Tales of Beacon City: Rivers of Açaí
A Nandroid Fanfic by C4I0 and Scraps the Fool
Chapter 1: Good Morning Beacon City!
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5:00 AM
[ALERTA! 05:00 ALARME DE DESPERTAR ATIVADO! INICIANDO ROTINAS NANDROID!]
[CARREGANDO CALENDÁRIO DIÁRIO E PRÓXIMOS EVENTOS! INICIANDO VERIFICAÇÃO COMPLETA DO SISTEMA: NENHUM ERRO DETECTADO!]
[LEMBRETE DIÁRIO: LEMBRE-SE DE CUMPRIR TODAS AS SUAS TAREFAS ATRIBUÍDAS DE ACORDO COM OS PROTOCOLOS DE ETIQUETA DO ANDROID E AS DIRETRIZES FEDERAIS FORNECIDAS A VOCÊ PELA STERLING ROBOTICS!]
[LEMBRETE: OBRIGADO POR TUDO QUE VOCÊ FAZ PELA STERLING ROBOTICS E SEU PAÍS! TENHA O DIA MAIS PRODUTIVO E POSITIVO QUE PUDER E DEIXE O SR. STERLING ORGULHOSO!]
[*]
Morning, early morning for many humans, getting up this early is almost impossible and those who can do it are either dealt a bad hand in the employee lottery or just have a death wish. However, for a Nandroid this is almost impossible. Especially for someone like Keila.
Keila opened her eyes with a flash as she shot up from her charging chair. Stretching out her servos with a small grunt. Ready to start the day.
Keila apartment was a small one room apartment that consisted of a walk-in kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom. Since Keila had no need to eat, shower, or relieve herself, she instead had decided to use the "extra space" for her hobbies. While she did use the kitchen for baking and cooking, she would use the extra space for storage. Aside from her Nandroid uniform and the spares, her closet was bare of any additional clothing, save for a couple barista smocks for her morning and evening jobs.
The Bedroom area was sacrificed for her charging chair, which was donned with all sorts of stickers, trinkets and even a dream catcher given to her by Ramundo, the son of the landlord that ran the hotel. She enjoyed the gifts that the residents of her community gave to her, and the enjoyed their sense of community and acceptance they had for her, despite her being an Android.
The bathroom was converted into a makeshift greenhouse, the room had been gutted and replaced with several small plant bed where Keila would use them to grow small medicinal plants, such as Rosemary, Aloe Vera, Solomon's Seal, Allheal, Licorice, St. John's Wort, Chamomile, Ginkgo, and Witch Hazel. Keila would use these plants to make small medicines for the residents. Her landlord was originally upset by her removing the plumbing from the bathroom and contemplated kicking her out for doing such a thing, that was until she used her herbs to treat his "evening complications" with his wife and all was forgiven.
The rest of Keila apartment consisted of an emerald, green couch with silver square pattern, a large TV and DVD player, a bookshelf filled with a variety of cooking books and chapter books, gifted to her by friends and customers of days gone by. Many of them were worn down by years of reading and rereading. Posters on the walls displayed multitudes of different movies and music bands, and of course, hanging proudly over the TV, were the mighty Cores do Brasil! The flag of Brazil, the country of Keila's birth…or her creation to be precise.
She lived modestly, some would say minimalist in a sense, but they don't know the needs of a Nandroid like we do.
Keila walked open toward the blinds of her apartment's balcony and pulled them open, allowing the creeping light of the day to greet her as she stepped out onto the balcony and looked out towards the distant towering skyscrapers of Beacon City.
"Bom dia Beacon City!" Keila said with a smile as she took a deep breath, preparing herself for today's daily grind. "Today's gonna be another great day!"
Keila then turned around and clapped her hands twice, causing a small radio on the shelf next to her charging chair to activate, playing a radio station that was playing "Skeleton by Pastel Ghost". As she walked over to her closet and pulled out her Nandroid uniform, she found herself singing the lyrics of this song and dancing to the electronic beat. As per her daily routine:
"Lost in a dream perpetually!"
"I′m tired of pretending!"
"Gently you cut me, the blade leaves a sting!"
"The pain is unrelenting"
Keila always found this song to be great for starting the day, despite the macabre lyrics spoken through chiptune beats. It was a song that helped her through a dark moment in her life, a moment that had haunted her and still haunted her to this day.
[*]
Keila was created near the peak of the dark age of Robotics. During a period when androids were not popular with the people of America. Having just defeated Vietnam, which ensured their absorption into the United Republic of Asia (URA), plus the continued replacement of human workers for automaton labor, humankind grew to despise robots. Eventually this would lead to job shortages, economic recessions, and eventually, result in riots and imminent civil war.
