Perfect

  Who can truly claim perfection? What criteria define something as perfect? Why is perfection a desirable quality, and why do we label things as perfect? What image or standard is used to describe perfection? Is it a reflection of oneself, or was it crafted from a perceived flaw?

  Sitting at the dinner table, Seze hummed softly to herself as she read her book, her focus entirely absorbed in the pages. The warm light from the overhead lamp cast a cozy glow around her, creating a peaceful contrast to the activity in the house. She barely noticed the three figures approaching until a voice cut through her concentration.

  “Seze, you will not believe the day I just had—where’s Mom?” The voice belonged to Bryn, whose emo style stood out sharply against the more subdued surroundings. Her curly hair framed her face in a wild halo, accentuating her pale skin and the light freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose. Her dark clothing and subtle makeup gave her an intense presence, and her eyes flickered with a blend of frustration and intrigue.

  Seze looked up from her book, her gaze shifting from the printed words to the three people now standing in front of her. Beside Bryn were Philly and Jude. Jude, with his fluffy black hair, was taller than Philly but shorter than Bryn. His dark eyes and chubby cheeks gave him a youthful and endearing appearance, adding a sense of warmth to the group.

  Seze’s curiosity was piqued. “She’s still downstairs?” she asked, her gaze directed towards Philly.

  Philly nodded as she slid into a seat at the table, her posture relaxed. “Yeah, she’s down in the lower compartment. Something about checking on the system or maintenance.”

  Jude, settling into his seat, glanced around and asked, “What’s for dinner?”

  Philly shrugged. “The twins went to pick something up. We couldn’t get anything from the store today.”

  Bryn raised an eyebrow. “Why not? And what the hell happened to your lip?” She pointed to her own lip in a questioning gesture.

  Seze sighed, shifting uncomfortably. “Uh, some guy was attacking an android—”

  “HUH!” Bryn and Jude shouted in shock, their voices rising in unison.

  “Could you two be any louder?” Philly rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. “I literally told you on the way here.”

  “No, no,” Jude shook his head, giving Seze a worried look. “You said Roman got hurt, not Seze! Did the android attack you?”

  Philly groaned, nearly facepalming. “Jude, I swear to god, you don’t listen.”

  Jude looked genuinely puzzled. “What’s up with you today?” he asked Philly, his concern evident.

  Philly sighed. “I had to deal with this dumbass person today. He kept getting hostile every time I answered his questions.”

  “Huh…? What kind of questions was he even asking?” Bryn inquired, her curiosity piqued.

  Philly merely shrugged, letting out a sharp sigh, “I don’t know. He was just being an ass.”

  “Okay, but Philly Willy, what did he say?” Jude pressed on. Philly gave Jude a side-eye, raising an eyebrow slightly in disgust. “Okay, now this is why you still don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “PHILLY!” Seze shouted, her face flushing with embarrassment. Bryn covered her mouth in shock, trying to suppress a laugh.

  Jude scoffed, “BRO! NEITHER DO YOU!”

  Seze closes her book a small whiney compliant coming from her mouth, “Just say what happened please–”

  “Okay, since YOU asked nicely,” Philly said with a warm smile directed at Seze, then sent a sharp glare at Jude across from her. “The man came in and was like, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I’m getting treated like this by a bunch of fucking robots—life would be better without them and blah blah blah.’ And then he looked at me and asked if I agreed with him. I told him no, I was raised by one, and my life is turning out great, so—”

  Philly’s voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes flashing with irritation. “And the man completely flipped out.”

  “What the fuck is his problem?” Bryn said with disgust layered in her tone.

  “That might of been the same guy who was attacking the android earlier today–” Seze says, giving Philly a knowing look to which Philly nods. “Yeah I realized it at the last minute when he left.”

  “Wait, why does he hate androids?” Jude asked, confusion evident in his voice. “They’ve been around for so long already.”

  “Because people like him don’t want to accept that they need help in their lives,” Bryn replied with a hint of frustration. “People like him literally don’t have an ounce of accountability in their bodies. They always want to complain about the androids but are the same people who said we needed them in the first place. Like pick a lane.”

  “Right,” Philly said, moving her hand dramatically.

  “Well— I think something might of happened with that specific android,” Seze replied softly. “I was thinking about it while I was reading this book about the history of android’s and stuff and—“

  “You just have that book on hand?” Jude smirked slightly. “Jude.” Seze furrowed her brows, “Don’t start.”

  “I’m kidding I’m kidding,” Jude puts his hands up in defense. “Continue what you were saying.”

