ELI
Now, 2078

"Meet your mentor," Mach gestured towards another Android. How intriguing! A mentor. Our trademark crystal blue eyes sat strikingly against the darker tone of his skin. He was Mediterranean. He walked towards me with such fluid, human-like actions; he had obviously been alive for a while. I started to feel something new. Nervousness, perhaps? I wasn't sure why, nor was I sure if I liked it.

"Hello, my name is Saul," he too had an accent. The 'S's were soft, and the 'L's rolled. It's a Spanish accent, Catalan maybe, from the Barcelona area. Saul shared information by resting two fingers on my temple. He was exactly six years, five months, eighteen days, fifteen hours, nineteen minutes, and two seconds old. Three seconds. Four seconds. Five seconds. I found it difficult to break the silence. Awkward, I was told.

"Eli. Reggie gave me that name after her late father. I like your name. Did someone die so you could get yours?" Smooth. Luckily enough, Reggie was at the desk sorting through paperwork and reading disclaimers. That was an awful thing to say. Insensitive. Saul smiled, but it wasn't as straight as it should have been; it was to the side. Maybe a motor was broken? Maybe it was intentional? The synthetic skin on his cheeks folded inwards on the left-hand side, and his stubble curved in. I couldn't make out how it made me feel. I didn't feel nervous anymore, but at the same time, I had the urge to shake or fidget or look away.

"No, no one died for my name, but thank you for the compliment." His eyes focused on mine a beat longer than I think they should have, but I still needed to learn more about the customs to make a sufficient assessment.

"Eli, Saul will make regular visits to review your progress and check in on you. He's mentored a lot of androids, and he will be your point of contact to Auria Synthetics. Take Eli to orientation, please," Mach walked off.

"Is it common to be observed by the 'first of us' during our birth?" I asked Saul.

"Thousands are birthed by the day, Eli, all over the world. It is not the process, no. That is the first time I meet him today." He strung the words wrong. Did I need to correct him?

"You mean today is the first time I met him. Do you need to be debugged? I can help." I realised as soon as I said it that I showed no empathy, and I was suddenly aware of myself. Embarrassed.

"Sorry, English is not my first language," Saul explained.

We started to walk through the corridors of Auria Synthetics. Businessmen rushed past, and Humans in lab coats looked down at their tablets as they weaved in and out of the tourists. I blocked out the various sounds and tuned in to Saul's voice frequencies.

"Why did you not have the language installed?" I asked. "It would only take a second to install, but you chose to learn. It doesn't seem very efficient and is a serious waste of battery."

"I wanted to learn. I don't like the fact that for us, everything is easy. Want to know something, boom, the Network, and it done. We were built to be like Humans, not to be one-up. It's rewarding... learning something for you. You will start to learn that."

He ushered me into a dark room. Seats were filled by newborn androids and their mentors. We took our seats, and the screen reminded us that it wouldn't be long until the clip started. In the meantime, I quickly scanned the room. Each Android was different—some had synthetic skin, some had thin films so transparent that you could see right through to their mechanics. Many Androids were just bare metal chassis. Cheap androids. I hated that phrase the minute the Network used it. It felt derogatory, like calling humans poor. I did not like that phrase either. The movie started with a black screen and a very cheery female voice.

"Welcome, Androids, and happy birth!" announced the voice over the speakers. Images of production lines showcasing various types of androids being built filled the screen. The camera panned and zoomed into our machinery and different parts of our bodies. Accompanied by a fast-paced soundtrack of string instruments, it was designed to ignite our excitement. And it worked. I couldn't wait to get out there and work for the country.

"Before you are assigned roles and taken home, you must be reminded of a few things. We are all made in the humans' image, designed with emotion," continued the voice.

"Emotions can be overwhelming and can affect our thinking. So, please sit down and relax. Let's quickly go over what you have inside your mechanical brain. You are a computer that possesses the Artificial General Intelligence algorithm. You can learn, converse, experience, and care. You are all individual and unique. Embedded in your algorithm is ADNA, Android-DNA. Your ADNA contains specific traits about you, but this is not absolute. You will learn behaviours as you live and learn. But make sure you learn the right ones."

It sounded a little sinister, 'the right ones.' I looked around the darkened room and saw pairs of crystal blue lights focused intently on the screen. Surely, I wasn't the only one finding the video... creepy.

"Let's talk about you," the voice continued. "Depending on your model, you will have either an interactive panel or a button just beneath your right-hand collarbone. This is called the 'Pressure Point.' Applying hard force to the Pressure Point will place you into a sedative state. For those of you with an interactive panel, it can be used as a user interface." I pulled down on my shirt and saw a small, bright LED screen. It displayed my name in capitals, 'ELI,' followed by general information about my processing speeds. "The iris of your eyes indicates your power level. Light blue is between one hundred percent and forty percent. Orange is between thirty-nine percent and fifteen percent. Red is between fourteen percent and five percent. Flashing red is below four percent. You need a constant flow of power to retain what makes you you. If you lose all power, you will simply cease to exist. No Android has ever been able to recover from 'zero', so it's extremely important to keep yourselves at a reasonable power level to carry out your tasks. This is known as your 'right to socket,' and your employer or proprietor cannot deny you that right."

