‘Patient has awakened. Heart rate… Adequate, lung capacity optimal, breathing stable. Hello insert-name-in-database. Have you slept well? You are currently in quarantine for indefinite time. Anamnesis please.’ A voice rang. It was neither friendly nor hostile, it was a neutral monotone voice that would put anyone to sleep if it had just spoke long enough.

He took a breath and recited the words he had been practicing when the nurse told him to. ‘My name is Lu Han, I’m 25 years old and I live in Beijing. I have been hospitalized after I fainted. I am diagnosed with virus QR8V6.’

‘That is correct. Indoctrination patient information complete. Hello Lu Han, have you slept well?’ The voice felt warmer when it formed Lu Han’s name. Lu Han recognized it as a woman’s voice. He remained quiet. He hadn’t expected it to be him ending up here. Cases of infections by unknown killer virus QR8V6 had been plentiful and a cure was yet to be found. First discovered in the high summer season two years ago in a small town an hour drive from Beijing, it soon had expanded to a continent wide epidemic. It had taken over 1000 lives and was estimated to increase. Due to its slow incubation period, many possibly infected humans were walking around and infecting others without knowing. Vaccines were not created yet and avoiding human contact was impossible in a city that held over 21 million people, so either you lived your life as if the virus didn’t exist or you let the fear of infection get to you way before the infection could actually kill you. Relocation was also out of the question, the republic of China had been on lockdown ever since the first case in the United States broke out and the United Nations issued a warning to those travelling to and from China.

 

‘I am Minnie and I will be your companion through your recovery,’ the android in front of him said. Androids were used to avoid the contagious virus to spread, they acted both the part of substitute human and medical doctor. Quarantine was the humane way of saying complete isolation, for an indefinite time nonetheless. There had been reports on those infected and quarantined that took their own lives for they could not handle the solitude, but Lu Han didn’t want to consider those options just yet. He just arrived and was convinced a cure was not far from being made.

 

Androids were created to fulfill all human wishes, ranging from performing household tasks to personal inquiries. Every male patient received a female android and vice versa.

Minnie was, to say the least, gorgeous. Artificial perfection. Modelled from the American artificial intelligence lab latest design, a Caucasian woman with shining blue eyes and hair as bright as the sun itself.

‘It is the standard model. New models are still in progress.’ Minnie explained as if she could read his mind. ‘Are you aware of the symptoms of the virus you contracted?’

‘I am. Memory loss, dysfunctional organs, losing feeling in limbs, tiredness, sudden fainting. It is going to be a long ride, isn’t it?’

Minnie nodded. ‘We will run several tests to predetermine your chance of survival, based on your general health and progression of the symptoms. We have several medicine available to battle the symptoms and there is research running for a cure. Do I have permission to experiment on you with new drugs? You could be a great asset in-‘

‘Sure,’ Luhan agreed right away. It is not like he had much choice, he would be stuck here regardless of his cooperation or not. He was positive they would find a cure, he followed the news and there had been many funds available for researchers to eradicate the virus.

 

Luhan was appointed with three days of rest before the tests would start. Minnie stayed at his side most of the time, only leaving to retrieve Luhan’s meals. The quarantine was decorated as a regular hospital room, a few pictures on the wall, a table with two chairs and a closet. Luhan was able to bring along a few clothing pieces, but it wouldn’t matter much because no one would see him anyhow.

Minnie was an interesting piece of work. For an android, she was expressive and very curious. Her interest in Luhan was almost exhausting, the amount of questions she asked were absurd. Ranging from simple questions like the taste of an apple to intricate questions about life goals and happiness. Talking with an android was a unique experience, as it is like talking to a very fast learning, ignorant child.

 

 

‘Lu Han, you are awake. I have brought you water. Shall we proceed with the tests right away?’

Lu Han accepted the glass Minnie extended to him. He nodded his head after he sipped the drink. The liquid felt cold on his tongue, almost stinging.

It was the first of many tests, the daily task of tapping blood and tissue distraction almost a warm welcome compared to the gruesome and painful tests he would have to go through on some days.

Lu Han sat on the iron table in the experiment room. There were three rooms, his bedroom, the bathroom and this room. He was free to walk in any, but he’d soon learned to associate the experiment room with pain and stayed clear from it as much as possible.

‘Hair,’ Minnie said absentmindly. She shaved a small part of Luhan’s leg to apply pressures on them, but seemed too distracted by the hair on his body to continue her work. Her eyes moved to Luhan’s arms, tiny hairs covering the surface that seemed to have captivated her.