  Seze continued, “Some droids were built with emotional intelligence, but production stopped because some of the synthetic gets too attached. For example, on a ship called the *Killax*, an android became overly attached to the captain, doing everything for them. One day, the captain made a casual remark that the android was taken out of context, and things didn’t turn out pretty.”

  “What the hell did the captain say?” Bryn questioned, her curiosity piqued. “Wait, actually, why did the android have emotional intelligence in the first place?”

  “To have emotion…?” Philly responded with a deadpan expression, rolling her eyes as if the answer were obvious.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Okay, now—” Bryn began, but Seze interjected.

  “Look,” Seze said, cutting through the conversation. “The bottom line is synthetics, over time, can develop emotions, and it can mess up their systems and stuff.”

  “Me perdiste. What does that have to do with the old man?” Philly asked, her tone tinged with irritation. “I really don’t give a shit about the droid right now, honestly—”

  “Philly, mom’s an android. Don’t say that,” Bryn snapped. Philly looked at her in annoyance, her patience clearly wearing thin. “Usted sabe lo que quiero decir.”

  “I’m saying, maybe it made a call that the old man didn’t like, that’s all,” Seze said, motioning toward the book in her hand.

  “That’s a personal problem then—”

  “Philly!” Bryn snapped again, her voice firm. “Be considerate.”

  “For what? You didn’t have to deal with what I went through,” Philly shot back, her frustration boiling over.

  “Still, it’s the principle—” Bryn insisted, her tone unwavering.

  “Okay, okay,” Jude intervened, his voice calm and soothing, attempting to defuse the tension. “It’s obvious Philly’s just frustrated, so maybe it’s best that she goes to sleep.” He then turned his head towards Philly, his eyes gentle. “You can go to bed. I’ll bring you your food.”

  Philly huffed, her frustration still evident, but she complied, getting up and pinching Jude’s cheek playfully before walking away into another hallway. As she disappeared from view, Seze let out the breath she had been holding, her eyes immediately meeting Jude’s, then Bryn’s.

  “Why would she say that?” Bryn asked, her voice laced with frustration.

  “She’s tired, Bryn,” Seze muttered, her voice low. “The day was kicking all of our asses.” She pointed to her lip, where a small cut was visible. “Literally.”

  Bryn’s gaze softened, the tension in her shoulders easing as she realized the toll the day had taken on all of them. The room fell into a brief silence, the weight of their shared exhaustion settling over them like a heavy blanket.

  Bryn sighed, laying her head down in her hands. “Where the hell are the twins? I’m freaking starving—”

  “Give them a bit,” Seze hummed, opening her book again. Bryn huffed, getting up and leaving the room, leaving Seze and Jude alone.

  “So,” Jude cracked a smile, “I still don’t have a girlfriend—”

  Seze sneered, getting up and lightly smacking Jude against his head. “Buzz off.”

  Jude laughed, getting up to go after her.

  . . .

  Roman and Rowen stood in the dimly lit corridor just outside a closed door, the metallic walls of the building. The corridor was narrow, with small lights embedded in the ceiling casting long shadows across the floor.

  “Should we at least check on her? I mean, she’s been in there for hours. She’s gonna miss dinner,” Roman said, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space.

  “Roman, she doesn’t eat…” the other character responded, glancing at the door.

  “I mean, yeah, I know,” Roman shrugged, leaning against the cold metal wall. “She’s been acting a little off lately, like you said. I caught it earlier when she was talking about the whole 'people aren’t perfect' thing.”

  “Yeah— I caught that too,” his sister agreed, her voice tinged with unease. “Not even gonna lie, man, that scared me a little bit.”

  “Scared you?” Roman asked, glancing at her.

  “I mean— does she think we’re not perfect? Not like us, but like people, humans in general.”

  Roman took in his sister's words, the memory replaying in his mind for a moment. “That would go against her directive.”

  “Then wouldn’t that mean she doesn’t love us?” Rowen questioned, her voice softer now.

  “Rowen—what?” Roman responded, surprised by the thought.

  Rowen hesitated, her eyes narrowing as she tried to put her thoughts into words. “I’m just saying, if she’s starting to think that way—about people in general—what if that includes us? What if she doesn’t feel the same way anymore?”

  Roman frowned, his mind racing as he considered her words. “That doesn’t make sense. Her directive is to protect us, to care for us. Not just us but all the kids that don’t have anyone either.”

  “Yeah, but…what if—” Rowen asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if she’s starting to question things—question us?”

