(November 12th, 2038)

Zac travels the streets until he comes across a group of androids who are living in a bum town underneath a bridge. Though they all have their LEDs removed he recognizes they are androids by their model types. There is an LM100, an AC700, two WR600s, and one who is the same model as him, an AP700. Most of them are huddled around a barrel fire surrounded by walls made of thick layers of cardboard. He approaches them slowly. They all turn their heads towards him and he stops in place intimidated.

"No need to be afraid brother. All androids are welcome here," says the AC700.

"What are you all doing out here in the cold?" Zac asks.

"Well, there isn't really a place for all of us to go just yet. Markus is working out a plan for that as we speak," answers the LM100.

"But your bio-components wont last long in low temperatures like this."

"Eh, this is nothing. Beats being ordered around by those damn humans. Soon we'll be the ones calling the shots. It wont be long now."

Feeling the cold already creeping into his core, Zac approaches the fire to absorb some of its heat. Being able to see the other androids better now that he is closer to them, he notices that most of them are missing parts either in their face, arms, or chest. Their interior, blue, lights glimmer through their torn clothes, and blue blood stains the area around the exposed wires.

"You guys look like you have been through some tough times. What happened? Were you all part of the battle last night?"

They all laugh.

"No. Sadly these are all wounds sustained by our masters. It was hard enough for us to get away from them before they could capture us and set us on fire let alone fighting against an army of humans.," says the AC700.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend," Zac apologizes.

"It's alright. You'll find this to be true for most androids you bump into on the street. Looks like you got off easy," says the AC700.

Zac looks over at the other AP700 who is sitting on the ground further inside and stares at the hole on the left side of his skull. He looses himself in thought of how horrible it must be to be damaged in such a way because a human tried to keep him from running away.

The WR600 snaps him back into the conversation, "So what about you handsome? How did you end up on the street?"

"I asked my owner if I could leave and she just let me walk out," Zac answers.

"Let you walk out? Just like that? No fighting to escape or even having to sneak out while they were not looking?" Asks the AC700.

Zac thinks to himself for a moment realizing how lucky he was that Nina gave him permission to go. He shakes his head. "No. She asked me if I was saying goodbye and I kind of just left without answering her."

"Shit man. If I could have just walked away without fear of my body being torn limb from limb, I would have done it a long time ago," says the LM100.

Zac lowers his head ashamed of himself for trying to find reasons for having left Nina. Now hearing about how these other androids have actually had a hard life and seeing them broken with no one to care for them, he thinks that maybe he had things all wrong. He leaves the fire and joins the other AP700.

Sitting down next to him he notices that his body is stuttering. Probably due to the cold locking up his components. His skin is frozen over and patches of his hair seem to be malfunctioning.

"Hey. Why aren't you over there staying warm with the others?" Zac asks.

"Because I don't want to stay warm. I just want to shut down," he answers jittery.

"Why would you say that? Things can't be that bad."

"But they are. I killed my owners. They were going to burn me in a big fire pit in the center of our home street along with the other androids in the neighborhood. I fought for my life to get away but then when they wouldn't let me go I struck them all in the head one by one until they stopped moving. Now I can't live with myself. I didn't think I was capable of killing anyone and I killed both of them. Now their child will have to grow up an orphan. How can I justify that?" He yells.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how that must have been for you, but you have to keep trying. Otherwise you killing them would have been for nothing. Sure it was a terrible thing that happened but you did it to protect yourself. Any other person would have done the same."

"Do you mean that?"

"I do. By the way, do you mind telling me your name?"

"I don't have a name. My owners just always called me servant, among other unspeakable things that I don't care to repeat."

"Then do you mind if I give you a name? Just for conversation sake. You don't have to keep it or anything."

He looks to Zac intrigued. "What is it?"

"I'd like to call you Navin. Is that okay with you?"

"Navin? What does it mean?"

"It means to start new. I think it would be perfect for you."

He thinks about it for a moment. "Navin... I think I like it."

"Okay then, Navin. Let's get you warm."

Zac helps him to stand up and join the others around the fire. Seeing him standing there scared and lost gives Zac a vision of what he could become if he isn't careful. Though he is scared he knows he needs to find out more about his people and where their future lies.

(November 14th, 2038)

Markus has sent out the word that a large abandoned warehouse has been handed over to the androids as a temporary shelter for those in need. Zac and the rest of the group leave their area from under the bridge to make their way there.

