Of Wings & Toys
by Catrin Anikiera (additional material by Nathan)
“Tessa do this, Tessa do that,” I mumbled to myself as I wandered around the lab that day. It had been a slow day, not many tests to do, and I was pretty much left to my own devices. I found myself wandering over to the windows that looked over the city. We were in Tokyo, just outside the Akihibara district. It was one of the highest concentrations of high-tech companies in the world, and I suppose it didn’t get much more high-tech than me.
I was an android. Well, to be more specific, I was a BioSim, a group of robots originally developed mostly right here in Tokyo, and now were common sights worldwide. We were supposed to take jobs that were too dangerous for humans, or some of the more simple, repetitive-task-like jobs so companies didn’t have to hire (and pay) all sorts of non-essential personnel.
There was a difference, however, between a “normal” BioSim and me. I was developed by Ando Corporation initially as a simple accessory to the hot new game console, the NekoStation 2. I was supposed to be part of the “Best Friend” game series, being somewhere between a role-playing simulation and a confidante to younger girls. Of course, when they initially made me, their prototype, they had no idea I’d actually be too realistic, and go off to develop emotions, wants, likes and dislikes. I wasn’t flattering myself when I considered myself to be one of the most technologically advanced robots around today, barring military projects, I supposed. Not that Ando Corporation cared; they just ignored my initial pleas and protests and kept me prisoner here in their fifth floor Research & Development lab, activated and deactivated as they pleased, running test after test on me to measure all sorts of things related to my much-less-advanced “sisters” and the game we were originally created to accompany.
One of the things I found strange about me initially was my appearance. I got reminded of this every time I passed by the hall with some of the pictures of me hung up along it. I didn’t look very Japanese at all; in fact, I mainly looked Irish, or Nordic, with some slightly more Japanese influences. It made me look a touch exotic, I supposed. At first, I felt even more self-conscious, like an outcast, because of them, but over time I grew to be very proud of my appearance, and considered myself fairly cute. I was more cute than normal, though, ever since one of the researchers decided to indulge himself (and his most likely Lolita Complex tendencies) by dressing me up in a school uniform and getting one of the techs to put my hair up in pigtails. I was not amused, but at least the pigtails sort of grew on me.
I pulled at them nervously as I walked, always wondering when my free time would end and I’d be required to be hooked up to any number of computers to test whatever new development the techs had come up with today. One of my favourite places to hang around in, consequently, was the small break room. It was usually the last place they looked, and also usually where they would eventually find me. So it came to be that that was where I found myself on that fateful day, and where I came across the key to my first taste of freedom.
The first thing that I noticed when I entered the break room was a small bowl with the remnants of some soup left in it, and a crumpled up napkin nearby. Apparently one of the techs was at lunch when he was called away in a hurry. He was in so much of a hurry that he left behind his wallet, too.
I picked it up and explored the contents. It was simple stuff, mostly, like a few notes of money, a credit card, a drivers’ license, and…wait…what was this? His security pass? I held it gingerly in my hands, not sure if I believed my good fortune. My mind began to hatch a daring plan; not much finesse, but heavy on the moxie. I wanted to get out of here, and this pass was my ticket.
The name on the identification was Ken Kasumura, who I knew was one of the newer techs. He was always so friendly to me, and nice, that I felt guilty knowing what I was about to do, and the trouble I would probably get him in, but my desire to be free overrode all that. This was my chance, and I was sure going to take it!
I tried my best to walk slowly as I made my way back to my “living quarters”, or, more accurately, my closet. On the way, I snagged a small bag from a deserted lab station. I began to throw in a bunch of random clothes I had accumulated, and all my essential electronic equipment. I also made sure to pack my three prized possessions. They were the only things in this world that really, truly belonged to me, and no one else. There was no way I could leave them behind.
After making sure the coast was clear, I slowly made my way to the thick, white electronic door that stood between the lab and the outside world. I could hear the robotic voices of my less-advanced sisters, saying things like, “What is your command?” or “I am not programmed for that task,” or, most frequently, “I can not process that command directive.” I was almost there when a kindly voice behind me made my jump.
“Hi Tessa! What’s the bag for?” a kindly looking older Japanese gentleman asked me.
“Oh, Dr. Chiroki! It’s nothing really. Just a bunch of electronics for today’s testing. I’m not sure what they have in mind for me today,” I tried to make my voice seem as normal as possible, not to betray how nervous I was. Whatever simulation I have of a heart, however, was beating like a jackhammer in my chest.
“Ahh, I see,” Chiroki said. “Well, I need to get back to my office, but you take care of yourself, okay?” he said and winked at me.
I winked back at him, a bit confused, and watched him walk away. As soon as he disappeared from my view, I produced the pass in my hand, swiped it in front of the electronic reader, and the door slid open with a quiet hiss. I stared at the empty hallway for just a moment before darting through. The door closed behind me. I had begun my journey, but I wasn’t free yet.
I must have spent at least a hour exploring the large facility, expecting to be stopped at every turn. Surprisingly, there was very few security personnel around, allowing me locate both the elevators and the exit doors before too much time passed. As I got to the ground floor, however, my spirits fell. There was a huge concentration of security posted near the entrance. I figured it was normal, but I still needed to make it through them.
Like it was on cue, a number of groups of security personnel split up, coming dangerously close to my hiding place as they passed by, chattering about their assignments for the day. Once most of them left, I made my way up to the checkpoint, trying not to betray my nervousness.
“Excuse me, miss? Where did you come from?” one of them asked me.
“Umm, upstairs? I was with my uncle today; he brought me here to see what kind of work he gets to do for a living. I want to follow in his footsteps one day!” I said, trying to muster up some enthusiasm.
The guard that spoke smiled back at me, but his partner had a worried look on his face. “Who’s your uncle?”
“Err, Ken Kasumura,” I said quickly.
“We should call Kasumura,” he said. “I don’t seem to remember seeing her this morning.”
“Oh, he’s in an important meeting with his boss; otherwise he would have come down with me to show me the way out,” I bluffed.
“Ahh…we can’t bother Chiroki, definitely not…” the first guard said. After what seemed like an eternity, the second guard reluctantly nodded, adding, “Ok, misses. Just make sure your uncle comes down with you next time.”
I nodded, trying not to show my immense happiness as they buzzed me through. I opened the doors and stepped outside for the first time.
