XV’s second shift took off with an interesting start.

He watched the new anon droid get carried through the dim halls of the sanctuary up until arriving to one of the many examination rooms. The specialists were once again dumbfounded, having little to no information on the new model and XV tried to help as much as he could, but mostly came up empty handed since he was tweaked differently from his counterpart. For all XV knew, the new droid could have been practically anything in his past life, and he couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of illegal upgrades he had gotten. But judging by the intricacy of his facial features, he was nowhere near default.

Seungmin decided to head on to her sleeping quarters, exhausted from the long shift, whereas Taekwoon decided to stick around for another few hours or so. His evident curiosity seemed to have gotten the best of him, managing to overpower even his sleep deprivation, making XV glad because for the first time in a while he didn’t feel like a knowledgeable android anymore, but another insecure intern.

The doctors and mechanics all favored XV’s help but he could only offer a limited amount of advice, being as unacquainted with his own model as they were. He felt utterly useless and it was hard to take in. He wished he could be more efficient but he soon realized that it was probably best to stay on the guidelines for now and just keep out of the staff’s way, hoping he’d be lucky enough to stumble across some more information. He eavesdropped on a closed-door consultation (his enhanced hearing came very much in handy), and found out that the specialists’ best advice was to let the anon droid recharge and speak for himself upon his wake, because apparently even their most advanced machinery couldn’t do that for him.

The most the surgeons could do was reconstruct the skin on the XV’s upper body (which proved to be a surprisingly simple procedure since all they needed was a skin sample to replicate), and soon enough the XV’s handsome face was complete once again, revealing a sharp chin and a prominent adam’s apple. XV managed to get a short glimpse of the reconstructed face before the new arrival was hauled once again into another room, but it was enough for him to conclude that he wasn’t made to pose a threat during his past life. Despite his uncharacteristic aggression towards the caretakers, he looked too soft to inflict violence. But then again, he thought, what did he know? His then companion, Leo, was as docile as androids get, and yet he managed to override the most basic of rules and harm another human being. There might as well had been some twisted individual creating an army of picturesque androids excelling in hand to hand combat, and who could prove otherwise?

XV then went on to wonder with his ear pressed to the door if the staff was as confused when he first arrived as they were now. He could almost imagine the surgeons and mechanics standing around his slumbering form in the recharger, scratching their heads in befuddlement as they tried to decipher what exactly they were dealing with. It was a stressful thought that was quickly interrupted when Taekwoon suddenly exited the room, swinging the door open and nearly driving it straight into the guilty looking XV.

“I suppose you heard the plan,” He said, not accusingly. The bags under his eyes were almost as dark as his irises, turning his innocent statement into something more sinister. XV would have shuddered if he could. He nodded, mistrusting of his own tongue again.

“Come inside, they’ll wake him soon.”

And as if on cue, a clutter was suddenly heard from inside the room, followed by a flurry of shouts from the caretakers. XV watched Taekwoon’s eyes widen before he bolted back inside the room, and XV hurried after him.

What he saw in the room happened too fast for him to entirely comprehend. The charger was empty, and the anon droid was standing on the ground, frantically fighting away the caretakers trying to restrain him as he attempted to make a break for the door. He had already pushed one of them to the ground when XV came in, and he witnessed him bite the other who managed to grab him in a headlock before taking off into a run again. Taekwoon didn’t miss a beat and grabbed the forked R.E.M device from a nearby table and took a stand in front of the door, blocking it. The XV continued his charge towards the exit, not exempting any signs of stopping. He would have tackled Taekwoon straight to the ground if his gaze hadn’t fallen momentarily on XV. It was a brief eye lock, but the droid’s determination seemed to waver for a second that could very well had streched on forever. His eyes that were bolting around furiously a mere moment ago were suddenly still, inquisitive even. His mouth even fell open with a silent question, and he suddenly looked almost childlike. XV couldn’t help but stare back, and the only thought that he managed to form was: his eyes are brown, just like mine.

A second of hesitation was all it took for the caretakers in the room to finally apprehend him, and the droid’s careful speculation ce again into full blown terror as he began to pull and shove himself out of the arms grabbing on to him. Taekwoon sighed and began to approach him with the R.E.M device, visibly reluctant to enforce the inevitable emergency shutdown. But then XV noticed something strange- the android didn’t seem to recoil from the device. Even if he didn’t understand what the foreign object nearing the ports at the side of his neck was, he would have surely been startled by its threatening appearance… but he wasn’t. The android wasn’t even looking at Taekwoon, he was staring down with horror at the fingers digging into his skin and holding him into place, and he was shaking and pushing away feverishly… and that’s when XV understood what was happening.

“Stop!” He yelled, and everyone turned to look at him in puzzlement. “He’s afraid of humans!”

The caretakers restraining the android merely exchanged a look between them, but didn’t loosen their grip on him.

