I Heart Robot (11 page)

“By us you mean the Solidarity? I thought it was a covert operation.”

“I mean all of us robots little Quasar.” He prods me in the chest with a finger.

“What kind of march?” I run a hand through my hair, still sticky with yesterday’s gel.

“A protest demanding justice, demanding what we’re owed. Our rights,” Sal answers.

“When?”

“Tomorrow,” Kit says. “We’ll march from Fragheim through the city, right up to the front doors of M-Tech and demand justice for Stine and to know what this virus is all about. Are you with us?”

“I don’t know.” I should be. I should hate the humans, but part of me can’t stop thinking we brought this upon ourselves.

“They murdered her!” Sal shouts. I’m not convinced you can murder something that wasn’t ever living.

“Why don’t you forget trying to be human for a second and stand up for your own just once?” Kit stands, hands on hips, and glares at me.

Sal clenches her jaw and levels me with her gaze. The tattoos gleaming on her baldhead make her look every bit the warrior. “We’re making history, kiddo.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

***

On Monday morning, androids gather in the muddy streets of Fragheim. We’re primed for what looks like war. The sun peeks through the clouds, too afraid to shine as we hoist our cardboard signs painted in boot polish with slogans like ‘Oppression is a Crime’ and ‘We Have Rights.’ I painted my own board with graffiti cans I borrowed from some cyberpunks across the tracks.

“Nice and bright.” Sal hovers in my doorway. She’s dressed like a soldier in military surplus camo and a khaki sweater. Her cheeks bear the McCarthy logo with a red line through it.

“I tried to be creative.” My slogan reads ‘Have a heart. We do.’

“Such a sap, aren’t you?” She grins before bending down to tighten her laces.

“Holy Codes, why’ve you got knives?”

She’s got twin blades tucked into her combat boots.

“In case they try to decommission me. Humans die easier than we do.”

“Now you sound like Kit.”

“He’s right, you know. About accepting what we are. We’re stronger, faster, smarter. We’re not equals at all,” she says.

“You think we’re superior?”

“I know it.” She taps the blades.

“Thought this was meant to be peaceful.”

“I’ll only use them in self-defense.” A smirk quirks up the corner of her mouth, and trepidation floods my circuit.

“This isn’t about retribution. I know Stine—”

“It’s a revolution,” she cuts me off.

“Doesn’t have to end in blood.”

“Not ours.” She winks and leaves me alone with my rainbow board and burgeoning fear that this day will end in Cruor spewed across Skandia Square.

Asrid insists we go shopping at the new sky mall. She makes me dress cute even though no one’s going to see what I’m wearing under my jacket. We whiz up through Baldur into the wealthy borough where Rurik lives. Here, the city is a stalagmite dream of glass and glinting steel. The sun shines meekly through a haze of clouds, enough to create dazzling reflections off the silver spires.

“Quinn called. Said he’d give me lessons.” I adjust the tint on my window to prevent being blinded.

“Where?”

“At school. Figure we can use the practice rooms.”

“Mind if I hang around and meet this guy?” Asrid hangs a tight right.

“Why would I mind? I told Rurik and he didn’t mind either.”

“That’s good. I still want to check out this Quinn.”

“Thursday. You can meet him if you give me a ride home.”

“Remind me.” She slows the hoverbug, landing in a designated square where she tethers the vehicle to a concrete pylon.

The sky mall is an octopus network of top floors connected by pedestrian bridges spanning several buildings.

“I can’t believe you’ve never been here.” Asrid observes her reflection in the shiny elevator door, applying pink gloss and smacking her lips. A mechanical voice announces our arrival on the one hundred and twenty-second floor.

We step into a holographic swirl of adboards and dolled up androids. They take my coat and thumb print so only I can retrieve my jacket when we leave. Surrounded by primped humans and bedazzled droids, I feel frumpy despite wearing what I thought passed as cute.

“I’m under dressed.”

“We’re here to fix that.” Asrid loops her arm through mine and drags me through the kaleidoscope lobby into the cavernous main hall. A droid trundles past offering maps. Asrid snags one for me and stuffs it into my hands.

“Where to first?” She asks before popping a gum bubble.

“Where ever. I’m only window shopping.”