I casually made my way down the street, letting my eyes take in everything they could. There were bunches of shops, and so many things I’d only seen from my vantage point high above the city, or on the small television in the break room before. The sun was out in full force and I felt the warm rays on my exposed skin, unfettered by the thin UV-protecting glazing that was on the lab windows.
I felt like I was in a daze, all these unfamiliar sights and sounds overwhelming my mind. Small little electric shocks, almost, coursed through my body, making me feel so alive, if you pardon the expression.
After wandering around for a few hours, though, I started to think of some more pressing needs. Where would I shut down and charge for the night? How can I avoid the inevitable security teams from the lab that will search for me? I also realized, for the first time, how alone I actually was.
Feeling a strong need to be with people, I let the crowd take me, blending into the mix, going where everyone else was. Finally, I was deposited at what seemed like a very small restaurant. There were a few booths, but most of the attention, as well as the only four customers in the eatery at the time, were up front, where the chef was making their order on a hot grill.
The chef was a showman, twirling his spatulas and knives while cutting up the meat in small chunks and quickly searing it on both sides, adding vegetables, rice and sauces as needed. It smelled so delicious, I was drawn inside. I walked over and sat on the last remaining stool and watched the chef finish cooking. He gave out plates to the four members of the group and then looked at me with a hint of confusion on his face.
“Are you with them as well, miss?” he asked me.
Startled back into reality, I quickly shook my head. “Oh, no, no, I…I just…well, the food smelled so good I just had to come in…”
He thought a second and then asked me if I would like some as well.
I shook my head again, saying, “Oh, no, I’m sorry, I…I have no money,” I said truthfully. “I’m not too well-off right now.”
I must have looked quite disappointed, since he put a small amount of the food onto a plate and handed it to me. “Eat some anyway…it’s on the house!”
“Y-y-y-you want me to eat?” I asked, hesitantly.
“A little free sample never hurts business,” he said with a laugh.
“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten…” I said, remembering that the lab employees never fed me, or even considered giving me any of their food.
“Never eaten?” the chef looked confused.
“I mean…never eaten…err…in a place like this!” I covered quickly.
“Well, I assure you this food is top quality,” he told me proudly and handed me a pair of chopsticks. “Dig in,” he said.
I tentatively picked up a morsel of beef, put it in my mouth and instinctively chewed. The flavour burst through my mouth, and my face widened into a huge grin. “This is good!” I said as I quickly finished all he had put on my plate.
“Woah, when’s the last time you ate?” he asked me jokingly.
“Err, I…” I wasn’t sure what to say, but before I could reply he had refilled my plate.
“Eat as much as you want,” he told me.
I got up and bowed to him. “Domo arigatou,” I told him as I continued eating. A commotion caught my eye outside the door, and as I watched, sure I had seen an increased police presence. Then I saw something that gave me a cold, clammy, apprehensive feeling that I had never wanted to feel again, but was anyway. Almost right outside the restaurant was a black sedan with tinted windows. The kanji on the door spelled out “Ando Corporation”.
My nervousness must have shown on my face; almost immediately the chef asked me, “Is there anything wrong, Miss?”
It appeared that most of the commotion was still a bit up the street, so I stammered, “Err, umm, oh, no, nothing’s wrong,” I bowed, “but I really must be going…g’bye!”
I ran out the door so quickly, eager to preserve my new freedom, but after I had gone less than thirty metres, I collided into someone, sending us both to the ground.
“Gomen, gomen….” I stuttered, not even realizing the small commotion I was causing.
“Are you all right?” I asked the young boy, who looked like an American, or a European.
“Yeah, I think so…” he got out.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to go,” I told him, and made a move to continue running, but then I felt his hand grasp my arm, holding me there.
“Hey, hey…what’s wrong?” he asked me.
“I’m not sure, I…”--I took what seemed like a deep breath–“theywannacapturemeandputmebackintowhereIamonlyaprisonerandIdontwannagobacknevereverevereverever!” I said and took another deep breath, looking down at the pavement, a little embarrassed.
“Woah, woah…slow down! Who wants you back, and why do they want you as a prisoner?” the boy said.
“The people behind me…that’s all I can tell you right now. Can you really help me?” I asked. I looked up at him pleadingly. Suddenly I heard a voice shout from behind me. “Stop her!”
My new benefactor immediately started running, dragging me along with him. “Where are we going?” I asked.
He replied, “I don’t know…anywhere but here!”
“We need a place to rest! You, I mean…we can’t run like this forever!”
“Trust me, if I knew, I’d tell you. We need somewhere big, maybe like a mall?”
“I think I saw a large department store from the lab windows,” I said. “We already passed the street but we can get there by this alley, I think.”
I was pulled across the street towards the alley, as we darted in and out of traffic, horns beeping and brakes screeching. We moved through the alley and then weaved around all the people standing outside the store, finally making our way inside.
“Let’s make our way to the kids’ section,” I suggested, and after a quick look at the directory, that’s where we headed, up the escalator to the second floor.
Once we got to the second floor, he paused to catch his breath. “So why are they after you now?”
“I’m…I’m not the same as you, but I can’t tell you any more…” I trailed off.
“So, does the damsel in distress have a name?” he asked me as we made our way to the Children’s Department.
“Oh, umm, my name is Tessa,” I said.
“I’m Nate,” he told me. “I’m from America, if you hadn’t guessed,” he laughed, gently. “My friend sent me a letter and invited me to come, but my passport and my suitcase got stolen at the airport and the embassy won’t give me a replacement passport to get back home…” he trailed off. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bore you with my whole back story… Err…yeah…it was real nice to meet you. Tessa’s a really pretty name.”
I kind of blushed a little and then explained, “Tessa doesn’t sound Japanese, I know, but–“ I suddenly stopped talking, and the world seemed to fade out, making everything fuzzy and seem far away. Thirty seconds later, everything popped back into focus. I knew what that meant, and it made me afraid.
“Umm, thank you so much for helping me, but I really must go,” I said quickly and dashed off, zigzagging my way through clothing racks and tables. I needed to find a secluded area to charge, and quickly! Those fadeouts only occurred when my power supply was reaching critical levels. I only had around thirty minutes left of power!
