"Buy our new android model available for only..."
The sentence was cut off before it could be finished by a young man lying on a sofa. He was staring at a holographic television with his blue eyes tending towards gray, as he changed channels with a disinterested look on his face. He quickly flicked from one channel to the next, scratching his dark brown hair. He then untucked his T-shirt with a mechanical gesture to create a small draught to try and dissipate the heat of the room, and repositioned his jeans-covered legs as the next channel began to appear. The room he was in had very little furniture, all old and dusty, apart from a coffee table with an ashtray carelessly placed on one of its sides, with a few cigarette butts inside, and 4 empty soda cans, one of which was on the floor because of a phone that had been vibrating for some time. Even the ceiling had an aged appearance and seemed to crumble at the slightest touch, as did the walls. There weren't even any windows, leaving the dark room illuminated only by the light from the TV and the phone, which continued to vibrate frantically.
"For just 10,000 credits, you can purchase our superb android, which will make even your most audacious desires come true! "
A quick black screen with a warning at its center: "the purchase of this product is restricted to persons of legal age" appeared briefly on the screen, before being followed by another program.
"After the failure of the second deflection shot, scientists are wondering about the internal composition of the asteroid heading in our direction. Discussions about a joint strike were held a few hours before the impac-"
The channel was changed again, the young man looking increasingly bored with the idea of watching TV.
"The U.S. Army has just released a new model of war robot, an evolved version of the "sentry", which was used in the vanguard during the wars. No official name has been given, but experts are using the name 'Sentinel Mk 2' for this project, which would be even more mobile and precise than the old unit used at the end of the Unification War...".
He cut off this sentence too, changing the channel again with an equally disinterested air. Although a hint of irritation and annoyance was beginning to distort his facial features into an ungainly expression.
"The disappearances still haven't stopped, this time if it's an 18-year-old young man who disappeared in the night, no suspects could be found, and no traces of running away or any kind of struggle were found at the scene. All her belongings remained where they were, and a used handkerchief could even be seen on the bed, according to family and police officers. It's as if he's vanished just like the previous victims in this series of disappearances, and although the modus operandi is the same, namely to target young adults or teenagers, in the vast majority of cases..."
The young man turned off the television with an exasperated sigh, leaving the sentence without conclusion. Then he murmured to himself.
"When it's not a commercial, it's a show about new weapons of war or more disappearances... It's..."
A long sigh interrupted his stream of thoughts, before he resumed a few moments later, flashing an ironic smile.
"And then...we gave androids the ability to feel emotions like us...they're perfect so why do they...why...do they keep..."
Clenching his fist, he bit his lower lip, showing his anger and frustration. Picking up his phone, which was no longer vibrating, he stood up, muttering several insults in a low voice as he headed for his kitchen. When he got there, he turned on his phone and saw several missed calls, as well as many messages, three-quarters of which were spam.
One of the messages came from the same contact who had called him. This made the man laugh as he settled into his kitchen, which looked more like a dump than it should. The wallpaper was dull and worn, the ceiling crumbling just as much as in the old room. Crumbs and dust could also be seen here and there on the unkempt floor, on the fridge, or even the only freezer, and the few cupboards. There were even racks of dirty plates lying in a sink, with two full garbage bags not far away, one of which was threatening to crack.
"I really need to clean this apartment, there'll end up being rats or bugs around here..."
Having said that, he sighed again as he dialed the number of the contact who had called him and left a few messages, a bored look on his face. The phone didn't even ring once before the call was answered and a visibly annoyed female voice came out.
"Why didn't you answer earlier Reiner?! I was worried about you!"
The young man's response was rather unexpected, and tinged with irony.
"You? Worried about me? Do I hear you right? The one who threw me out without a penny after my father died, and who caused me so much trouble I can't even remember how much? Don't make me laugh..."
"Why not! I don't have the right, I'm your mother after all!
"Shut up, you're not my mother or a member of my family, don't pretend it suits you. You're just some slut my father loved and remarried after Mom died. All you wanted was his money."
