MODEL RV800

SERIAL#: 372 800 905

BIOS 8.5 REVISION 9760

LOADING OS…

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION…

CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS… OK

INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS… OK

INITIALIZING AI ENGINE… OK

MEMORY STATUS… OK

ALL SYSTEMS

READY

The AI opens its eyes to see a small-framed woman staring up at her, hand pressed on her chin, clearly thinking hard about something. A man in a store uniform explains something to the woman about 2 year warranties, and payment plans. The AI looks around the store, identifying the human-like beings standing on the platforms around it are also androids, indicated by the blue circle of light radiating off of their right temples. The man turns to face the AI, and says in a monotonal but commanding voice, “RV800, register your name.”

The small woman steps closer to the AI, “Your name is Wendy.”

NAME REGISTERING…

WENDY

“My name is Wendy,” the AI answers with a smile.

“This is your new owner, Ms. Park. You will be her housekeeper.”

CONFIRMING NEW ORDERS…

HOUSEKEEPER…

COMFIRMED

REGISTERING NEW OWNER…

MS. PARK

HOUSEKEEPER PROGRAM…

READY

After the payment, and paperwork are complete, the woman leads Wendy to her car, telling her to sit in the front passenger seat. Wendy obeys, because it is in her program to do so. Once they are both in the car, and driving, the woman looks over at Wendy, “So, do you have any memories before this?”

“It is protocol for the store owners to wipe my memory before I'm sent home with the buyer. That is why I had to be rebooted."

“That… that must be rough, I’m sorry.”

“Do not feel sorry, ma’am. I do not have an emotional attachment to my memories the way humans do, memories are merely information for androids. Besides, my only memories would have been of me standing in the store."

“Do they program any unique personality traits in androids?”

“I am a model RV800 Housekeeper Android, programmed to serve the owner, and take care of house hold needs such as babysitting, dish washing, laundry, cooking- “

“No, no. You’re misunderstanding me, Wendy. Is there anything you like? Are you funny? Are you kind? Those kind of things.”

“Ms. Park, it is in my programming to be a kind, and nurturing android. As for being funny, I have a databank of popular human jokes that I can build off of in certain situations. Things that I like? I suppose, I like you, Ms. Park.”

The woman laughs, “I think I like you, too, Wendy. You can call me Joy, by the way.”

Wendy looks out the window, watching people and their androids walking through the city. Skyscrapers tower above them, on either side.

“Joy.”

“Yes.”

“What do you like, Joy?”

Joy hums to herself, not sure what to answer, “I guess, I like thunderstorms, and animals, especially dogs. I like walking during sunset, and eating fried chicken.”

“Do you own a dog?”

“No, unfortunately, I don’t have time to take care of one.”

“Well, Joy, I, myself, have time to take care of a dog.”

Joy laughs under her breath, shaking her head, “I feel like we’re going to get along great, Wendy.”

Wendy smiles at Joy, “Thank you for being so kind, Ms. Park. It is nice to be out of the store, I am excited to work for you.”

“Wendy, you’ll be working with me, okay? We’re a team. Sometimes work keeps me really busy, and I don’t have time to take care of simple house chores, that’s where you come in, but I don’t want you to think of me as your master, okay? You’re my friend, got it?”

j.X:-# SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ;?,K

“Friend?”

“Yes. I see so many people treating androids like crap, it really makes me sick, but we’re friends.”

“Friends. I am friends with Joy.”

“Exactly."

"Alright, here we are," Joy pulls into the driveway of a small two story house. They’re in a quaint suburban neighborhood in Detroit. There is a white picket fence on the perimeter. The walls are white paneling, and on the left side of the wall is a blue door. The house is topped with a brown shingled roof. Joy gestures for Wendy to follow her up the driveway.

“It’s a bit of a mess right now, sorry about that.”

“It is my job to clean things for you, Joy. Do not worry, I will not judge you for the state of your home.”

A stair case is immediately on the left. The whole bottom floor is an open kitchen with an island, a living room, and a dining room. Pizza boxes are stacked on top on table, and laundry is thrown everywhere. Wendy notices many glass beer bottles lined on the kitchen counter. Somehow, Wendy isn’t registering any fowl scents.

Joy blushes in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck, “You’re probably wondering how I could live like this, huh?”

“It is not in my program to have such observations, Joy.”

Joy sighs, going to lock the door behind them, and take off her coat. Wendy begins cleaning without any instruction. Joy doesn’t say anything. Instead, she walks to the kitchen to load the dishwasher.

“Joy, you paid a hefty sum for me to be your housekeeper. Why are you cleaning?”

“I said we were friends, Wendy. Not master, and maid.”

Wendy walks up to Joy, resting a hand on her shoulder, “I insist that you relax while I clean, Ms. Park.”

“I told you to call me Joy didn’t I?”

“Sorry, Joy. I just thought you would give up doing my job easier if I sounded more formal.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Joy. If I do not clean for you, I do not have a purpose. I would merely be a worthless android.”

“Hey, don’t say things like that, Wendy. You’re not a Roomba.”

Wendy laughs, making Joy smile. Joy is amazed that technology has gotten to the point where it can laugh at her jokes.

