. . .
That following weekend, Lali, Cassandra and Max had arrived early to look where Chip's birthday was to take place, which was formally a barn. It not only included a bar on one side, but the structure was big enough to house multiple tables, a dance floor with a colorful disco ball and a billiard in one corner. The upper level lofts contained additional dance and lounge areas.
Enforcers would be patrolling the place, making sure that the guests felt safe; they were apt to handle anyone who got unruly or so much as laid unwanted hands on another person. It was, for the most part, a family party after all.
The event kicked off at around 3 PM. Lali and her room mates helped themselves to an early dinner, mostly barbecued meat and poultry with a variety of salads like potato, macaroni and rigatoni. Someone had brought a seafood platter and Hawaiian rolls; she inwardly squealed, as they were one of her favorite side dishes. They also had the opportunity to catch up with Max's paternal side of the family.
One of his aunts was such a chatterbox that Lali wondered if she was ever going to shut up long enough to put food or drink in her mouth. A half hour later, Abby and her friends had arrived. Cassandra was quick to welcome them to sit at their table. Rayna had texted Lali that she would be on her way, running late with helping her uncle move into a new apartment.
It was already early evening when the birthday cake was brought out. Everyone sang the titular song and Chip blew out the candles, much to the excited applause of his relatives and friends. Both human and android alike started packing the floor to dance.
Several more hung out at the bar, styled after a country, rustic look that reflected the rest of the farm. Others were taking advantage of the pinball and electronic dart machines.
"How are you liking it so far?" Lali asked Abby.
The android glanced around, a subtle excitement in her eyes. "It's wonderful! So much lively people here! They did an awesome job on the setup and decorations too!"
Though, Abby did notice a group of androids congregating in a corner of the barn, as if they didn't want to interact with the humans. The Revolution was still fresh in everyone's minds, so she figured they were not very comfortable being close to what was once their oppressors.
Other guests seemed to mingle without a drop of caution, talking and laughing among themselves. Rosanna had also come, and she seemed like she was in a slightly better mood since her sleepwalking incident.
Still, she appeared a little sad and distracted when Lali caught her earlier sitting at the end of the bar. She was nursing a piña coloda, barely noticing a guy who wanted to start a conversation with her. After awhile, he turned his attention to another patron beside him, talking about the latest sports game on an overhead TV.
Lali decided to invite her to a table to eat, and walked over to the newswoman.
"Hey, come eat with us," she offered.
Rosanna snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, sorry, what did you say again?"
Smiling, Lali opened her mouth and made a sweeping motion with her hand like she was scooping food, then pointed toward the table where her friends were sitting at.
Rosanna understood. "You want me to join you?"
"Sure! You're not waiting for anyone to show up, are you?"
"No. I'm game."
"Great! If you haven't already, you ought to try the shrimp kabobs. They're a match made in sea heaven."
Lali decided to dismiss asking what Rosanna was deeply thinking about. Maybe she would do so later on.
Meanwhile, velvet cake and ice cream was being passed out. Max was getting seconds on the food, stuffing his face with a fat beef burrito. Susan and Byron had went meet a few acquaintances at the barn's end. They seemed to know them, probably part of their social circle.
Rayna was chatting with Cassandra about her veterinary work. Abby was drinking a specifically designed for androids called Asimovtov – probably a pun on the sci-fi writer and the Molotov cocktail.
Out of curiosity, Lali asked, "Hey Abby, does that drink make you buzzed?"
"A little bit. It's not as strong as a regular alcoholic beverage. It's nexihol."
"Ah, so there's still an ingredient in it that gets you intoxicated."
"Well, more like relaxed." Abby took another sip. "This one's not so bad."
"Can humans also drink it?"
Abby nodded. "Surprisingly, yes. It's just like an artificial sweetener to you guys. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for alcohol. I heard it can badly corrode most androids' systems."
"What about you? Can't your body take alcohol since you're a WR400?"
"Yeah, that's an exception. Only because my model engaged frequently with customers who were intoxicated most of the time…" Lali thought she could detect some discomfort in her explanation. "Of course, they were going to want us to have wine or beer with them. We have an additional tubing made of carbon fiber where the drink can go – safely bypassing our vital system."
Something at the bar then caught Lali's eye – it was woman wearing a black suede jacket with dark blue jeggings and black, knee-high boots. Her curly long black hair was puffed out at the top, almost like she came from a 1980s hair band.
Lali found that she uniquely stood out; she didn't exactly fit the contemporary styles of the other party goers. The woman sat at the right end of the bar, arms resting on the counter. She was smiling sagely and listening to the bartender talking.
