A living THING

Chapter 24

He looked at me and smiled: "Yes?"

"What are you doing?" I said timidly.

He glanced back at my hair in his hand and than back at me, still with a small smile present.

"Looking at your hair, they are beautiful." his eyes roamed all the length of my dark brown curls.

"Will you please stop it?" I tried to back away from him. "It makes me feel uncomfortable."

      Before I could collect all my hair to one side away from him, he managed to run his hand through them, sending a light tickle to a base of my head. I couldn't understand what's up with him. He never took a big interest in my hair and now he admired them like he had never seen such a thing before. His action puzzled me.

      We went back to my apartment. All the way, I was thinking about his odd behavior. After some time of rest, I ate some berries with cream tasting it's sweet and juicy 'flesh'. With my stomach full, I fell asleep on a couch right away.

    I felt something tickling my cheek. It stopped. Then again. It was irritating. I opened my sleepy eyes and saw Bryce a few inches away from my face, his fingers lightly brushing my cheek.

"What the hell, Bryce? What are you doing?" startled I sit up on my bed and push him back to get some space.

      All the drowsy feeling have gone in seconds. I gently rubbed my cheek at the same place he was touching and thought of the reason behind his actions. I sat on couch in silence slightly dazed and looking at Bryce questionably. I don't expect him to answer, as the most of the time he doesn't. I look at him while he casually walks away from me. Just like that? When did he become so creepy? I thought I am already over the paranoia of his unusual acts. This was something new to me. He never touched me before in that kind of manner.

     What time is it? I take my ring and see it is 9 o'clock in the morning. I have been asleep a long time, since yesterday's afternoon. Before I have managed to step out of my bed I hear a beep of a received message on my ring. Who is it?

Hey my darling. Do you have any plans today? I have got some news from detective Carlos. Do you want to join us and hear what he has to say? Love you, dad.

It's been a long time since I have got some info about my android attack. I definitely have to see Carlos and my lovely dad too.

Ok. I will be over in two hours. Don't start without me. See you.

    Sleeping on the couch is not a good idea, as I my neck and back gives me a stinging pain of uncomfortable position I was in all night. With stiff limbs I get off the couch and slide to my kitchen to get my morning tea, while rubbing back of my neck to relieve it from tension. A wide yawn escapes my mouth.

"Are you hurt?" Bryce asks me concerned.

"No... No, just feeling little stiff, nothing to worry about."

     Another yawn escapes filling my eyes with moisture and making my vision blurry, but it quickly disappears. We eye each other, me thinking of his next moves, but he probably assessing my state of well being.

"Do you need some medicine or ..."

"No. I am fine. I will take a cold shower and be fine." I sip another mouthful of hot camomile tea.

"OK. Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

My bodyguard walks away before slowly and gently sliding his fingers on the kitchen counter.

     Finishing my tea, I pass the counter and slide towards my bathroom for so much needed shower. The interior is in icy blue and white colors. It feels like a different world or a planet. I had never seen real naturally formed ice, only in old pictures. It feels like I am held inside of a big iceberg, feeling the cool tiles on the wall and the icy light reflecting of them. I turn on the shower letting the cold water run, not bothering to adjust the temperature, I step right in. The cold stream shocks me at first, making me squirm of the water's sudden iciness. But I stay still and let my body adjust to the cold. After the refreshing shower I rub my shoulders and neck trying to relieve remaining ache.

    I take few moments to warm up in the morning sun that shines through my apartment, before calling Mike.

"Hey, Mike. Could you please drive over to pick us up. I am going home to see my father."

"Sure, my Lady. I will be there in half an hour."

"Ok. Bye! Thanks!"

****

"Hey, my sweetheart! How are you! Really missed you!" My dad greeted me with opened arms.

"I missed you too!" I give him a tight hug.

"Haven't seen you a while, Bryce!" dad averts his gaze to my bodyguard. "Give me a big hug, buddy!" He lets out his energetic laugh and hugs Bryce in manly way.

     I can't believe my dad. Seems he loves him like a real human being, like his own son I would say. He is not bothered at all about his identity unlike me who is constantly reminding herself of the obvious fact. He kind of knows when to follow his heart and when to listen what his mind says. In that matter he seems like a wise man. We go and sit down on one of the blood red couches in the living room. I gesture to Bryce, he can have his free time around the house while we handle the business. We have to wait for detective Carlos to arrive. Dad said he should be here in any minute. I was very intrigued hearing of what he has to say. For these month everything have been quiet and I haven't heard any new info about the murders and my case too.

     The front door opens and in walks a man in his late thirties with inch or two long black hair and some strands lightly falling on to his right eye. He has thick dark angled eyebrows and brown almond shaped eyes. He wears a modern formal black coat which reaches to his mid thigh. Some metallic belts sits on his hips securing his dark slim pants and black, shiny ankle boots.

"Hey, Carlos. I am glad you are here." my dad shakes his and and leads him down to our couch."So, what news you bring to us?"

"We have quite a few new important leads to this case." He pulls out his Micro-H-tab and searches for something before returning his attention back to us. "First we have the new information about the infected androids. The scientists have discovered what kind of virus it is. The virus is organic. Previously we thought it is some type of computer virus, but now we now for sure it is not. Luckily it cannot infect humans or other living creatures, only robots, more specifically human type robots. In one of the captured android's microchip they found some neuron cells which were still alive and multiplying. We still don't know how severely this sickness can damage the robots and how far it can progress as well as expected behavioral problems that occur. Another thing. Robots can be infected only in their beginning stages, before their parts are assembled together at manufacturing grounds. So all the infection starts at factory or at places before robot is made. Some of the companies have already developed tests for infected androids. By them they can assess their infection. And we have discovered where the virus is coming from. Someone is purposely infecting them , infecting the microchips of new to be robots."