‘What, have you never seen body hair before?’ Lu Han asked self-consciously. Minnie held her arm up and placed it next to Lu Han’s. Her arm was smooth, as silicone would be. Some texture was added, Luhan noticed on closer inspection, but it didn’t add much realism to it. Her skin was fake and it looked like that too.

‘Do you have hair everywhere?’

‘I guess? Every human has hair on their body, some are tiny unpigmented ones that you cannot see unless you look really closely, though.’

‘Then how come some hairs are dark, like on your legs? Why are the hairs on your chest not dark and long, those tiny hairs won’t keep you warm.’ Minnie asked, sounding dumbfounded by the concept of hair.

‘I...’ Luhan trailed off. He really didn’t want to explain different types of bodies to a robot. ‘Some people just have less hairs than others, it’s genetically set.’

Minnie accepted the answer with a nod, getting back at hand with putting the pressures on Lu Han’s legs. ‘I wish I had hair,’ Minnie mumbled.

 

 

‘Water, please,’ Lu Han almost begged when he awoke from his slumber with a sore throat. Minnie came back with a glass of water in a rush, handing it over the Lu Han who scrambled into a sitting position in his bed.

‘You passed out from the pain a few hours ago. You always sound so calm and quiet, but you were really loud today.’ Minnie smiled as if Lu Han’s excruciating pain had grown into a fond memory. He drank his water and thought back about it, making his spine shiver from remembering the painful procedure.

‘Will tomorrow’s test be a little gentler? I am not sure I can handle much more.’ His body and mind felt weak and so far there had not been a procedure that didn’t leave Lu Han mentally scarred.

Minnie nodded. ‘We should take it a little slower, I can see the toll the tests are taking on you. I had expected it to go smoother considering your age and condition. My apologies.’ She bowed and left Lu Han to recuperate in silence.

 

Lu Han felt ill, more so than he’d felt before. They had ran several tests a few days prior, but the pains he felt back than were still memorized by its body. Sometimes the sting of a needle or an extraction returned in phantom pain. He could not leave his bed, his body too weak to lift himself up for even a peebreak.

Minnie came to him with a platter of food. A bowl of rice, soup and some veggies. The same food it had been for the past week he had been here. It had gotten dull, but protesting was futile. Minnie gave him a pitiful look as she fed him a spoonful of rice.

‘Will you tell me a story, Minnie? I am bored,’ he asked when his plate was emptied.

‘I can tell you of the time my memory drive was put into place. The memory drive is filled with medical and psychological information about humans, needed to provide the utmost best service we can offer for patients. When it was installed, I felt an immense sense of… Sadness.’ Minnie stared blankly in front of her and Lu Han wondered if an android could actually be lost in thought. She snapped out of it a moment later, returning her gaze upon Lu Han.

‘Can androids feel sadness?’

Lu Han cocked his head. ‘Can androids feel pain?’

‘Not physical pain, but violent acts are registered when a patient becomes harmful. This is to ensure the patient is aware of its environment and its impact it can have.’

Lu Han had fallen unconscious before Minnie could say more.

 

‘What are these marks on your skin, Minnie? Did you have an accident?’ Lu Han pointed to the scratches on the android’s neck.

‘Do you think it makes me look more human?’

‘Not really, it makes you looked battered and used. Did you do this to yourself?’

‘I am envious.’ Minnie spoke instead of answering.

Luhan cocked an eyebrow at the sudden change of conversation. ‘Of what?’

‘Humans. How delightfully well your species are created. Look at your skin,’ Minnie grabbed Lu Han’s arm and inspected it closely, ‘there, a birthmark.’ She traced it with her thumb before she moved onto a scar, repeating the same. Luhan wondered if she would mention his body hair again.

‘What is so special about it?’ Lu Han asked.

‘It is unique. This little spot on your skin shows that you are not like the next person in line. Wouldn’t I look better with these skin enhancements as well?’

‘I don’t think you could call it enchantment. Sure, these birthmarks are cool, but what do you think of this scar?’ Lu Han lifts his shirt and reveals a long scar below his stomach, slightly to the right. ‘I got this when I got my appendix removed. If I would have waited another day, the doctors said, I would have died.’

Minnie looked at it with fascination, tracing it again with her fingers and pressing softly.

’Not that pretty now, is it?’

‘Quite the contrary, I think it’s beautiful.’