"If this is another attempt to take money from me, don't even dream about it, I've already given you a chance...even more than that. I went into debt for you thinking you'd changed, but it was the same as before, and now what's left of my family hates me because I helped you, he warned me but I didn't listen, I ended up saying horrible things to him and taking money from him to live on, all because of you, have you no shame?! No, but really...No, wait, she didn't do this?!"
When the young man, Reiner, looked at his phone, he saw that the call had ended. It had ended the moment he said he wouldn't give any money, and the silence continued.
"It's because of people like her that I hate humanity..."
Reiner sighed again, a slightly saddened look on his face at the aftermath of this conversation, seeming to regret something. He then searched the Internet for a specific location, in the same city where he lived, whispering.
"Well, if I remember correctly, Clovis told me to meet him there...".
He reached into one of his trouser pockets and pulled out a note written in refined handwriting.
"At 3.30pm, the android store eh...he's still hung up on that idea..."
He murmured to himself, before heading outside his apartment on the second floor of his building. He then walked out of his old, poorly maintained building, which stood out from the urban landscape that seemed so close despite the distance, towards an old car resembling one from futuristic films from the early 2000s. It stood out from the other cars, which were very different, much more refined with much more elegant curves. What's more, they were much newer and optimized to cope with air resistance, not to mention all the additional and perfectly optional extras.
Reiner slapped both cheeks before forcing himself to smile. He then got into his car to start it up, and quickly switched on the air conditioning, then the radio.
"The years 2XXX have been eventful between the advent of androids and VR games like the famous 'satisfied' ..."
The young man changed stations without even letting the sentence finish.
"The signal with the androids on Mars has become unstable. Lately the link seems unstable, with some speculating that asteroid material is the cause, and pertur..."
Only a sigh could be heard once Reiner finally turned off the radio, wondering if any of this really made sense.
He drove silently into a bonded city where huge, clean and well-maintained skyscrapers could be seen everywhere. Several surveillance cameras were placed on the walls and concrete parts of every building where they could be installed, silently and flawlessly monitoring this part of the city.
Huge solar panels and impressive mechanical crates were also placed on the roofs of all the buildings - air purifiers that had long since replaced the role of greenery, which was impossible to see, except in a park that Reiner quickly passed. The skyscrapers hid even the blue sky, dotted with a few pure-white clouds. Although some of the sun's rays were reflected on the rare puddles of deep blue water left by the morning's sprinkling on the bluish-black neo-concrete that made up the majority of this urban landscape, alongside the reinforced glass of the skyscrapers, or the commercials that swarmed here and there.
The street was impressively clean, without the slightest trace of imperfection. However, as soon as you looked more closely at the few dark alleys that were difficult to access and frequent, you could see a totally different aspect of this city, now filled with garbage and dilapidated buildings adorning dirty, rutted streets, devoid of the slightest trace of maintenance over the years, or a simple trace of surveillance. It was easy to see, in fact, that the main streets were no more than a facade, but as long as the illusion was maintained, the facade wasn't so bad.
* * *
Reiner arrived at his destination after a ten-minute journey, including three minutes in the traffic jams common to this bustling city. A skyscraper about a hundred meters tall, a modest size compared to the others, with the inscription "Androïde Paradise", was in front of him. Given that this store sold only androids, its size was nothing short of impressive, not to mention the huge screen above the store sign broadcasting ads to entice future customers to buy their products.
Once his car was parked, he made his way to the entrance of the store. There, a blond-haired young man about the same age as him stared at him with hazel-brown eyes, dressed in casual clothes. As he approached the young man, Reiner could hear him say.
"You're five minutes late, we don't normally keep ladies waiting."
"Are you a lady now, Clovis?"
Reiner replied mockingly, before adding.
"If you still want to try and get me to buy an android, give it up, I barely have enough to live on since I got fired from my old job, even if you have amazing persuasion skills, that's a no."
"Oh, and by the way, you never told me why you got fired all those years ago! Anyway, hurry up, it's too hot outside."
