Joy of Existence (Part 1)

"Good Morning F120-4449. Today's November 29 and temperature is 109.4° Fahrenheit"

The robotic voice whispered. The same voice I have heard what feels like a million times since I've joined this company. They say it is modelled after the head scientist's dead daughter so he can remember her or something. It sounds to me like my coworker Ana's voice. "All voices to you sound like hers" is probably what Damien would say. And I don't disagree. I have a hard time distinguishing female voices. They are all so similar. The same pitch, tone and volume if you aren't being miserable. I enter my office. "Mesh Inc." We produce and supply android parts around the globe. We lead in the arm production especially. Most of the labour work is done by androids only. But some things can't be done by thing inventors, invented by thing inventors who were invented by thing inventors of thing inventors.

The office looks extra clean today. Not that it's dirty everyday, but look at that - the goddamn androids did their job properly for once. I don't see a smudge of blood from yesterday's brawl. Some guy from the Law department broke an android's legs. The purple blood fountain erupted and made the whole place a sight to see.

"Good morning F120-4449. How's your day going " an uncanny looking female humanoid asked. Porcelain face and eyes and perfect hair, perfect clothing. Simply perfect. 

"It's going well Sarah." 

Oh how ironic. She gets to have a name and I remain F120-4449. Isn't that wonderful? What else she even says? Following the same dumb algorithm since the late 30s.

"I hope it continues to go well"

That was........ Weird.

"Hey F120, you seem to be in a bad mood"
One of the indistinguishable female voice said. Except this time I knew who it is.

ANA! She works at the law division. She has a perfect face. The perfect hair. The perfect smile. And a warmth to her character. I don't have a crush on her. Damien says I've fallen for her like a rodent in a trashcan. Not a very cute analogy. It's not true either. She's just a friend. Nothing less. Nothing more.

She has tied her hair differently today. She is looking extra pretty. A ponytail that's allowing a stroke of her hair right on that golden brown skin and she smells..... like lavender.

"Oh its just the damn machine. I can't with it. Everytime it says F120-4449 , I feel like it's passive aggressively mocking me" I feel extremely comfortable talking to her about my anti android sentiments.

"You know it's not. It anything I think the IT guy might be"

"One of these days I'll just tell her to call me Mr. Chatterjee. That's who's me. I'm Abhirup fucking Chatterjee"

"Ok Mr. Chatterjee. Calm down. You have got 4 voicemails"

"Thanks Ana."

She's so great. What would I do without her? Probably be talking to an android.  And it's not lavender... Is it sandalwood?

"You need to talk to DK. The iodine supply is off today. It's not coming in any of the branches"

"Really? That has never happened before."

"Yeah. And what's weirder is that suppliers are saying they sent them off"

"If it's another one of those tail distruption issue from Cherry, I swear to God"

"Relax. Why are you always so stressed?" She finds me cute when I'm stressed. She said it so herself.

"Don't you find it cute?"

"No. Nope. Relax is cute. Being chill is cute"

She finds it cute.

I visit DK. He's sitting in a room surrounded by androids. If I hadn't been to his birthday party last year, I'd have been sure he is an android himself. He has the same distrust of his own kind as I do of androids. I think he just hates the idea of someone having any opinion of him. Good or bad. If it's a bad opinion, it's bad and if it's good, then you get the responsibility of maintaining it. And one thing managers don't want more of is responsibility.