Prologue:

Once upon a time (exactly two years, two months and three days ago), a woman bought an android. Androids were all the rage back then—and even now, humanoid robots that could do your chores for you and double as a companion for those lonely men and women. One thing special about these androids was the fact that they were very, very human. If one can turn a blind-eye to their rather bland personality, the faint whirring of their processor and the fact that they get their energy by charging their batteries from an electric socket instead of eating and sleeping, they might as well be human. They were machines under the guise of a living, breathing human.

This woman bought one of these wondrous contraptions because—because she was lonely. To her, the android was a replacement, a replacement for a family who left her and a family who was never there. Someone to dote on, someone to care for, someone to love, and someone who would give their love to her as well, a little like a pet, not so much like a companion.

The android—one of the newer models, a young male with kind eyes and ever-present smile—reminded the woman of her husband back when they were still young and new to the world; naïve, kind-hearted (or as kind-hearted as androids could be), and an excellent listener. The android quickly went up the ranks from a somewhat-of-a-pet, to a-little-like-a-son to her. It was as if she had a younger version of her husband back.

Soon, the attachment grew into something more, something deep and profound and morally indecent. Soft of maternal affection became lingering touches of longing. Innocent, motherly love became the most basic of carnal desires. She was lonely and needy, and the android was the most convenient way of letting out her pent-up desires. To which the android responded happily with its ever-present smile.

After all, it was ultimately built to please its master.

It went on for a while, the woman getting more and more attached and the android ever smiling and ever much the same. She wished for more and more and more, to fill in the void in her heart, and, she thought, perhaps she could start a new life with it. When the realization that the android could never reciprocate her feelings and all those nights—blinded by need and passion—it was only aiming to please finally kicked in, the world around her crashed into a million pieces and her already broken heart died out. The following day (approximately a year, one month and sixteen days ago), in an act of extreme depression, she committed suicide by jumping off the 60^th floor of her apartment building.

It was a tragedy, gossiping housewives would whisper, the poor widow was already broken enough with her husband and daughter’s death and she couldn’t stand another blow to her frail heart! Oh poor soul! Other housewives would cry, what is our world coming to? Loving something that could never feel anything let alone love us back!

It was a tragedy, but that tragedy was not the only tragedy in the world.

Perhaps it was because the masters were already on the brink of clinical depression, or perhaps it was because those androids were too human for their own good. When the line between human and machine is crossed, the results are rarely pretty. The elderly—along with some enthusiastic youths and conglomerates—found the androids to be utter abominations. Mankind should not attempt to create their own ‘human’ and should stop trying to play god and, for goodness sake, do something that would actually benefit us for a change!

But their protest amounted to nothing, especially because almost every government in the world backed up the android project. You don’t agree with the project? Then prepare to face severe alienation and have nearly all your rights and belongings taken away. One could say humans were leading themselves towards destruction, but hadn’t they been doing the same thing for the past few millennia?

Androids were convenient, yet they were too human. They looked too human, some of them even thought too much like a human. Each android were embedded with a personality chip, to give them a ‘life of their own’, to make them seem human. But isn’t that what was killing the countless men and women who fell in love with a thoughtless machine?

Perhaps in the end, humans were slaves to their own creation.

This fanfiction based on the BL manga called "Etowa" by Tsuge Amayo, though I will not completely copy the entire premise of the story. Will definitely contain Ricsyung and other Shinhwa pairings.

Word of warning: My update schedule shall be as erratic as my other fics. Because to be honest, I was honestly surprised I managed to get the first chapter out. O.O Honestly surprised, but extremely pleased as well.

Hope you enjoy!