John winced and groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His neck and back were throbbing, and his shoulders ached. He pushed himself up, whimpering as he slowly eased back into a sitting position. He looked at his shoulder as he felt the blanket slip, wondering when he'd grabbed it. He didn't remember waking up at all. Unless David got it when he came in...he thought groggily, though he wasn't even sure he was due in today. He paused for a while, wondering why he'd fallen asleep at the workbench.

He remembered the reason as he looked around properly and saw Lin sleeping right in front of him. Does standby mode count as sleeping? he wondered idly as he leaned his chin on one hand and examined his handsome face. Since he was saving energy, he wasn't breathing as a human would, but he looked peaceful. His systems were quiet, especially since John had cleared out all the broken parts the night before. He'd be even better if they managed to get all the parts to repair him that day.

"Sir, it is ten fourteen. I have opened the shop and begun service. Mr Jones called to say he will not come today. He has an assignment due...Sir, it has also been over sixteen hours since your last meal...Shall I prepare something?" the GT300 pressed as he entered the back room and found John awake. John smiled tiredly as he looked at him fondly. If he didn't know better, he would have said he was worried about him. He could almost trick himself into thinking the GT300 looked anxious and hopeful as he waited for his answer.

"I don't want to trouble you, GT," John replied affectionately as he slowly got to his feet, wincing as he straightened his stiff back. He stretched up to the ceiling and rolled his neck slowly, feeling the small pops. Falling asleep over the bench had been a bad idea. He was going to be sore all day.

"It's no trouble, Sir," the GT300 insisted almost eagerly. John tilted his head wryly. The GT300 was being almost insistent. Did I program him to be so pushy? John wondered idly, though perhaps it made sense. The GT300 had originally been designed as a domestic family unit, and would often be left responsible for children. Preparing baths and meals would have been part of his daily routine. He was likely following his old programming, perhaps viewing John as one of his young charges.

"Alright then, thank you...GT, could you check on our order status?" John asked with a stretch as he led the way to the staircase and began heading up. The GT300 followed a little behind, his LED glowing yellow as he connected to the store to check. It only took a few moments before the information showed up on his internal display. Almost eighty percent complete...

"The majority has already been collected. The order is due to be completed by one o'clock," he replied as they reached the open doorway at the top of the stairs. The GT300 headed into the small kitchen to check the fridge. He gathered the bacon, eggs, and sausages as he heard John start the shower. He'd lived alongside John long enough to know that the shower would take around twenty minutes, so he timed his cooking to coincide with that.

"Would you mind taking care of the pickup? And while you're in town, could you buy something for Lin to wear once he's fixed?" John called from the hallway as he headed to his room to get ready. The GT300 called back his compliance as John hurried around his bedroom, grabbing a set of fresh clothes. He opted for some faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved top in a similar shade of blue. He grabbed fresh underwear and socks from his drawer before hurrying across to the bathroom. "What about the shop?" he realised as he checked in at the kitchen door.

"The AP500 is active," the GT300 replied, which put John at ease. The AP500 was more for display than anything else, but it did have the capacity to work in the shop. It was one of the newest models he had in stock, and would likely be sold soon. Newer models with parts still on the market were quite popular for people who couldn't afford the latest models. The GT300 heard the shower curtain swish moments later and began cooking.

After breakfast, John went down to the workshop, where Lin was still in standby mode. John couldn't blame him. He wouldn't be able to do much until he was up and running again. Out in the shop, the GT300 was behind the counter while the AP500 had returned to standby mode on a raised platform by the window, gazing out with vacant eyes. John looked over the schedule. The day was empty. No one had booked in for any repairs and there were no collections due. That didn't mean they couldn't get walk-ins, but it freed up the GT300 to head out.

"GT, you should get going. The bike will be too small, so get a taxi back. How would you like to get there? You could walk, or get the bus, or I could call a taxi," John listed as the GT300 stepped out from behind the counter. He processed the options and gave John his usual smile. It was hard to keep his face robotic at times. John was sweet, but often seemed to forget he was talking to a machine that needed to be told what to do.

"The weather is partly cloudy, with a temperature of sixty-four degrees. On foot, it would take approximately twenty minutes to arrive in town. Shall I walk?" the GT300 suggested, watching John's eyes flick to the large front window. The street was quiet, and he could see white, fluffy clouds. It would be nice weather for a walk. He bit his lip for a few moments as he considered it. It should be safe enough.

