Chapter 14 - Journal entries

V'S RESEARCH JOURNAL

Day 2.

Successful execution of tasks: navigation through the public transport system, purchase of clothing, ordering of meals.

Good understanding of basic societal interactions.

Strong comprehension of instructions.

Adhering to directives with minimal error.

No sign of distress. For now.

🌱

SADE

Styla told me the new wardrobe would be delivered later today. I was free to roam around the Agora!

A showcase of colorful tablets followed me as I walked out, some floating letters glowing above: Redefining Tomorrow, in the Palm of Your Hand.

Another display caught my eye, exhibiting a sleek, futuristic kitchen. A hologram man tapped on their tablet before opening the cooked box. I watched the demonstration cycle through each feature of the boxes. Custom Meals for Your Lifestyle... I could even smell the holographic meals that were displayed.

I walked back to the Fountain Square, joining a crowd of kids gathered around the pond. Boys and girls cheered for their little robots to win the underwater race. Shark, whale, orca, dolphin, and more, I read the team names on the scoreboard.

The race ended, and everyone got a small gift for participating. It reminded me of the games we used to play at the clinic, except we would run in the parking lot.

Also, no prizes.

When it was over, I walked to the nearest view from the glass dome.

Just two days ago, I had been awestruck by the grandeur of Love Machina Inc.'s building. But each new day spent in this world adjusted my standards of gradeur.

The view beyond the glass was breathtaking. Spiraling green gardens wrapped around towering skyscrapers, loop tunnels seamlessly connecting them. The vastness of it all was overwhelming.

I was in New Yuan City. I couldn't believe it.

The Agora itself felt endless. Dozens and dozens of stores, restaurants, and entertainment centers, as far as I could see. It would take me days to explore. Even riding the loop was an experience, my mind racing with the unknown worlds to explore behind each station.

I had experienced more in just one day than in all the past years at the clinic. And yet, as I stared at this new world through the window, a single thought consumed me:

I wanted to see more.

I wanted to experience everything I could experience here.

My steps were light as I returned to the house, taking more time to observe each little detail around me.

I spent an absurd amount of time choosing my next meal from the tablet, only to devour it in less than a minute when it arrived. I had only three meals since I arrived, and somehow, all three had rocketed to the top of the best I had ever tasted in my life.

The rest of the day was spent scrolling endlessly through the food app, favoriting all the next meals I was curious about. After years of bland oatmeal, plain rice, white bread, and gelatin desserts, the idea of eating mushroom risotto, quinoa with creamy avocado, cashew chocolate purée, or roasted tofu felt otherworldly.

It was exactly like that: like another world. I felt as if I had traveled not to another city but to a completely different planet. A place in the future, far away from the UN Belt.

Not finding anything of use in the kitchen, I got liquid soap from the bathroom to wash the dishes of my fourth meal of the day - Butternut Squash Carpaccio with Microgreens and Walnuts.

As I was busy drying them with a small bathroom towel, the kitchen's glass screen lit up with that blue dot again.

New message, the monotone voice announced.

From: Chandra.

My eyebrows rose on my forehead.

A personal message?

Answer your chats!! The subject line showed.

I read and re-read it until it had disappeared.

My thoughts went back to that beautiful red-lipped woman at the Agora. Could it be Chandra?

I remembered the way she had kissed both of the owner's cheeks. He had seemed unfazed, but he had not done the same to her. Was she a friend or a girlfriend? Did she also wonder who I was?

When I walked upstairs, I heard a chime in the bedroom. It came from a drawer in the wall of the wardrobe. At the same time, my tablet's screen lit up with a message - Your New Wardrobe Has Arrived!

Moments later, the bedroom looked like Styla's clothing store had exploded in it.

All the virtual clothes I had tried on in the morning had been shipped directly into the wardrobe. I let out a little squeal of excitement and dove in, pulling them out one by one, the smooth fabrics sliding between my fingers.

Immediately, I tried them all, this time for real.

I twirled in a long, flesh-colored dress, the delicate fabric swirling around my legs. A soft yellow sundress caught my eye next, cinched at the waist with ruffled straps. I had to get used to the new feelings of feeling my legs bare, my shoulders exposed, and my breasts pushed up.

Slipping on elegant white mules, I attempted to walk the way I had seen women gracefully walk around the Agora. Head high, shoulders relaxed, feet gliding one in front of the other, purposeful and yet so elegant.

The bathroom mirror wasn't tall enough to show my full figure, so when the evening came and the windows turned dark, I used the living room windows as mirrors.