“Just… just step back.” XV pleaded. Taekwoon was the only one who lowered his arm, resting the hand wielding the R.E.M device at his side, and looked at XV as if waiting for further instructions.

“They’ll let go if you promise not to run away,” He turned to talk to the android, who returned a look full of emotions that XV couldn’t quite interpret. “Can you do that?”

All was silent as everyone waited for the XV to make his decision. He took another frantic look at the room, as if assessing his chances of making it out of there alive, before giving a small, almost unnoticeable nod.

With that the caretakers moved away slowly, releasing his arms from their clutch but stood close enough to apprehend him again if he changes his mind. Taekwoon took a step back as well, allowing XV to take charge of the situation. But apart from his heaving chest indicating potential overheating, the android remained still.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” XV started. “But we are not going to hurt you. We’re here to help.” The android stared back blankly.

“Notice how your skin is patched up,” He continued, and the XV responded by reaching his hand up to trail his fingers tenderly across where his wound had previously been. “They did that.” He pointed to the staff members behind him, still standing around warily waiting to see where this was going. The caretakers were actually just that, and did not perform surgeries of any sort, but XV was trying to prove a point and made a calculated decision that a white lie was practically harmless.

The android turned back hesitantly and looked behind him, witnessing the caretakers raising their hands in a gesture of good intent. But his chest was still rising and falling rapidly, the rhythm being broken once every few breaths by what seemed to be… hiccups. He looked like a human on the verge of tears, like he was going to collapse at any moment.

“Would you feel more comfortable if they leave?” He went on to ask. The android nodded, his head jerking up slightly from the force of his trembling.

XV turned to look at Taekwoon who nodded in approval. He twisted the doorknob and motioned the caretakers to follow. He held the door open for them, waiting for them to leave before sending XV a look full of importance. “We’ll be nearby if you need anything.”

It was suddenly quiet in the room, the only audible sound being the air surging through the ventilation system, as if the entire structure was sighing in relief.

The anon seemed to relax ever so slightly, and his nervous ticks were beginning to die down, though his unwavering stare focused on XV did not. What now?

“Take a seat,” XV offered, gesturing to the examination table to his right. The XV blinked at him before padding over to the heightened metallic surface as if he was trying to make himself as unnoticeable as he could. He hoisted himself up on the table with a surprisingly heavy looking movement all while keeping his eyes on XV.

Now this was something he was familiar with. He wasn’t acquainted with that violent instinct the anon droid seemed to possess, but this… this was his comfort zone. He had nursed androids that arrived to Heiligtum practically disemboweled, carrying themselves seemingly unaware of anything wrong, and he had nursed androids shaking and convulsing as their systems clawed after a sense of balance. Luckily, he knew the solution to both, and the anon droid’s case was actually quite ordinary from the perspective.

XV watched as the droid made himself comfortable on the table and finally unfocused his piercing glare. It was a relief in some way, because XV found it hard to think with those humanoid eyes scraping a hole through his consciousness. They were then both silent again.

 “Do you have a name?” XV asked once the tremors died down.

The anon’s head whipped towards him again, as if he forgot he was there for a moment. He stared at him blankly.

“Because if you don’t, you’ll probably be named…” He took a moment to scan his inventory of Catholic saints and their honorary days. “Charles.”

Nothing. XV would use that line on the more intelligent anon arrivals, and the least he’d get for his jest was a weak smile, but this time he didn’t even get a perplexed brow furrow. Perhaps he isn’t as smart as he looks.

“You’re in Heiligtum Sanctuary,” He went on to explain upon his failed attempt at a joke. “It’s better here than out there, trust me. If the police had gotten to you before we did, you wouldn’t be awake right now.” That seemed to get his attention, because his blank stare seemed to take on an interested edge.

“We help abandoned androids and then release them wherever they deem appropriate, or keep them as staff members if they wish to stay. Think of this as a rehabilitation center.”

What XV failed to mention was what happens to the droids that don’t seem to be getting better, the Lost Causes. He figured he shouldn’t frighten the new arrival any further than he already had.

“We fixed your flesh wound but we think there’s more worth looking at. Of course you can leave at will, but know that not everyone would treat you as kindly as us.”

The droid raised a skeptic brow, but it was so fine of a motion that it could have easily gone undetected. Finally, another emotion!

“Well, in our defense you did bite one of the caretakers,” He argued with a scowl. “But I digress.”  And for a moment he could have sworn he saw a hint of a grin, but maybe it was a just a shadow.

“So you’re welcome to stay as long as you like, but do consider that we’re on your side.”

Another silence. XV forgot that the android had yet to speak, but he felt like they were having a conversation regardless… and yet he didn’t know what exactly he was waiting for. They maintained a small staring contest until the droid finally lowered his gaze, giving a meek nod.

