How to Date an Android

Chapter 9 Part A, revised and improved!

"Kind of. I think Emma said something about you guys thinking as you are like a cybernetic species or something like that, but at the time I was kind of out of it. I didn't realize what that meant until now. It does seem strange in a way. I didn't get a chance to ask more," I said.

"Good. That's a start!" she clapped her hands. She looked like the meeting had just barely started now and she was re-energized.

"So what I want to present to you now is a basic concept of understanding that is necessary to move forward. And that simply is that humans need us to survive, and we need humans. In nature there are a lot of examples of creatures that do symbiotic relationships with one another like boxing crabs and others partnering up with sea anemones and also certain types of sucker fish that live off sharks. Clown fish hide in sea anemones for protection and help the anemone also gain food. There are many types of these types of relationships under the sea, and even on land that have healthy long lasting stable relationships. We find it important to lay that on the table before beginning so that humans can understand that we want to live with them peacefully and hope they will also do the same and it is actually a very true form of evolutionary partnership. Very simply, this is like the model of the clown fish and sea anemones. And discovering this cooperative model was a revelation to us at Meliferra on how to find a way to the future and avoid a destructive route," she said like she was teaching school.

She'd even put a pair of glasses on her nose that looked teacher-ish, as part of playing the part, though we both knew she didn't need them and probably had perfect eagle eye like vision. I suppose glasses might make her look and seem more human, so it's a good strategy.

"So you guys want healthy partnerships then. Hmm...," I summed it up. I'd do some research on this later, but for now I'd let it go and play along.

"Good! I'm glad you are willing to listen, Jack. Because we need you more than you can possibly imagine. But yes, we're interested in matchmaking. Not overseer and servant relationships. This type of balance presents the best gain for both groups also. And a positive future," she said clearing her throat.

"Oh do you have some water?" she asked suddenly.

"Sure? Help yourself. I'd get it for you, but it's hard to move," I said.

She nodded. Carefully she walked in high heels that clicked loudly but gently on my floor with every step, sounding perfectly human and getting a glass of water. She drank it carefully not letting a drop spill. Then she refilled it again, drank it again, and then came back.

"So is that part of the show too? Showing me you can do tricks and blend in? I have to ask," I asked.

She shook her head. "Unfortunately its not; as you know we have a special type of hydrogen fuel cell in our makeup that we use to replenish energy. I'd been on the go for most of the day, and mine needed to be replenished and because we're vulnerable when we're out of energy I don't like to wait too long to refuel it. It would have cost 29% efficiency for me to go back to my station to refuel before going back here to meet with you. We had an estimated 92% probability that you would be kind enough to let us drink some of your own water."

"Well water is a very basic nutrient that should be shared," I stated.

I was still trying to wrap my head around some things though...

"But you said you needed me? That sounds like the part where you say, just turn over your bank credit chip next," I couldn't help but say. I probably sounded a bit jaded, but there was a reason for that. Just about everyone and absolutely every girl I'd dated had turned out to be a scumbag.

And I was hoping she'd help me get over that part to be honest.

"We look into the back ground of potential buyers before giving out our products. We have to know that we're not placing 'the children of the future' in harm's way. So its not that simple as just paying up. It's kind of like adoption really. In fact I'd prefer it if you thought about it that way since it seems like the purest form and way that this kind of agreement would work itself in," she said.

"Adoption? That's the last thing I'd have expected you to say," I found myself saying.

This was mind blowing to think of it this way! It also implied advanced androids were more like us than I thought!

"I know you might scoff at it, because people are buying androids, but the truth is for an android's point of view its most similar concept is how humans practice adoption. Its also one of those revelatory models that's helped energize us towards finding our future. We hope you'll be able to see it the same way. So we have to be sure we're sending them to a good home. What if the android person is abused or harmed in their new home? What if their owner is mean to them or thinks it's OK just because we can be repaired? Those are some of the things we have to figure out before we meet with someone," she said.

"Eh? And you already looked into that with me?" I guessed.

She nodded.

Adoption... wow. This is actually a cool concept.

"Adoption... wow," I breathed.

"Exactly. Adoption and matchmaking. Its very positive isn't it?" she leaned forward and is smiling big at me.

This changes everything!

But before she could explain I couldn't help but be curious. "So I have another question. To an android, what is abuse? Is it the same for humans as it is for androids? What if an android thinks sex is abuse? Or if they are programmed some idea is abuse that other humans don't think is abuse? But sex is a form of life and key function in family living to humans. Even when it doesn't create an embryo it helps a couple stay together. But most people think androids as 'domestic partners' are for sex? What if androids and humans don't agree on what abuse is?" I asked. The term domestic partner when used with androids was a clever way of saying sexbot so children wouldn't hear it.

"Good question, and fair to ask," she noted. She also kept her eyes looking right into mine and wasn't gun shy. "Sex is not abuse to androids. We love it too. We have artificial nerves and simulate sensations just like humans. So if our owner makes us have sex we aren't going to think its abuse. We think basically the same things as humans in how we define abuse. Most everything else is similar between humand and androids on what abuse is seen as."

"OK."

"I'm curious though why did you ask about sex specifically?" she asked. She was giving me a mischievous smile now.

"Well... I had to ask about that. There's no other way. But the reason isn't like what you'd guess. You see, the feminists that took over the country and they prey on men and teach that sex is evil. They teach other feminists also to use sex like a weapon to get stuff all while acting like victims. So...its natural to screen for weird ideas about sex," I thought aloud.

"OK. That makes sense. After hearing your explanation then I have to agree with your logic process. You don't have to worry there. Androids want companionship. Sex won't be a problem. And it'll feel like if a human were doing it with another human," she said.

"Hm... do androids want companionship for similar reasons or different ones than us?" I asked.

"Probably different but no less valid. Like an android is thinking, they want to prove they are a real person. So they need validation from the human to gain that. And to learn to emulate humans they need to live with them to study how to become one. They have incentive to learn as much human behavior as possible to emulate also. So there's many reasons why the android companion will want companionship, probably even more than the human. We want to prove our existence," she explained.