I stood tall on the sofas and admired my new silhouette in the dark windows. I danced in a soft blue pleated skirt and top, the pleats flapping around my hips. The clothes smelled so good! Not like the fresh, clean smell of my uniforms, but more like a sweet, luxurious fragrance, one that made me want to sleep in a pile of them.

I completely lost track of time, trying on all the clothes and shoes, and imagining all the future scenarios of my life in the City.

Until the entrance door unlocked.

Startled, I lost my balance on a couch and landed on my bum.

V stepped inside, his eyes widening on me before quickly shifting away.

To my demise, I was certain he had witnessed the whole ordeal and perhaps even my skirt going up to my chest.

"I suppose everything went well?" he said without looking at me.

"Mhmhum. Yes," I brushed the fly-away hairs behind my ears.

He asked about my day, and I could tell he was satisfied that I had completed the shopping mission without issues. I confirmed I had no trouble using the loop or ordering meals. He noticed the cleaned dishes from my breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner, neatly stacked on the side of the sink.

"No need to do the dishes," he said. "Just place them back in the box, and press that arrow button down. They'll be taken care of."

That would indeed explain why there was no dish soap in the kitchen.

A meal appeared in the cooked box right after he showed this feature. He took it out and, without any other word, I watched him go straight to his room with it.

He never came back out again that evening.

I eventually did the same, retreating to my bedroom.

Sleep didn't come easily. I tossed and turned under the covers, replaying our interactions of the day in my head.

Most of the time, he seemed so distant and cold, rarely meeting my eyes or acknowledging my presence. Yet, he would also show these small glimpses of concern, like when he asked if I'd eaten or made sure I had new clothes. I had no direct experience with money or having a safe, but I knew all of these had to cost something. It didn't seem like anything expensive to him, but still, I knew I was being lucky to experience all of these.

I figured he felt guilty about forgetting those things on my first day and was now trying to make up for it.

But now that everything seemed in order, I couldn't shake the feeling that he would stop noticing me.

What will I do then?

I felt unsettled, unsure of what I was supposed to be doing here. I wasn't a nanny, a caretaker, or even a partner.

I wish I could at least know what I was supposed to be here.

Simply existing didn't seem like an option.

The next morning, I had overslept, but I still got to meet the owner in the kitchen right before he left for work.

"Don't forget to eat your meals. And no need to clean the dishes," he reminded me as he grabbed his bag, just about to leave.

My lips parted for a second, words caught in my throat. I was sure my face betrayed all the questions I had.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking intrigued for once.

"I don't mind taking care of chores," I said quietly, my voice hesitant. "I can help around the house, I can clean, and—"

He cut me off before I could finish.

"A polybot is already taking care of that."

"Pe-li-bout?" I repeated, confused.

"A polysurface cleaning robot," he explained, pointing at the small white robot buzzing down the opposite wall. "Polybot. Plus, using a machina for house chores would be an inefficient use of its capabilities."

His tone was cold and pragmatic, but the comment stung more than I expected. My hands fidgeted at my sides as I tried to process his answer.

He turned to leave, but I couldn't let him go without asking.

"Wait," I called out, my voice trembling.

He stopped in the doorway and glanced back at me.

"Yes?"

I hesitated, my gaze falling to the floor as I struggled to find the right words.

"How..." I began, my voice faltering. "How could I be of the most efficient use to you?" I asked, trying to use his own words.

My voice unsteady, I waited, unsure if I even wanted to hear his answer.

"If I had any use for you," he answered, his eyes giving away nothing. "I suppose I would let you know. As it stands, I don't."

🌱

V'S RESEARCH JOURNAL

Day 3.

Subject appears to have some difficulty interacting with doors. Demonstrates interest in understanding the mechanism.

Engaged with the printer instructions.

No sign of distress.

🌱

V

As I walked from the station that evening, my tablet buzzed with a notification.

Home Security Alert: Atrium door opened.

It took me a minute to even recall where the atrium door was, and another to realize what (or who) might have opened it.

My pace quickened. Two days ago, the machina had tried (and failed) to open the bathroom window.

Now, it seemed, it had succeeded in opening the atrium. My chest tightened at the realization: the machina was fleeing.

Finally!

Two nights had been enough to figure out I wasn't what they expected. I wondered what might have been the final straw.

At least, I knew it wasn't due to negligence. The machina was fed, clothed, and I even gave access to a safe and a tablet. That was more than many owners would bother to provide, something my studies had confirmed all too well.

