.

I've been wanting to write this for a while, but I was never really sure how to go about it. I've always been fascinated by the leniency of constitutional rights for androids should A.I.'s ever develop a consciousness on par with humans. However, despite my feelings on equality, the universe Astro Boy takes place in clearly has a line a segregation between humans and androids, so with that in mind, I have Astro's LEGAL status in high regard whenever I write. Not sure how well I'm going to be able to pull it off, but let's see!

~Carte Blanche~

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

He breathed. His heart hammered in his chest as he let his gaze, once again, flick off the road. His skin pinched under the grip on the steering wheel and he silently regarded the figure beside him. Despite the whir of the world outside, the car was caught in a dead silence. Unwilling to be the first to break it, he took another quiet breath. He risked another glance at his passenger; so sure that, this time, he'd be met with eyes.

He wasn't.

Astro sat motionless in the passenger seat beside him, a look of indifference on his face. His eyes followed the passing landscape, the motion perfunctory in nature. His hands rested in a fold on his lap, but the posture was far from relaxed. At an earlier place in time, the scientist would still be struggling with body language. Not that he considered himself an expert now, but...he was better. He owed that much to the son he'd ultimately failed and to the one he'd so selfishly forced into the world and also failed.

His fingers smoothed over the ridges on the steering wheel and a fresh wave of dread blossomed in his stomach. He really hadn't thought this through. Astro's creation had taken months...so many sleepless nights, so many projects that had been halted. He didn't know what he had until he lost it, and when he did he continued to make all the wrong decisions...or maybe the right decisions just too late. Toby had been so desperate for his father to care...and now he did, but for someone else.

"Sir, I'm sorry..."

But it wasn't really out of caring.

"We can't legally follow through with enrollment,"

It was a denial of his mistakes.

"...for a robot."

Of course they couldn't. Despite everything he'd done for this city, a robot being given a formal education...was unheard of. Unneeded, most would say. Robots were fit for assisting and serving, paraded around like trophies for those who could personally afford them. They were given everything they could ever need by their owners, there was no reason for an android to want more. No sense to feed independence that they'd never be able to apply. Tenma had seen the shift in the dean, the way she'd closed down the moment the truth had been brought to light. He still couldn't decipher whether the pained look on her face was because he'd tried to use Toby's own records for the enrollment or because she saw the wasted potential in Astro...but none of them were above the law.

No matter, Tenma thought spitefully, I homeschooled him before, I'll do it again!

But...

But it wasn't about that. Well- it was, but it was something beneath his solution- this simple improvisation that made him realize...it was unnecessary. He'd never bothered to see the unfairness in their laws, even ready to defend them, but now it was plain as day. He'd never felt particularly bonded to any of his creations, let alone claim kinship to one. In his short lifespan, Astro had already opened his eyes to so many things, helped him realize what he was truly missing in his life and...it scared him. Change scared him.

Their plight was, once again, cycled back to him. He'd created somethi-someone he couldn't control, forced him into an existence of boundaries and oppression. A system designed to stifle his untamed spirit. He had never fully considered the consequences of having an android for a child, the ethics between them that merged as well as oil and water. Astro was a comprehensive listener, but he didn't shy away from defending himself. A unfavorable trait for a robot. His humanity was snugly wrapped in the cold shell of a machine. Someone who, in his society's eyes, didn't deserve to be a "someone". His social status made him a novelty and his advancements made him a prize. He hated to think where his son might end up should anything happen to him...even Orrin, whose silliness and quirks and kindness may not bode so well in a stricter household. In many a business meeting, he'd witnessed firsthand what was considered acceptable treatment of personal robots...The dents and scratches adorning some of his colleagues' servants told him everything. The way their eyes never quite made it to direct contact. He felt a tug of pity, but never thought of them again once he was gone. He thought of them now, however...

Maybe...no. But perhaps...no! But why?

Why...did it have to be this way? Why didn't free-thinking androids have rights to call their own? Why hasn't it changed? Why couldn't it change?

There was no reason.

And behold, the seed for the revolution has been planted. I've always adored and been partial to Astro being the one who jump-starts the liberation of robots since, y'know, it's a very in-character thing for him to do...but then I thought I might shake things up a little by giving Tenma the initial thought because it would also make sense for him to want his son to have a fair life. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Thoughts and comments welcome, as per usual.