I really thought that by the year 2087, there would be no need for a human police force. At least, I thought my job would be taken by one of those machines. After all, they have been replacing humans for years. And even in the industrial Revolution, people rioted about job loss and such. I'm surprised it didn't happen further along the line. I suppose I'm the only one that cares anymore. The human race has become dependant and lazy. They now only survive on the very machines built to aid them.
I hate androids. I think the big organisation, Cyber-Tech, had no right creating them! All they've done is cause chaos when they succumb to technical faults. I suppose that is why I still have my job. I haven't seen a human commit a crime in twenty years. I just police androids now. And when they do malfunction, they deviate from the very programming that brought them to life.
But when I heard that an Android had committed murder? Well let's just say I jumped to be put on that case. And that's what led me to being in work on my day off. I should note that I never do this normally, but I'm intrigued. I've never seen an Android capable of committing such a crime. To be blunt, I didn't think they were could do it. After all, Cyber-Tech don't half boast about their technological successes, and you never hear about any malfunctions in the news broadcasts. Though I'm half inclined to wonder whether that is intentional, maybe Cyber-Tech control more than just the products they create. All these conspiracy theories I have won't get me anywhere.
I walk into the interrogation room with this, machine sat at one side of the table. They're cold things Android's, scary too. The way they have all the worlds knowledge tucked up in their metal skulls. The way they can identify you with just the scan of an eye. Cyber-Tech did do wonders of course, but not every product is perfect. And that's all I'm dealing with really, a defunctive robot. At least, that's what I think as I take my seat at the interrogation table.
I look at the piece of metal in front of me. Their eyes stare right through me, and every now and then, I'd catch an iris twitching, calculating my next move. I know they murdered him. They had to. I couldn't find a single finger print at the crime scene, and the security sensors detected no movement outside the building within the time of death. The Android was already in the house after all, but I needed a confession. It's funny really, an Android is supposed to be a man made obedient servant, yet that was not what was sat before me. I took a moment to take it all in. I had to admit, the developers did a phenomenal job on the autonomy of this machine. You could hardly tell it was a machine, its dark skin looked very realistic. If it wasn't for the microchip at the side of its forehead that continued flashing blue, I would mistake it for a human. But I know better than that. I knew it wasn't human. In our police training, they teach us how to identify an Android from a human. Whether it be through speech, physical movement or the small technical identifiers they have, we know them off by heart. It was because of this training, I could identify the red glint in the eyes of the machine. I knew exactly what was going through it's programming. It's wondering why it's here. Scanning the environment, looking for answers. It won't help.
'Do you know why I brought you here?'
The machine made eye contact with me, turning its head to the side, almost like an animal.
'No Lieutenant Smith.'
'Don't you dare call me by that name!'
My hands instinctively slam against the table, making the droid flinch. An amazing programme really, trying to reciprocate human emotions. No machine could ever do that though, I know deep inside it feels nothing. It shows in its crime too.
'A criminal droid like you has no right to address me!'
'But sir, you've got it all wrong. I'm far from a droid.'
I pause for a moment. Was this bunch of welded metal really suggesting that it was human?
'Is that supposed to be a joke? Did your creator try to make you funny?'
'No sir, I am human. 100%.'
'Really? And what is it, that makes you human? Hmm?'
'Well I have red and white blood cells running through my veins just like you. I breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide and I even absorb the suns rays into my skin as you do.'
What this robot had just said was utterly inhuman yet everything it said was indeed correct about the human anatomy. But a human would never describe themselves like that. The answer I was really looking for was more along the lines of 'I have a beating heart' since that's the one thing all androids lack. But this one really believes it's human. How is that possible?
'What is your name?'
'Asher, sir.'
'What is your serial number?'
'I don't have one'
'Yes you do!'
My hands once again slam against the metallic table before me. The robot flinches once more.
'Your serial number is KB95671, it is encrypted on the back of your neck. You are a robot, do you understand? You are an Android!'
'Sir please stop, you're scaring me!'
The Android begins to shake before me. I've never seen one of those machines do that before. I'm perplexed. This is a robot, how can it deny what it is?
'You killed a man. Do you remember that?'
The Android paused for a moment, almost as if it was collecting its thoughts. That's if it even had any, I don't know the extent to robotic functions, all I know is that I can't stand the things. Not after what they did.
'I had to.' The Android's voice was low, he sounded guilty. Can robots feel remorse? Is that what it was doing?
'What do you mean you had to?'
'It was self defence. He was going to kill me.'
