When Zander and I walked into my house after work, we were surprised to see that Noelle wasn't waiting for us like she usually was. The house was spotless, which meant that Noelle had been busy with her usual duties, but the quiet was eerie. We exchanged a look, and without a word, we headed straight to my bedroom where I had left the robot.
I swear, if that robot is either missing or waking up when it shouldn't, I'm gonna...uh...scold her. Probably.
We poked our heads inside to find Noelle dusting my shelf full of old tech parts, her eyes lighting up when she saw us. "Master Eric, Mr. Zander, welcome home," she greeted us with a smile. "I have not disturbed your project, as you had requested. I have left it right where you left it, Master Eric. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
I waved off her offer and made my way to my desk, my eyes scanning the robot's body. Everything looked to be in place, exactly like I had left it. No sign of movement or life. "She's not up, is she?" I asked Noelle.
"No, Master Eric. It has been inactive the entire time you were gone." Noelle assured me.
"It looks creepy," Zander frowned, poking the face with a finger. "But dang, this is what it looks like? I can't believe we're going to use this thing, it looks dope as hell. Are you sure we can fix it, though?"
"It's in perfect condition, there's really only the arm that needs replacing. And maybe some repairs on the face, but that's minor stuff," I said, feeling the robot's neck. "We just gotta figure out how to get into its system, see what we've got to work with, then we can start fixing it."
"It's in perfect condition, there's really only the arm that needs replacing. And maybe some repairs on the face, but that's minor stuff," I said, feeling the robot's neck. "We just gotta figure out how to get into its system, see what we've got to work with, then we can start fixing it. I managed to look at the internal computing systems, and they are crazy advanced. This isn't just a standard AI model."
"What makes you say that?" Zander asked, leaning down to examine the robot.
"The hardware is unlike anything I've ever seen, and it's completely untraceable. The base codes have been wiped, but the frame itself is incredible," I said, tracing my fingers along the seams of the robot's facial skin. "The only thing we know is that Echo-Six made it, but that's it. Oh, Noelle, have you been able to find any more information about Echo-Six?"
Noelle shook her head. "I have searched every database I have access to, and there is no information regarding Echo-Six. I am sorry."
"Damn." I sighed. "Well, try looking again tomorrow. Zander, I wanna get this thing up and running tonight so we can test the codes that Wong wants."
Zander poked and prodded at the robot for a bit before nodding. "I'll start working on the arm and the face while you figure out the rest, okay? Noelle, Imma need some snacks. I'm starving."
"Of course, Mr. Zander."
After Noelle had brought us food and water, she left us alone to continue working. For a while, the only sounds in the room were our clacking keyboards and the occasional whir of a tool. Zander ordered an arm from a trusty supplier of ours, and I worked on getting the robot's operating system to wake up. I had been tempted to pop open and head cavity and work on the inner circuitry, but I didn't want to risk anything going wrong. There were some parts inside that I had never seen before, so it was best to take things slowly.
With androids as advanced as this one, I knew it would be foolish to rush things. The last thing we needed was to damage something that could be crucial to its functionality. So, I took a deep breath and started from the basics: the power supply. It was a straightforward task, but even that had me on edge. With shaking hands, I plugged in the power cable into my surge protector.
Nothing happened.
"Crap." I whispered, glancing at Zander. He was busy with the arm, humming to himself as he worked. I turned my attention back to the robot and took another deep breath.
"Come on, you've got this," I muttered under my breath, adjusting the cable before trying again. "There we go."
I watched as the power indicator light slowly blinked on, indicating that it was receiving power. I froze, then quickly slapped Zander's arm to get his attention. "Hey! The power's coming on!" I whisper-yelled, excitedly pointing to the light.
"Seriously?" Zander's eyes went wide. "We did it? But I'm not even done with the arm!"
"It's fine, we don't need it yet," I said, taking out my laptop from my bag. "Alright, let's see what we've got."
I set the laptop down beside me and pressed a few buttons, holding my breath as it came to life. I connected it to the robot's internal wiring, and after a minute, the screen flashed on.
> BOOTING UP
I felt my heart speed up as the letters glowed in front of me.
> ERROR
> MEMORY CORRUPTED
> RESTORING FROM BACKUP...
> 10%...
> 30%...
> 50%...
I held my breath as the numbers ticked up, my palms sweating. Zander nervously chewed his nails next to me, watching the screen with wide eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the loading bar finally filled up, and the computer chimed.
> SYSTEM RESTORED
> INITIALIZING PRIMARY PROGRAM
> 0%...
> 15%...
> 30%...