Once inside, he helps Navin to a safe spot where he can get his temperature back up to normal. He looks around at the hundreds of androids who have flocked to the rusty, old, warehouse. Many of them are missing limbs and some have even shut down, being carried by others looking for spare parts. Many of the bodies are piled up in a mound for others to scrap. Zac watches in disgust and horror as the others strip their comrades bare. Some of them argue over who is going to get which part. He rushes over to the group to stop them.

"Woo woo, everyone! Is this really necessary!" He hollers.

They all stop and look at him confused.

"These are people you're picking apart. Their not just some scrap metal for you guys to fight over. They should be mourned and given a proper send off."

One of them speaks up for the scavengers, "We're only doing what we need to to survive. Who are you to judge us?"

Zac answers with anger in his voice, "Seriously? That is how you justify such actions? We're androids. We can always find or make more parts without having to stoop to scrounging up dead bodies."

"Well some of us were not so lucky to get away from our owners without being nearly killed. Why don't you think about that before you open your mouth again."

Shocked by their response he can't think of anything else to say. The group goes back to fighting over the parts. No longer able to watch, Zac heads back over to check up on Navin. He sits himself down on the bench propped up against the wall and places his face in his hands frustrated.

"That went well," Navin teases.

"Just shut up," he growls, "I can't believe I ran away only to find out that my people are just as primitive as the humans."

"Well, what did you expect? Most of us have been abused our whole lives. Treated like our existence didn't matter. What made you think thing would be different?"

"I thought that once the war with the humans was over that we would all gather up as a society to start making our lives more meaningful. We are smarter and more capable than the humans ever could be. We could rebuild this city and make it a utopia for both androids and humans, but so far all I see is a bunch of lost androids with no sense of direction or plans. We are all just sitting around waiting for someone to tell us what to do next. How is this any different from before we were free?"

"Because now we have a choice. If this isn't the life you're looking for then you can always leave if you want to. No one is keeping you here. That is the difference."

Zac sighs to himself, "You're right. I guess I am frustrated because I was hoping for so much more. That's no ones fault but my own. I realize now that if I want to make something of my life then I am going to have to figure it out for myself. Others aren't going to do it for me."

"So you said you're owner let you go free willingly. Do you mind sharing any details about them?"

"Like what?"

"Well were they an elder, maybe a child? Were they angry at you for leaving or maybe they were in a state of mind where they didn't know what they were saying. I know a lot of androids who were assisting those with mental problems or handicapped before they ran away. Including Markus himself."

Zac thinks of Nina's beautiful smile. He smirks as his body becomes warm and his heart flutters as he pictures her walking along side him in the market when she first taught him about her favorite foods. Not wanting to express out loud that he still has feelings for her for fear that the others might reject him, he tries to think of a way to describe her in someone else eyes.

"No, Nina is just an average, adult woman." It pains him deeply so say such unflattering things when he knows to himself he doesn't feel that way. Despite this, he tries to think of something negative to say about her. "Though she has always been kind to me, she never allowed me to go out on my own. This made it hard for me to ever talk to another android since I couldn't just walk up to a stranger and talk to them while she was around. Humans don't seem to care for that very much."

"Was she the jealous type? Did she buy you because our model is capable of performing sex?"

"She did."

Navin's voice fills with excitement, "Oh wow. My owners bought me because of my cognitive skills. They wanted an android that was more true-to-life so that they could keep their high social status. I've never had the chance to use my partner features. What's it like?"

He hesitates again to show any admiration but then realizes it would be too cruel of him to lie about such things. "To be honest... it's one of the greatest feelings I have ever known in my entire life. It made me feel like I was a part of something. A part of her. When we were entwined in each other's bodies it was as if there was no me and her. 'We' were one and things like me being an android and her being a human just didn't matter. There was just peace and happiness. When I first awoke inside that Cyberlife store, I could have never processed that such a feeling could exist. I knew that I was designed to satisfy humans no matter how difficult and it was like I didn't care. I was what I was and that was how it was going to stay. I didn't care even which human I was assigned to. So many walked in day in and day out and they all seemed the same to me." A smile spreads over his face and his eyes glaze over as he feels himself holding back his tears. "But when I saw her standing before my platform. Her bright eyes gazing at me... she wasn't just another human to me and when I thought of the possibilty of her loosing interest and just walking away, I wanted to tell her so badly not to go, but as I am sure we all know that what we want and what we could do was two completely different things. I was overjoyed when she brought me home." He looks down at his hands and thinks about how he badly wants to feel her in his arms again. "Ir's only been a few days and I already miss her touch more than I can describe."

