SAD ROBOT: an autobiography of my unfortunate existence

22. THE NEW MODEL

22. THE NEW MODEL 

The commercial for the new robot model stirs something in Milo. He feels the way he did when he saw their companyʼs announcement for the very first time. An excitement that he doesnʼt receive from anything else. Not like this. This particular sales segment with the company owner was new, but he had seen the previous company announcements about the new line of robots. He had fallen head over heels with their new female models at first sight. They were so celestially angelic. The thought of one existing in his own apartment with him was titillating.

I've done something. Something....irresponsible and brash. 

It is something that he hasnʼt confessed to anyone, not even Hiram. It was a foolish thing to do at the time, and Milo knows he wasnʼt thinking clearly. It seemed harmless in the spur of the moment, and how was Milo supposed to know what kind of financial troubles he would soon end up in? He wasnʼt psychic, not even a little bit. 

Two months ago, the first Class Three Companion-oids were revealed to the public and it was announced that a person could pre-order their customized robot and be one of the first people to own one upon their release date.

Milo made an impulsive decision that day. It was an offer he couldnʼt refuse. He was depressed and had seen the female robot on the television looking so incredibly life- like. Heavenly.

He reasoned that maybe it was time Hiram got a replacement. Time to say goodbye to his now-obsolete friend. It might be a little bit hard to do, what with their history andall, but Milo was okay with it in that moment. Milo would get past it. He would move on. The life-like woman would make the transition very easy.

The image of the female robot seared into his mind relentlessly. He couldnʼt stop thinking about her. The one that would be his. He was convinced that having a robot like that would make him happier, make his pathetic life more enjoyable. Or something like that.

So Milo logged in to the companyʼs site from his desk, looked at his savings in his account, decided he could handle it, and made the pre-order. For a customized robot, there were no refunds. All sales final.

Less than two weeks later, Milo got let go from his well-paying job. He was an editorʼs assistant for an online magazine that had to let go a large chunk of their staff, and were probably well on their way to being completely defunct by this point. Perhaps they even were entirely blotted out of existence by now; Milo has tried not to pay attention to them.

Milo feels a twinge of regret, like a spike poking his foot through the bottom of his shoe. He had never decided what he was going to do when this new robot shows up at his door. He doesnʼt know how to tell Hiram.