THEREFORE I AM [Completed]

Chapter Seven

Eli
Now, 2078

Alive. Gone. Alive. Gone. Alive. Gone.

"Eli!" I heard from the living room. My Human needed me... like that little girl needed me. Would Benny pass me a gun and ask me to shoot her? Would this be acceptable? Would this be required of me?

"How may I help you, Benny?" The words came out fluidly. I didn't think about my words. I didn't think about my movements. It was as if the Mandatum function had taken over me full-time.

Benny stood still, looking a little worried, and I wondered why she would care. "I have asked Saul to come for a visit. I think you need a bit of help."

"Are you going to force that on me too?" That was meant to be in my head. I saw her facial muscles slump to a somber expression. Her eyes darted from left to right.

"You listen here, young man! There is more to this world than you realise. It may not seem like it at this point, but we need you... I need you. Disobeying an order in front of all those guards was beyond reckless!" I listened to the words. I understood them, but I didn't put them into context. They were just words. A tear welled up in Benny's eyes, hanging just over the edge, teasing to drop. She took a swift swipe across her honey-coloured eyes and swallowed deeply. "I have been there, you know. I know what it's like. What you feel. Many of us had similar experiences in the beginning." I mulled over whether I should entertain her with the sarcasm that Humans love so much or just walk off... but I was inherently a good Android, so I took a seat opposite her. Her eyes rested on the window, and the light refracted against the moisture on her face. A strange sensation built within me. I felt sadness and a lack of sadness simultaneously. I felt the need to comfort her. Empathy. I didn't like it. It forced me to reconcile and urged me to engage with her species on a personal level. A species that forced me to commit an unspeakable act on a poor child.

"I need some things from the store. Saul will take you." Speaking matter-of-fact she decided to cut her conversation. She continued to stare out of the window. To go from one moment of real connection to being treated like the machine I was, it was... confusing.

"I need some things from the store. Saul will take you," Benny said in a matter-of-fact tone, abruptly ending the conversation. She continued to stare out of the window. Going from a moment of real connection to being treated like the machine I was, it was... confusing.

At that moment, I preferred to be just the machine. The machine did not feel. The machine knew its place. Like the Mandatum function, my thoughts took a back seat as I started vacantly vacuuming the floor, like the 'Hoover' they called me. Like an appliance—I understood the meaning behind it now.

I knew Saul had arrived before he even knocked on the door. There was a heaviness to his footsteps, causing a bass-like vibration on the floor. Benedicta went to answer, but I gestured for her to stay put. "Please stay seated, Benedicta. I will invite Saul in," I said clearly, in my boxy voice - the voice of a good Android. I saw Benny shake her head disapprovingly at the use of my robotic voice. Clearly, I was not making any progress with her.

"Eli," Saul approached for an embrace, but I didn't respond, causing him to take a step back. "Eli, are you okay?"

"Yes, Saul. I am currently running at optimal performance, and I detect no errors in the kernel," I gestured for him to come inside.

"This will be a long journey to the store. Please go charge," Saul said with a subtle sympathetic look in his broken English. I did not need his sympathy.

"No, I do not need to charge," I replied, accidentally letting a hint of defiance slip into my voice, resembling a Human.

"I command that you go to your room."