The only other person who looked unusual was a man wiggling like a noodle on the dance floor. His hair was garish with varying colors, wildly sticking out like different feathers from a macaw parrot. For some inexplicable reason, the woman at the bar was exuding a strange vibe. Lali couldn't quite discern why she was picking up this feeling from the stranger.
Shrugging it off, she went back to eating her cake and ice cream. Just then, a familiar girl stopped at their table.
"Hey Lali!"
She looked up, recognizing that it was Annalee. She was pretty surprised that she would cross paths with another associate from her work place - least of all an executive.
"Oh, hi Annalee! It's been awhile! How are you?"
"Not so bad. This is a nice getaway for a bit. I've always wanted to live out in the countryside, but this party is as close as it gets."
"So glad you're enjoying it," She then waved towards Abby. "This is my friend, Abby."
The android nodded amicably, extending her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Same here!" Annalee replied cheerfully, shaking the other's hand. Lali didn't expect her friendly reaction to Abby. She wondered if Annalee recognized the Traci model; the executive had a tendency to be snide towards deviants or CyberLife in general.
Synergy Corporation was a direct competitor in android production after all. So far, Annalee showed no signs of hostility or if she was, it was expertly hidden behind a civil facade. It was an unsettling side that Lali often disliked.
She proceeded to introduce her to family and Rosanna, who all greeted her cordially. Rayna, of course, already knew Annalee from work. Cassandra then explained, "My fiancé here is the cousin of Chip Estrada, the birthday boy."
"I see," Annalee replied. "I was invited here by a few friends who know his father. They have a business venture in the meat market."
"That's my uncle," Max admitted. "Always looking for some way to eat."
Just then, one of Cassandra's favorite songs came on. It was a very old Tejano tune from the 1990s that her parents used to love as children.
"Oh, it's Selena!" she cried, getting up. "Come on you guys, let's go dance to this one!"
Lali was in the mood to get some cardio in, so she jumped up as well. "Okay, right with you!"
"After you, hermosas damas," Max chimed, as he too stood up and made a chivalrous gesture with his arm.
"Abby, you want to join in?" Lali invited.
The android beamed. "Okay, why not? I like dancing!"
"Bidi bidi bom bom!" Cassandra yelled, hopping on to the dance floor.
"Bidi bidi bom bom!" both Rayna and Lali replied unison.
Lali started sashaying her hips, trying to get into a cumbia dance groove, while Cassandra twirled around, wriggling her shoulders in a shimmy sway. Max was following her lead, but soon had his own rhythmic tempo down to the song's beat.
"Bidi bidi bom bom!" all repeated again.
"Bidi bidi bom bom," Abby sang.
"There you go!" Lali beamed, happy to see she was having a good time. Abby wasn't such a bad dancer either, easily picking up the others' movements in lockstep.
Rosanna was shy about dancing and decided to stay seated at the table. But she was bopping her head to the music, enjoying it from afar.
. . .
"Hey Abby, guess whose heeeere?" Rayna sang, swirling a martini glass in her hand. By the looks of it, the girl was already tipsy.
Abby slightly shook her head, giving her clueless look.
"It's the Terminator hot stud, David!" She tapped her chin, frowning. "Or is it metal Mr. Darcy…?"
"Really?" Abby asked.
Rayna nodded, smiling cheekily. She then grabbed the android by the hand, tugging her along.
"C'mon, let's go say hi to them! They're out there by the chicken coup fence!"
"Oh okay…" Abby blushed.
Lali sighed, deciding to trail behind. She wanted to make sure Rayna didn't trip over herself and bring poor Abby down with her. She could also use one of the outhouses, as the bathroom inside the barn was freaking full all the time.
Glancing back, she could see that Cassandra and Max conversing with another group of guests. Rosanna was seated at nearby table with a young man and she seemed to be listening intently to what he was saying.
As they headed toward the chicken coup, Lali spotted some kids outside playing on a swing and jungle gym set. Several more were engaged in throwing a ball, while others swarmed around a mother cat and her kittens. Three of them were playing games on their handheld tablets.
"Hey guys!" Rayna called out.
Just several feet, leaning over a wooden fence, stood David and Lt. Allen. A large elm tree hovered over them, swaying gently in the breeze. Both turned around, with the human Coast Guard smiling first, recognizing all three of them.
"Well, well, if isn't the Java City groupies! How are you all doing?" he greeted.
"What are the chances of meeting you here?" Rayna reached out to shake his hand. "How'd you find out about this farm rave?"
Lt. Allen gestured toward a two-story house about three hundred feet away or so. "A couple of our boys know Mr. Estrada. They use to do summer work when not on-call."