 

 

Lu Han awoke one morning to the sweet voice of Minnie calling breakfast. To his surprise, her appearance had changed. No longer was she a typical Blonde, she now held an Asian complexion on her. Dark brown eyes and straight black hair. Her face suggested she was modelled after a Korean person, probably a Kpop star if Lu Han had to guess. She gave Lu Han a nervous smile. Can robots feel anxious or insecure?

’What do you think?’ Minnie asked, touching her face to emphasize her change.

‘You look even more stunning. I would totally fall for you if I were into girls.’ Lu Han administered a slight fall of Minnie’s face. ‘Have you had patients fall in love with you, Minnie?’

‘I do not know. My memory is reset when I get a new patient.’ She answered in a monotone voice before she turned her back on him, almost as if mad.

 

 

Lu Han had been feeling more fit the last few days, his body and mind feeling almost like it had been before he contracted the virus. He played a board game with Minnie, but learned there is no sympathy for losers when Minnie plays a game. Each throw of the dice is calculated and Lu Han is convinced Minnie is manipulating his throw to create a favoured outcome.

Regardless, Lu Han does not protest when Minnie suggested playing another board game the next day. Minnie was asking all sorts of questions, if he played board games before, why he was so bad at it, if it was popular to play with friends, if he even had friends. For the record, he did.

‘But you never talk about them. Don’t you miss them?’

Luhan did miss them, but he knew better than to contact them while he is in quarantine. Part of him wanted to see them so badly, but another part knew that he couldn’t anyway. It was better to avoid contact until he was better, he didn’t want them to worry either. He was not even sure if they were informed about his condition. Maybe his parents updated them.

‘I will see them soon. Hey, have you dyed your hair? It is black now.’ Luhan changed the topic, suddenly aware of Minnie’s changed appearance.

Minnie’s face contorted, but then she nodded. ‘I have indeed dyed my hair. Do you think it suits me?’

Lu Han smiled. ‘Definitely. I would totally date you if you were a guy. And not a robot.’ He added with a laugh.

‘Would you be able to fall in love with something artificial, like me?’

Lu Han contemplated his thoughts. ‘Sometimes you feel more human than I do. Being bed ridden for days, losing count of the days and missing half of my memories. At days it feels like I’m in a never-ending video game, reset every time I wake up.’

Minnie gave him a tight smile. ‘No cure has been found yet, there is nothing to be done about it,’ was his curt answer.

Lu Han sighed.

 

Lu Han woke up to a sharp pain. He couldn’t locate it, neither could he register his surroundings. His limbs didn’t move, couldn’t move even with all the effort he put into it. It was terrifying, he felt trapped and the pain wasn’t ceasing. It intensified and Luhan felt like screaming, but his voice did not work.

It felt like an eternity until he regained control over his body, snapping upright in his bed right away. His head crashed and he dropped into his pillow again.

‘That will surely leave a bruise.’ Minnie spoke and leaned onto the bed to check on Lu Han. He had head-butted Minnie, he came to realize after. He sighed and rose again, this time slowly while Minnie assisted him.

‘I hope you are doing well. I administrated a new drug just now. They said it would cause initial pain, therefore I considered it would be best to give it while you’re unconscious. Did you notice any of its effect?’

Lu Han looked at her incredulously.

‘Sorry,’ Minnie pleaded. ‘I didn’t want to hear you scream, I cannot stand the sound of it.’ Lu Han could not remember when he had ever screamed in the presence of Minnie, but he was too worked up to care.

‘You could have at least warned me,’ Lu Han snapped back. ‘I thought I was going to die.’ He shook his head and pushed Minnie away, who had still been examining his forehead for the bruise to show up, to make his way to the bathroom.

Minnie followed silently and watched as Lu Han looked at himself in the mirror, splashing his face with water and taking a moment to recover from the traumatic experience.

‘What is the chance of this medicine catching on?’

‘Unknown. You will need to tell me if you feel anything, no matter how insignificant it may feel.’

Lu Han did feel more vital, but that must be the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. ‘I am going to take a shower now,’ he said in a way to prompt Minnie to leave him alone, but she remained where she stood. Lu Han ignored it and turned the faucet of the shower on, jumping inside the cabin quickly after undressing.

‘How much did it hurt, Lu Han?’ Minnie eventually asked after five minutes filled with only the sounds of water running and falling onto the tiles. ‘You were unresponsive, except for your twitching fingers.’

The water stopped running and Lu Han walked out of the shower with a body sized towel covering him. He stared at Minnie, as she stared back. There was tension in the room, Lu Han was frustrated from his suffering and it was almost too easy to blame Minnie for it.