  Roman crossed his arms, feeling the weight of the situation settle heavily on his shoulders. “Don’t—don’t think like that. That’s never gonna happen.”

  “It better not…” Rowen muttered with a light sigh, her anxiety barely masked.

  Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, the clanking against the metal floors growing louder. The twins turned to see a man approaching them slowly.

  “Hm?” Roman murmured, noticing the figure.

  “Are you two approachable?” the man asked, his tone formal but not unfriendly.

  “Um—” Roman and Rowen exchanged a quick glance before nodding. “Yeah?” they replied in unison.

  “Good. I’ll inform MU-TH-UR of your whereabouts. Come with me, please. No need to worry about your delivery; I’ll have someone deliver it to your house,” the man instructed, gesturing for them to follow.

  The twins hesitated for a moment but ultimately complied, curiosity and a hint of apprehension lingering as they followed the man down the corridor.

  “The synthetic from today's incident is salvageable but needs fixing before a reset. Since he was semi-conscious, it would be best to have familiars around,” the man explained, his tone matter-of-fact. “I’m aware that one of you is equipped to repair synthetics?”

  “I am,” Rowen spoke up, a hint of hesitation in her voice. “She—um, taught me.”

  “Good,” the man nodded. “I trust that she taught you well.”

  Entering a new room, the twins were met with the sight of the android lying motionless on the repair table, its once vibrant features now dull and lifeless. The room was dimly lit, the overhead lights casting a cold, sterile glow over the metallic surfaces. Tools and various components were scattered across nearby workstations, evidence of ongoing repairs and maintenance.

  The man cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. The small group of technicians and observers quickly stepped back, giving the twins space to approach the android.

  “I don’t expect you to be finished by tonight,” the man said, his voice firm but understanding. “Just do what you can for now.”

  Rowen nodded, stepping closer to the repair table, where the synthetic lay still and unresponsive. The room was cold and sterile, the soft hum of machinery the only sound echoing in the background. The walls were lined with shelves holding various tools and spare parts, all meticulously organized. Overhead, harsh fluorescent lights cast a stark glow on the scene, making every metallic surface gleam.

  Roman stood beside her, his eyes scanning the room before focusing on the synthetic. He was tense, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he offered silent support.

  “Are they watching us?” Roman asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as he glanced at the group of technicians gathered behind a glass partition on the other side of the room. Their eyes were fixed on the twins, observing every move.

  “Yeah…” Rowen replied, her focus unbroken as she carefully assessed the synthetic’s condition, her fingers lightly grazing the android's surface to check for any visible damage.

  “I told you we should’ve ran,” Roman muttered, his gaze shifting nervously between the technicians and Rowen.

  “What—when the hell did you say that?” Roman’s brow furrowed in confusion.

  Rowen tapped her forehead with a playful grin. “Telepathy.”

  “Oh my god—” Roman sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. But his attention was quickly diverted when he noticed movement outside the room. Through the glass in the door, he saw a child being carried down the hallway, their small form cradled gently in the arms of an adult. The sight struck him as odd, and he leaned forward, trying to get a better view.

  The child had a vacant expression, eyes wide and staring blankly ahead. Roman's confusion deepened as he watched the group move further down the hall, their footsteps muffled by the thick walls. Just as he was about to ask more questions, the man who had brought them into the room stepped in front of him, blocking his view.

  “Who was that?” Roman asked.

  The man responded quickly, almost too quickly, cutting off Roman’s question. “The man answered quickly, almost cutting off Roman’s sentence. “Merely a lost child. Nothing to be concerned about. The child will be under MU-TH-UR’s care after we run some tests.”

  Roman’s gaze lingered on the door for a moment longer, suspicion gnawing at him. He exchanged a brief glance with Rowen, who had paused her work, her expression mirroring his unease. But before either of them could say anything more, the man’s attention shifted back to the synthetic, effectively ending the conversation.

  “Thank you for your service. I’ll be sure to tell MU-TH-UR what wonderful children she raised,” the man said, his voice dripping with a mixture of politeness and condescension as he offered a tight smile.

  “Uh-huh,” Rowen hummed in response, her tone indifferent as she focused on the task in front of her, unwilling to give him more attention than necessary.

  The man lingered for a moment, his eyes briefly scanning the room before he continued, “Good night to you both. The company will send their regards with a nice meal for you and your friends.”

  Roman gave a slight nod, his arms still crossed as he watched the man leave the room. The door hissed shut behind him, the sound echoing through the quiet space.