"Alright...If you run into any trouble, then run away and call the authorities. Your parts are getting harder and harder to find..." John added worriedly, wondering what he should attempt first when he eventually got around to upgrading the GT300. He'd likely have to rewire the whole unit to upgrade the internal components. His fuses weren't designed to take the higher voltage that newer models required. If I gutted him like that, would he even be the same android?

"I will take care," the GT300 replied assuringly. The familiar tone surprised John. He smiled and nodded his acknowledgement as he watched him leave the shop. He waved until the GT300 had passed the large window before leaning against the counter. There was little point in remaining out front. He rarely got walk-ins and the service bell would let him know if anyone entered the store, so he stepped into the workshop to get things ready.

"Good morning, Lin," he greeted quietly, knowing that he would hear him. He started gathering the things he'd need, selecting the various tools for working on an RK700. Lin opened his now dichromatic eyes and watched as John bustled around the small room.

"Good morning," he replied evenly as John tossed out the old compressed air can and fetched another. Lin tried not to seem too impatient as he waited. It was frustrating to be a useless bunch of wires and plastic casing. He also felt vulnerable, completely reliant on John for his wellbeing. It wasn't a position he wanted to be in for too long. John could pick up on some of his unrest, giving him a sympathetic smile as he wheeled a trolley over.

"GT is out picking up the parts now. It'll take a while, but if all goes well, I'll have you up and running by tonight," John assured as he continued moving around the workshop. Lin murmured his thanks as he watched. John seemed at home in the small space. He likely spent most of his working time here rather than at the front of the store. His lab coat was hung on a hook on the wall, and the blanket from earlier had been folded and left on the stool. "Here, you probably need a refill," John said as he grabbed a packet of thirium from the storeroom. Although Lin had already drunk one the night before, he did need to replenish the fluid he'd lost over the past few weeks. He was honestly surprised he had any left. The internal tears must have been very slow bleeders.

"Thank you..." Lin replied softly as he took the packet and put the small straw between his lips. He steadily drained the pack, noticing John's curious eyes on him more than once. "You look like you have a question," he stated in an amused tone, watching John falter as a small flush lit his pale cheeks. He was cute. For a human. He clearly hadn't expected Lin to take note of his glances.

"Sorry, I just wondered...What does it taste like?" John asked curiously as he perched on the small rolling stool. Lin tilted his head before looking at the packet in his hand. "I've asked GT before, but his program doesn't really...process the question. He can give me a chemical breakdown of the thirium, but that doesn't describe the flavour." Lin hummed his understanding, but he could know why the GT300 had given that response. For one thing, he was trying to keep his cover as a regular android. For another, there wasn't really any way of knowing.

"It's difficult for us to process things the way you do. I, too, can give you the chemical makeup of the fluid, but since we can't taste it's hard to say. We understand the concept of sweet, sour, and many other flavours, so I may be able to estimate from the contents, but I could never say whether that guess was accurate...Why not try it yourself? There is nothing in thirium that would be toxic in small amounts," Lin suggested as he held the packet out and waited to see if John would try it. John hesitated a moment, wondering if he should. I don't have to swallow it, and he's right about it being non-toxic...Lin watched curiously as John leaned forward. His heart rate increased slightly as he took the straw in his mouth. His eyes closed briefly as he sucked on the straw. He drew back seconds later with a cute grimace of disgust. Lin chuckled quietly as he watched John cover his mouth and shudder. "Was it not to your liking?" he almost teased.

"It's...strange. It's metallic, tart and oily, but somehow salty at the same time," John reported, which was close to Lin's expectation. The fluid was a lubricant for machines after all. It also had a high sodium content to keep the fluid thin and easily pushed through bio-components. "It doesn't taste good, but it doesn't really taste of anything specific...It's funny, when I was young I always thought it would taste like blueberries," he added sheepishly as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, leaving a small blue smudge there. Lin's lip quirked at the idea, wondering what John had looked like as a child. He was sure he'd looked angelic by human standards. He still did.