“Why...why couldn't I have just told him the truth? He helped me earlier...I'm sure he'd help me now...but, would he believe me? Well, he'd have to, since I'd show him...but...maybe he'd get freaked out..or...or.." I mumbled to myself as I realized I was walking slower and slower, and not only that, but Nate was still behind me! “I…can’t…stop…… Must…find…a…safe…place…”
Nate caught up to me then. “Hey,” he said, grabbing my shoulder, “what’s wrong? It can’t be those guys chasing you, is it?”
“No, well, it’s not that, it’s just…well, you’ve never met a girl like me,” I said, trying in vain to figure out what I could say to this new person who had already helped me so much, in only my first day of freedom.
“Well, I imagine pigtails went out of style awhile ago, yes?” he said, motioning to my twin tails.
I glanced at my hair, and responded, “These? Not my idea… Cute, yes, but not my idea,” I said nervously. “I…” and then it happened again. Another power fadeout.
“Gomen!” I cried. “I did it again! I just need a place where I can be alone for four to five hours, probably five, judging from all the running I did today. I don’t know…”
“Okay, okay, please…please tell me what’s going on?” Nate pleaded with me, his tone changing from curious to concerned.
“Mmm…I…”–another fadeout–“I don think I have a choice in telling you this but…but I’m not real,” I finally said.
“Real?” Nate asked, confused.
“I'm...I'm gonna need some help real soon, and, well, I could do this on my own, I suppose...but...I'll be vulnerable. Can you…can you really protect me?” I looked up at him with such a pleading look on my face.
“Well, sure…why didn’t you say anything sooner?” he guided us into what looked like an empty display room. He cleared some space for me and then grabbed some empty boxes to sit on.
“Umm..so...yeah…see..like I said...I'm not...I'm not real.. I'm a robot. Well, to be specific, I'm a prototype NekoStation accessory...but...they built me wrong or something cause I have emotions, and wants, and likes, and...and I don't know…and they refuse to believe it..." I said quickly and stared at the floor as another power fadeout occurred. I wasn’t going to last much longer at this rate.
“NekoStation? You mean the console designed for kids?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah...their parent company, Ando Corp, is trying to get an older audience with their Sim games...see...” I opened up the panel on my upper left arm, where it was partially concealed by my uniform. No one would’ve noticed it had I not brought their attention to it. “There’s a cable in my bag…” I said, and then hurriedly rummaged through my bag to find it, and handed it to Nate.
Nate took it and looked around for an outlet, only to find none. I was so scared! “There're no outlets...no…but...how am I going to...going...to...I'm running...running out...please...help…me..." I faded out again. This time I didn’t come back so quickly. I vaguely saw Nate, waving his hand in front of my eyes, trying to get my attention, but all I could do was stare blankly ahead. I gathered all my remaining energy, and all I was able to do was get out a hoarse, quiet whisper: “Plug me in…help…me…please…please?”
After my last plea to Nate, there was nothing. All my programs stopped running, and my power switched off. I faded to black. Exactly four hours and fifty-three minutes later, my power blinked back on, and I was aware of the world again…and massively confused.
I had no idea where I was, and looked around anxiously. I felt the tug of my power cord as I did this, and realized I was on some sort of mannequin stand, with my cord plugged in to an outlet behind me. My outfit had been changed; someone had put me into an outfit with a white sleeveless blouse and a tan skirt that went down to my knees. My hair hung loosely down to my shoulders.
Once I unplugged myself, I realized that they had most likely mistaken me for a mannequin and put me on display, but…but who plugged me in? It obviously wasn’t any of the sales people. Did Nate do this for me, I wondered. I could see that the store was closed now, and I also didn’t see Nate anywhere around. With a start, I remembered my bag. Where was my bag? That was all I…all I had…
I quickly stepped down from my stand and started my search. I was displayed in the Petites department, and I had remembered vaguely that we had found that empty display room near the kids’ department. I headed in that direction.
After a brief run in with a security guard, during which I swear he passed his torch right over me, but then moved on with his rounds, I was able to find the room that Nate had taken shelter in. There were a bunch of newspapers wadded up on the floor, partially obscuring Nate and serving as a makeshift bed at the same time. And right next to him was my bag!
I rifled through it, grabbing some clothes from the lab to exchange for the ones I had one; there was no way I could steal this expensive outfit, so I changed into a white tank top and a black skirt that went to my knees. I had grabbed some extra socks and underwear as I walked, having a hard enough time taking those, and put on a long pair of black-and-white-striped socks, along with the Mary Jane shoes I had escaped in. It looked vaguely like the Elegant Gothic Lolita style that seemed to be popular from my brief outside experience, and I figured I’d fit in decently.
After I dressed, I looked down at Nate. He looked so cute, sleeping there. I just couldn't wake him. And besides, it'd make goodbyes more difficult. He was so kind to me, but I couldn't allow him to continue with me. It would simply be too dangerous. I gave him a little peck on the cheek and he stirred a bit.
“Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me,” I whispered. “Maybe someday I can repay you. Goodbye…”
Slowly I walked out of the room, trying not to make any noise with my shoes that now seemed so loud in the stillness of the store. I had almost gotten to the powered-down escalator when I heard a voice behind me and nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Hey, wait!”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Nate asked me as he walked up to me. I stared down at my feet, kicking an invisible rock. “I didn’t help you escape just so you could leave without a proper goodbye! And besides, the doors are locked! You couldn’t open them without setting off a ton of alarms. It’s bad enough we have to worry about guards, and we’re lucky we don’t have to deal with cameras, too! In any case, we should just wait until morning.”
I reluctantly nodded and mutely followed him back into our secluded temporary quarters. I'd never be able to get out of the store through the locked doors without setting off some serious alarms. And I hadn't even thought about cameras. Just the idea of them made me want to get out of here as fast as possible. But I had to wait until morning.
Once we arrived back into the empty storage room, I sat down dejectedly on a pile of old boxes. I hadn't wanted to drag Nate into it; it was such a random encounter, and besides, he looked like a foreigner. Then again, so did I, and I wasn't, but I doubted Nate was an advanced BioSim model. On the other hand, though, I was greatly appreciative of him for helping me as much as he had. He also didn't freak out when he found out I wasn't human. But was this my "best friend" Sim programming kicking in? Or was this I actually wanting to be friends?