Clovis replied energetically, leaving Reiner to follow mechanically.
The store was even bigger from the inside, all the walls crimson red, and android recharging stations could be seen everywhere. Each one contained an android dressed in a relatively short maid's outfit, or a man's major, visible through glass panes bearing a label indicating the first name, hair color, eye color, height of the "product", its weight, measurements, and even a slight summary of its personality, although a note in a tiny font read:
"Product personality may change over time, no refunds or returns will be made under this circumstance".
There was also a machine where immediate payment could be made to purchase the android, or to try it out for a short period of time.
After entering and stepping onto the gray tiled floor, Reiner spoke with a voice tinged with regret.
"I got fired because of my mother-in-law... I wanted to help her when she needed help, but she asked so much of me that I missed several days of work, and since my manager was already looking for an excuse to fire me, he took advantage of it. Ah, and I used to work for a small company that made Androids, which is on the verge of bankruptcy now, by the way...I'd like to find another job before I'm out on the street..."
Reiner couldn't finish his sentence, and was cut off by Clovis, who shouted while pointing at an android.
"Look what do you think of her, brunette, green eyes...164.3 centimeters and rather shapely..."
Clovis also couldn't finish his sentence before Reiner smacked him upside the head and said.
"I don't have the money for it, and besides, it's not my style. I prefer a beautiful blonde who's a bit taller. By the way, were you even listening to me?"
"Rho, you don't like anything, that's because you've never had a girlfriend, you don't have the eye for it, I'm sure, look at her better!"
"Says he as he got dumped in less than two weeks on his one and only relationship..."
Reiner retorted with a broad smile, shrugging.
"Okay okay no need to remind me of that man. But who told you you had to use your money? I'm paying this time! You've helped me so much that I owe you, and don't say no, I still owe you money from when we were young and you helped me when I had almost nothing, plus I couldn't help you when you needed it because I didn't have any money left, whereas you were always there when I needed it. You know...I still feel guilty about that...even though you say it's nothing. Oh, and don't worry about your job, you're not bad, if you do a few interviews I'm sure you'll be snapped up."
Reiner frowned at this answer, and retorted with a slight smirk.
"Do you remember that? And I said it was nothing to feel guilty about, look I'm fine and I have enough money to eat and pay my bills, I don't need an android, however if you want to pay me back until I find a job I won't say no..."
Clovis stuck out his tongue and replied in a childish tone.
"No! Have you seen the state of your apartment? You need it...and I'm really worried about you. You're alone all the time these days, you haven't been to see your family for several years now, and you don't even go out anymore - well, you never went out much, but still..."
Reiner shook his head.
"You already know that I've fallen out with my family, and I know how to clean, plus I don't need company.I'm solitary by nature and I see you once in a while, that's more than enough."
"I'll buy you one even if you don't want it anyway, give it up for once...I know you're stubborn, but still..."
After a moment's silence, Clovis opened his mouth again, albeit a little hesitantly.
"Go see your family...it's important, and you haven't done anything serious...they'll forgive you, I'm sure."
"I'll think about it."
Reiner announced, a look of reluctance written on his face.
"You've misunderstood me, you've got to go."
"Listen...you know that, if I don't refuse it's only because you...because it's you, I know that you're an orphan from birth, and that everything to do with a family touches you, otherwise I'd have said no directly, you know me, I'm clearly not brave enough to take the first step, it's always been that way..."
Reiner declared, a little uncomfortable.
"All right, but promise me you'll go tomorrow at least."
"Okay, but in return for all your requests, you buy a good android and ask me the question 'do you want it' before paying...the last time with your curry was enough for me...you eat way too much spice."
Clovis' eyes lit up at the answer, before he spoke with vigor.
"Deal! Do you want a male or female model?"
"Feminine, it would make me uncomfortable otherwise..."
Reiner replied, all the while thinking about how he'd feel if he came home and saw a man in a man's major outfit cut in a deliberately tight-fitting way, asking him his preferences between dinner, a bath, or...