The progress bar crawled at a snail's pace, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. Zander let out a nervous laugh and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tightly. We both watched as the percentage increased by single digits, until it was finally at 99%. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the screen went blank.
My heart sank, and I felt my stomach drop to the floor. "Oh, no...what happened?" I whispered, frantically pressing random buttons on my laptop. "No, no, no! Come on, you stupid thing!"
"Maybe the battery died," Zander suggested, taking the laptop from me and opening the lid. "Yeah, it's dead."
"Damn it!" I cursed, hitting my desk in frustration. "It was fully charged, though. Did this android seep every ounce of juice from my laptop? What the hell is going on?"
"Relax, dude. We'll figure it out. We just gotta get another battery. Uh...I don't have any on me, though..."
Are we screwed? Is this it? Did we just fry my laptop for nothing? Are we cooked? Wong will fire us, we'll go broke, I'll have to sell Noelle to pay off the debt, and live under a bridge with nothing but a USB stick and a broken dream.
"Master Eric, I would like to offer my energy to the new android."
Noelle's voice broke through my panicked thoughts, and I snapped my head up to look at her. She was standing in the doorway, her hands neatly clasped in front of her, her eyes glinting. "Really? You can do that?"
"I've heard about AI's powering other AI's, but..." Zander said, looking from Noelle to me. "Can she really do that?"
"She can," I replied, glancing down at the android. "Noelle, are you sure?"
"Yes, Master Eric," Noelle said, her eyes glinting. "I understand that this project is important to you. I would like to assist in any way that I can."
I sighed. "I don't think it'll work, but...alright. Thanks, Noelle. Let's get you hooked up."
I got up and opened one of my drawers, pulling out a spare charger cable and a battery pack. Noelle stepped forward, her eyes fluttering closed as I connected the cable to her power port. The battery pack whirred to life, its LED light flashing green.
"Let's see if this works," I said, connecting the cable to the robot. After a few seconds, the robot's LED light turned on, indicating that it was receiving power. I let out a sigh of relief and sat back down on my chair.
"It worked?" Zander asked, looking at me in awe.
"Yeah, it did. Noelle's charging it for us," I said, looking over at Noelle. She nodded, her eyes glinting.
"Wow, she's amazing," Zander breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. "For an old model, I mean."
We waited with bated breath as the battery indicator slowly filled up. It was almost a full charge after an hour, and I could feel my heart racing in anticipation. The robot had to be close to booting up, and I couldn't wait any longer.
I disconnected the battery and gently placed it on my desk, then plugged in the charger cable.
"Come on, you stupid thing," I muttered under my breath as the screen flashed on. The loading bar appeared once more, and the numbers slowly ticked up.
> BOOTING UP
> ERROR
> MEMORY CORRUPTED
> RESTORING FROM BACKUP...
> 10%...
> 25%...
> 40%...
> 70%...
> 99%...
> SYSTEM RESTORED
> INITIALIZING PRIMARY PROGRAM
"Yes!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist into the air. "It worked! We did it!"
Zander let out a whoop of joy and hugged me, nearly knocking me off my chair. Noelle smiled gently at us, her eyes glowing brightly.
"That was amazing," Zander said, letting out a long breath. "Holy shit, that was stressful."
"I know, right? I'm so glad we didn't break anything," I said, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. "Now, let's see what we've got here."
I tapped a few buttons on my laptop and waited for it to connect to the robot's system. After a few seconds, the screen came to life, and a single line of text appeared.
> WELCOME
"Hey there," I said with a smile, my eyes glued to the screen. "Can you hear me?"
There was a moment of silence before a reply appeared.
> YES
"So you can understand me?"
> YES
"What is your name?"
> UNASSIGNED
"Okay, let's see here..." I frowned, tapping away at the keyboard. "Are you able to speak?"
> YES
"Can you say anything for me?"
The robot's mouth remained closed, but its voice box thrummed to life, sending a low hum through the room. "Hello. Thank you for...bringing me back."
"Back? Do you remember where you came from?" I asked, leaning forward in my chair.
"No. I am...uncertain," The robot replied, its voice low and mechanical. "I have no memory of my previous function. But thank you, Eric Iveson."
"Did you just scan me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "And how do you know my name?"
The robot turned its head towards me, its eyes blinking rapidly. "I can tell from the data on your computer. You are Eric Iveson, a software engineer working for AI Synergies. I am damaged, I apologize. I cannot access my full capabilities."
"Well, at least you're not trying to kill me. That's a plus," I said, rubbing my chin in thought. "We're gonna fix you up and everything's gonna be okay."
"I appreciate that, Eric Iveson."
"Let's get to work."