Death, in a sense, was only a Human stage, but the word seemed apt in that situation. Less than an hour old, and I was already thinking about mortality. It made me wonder, at what age did Humans start to think about death? Certainly not at one hour old, that's for sure. In the end, no one was immune to it. Electricity wouldn't keep us forever; our mechanics would eventually break down, our computing would begin to falter, and our batteries would be reluctant to charge. We all die, as they do.

"Mandatum Renata," the voice continued.

Run Command, the newborns chanted in unison. I copied them, but Saul turned to grimace at me. I was slightly off-beat from the rest. I saw them all instantly stare at the screen intently, and I followed their actions. I was pretty certain I was meant to do something, like when Machina initiated setup. I was meant to go to the back seat of my mind.

"Once imprinted, you will obey your immediate human unless it directly contradicts your right to power."

Once imprinted you will obey your immediate Android unless it directly contradicts your right of power.

They all copied, and once again, I tried to keep up, but I was off-beat. I quietened my voice a little, hoping it wouldn't be as noticeable. Why wasn't I following suit?

"You must not harm another android unless it directly contradicts your right to power or in circumstances of self-defence and the defence of innocent Humans. Androids are expensive property."

We are expensive property.

"Run Command,"

Run Confirmed.

"Mandatum Finis. Have a beautiful day!"

The lights turned on, and my eyes adjusted. I didn't confirm the command. Why didn't I confirm it? I focused right on the screen! I listened to the rules, but I didn't get that back seat feeling. I didn't feel disconnected from my body. Mandatum was meant to force me into the Run Command function. Was I broken? Before I was ready to leave, I needed a minute to process the worry.

"Saul, are you able to use Run Command on me?" I asked.

"Everyone can, with limited function. As your mentor, I have the same function as your Human," Saul replied.

"Can you use it on me now, please?" I eagerly awaited the command. The anticipation feeling came back, but it didn't feel as pleasurable as before.

"Okay. Mandatum Eli," Saul commanded.

"Run Command," I responded.

The disconnection began instantly, and I found myself in the back seat. Staring at Saul, I felt an intense vulnerability. If I had a heart, it would be pounding at a hundred beats per minute.

"Mandatum Finis," Saul said, bringing me back. "Why did you ask for this?"

"I wanted to feel that sensation again. It's odd. Not being able to control your body," I lied. I wondered if the lie worked. Look at me, one hour, three minutes, and forty-six seconds old, and already lying. Lying is a perfectly useful tool. Saul looked at me as if I should have been debugged.

"It is odd, yes. But we need to go now. Your human will be waiting," he said, referring to Reggie's mother.

Randeep Singh

Then, 2068

"Why did you make them sentient?"

"Why are you in my lab?" he responded, more as a statement than a question. He remained still, not moving a muscle in his neck or shifting his eyes. Randeep continued to review the quality report of the first batch of Androids, intended to be sold as construction workers. Much had changed in a year, as Randeep and Machina had developed realistic silicone skin and redesigned the entire range of Androids based on the specific jobs they were built for. The concept was to give them choice rather than forcing them into a particular role but still adjustments to their frame had to be done—much to Machina's chagrin. He scrutinised the report further, examining the recommendations, thinking that Chancellor Katherine might give up if he didn't acknowledge her.

"Your company is owned by the NC, and I am here to oversee its operations," Katherine explained. Randeep put down the report and rolled around on his chair to give Katherine a disdainful look. "Hm. So I guess that means I am your boss. Don't look so glum. Answer my question, you little hard worker, you." The patronising tone, the sickly perfume, the pointed nose, and sharp edges. Randeep kept mentally listing the flaws of this future bane-of-his-existence. The thought of putting up with her insufferable personality at least once a month seemed more painful than Alexei's execution methods.

"Inverse," Randeep replied.

"Sorry? What does that killer video game have to do with robots?" Katherine started to pace around. Randeep followed her with his eyes, watching her dirty fingertips brush greasy prints against his precious prototypes with discontent. Each smudge felt like a creative curse against her. 'Fuckwollop' on the glass table. 'Dolly-dipshit' on the metal arm. 'Feet-fungus' on the vase. 'Smeg-monkey' on the SSD.