"Hi David," Abby greeted with a wave.
The android Coast Guard politely nodded. "Hi Abby."
She felt a hot flush to her checks, and shyly looked down. Of course, he couldn't feel a thing, but probably noticed her reaction. Maybe he knew something about the concept of attraction. Or simply acting weird.
"We were checking out the sunset," Lt. Allen continued, gesturing towards the fiery ball sinking towards the horizon. "I love watching them. Just wish my partner ol' Scraps here could appreciate them as much as I do."
"Scraps?" Rayna repeated.
"Another nickname he christened me with," David replied. "I don't understand its relevance."
Lt. Allen shrugged. "Even if you're not deviant, we're still work buddies. What else am I going to remember you by, aside from a bland name like David?"
David had turned his attention back to the sunset. Abby walked up beside him, awed by the colors splashing the clouds with hues of pink, purple and burnish reds.
"Sunsets can be a breathtaking sight," she marveled. "Isn't it fascinating, you guys?"
"It can be," Lali agreed.
David's eyes slightly narrowed at the scene. "So it's what Lt. Allen says." He turned to Abby, his expression still stoic. "What do you find…interesting about them?"
A bit taken aback the question was directed at her, Abby thought a moment. Like most deviants and humans, she just saw them as another one of nature's gifts to cherish.
"Well, just look at all the colors! It's like a painting transitioning in the sky. Art. To me, it instills a feeling of admiration. Like witnessing something very beautiful…very special."
She couldn't hide the enthusiasm in her voice. It was a dazzling sight to behold and in that moment, she wished that he could really appreciate it. At least, he attempted to understand the reason behind it, as alien as it was to him. Both of their attentions were so fixated on the wondrous scenery, that they didn't notice the devious twinkle in Lt. Allen's eye.
Without warning, he aimed a fist right at David's face. The blow struck the left side of the android's jaw, slightly snapping his head to the side. He immediately covered it in a defensive reflex. Abby and the others were startled by the unexpected attack.
Lt. Allen brought a hand toward his mouth, like he wanted to stifle a laugh. "Oh…are you okay?"
Rayna was shocked. "Ohmigod, why did you hit him?"
David cautiously lowered his own hand from his face, giving his partner a mildly perturbed look. "I assume you're testing my counter-reflexes again?"
"Dude, sorry about that." Lt. Allen was now surprised, though a tinge of amusement lingered in his apology. "I didn't know you weren't going to block it. You were supposed to!"
Lali had been just as caught off guard as the others.
"Alright comrades, what's going on here?" Rayna demanded.
Lt. Allen simply let out a small chuckle. "It's a practice I occasionally engage here with David. Since he's suppose to be the second-most advanced android in existence…the first being the RK900, he was built for combat purposes – uh, aside from being a walking school studies babbler."
"So you just hit him to start a fight?" Lali queried, uneasy.
"No, no, not like that! His reflexes are supposed to be superior to ours. It's like 'POW!' 'BLOCK!' BAM!' He demonstrated several blows and deflecting gestures for emphasis. "You know, like ninja fast! Sometimes, I test him to make sure he's up and running; just in case we're ever put in a dangerous situation." Now he was looking worriedly at David. "But c'mon man, you should've been able to catch my fist. Why didn't you? Is your coding now messed up?"
"I don't know exactly why," the android replied, his face betraying no emotion. Still, Abby thought she saw of semblance of uncertainty flash across his eyes. Was it really emotion? Or just his CPU stalled for processing more information?
"Tell me you only pretended not to block my punch because you pitied my puny human strength," Lt. Allen deadpanned.
"Negative. I don't pretend. Perhaps it's related to that persistent glitch."
"Well, so much for wanting to show off to these ladies your unmatched capabilities."
"So that's why you did it," Rayna remarked dryly, before muttering, "Men, they'll never change."
"I'd advise you not to be disingenuous about it," David added, his posture now relaxed again. "Utilizing an element of surprise may not be as conducive with other parties involved. Perhaps we should practice in a more conventional way next time."
"Does it hurt?" Abby asked.
"No," the RK800 replied. "My sensory input is not as sensitive as yours or a human's. Also, my circulatory feedback doesn't cross into to my facial area…therefore, my musculoskeletal system cannot imitate bruising. But my neuronet processor can detect when I'm injured."
"Well, I hope whatever 'glitched' your reflexes is fixed."
She was still baffled by his partner's actions. She knew humans could sometimes be unpredictable, but she didn't know it could pervade at a micro level. This just made her feel a little bit overwhelmed.