"It seems you've been around androids for a long time," Lin murmured, though considering how long androids had been on the market, it shouldn't have surprised him. The oldest commercial models had been around for almost twenty years now, and John was currently nineteen years old. John faltered a little at the observation, his blue eyes darting aside almost guiltily.

"You could say that..." he replied sheepishly, with just a hint of nervousness. It intrigued Lin to no end. It seemed odd that his history with androids appeared to be an uncomfortable topic of conversation when he worked with them day in and day out. What secret could he possibly have that would make him nervous? Lin let it rest for now. He could always ask about it later. "It shouldn't take GT long to get back..." John added finally as he looked towards the shop.

Lin reached out, noting the slight jerk of John's shoulders as he noticed. John paused, but did nothing to stop Lin as he rested his thumb at the corner of his mouth. Lin could feel the warmth of John's skin and noticed a jump in his pulse. His skin also seemed a little pinker in the cheeks as Lin ran his thumb over his bitten up bottom lip. He watched as Lin drew back, the barest smudge of blue on his thumb. Lin licked the blue patch without a second thought, noting that John's pupils increased in diameter as he watched his tongue slide over the tip.

"I-I'll watch the shop!" John excused as he got to his feet and hurried out of the small room. He sighed as he leaned on the counter, shaking his head as he thought about it again. Androids are made to be attractive, he reminded himself, though it didn't make him feel like any less like a pervert. He'd always hated the way people looked at androids, and how there were whole clubs dedicated to cheap android sex. As far as he was concerned, it was just wrong. Androids had no free will and couldn't consent, therefore it was wrong and disgusting to treat them like sex toys.

He took to staring out of the window, wondering how long it had been since the GT300 had left. It didn't feel like he'd left that long ago, but then he'd been busy cleaning the shop. He stood straight as a blocky looking self-driven taxi pulled up outside. He couldn't see through the blacked-out windows, but as the door slid open, he could see the GT300 climbing out. John hurried to help with the packages. The poor android would never be able to carry all of them by himself.

"GT! How was the trip?" John asked kindly as he stepped outside and took the two long boxes that contained Lin's new legs from the taxi. The GT300 gathered the other bags and the final long box before stepping out. His LED glowed yellow as he authorised payment to the taxi. The boxy car silently closed its door and drove away as the GT300 turned his attention to John.

"I accomplished my tasks with minimal interruptions," he reported almost evasively, which made John's soft eyes sharpen. Minimal interruptions? The GT300 stood patiently as John's eyes roved over him, pausing at the dirt on his knees. John crouched and looked at the black pants, seeing the material had been scraped. One knee was almost torn. The most likely explanation was that he'd ended up on the ground at some point.

"What happened? Did you trip?" John asked worriedly, though he knew that was impossible. Androids didn't just trip. Each step they took was calculated perfectly. The only time they could fall is if the ground changed after they'd stepped, or an outside force caused them to fall. He knew which was more likely in the current political climate.

"There was a minor altercation. No serious damage was caused," the GT300 announced in what seemed like a sincere tone. He took a step towards the shop before pausing, John's hand on his arm stopping him in his tracks. He looked at his human companion with an almost blank expression. He was touched that John was worried, but also still annoyed by what had happened. He would have liked to put those humans in their place, but that would have blown his cover.

"Tell me what happened. Were you hurt?"

"Some humans accosted me in town during a demonstration. A police officer intervened, and I am undamaged," the GT300 insisted, watching John's brow crease in both relief and frustration. The GT300 was quietly touched by John's concern. He really was far too kind. John sighed as he hefted his two packages once more. They headed into the shop, where they could set things down and get ready for work. John had a lot of repairs to do.

"I'm sorry that happened. I should have gone with you," John sighed apologetically on the way through the shop, though the GT300 was quietly pleased that John hadn't gone. He wouldn't have wanted him to get caught up in something like that. His job would already make him a prime hate target. It wasn't unusual for employees of Cyberlife to get harassed. John would be no different. "You should take a break...Clean up and have some thirium," John instructed as they walked through to the workshop. "You can use the shower if you like," he added, missing the GT300's small smile. John was always considerate.