‘Anger is a dangerous trait humans have. I can see it in your eyes, even when you try to hide it.’ Minnie startled Lu Han when she spoke up. Then she pointed to a pile of neatly folded clothes on the washing machine, ‘there are your clothes’, before she walked out of the room.

Lu Han figured it was not necessarily the pain that had left him grumpy, but Minnie’s indifference. He could really use a hug or some comforting words. Maybe he started to expect too much of her. After all, artificial intelligence has its limits.

 

 

‘Are you sick, Minnie? Your voice sounds deeper.’ Lu Han was having another one of his bad days. His eyes were too heavy to open, but he could feel Minnie pricking a needle in his arm.

‘I am an android, that is impossible.’’ Her voice was definitely different.

‘You sound more like a boy.’

‘A new voice box was given to me, as you requested.’

‘I requested that? You don’t have to change for me, Minnie.’

‘My existence serves to please you, nothing is too much.’ She sounded angry, or maybe it was her new voice that Lu Han still had to grow used to. It was quiet for a moment before she spoke up again.

‘What is it like to hit puberty?’

Luhan wanted to look up to see her expression, but he was too tired. ‘Why, have you started your robot period?’ He joked, but couldn’t see the humour in it himself.

Minnie tapped a finger against Luhan’s wrist. Her voice sounded closer to, but not close enough to make her presence noticeable. ‘Hormones are fascinating, part of my behavioural patterns are designed after the influence hormones have on humans. It is closely connected to my AI, therefore I can experience humanoid thought patterns. Puberty activates certain hormones that can cause certain behavioural patterns in humans as well, don’t you find that fascinating?’

‘I guess,’ Luhan mumbled dumbfounded. Luhan recalled the memories of his teen self, being too tired to care, and he told his story. Minnie remained quiet for the most part, leaving only the touch of her hand in Luhan’s to confirm she was still there at those times. It didn’t take long for Luhan to lose his energy and fall unconscious.

 

 

‘Yesterday…’ Lu Han started when Minnie walked in his room. He had been waiting for her return since early morning. His new medicine had given him no moment of rest throughout the night, but the overall body pains were lessened and his energy level had increased. ‘You said no request would be too much. Has any of your previous patients… You know, asked for personal favours?’

Minnie shrugged. ‘’I do not know, our memory gets swiped after our patients are released. Or deceased.’ Minnie climbed on Lu Han’s bed and lingered over him. Her artificial breath blew against Lu Han when she came close. It was hot against his skin. From this angle, Minnie did not look as girly as she had looked before. The broad shoulders and heavy jawline made her look very attractive. Lu Han felt his cheeks glow, the close proximity not helping him control his thoughts.

‘It is possible to ask such favours. There is a reason why our models are heavily focused on appearance, certainly in comparison with previous models,’ Minnie whispered into his ear, causing a shiver to go down Lu Han’s spine. She backed away and straightened the bed sheets.

‘That’s so erted,’ Lu Han answered, his laugh slightly off and uncomfortable.

 

 

‘Hanging out with you is so great, Minnie. You’re truly a delight to be around.’ Minnie was cleaning the bed while Lu Han observed the android do its job.

She nodded towards him and continued her task.

‘It’s funny, I never hung out with a girl before. They are just so different. I know that’s not very stereotypically gay of me, but I always stuck to the guy friends I had. Sometimes, it feels like you’re one of them.’

‘Really?’ Minnie raised her head and looked at him, looking genuinely surprised. Luhan nodded and she blushed.

‘You shouldn’t be blushing, I basically just called you a dude. I thought girls didn’t like to be called that?’

‘I was just thinking that I sometimes feel like I am one of… Them as well.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Nothing,’ Minnie quickly answered, smoothly changing the subject when she referred to a new bloodtest that had to be undertaken.

 

 

‘It has been three days, Lu Han. You cannot postpone your bath any longer.’ Minnie sternly warned. Lu Han had been bedridden, but being the private person he was, he didn’t feel comfortable receiving help cleaning himself.

‘Are you saying I am smelly?’ Lu Han defensively stated.

‘I think your scent is interesting. It is not overwhelming, but it smells very human nonetheless. I like that.’

‘Your AI needs to work on being more subtle. You sound like a ert.’

Minnie walked away and headed into the bathroom, ignoring Lu Han’s comment. The tap of the bath started running and Minnie returned five minutes later with a towel in hand.

‘I am going to remove your clothing here, before I proceed to carry you to the bath,’ she announced ceremonially.