“Let’s check out the clothes, then maybe we can head over to the entertainment unit.” She jabs a pink and white striped fingernail at the map. So much pink. Looking at Asrid gives me a headache. Maybe that’s why I’m always wearing black, trying to balance out the color saturation.

Reluctantly, I follow her down a corridor that becomes a bridge between buildings. The view is astonishing. The glass floor the only thing preventing a plummet to my death.

I peel my gaze from my feet, staring toward the horizon punctuated by surrounding spires. Hover copters gather like bees around a flower, their autocams focused on Skandia Square. I can’t see what’s happening on the ground, but it must be something important.

“Something happening at the square today?” I ask. Mom didn’t say anything. The vertigo recedes, and, gulping down filtered air, I follow Asrid along the bridge.

“Not that I know of.” She pauses and squints toward the copters. “Probably something boring.” She drags me into the bustling labyrinth of trendy accessories.

***

An hour later, I’m bored and contemplating chewing on a pair of designer jeans I’m so hungry. Asrid’s monopolizing the makeover screen, humming over her potential looks while scrolling through the settings. Mini Asrid’s appear on the screen, each sporting various combinations of tops and skirts.

“I can’t decide.” Asrid throws up her hands and ends the session much to the relief of a mother and daughter standing in line behind her.

“Can we go eat now?” I ask.

“I guess. It’ll give me some time to think things over.”

I roll my eyes at her and she feigns indignation.

“One’s wardrobe is a reflection of who they are on the inside,” she informs me.

“Guess that makes you strawberry bubblegum.” We weave through the throngs, following my map to the corridor that’ll take us to the food emporium via the entertainment unit.

“And that makes you what? A ball of liquorice.” She grins at me.

“Dull maybe.”

“Oh T. You’re not dull.” She gives me a serious look.

“I was joking.”

“I hope so. Could Sara join us for lunch? She works in the tech unit.”

“Sure, maybe Rik could come too.”

Asrid passes me her moby. Mom’s waiting on the insurance claim before giving me money for a new one. It’d be much more convenient to get a communication implant like the they have in America, but integrated tech makes us too much like machines, apparently, and isn’t technically legal here.

I dial his number. In another four days, Rurik’ll be leaving. Just like that. No more spontaneous lunches together or hanging out doing homework. Gone, leaving a Rurik shaped hole behind. I’ve been trying not to think about what him going off to Osholm really means, trying not to acknowledge how big a part of my life he is. Violin and Rurik, that’s all I have.

He answers on the third ring.

“Lunch at the sky mall?”

“I’ll be there in ten,” he says. “And it’s on me.”

“That’s not why I invited you.”

“I know. Still, my dad has deep pockets, and I have his transaction card.” He chuckles. “See you soon, T.”

“What?” Asrid asks when I hang up and give her back the moby.

“He’s infuriating.”

“The mark of true love.” She smiles.

“The mark of maybe we’re growing apart.”

“You really think that?” Asrid asks as we stroll across the bridge. The media copters are still above the square. Three police copters join them, and a band constricts around my heart. Mom works in the labs surrounding the square.

“Maybe.” I wonder if I should call Mom and make sure she’s okay. I’ll probably get the machine or a hurried telling off for disturbing her.

“Codes, look at this.” Asrid waves me over to a holograph screen taking up almost an entire wall of the entertainment unit. People have stopped shopping, staring aghast at the footage being reported live from Skandia Square.

Androids, dozens of them, are in a clash with riot police. Policemen fire live rounds at the droids but they keep coming and press back the barriers. The sound is muted, and I’m thankful we don’t have to listen to the screaming horde.

“Where’s the military?” A woman standing beside me asks with a quavering voice.

“You mean our military primarily made up of soldierbots?” A man responds.

“But how is this happening?” The woman’s voice catches as she clutches at the collar of her shirt.

“No surprise. Not after what happened last weekend,” he says.

Asrid holds my hand as we watch the chaos splash across the screen. The droids overrun the police, knocking down humans as they race across the campus toward the front doors of M-Tech. My heart thunders like Wagnerian timpani. I can’t breathe as I stare transfixed at the screen. Robots hurl bricks and boards against the windows of M-Tech, some punch it with titanium fists. The glass shatters and robots tear into the building.

