“What did you observe?” the driver’s monotone voice asked me once again, like he had done every day since I had started going to school. I heard the click of the recorder turning on and then my voice as I answered.
“What did you learn?” was the next question. I automatically answered, staring at the back of his head.
Soon we were back at the Institution and I hurried inside, tossing my bag on my bed in the room I shared with Yvonne.
But as I walked out into the lobby, something caught my eye. I turned, watching as people were being dragged through the front doors and although it seemed like something so odd, the creators acted nonchalant, like this was an everyday occurrence. The people were unconscious, and I noticed right away that they were human, not mechanical, like us. I watched as the staff carried them into a back room and the metal door clanged behind them. The hallway was empty and almost hollow as I stared at the swinging doors.
I sensed someone come up behind me and turned to see Yvonne. Her gaze followed mine to the doors that methodically swung back and forth, their hissing sounds slowly coming to a halt as their motion ceased.
“Who are they?” I stared at the closed doorway where they had disappeared.
“Just humans.” She spat out the last word like it was a bad taste she couldn’t wait to get rid of.
I wondered at her sudden animosity. “Why are they here?”
She shrugged, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. “Who cares? They’re probably used as templates.” She laughed. It was a beautiful noise, but I sensed indifference, as if she knew how twisted her comment had sounded and didn’t care. “A way to make sure we come out looking like a normal person.”
All of a sudden somebody bumped into me from behind. I stumbled but didn’t fall, turning to see who had been so clumsy.
“I’m sorry ...” a voice said, sounding vacant and afraid. “I don’t ... my legs ...”
I twisted around and saw a blonde girl, one of us, standing there looking uncertain.
“I’ve only now been turned on ... that’s what they said ...” She paused, looking around.
“Oh, it’s fine, I understand,” I told her. When I had been turned on, I could barely walk as well. It would only be a matter of time before she was able to operate perfectly.
The girl seemed a little more relaxed but then tensed again as she shifted her gaze to Yvonne. She turned and stumbled slightly, then unsteadily made her way out of the room. Puzzled, I watched Yvonne’s eyes, dark and cold, staring after the girl.
The room seemed to get darker upon Yvonne’s sudden change in expression. She had a way of making a once livable room ice cold.
“What was that for?” I asked, curious as to why she would act that way.
“They’re annoying,” she hissed, still glaring at the door.
“What do you mean? We were once like that.” I felt like a child, talking to Yvonne, but I was truly wondering what had gotten into her.
“It was different for us,” she said, rolling her eyes as if she was irritated by me as well. “They’re completely new. They act like they’re so stupid. They’re a disgrace to us, don’t you see that?” Her eyes bored into me accusingly, her hands clenched at her sides.
“I don’t know ...”
“Ugh. Drew, don’t you see?” she asked. “We’re better than the others. The humans. We’re above them physically and intellectually. And androids like those,” she said pointing to the door through which the blonde girl had vanished only moments before, “are an embarrassment to our kind. There’s no room for them here. There’s no room for the humans, either.” And with that she stomped off, leaving me open-mouthed, staring after the perfect android who had just claimed the world to be ours.