Daniel barely remembered how he got to Jasper. The last time he’d seen Jasper this scared was in the park, right after they’d found out there were real people inside some of the robots. He’d stood there like that almost until they left. There’d been moments like that before, but they were rarer. One was when Jasper found out he was going to be a father. He’d gone through that phase too. Finally, he’d slept with a woman more than twice, and she’d gotten pregnant. He’d lost it. Stopped laughing, stopped going out. Wondered where he could hide and called Daniel all day long. What advice could Daniel give him? None. He didn’t have any experience either. He just listened.
Later, it turned out the woman wasn’t pregnant after all. Daniel didn’t know what happened between them, but he never heard about her again. Only once, years later, did Jasper mention her. He showed Daniel a picture of her with a real kid. But it’d been years, and it definitely wasn’t Jasper’s.
He spotted Jasper’s Jeep from a distance. Jasper was still in the driver’s seat, scrolling through his phone. The light from the screen lit up his face. Daniel pulled up beside him and opened his car door. Jasper didn’t see him. He knocked on the window, and Jasper jumped. His face looked terrible.
Jasper got out of the car, and without much talk, they headed up the stairs.
“Brother, how are we going to move him later?” Jasper asked, walking slowly behind.
“That’s what’s worrying you right now?”
“Yeah, that. I’ve got a reputation. I can’t let people see me dragging a body out of there.”
“A robot. If we believe what you’re saying.”
“And still? How do I explain to someone that it’s a body?”
They had one floor left to the apartment.
“I can’t do it, brother.”
“Jas, I don’t even recognize you.”
He really didn’t.
“Brother, this whole thing… I don’t know what to think.”
“Is this it?” Daniel pointed at the door, and Jasper nodded, handing him the key.
“You go in first. I can’t.”
The apartment echoed. The walls were plastered, but the floor was still bare cement—no flooring yet. Usually, new owners picked and installed their own. The rooms were empty, and only the windows across the way let in some light. They entered through a short hallway, and just before the living room, they exchanged a glance. Jasper looked like he’d seen a ghost.
Daniel took a step forward, though his courage was fading too. He felt like a kid again, like when they’d dared each other to sneak into abandoned houses. They’d draw straws to see who went in first, and somehow Daniel always lost. They never stayed long in those houses. The first creak of a floorboard would send them running for their lives. And if they lingered for some reason, a neighbor would call it in, saying kids were breaking into the house. The police sirens ended up scarier than the house itself. The cops never gave them trouble—just laughed as they watched the kids scatter in all directions. They were used to it.
Now, he felt the same way. He trusted Jasper, but he didn’t want to deal with the police. Especially if Jasper had killed a person. He hoped it really was a robot.
“Where?” He looked at Jasper and asked quietly.
Jasper pointed, and Daniel turned left.
And there he was.
The “guy” was a full-grown man. Young, sure, but a man. About two meters tall and well-dressed. He stood upright in front of them, waving with an idiotic grin. Though he was thin, his frame was broad, taking up most of the hallway. His smile was both amusing and creepy. On the right side of his neck were the marks from Jasper’s wrench. Buttons were scattered on the floor, and two wires poked out from his neck. And yet, he smiled and looked at them. Looked at them like a living person.
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“Didn’t you say you killed him?”
“Yeah. He fell. Short-circuited. I’m sure of it.” Jasper was holding a tool again. “Bastard.” He swung the wrench from a distance.
“Who are you?” Daniel asked first, motioning for Jasper to stop.
“Martin.”
“Hello, Martin. Why are you here?”
“I’m an economist, and I’m looking for a place to live.” After the last word, one of his eyes spun wildly in all directions before settling back into place.
“Who sent you, Martin?”
The robot kept smiling.
“I’m an economist, and I’m looking for a place to live.” He raised his right hand and extended it toward them, wanting to shake hands. He kept repeating himself.
“Martin, this apartment’s taken.”
Jasper nudged him lightly. Daniel turned.
“Oh, then I must’ve gotten mixed up,” the robot said, his smile unwavering.
“Yeah, Martin. You got mixed up.”
The robot started moving forward with slow steps. He didn’t move his left arm and stepped better with his right leg, using the left just to prop himself up. He headed straight toward them. They stepped aside to let him pass. But instead of heading for the exit, he turned toward the living room they were standing at the edge of. He took no more than three steps, stopped in the middle, and turned around. His eyes flickered again and settled.
His smile vanished.
“Hello,” he said, as if seeing them for the first time.
“You seriously scrambled his circuits, Jas. He’s completely lost it.”
The robot—or Martin, as he’d been named—had no intention of leaving. He started over with the same script.
“Daniel, Jasper. I’m Hugo Barnes.”
That was new.
The robot spoke in the same voice but with a different tone. And he wasn’t smiling. The two of them froze. Daniel didn’t know what Jasper was thinking, but he could guess it was the same as him. They were in some kind of movie. There was no other explanation.
The robot waited a moment for them to process it and continued.
“I’m sorry it had to happen this way, but it had to happen.”
Jasper lunged at him with the tool. Daniel stopped him.
“Please, hear me out,” the robot said. He looked normal—if you ignored the fact that he was a little banged up.
It was a strange sight. He was like a real person, with real emotions and mannerisms. Not that they were seeing something like this for the first time. They’d spent time in the park, after all. But in the real world, things like this didn’t happen. At least, that’s what they’d thought until now.
The robot saw they were silent and went on.
“I want to meet you.”
“Where?” Jasper couldn’t hold back. “Because I can’t wait to see you either, you old son of a bitch.”
“Don’t be mad. Things had to unfold this way.”
“Didn’t the tests end, so now you’re sending robots out here too?”
“Well, not exactly. But I’ll explain it all in detail somewhere else. Let’s meet tomorrow at the café on Liss Street. I want both of you to come.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind, you old bastard!” Jasper was yelling now, swinging the tool in his hand. “We’re not going anywhere. How many more robots like this are out there?”
“Not many. But they’re out there. Look, what I’m doing is revolutionary, and you two played a huge part in making it happen.”
“A part?” Daniel stepped forward now.
“In a good way. I was looking for people exactly like you to test the robots. The tests couldn’t just end in the park.”
“So you decided to send robots here?”
“My robots have been in the real world longer than you think, boys.”
Jasper charged again. Daniel couldn’t stop him this time. He swung and slammed the tool into Martin’s head. The robot fell backward, making all sorts of noises. His face stayed unchanged, but he kept talking.
“I understand your reaction, and I don’t blame you.” It was bizarre—he was lying on his back, staring up, still speaking. “But I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll explain everything.”
Jasper started toward him again, but Daniel got there first.
“What do we do with this one? Martin.”
“Leave him where he is and lock the door from the outside. My people will come by and take care of him.”
The robot made a sound, closed his eyes, and his face relaxed. From where Jasper had hit him, a reddish slime oozed out, trickling down his body.
Jasper clutched his head. He was emotionally wrecked. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Neither spoke.
In the end, they did what Hugo Barnes had told them through the robot. They locked the door from the outside and went downstairs.
Each got into his own car. They sat there for a long time.