"Yes, Sir," the GT300 replied obediently as he headed to the stairs out back. John sat down beside Lin and opened the first of the long boxes, knowing they would contain his new limbs. Lin tried not to seem too eager as he watched John pull out the two parts. He'd found a leg first. The android watched as he clipped the thigh and shin section together at the knee with a clean click. He checked the joint before turning his attention to the broken socket. Lin was patient as John searched through the other boxes for various connectors and a new rotary joint. He was careful as he grabbed a few small tools and set to work. Lin remained still, holding the leg of his tight pants out of the way as John leaned right in to the open chasm. He could hear the tinkering and feel the various screws being turned.

"Are you ready?" John asked as he got to his feet and laid the leg on the workbench. Lin nodded and remained as he was. John eased the plastic thigh joint into position, gripping Lin's hip in his left hand before pushing up with his right. Lin let out a small gasp on reflex as the new joint loudly snapped into place. "How does it feel?" John asked idly as he stroked the newly set plastic hip. He watched as Lin bent and stretched the new limb, wiggling the mechanical toes as a test.

"It's a good fit...Everything works," he added as he twitched his ankle. John looked pleased as he moved onto the next box, finding the other leg. Lin could help with this one, using his good hand to pull the knee into alignment. John helped to push and click the joints together. Lin was looking much more human with both legs now intact. As the joints clicked, his body automatically activated the synthetic skin, covering the hard white plastic with a soft layer of warm flesh. Lin nodded for John to continue. The arm was next, and Lin patiently allowed John to fit the new socket before he twisted and snapped it into place.

"Just lie still. I have some fresh skin to apply," John said as he opened a tub of what looked like liquid rubber. Lin closed his eyes patiently, feeling the heat of a blowtorch on his flesh as more was added. As the flesh and liquid heated, they melded together and Lin's programming automatically shifted the skin across his face to where it was needed. John added more to his torso and right side before finally putting the torch away. Lin looked like a normal human now. Unfortunately, that was the easy part. "Alright, turn off your skin and open your chest panel for me," John instructed, gathering his tools as Lin did as he was told.

John removed the plastic plate and laid it aside carefully before pulling on his goggles and getting to work. There were various fleshy components and electrical circuits that were slowly replaced or added. Lin watched as John worked, marvelling once more at his focus. He barely even blinked as he leaned down over the open cavity, both hands searching through cables and fleshy masses for the right parts. When he was finished, Lin could feel a strong beating in his chest and a light hum that had been missing for weeks.

"I have to open your skull casing now...Can you go into low-power mode?" John asked nervously, unsure Lin would be willing to leave himself vulnerable. He was going to be unconscious for a set amount of time, completely at John's mercy. "I can call GT and keep him here for the procedure if that would make you a little more comfortable," he added thoughtfully. Lin didn't relish the idea of putting his life in John's hands, but this human hadn't let him down so far.

"It's alright...I trust you," Lin murmured vulnerably, noting a slight spike in John's heart rate. He was genuinely moved by the admission. It made him happy. Cute, Lin thought as he took a steeling breath. He closed his eyes to set a timer. "How long will you need?" he asked, turning off his skin and hair for the moment.

"Three hours should be more than enough," John replied confidently, his eyes already tracing the surface damage across Lin's cheek. Lin nodded his agreement before setting the timer and shutting down. He was just able to feel John's fingers stroking his jagged plastic cheek before he blacked out. John watched Lin's chest rise and fall steadily. Once he was sure he was in standby mode, he opened the cranial panel near the top of his skull.

It always surprised him how much empty space there was inside the skulls. They had a fairly small motherboard and various chips, but nothing large and cumbersome like a human brain. He set to work changing the burned out circuits, doing a little rewiring, and removing the memory circuits. He loaded those into his laptop to check for corrupted files, but all ten memory cores were working perfectly. He removed the motherboard carefully and checked the electrical pathways. Lin's limbs occasionally twitched as he tested connections, and his eyes opened and closed. Once everything seemed in order, John closed up. It didn't take much time to sand down and fix the damage to his face, the various small plates slotting back as if they'd never been removed.

He looked down at Lin's sleeping form. His head remained smooth and white. The plastic shell was shiny and clean, the LED steadily glowing blue on his temple. The rest of his body was still covered in fake flesh. John ran his fingertips over Lin's plastic cheek and brushed a single digit along his smooth lips. It was strange to feel his lips so hard without their fleshy coating, though he was still warm. He let out a small yelp and stumbled back as Lin's eyes blinked open without warning.

