How to Date an Android

Chapter 6, revised and improved

"Well a lot of us can blend in with society now. If you didn't know I was an android already this conversation would be completely different. You might see me in a grocery store and not even be able to tell I was me. Of course it's hard that ...certain models all look the same if the owner doesn't pay for customization and that can hurt blending in when people figure that out," she answered.

"Do you go to the grocery store too?" I thought androids didn't eat.

"I do errands sometimes to help out the other hospital staff. My programming encompasses a wide variety of applications that are possible for me to do. I can help with lifting, do complex things like math and calculator work, solve logic and reasoning, help the doctors with diagnosis even though they would never admit it, and run household errands outside the home."

"Wow. That's amazing."

"Anything a human can do. I can do better," she said. Was that pride I was seeing in her gait? It was sort of a showing off kind of gait. Her personality seemed to like it when others admired her body?

"Well...just don't let me die like this and I'll agree with whatever you want. I don't want to be homeless or end up in a ditch if I can't get home by myself either," I rasped. Come to think of it, a huge blast of fatigue was hitting me really hard right now. I was probably going to go to sleep soon.

"Here let me help you eat that jello," she stated carefully with a very caring smile and tender expression. Wow. An expression like that was probably worth every penny to whoever bought her. It was this look on her face that had no doubt made the 'sold' stamp on her contract. Very carefully she picked up a small food tray and then began spoon feeding me jello. Her touch was light and warm, sometimes brushing up on my chin. Was it some type of comfort psychology programming? It would make sense for her designers to study human behavior and more especially nurturing behavior and skills.

And it appeared to be working.

"There you go. You can do it," she said happily.

I didn't say much back. It had my concentration. It's also very nice to be spoon fed your food, even if it is an android. A very nice looking, beautiful android in a short nurse uniform skirt is very hot. When she had brushed up against me, her skin didn't feel plastic. It was like the real thing? And it was warm, and this wasn't even a new model.

Her hair was amazing too.

When I was a kid people made fun of androids for being bulky and looking like something from a robot wars cartoon, but this wasn't even close to that.

"Well some models aren't able to blend in as well as others. I'm part of the Meliferra series," she stated.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

She helped me with one more bite from the jello spoon, while she explained carefully, "Meliferra as you know is one of the android manufacturers. Some would say, the best manufacturer out there for artificial people. It's partly a play on words because both Meliferra and Mitsubishi start with M and have several syllables. And as many people know Mitsubishi Heavy Android Industries has led the industry in android technology for some time. And some think Melliferra came from Mitsubishi. If that's even true..."

"I'd heard that. So Meliferra is the Japanese android company, but who makes the American models?" I asked.

She appeared to consider her words carefully. "As you know about fifty years ago the American government experienced a shakedown and near social collapse when their politicians universally were bought or bribed by many corporations to move all of their jobs overseas. The basic scheme was after they got out of office they would receive their 'rewards' then in the form of big payouts and a whole lot of different shell corporations feeing secret funds too. I'm surprised people didn't try to catch it sooner but they waited too long. I bring this up so you understand it's not my personal views but something that is very sad. America lacks the infrastructure necessary to manufacture androids. You being a mechanic know that many of the cars aren't actually made here and you almost lost that too. Or did really but then got some of it back. Thus all androids are imported from Germany, Russia, or Japan." She said the last part apologetically.

"Oh. I thought there was one small company for awhile?" I said.

"Well, there was a corporation named TShell, after its innovative skeletal cage and skull design for androids to promote durability. Named after the Tucker who created an American gas powered automobile about a hundred years ago but that went bankrupt due to the same forces that sold America's industries overseas. Sorry," she added.

Unlike the other android this one had a genuine look of 'worry emulation' on her face. She seemed attentive too, standing close to me, and wanting to help instead of being compelled to help.

"My dad used to tell me about the riots of those days when I was a kid," I said.

"Well at any rate, to answer your question, Meliferra has several series. You can check their site for more details. I can also send you the link," she chirped brightly.

"What are you trying to sell me something?" I asked suspiciously.

She looked a bit surprised, "oh no, absolutely not. I would never do that. But androids are artificial people and not just robots. We are programmed to serve humans and help them. We are also programmed to be aware of other androids needs and help propagate our own species. I can't help but notice it will take a long time for you to recover from your injury and this is a situation where androids might help and be needed?" she shrugged as if in question.

"But it's your decision Jack. Tell me what you'd like to do."

But she had said, propagate their own species? Weird? I'd never heard a robot talk like that before. Needless to say, it was...a bit disturbing in some ways. She shouldn't be able to think her own kind as a species should she?

I was worried about how I'd run my shop. I couldn't just bring in anyone. And they'd for sure try to shake me down for money when it was a low budget shop.

And that meant... I was worried about groceries.

"I'm tired. I need to sleep," I said.

I felt very stressed out. So tired. If I slept a bit more, then I could think clearly.

It was like how deep would this whole go? She was very subtle but the hint was there. She was suggesting I use an android as if I needed a walking chair, or paralysis robot caging around my legs. There was a guy way back about ten years ago who was hit by a car that used to jog a lot all over town. They'd put him in like a sort of exoskeleton robotic leg carapace over fitting system that would move his body for him from the waist down and hold him in from a special back cage support.

I didn't want to do that. People made fun of that guy constantly. And then later some gang ran over him a bunch of times for laughs.