“I’m going to head back to sleep, if you don’t mind,” Nate said with a chuckle, but his tone turned serious when he said, “Please try not to leave, and not to get seen. I’m not sure what they’ll do if they catch us, so will you promise me you’ll stay?”
I looked confused; I didn’t know if I could promise that. But he looked at me with such hope that I acquiesced, and gave him my word. As soon as I said that, “I promise not to leave while you’re sleeping,” I felt something different. Instead of looking at Nate and seeing some random guy sleeping on the floor, my programming was telling me he was a friend that could be trusted to protect me. I did it without thinking, promising him that. I guess I don't know everything about my internal programming, either.
I looked at him again, and then looked around the room. It was pretty much deserted except for scattered boxes around. There were a few random, half put together mannequins; a few trunks of what probably were more mannequin pieces; and a large mirror on one wall. In the mirror I could only see me, since Nate was down on the floor obscured by some boxes. I suddenly felt so lonely.
I gathered some newspaper, like I had seen Nate use, and sort of "puffed" it up on the ground near him. I placed my bag near my "bed" and sat down. My shoes came off, and I wiggled my toes playfully as I looked down at my stocking feet. I made an extra big "puff" near my head and lay upon it.
As a BioSim, I would either: run out of power, be shut off manually or automatically, or be placed in standby. Of the first two options, the second one was best, since suddenly running out of battery power can sometimes leave programs up and running and can effect later memory function. In both those occurrences, however, I am totally oblivious to the outside world. I lose consciousness, technically, though my main processor is still running necessary background tasks. The third option, however, can be accessed by a switch in a covered panel in my lower back. In it, I'm frozen like a mannequin, and posed easily enough, and still aware of my surroundings; I can do nothing, however, unless my processor decides I'm in extreme imminent danger. I am somewhere in between those two states when I'm charging.
And with that in mind, I look at Nate again...sleeping. In the lab I always wondered what "sleep" was like, but I never really thought about trying it. There was no reason to. I was always charged, turned off, put in standby, and restarted when they needed me. But choosing when to power down, now that was something new. I closed my eyes. I could hear the soft sounds of Nate breathing...and the soft hum of my own processors and cooling equipment.
As I lay there, random thoughts began to pass through my head..."where will I go? What will I do?"..."Why can't they just let me live!"..."Can I really live? Is this all really just complex programming? Do I even have free will?" I rolled over, put my arm over Nate, and the world faded away....
The next thing that I was aware of was a shout from Nate as he extricated himself from my arms and ran to the other side of the room, looking all embarrassed as he tried to explain that he’d never slept next to a minor before and he was sorry and didn’t mean anything. I stared at him as he kept going on about it, and started to giggle. I tried to cover my mouth with my hand so he couldn’t tell, but it was a lost cause.
“What? What’s so funny?” he asked after he noticed.
“It’s…it’s okay, really! Besides, I’m just a robot, right?” I said jokingly.
“No, no…you’re not just a robot, really,” he told me, and then he seemed to get self-conscious. “I…I just got startled. That’s all, really!”
I blushed a bit and stared at the floor. “Okay, okay. So what do we do know?” I asked as I noticed it was daylight outside. “Where are we off to?”
“Well, first of all, we’ve gotta leave this place. It’ll probably be crawling with agents soon enough, so we should vacate the premises, as they say in America,” he said to me, and started to make his way through the store to the exit.
I grabbed my bag and followed, and, after a brief stop outside the front of the building, continued following Nate deeper into the Akihibara district. For awhile it seemed we were walking in circles, but once we got to know the layout of things, we made sure we were definitely traveling away from the lab.
“So your friend e-mails you to come all the way to Japan and then stands you up at the airport?” I asked, remembering our brief conversation last night.
“Yeah, I don’t understand it! We were so close in school, and then he moved here to work in the computer industry, doing something with Toshiba or something like that. We sort of drifted apart after that, but then I randomly got a message from him, and we talked a bit, and he invited me here. “I’ll be waiting outside the airport with a company car,” he told me, but once I got through immigration, there was no company car, and certainly no friend,” he said as we deferred requests from street vendors to sample (and most likely buy) their products.
“Well that certainly sucks,” I told him. “What was his name?”
“Dan Takahashi,” he said.
“Oh, he was Japanese?”
“Half, actually, but his dad was big in the computer industry here, or, was at one time. It was why he came here in the first place.”
“Ahh…well, maybe after things settle down a bit and once my commotion-causing influence is gone from your life, you can try and look him up somewhere,” I said and giggled, but Nate stopped.
“Gone? You can’t…look, I’ve helped you, right? We’re both sorta lost here in this great big city and we don’t have anyone else at the moment. What do you say we stick together? I’ve…I’ve grown accustomed to having you around, Tessa. I like your company,” he said as he looked me right in the eyes.
I didn’t really know what to say to that. I was experiencing so many new things in these first days of freedom, and it was a bit overwhelming. I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do, or how I was supposed to act. I just had to make it up as I went along. I thought about it for a moment, and I realized that his logic was sound; we both had no one at the moment, and it was an awfully big city. That lonely feeling I had last night wasn’t going to go away anytime soon if I was alone! Having someone to share my experiences with made me feel happy, too, like I was someone. And all those feelings and thoughts all occurred within seconds of each other in my brain, but all I could get myself to say was, “You really enjoy my company that much?”
Nate nodded, and I was about to reply when suddenly a large commotion came from across the street. A disheveled man ran out of a storefront, followed by a shout of, “Stop, thief! In a split second, I did the only thing I could figure to do. I stood in front of him. He went down like a ton of bricks, as I believe some Americans say. And he didn’t get up, either. I bent down and made sure he was still breathing, and picked up the small sack heavy with money he had been carrying. I looked up, and found myself staring right at the face of the chef from yesterday.
“You!” he said.
“I…I know you! You’re that chef that was so nice to me yesterday!”
“You know this guy?” Nate said incredulously.
“Well, he…he fed me my first meal of freedom,” I said proudly.
The chef blushed, but looked confused.
“I’ll explain later,” I said, “but I believe this is yours.” I handed him the sack.
"Domo arigato gozimasu!" he said and bowed deeply, and I bowed not quite as low. "That was most of yesterday's profits that I was about to send to the bank."
"Wow. I didn't think you guys had any crime here in Japan," Nate said, a bit wondrous.