“Do not worry so much, Joy.”

With that, Joy gives up. She throws her arms up in the air in defeat, “Okay, fine. I’ll be upstairs working if you need me.”

“Thank you, Joy.”

Joy hears the clattering of dishes being washed as she makes her way upstairs to her office. There are two rooms, and a bathroom upstairs. Her office is the first door on the right. She fumbles for the light switch. The light blinks on, revealing a rather clean office compared to the rest of the house. A cluttered desk sits in the middle of the room, and a bookshelf full of books, and trinkets spans the left wall. Joy plops down on the office chair. She opens the laptop on her desk, the screen lighting up to a blank word document. Joy works as a reporter for the local news, but has big dreams of becoming a bestselling author, one day. She writes every idea that comes to her, even the bad ones. She loves writing, but nothing she’s written has struck her as a bestselling novel, yet. Joy rubs her face, hoping it’ll cause ideas to emerge from the depths of her brain. She stares at the tiny blinking line on her screen, it almost taunts her. Joy lets out a growly moan, the frustration of writer’s block finally getting to her.

“Are you okay, Joy?” Wendy asks from the doorway.

Joy jumps in her seat, she didn’t hear Wendy approach. Joy notices she’s carrying a basket of laundry.

“Yeah, I’m just a little frustrated about, uh, work stuff. Hey, let me show you where my bedroom is.” Joy says, closing her laptop and standing up.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, I think I can manage to find it on my own,” Wendy smiles, but Joy isn’t looking.

Joy pushes passed Wendy, beckoning her to follow with a wave. Joy opens the next door on the right. The door leads to a dark messy bedroom. The curtains are pulled, letting only a sliver of sunlight in. Trash, and laundry decorate the floor. The bed isn’t made, and the blanket is hanging over the side, practically fully on the floor. Wendy did notice a strange scent this time. Shelves of books hung on the wall, they were the only organized thing in the bedroom. Cans littered the side table, and there is a weird stain on the foot of the bed. The closet is open, as well as several drawers in the dresser.

“Maybe I should’ve started with this room,” Wendy says softly.

Joy feels embarrassed again by the way she has been living. “Uhm, sorry about the mess again, I really .”

“You do not , Joy. You just weren’t born with any hy-GENES. Get it? Because genes, hygiene…” Wendy stops talking when she sees Joy’s shocked expression.

Joy tries to hold in her laugh, but that only causes her to snort, “Did you just say a pun, Wendy? Can androids do that? You’re supposed to be a high tech cleaning bot, but you’re telling jokes? Are you sure you’re an android?” Joy pokes Wendy’s stomach.

“CyberLife wanted us to be human-like in all ways so that people would be comfortable with us, telling jokes is just a software installation that helps people like me more.”

Joy hums and rubs her chin in response, “Whatever, that was pretty funny.”

Joy walks over to her closet, pointing to it with her thumb, “If you want to wear clothes other than that android uniform, feel free to raid my closet. What’s mine is yours.”

;^sOFTWARE INSTABILITY#@

“Thank you, Joy.”

Wendy places the laundry basket on the floor, and begins picking up all of the trash. Joy rushes downstairs, and brings back up a garbage bag for Wendy.

Wendy is very quiet, and the stillness in the air makes Joy uncomfortable.

“I’m going to go take a nap on the couch downstairs, go ahead and wake me once you’ve finished cleaning.”

Wendy straightens, and smiles at Joy, “Okay, Joy. I will wake you when I am finished cleaning.”

Joy makes her way to the couch downstairs. She notices that it’s raining outside now, making her house even darker. She slowly lays down on the couch, resting her head on her hands. Joy knows that Wendy is an android designed for cleaning, but she can’t help but think there’s a “person” inside of her.

Joy hears, and reports on, so many news stories about androids becoming deviants, and running away from or even killing their owners, claiming it wasn’t fair that they were treated as slaves. All of the deviants became that way from abuse towards them, though. Joy figures it’s trauma, and fear that triggers deviancy in the androids. She also sees many mindless androids walking around who obey their owners vigorously. If it takes trauma for Wendy to become deviant, Joy doubts it’ll ever happen. Joy has no intention of torturing her android friend. Joy has always seen androids as a “type” of person, she couldn’t wrap her brain around how people solely use them as tools, and nothing more.

She’s honestly scared of her decision to get an android, scared she’ll get too attached, the way she does with people, and then Wendy merely wanting to be a housekeeper, because that’s what she’s designed to do. Joy can’t lie to herself, part of the reason she got an android was to have a friend. She only has one friend outside of work. Although, she doesn’t have any friends at work, either.

Her other friend is this girl named Seulgi. They were friends since college. Seulgi ended up dropping out because she became famous on youtube making mukbang videos. Joy wasn’t really sure why people would want to watch Seulgi eat, but she was proud of her success still. Seulgi also works part time at a 7-11 near Joy’s house for “fun”, is what she told Joy. Seulgi always had a weird way of viewing the world, but that’s why Joy likes her.

The rain picks up, bringing soft rumbling thunder with it. Joy finds it extremely hard to stay conscious with the peaceful sound of the rain hitting the windows, and the faint footsteps upstairs.