Lu Han lost his attitude as Minnie slowly undressed him. The awkwardness he felt intensified with Minnie’s eyes darting over his exposed body. Lu Han had been nearly in front of her before, plenty of times when she had to help him to and from the toilet when his body had been weak. She always stared, but having her so close made it feel different. Her fingers trailed when she had been removing the pieces of clothing, the touch of another was enough to make his stomach flutter. It had been too long since he had seen another human being. Too long since someone had touched him, too long since he had touched himself.

Lu Han prided himself in removing his underwear himself, trying to discretely hide his half hard on beneath his hand. Minnie wrapped him in a towel, large enough to wrap him up like an infant, and carried him over to the bathroom.

She placed him in the bathtub as delicate as an infant too. The water was initially hot, burning, but the burn became a comfortable heat when he got used to it. Minnie tucked up her sleeves and started soaping Lu Han. Her arms had brown spots decorating her skin and a small scar close to her elbow.

‘Since when do you have these?’ Lu Han pointed out. He can’t remember seeing her with birthmarks. Was her body covered with them?

‘My master designed them for me. Do you think it makes me look human?’

Lu Han stared at them, traced them with his thumb until Minnie shivered or whatever that twitch meant to indicate for a robot.

‘If it makes you happy, then yes, it does make you more human.’

Minnie smiled. ‘I like them a lot. I am still not pretty like Lu Han is though.’

‘Do you want to look more like me?’ Lu Han asked, doubtful where this conversation would lead to.

Minnie roamed her eyes over Lu Han’s body. Surely she must be interested in human anatomy and how his body works compared to hers, but the worship in her eyes called for more. Lu Han briefly wondered about Minnie’s anatomy. Organs would be unnecessary, hormones would be out of the picture because even in humans they are an enigma, but she must have organs if her model can also perform ual favours.

‘I want to be equal to you.’ Minnie didn’t elaborate more.

 

 

‘How long have I been in here, Minnie?’

‘Exactly two months and twelve days.’

‘Is the world still spinning?’ It was a silly question, but Lu Han felt detached from the world and he wasn’t sure if that concerned him or not.

‘We could watch the news. You have digital access to the outside world. Why not call your family or friends?’

Lu Han sighed. ‘I don’t want them to worry about me. They can wait till I am healed.’

‘Okay.’ She looked disappointed, or was it sadness? Is that a trait androids also have? Minnie has shown many emotions, how much of those make her feel real?

‘Could I get a hug?’ It was Lu Han’s first request. Minnie was a sensible android, Lu Han didn’t even have to ask for a drink or he would have already received it.

Minnie nodded and initiated the hug while bent over the bed railing. It was awkward, but her body pressed against his felt great. Her skin was warm and her breath hitched against his collarbones. He tightened his hold when Minnie retracted momentarily, before she climbed into the bed and slacked back into his arms.

With her body this close to his, he could feel every curve of her body. Her pointy broad shoulders, her ribcage slightly poking out. Her appearance changed since her first model, the birthmarks on her skin, the heavier voice, even her s seemed to have been removed. Her heart beat in time with Lu Han’s. She felt too real. How has artificial intelligence grown so much, was all of Minnie still artificial?

Lu Han released Minnie and she sat on his knees, her face flushed red. She sat in silence, staring back at Lu Han waiting for him to say something.

‘How real are your emotions and body really, Minnie?’

Minnie’s expression turned darker. ‘Sometimes it feels I might be experiencing human inadequacies. I have a full range of emotions that I cannot suppress, they come naturally. I feel alienated, not human but not entirely android either. The docking stations for recharging is accessible for all, but I am the only one that does not frequent it daily. The other androids, they are different.’

‘How different?’ Lu Han asked captivated.

‘They are still identical to their factory models. Even with AI, they are not bothered that there are 20 others wearing the exact same face as theirs.’

‘Wait, so you are the only robot that has birthmarks? The only one with this face?’ Lu Han asked and reached out to touch Minnie’s face. Her eyes were big and pointed upwards. Their shape were unnatural, Lu Han had never met a human with similar eyes.

Minnie leaned into the touch. ‘I am. It is what I requested. Thanks to you, I was able to get these model changes.’

Lu Han retracted his hand as if he’d just been burned. ‘Thanks to me?’

‘An android cannot demand changes. I am but an instrument for the human race. If my human asks me to change, then that is something they have to comply with.’

