CLONED

Ch. 2- Androids

Renee

Androids

    After replenishing moments Renee was dismissed to return back to her pad, or as she inferred, her home. When Renee entered through the glass, she felt her telemuner shake in her pocket, since the vibrate was on, and the buzz off. She gently pulled the thin piece of metal out and stared at the lit screen. ' Welcome to this province Renee," a quick message popped up as a panel along the edge of the screen. Renee gently tapped on the small box and watched it expand before her, " We are very happy to have a luminary enter this province. Renee you may receive your student id the day after, all information for Renee is accounted for and if any mistakes or errors have been printed, please alert the GROUP immediately."The small message faded into pixels creating a hologram of Renee's soon to be i.e. She looked it over carefully, " everything seems fine to me, but I'd better wait until Mother-" Suddenly a loud crash startled Renee as she ran toward what had made that noise. " Mother!" she cried. Mother gently brushed back her neat but effective bun that had fallen out of place, and with Renee's help, stood carefully.

 " Renee, how was ' Junior High'?" Mother asked.

 Renee paused as she supported Mother's arm, " My student i.d is ready to print," she said joyfully, hoping to talk to Mother privately later.

 Mother beamed, " Really? How unexpected. All the other women said you wouldn't be getting your student id until you proved yourself in school. I'm so happy for you Renee!" Mother brought Renee into a small embrace and pulled her into the gaping room where a small light burned, illuminating the feast. "Now, Renee I believe you have earned the right to nosh!"

After the evening meal was finished, Mother gently bought her napkin toward her face, " Now Renee, tell me about 'Junior High' or as I've heard, the school is also known as the Primming."

Renee nodded and swallowed a gulp of water before speaking, " It was," she paused, thinking of how to describe her day," extraordinary."

" How so?" her mother asked. Renee didn't know how to answer, everything was so confusing.

" Mother, can I ask you a few questions first?"

Mother frowned, " Are you keeping the bearings of your day from me?" She looked closely at Renee and wondered what was wrong.

Renee blushed, " no Mother, I was just curious if you could answer some of my questions."

Mother sighed relieved, " Of course, anything you need."  

" Well, to begin, what is a 'pad'?"

Mother smiled, " Here, home is called our pad. So every day after school, you will return to our pad."

Renee smiled encouraged, " next, what does 'luminary' mean? It mentioned that I was a luminary in the message."

Mother's smile became forced, " Message? What message? Did you receive one while I was away?" Renee nodded and brought out her telemuner. Mother slid the telemuner back to her, " In this case, luminary means of the genus homo. Meaning human."

" What's something that's not human called?"

Curiosity burned in Renee's voice, though she could see the subject bothered Mother. Mother sighed, " We'll be getting our androids today, I'm sure you can ask them that question." She turned away from Renee and pulled out her telemuner, " send them in now." she directed. Renee turned toward the glass doors and watched as two large packages morphed through the glass into sleek androids sliding fluidly towards them. The androids blinked and awoke. Renee gasped, and Mother self satisfied, grinned. " I've been meaning to tell you, our new androids would come today."

"What are they for?" Fascinated Renee stared at the shining metal of two woman robots that had begun to tidy up the rooms floor.

" They will be our maids," Mother replied. " From now on, all food, oxygen, hydration, and medical information will come from these androids." Renee smiled gleefully and watched as they whirled around her, scanning her body over and over, showing flashes of red and green lights.

" Stop." Mother commanded and the two androids slowly went back to work. " They will follow any command, but be warned Renee, they can be very stubborn sometimes. Their humanoid designs are made to serve us, but besides those bulging covers, they aren't very bright." Mother gestured toward the android with wild red hair, " that one, Mary, is mine." Mother turned toward the android with small tan curls," That one, Wendy is its name, will be yours." " Hello Wendy." Renee waved shyly, Mother shook her head.

" No no Renee, you must speak to it with a commanding tone, or they will never understand you."

Renee nodded and continued to stare wide eyed at the two androids, both covered in a silver lining and coated with a metallic glaze. She wondered if somewhere inside all those layers, was a brain and a heart that pumped its own oxygen, unlike hers.

Then, Mother walked behind her, and patted Renee's shoulder, " I'm ready for sleep."  

        It was later that night when Renee sat cross legged staring at the Android beside the bed." She was still uncomfortable with calling it, or her, Wendy. "Where did they come from?" Renee felt the warm heat of the android pulsing next to her body. " They must have been been made somewhere, like me." Then she paused, letting the android Wendy place her oxygen tube into her mouth. Where had she been made? Mother had never told her, because she had never asked. Renee glanced at Mother's sleeping body that went up and down, taking in the oxygen her android was providing. She pondered the same question until the soft motions of Wendy pumping oxygen into her heart soothed her only thought to oblivion.  Where was I made?...