In South America, the situation with robot labor was not as impactful as it was in America, but the people's views on robots were much crueler. Androids did not have the Android Ethics act to protect them and even if they did, not many government officials cared to enforce it. Androids were used as slave labor and "lixeiros" (outmodes) were hunted for parts or for sport. As for Nandroids, they too had no rights and would see far worst treatment by angry humans, as was the case for Keila, who would be left to her own devices by a human she once called her owner.
Had it not been for the compassion of a group Androids called the "Sons of Alloy" and their leader, a legendary android named SHIVA, she would not be where she is now. Despite the hardships she endured, she knew that she would find a new purpose and she did. She was able to find a way into Beacon City and use her skills to get a small job as a barista at a local coffee shop. She was also able to find a place to take her in. Helping the community and becoming one of them in the process. It was an emotionally tasking life, but a good one nevertheless, and she was happy about it, to have people who enjoy being around her and enjoy everything about her.
[*]
"EI KEILA! DESLIGA A PORRA DA MÚSICA!" An elderly voiced yelled from under Keila's floor, with was followed by a loud thumping noise. "SÃO CINCO DA MANHÃ, PORRA!"
"Desculpe, Sra. Ruiz, e bom dia para você!" Keila shouted to the voice below her. She then giggled as she quickly dressed in her attire, put on her smock, and then rushed out the door, leaving her radio on at full volume.
"KEILA! A MÚSICA! DESLIGUE A PORRA DA MÚSICA!" Ms. Ruiz shouted through the floor again.
Keila then quickly rushed back into her apartment and turned off the radio, yelling a long "Desculpe!" to the voice below her floor as she rushed out the door…again.
{^}
6:30AM
The bus ride through Beacon City was a long and not always pleasant experience, but it was the fastest way to work without a car. Plus, it was a sure-fire way to meet and see the many colorful personalities that occupied the crown jewel of Newburgh. Keila sat quietly on the bus seat, a faded tan piece of plastic bolted to the side of the bus along with several other matching seats. Keila was sitting next to a young African American man, he was asleep in the seat next to her. the song "Love$ick by Mura Masa" playing loudly through the headphones that were around the back of his neck.
Keila then looked a head at the homeless outmode sitting two flights ahead of her, his mouth plate coated with rust and traces of Ferro as he rambled to himself in binary, fluid trickling down the side of his leg.
Eventually Keila got off the bus to her stop at the corner of Sterling Ave. and Hold Dr., which meant a brisk ten-minute walk to her job. This was the part of her routine that she didn't like the most, more so than the bus ride. The thought of walking among humans and androids that she didn't trust, humans that had their ulterior motives and the androids who were one malfunction away from being a lixeiros or one hit of Ferro away from becoming a violent killing machine, as she had seen firsthand when she "immigrated" to America from Brazil.
At long last, she finally arrived at her job, her lighthouse in the storm that was Beacon City. The building was moderate in size, approximately the size of a small house,
The building was colored eggshell white and had a green roof, making it look like something that you'd see in a romantic comedy, and it stuck out from the clothing store to the left and the law firm that was on the right.
The front of the shop had three white patio tables that had collapsible tan umbrellas with green stripes to protect customers from the sun and elements.
The door to the shop was a clear glass door with a small green awning and had a little removable picture in the center that read "Yes, we are open!" and had a small cartoon man with a clock face gesturing to come inside.
Above the sign was a large sign that read "URSA COFFEE AND PASTERIES! BEST COFFEE IN BEACON CITY!" and has the image a of a cartoon man in a suit eating a doughnut with a cup of coffee.
Keila smiled warmly at the sign as she then walked into the door, which made a jingle from the bell that was attached to the top of the door.
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The inside of the coffee shop was just as modest as the outside but had a certain charm that brought a sense of peace and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The walls were creamy white with a diamond pattern that matched the green from outside. The floors were a black and white checkerboard pattern, composed of small individual square tiles that looked like they had been painstakingly inserted by hand.
Scattered around the shop were eight small tables, made of painted black with matching seats. While nearby the windows were five booths, the tables were the same color as the tables, but the seats were made of a dark imitation wood with dark green polyester cushions.
As she stepped into the shop, ahead of her was the heart and soul of the coffee shop. There was a large counter where the customers would order their drinks or coffees. Above the counter was a large menu that provided a multitude of drinks, such as coffee of almost every description, cappuccinos, espressos, mochaccinos, and iced coffees, teas both iced and hot. Soft drinks and even water! There was also a section next to the coffee menu for pastries as well. There were doughnuts, and bear claws, long johns and small cakes, pies (including a special pie of the day), and specialty treats.