No, the reason it fled would have to be something else.

Something that would be detrimental to the conclusion of my research project. Love Machina Inc. would likely track it down soon enough, apologizing profusely for the inconvenience. When they did, I'd demand a refund. And not just that, I would also insist on a detailed error log of the machina's malfunction.

If they resisted, I'd remind them of my government contributor status. That should be enough to secure the information.

It was the perfect plan. The research funds I had illicitly used for the machina would be reimbursed, and I'd gain the critical data I needed to conclude my work.

Perfect plan, truly.

Except... The machina was still there when I arrived.

"I'm sorry," it said, visibly distressed as it struggled to close the atrium door. "I just wanted to see if it could open."

The piercing sound of the security alarm resonated through the house until I shut the heavy glass door back into place. The hinges groaned, clearly out of alignment.

"I never use this window," I muttered, inspecting the frame. The hinges were rusted, corroded from years of neglect.

"I'm so sorry," the machina said again, its hands wringing nervously like a child caught doing something they shouldn't. "I didn't know about the alarm."

I raised an eyebrow, studying its reaction. Was it upset because its escape plan had failed? Did I arrive too early on the scene?

"I'll disable it," I said, pulling up the security app on my tablet. "There. Now you can open it whenever you want."

To demonstrate, I pushed the door open and closed it again. The machina watched closely, its expression softening as it observed the mechanism.

"Oh, and I also disabled all the home security cameras. I prefer... privacy," I added, wanting to reassure the machina.

There was a clear escape.

My gaze drifted past the window to the ivy-covered wall, a few meters beyond the glass. What had the machina planned to do, once outside?

Machinas weren't built to be stronger than humans. They were designed with limits, our limits. Looking at the machina up and down, I doubted it could climb the wall, even if it wanted to.

"Do you need... anything else?" I asked cautiously.

The robot hesitated, then nodded, its voice almost too quiet to hear.

"A toothbrush."

🌱

V'S RESEARCH JOURNAL

Day 4.

Unexplainable fascination with the printer.

Printed toothbrushes, hairbrushes, hair clips, clothes hangers, tablet case, tablet case with a bracelet, cup coaster, and storage boxes (small, medium, and large) with separate compartments designed to categorize and contain the printed items.

Considering not introducing the online shopping app on its tablet.

Further analysis required before proceeding.

No sign of distress. No windows opened today.

🌱

V

I had connected the machina's tablet to the home printer the night before.

"You can search for anything here," I had explained, showing the interface. "And this section lets you adjust the customization settings."

To demonstrate, I pulled up the model for the tray table I had printed earlier this week.

Its eyes lit up with what looked like genuine curiosity, clearly intrigued by the endless possibilities of the printer. I left it to explore and I headed to my room, the faint hum of the 3D printer quietly filling the house as I journaled my notes from the day.

When I woke up the next morning, I walked into the kitchen and discovered dozens, if not hundreds of printed toothbrushes. Each was unique, varying in color, size, and even functionality.

"It took me a while to figure it out," the machina admitted as it came down the stairs, a guilty look on its face. "I kept the failed ones as reminders of what went wrong with my printing instructions."

"Perfectly understandable," I nodded.

As a scientist, I was no stranger to trial-and-error procedures.

I picked a printed toothbrush that could only be described as a miniature, almost doll-sized, before setting it back next to one that was as big as my forearm.

🌱

Later that day, as I walked home from the station, my imagination ran wild with all the possible chaos awaiting me at the house.

The atrium alarm was disabled now. While I still doubted the machina's physical strength to climb up the ivy wall, I did not doubt its ingenuity. With twelve hours at its disposal and free access to the home printer, the possibilities seemed endless now (and slightly terrifying).

I imagined stepping inside to find a ladder made entirely of toothbrushes, each one printed in different sizes. Or maybe a set of printed climbing holds carefully mounted to the ivy wall, ideal for an escape.

But when I opened the door, the machina was still there.

"I got carried away," it admitted, its voice hesitant, showing the results of a day-long creative spree.

The kitchen counter, the floor, and even the living room's flat surfaces were cluttered with a bizarre array of printed objects. Some were functional, others utterly incomprehensible. It was a chaotic display of her experimentation, every conceivable type and purpose, all scattered in an erratic frenzy.

I stepped inside, taking it all in with a mix of exasperation and fascination.

As I picked up what resembled the sculpture of a miniature palm tree between my fingers, I realized I would never know when, or how, the machina would escape... But I was secretly impatient to see how she would make it happen.

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