'That's impossible. Androids can't die, they just malfunction, or get switched off permanently. How can something die if it was never living to begin with! You were that man's Android and you brutally attacked him. You robots are all programmed with the same rules to never harm a living creature, yet you did just that. You are a deviant machine, nothing more.'
'But sir, you're not listening to me! He really was going to kill me!'
'That's enough. You've admitted to the crime, and I no longer have use of you.'
'What's going to happen to me? Will I be locked up for life?'
Locked up? Is this thing serious?
'I'm sending you back to Cyber-Tech so they can tear you apart limb from limb and try to figure out what went wrong with your programming.'
'But I'm not a machine! Please, don't do this to me!'
'There will be no further questions, take the Android away.'
'Lieutenant, please I'm begging you! You have to listen to me! I'm not what you think I am!'
Two police officers enter the interrogation room, ready to take this menace away. But at this point, I was far too frustrated with this machine, but also slightly amused that it really believed it was human. I hold my hand up to halt the officers momentarily, and I rise from my seat to make my way over to the metal being. I lean against the table in front of him, crossing my arms over my chest.
'It only takes one word for me to make sure you're scrapped in a recycling centre instead, so tell me why is it I'm listening to this nonsense, hmm? What could you possibly say that would convince me you shouldn't be sent away for destruction.'
The Android looks at me long and hard, the red glint returning to its eyes. Was he scanning me again? I continued to watch as it just stood there, irises twitching every now and then until finally it closed its eyes for a moment, calibrating it's next move.
'I know what happened to Lucy.'
My heart stopped at that name. How dare it! How dare it bring that name up in this room, with people watching from the sidelines. I quickly make eye contact with the two officers and gesture for them to give me a minute with this thing. As they walk out, I stand up firmly in front of the robot.
'You've got a nerve, bringing that name up to me. The only reason you're still standing here is because I demand to know how on Earth you have access to such information about me?'
'You tried to erase her records didn't you? You didn't want to be reminded of the trauma.'
'If that were true, how can you be certain?'
'Because Lieutenant, I've looked into the case of your missing child. You couldn't bare with the fact that it was your fault, so you tried to erase her from the system, like she didn't even exist.'
'That is not true!'
'You seem to be at the peak of your stress levels Lieutenant, perhaps you should take a seat.'
'I'm the one who gives the orders around here, don't you dare tell me what to do!'
'It was merely a suggestion. I knew Lucy once.'
'Bullshit. I'd know if she was friendly with an Android.'
'Lieutenant, how else would I know about your daughter? You erased her from all databases. I only know because I knew her personally.'
Could it be true? Did she somehow know this Android and I never noticed? Is it possible she bumped into it on one of its meaningless tasks? Perhaps it was out shopping and she met it there, Lucy always loved the park next to the shopping centre after all.
'I don't understand.'
'Have you ever wondered how Cyber-Tech gets their robots looking so realistic?'
'Well everything is so advanced these days, why would I question how they did it?'
'Maybe because foul play was involved. Have you ever made contact with an Android?'
'No, I wouldn't go near the things after they...'
'They led your little girl away, didn't they?'
'I could never prove it, but I knew. I knew it couldn't be anyone else, they were always watching her whenever she was with me. Their eyes all turned to her, but I never thought it would be a threat. Why would a bunch of robots go after a little girl?'
'Because she was Cyber-Tech's next target.'
Everything went silent after that. All I could do was stare at the thing in front of me, I didn't even know what it was anymore. Was it telling the truth? Have I been disregarding everything Cyber-Tech does just because they are successful? Has there been a human trafficking ring going on right under my nose, and my own flesh and blood have become victim to their lies?
'How can I trust you? How do I know you're not lying?'
The Android, no, Asher pauses once again. He takes out a small piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to me upside down.
'I'm not expecting you to believe just my words, so I brought you proof. But I'm going to warn you, once you flip that paper over, you will not like what you see. Look at your own risk.'
Asher watches me as I contemplate my next move. What on earth could be on this piece of paper that would provoke the kind of reaction he was implying I'd have? I couldn't bare it anymore, so I flipped the piece of paper over. But it wasn't a piece of paper anymore, it was a photograph. A photograph of my Lucy, strapped into some sort of machine, wires were threaded into her skin and pieces of metal were scattered all over her body. It was turning her... into an Android. Cyber-Tech took my daughter from me. Asher wasn't lying at all, they really are the villains in all of this.
'So, do you believe me now Lieutenant?'