Ghost in the Machine

Teenagers

"Dad, I'm home!" Kai shouted the words as he burst through the door, slamming it shut behind him. A sheaf of papers was clutched in his hand, wrinkled, but he was beaming. "Dad!"

"Kitchen,"

"Guess what?" Running to where Greer stood over the stove, cooking, Kai excitedly thrust the papers in his father's face. "I passed!"

"Passed? Which one?" Proud, instantly curious, Rhaner took the papers to look them over.

"All of them!" Doing a sort of frantic hopping dance, Kai laughed. "My tutor said he thought I was ready to take the finals, so I did- and I passed them all! I'm done with my learning courses!"

"Son!" Greer grabbed the boy, hugging him right even as he ruffled his hair. "That's fantastic!"

"Come on Pops, not the hair-!"

"Just for calling me Pops," Greer locked his son's head in a vice grip, vigorously knuckling the crown of his head.

"Dad!"

Laughing, Rhaner let him go, turning back to the meal.

"I'm really proud of you, son. Real proud."

"Thanks!" Plopping his things on the counter, Kai leaned against the cooler. "Guess I'm ready to start thinking about a job."

"Got any ideas?"

"Well...not really. I'd like to build. I'm thinking of getting an apprenticeship for an engineer."

"That'd be great. You've got an eye for that already."

"Thanks! How long until supper? I'm starved!"

"It'll be a little while. Eat fruit."

"Yuck," still, the boy grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter. His look was sly as he regarded his father. "It awake?"

"What."

"Funny man. The android!"

"Yeah, recharging up in the room. If clothes are outside the door don't go in, yeah?"

"Alright."

Greer chuckled, listening to his son's feet pound up the stairs. It was good to see him so excited about something. Then his expression sobered. An android, any class of A.I., was a death sentence if they were discovered. Frowning now, Rhaner turned back to the cutting board.

Up the stairs, standing outside the door, Kai felt himself shaking inside he was so keyed up about interacting with a fully developed and charged android. Never in his life did he ever dream this would be possible. Clearing his throat, he lifted his hand to knock.

"Come in, Kai."

"How'd you know it was me?" Stepping inside, the boy stopped short, his eyes bulging a little. It stood in the sunlight, naked. Frantic, he glanced back at the doorway to make sure he hadn't missed the clothing his father told him about.

"They are on the bed, Kai," He voice made him look back at her, gaping once more at her deceptively real humanoid form.

"Oh..."

"Does it disturb you to see me like this?"

"What? Uh, no! No, it's fine...totally fine,"

"Your body chemistry has changed drastically," she observed, taking a step toward him. "That is normal for adolescent humans is it not?"

"Yeah, normal," he mimicked, eyes glued to her body, and all it's contours. "What, uh, what about you? Are you...normal?"

"I am a perfectly functioning android."

"No, I mean, are you more robot, or human?"

"I am a robot designed to intimately mimic a human female." She watched his pupils dilate at 'intimately'. "Very little of my anatomy and function deviates from human function."

"Really," his face was pink now, all sorts of teenage thoughts racing through his imagination. "That would be interesting to see."

If he'd been watching her, Kai would have seen the droid arch one of her perfect eyebrows.

"I am not for you, Kai. To allow intimate interaction between us would be in direct contradiction of my programming."

"But I own you,"

"Greer Rhaner owns me. You are family, thus entitled to limited power over my responses. But not all."

"Jō ki kō'ī mazēdāra hai (that's no fun)." His scowl was dark as she moved to the bed, putting on the clothes his father had given her. There was a pair of brown pants, a plaid short sleeve shirt and sneakers.

"Why were you naked anyway? Recharging?"

"My skin conducts solar energy faster and more efficiently than any other source," she affirmed. "Fully charged now, I should not have to do it again for a long time."

"Too bad." His tiny smirk disappeared when she glanced at him, her blue eyes riveting.

"Do you imply that you enjoy seeing me without clothing?"

"Who wouldn't? You're perfect! Just like a woman." His expression went sneaky. "Might be fun to do more than look."

"Kai,"

"Kidding! Sheesh...but you are gorgeous."

"You have seen many naked women?"

"Well...no, not up close, but I know what they're supposed to look like!" An edge of defiance crept into his voice and to his surprise, the android smiled. It sent his pulse into overdrive.

"I am glad that you approve of me, Kai. It will make being a part of your family easier."

"You're staying?" He shot off the bed, unaware he'd sat down. "Dad said we could keep you? Hāṁ! (yes)"

"He has not said he wouldn't," her counter reply was ignored as the boy bolted from the room, racing down the stairs to hug his father. She followed slowly, her eyes roving her new surroundings, taking in every detail.