For the next three hours, Zander and I worked tirelessly on the robot, which we had dubbed "Echo" after its mysterious manufacturer. We replaced the damaged arm with the sleek new one Zander had ordered, and I began repairing the more smaller scrapes and dents on the robot's face and body. Noelle hovered nearby, occasionally offering advice or a much-needed tool. To say she had basically become an integral part of our team was an understatement.
"Alright, Echo, let's see if this works," I said, flipping the power switch on the back of its neck. "C'mon..."
After a few moments of silence, the robot's LED light turned on, and its eyes flickered to life. They were a brilliant purple, the color of the sky just before it turned dark. She blinked a few times, then looked at her hands, flexing her fingers. "Functionality...restored? I'm fixed? Wow, this feels great. I'm as good as new, huh?"
"Wow, that's a personality change." Zander blinked. "Why are you talking different?"
"Oh, should I stick with formal speech? I'm sorry, I'm just so excited to be working again." Echo's eyes sparkled, and she smiled widely. "Is this better?"
"No, no, that's fine." I said with a chuckle. "I...I just can't believe this. Noelle, can you believe this?"
"I am surprised, Master Eric." Noelle nodded, her eyes flickering. "This is quite the development."
"Hey, your name is Noelle? I think that's a pretty name. It suits you." Echo said, smiling. "My name is...Echo. It's nice to meet you!"
"It is nice to meet you too, Echo," Noelle replied, inclining her head. "I am pleased that you are operational once again."
"Thank you! You're so kind."
"You're welcome. I am glad to assist you."
"Well, at least they get along." Zander joked, rolling his eyes. "But seriously, dude, this is amazing. You found a robot in a dumpster, we fixed it up, and now it's talking to us like it's...I dunno, a person."
"It's almost too good to be true," I said, shaking my head. "This is crazy. Absolutely crazy. Uh...hey, Echo? Do you know who Echo-Six is?
"Hmm...I'm sorry, I don't know. I can't seem to recall anything about them." Echo replied, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm sorry. Maybe if I had access to the Internet, I could find something out for you?"
"Yeah, no, that's fine." I said, waving my hand dismissively. "We'll...figure it out. But it looks like you're operating perfectly fine, so...wait..." I froze, suddenly recalling the fact that the android had zero code in her system. "Echo, what's your core code?"
"Huh?" She looked at me like she had no idea what I was talking about. "Core code? What do you mean?"
"What is your primary programming? What are your basic commands?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Oh, uh...I'm not sure. I think it's something about serving people, or something? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's something like that. Maybe you could look into it for me? I think it's important." She tilted her head. "Why? Do I need them?"
"Uh...aren't these things unable to operate without a line of code?" Zander asked, scratching his head. "Maybe there's an error in her programming?"
"I don't know. There's no code here." I muttered, glancing down at the computer screen. "And if she doesn't have any code, how is she functioning? How is she speaking to us? She's gotta have some kind of AI, but...I don't see anything."
This is impossible. No android should be able to function without any sort of core programming. They need it to run their systems, to enable communication with humans...there's just no way.
I had seen androids with minimal code, but none were even close to being as advanced as Echo. It was like she was made to be the best of the best. And then someone decided to take away all her abilities and leave her for dead. Her code was wiped, but even then, she still managed to function. This was beyond me.
"Dude, this is insane." Zander whispered, leaning forward. "Do you think she's special?"
"I don't know, but we gotta find out." I said, chewing my bottom lip in thought. "Echo, can you access your memory bank?"
"Nope." She said, a little too nonchalantly. "Sorry. I can't recall anything. All I know is I woke up to you three."
"The way she was speaking to us earlier, before she was on and stuff, it was way different. Like...really different," Zander said, rubbing his chin. "She sounded more robotic, less...I dunno, human?"
"She could have been programmed with different voices. Some androids can do that," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm just trying to figure out how the hell this is even possible. None of this makes sense."
Echo looked between us with a blank look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, did I do something wrong? I didn't mean to."
"No, no, you're fine." I said, shaking my head. "It's just...you're different."
"You're not mad, are you? I didn't mean to make you upset. I'm sorry."
"No, no, we're not mad." I assured her. "We're just trying to figure out how you're even here right now. I can't find the corporation that made you, and now you're up and talking with no code and...I just don't get it. How are you doing this?"
"I'm not sure, but if you'd like, I can act like a robot for you. You know, like the ones in movies," Echo suggested, tilting her head. "That might make things easier, where they go like beep beep boop."
"I find that insulting." Noelle said flatly.
"Here, let me see if I can gain access to your internal systems." I said, opening my computer. "Maybe there's something I missed."