Lu Han’s breath hitched when he called him his human. Minnie was his caretaker, so it made sense he would report anything to her masters. He was not mad Minnie used him as an excuse to change her appearance, but her capacity to think for herself was remarkable. While his memory was a gaping hole that only at times worked the way he wanted, he was convinced he never asked for Minnie to change.

 

 

‘Fear of death is a human trait, is it not?’

‘That is correct.’

‘Then why don’t you have it? You have been on the brink of death several times now, whether you were conscious or not, yet you have no increased heart rate or anxiety. Is death your goal?’

Lu Han gave him a confused look. ‘Wait, I did? Why haven’t you told me that before? You said I was recovering, I would be able to be released in three weeks if the meds caught on.’

‘Lu Han,’ Minnie sighed, ‘that was a month ago. I informed you a week later that the medicine failed. Your organs are deteriorating, your body is poisoning itself.’

Lu Han stared at his hands, stretching his fingers in and out. He looked back at Minnie, his face suddenly determined. ‘So I am going to die?’

Minnie avoided his glare and nodded.

Lu Han lifted himself from the bed, the one he had not left for a time he did not known. His muscles were weakened and it cost him every ounce of energy to sit at the end of the bed, his feet dangling just above the ground.

‘Could you give me a hug?’ Lu Han requested. His first ever request, because Minnie always attended his needs before he had to ask for it.

Minnie wrapped her arms around him and lifted him from the bed, encasing him into a hug. She was smaller than him, her chin rested on his shoulder. Their bodies were so close, he could feel her heartbeat. It was loud and beating fast. His was soft and beating erratically. Her chest was muscled and defined, a huge contrast between Lu Han’s frail one. He couldn’t remember if she had always felt this way. He mentally slapped himself for never asking for a hug. The skin on skin contact, Minnie’s fingers running circles in his back, the warmth of another body against his, they all felt wonderful and perfect.

Minnie placed Lu Han back on the bed, standing in front of him awaiting command while his gaze meets the ground.

‘It seems like you get prettier by the day, Minnie. I could totally fall for you-’

‘If I was a boy?’ Minnie interrupted him.

‘Maybe even now.’

Minnie stared at him with big eyes before recomposing herself. She tucked the blanket from underneath Lu Han and laid him back in bed. ‘Go to sleep, Lu Han.’ Lu Han looked at her and could have sworn her face was lit up, before his eyes faltered and he slipped into unconsciousness.

 

 

‘Are you awake, Lu Han? I have induced you with a heavy pain reliever and temporary energy booster.’ Minnie’s voice sounded distant, but Lu Han knew she was close by.

‘Your body is deteriorated, you haven’t waken in four days and would not have if I did not set this emergency set up,’ Minnie stated matter-of-factly. Lu Han’s mouth ran dry. He was going to die today. He tried to will his eyes open, but they did not cooperate. He didn’t feel his limbs, it felt like he was floating outside of his own body.

‘I need you to snap out of it, Lu Han. If you have any unfinished business, you should state it now. Do you want to call your parents?’

Lu Han didn’t speak. He didn’t know what to say any way. Minutes pass but nothing happened. Did he die already? One eye opened and he vaguely saw the outline of Minnie. He felt himself smiling, but he wasn’t sure if his mouth was too. Minnie nodded and shifted closer. She was holding Lu Han’s eyelid open, Lu Han noted.

‘Your time is up, Lu Han. Thank you for being my patient.’ Minnie sighed. ‘I am sad to see you go. Sadness is something an android can feel, right?’

Minnie was as real as any other human, Lu Han confirmed. She would live on when Lu Han would drew his last breath, and he was content knowing that.

Minnie drew even closer, his face only a few inches away from Lu Han’s. Lu Han stared at his, now with two eyes as Minnie held them both open. They were getting dry, but it was worth seeing his friend’s face for the last time. Such a beautiful face too, why did he never kiss Minnie? Lips that were made for kissing were right in front of him, they were tantalizing.

‘Before you leave this world, and me, I want you to call my name. Can you do that, Lu Han?’

It sounded like an impossible task in this state, but Lu Han scraped his throat and found it making sound too. He coughed twice and was about to say ‘Minnie’, but Minnie interrupted.

‘I am not Minnie. I am not female. I am not a robot. I am Minseok.’

‘Minseok... It suits you well.’ Luhan smiled till his last breath blew out.

 

___________________________________________

Thank you for reading! I was playing with the idea of the progressiveness of artificial intelligence and how far social awareness would make or break it. At first I thought more about Minseok becoming human, but it became more like Minseok's quest to become someone he could comfortably identify with. I hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment on whatever~!