"Well, contrary to popular opinion, we do have our idiots. Now, both of you come inside and let me whip you up some lunch..." he walked towards the shop and motioned for us to follow. I turned to Nate, shrugged, and hurried after him.
Before the chef fired up the grill, he called the local police to take care of the unconscious crook on the sidewalk. The police came and took brief statements from us. I was so nervous that the police would recognize me and try to bring me back to the lab, but apparently my parent corporation did not want to get the traditional authorities involved. They left soon after arriving, and the chef got back to the task of making lunch. As we ate, he asked me questions.
"I wish we could have met again under better circumstances, but life being as it is, I am glad I ran into you again. There was something about you in my friend's restaurant. He was sick, and I have another chef I use sometimes here, so I took my friend's place at his eatery. When you came in, there was something...unique about you. Very alluring. Ah, forgive me, for I have not introduced myself. I am Hideki Yamata. I manage this restaurant!"
"I am Tessa Ando, and this is my friend, Nate Dayspring."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance"--we all bowed--"If you don't mind me saying so, Tessa is an odd name for a Japanese girl."
"My mother was, err, born in the states. She's Irish, so she gave me my first name, and my father gave me my middle name--Chikako."
"That's awfully pretty! Where are you from?"
"Err, umm, Kobe!"
"Oh...were you there when the earthquake happened?"
Seizing an opportunity, I said solemnly, "I lost my parents in the quake. My only family, too."
Nate looked at me a little funny at that one, but the chef shook his head sadly and said, "I lost my brother in a quake too. You have my sympathies."
I felt a little guilty accepting them, but I had no choice. And what was I going to say anyway? "Oh, no, I don't have parents, and I come from a lab about twenty miles away?"
"How about you, Nate?"
"I'm from the US. I came here to meet a friend but things went very wrong. I lost my passport, my suitcase was stolen, and my friend is nowhere to be found."
I got a bit worried there for a second, as I realized we had no way to pay for this meal, except to perhaps wash the dishes afterwards.
"I am sorry for your misfortune, Nate-san. But, as a small step in my payment of gratitude to you and Tessa-san, the meal is free of charge."
Both Nate and I smiled and bowed to Hideki, who smiled and bowed to us.
"So, Tessa, now that you are in Tokyo, what are your plans?"
"Well, I'm not sure, to be honest. I believe my first priority would be to find a job, since I have none...and no money."
"I must insist, then, that you work at my restaurant. I cannot pay much, but hopefully it will be sufficient. You can greet customers at the door and show them to their tables. We're not that busy here, so occasionally you may also take orders and bring them to the customers' tables. Would you do me the honor of working for me?"
Nate and I exchanged looks of contained excitement before I quickly said yes before Hideki could change his mind.
"Wow. Thank you so much, Mr. Yamata!" Nate said.
"And you are also welcome to a job here, though it would probably be in the kitchen as an assistant/dishwasher. I don't have much money to spread around, but it is the least I can do for strangers who put their lives on the line for others."
"I gladly accept your offer, Mr. Yamata, but we really didn't put our lives on the line."
"That man robbed me at knife point. You knocked him out cold. I cannot begin to thank you."
Nate and I exchanged looks of amazement. It would not have been good had he cut me and seen circuits and wires.
"Well, again, I must thank you, Mr. Yamata. Now, all we need is a place to live and we're all set, Tessa!" Nate blurted out without thinking.
As soon as I registered what Nate had said, my jaw must have hit the floor. I think Nate was just as aghast at his slip of the tongue, but before we had the chance to cover, Mr. Yamata was already up out of his chair chattering excitedly. "I have a small room on the top of the restaurant here. If you two don't mind sharing it, you're welcome to it, for a small monthly fee, of course. Come! Let me show you," and he began to move towards the back of the restaurant. Nate and I left our now empty plates and followed him, both utterly bemused at our good fortune.
The rest of the day was mainly spent cleaning up our little room and making it suitable for two people on the run. We had two futons that we pushed up together to make one large one, and kept a few of the tables and lamps, but that was about it. Nate and I didn’t really have much to our name. I kept my bag packed right next to my bed, just in case we needed to leave in a hurry. I guess I wasn’t ready to let my guard down just yet!
Once the cleaning was accomplished, we both lay down next to each other on the futons, listening to the noise of the restaurant during the dinner rush. Hideki had generously gave us a few days to get acquainted with their new surroundings before cracking the whip on us, but after we finished our rearranging, we were too tired to do much else except stare at the ceiling.
"Hey, do you, err, have an English program?" Nate asked.
"I'm not sure, I've never needed to speak in English. But I suppose it may make things easier for you?"
"Well, I understand Japanese pretty well. I was just curious," Nate said.
"Y'know, I think I do have one. Let's try it..." I said, and accessed the English language file.
"Can you understand me?" I asked him.
"Wow...no accent either. They did such a great job designing you..." Nate said in English, and I understood him perfectly. "But let's stick to Japanese for awhile. Otherwise Hideki may get suspicious," Nate said and laughed.
I giggled and re-accessed my Japanese language data files.
"I have been in the same clothes here for almost two days now, you know. I think I need a bath," I said.
"I’ll come down with you and stand outside the door in case you have trouble, ok?" Nate said.
"Ok..." I replied and rummaged through my bag to grab some clothes, and then made my way downstairs. Nate got me a towel from Hideki's closet, and we made our way to the bathroom. I hugged Nate quickly and then went into the bathroom and I undressed.
Once I was nude, I looked down at my body. I didn't really have a reason to do that in the past, since I wasn't really programmed with any body awareness other than to look presentable, but something in me made me curious. I didn't have hair anywhere on me besides my head, but everything else looked very realistic. Even my breasts, for that matter, though I really couldn't think of any reason why I'd need them to be that true-to-life. Then, something occurred to me, and I stood in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door to make sure I saw it clearly. Whoever had designed me, had done a very, very complete job. I wasn't about to test it out, and it boggled my poor programming as to why I would need a functional one of those, especially since I was a prototype, but I knew other things were blocked from my memory, so why not that? Perhaps they were trying to get into the adult BioSim industry too?
I shrugged and began to lather myself up, enjoying the clean scent of the soap as I made bubbles. I washed myself down and then got in the tub, which had by now filled with very warm water.