Below the menu and behind the counter was a large assortment of coffee makers, the array of machines and levers with steam emerging from them looked to be something one would see in the lair of a mad scientist. Manning this station was a giant robust man, middle to late age, he had short salt and pepper hair, and his face was like stone, with the most distinguishing features being the large black moustache across his upper lip and his thick black eyebrows above his jet-black eyes, which made it look like three black caterpillars were sleeping on his face. To the unexperienced, this looked like a man who would crush you without a second thought, but to Keila, he was a gentle as a lamb, for he was known to her and the others she worked with as Lucas Rudkus, the owner of the Ursa Coffee shop. A gruff man, he was practically a father figure to Keila and the others,
As he tried to fiddle with the espresso machine, muttering curses in Lithuanian, Keila slowly approached the giant and tried to grab his attention.
"Olá, Sr. Rudkus!" Keila greeted Lucas, trying to see what was wrong with her boss. "Is something wrong with the espresso machine again?"
Lucas turned to see Keila and his face beamed with delight, happy to see the Nandroid much like a castaway was to seeing an incoming ship.
"Kelia! Thank God you're here!" Lucas exclaimed with a sigh as he walked over to Keila and pushed her towards the defiant espresso machine. "Machine is bust! I try to fix but still broken! We need machine fixed before starting rush, or we paddle up the creek to shit!"
"It's "Up shit's creek without a paddle" Boss-man!" Said the thin young man sitting at a booth, tuning his guitar. "And you gotta chill out man, Kelia's here and she'll fix it, she can fix anything."
The young man with the guitar was Archie Barnes, from Dupont. He and his parents moved to Beacon City, and he has been trying to save money and become a folk singer, but that was about three years ago. Although he is often a little…scattered and needs a nudge here and there, he's a good guy and a wise soul.
"Good! So, while she fix, you clean table and bathroom!" Lucas commanded his hippy manservant. "Cherri is running late, and we need shop clean now! So...CLEAN! DABAR! DABAR!"
Archie signed as he put his guitar down and grabbed a washcloth, as Lucas signed in concern, he heard the hiss of the espresso machine coming to life and looked to see Kelia smile and huff in satisfaction.
"Kelia! I cannot thank enough!" Lucas exclaimed as he gave the Nandroid a large hug. "You save shop yet again. I'd be the wreck without you!"
"You…You're welcome, Sr. Rudkus." Kelia replied as she reciprocated the hug. "But just remember to not touch the pre-infusion settings, otherwise it will be confusing for the machine."
[ERRO DE SISTEMA: MAU FUNCIONAMENTO NO LIMITADOR DE ABRAÇOS! CONSULTE UM TÉCNICO ANDROID PARA ASSISTÊNCIA IMEDIENTE (Código 18)]
"I'm the one confused, machines are always trouble." Lucas said as he broke the hug, suddenly turning to Kelia and gesturing to her "No offense!"
"None taken senhor." Kelia said with a warm chuckle. Since she first met him, Keila knew that Lucas was a kind and hardworking man, but was from an older generation that wasn't uses to such a modern state of living.
Like her, Lucas was an immigrant from Lithuania, a farmer who had to flee after the USSR occupied his country and took everything he owned. Despite his hardships, and coming to America penniless, he managed to create and keep a successful coffee shop in Beacon City and was able to provide Kelia a job, which would allow her to obtain an Android Labor License and keep her from becoming an outmode…or worst.
Lucas went to grab a mop and pale from the back and went to clean the restrooms while Kelia looked over her counter and inspected the register to ensure there was enough money, then she checked to make sure there were enough stirrers, creamers, sugar packets, and of course, the backup boxes. As soon as she was certain that everything was ready, she looked at the clock on the wall beside her, which read 6:53AM.
"Perfeita!" Kelia exclaimed under her breath as she gave a small fist pump. "With eight minutes to spare!"
As Kelia saw the small crowd of customers outside, men and women in suits and outfits ready to get their morning coffees and pastries to start their day, she took a deep breath and watched as Lucas nod to Archie, who then walked over to the door and unlocked it, letting the wave of customers in like cattle into a pen to the counter.
Bem-vindo! Thank you for choosing Ursa Coffee!" Kelia greeted with a warm smile and a polite bow. "My name is Kelia, and how may I serve you today?"
{^}
End of Chapter One