Chapter 8 - Day 0

 🌵 𝙑'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑 🌵

I immediately realized I would regret it.

Earlier that day, when I took her hand and helped her out of the pod, I knew it was a mistake.

I tried to remind myself it was just a robot. It was only an extremely advanced technology designed to look, think, and talk exactly like a human being.

But as I looked at it standing there... So frail, so vulnerable, it felt like holding a helium-filled balloon between my fingers.

Would it fly away as soon as I opened my hand?

For the sake of the experiment, I let go.

I released its hand, curious to see what would happen.

Against my initial hypothesis, it remained still, looking at me with expectant eyes.

I curled and uncurled my fingers behind my back, trying to get rid of the lingering feeling it left on me. Its skin was cold (probably from that freezing fog), but I could feel the warmth beneath the surface.

How unsettling.

For a second, I considered taking its hand again. I just wanted to see if I would feel the same, but I reasoned against it. It was wiser to follow the standard procedure.

Pulling my glasses from my pocket, I wiped the condensation off the lenses with my shirt. Now, I would be able to follow the checklist.

"How should I call you?" I asked, reading the first item on the visual interface of my glasses.

 [ ] Set a name for your Love Machina

"My name is Sade," it replied in a clear, even voice.

"Sade," I repeated to verify the name's correct pronunciation.

I tapped the temple of my glasses, and the rest of the list appeared.

 [ ] Room Mapping. For the most efficient navigation, allow your Love Machina to create a floor plan for your home. Establish restricted areas from the start.

"This is your bedroom," I said and watched as it turned to scan every corner of the room.

I allowed myself to observe it better now. The fluidity of its movements, the motion of its eyes on each detail, the decisive presence... It was mesmerizing. Any scientist would have been awestruck in front of this state-of-the-art technology.

And of course, the attractive features.

I had not asked Love Machina Inc. for any aesthetic adjustments (and they had not offered any), but I was troubled by what I was seeing now.

The machina casually looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Could it be possible that the company knew me better than I did?

I had seen a machina at a Science Fair before. However, its appearance had left me completely indifferent then. Did it feel this way for every machina owner?

Its gaze shifted back to me, and I almost gasped in surprise.

Quickly, I smoothed out my expression. It didn't seem to notice.

Indeed, I had gotten quite successful at feigning indifference, a necessary skill after years of experience in a government-funded lab.

"Follow me," I said, walking to the hallway. "I'll show you the rest."

I heard its steps tailing behind me. It felt strange not to be alone in the house for once. Polybot, the polysurface cleaning robot, had been working for a few weeks before I stopped jumping every time it whirred past me.

"This door is the bathroom," I showed the door in front of the stairs. "We have to share it... I hope you don't mind."

The machina showed no reaction, so I figured it didn't.

Well... Did it have a mind at all? I would have to look that up later.

Establish restricted areas from the start, I read again on the list.

"This part is mine," I explained, gesturing to the end of the hallway.

I remained by the bathroom door, hoping this was clear enough to indicate I wouldn't even want it to pass that imaginary line in the hallway.

For a second, I hesitated, wondering if words alone were enough to keep it out. Should I install a digital lock on the door?

As I turned back too fast, we nearly collided.

I flinched away.

Perhaps the machina wasn't aware yet of proper social distances. It looked at me with surprise, as if I had done something wrong (the nerve!).

"Y-you don't need to go there," I stammered unwillingly.

I cleared my throat, trying to recover from the blow. Did I sound too rigid now?

"Except... well... I guess... except if... invited?" I mumbled, trying to make up for it. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and sweat pooled under my arms. If I could have dug a hole and crawled into it... I would have.

I hurried down the stairs, struggling against the overwhelming urge to put the machina back into its pod and return it to customer service. I forced myself to refocus, adjusting my glasses and checking the to-do list. Once these tasks were complete, I promised myself, I would call it a day.

That was enough emotions for the day, already.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I realized the machina hadn't waited for instructions to follow me. Good situational understanding.

I watched as its eyes explored the living room. Its facial expression looked... amazed, maybe?

Curious, I followed its gaze, wondering what was attracting it. The atrium seemed to be the object of all its attention.

Think of your machina as a newborn human, I'd read earlier in the pamphlet. They are learning about their new environment while experiencing a simile of human life for the first time.

I remembered the moment it had emerged from the pod and stared out the window. Maybe it was solar-powered? That would explain its fixation on light sources.

I made another mental note to research it further later.

For now, I stood awkwardly, watching it take in the room as though seeing sunlight for the first time.

Well, I guessed it was its first time.

"The kitchen and the living room," I said flatly, eager to get it over with as soon as possible. I'd already exceeded the limits of my comfort zone for the day.

As if to confirm my last hypothesis, the machina's attention remained fixed on the light coming from the atrium. In moments like these, when its attention was on something other than me, it felt strangely comforting. After all, I was used to being the observer, and never the observed one.

Maybe this was going to be easier than I expected.

For the first time since I got the confirmation email from Love Machina Inc., I actually started to wonder if this might've been a good idea after all."

"I have to go to work," I announced, almost reluctantly, I realized.

I grabbed my work bag and jacket, ready to leave. Its eyes followed me, curious and expecting, as though it needed instructions before I walked out the door.

This was where the manual failed me. The steps were clear up to now. After that, they evolved into suggestions of use, like caregiving, nannying, or pet-sitting, none of which aligned with my plans.

"I... I'll be back later," I stuttered again.

I couldn't think of anything better to say.