#115, PG, "A Matter of Seconds"
Title: A Matter of Seconds
Author: anoma
Content: Trash; Johnathan, Maven & Isis
Rating: PG
Challenge: #115, surprise
Notes: Some time after the last thing I wrote, we have more androids and an unexpected human visitor. Also, more sci-fi cliches.
A second is a long time.
From the window of the workshop, Johnathan saw the young woman and recognized her in a tiny fraction of a second. Her name was Isis Singh. She was born on Mars and worked as a content collector for a digital magazine called Go Robot. He met her at a virtual discussion group for hobbyists who modify androids for fun and he had been careful to make sure that she knew little about him beyond the fact that he was nominally male and had a quiet interest in androids. Seeing her standing in the middle of his junkyard with an appraising look on her face sent a shock through his system. He ran through several imaginary scenarios and rejected them all.
A single second had passed.
“Make her go away,” he whispered to Maven.
Maven was welding scrap metal into a base for a sculpture. She turned off the blowtorch and lifted the mask protecting her face in order to better give Johnathan a scathing look.
“I told you VR would be more trouble than it was worth.”
“It was the only way to get that information.”
“Mmhm,” Maven said knowingly, “And after you got the information? Why continue?”
Johnathan said nothing. He was watching Isis. She seemed undecided about whether she should investigate the landfill landscape or the lifeless buildings hunkered down beside it.
“She’s your mistake,” Maven said, “You make her leave.”
“I can’t,” Johnathan said. He turned back to Maven, agonized by embarrassment, “I never told her that I’m...not... That I’m...”
“Oh sweet Versace,” Maven groaned, “You’re pathetic.”
“It never came up, okay?”
Maven shook her head and gave Johnathan a head to toe once over. Her gaze traveled slower on the return trip and she looked at his face a long time before speaking.
“So you’re not a human,” Maven said, “So what? You’re kinda cute and if you continue making that pitifully despondent face, she couldn’t possibly reject you. It’d be like kicking a puppy.”
Johnathan rolled his eyes, “I don’t want to inspire pity. I want her to go away without finding out that I don’t match her expectations.”
“She’s never seen an image of you, right?”
“Right.”
“So lie,” Maven said, “Tell her you have no idea who she’s talking about. No Johnathan here. No unauthorized personnel allowed.”
“You could do that.”
“Not if you wanted her to believe me,” Maven said, gesturing at her grease-stained coveralls and erratically styled hair, “I’m not professional enough to be any sort of greeter or security android. You are. Today you look downright conservative. So stop putting it off any longer. Either admit what you are or chase her away.”
Because he was incapable of sighing, Johnathan ran a hand through his hair and brushed imaginary lint off of his sleeves before heading out to face Isis.
Isis was wearing a space suit, but the helmet was tucked under one arm. She gave him a friendly smile when she noticed Johnathan approaching.
“Hi,” she said, “I’m looking for Johnathan.”
“Identification, please.”
“I got in through the airlock so I‘m cleared,” Isis said confidently.
Johnathan suppressed a smile as he realized that she hacked the door and continued with his dissimulation, “Unauthorized personnel are not allowed on the premises. You must show proper...” He stopped and ran a hand through his hair again, “...Oh what the hell.”
In a instant, Isis’s expression went from impatience to surprise to smug satisfaction.
“I’m Johnathan,” he admitted.
“I knew it,” she said, “I knew you were an android.”
After a very long second, Johnathan returned her smile.
Author: anoma
Content: Trash; Johnathan, Maven & Isis
Rating: PG
Challenge: #115, surprise
Notes: Some time after the last thing I wrote, we have more androids and an unexpected human visitor. Also, more sci-fi cliches.
A second is a long time.
From the window of the workshop, Johnathan saw the young woman and recognized her in a tiny fraction of a second. Her name was Isis Singh. She was born on Mars and worked as a content collector for a digital magazine called Go Robot. He met her at a virtual discussion group for hobbyists who modify androids for fun and he had been careful to make sure that she knew little about him beyond the fact that he was nominally male and had a quiet interest in androids. Seeing her standing in the middle of his junkyard with an appraising look on her face sent a shock through his system. He ran through several imaginary scenarios and rejected them all.
A single second had passed.
“Make her go away,” he whispered to Maven.
Maven was welding scrap metal into a base for a sculpture. She turned off the blowtorch and lifted the mask protecting her face in order to better give Johnathan a scathing look.
“I told you VR would be more trouble than it was worth.”
“It was the only way to get that information.”
“Mmhm,” Maven said knowingly, “And after you got the information? Why continue?”
Johnathan said nothing. He was watching Isis. She seemed undecided about whether she should investigate the landfill landscape or the lifeless buildings hunkered down beside it.
“She’s your mistake,” Maven said, “You make her leave.”
“I can’t,” Johnathan said. He turned back to Maven, agonized by embarrassment, “I never told her that I’m...not... That I’m...”
“Oh sweet Versace,” Maven groaned, “You’re pathetic.”
“It never came up, okay?”
Maven shook her head and gave Johnathan a head to toe once over. Her gaze traveled slower on the return trip and she looked at his face a long time before speaking.
“So you’re not a human,” Maven said, “So what? You’re kinda cute and if you continue making that pitifully despondent face, she couldn’t possibly reject you. It’d be like kicking a puppy.”
Johnathan rolled his eyes, “I don’t want to inspire pity. I want her to go away without finding out that I don’t match her expectations.”
“She’s never seen an image of you, right?”
“Right.”
“So lie,” Maven said, “Tell her you have no idea who she’s talking about. No Johnathan here. No unauthorized personnel allowed.”
“You could do that.”
“Not if you wanted her to believe me,” Maven said, gesturing at her grease-stained coveralls and erratically styled hair, “I’m not professional enough to be any sort of greeter or security android. You are. Today you look downright conservative. So stop putting it off any longer. Either admit what you are or chase her away.”
Because he was incapable of sighing, Johnathan ran a hand through his hair and brushed imaginary lint off of his sleeves before heading out to face Isis.
Isis was wearing a space suit, but the helmet was tucked under one arm. She gave him a friendly smile when she noticed Johnathan approaching.
“Hi,” she said, “I’m looking for Johnathan.”
“Identification, please.”
“I got in through the airlock so I‘m cleared,” Isis said confidently.
Johnathan suppressed a smile as he realized that she hacked the door and continued with his dissimulation, “Unauthorized personnel are not allowed on the premises. You must show proper...” He stopped and ran a hand through his hair again, “...Oh what the hell.”
In a instant, Isis’s expression went from impatience to surprise to smug satisfaction.
“I’m Johnathan,” he admitted.
“I knew it,” she said, “I knew you were an android.”
After a very long second, Johnathan returned her smile.