We all gasp as a human belly flops onto broken glass, a crimson puddle spreading across the pavement.

“Lord have mercy, they’re going to kill us.” The woman crosses herself repeatedly.

“Asrid.” I find my voice as more droids pour into M-Tech.

“I know.” She squeezes my hand even tighter and passes me the moby. We move away from the screen and I dial my mom.

No answer.

“Nothing,” I say.

“Keep trying.”

And I do. Still no answer.

“Sara’s waiting and Rurik’ll be here soon. What do you want to do?” Asrid asks.

“I don’t know. What can I do?” Aside from panic and hyperventilate.

“We could go over there. Not sure how close we’ll get with the police and onlookers, but we could try find your mom.”

I dial Mom one more time and steal a glance at the chaos on the screen. Still no answer.

“It might be better to wait here.” I take a deep breath. “Mom’s probably gone somewhere safe and forgot her moby.”

“Are you sure?” Asrid’s voice is full of concern.

“No, but what good will it do getting caught up in that?” I point at the screen. If Mom is already out of the office, the last thing she’d want is me stepping right into the middle of the riot. Better to stay away and keep trying her moby.

“Okay. Let’s meet the others as planned then. Hang onto my moby.” Asrid attempts a smile and her face folds into a grimace instead as we fight our way through the gathered crowd and head across another bridge into the food emporium. I try to peek over at the square, but Asrid grabs my hand and tugs me into the building.

***

The four of us sit with untouched trays. The knot of hunger has turned into a concrete block of worry. I’ve tried calling my mom for the past hour with no response. sky mall personnel unravel giant screens from the ceiling and turn up the volume—all robotic staff have disappeared. I don’t think I can handle seeing an android right now.

Breaking news spools across the screen as the reporter repeats the few details she has over footage shot from a hover copter.

Rurik holds my hand so tight my fingers are tingling with needles and pins. Sara and Asrid are pressed together, a marshmallow mash of pink and white, their heads tilted toward the screens.

“Reporting live from Skandia Square. A rally initiated by rebel robots this morning has turned violent after police began firing at protesters. The protest is the first of its kind and is in direct response to events involving android spokesbot Saga-60-T last weekend.”

“Robots are now believed to be inside McCarthy Tech. Whether they have taken hostages and what their demands might be are not clear at this stage. . . .
The reporter presses her ear.
I’ve just received confirmation that a military team is in position. At this stage, the number of casualties is unknown. From what we can see in Skandia Square, there appear to be several robots incapacitated while more than twenty police officers have been injured.”

“Now you know why these tin cans don’t deserve human rights.” Rurik releases my hand and I wipe my sweaty palm on my thigh.

“Maybe if they hadn’t over reacted and destroyed that Sagabot this wouldn’t have happened.” Sara shoots a dirty look at Rurik.

“You’re not one of those bleeding heart HETR liberals with an I Heart Robot hoverbug sticker are you?” Rurik’s all sniggers and sneers. My gaze shifts from Rurik to the violence on the screen. Humans for the Ethical Treatment of Robots—not much chance of that now.

“No, nullhead, but I do think the droids deserve something better than the way we’ve been treating them.” Sara extricates herself from Asrid. “I’ve got to get back to work.” They part with a kiss. “Call me when you leave.”

“She’s not all ‘hug a bot’, you know.” Asrid directs the comment at Rurik.

“Whatever. She’s your girlfriend. Not my problem.”

“You can be such a jerk.” Asrid picks up her tray. “Sorry, T, I’ve got to go. I’m sure Rurik can give you a lift home. Let me know about your mom, okay?”

“Sure,” I manage despite a dry mouth. “Thanks for your moby.” I return the device.

“Don’t mention it.” She gives me an awkward one-armed hug. “Chat later.”

“Botballs, you’d think I was the one busting into M-Tech and killing people.” Rurik drags his fingers through his hair and picks at cold potato wedges once Asrid’s out of ear shot.

“They never said anything about anyone being killed.” But there’s no way that belly flop guy could’ve survived losing so much blood. I swallow a wave of bile and push away my food tray. My hands are shaking, and the cramps in my stomach have nothing to do with being hungry. If only I knew Mom was okay.