“Okay, I’m going to call the caretakers back.” XV said cautiously. “Just try not to harm any of them, please.”

The droid immediately tensed up again, but didn’t show signs of hostility. XV walked backwards to the door, still keeping his eye on the droid when he realized that he had yet to give him his name.

“I’m XV, by the way.” He gave a small smile. He looked away from the droid to place his hand on the doorknob when he heard it.

He almost expected the android to give him his own name as well and finally break his defiant silence, but all he did was blink at him, blank faced once again. XV sighed and went on to open the door, unable to decide whether he was dealing with the densest, or most perceptive android he had ever seen.

 

The next time XV saw the anon droid was soon upon his charging session that followed. He tuckered out quite rapidly once he made sure the new arrival wasn’t assaulting the staff, and headed on to the recharging chamber only fourteen hours into his shift. He might not had been the one physically carrying the droid around, but emotional and cognitive energy was still… well, energy, and thus finite.

He had only managed to set one foot on the ground when he was greeted by the frantic footsteps of a fellow intern.

“Thank god, you’re awake!” She panted before kneeling down to catch her breath. She was a chubby little human, her face resembling that of the cherubs illustrated on the church murals rather than that of an intern who deals with oil and metal scraps all day. XV waited for her patiently.

“The new arrival went bonkers again,” She said between heavy breaths. “He started hacking up oil in the middle of nowhere so we were going to perform a few chest x-rays to see what was going on, and he ing lost it!”

XV stared back, mimicking the intern’s wide eyes as she continued her story.

“You’re the only one who succeeded to get him calm since he arrived, could you try doing it again?”

“Of course,” XV replied earnestly, hoping the anon didn’t cause too much damage while XV recharged. “Where is he?”

The intern then took off into a hurried walk, exiting the recharging chamber into the long hall connecting all the different wards. XV followed along, trying to think of question to help him assess the situation better.

“How long has this been going on?”

“About an hour so far.”

XV cringed, a lot can happen in an hour.

“We tried calling over the other droid interns,” She said, apology apparent in her voice. “But he was just as hostile. I’m sorry for charging at you like that, you’re practically our only hope right now.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He replied with a smile, this was what he was here for, after all. He was the most advanced-modeled android out of the nonhuman staff, and he was willing to help however he could. With that being said, he wasn’t completely sure he’d be able to replicate what he did in the examination room earlier.

The intern then stopped in front of a room in the radiology ward. She gave XV a nervous look before turning the handle and opening the door for him, staying outside as he stepped in.

He was greeted by the same kind of commotion as last time, the only difference being that the XV was successfully held down onto an examinayion table by three specialists as a fourth one tried to inject a needle into one of his squirming limbs.

“Oh thank god,” One of them sighed when he noticed XV enter the room. This was the second time someone thanked god in response to XV’s presence. He found it somewhat flattering.

“Could you tell your friend here to calm down?” Another spoke through his teeth as he struggled to keep a grip on the droid’s ankles. “It’s just a thinner for crying out loud, not a lethal injection.” He muttered.

XV approached the examination table, where he met the android’s pleading gaze as he continued to fidget under the staff’s touch.

“Hello again,” He tried to smile but the anon’s anguish was too hard not to mimic. “Do you mind if…?” He turned to the head specialist who shrugged in response.

“All yours buddy,” He said. “But only if he agrees to behave.” He threw a disapproving glance at the anon droid who looked away stubbornly.

“He does.” XV promised, taking the syringe away from the doctor’s rubber glove covered hand.

“Well, good luck then.” He wished as the others loosened their grip hesitantly from the droid’s limbs, sighing in relief when he didn’t resume his kicking and squirming.

Soon enough they were alone again in the room and the XV sat up heavily, meeting XV’s eyes with a tired pair of his own, waiting for him to proceed.

“It’s a thinner for your oil,” XV explained. “The radiation in the x-ray chamber is pretty high so this solution prevents it from pollution. You won’t feel a thing.”

The android returned a skeptic look, but XV smiled reassuringly before giving the syringe a small squeeze and a tap. He wrapped his fingers around the anon’s warm bicep, pressing his fingers into the flesh and inserting the needle with a swift motion.

The XV jolted in his seat with a sharp inhale, and XV promptly emptied the syringe into his arm, cooing a prewired “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” after removing it. He then halted as another realization hit him.

The comforting prewired phrase XV had uttered was an automatic response to a painful occurrence. It was what a pediatrician or a dentist would say to a nervous patient, which would have been irrelevant if the anon hadn’t winced from the… pain.

“Did that… hurt?” He asked, only to have the android turn to him with a wild wide eyed stare. “It did, didn’t it?”

The android didn’t respond, but his fearful gaze said it all. An android with sensitive nerves.