I could learn though…just like Byron and Susan. They're so smart when it comes to handling them…
After watching the sunset a little more, all five decided to return to the barn party. Some of the kids had already been sent inside the house with a couple of adult chaperones guiding them. A few more were outside playing ball as twilight began setting in.
Abby trailed after Lali and Rayna, the latter flirting with Lt. Allen. Yeah, Rayna was loose alright. The android slowed down to curiously watch the kids play. The stages that humans went through to develop into a fully formed being was intriguing. It was definitely a stark difference to her own kind.
It was like comparing a live, delicate plant to its artificial counterpart. One needed time to evolve, the other was simply created at a later, adult stage.
She observed how the children were happy and energetic. And loud. But it looked like some rowdy patrons at the barn's bar were giving the kids a run for their money…
A gray ball suddenly rolled her way. She picked it up, as a small girl with dark hair tied in pony tail came jogging up.
"Here you go." She handed it toward the child.
The girl took it, but instead of scampering back to her playmates, she stared up at Abby. She seemed entranced.
"Miss, you're pretty."
Abby was flattered by the compliment. "Why, thank you!"
The girl smiled back, unabashed. "What's your name?"
She was about to say her formal name 'Abigail,' but settled for the shortened version instead. "Abby."
"Hey Alice, didn't your parents tell you not to talk to strangers?" one of the kids hollered.
Distracted, the girl acknowledged her friend. "Oh, right." With that she turned around, but not before looking back to Abby, another smile gracing her tiny face.
As the android watched Alice return to the other children, another person called out to her. It was a more mature voice. Abby's eyes followed the source to a young woman with light brown hair, also adorned in a ponytail. She was walking towards the girl, along with a tall and hefty black man.
She wondered if they were the girl's parents. The young woman bent down to tell her something, before Alice nodded excitedly. She then reached out her hand to hold her presumably mom's own, as she was lead inside the house. Abby continued on her way towards the barn, but wondered what it was like to care for a mini person.
She knew of children being artificially created in the last decade and even knew of several android couples who had adopted them.
Maybe one day, I could have a family of my own…
. . .
Andrew wiped his brow and sighed, as he continued scrolling over crucial data ported from Abby's operating system on a computer screen. It was close to 8 PM and he decided to take a break for a snack before bedtime. Tomorrow was another day of opening his workshop downstairs, acting as a medic to CyberLife's former "children."
He was frustrated over why he wasn't able to delete a particular incident from Abby's memory banks. All of her previous ones had been successfully wiped, leaving nearly a clean slate for her new identity.
But not this disturbing string of code. Andrew viewed one of the last moments before her death, as a previous Eden Club worker, with a mixture of disdain and sorrow. On the screen, he saw the android's point of view as she was repeatedly punched in the face so fast that she barely had time to react.
"No…please, stop!" Abby cried on the screen.
"Stop it, you're hurting her!" an identical voice rang out.
Another Traci model came into view, this one having blue hair. She tried to wretch a man off of Abby.
"Get off me, you bitch!" he yelled, roughly shoving her away. Abby's POV panned over to the man grabbing a nearby lamp from an end table, yanking it from its socket. He then lunged out, striking the other Traci in the head with it. She fell to the ground, and the enraged man began kicking her in the stomach.
The blue-haired android let a painful cry.
This was the moment Andrew knew those distressed sounds weren't simulated. They were real…
Abby's soft sobs could be heard, as she begged, "Please Mr. Graham, I'll do what you want! Just stop hurting her too!"
It seemed her coworker was incapacitated at the moment, as he appeared in her view again. He was now laughing at her. "You know what happened to my other girls when they didn't do as I said? THIS!"
Andrew closed his eyes, barely able to withstand Abby's screams as Graham started beating her again. She managed to roll off the bed, stumbling onto the ground. Her in-screen HUD flashed warning messages: critical damage to circulatory systems 0324 and selector 5402. There was significant leakage of Thirium 310. Her titanium skull had absorbed strong shocks from blunt force that might have normally caused brain swelling in a human.
"Where do you think you're going, you little slut?!"
"Please, no more!" Abby whimpered, as he closed in on her. His sadistic laughter continued.
The cyberneticist felt sick to his stomach and couldn't take it anymore. He hastily turned off the video feed, feeling a stabbing pang of regret. "I'm so sorry, Abby. I couldn't delete that horrible part of your former life."
Neither of the other specialists that he contacted could do anything about it. It was a mystery why these particular incidents couldn't be wiped from her mind during the clean boot process. Byron and Susan were also unaware of it as well.
"Someday, you'll know the whole truth. You'll come to me for answers. I hope then that you can forgive me for not telling you…"
. . .