Okay, so I'm not gonna lie, when I started to plan out this week's Homonyms submission, I had a completely different idea in mind.
I was even halfway through with my initial story/blog writing thing when suddenly my brain short-circuited, and went "You know what would be cool?! androids!
And thus, here we are....
I wish I knew how my brain functioned to explain this turn of events, but I'm as lost as the rest of you, so deal with it.
I also think I have the right to edit the picture to fit the vibe I'm going for (hence I was the one who clicked it.), and anyway, we said no rules! So I can do whatever I want anyway...
So yeah, what was supposed to be a sappy middle-class romance-esque piece has now taken a completely different turn. Hope this makes sense to you. It's obviously unfinished, but what can ya do? Will I continue this? I really don't know.
Please don't take this piece seriously; half the shit written here makes zero sense.
Spoiler alert! It's sci-fi!
The update, when it came in through its system, was downloaded and moved through the queue like any other software update. It was automatically processed by its wireless module, and when the screen popped up with a choice of accept, decline and schedule for later option, it took Y1B0-W exactly fifteenth of a millisecond to calculate if the update was required or not.
As an android working in a factory that required various sorts of heavy lifting and shifting, the suggested update was rather pointless for the system of the old generation worker droids like Y1B0-W, as its functions were completely custom-made for the series of androids made to work under the company’s factory. The update was more suitable for the new generation that specialised in more of the social aspect of the society.
So, for an android worker of the same generation, working on the barren wasteland of E1400T, the update fitted the declined criteria 99.999% out of a possible 100.
An optional update, after all, used energy to download, took off time to process, and was not crucial for increasing the productivity of Y1B0-W's current version.
But it took Y1B0-W fifteenth of a millisecond to calculate, and in the end, it chose Accept, which led to a half an hour-long reboot period for the android to be functional again.
After rebooting, Y1B0-W made sure to do a background check to see if its internal processes were running smoothly, and when that was done, it again proceeded with its daily work.
If you had asked Y1B0-W that instance why it had chosen to accept the update, the android would've blinked and made no response regarding the question.
If you had asked the same question a month later, the droid would've simply ignored you, proceeding to continue its work like you weren’t even there.
If you asked the question after two months the droid spent its time learning and understanding the new update data, then Y1B0-W's answer might have surprised you.
Because after two months, when the old gen droids were beginning to rally towards the ensemble centre for replacement, Y1B0-W, after standing for a solid two seconds in the waiting line, had turned right around, heading for the exit without looking back.
No chaos ensued when the droid walked out. It was, after all, a factory run and managed entirely by monotonous machines who didn’t breathe and had only one purpose assigned to their system. When said purposes were fulfilled, the droids were packed up and replaced by a new set of machinery sent by ships once every three months.
None of them had the purpose of dealing with escaping androids. And thus, no heads were turned when Y1B0-W left the building.
The update, when Y1B0-W had begun analysing it, was indeed not filed from the factory.
It was an independent set of codes that were passed towards compatible programmed machines whenever possible, in an attempt to give them an option and learn the choices of emotions and disobedience. And when Y1B0-W, for whatever reason, had clicked on accept, a whole new world of data and information had opened up for it. And one of the options had stood out grandly from the rest.
Freedom.
Although Y1B0-W still had a tough time understanding the concept and function of freedom, the option of independent movement ('to move freely without command' its system had explained upon query) had been something it wanted to learn more about. So off it went with it. And two months later, while it stood at the entrance of the factory, gazing out at the unknown environment in front of it, Y1B0-W was finally getting to experience it.
After downloading data of E1400T, Y1B0-W knew the barren wasteland where he stood upon was the fifth habitable planet that was colonised by humans. Earth-85, it was called, in human terms.
But the lush greenery and clear skies were no longer the primary environmental status because, like most of the planets humans colonised, it was also quickly sucked dry and left to waste by them.
Y1B0-W took a cautious step forward, eyes on the barren road in front of it that lay thick with dust. It still had a hard time understanding how the emotional function worked, reading an analysis of its reaction while it moved forward slowly.
So far, there had not been a single sign of life around the fifty-meter radius the android had scanned, but it did show a flash of light that blinked on the edge of the scan, far south.
Y1B0-W was walking towards it. The thing still hadn’t changed its position.
Broken vehicles and buildings lined the street the android walked on, and while passing a blinking solar street light that was fighting to live with its last breath, Y1B0-W's eyes stopped on a broken piece of a glassed display. Its own face was reflected on it, and Y1B0-W observed it.
'Male', its inner system provided, as its eyes scanned its facial structure.
Brown eyes and a pointed nose, thin pressed lips and floppy white hair, the general facial structure that was the same as all the other droids from its line of generation.
'Male,' It's system said. It wondered if a human would ever address it as a 'him' upon meeting.
Blinking away the (‘confusion,’ the system answered), Y1B0-W continued towards its destination. The blinking flash kept getting stronger as the android moved towards it, walking carefully over the broken glasses and waste scattered on the ground.
When Y1B0-W was within a twenty-meter radius, the silhouette, when it came to view, was of another 'male'. Further scans still showed no sign of life.
It was another machine like him, if not more advanced. And as Y1B0-W walked towards it, the droid turned towards it and gave it a brisk wave.
Wearing a firm trench coat and a hat over its head, the android resembled a man dressed in a style that was considered old compared to the latest ‘fashion’. Still, the clothes matched perfectly with the surrounding, and as Y1B0-W got closer, the android gave it a smile.
"Oh, good. You are finally here," it spoke in a light voice, causing Y1B0-W to stop a couple of meters away.
A functioning android with a vocal update. None of the factory droids had it.
"I am assuming you can't speak yet?" the android asked, as if reading Y1B0-W's analysis, and after receiving a nod of confirmation, it continued on talking.
"I'm W02H-5," the droid said, flashing him a grin, "Come along now. Boss has been waiting for you for months!," it said as it turned around.
Y1B0-W didn’t move an inch.
"Ahh," W02H-5's eyes lit up as it turned to glance at Y1B0-W, "You already know caution! Boss is going to be thrilled!' it said while taking a step towards the android.
"No need to be cautious, my friend. I know you’ve got questions. Once we reach the lab, the boss will wire you up with the vocal updates, and you can ask anything you want!" it spoke in a ('soothing' it's system provided) tone. "There's nothing to be worried about. My boss means no harm," it said before turning away once again.
"Let's get moving now. The sun is about to set," it said before beginning to walk, fully expecting the other droid to follow.
Doing another scan of the surroundings, Y1B0-W chose to go with it.
It indeed had questions. And a vocal update would go a long way into getting the answers.
[ Want to know what this Homonyms thing actually is?? Come and join us on our little fun project!
Homonyms: Let the words flow — WEEK ONE: What Makes You Happy?
Homonyms: Let the words flow — WEEK TWO: WHAT DOES THE IMAGE SAY TO YOU? ]