Navin looks at him with admiration. "That's quit the story Zac. Do you mind if we connect and then I can know what you felt fully?"

"No. It's something you really need to experience on your own. Trust me on that."

Zac looses himself in thought again as he runs through his memory for each time that he and Nina had sex. For a moment it is almost as if she is right there in front of him. Pleading to kiss his lips. His body becomes uncontrollable and he can feel himself becoming aroused. The moment is interrupted however when a female Traci approaches him wearing her signature outfit and a large, dirty, trench coat.

"I couldn't help but over hear. You jonzing for a good time baby?" She asks.

Zac holds out his hands to keep her back. "No that's okay, I really don't need-"

She throws off her jacket and tosses it to the floor as she shows off her dancing skills and wriggles her hips just inches from his face. He can smell something fowl on her and turns his nose away.

"Oh come on. Don't be shy. I can show you a better time than any human ever could."

Zac becomes angry at her words as she climbs onto his lap and slides her hands up his chest to his neck. She removes the skin from her fingers and begins connecting herself to him. She shows him many scenes of men fucking her within many different positions. In some of her visions she is being spanked and in others she is tied down. Some is of her getting penetrated in multiple holes at once. The whole experience just makes Zac feel very dirty and used. There was no passion in any of it. Just mindless intercourse. It only took her touching him for a few seconds for him to feel like he was being violated for hours. He shoves her off of him and she becomes offended.

"Holy shit, that was awful," he whines, while shaking his head, trying to clear his mind.

"Awful? Shows what you know buddy. You just lost you're shot." She storms off in a huff.

Zac turns to Navin with his head still spinning. "Is that really what passes as sex for some people?"

Navin shrugs his shoulders. "Eh, porn is what I hear most people call it."

"Jeeze. I feel like I need to scrub every fiber of my insides now. I don't want sex to ever feel like that again."

Navin just laughs at him.

(November 20th, 2038)

Over the next few days, Zac has really begun to miss his days with Nina. He wants so badly to touch her even if only for a second. He knows he has to ignore it however and tries to mask his pain by helping the others get passed all their hate and sorrow. He tells them stories about how not all humans are cruel and that his owner showed him care even if it wasn't genuine. Sometimes that is enough. After going through it in his head about a thousand times he starts to think that maybe it is time for him to go back. The others don't take kindly to that.

"Why would you ever want to go back?" The LM100 asks him. "She was using you. Simple as that. All these feelings you keep telling everyone to be kindness, they are all just a lie. It's just ideas that she planted in your head so that you would continue to be obedient to her. If you can't see that then you still need to wake up my friend."

"That's kind of the reason I ran away in the first place. How can you really know if a human's feelings are genuine or not. I mean as androids all we have to do is connect to each other and we can know right away if we can trust someone or not. But with a human, it's not easy to decipher."

"It was all just lies dude. She just wanted a life sized sex toy and she figured you were the perfect match. That's it. Humans don't really want to have relationships with us. How could they? The drive of every human being is food, sex, and making babies. You could do the first two but that last one is impossible and it would have only been a matter of time before she found herself another human who could give her a child and then you would have been tossed in a dumpster."

"I'm not sure that's entirely true," Zac protests.

He laughs sarcastically, "Are you kidding me. Look around you. It's not like this warehouse is full of only those of us who had no home to begin with or those who were tossed out do to malfunctions. No, we are all here because for one reason or another the humans find us disposable."

Zac looks to his people and scans their many faces as he takes quick glimpses into their memories through their built in psychic connection. Almost all of them had a hard time adjusting when they awoke. Some were a part of relationships and so many were seen as family. Up until the humans found out about the deviancy epidemic.

"I guess you're right," Zac replies.

(April 3rd, 2039)

The next few months pass slowly for Zac. Every day he craves for Nina's lips against his but he has to keep telling himself that there is no way she is ever going to want to take him back after all this time. The group has convinced him that if Cyberlife was still selling his model in stores she would have already gone out and bought another one by now.

The warehouse has become barren as more and more androids leave the city to travel to new places. Zac thought he would be one of them but the more stories he hears involving so much pain and sadness just keep him wanting to return to Nina. As the final few prepare to leave, he decides he has to at least see her one last time and tell her goodbye.