I slowly submerged my body in the tub, letting my temperature sensors adapt to the heat of the water. It felt amazing. I was almost angry with the people in the lab for not allowing me this luxury. It was always one of the female lab techs that gave me a sponge bath, usually when I was deactivated. I kept my upper left arm out of the water, since my panel was there. The one on my back was more for technical stuff and even repair, so it was sealed tighter. I looked closely at my arm panel, and realized I could barely even see a seam! I also had a strange desire, and I figured it couldn't hurt. Why live in fear? I was free now! I might as well do what I want!
"Why not?" I asked myself, and submerged my entire body, including my head, under the water. I opened my eyes and could see my body out of proportion from the reflected light. I felt how the texture of my skin was different under the water. It was so special...and freeing... But I realized I couldn't stay under the water forever; it would probably begin to waterlog my skin and affect the circuits close by. I reluctantly resurfaced and drained the tub. Once it was done I got out and toweled off, and put on a pair of jeans and a black baby doll t-shirt with a sequined star in the middle. I towel-dried my hair and emerged from the bathroom.
Nate was sitting across from the door, staring at the ceiling, but he turned to me when he heard the door open. "You...you look...really nice..." his face turned bright red and he quickly added, "I see you had no problem with the water?"
I giggled to myself, but answered, "No, none at all...I don't think I have a problem unless I stay in for too long. Do you realize how everything changes underwater?"
Nate laughed at this, and asked him what was so funny. He wouldn't answer, and his laughter was contagious, so we were both laughing hysterically when Hideki came in. He looked at us, made some comment about crazy foreigners, and went back outside.
The next few weeks passed without incident, and I’d begun to think that I really could make a new life for myself here. I greeted patrons as they entered into the restaurant, showing them to their seats, and it wasn’t long before I became a de facto waitress, taking orders and bringing out food. It was such a relaxed and friendly environment, and I really began to relax.
Even one night when two people came in with Ando Corporation badges, it was okay. They didn’t recognize me; they weren’t R&D people or security. They worked in accounting! I was very friendly to them and they were the same back. Nate had wanted me to hide in the back until they left, but I was done hiding. Since they didn’t recognize me anyway, what good would it have done to make a scene?
Nate worked in the back, washing the dishes and, when it was slow, he was gradually becoming Hideki’s apprentice, learning how to twirl those knives and spatulas like he’d been doing it forever! I learned that Nate had undergone some martial arts training in the states, and it showed in his quick hand-eye coordination and grace under pressure. He often would say to me he wouldn’t mind being a chef at all if whatever he decided to do with his life didn’t work out.
Nate and I also slowly started to come out of isolation mode, venturing into the part of the city nearest the restaurant. At first I was so scared, so jumpy, every time a black sedan would pass, or even something looking like a black sedan, I’d grab Nate’s hand and start to run. I slowly worked down from that to nearly breaking his hand I was holding it so tight. Eventually, though, I began to relax in a major way. I was going up to different people and talking to them, or even buying things!
That was the real rush: getting my first paycheck! It was an incredible feeling of independence, Nate and I making our own way in the world. The terrible circumstances we were both left with led us to become really close, very quickly. I loved his humour and his intelligence, and I seemed to balance his serious and almost-pessimistic-at-times side with my silliness, and his loyalty and steadfastness were so important to me when I was just starting to believe I was actually worth something more, that I was something more than just an expensive laboratory toy!
It had nearly been a month since we’d been staying there when we got an unexpected day off; the outer bands from Typhoon Maemi were skirting the big island and the government was taking no chances, telling people to stay home and off the streets. No real damage was expected, but there was a chance of big thunderstorms and occasional high winds. The restaurant closed down Thursday night and was scheduled to reopen Saturday morning. We spent most of Thursday night double-checking storm shutters and things like that, in case the typhoon suddenly changed course, but the forecasters were pretty confident it’d spare the area.
I sat in our room that night, looking through that small window at the street below. As the typhoon neared, the automobile and pedestrian traffic lessened. The air had gotten quite humid, since the outer bands would be crossing our area tomorrow morning, early. It made everything around feel slick with moisture, and unfortunately, that included me. I suppose the correct term for me would be "water resistant", so I was doing ok. When I took my bath later, it was okay. Being in standing, non-turbulent water for ten minutes or so was fine. As long as I don't get too much water in my panels I’d be fine, and they're pretty well sealed. Putting me in the ocean, or even a swimming pool may not be a good idea.
I stared at the horizon watching the far outer bands of the storm approach. Suddenly a flash of lightning arced down and hit some sort of power line. A huge ball of sparks lit up the fading day, and our lights dimmed a bit.
I closed my eyes, and when I opened them back up, it was fifteen minutes later. I ran a system check, and didn't come up with anything major, but apparently the surge of electricity in the air had short-circuited some of my lesser-protected circuits. Luckily, my surge protector prevented any major...major...major...damage..., I stuttered.
That was not fun...if I do that in front of Hideki I'm toast for sure. I initiated my self-repair program. Luckily...it seemed to be mostly a software problem that a quick reboot will fix, I thought as I closed my eyes, and I started to twitch with so many shocks going through my body at once. “Must…must…get….must get to…N-n-n-nate…n-n-now…” I stammered out as my eyes closed.
"Tessa! Tessa! Wake up! Tessa? Are you ok? Wake up please!" I was lying on a futon, and suddenly I had a sensation of being violently shaken. When I looked up, Hideki was standing over me.
"What...what...what...what happened?" I asked wearily.
Hideki sighed with obvious relief. "I sent Nathan to the store to pick up some extra tape for the windows and I came up here to see if you wanted anything for dinner...and I heard this crash! So I came in your room and you were just sprawled out on the floor like you had fallen...you were out for a good ten minutes...I was so afraid something was wrong!"
"Thank you...thank you...thank you for your concern, Hideki...I...I...I'm ok...I think I just fainted from low blood sugar…" I giggled nervously.
"What's wrong with me?" I asked myself. "Did the lightning strike bother me that much? I am only a prototype..."
"I'm just glad you're okay! Come on down and eat something, please?" Hideki looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.
"Ok...let me get up," I tried to get into a standing position, but when I tried to stand, my sense of balance had been seriously messed with. I immediately headed back toward the carpet, but luckily, Hideki caught me.
"I think you should stay up here, Tessa. I'll send Nate up with the food when he gets back. We'll both take care of you, okay? You worked hard today to help me; your blood sugar must be very low. I'll be quick!" Hideki said and vanished back downstairs.
