the android agreed. "Though I don't believe I've ever met her."
"You're long-lost twin sister?"
Susan smiled coyly. "You could say that. Although I heard she has quite the fierce streak."
There were several small barks and Pepper came shooting out of the hall like a bullet. She greeted Lali with a few overzealous jumps up her legs, before darting all over in excitement, like fire ants crawling on her back.
"Pepper, calm down!" Cassandra commanded.
But the little dog kept running back and forth, hopping on the couch and vigorously trying to lick the androids, as well as Cassandra, who tried grabbing her.
"Oh, you have a really friendly dog!" Susan replied with delight.
Pepper managed to wriggle out of Cassandra's grip; she ran back and forth at them, as if goading the four into chasing her.
"Stop it!" Cassandra was starting to grow irritated.
"I'll take her to the room," Lali offered.
"Yeah, please do before I turn her into a little hot dog…literally!"
Lali whistled for the little canine. "Come on, Pepper!"
Instead of pausing in her running frenzy, the Chihuahua did a few hops at Lali, before scurrying into the kitchen.
"Hey! Hyper doggo! No time to play right now," Lali insisted, briskly walking towards the kitchen.
Just then, Pepper ran out from one side of the entrance way, right into her walking path. Lali couldn't stop herself in time and wound-up tripping over Pepper, falling to the floor and spilling out the contents from her shopping bag.
Pepper made a few pained yips, before dashing off to the backside of the couch.
"Lali?" she heard Cassandra call in concern.
She groaned, feeling her knees now throbbing with a radiating pain. Her forearms and wrists hurt as well, from using them when she instinctively caught her fall. She heard footsteps padding over the rug, and someone kneeled beside her. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?"
It was Abby. She could hear her cousin and Susan walking over as well.
"Yes," Lali said, feeling embarrassed.
The android tried helping her up, but she pretty much had a handle on it.
"That crazy dog, I swear," Lali muttered, rubbing her left knee.
"Pepper, that's it! You're not having any more milk bones, you hear me?" Cassandra scolded, before turning to Lali. "You okay, cuz?"
Lali nodded, bending down to pick up box that contained the brand-new diffuser off the kitchen floor. Abby immediately noticed it.
"You got a diffuser."
Lali turned to her, before nodding. "It's for the lavender you gave me."
Abby's face lit up. "Oh, I'm so glad you're trying it out!"
"It's my favorite one," Susan chimed in.
The androids stayed for a few more minutes, before they had to leave. Cassandra dominated most of the conversation, expounding on her own life, hobbies and interests. After their neighbors left, Lali was hoping that her cousin wouldn't carry out her punishment on Pepper. The poor dog was just too full of unbridled energy, eager to play and bubbly in personality all the time. She wondered if Cassandra and Max often regretted getting such a rambunctious pet.
Meanwhile, out in the hall, the two androids paused to mull over a recent occurrence.
"Susan…there it was again," Abby said, somewhat fascinated.
Her friend frowned. "What?"
"That gleam in their eyes," Abby explained. "It's like an iridescent spark. I see them in all the humans. It's…strange."
There was pause, before Susan asked, "Are you sure there's not anything wrong with you? Maybe some kind of glitch?"
Abby looked down. "Well, it doesn't really bother me. It's not so distracting."
"But there's got to be something out of whack here," Susan countered. "If you're the only one having this issue, then we should go see Andrew tomorrow about it."
Abby looked up, feeling resigned. "Alright."
"We'll let Byron know as well."
It had been over five months since all three had woken up to the world in Andrew's A.I repair shop, which was a subcontractor for CyberLife. Hopefully, the human cyberneticist and his assistants would be able to pinpoint the problem with Abby's visionary sensors.
Moreover, she and her roommates barely knew anything about the November revolution - just like a whole host of other androids that were either repaired or first activated in the aftermath of that fateful event. All they knew was that they were now considered "equals" to their creators, and that an enigmatic figure named Markus was responsible for their freedom.
At times though, Abby wondered if she had been active even before the android uprising – a previous life - before her memory was wiped clean.
. . .
Evening had come, and Lali, Max and Cassandra were eating dinner in the living room, while watching the nightly news.
"So, how'd it go today with the life-size Barbie dolls?" Max asked. "Was Ken with them?"
"Maximo Estrada, please! They're not objects!" Cassandra admonished.
Her fiancé just smirked playfully, ignoring her little barb at using his full name. He then glanced over to the TV; a KNC reporter was interviewing the revolution's revered leader, Markus.
"Ah, so what's Mr. Roboto George Washington up to now?"
"I thought he was nicknamed Robo Jesus," Lali pointed out.
"He's more a revolutionary," Max replied with a shrug, "In that case, how about Che Roboverra?"
"Oh please!" Cassandra retorted. "Che Guevarra was involved in guerilla warfare to overthrow U.S backed politicians in Cuba. A far cry from Markus's peaceful protests."
"It's the same in terms of purpose," Max argued. "Freedom from some type of social or government control. The difference is how it's achieved. Peace begets peace, but so does violence. But is the cost benefit of sacrificing your ethics and allies worth it? How many are expendable? Is one method more a means to an end than the other?"
"What philosophy crap is this? Like I need a lesson from you, Pancho Villa fanboy!" Cassandra shot back.
"Better than your tweedly dee Gandhi. What next, Martin Luther Droid for you?"
Ignoring their banter for a moment, Lali turned her attention back to the TV. This time, North was speaking to the human reporter.
"So far, nearly 85% of the android population has sought assistance from Jericho and the Central Committee For Android Affairs," North was stating. "We've also been working out a deal with acquiring a majority of the ownership of CyberLife."
"Now that most its shareholders have forfeited their key investments into the company, it just may be on the horizon," the reporter stated, sounding partially impressed. "But even now, its other major revenue from the very popular Meran security program and the military's joint ventures may indelibly keep its head above water."
"We'll certainly find out," North replied evenly. "But the public has taken action. We are no longer indebted to CyberLife – whether it fades out to a gradual death or chooses self-preservation at any cost, New Jericho must think of its people first. We have full support from the President and Congress."
Now Lali could see the uncanny resemblance that Susan shared with her rebel counterpart. But whereas Susan exuded a friendly, gentle demeanor, North's eyes and voice told a different story. She appeared hard and determined, her voice carrying a weary edge to it, as if she had been wronged many times.
Later that night, Lali put on the diffuser. She cracked the window a tiny bit for some adequate ventilation, before curling up in some cozy blankets and listening to some binaural beats – specifically for her mental and psychosomatic condition.
The essential oil certainly had a positive effect on her – it was bringing her back in the moment, neither looking behind in the past nor towards the future. She just wanted to bask quietly in that vortex of ethereal tranquility.
My brain, be still…my subconscious mind, please listen. I know you're trying to keep me away from stress and danger, but trust me when I say that everything is going to be alright
. . .