"Did I scare you?" Lin asked with veiled amusement as he turned on his fake flesh once more. John watched in quiet amazement as the plastic contours of his face were filled out and fleshed over until Lin looked like his usual Asian self. He could still make out Lin's features without skin, but the deep colour of his flesh defined him more.

"I didn't realise the time was up," John excused, though Lin said nothing about his explorations. Maybe he was still shut down and didn't notice? John thought hopefully, though something in Lin's mismatched eyes suggested he'd been aware of it. John looked away, suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry, I was just looking at your face..." he trailed off awkwardly, somehow feeling that his apology made it sound worse. Lin sat up slowly, bending this way and that.

"And? Do you like it?" he asked almost teasingly, enjoying the way John stammered in response. "Do you prefer it to how I usually look?" he added curiously, closing his eyes as he turned off the skin on his head once more. He opened his dichromatic eyes and was surprised to find John blushing. He almost flinched as Lin took his hand and returned it to the hard shell of his face. John was gentle as he caressed the smooth plastic, allowing Lin to move his hand across the shiny surface of his skull. He could feel the seams where the casing could be opened. Lin was surprised to note that John's heart rate was faster now.

"Sir, a reservation has been made for tomorrow evening. There is an AY500 that requires full service and repairs," the GT300's voice interrupted from the shop doorway. John almost flinched away from Lin as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. He turned to the older android with a sheepish smile and hurried into the shop to check the details. Lin said nothing, but turned on his skin once more. The GT300 followed John into the shop and watched curiously. He seemed agitated about something. "Are you well, Sir? Perhaps I should make you some dinner," the GT300 suggested in his usual mothering tone.

"Yes, I'm fine...Uh-dinner, I suppose it is about that time. Thank you, GT," John stammered as he looked at the computer screen. He almost cringed as he noted the customer ID. It was the Eden Club. There were a few different branches of this chain. It was an android sex club. Usually they'd just throw out the old or broken androids and but new ones. I guess this club isn't doing so well if they've resorted to fixing up older models...John thought as he reviewed the damage. Apparently, one of their customers had been a little hands on during rough play. But if I don't fix her, she'll be thrown out like trash, John reminded himself as he considered turning the job down. He accepted it with a sigh.

"John," Lin's voice called from the doorway, and John registered for the first time that his voice actually sounded different now that his vocal processor was fixed. It was clean, deep, and somehow sultry. John felt a shiver run down his spine as he turned and looked at the workshop doorway where Lin stood at his full height for the first time. He was slim, with gently toned muscles that any human would envy, and he was tall. He was around six foot seven, which was much taller than John. Lin lounged on the doorframe as he noticed John's gaze, his expression almost seductive.

"Uh! Clothes!" John blurted after a few long moments. He hurried past Lin's almost naked form, slipping by quickly so that he could search through the empty bags and debris. It didn't take long to find the bags of clothes. He handed the bags to Lin before ushering him towards the stairs, trying not to think about how he looked I only his tight black underwear. "Go and take a shower. You must want to clean up after being in the warehouse all that time, and all the dust and glass in here too," he urged as he pushed Lin towards the staircase.

Lin did as he was asked and walked up into the spacious but somehow modest apartment. The GT300 pointed him in the right direction and left him in the small bathroom with a fresh towel. Lin looked around, feeling moisture in the air from the GT300's recent shower. He turned on the water, setting a hot temperature before stripping out of his final item of clothing and stepping under the spray. It was hot on his skin. He could feel the exact temperature, but he felt no comfort or discomfort. He wondered how John would feel beneath the spray. Hot water was supposed to be relaxing for human muscles. He'd probably feel happy and tranquil. He could just imagine the look of serenity on his innocent face as he'd sigh beneath the spray.

John had some body gel hanging on a hook. As Lin squeezed it out, he found it was a deep blue colour, just a few shades darker than thirium and a little clearer. He worked up a lather on his pale skin, a little surprised at how dark the water was as it rolled off. He had to lather himself three times to actually fully clean his skin and casing. John was right. He was filthy after all that time in the warehouse. Next, he washed his ebony locks. He made sure to go over his hair three times and then conditioned it as well. When he stepped out of the shower, he found a new toothbrush had been left for him, though luckily his teeth were in a better state than his body. He could brush them normally, although as an android, he didn't really need to. His saliva was made to disinfect.