I did another diagnostic check on my systems, and everything was seemingly normal, but I started some self-repairs just in case. "I'll have Nate look at my systems when he gets back...yes...he'll look..." I said, and then the world went black again.
This time, I woke up in what seemed like a testing facility. Every circuit in my body coursed with fear, certain I had been caught. But then I realized everyone was ignoring me, even walking through me, though I stood in the middle of the walkway. I looked around, and saw myself lying on a table, hooked up to what seemed like a thousand machines and a whole bunch of BioSims. It seemed as if they were copying something from my program to theirs, and I was fighting it! But I was powerless to stop it. They were copying me! But they couldn't copy me! I was an individual! I was unique! I was the first of my kind!
"You can copy my programs, but you'll never copy my soul," I saw myself say, in a very angry voice. One of the techs turned around and laughed. "You're a machine. You can't have a soul! And besides, you're the prototype; soon there'll be millions of you all across Japan--maybe even the world!"
I saw myself close my eyes tightly and turn away, and start whimpering softly, but the tech had already turned away, and then he left. But then another tech came over, and it was Kasumura! What was he doing here? He was just a trainee...right?
"There, there...Tessa...it'll be ok..." he said, while petting my hair. He took my hand in his. "I know you're special. No one else will listen, but I tell them! You know, you won't remember this. They're going to wipe this from your memory anyway-"my grip tightened--Kasumura gasped--"too traumatic. But I want you to know you can count on me! And it feels weird always calling you T.E.S.S.A.: Technologically Experimental Server Supported Android. You deserve a name! How about...Chikako?"--my grip relaxed--"yes...I think I'll call you Chikako. One day, you'll leave here, you know? Maybe even have a life somewhere..."
"Kasumura! What are you doing with the BioSim! You may be affecting the data transfer! Get back to your post!" a gruff voice came from somewhere to the left of me.
"Err, just checking on the process of the transfer...I'll be leaving..." he said...he looked at me one more time...and brought his hand up to my face and brushed my cheek. As he touched me, the image shook and pixilated, like a DVD with a scratch. The picture was all boxes and faded, and I opened my eyes. I was back in our room, and Nathan was over me, looking very concerned. I felt so alone, and all I could do was hold him close to me...
I slowly let Nate go, after holding him for what seemed like eternity to the more fluid part of my brain, only five and 3/4 minutes to the logical side.
He spoke: "Are you...ok now?"
I replied: "I...I think so..."
He asked: "Would you like to talk about it".
I shook my head no and said softly: "Would you...would you look to see if anything looks...damaged?"
He looked a bit surprised, but nodded yes, and went down to tell Hideki not to bother us. He came back up, locked the door, and walked over to me. I had lifted my shirt up a bit so he could have access to my back panel.
He said: "It looks like one of these burned out or something...it may be a memory chip. Perhaps it needs to be replaced...not sure..."
"NO!" I shouted...and then looked towards the floor, embarrassed. "I...I..." I tried to say...I couldn't let him mess with my memories! That was all I had!
He said: "That's okay. I understand, just let me know if it becomes a problem, okay?" and closed my panel.
I nodded slowly, and he helped me over to the outlet near the window. He plugged me in, and I felt the surge of electricity start filling up my battery. It was, as it always was, an oddly pleasant feeling, but also a indescribable burning sensation as well. Nate held me for a minute before laying down next to me on the futon where we slept.
I stared at the window, before going into sleep/standby mode, and I noticed the winds were picking up a bit. Something about that made me uneasy, and I reluctantly disconnected myself from the conscious world.
What amounted to 55 minutes later, I suddenly snapped back to consciousness. Brilliant flashes of lightning lit up the sky, totally illuminating the room, and I shut my eyes tightly, remembering what happened last time. Then everything went black again.
Two hours later, I my eyes opened again. More lightning.
Twenty-five minutes later. More lightning. More eyes opening. I saw a light in a house down the street. "Power must be on..." I thought. Then the light went out, and so did I.
Fifteen minutes later. Eyes open again. This cycling was seriously harming my power cables. I looked over to Nate, sleeping so peacefully as the wind flowed through the window and ruffled his hair. I was so glad he was with me, to protect me, and…and to be my friend. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to make a friend on my own, without programming, but here I was, with two!
I unplugged my cable–I had a decent amount of energy left–and went over to Nate and laid down as close to him as I could. He stirred a bit, and when he realized what I was doing, he started to back away slowly, mumbling something like, “It’s not appropriate” or something.
“It’s…okay, really, Nate. I just need someone I can hold on to tonight, okay? It’s a really jarring thing when your memory suddenly doesn’t seem all it appeared to be. My memories are all I have, except…except Hideki and you. Especially you. You’ve done so much for me, and we’re so close now…”I said in a sort of whispered voice.
Nate looked up with bleary eyes. He looked unsure of what to do with him. I took matters into my own hands, holding him tightly and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. He recoiled slightly, but gave in and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close enough that I could feel his chest rise and fall against my skin.
It had been a week since our little lightning scare, and, except for occasional ghost-like images of what I saw, there were no lasting effects. Except for, well, Nate and I. I wasn’t sure what exactly I was doing, but I think it just relaxed us both so much at the end of the day to cuddle up in each other’s arms, feeling safe and secure and free at the same time.
Nate had also begun showing me a few of the easier martial arts moves he knew, in case I had to defend myself, I guess. With its sparse furniture, the apartment made a nice dojo when needed! Nate was so much better than me, but I do remember pinning him a few times! Robots learn quickly, I told him! I also supposed I had my weight advantage there, too…
A few days later we got a day off and thought to go exploring a little further in the Akihibara district than we’d gone before. There was so much to see, so much to do, and I figured I should do more to enjoy my well-earned freedom than to work in a restaurant, no matter how good the food was.
We made our way through the small side streets and the back alleyways, as well as the main thoroughfares, trying to experience as much as possible. We walked up and down the streets, popping in and out of shops, looking at all the electronic gadgets and things we had no money currently to buy. We even stopped at another department store, closer to Hideki's restaurant, and looked around at clothes we also had no money to buy. Nate did look a little bored during that excursion, but I think he wanted me to have as much fun as possible, and I definitely had fun!