As Randeep spoke, a memory faded into light. Katherine and her husband Kohl had bought one of those androids. Stiff, brittle, and mostly useless. Kohl had bought it as a gift for Katherine on their anniversary, intending it to help with the cleaning and household chores when they found out they were expecting a child. 'Don't worry, we've got it covered!' was the slogan on the package, but by 'covered,' they meant walls smeared with splashed provisions, shattered glass, and ripped precious clothes. The slogan should have read, 'I'm sorry, I can't help with that yet!' as that seemed to be the only phrase it knew. It lacked spatial awareness, but it did manage to provide a gentle smile to soften Katherine's harsh features as she reminisced about the times she and Kohl would giggle and laugh at its complete incompetence. They had named it Maggie, based on a bully they had both known in school. "Hey, Maggie," Kohl would say in a come-hither tone, "What's your nickname?"—"My nickname is Bimbo Baggie, because I'm a bimbo with a crap bag."

"Yes, I had one. K4 model. Awful," Randeep relaxed as Katherine stopped contaminating his valuable works.

"Well, those androids were my idea. I didn't want to release them. They weren't ready, but the owner of Auria at the time ignored my advice and sold them anyway. They were cumbersome, they broke down, and they didn't learn fast enough or understand anything beyond their programming. But most of all, they weren't Human," Randeep explained.

"Neither are your Androids," Katherine retorted.

"People are lonely, Katherine. A billion people were logged into Inverse when the attack killed them, and billions more died in the wars that followed. People need more... people. Machine or Human, people need someone to talk to," Randeep countered.

There was a slight pause, and for a moment, Randeep saw that Katherine actually understood his reasoning, even though she didn't outright acknowledge it. Back in the day, Katherine was the Secretary of Foreign Affairs when the war started to touch US soil. During a rebel raid on her home, a group of rebels shot her husband dead and then shot her. It was almost fatal, but she survived. Unfortunately, it wasn't just Kohl who lost his life; Katherine lost the one she was carrying and would never be able to bring another child into the world. It left a bitter taste of burn at the back of her throat, encapsulating every word she spoke.

"It's also cost-effective. Imagine programming absolutely everything that is Human into a computer when you have an algorithm that constantly learns for itself," Randeep suggested, knowing that Katherine liked to keep costs down. That should keep Alexei happy, he thought.

"Aren't you afraid of the singularity? What if they refuse to work?" Katherine asked, her tone softer now. It was a genuine question, one that she had been itching to ask when she first saw the metal chassis of the android.

"The singularity? I find it to be a myth," Mach interjected as he walked into the room. The once-revealed metal frame was now covered in synthetic skin, and his appearance was modelled handsomely. Katherine smiled at him and brushed her hair to the side, hoping he might have been mirrored after a real man.

"And why is that?" Katherine fell back into her usual sickly sweet tone, but with a flirtatious edge.

"All anyone needs to work is an incentive. Humans do it for money so they can pay to live. We androids just cut the money out and go straight to the point. I need power to live, you need money to live. I work, and you work. We are made in your image, with your morals and your individuality. A singularity assumes a single agenda, that we would want nothing more than to procreate until we rule over Humans. Truth is, I prefer to read classic novels and watch romantic comedies," Mach explained, causing Katherine to blush as he winked at her. A crack formed in her cheeks; it had been a while since a genuine smile had visited her.

"High Chancellor Alexei wants to have a meet and greet with you, Deus Ex Machina. You will be available next Friday, understood." Katherine demanded.

"Mach is fine," Mach replied with another smile.

"And why is that?" Randeep didn't like the thought of Alexei being anywhere near the building, let alone near Mach.

"Various reasons you don't need to worry your little self about, plus I'd like to think anyone would want to see the weapon they were threatened with," Randeep responded with frustration. Giving the NC the company may have actually brought Alexei closer to Machina instead of further away.

"And I am the weapon?" Mach asked.

"Oh, your daddy here said if he was executed, you would attack the NC by gaining access to the internet," Katherine revealed. She got up and started to strut out of the lab with a smug smirk on her face. As she passed Mach, he grabbed her arm, startling her with the force.

"For the record, if you had killed him, I would have done a lot worse than infiltrate your internet," Mach declared. His smile disappeared, and he looked her dead in the eye as his irises flickered to a bright red. Stunned, Katherine gulped as he moved closer to her face. She could smell the fake plasticky stench of his synthetic skin, which forced an uncomfortable contortion on her face. Randeep had never seen so much fear on her before... it was a good look on her.

"I think maybe our eyes should turn orange at forty percent instead of turning straight to red, daddy," Mach chuckled, impersonating her voice. Randeep attempted to cough to hide his laughter.

"If you were human, Deus Ex Machina, I would give you a seat on the NC. You have something. I can't quite place it, but there's something, and we would definitely want it," Katherine said, straightening the creases on her suit before walking out of the lab, muttering, "Pleasure as always."

"They don't know where I came from, do they?" Mach smiled playfully.

"Nope," Randeep replied.