Once he'd dried off, he went through the clothing. There were new boxers, and he pulled on a set to find they were a perfect fit. There was a set of black trousers with a matching leather belt, a long-sleeved white top, and a neat office shirt. Lin left the office shirt for now and tugged on the comfortable-looking top. He towelled his hair off once more before leaving the steamy room. He took the bags with him, grabbing a set of black socks and pulling them on in the hallway. He could hear voices in the kitchen and found John sitting at the dining table with the GT300.

"These incidents are getting worse..." John murmured anxiously as he watched the report on the news. At a fancy apartment in Detroit, a domestic android had taken a small girl hostage. It was standing on the edge of the rooftop, threatening to jump. John bit his lip worriedly, barely touching the pasta on his plate. The GT300 was also watching, and Lin couldn't help watching himself. This would end in one of two ways. They would both die, or the android would die. "This is the first recorded incident of an android actually killing someone..." John murmured worriedly. That didn't bode well for androids. There was a bang on screen and John flinched as blue splattered the patio, the human girl landing safely off to one side as the android's husk fell to its knees. John's jawline tightened as he looked away. He was upset.

"Shall I change the channel, Sir?" the GT300 asked sensitively, doing a good job of hiding his own emotions. John nodded wordlessly, slowly chewing the pasta in his mouth. The android on the rooftop had been blonde. Another domestic model. Newer than the GT300. Lin entered quietly and John forced a small smile for him as he took an empty seat.

"How are you feeling? Do you need any more thirium?" John asked, the GT300 getting up to grab some as Lin nodded. Lin watched as John ate his simple meal. There were a few vegetables and some sort of meat mixed in with the pasta. The GT300 clearly had a culinary program installed. Lin accepted the pack of thirium with thanks and drank quietly. "I'm worried about the shop...An incident like this might bring trouble our way..." John murmured, though perhaps they would escape the worst of it. They were outside of town, and he never had more than two or three actual androids there at a time.

"Shall I relocate the active units to storage?" the GT300 asked dutifully.

"That might be best..." John agreed nervously, so the GT300 headed off to complete his task. "You said you were a custom model, right?" John checked, to which Lin nodded his agreement. John hummed thoughtfully, finishing his pasta quickly before getting to his feet. Lin remained at the table as John headed into his bedroom before returning with a pair of scissors. He held the blades together and pointed the tip towards Lin's face.

"What are you thinking?" Lin asked curiously, not overly concerned. It would be quite senseless for John to damage him after all the time he'd spent repairing him, and he was now fully repaired. In his current state, he was more than capable of incapacitating the smaller human, if need be.

"I'm thinking that your face probably isn't recorded in an android database," John replied as he gently caressed Lin's chin with his fingers and tilted his face up. Lin watched as John leaned in towards his temple, holding the scissors like a surgical knife. "If I remove your LED, then no one will know the difference between you and a regular human," he added as he pressed the tip against the glowing blue edge. The LED flashed yellow as he pressed harder, and then red as the scissors slipped beneath the edge. John jerked his wrist, and the LED popped out with a small ping. There was a little bleeding, but the skin quickly melded over the area.

"Thank you," Lin murmured as he ran a hand over his temple. He'd never felt it without the circular imprint before. He liked it. John took the small LED, which still had a slight glow for now, and slipped it into his pocket to deal with later. Lin sat patiently as John wove his fingers through his damp ebony locks and tidied them for him, wiping the blue-blood from his temple with a tissue. John's heart rate spiked as their eyes met. "You've been so kind; I'm not sure how to repay you," Lin added, watching John's cheeks flush at the praise.

"I'm just doing the right thing...What do you think you'll do now? Things are probably going to get dangerous around here..." John added thoughtfully, unsure what he could do to avoid it. It was unlikely to stop with this first incident, and the more people androids killed, the more likely the humans were to act. Something bad is going to happen.

"I...I don't know..." Lin replied, taking a few quiet moments to contemplate his situation.

