Almost Human

The Light

The black car came to a sudden stop in front of the skyscraper, rain dripping down the foggy windows as Alfie opened the back door. He shoved his phone into his back pocket and stared up the building's tall walls to the roof where helicopters flew overhead, either waiting for news or filled with cops. His focus went to the front door where he went by police, cutting through the bystanders to get to his work and free the hostage inside. 

Alfie stepped into the apartment building drenched in a hot rain, pulling his yellow raincoat against his suit before adjusting his misty glasses. The ticking of the clock beckoned him forward towards the staircase leading to the basement, pushing through a crowd of outraged and anxious people yelling at him to help or to call him a monster. A pale folder on the hostage and their captor rested in his hand as he hurriedly opened the heavy door, making his descent. He has done this many times before and he knew exactly what to do. He had to kill the android and make sure the human survived, no matter what. That was what he was built to do. 

His steps against the concrete stairs sent an echo through the stairway as he made his way down through the dim lighting. The heat, darkness, and fear made it feel as though he was venturing into Hell itself. Sobbing answered back from the darkness below him as he reached for a flashlight, preparing himself for whatever he may have to face down in the coming moments when his feet finally hit the last floor and his hand left the railing. Every minute counted against him. Every second mattered. Alfie's feet fell into a shallow pool of water, making his presence known across the dark hall as he peered through its inky darkness with disdain. 

"Who are you?" The android pointed a gun towards the young girl in his arms as he eyed Alfie down, backing away through the dirty water. Fear was in his eyes, even a sense of regret perhaps that Alfie could see painted on the man's face as the light from his flashlight fell on him. 

"My name is Alfie and I came to speak to you, James. I'm not here to harm you. I'm just here to talk." It was important that he kept a collected voice as not to upset the other android further. He took a small step closer to James who immediately pointed the gun towards Alfie. 

"Stay where you are and don't step any closer... Now how do you know my name." Alfie let a soft sigh escape his lips as his mind raced through the multitude of answers he could possibly offer. He stayed where he was, looking James in the eyes as he held up the pale yellow folder in his hand. 

"I know you were part of a family that rejected you because you were too human. I know you began to love the wife of the house because you felt she understood you and when you tried to defend her from her husband, your family rejected you. I also know, however, that Lacy there did care about you and she even loved you, despite what happened. Despite you feeling in fear every day after the event, she still wanted to be there for you and she wanted you to get better. For you to be okay, James."  

James glanced at Lacy in his arms, her eyes full of tears and panic but she wouldn't fight back in fear of losing her own life if she even tried. There was no sign of care at this point inside of her. She just wanted to survive. "Even if that's true, I ruined it. I scared her and I can't go back. I'm going to be killed either way, erased from this world all together because of who I am. And then some other android will take my place on the news next week and I'll disappear into oblivion." His attention turned back to Alfie and his finger went shakily to the trigger. 

Alfie felt a bit of worry in his heart suddenly as he looked at the gun aiming towards him but he kept his composure. "What if I said that wasn't true? That you'd survive if you just let her go. You both would." He tried desperately to make him put the gun down before he made any more moves. James just laughed to himself a bit, his eyes closing as a tear rolled down his face and mixing with the sweat and water already on his face.  

"Then I'd say you're a liar, sir, and a bad one at that." He looked back up at Alfie, his eyes showing a depressed glaze a he stared at the man before him. James took his finger away from the trigger as he thought to himself with unease. Quick steps were racing down the stairs, undoubtedly the police coming to destroy him and he shook his head. 

"The best thing I can do for me and Lacy is end it for us both before they do." James gestured at the stairs as he moved the gun towards Lacy. Alfie widened his eyes, going to try and physically stop James since he had no other option in so little time but it was too late. The gun had fired and Lacy had immediately stopped moving, her body becoming motionless in James's arms. He stared at her for a moment before pointing the same gun at himself and, without a moment of hesitation, ended his own life right in front of Alfie's eyes. Alfie stood in total disbelief, the sudden wave of realization shrouding him before James collapsed into the water with Lacy in his arms. A pool of fresh red blood mixed with bits and pieces of circuitry began to surround the water around Alfie and he felt sick. He had never lost a case before and he had never truly experienced death like this. All he could do was stare in agony and fear, for himself and for the girl in the water. 

The police grabbed Alfie from behind, pulling him out of the water by his arms as his eyes stayed focused on the dead bodies in the water, tears beginning to slip from his eyes. He was trying desperately to piece together where he went wrong as he stared into the death plagued waters. What if he had told the police to wait? Would it have still been too late? Was he just too slow? It could have been anything and he felt as though all blame was on him. 

"I did everything I could... I did all that I knew how to do." He couldn't tell if he was speaking to himself in vain or if the cops were actually listening or if they would even care if they were. It would make no difference to them if he lived or died. Either way, thinking would be a futile act at this point. The door opened to the lobby revealing the people left in wait and a broken Alfie. The room fell silent as they looked for the girl only to see an android being dragged with misery on his face. A failure. A faulty machine. A robot that let a human die. 

Alfie's eyes fell to the ground as he began to wonder what would happen to him as he was forced out into the heavy rain, the heat and humidity of the city eating at him more. He couldn't think clearly for what felt like the first time in his existence. And at last, as he was thrown onto the concrete ground on his knees and handcuffed, he found his reflection in a puddle. He found himself staring back with an undoubted realization of what would be done to him on his face.

"I'm going to die..."