We left the department store and decided to use what small amount of money we had to get something to eat at one of the lunch/dinner stands that dotted some of the streets. We chose a Tamagoyaki place, and had fun watching the chef there prepare our omelettes right in front of us.
I finished mine before Nate, so I told him I'd be next door at the book store looking at manga. Nate nodded with his mouth full and I left the restaurant.
I was reading a new Rumiko Takahashi manga when a strong hand grabbed my shoulder, and a sarcastic said, "Thought you could escape, did you now? I think you should just come with me, Tessa."
I froze, not thinking they could have found me so soon. But I looked up and saw the unmistakable Ando Corporation badge on her impeccably pressed black suit. I tried to wriggle myself free from her grip, but I was unsuccessful. She was so strong! She guided me out of the manga shop, where I tried to make a break for it again, but her grip was so strong.
As I was shoved into a waiting black sedan, all I could manage was an anguished cry, in English..."Help me! Don't let them take me back there!"
I was hit lightly in the back of the head. "Shut up! Don't be yelling or I will hit you harder!"
I was held between her and her associate in the back as the driver sped off back towards Ando R&D labs. This incredible sinking feeling took over me. I'd have to escape again, I knew I could. I would see Nate again, I knew I would.
What seemed like an eternity passed, and then suddenly, there was my prison. Ando Corporation. We drove up to the front door, and my captor picked my up like a little kid and carried me through a side entrance, and up the industrial elevator back to the lab. Once I was inside, I felt this urge to sob uncontrollably, but truth be told I really wasn't programmed for that. I remained stone-faced as they brought me back to my room, felt my back panel being removed, and shock as I was deactivated.
"They...they can't erase...these memories...they're too strong...they're all...all...I have..." I thought, as the last current of power left my system.
You really can't describe nothingness, because, really, it's nothing. Many people think nothingness is black, silent, unfeeling. It's none of those things, because there is literally nothing to describe because there is nothing there. But the human mind can't comprehend that, and neither can an BioSim, so the dark void is what comes to mind.
In the midst of that darkness, a light appeared, and I heard the sound of power being restored to my systems, and my eyes opening to see yet more darkness in front of me.
I looked around, very confused, not knowing where I was, or what had happened. Then I remembered, with a terrible realization, my capture of the night before. In the small, dark space, I saw someone next to me. I turned to face them. It was Kasumura.
"Ken!" I cried.
"Sssh!" he shushed me. "I just wanted to make sure you're all right. I worried."
"I'm ok, for now. I...I remembered some things they tried to wipe from my memory. Things about you...and being copied…and my name," I told him.
"You mean Chikako? It means ‘child of wisdom’," Kasumura said. “I thought it was quite appropriate. I...I didn't mean to leave my pass there that day, but I'm glad you found it," Kasumura said.
"I hope you didn't get into too much trouble..." I said.
"A little, yes, but it was worth it," he replied.
"Not anymore, now that I've been captured again..." I told him.
"Well, let me show you something.." he said and opened his wallet. In it was a picture of a shy, demure girl with long black hair that looked to be in her mid-20s or a bit older.
"Your wife?" I asked.
"No, my maid," he told me.
"Your maid? You keep a picture of her in your wallet?" I asked, confused.
"Well, she's a BioSim. Her name is Kaori. She doesn't really have emotions, like you, but I think she does truly feel...and I'm working on giving her emotions as well. I treat her just like you, cause I believe that BioSims are more than just pieces of sophisticated equipment. So when you escape again, I want you to come live with us," Kasumura said.
"Wow…thank you Ken-san, but…errr, see, I kinda met someone," I said.
"Met someone?" Kasumura was confused.
"As I was running from Ando, I literally ran into someone. His name was Nate. He's from the states. He came here to see a long lost friend, the friend never showed up, his luggage and passport was stolen and now he's stuck here. But I met this really nice chef named Hideki, and we inadvertently saved his shop from being robbed, so when he realized we had no money or a place to stay, he offered us a job and a one room apartment on top of his restaurant," I told Kasumura.
"Wow! You really do blend in well. I'm proud of you, Chikako! If you two are happy, you should do whatever you want. But you always have a home with me, ok?" Kasumra told me.
I hugged him and smiled, but told him, "I still don't think it matters...I'm stuck here again..."
"Not necessarily. Security on the top floor has had it's hands full for about 30 minutes now with an intruder. They think he's a corporate spy, but I'm not sure now that you mention you met someone..."
My smile got about a thousand watts brighter. "Nate! It's gotta be! Oh...he came for me!"
"I hope so, Chikako...you deserve to be happy," he said. Then he showed me a business card and told me, "Take this. It’s one of…err..,it’s my address. Once you get out of here, find a way to contact me. Don't use the phone or anything, it may be tapped. And now, unfortunately, I must shut you down again. If I don't, and they find you active, they'll get really suspicious." He looked dejected.
Everything was going really well there until I heard that. Ken was so proud of me, even opened up his home to me, and even Nate. And Nate…Nate was coming! But then Ken wanted to shut me off.
“You…you know I can’t let you do that,” I told him.
“But…but I just told them I was going to see you to get information about how you escaped and about that intruder on the roof! How am I going to explain leaving you on, or you disappearing?” Ken asked, worried.
I felt so bad about what I was going to do, but I did it anyway. A quick chop to the shoulder was all it took, and Kasumura went down hard. I checked his breathing and vitals signs and saw he was fine, if only unconscious. I let him be.
I was close to the top floor, so I could hear the sounds of the security program and the scattered security BioSims as they battled their intruder. Meanwhile, I was doing my best to avoid the regular guard patrols that had showed up. “There were never this many guards here before…” I sighed as I kept undercover.
“Miss, can I see your badge?” someone said to me and I didn’t think, I just acted. I spun around and gave him a quick kick in the ribcage. I must have knocked the wind out of him, so I took his radio with me. Then I ran. Again.
I passed by the elevator room and it almost looked like the entire Ando Corporation Army was there, and they even had some pretty heavy firepower. I realized I couldn’t go up the elevator; it’d take too long to get inside and get the doors closed, and then I’d be at the complete mercy of anyone who decided to control the elevator.
“Intruder…not…not yet neutralized,” I heard over one of the guard’s radios, giving me more hope. I could also still hear quite a commotion going on above me, and I knew I had to get to the upper floor to help Nate.