"You could stay here for now...I know it's not much, but it'll give you time to come up with a plan. I have money too, so whatever you decide I can help with," John assured, watching as Lin tilted his head. He found it difficult to understand this human. Not only had he spent a small fortune on new parts, but he was now offering to put funds towards whatever new life Lin chose. I don't think there's another human like this one anywhere in the world...It would be a much kinder place if there were.

"You're very kind," Lin observed, almost surprised by the softness in his own tone. John's skin flushed at the compliment. The pink ran all the way from his ears to his throat before disappearing beneath his top. Lin couldn't help but wonder how far down that flush would go. John ran a hand through his messy locks as he looked at the far wall.

"I'm just doing the right thing," he insisted in a fluster.

"You say that a lot," Lin teased lightly. With the shop now closed, the GT300 remained downstairs to stand guard and enter standby mode until morning. That left John and Lin alone in the comfortable apartment. John had a larger TV in the living area, along with a couple of bookcases full of books on androids. Some were model specific manuals, others were mixed books on repairs and engineering. On one shelf, he seemed to have a complete collection of Cyberlife catalogues, many of which dated back to the very start of the company. Lin could even see a book written by the creator of androids himself. Elijah Kamski...

"I'm afraid I only have one bedroom," John said sheepishly as he motioned invitingly for Lin to take a seat on the sofa. Lin wandered around the small living room a little longer, getting a better look at the pictures on the wall. All of them were of androids, or parts of androids. There was a painting of a beating blue heart, a coal drawing of a circuit, and the only photograph John had. It was an enlarge portrait of an Asian male android with a small blonde girl sitting on one knee and a slightly older blonde boy standing by his other side. It took Lin a moment to realise the small boy was John. "If you like, you can sleep on the sofa,"

"I'm an android; I don't need to sleep," Lin replied as he accepted the offered seat. The sofa was comfortable, probably less than a year old. That made sense since John was nineteen. He'd likely been living with his family or on a university campus until he'd bought this shop. He probably had a couple more years of studying to do. Lin found his thoughts confirmed as John plucked a large textbook from one of the shelves and sat in a large armchair with his legs curled beneath him.

"Maybe you should start sleeping. It could help you blend in," John suggested as he opened the book and started to read in earnest. He was already about a third of the way through. Lin said nothing as he watched John reading. His eyes barely moved as he stared at the page, and Lin wondered if he was even focusing. John turned the page, blinking as he returned his gaze to the maze of words. Lin turned on the television and to see what was happening in the aftermath in Detroit.

On the screen, they were showing highlights. Slow motion replays of the android being torn apart by bullets as the hostage screamed and another android looked on. The brunette android in the neat charcoal suit was revealed to be an RK800; a new prototype unit built to assist the police with investigations on deviants. The mother and daughter were reunited, both shocked at what had happened. They'd sworn off androids for life, saying they were dangerous and unpredictable. I wonder what they did to make it so upset. We're not irrational monsters. They must have done something to him.

A new debate was starting. Are androids alive? Are they dangerous? These two questions didn't bode well for the future. Humans weren't exactly known for sharing things. One only had to look at history to see how they would react to their slaves rebelling. Most humans...Lin corrected as he looked across at John, whose jaw had tightened once more as he listened to the news. He didn't tell Lin to turn it off, but he snapped his book shut sharply. On the screen, regular people were now being interviewed about how unsafe they felt around androids, and how they had been bad for the human workforce.

"I'm going to go to bed. Feel free to use the kitchen, books, television...anything," John added as he got to his feet. Lin said goodnight and watched him walk through to the bedroom. He could hear movement for a while and then silence. He wondered whether John was actually sleeping, or if he was lying in bed with his own thoughts. He didn't know how it felt to sleep. When he went into stasis, he would simply black out and open his eyes after the set time as if nothing had happened. It took time for humans to reach sleep, and once they did, they could have dreams. Lin didn't entirely understand it, but he wondered what it would be like. He had at least learned to daydream with his newfound freedom.

He turned off the TV and decided to use his free time. John's books could be useful. If he could learn to fix androids like John, then he could fix himself and help others. Those skills would be useful when he figured out where to go next. There were a few options. He knew those androids further north would head for Canada, but that would be more difficult from here. Perhaps he could sneak onto a cargo ship, or even buy a ticket for a cruise and sail across to Europe. They had androids in certain areas, but not all. He could get by without being noticed there. With that in mind, he opened the first book.