XV reached his hand out once again, almost as if it was a completely separate being from his body, and brushed his thumb over the small dot left from the needle prick. He noted how warm his skin was. It was a few degrees colder than Taekwoon’s, but definitely higher than that of a typical android. He watched a shiver go through the anon, followed by a gradual rise of countless tiny goosebumps.

XV gasped as the anon finally shied away from his touch (stumbled away, was more accurate), looking almost embarrassed in response XV’s discovery.

All androids had nerves, but they were significantly duller than those of humans. Droids could feel pressure and texture, but not pleasure or pain. XV didn’t think it was possible to tweak an android to have sensitive nerves, but before the “how” came the inevitable “why”. XV began to think that the android’s back story was much darker than he thought.

“I’m sorry,” XV apologized. That was fairly unprofessional of him, but he was just so curious. “Is that why you dislike being touched?”

The android didn’t turn to meet his gaze and instead stared at the ground, grabbing onto the place XV touched with a defensive hand. He his lips with what seemed to be an adopted human notion and XV noticed that the inside of his lip as well as his tongue were dyed slightly black. His white shirt was also splattered with dark patches of oil, bringing XV back to reality and reminding him why he was there in the first place.

“I didn’t know, I’m sorry.” He apologized again, but he couldn’t even begin to understand. He didn’t know how the prying, intruding fingers of the staff felt upon the android’s skin as they tried to restrain him. He didn’t know the sting of a needle penetrating his flesh, or the tickle caused by a tender touch. He didn’t know, and he never will.

“I’ll report it to the staff.” He then said, earning another sudden frantic flash of eyes from the droid. Obviously he didn’t want anyone else to know.

“Don’t worry,” He offered. “This means they’ll treat you much more gently now. They’re used to dealing with tougher skin, but now they’ll know.” The worry in the anon’s face did not ease.

He then had an idea. “I can request to be your permanent caretaker if you like.”

He could have sworn he saw a singe of hope lifting the brows over the droid’s eyes.

“But I’m not sure if they’ll let me, since I’m still an intern.” A fallen face. “I’ll definitely try though!”

He wasn’t sure why he was trying so hard to appease the anon droid, thinking that he was just another patient… but he wasn’t. Pastor Hwang would have said that fate brought the anon into Heiligtum, that fate decided to bind his future with XV’s.  XV wasn’t a fan of Hwang’s religious philosophy, but something about that theory seemed to click with him.

“Well, um,” He stuttered. “I guess we should get you ready for the x-ray. Do you need help to stand? The injection could be a bit disorienting.”

The android bowed his head in response, and XV came closer trying to meet his gaze for approval. He went on to put a tentative hand on the small of his back, steadying him when he didn’t push away, and encouraged him off the table. The XV scooted to the edge, and between the shuffling noises XV managed to make out another sound.

“Myungsoo.”

“Sorry?” Did he just speak?

“My name…” The android uttered, his voice so quiet it might as well had been a rustle of clothes against the papery sheet on the table. “It’s Myungsoo.”

“Nice to meet you, Myungsoo.” XV offered a kind smile as Myungsoo wobbled into a standing position, all while XV supported him cautiously with the tips of his fingers.

 XV was buzzing with excitement. He finally got him to speak! He made sure to compose himself, knowing that making a big deal might close Myungsoo up again.

“I’m going to walk you over to the x-ray chamber, ok? Then the radiation specialist will join us.”

Myungsoo nodded weakly as XV opened the door, letting in a cold gust of conditioned air and they both stepped out into the hallway.

With small baby steps, the two androids made their way down the hall, gaining curious glances from passing staff and androids alike. XV could feel Myungsoo warmth radiate from his skin as he went on to grab him by the waist when he almost toppled over. He made sure to do it as gently as he could; using the prewired pressure his manual alerted him was the right kind to hold a baby.

They arrived to the x-ray chamber a few moments later and XV helped Myungsoo settle on the flat surface under the machine as the specialist tuned it. He could tell that Myungsoo was nervous, but it was all in his eyes. XV knew that he won’t be trying to make a run for it, not now at least.

Myungsoo wasn’t allowed to move, but as the machine inched up his torso he turned his head ever so slightly towards XV and looked at him with concern pooling in his eyes. XV did his best to return an encouraging smile, to which Myungsoo replied with two of his signature blinks.

They were both silent as Myungsoo was x-rayed for his injuries, but XV was overwhelmed by the deafening amount of noise his overactive mind was creating. It was just the beginning of the day, but he could already feel that his next recharging session would come sooner than he thought.

He had made three important discoveries within a time span of under twenty four hours, and yet he still had so much to think about. Myungsoo might have told him his name (which was one of his three feats), but the no-longer-anon’s rehabilitation was just beginning.  Something told XV that he had his work cut out for him, and for some strange reason he was looking forward to it.

One step at a time, he thought, unsure whether he was referring to Myungsoo or himself. It’ll be okay.