How to Date an Android

Chapter 3, revised & improved

Chapter 3

Several months later...

I picked up Matt from the jail. I felt reluctant and wasn't sure if I would do it but he said he didn't have anyone else. He was scheduled to get out today. I am wondering why I'm willing to do it, but to be honest he's one of the only friends that I have. I mostly live alone and my family is out of the picture. Of course that's assuming there isn't a mob of crazy people out there shouting things at him. Then I wouldn't feel like 'making it in time'.

He tosses his duffle bag in the backseat.

"Ahh, thanks bro," he slaps me on the shoulder as he gets in the right side passenger seat of my really old car. I cringe. I don't like touching people much.

"Do you have a job lined up?" I asked, cutting to the chase giving him a serious 'no free loaders' look.

"Oh yeah, they have this new jobs program where they try to line us up with work before we're even out of jail," he said, a bit too relaxed.

He's seen better days. Going to jail didn't go well on him. He's got all kinds of new scars from fighting with other inmates and looks like his eyes are sunken into his head from a lot of stress and has this bushy whiskery five O'clock shadow. I can't believe it went over well with them to think he was a pedo, but I am not sure what to think. Normally I would also think a pedo as pretty sick but because it was entrapment by a cop asking him out posing as a 17 and half kid I'm not sure. She did look a little young, but the experiences that both of us had at the speed dating where common and the norm in our society in how women viewed men as a warehouse for getting free stuff.

Because of this, I actually feel sorry for him and feel this is a tragedy. If other women had been normal and available, I don't think he would have gone for the jailbait. For a long time he'd seen what I had, that most women had no interest in their men or just wanted supports and resources without giving any affection in return. That's why I think he was tempted. So its very sad.

For now I'll watch him to see if he's really a scumbag or a victim. I'm not sure which yet, but when I see more clearly then I'll take action then. I am feeling more uncomfortable about this the longer I see him here.

"How come you don't buy one of those new magnetic cars? It's kind of old school to be driving and not have an autopilot system," he said.

Of course he and everyone else looked down on my car. It was over thirty years old. They don't make models like this anymore, but I didn't like the idea of spending money or being an economic slave.

"Have you read prop 213?" Matt asked me suddenly as we're driving away.

"Huh? There's a new voting issue?" I answered while trying to shift lanes. It's hard to get an older car like this to keep up with the newer stuff so changing lanes can get pretty stressful when traffic is fast and I have poor acceleration. Finally I got over to where I needed to be.

"So are you going to tell me about?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the road.

The 'mag' cars pass me all the time on the left and right. Rather than only having rubber wheels they have a system using a portable interlocking rail system much like a monorail train, but that they can detach when turning and shifting lanes to get onto a new rail. Older cars can still use the roads because of the way a pavement mesh and the rails interlock almost seamlessly with each other. The mag car system also has the feature of having an advanced autopilot system, which I'm kind of jealous of.