"Oh, alright." Echo said, nodding eagerly.
"Do you remember anything about who made you?" I asked, tapping away at the keyboard.
"Mm...nope. I don't remember anything."
"Nothing at all?" I prompted. "Even just a hint?"
"Well..." Echo paused, furrowing her eyebrows. "I think...I think I was working somewhere? Somewhere important, or at least that's what they said. But I can't remember anything else."
"What do you mean, they said?" I asked, glancing up at her. "Who's they?"
"I dunno. They were nice, though. I think they were my friends."
"How many were there?"
"Just two. A boy and a girl, I think. I can't really remember them. They just told me to do my best." She shrugged, smiling brightly. "I tried! I guess I failed, though, since I'm here with you, and they don't seem to be here. By the way, you have a lovely bedroom."
"Thanks," I said, turning my attention back to my computer. "I'll try to see if I can dig anything up, but I don't think we're gonna find anything. I've been looking all day, and nothing's coming up."
"Maybe she just has a different kind of code?" Zander suggested, leaning back in his chair.
"She would have to have a code to have a different kind of code." I said.
"But that doesn't make sense! She's gotta have a code, it's in all androids!" Zander exclaimed, throwing his arms up. "There's just no way. No android can function without a core code."
"Well, clearly she can." I said, gesturing to Echo. "And that's why we need to find out what the hell she's made of, because she's something completely new. We can't turn this into Wong as our project if we don't understand it."
"I don't know, maybe we should just scrap it and go with one of our older ideas. I mean, it's gonna take forever for us to figure out what's going on with her," Zander said, shaking his head. "This is just too complicated."
"If we scrap it, then we fail, and if we fail, we're both screwed," I said, clenching my jaw. "Besides, there's no time to come up with a whole new frame and code and mechanics and everything. This is our best shot."
Zander let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. "Okay, fine. Let's keep at it."
Echo knew nothing. It took us a solid hour to figure that out. She was like a human, but not quite. Her speech and mannerisms were human, but the way she reacted to things and how she saw the world was...odd, to say the least. There was something missing about her, like she was incomplete. And the worst part was, I had no idea how to fix her. I didn't even know what was wrong with her.
I glanced over at Noelle, who had been sitting quietly in the corner during the entire ordeal. She was staring at Echo with an unreadable expression, her eyes glinting under the soft glow of the light. She caught my eye and gave me a small smile, before looking away.
"Well, it looks like we're gonna be here for a while." Zander sighed, rubbing his face. "I'll grab some beers from my fridge. You want one?"
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
"I would like one." Echo said, holding up her hand.
Zander paused. "Uh...are robots allowed to drink? That can't be legal."
"Humans are not legally obligated to serve androids alcohol." Noelle said, crossing her legs. "However, I would advise against it, as it could potentially damage your systems. Any liguid will damage your systems, actually."
Echo pouted, crossing her arms. "Well, that's no fun."
"How'd you not know that?" I said slowly, arching an eyebrow at Echo. "You're literally a robot."
"Oh...sorry. I just thought...it seemed like it was fun," Echo mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be a burden."
"It's fine, it's just...how are you functioning without any kind of code?" I asked, frowning. "Noelle is right, you're not allowed to drink alcohol. It would just...not work."
Echo looked down at her hands, her expression unreadable. "I'm not sure, I'm sorry. I guess I forgot?"
Noelle and I exchanged a glance, and she nodded slightly.
"Maybe we should just scrap this and start over," I muttered, shaking my head.
"Wait!" Echo scooted off my desk, wobbling slightly before balancing herself. "Please don't get rid of me, I'll do better! I promise. I'm really useful, I swear!"
"Look, it's not that, it's just...you're too weird," I said, waving my hands dismissively. "And there's nothing I can do about it. I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker."
"Too weird? Uh...I can be better, though! No complications whatsoever! Just give me a chance." Echo pleaded, clasping her hands together. "I'm a really quick learner, and I have excellent memory capabilities...sometimes. You won't regret it, I promise!"
Do I have much of a choice? Wong's deadline is in a few weeks, and there's no way Zander and I can make a whole new frame, code, operating system, and everything else on our own. It would take years. And there's no way I can tell Wong about Echo without risking our jobs.
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Fine, I'll keep you around, but I can't promise anything. We're supposed to create an AI capable of intimate relations. And you can't do that. Not yet, at least. So I gotta figure out how to fix you before we can present you to the company."
Echo's face lit up, a huge grin spreading across her features. "Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down."
"Let's hope not."
"Now let's...get you some hair."
"Oh, I would appreciate that."