The Disparate One

The room was spacious and organized. It was softly lit by the blinded windows on one side of the bedroom, like the others. On the opposite side of the windows were pictures. Upon taking a closer look, each one was a picture from different places around the world. Some were portraits of strangers. The rest were nature, food, and etcetera. Though, only one had a picture of a hospital. All had the same white wooden frame, contrasting the black wall.

Ray stepped away for a few when he began to notice how these pictures were organized. They were grouped, shaped like a circle. Near them were maps. He found a globe on the robot’s desk, half of it was facing the sunlight. Next to it was a pot of plant with a white flower standing still. It almost looked fake until he touched it.

Ray turned to the robot whose body slouched next to the headboard. There were sounds of clinking, it came from the robot who, Ray just discovered, was playing with a pair of marbles.

“I fancy how you decorate your room,” Ray broke the silence.

The clinking stopped. The robot straightened his posture then looked at the teen over his shoulder.

“Hmm…” the machine uttered.

Ray swallowed. The robot wasn’t Oxford. He couldn’t just say to himself that he’ll be alright as usual. Remembering his recent interaction with Oxford in the living room, he could tell even Oxford himself had no idea. Ray remained standing, doing another glance, until his eyes halted at the pictures again.

“Did you take those?”

“I wish…” said the robot, shaking his head noiselessly. There was a pause of silence.

“Listen... “ Ray suddenly sat on the edge of the bed with a safe distance, “I assume something is bothering you recently? Did I break a rule? Perhaps I said something wrong?”

The robot secretly let out a tiny smile when he began to hear the level of concern from the other’s voice. He shook his head No as his answer but it barely did anything to change the atmosphere.

Ray decided to take a different approach.

“What did you mean by ‘I wish’?”

The robot looked over his shoulder before finally standing up. He walked by his desk where he placed the marbles onto a small bowl before stopping at the wall of pictures. The slim shadows of his ears cast over at one particular portrait at his head-level. It had a family in it.

Ray raised himself and joined the robot, standing close in silence. He tucked his hands into his pockets when something dawned on him which he didn’t notice earlier. These weren’t pictures taken by a photographer, each one had a trace of being ripped on their edges just before the frame. Immediately, his eyes frowned, and stepped closer to the robot.

Ray’s mind put the pieces of the puzzle together when the robot’s voice whispered “Oxford doesn’t want them to know about us.” Then he gazed back at the frames.

“You… haven’t seen the outside world, have you?” Ray asked quietly despite hearing those foreign female voices again from the walls.

“Oh believe me I have!” the robot answered enthusiastically, “But…” he looked away, “I regretted it after.”

Ray peered when the robot returned to his spot in the bed, this time without the marbles. He looked at the shaded windows, hearing the muffled honks of the flowing traffic below. He had forgotten when was the last time these windows had no curtains on. With that said, he began telling a story of that one time when he escaped the penthouse.

He was alone at the time, on the living room floor, staring at the windows where the rain knocked and thunder boomed through the grey sky. He slid his fingers together with the droplets cascading down the glass pane when he had a daring idea. After years of reading other people’s works and watching strangers on the square tv, he finally had the sudden courage to do the one thing that he had been waiting to do for nearly a decade.

He barged into Oxford’s bedroom and snagged his dark-brown jacket, together with a color matching fedora hat, and black gloves and boots. He threw them on the carpet in the living room where he put them on. He knew, at the time, Oxford always locked the front door to prevent outsiders from entering the property. The windows however weren’t.

After checking that most of his metal body had been covered, he went to the kitchen and opened one of its windows where he was greeted by the wet environment.

He climbed over the countertop and through the window where he landed on the slippery fire escape stairs. He stood there, under the rain for a whole minute. His eyes quickly misted up with condensation as the winds plowed through the city. He admired the pitter-patter of the rain on the steel railings while he walked down. He thought his escape would be this easy until a locked gate appeared. Who would put a gate on an emergency route?

The robot twisted and bent the padlock until it popped out of its socket. Passing the gate, he kept his head down as he continued to stride downward, hoping no one would be looking out at the windows during these hours. When he got to the last level, he destroyed another lock which freed the ladder. He slowly lowered it, then himself, jumping on the alleyway plagued with garbage bags, cardboard boxes, and dumpsters.

Looking up to where he came, his fear had finally caught up to him. The fear of getting caught which Oxford always reminded, he was against it.

I’ve gone far enough, thought the robot, lowering his hat to cover his glowing blue eyes.

Unfortunately, everyone in his sight had an umbrella, making it difficult for him to take a glimpse of their faces. But he figured it was also a good thing since their umbrellas could act as a barrier for his eyes. He hid his smile under his jacket’s collar when he crossed the street. At first, he seemed to blend in perfectly well, but from a distance…

He was the tallest person in the area.

He managed to find a park which luckily wasn’t as busy as the streets. He was strolling around when his right ear perked under the fedora hat from the sounds of chirping. He followed his ears, leading him slightly off the path and to a tree where the chirping was louder and clearer than the weather.

He looked up with awe and delight where under the leaves were countless pigeons. One of them bobbed its head around before their eyes locked on each other. The robot felt something as he stared at the particular pigeon. He didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t resist extending his hand out up to the tree.

Seconds later, that particular pigeon flew and landed gently on his finger. It cooed. The robot responded with a giggle when he slowly petted the bird. He never thought there was more beyond the penthouse. He never thought it would be this amazing to experience it instead of knowing and watching other people. He gazed at the darkening sky, catching the flashes of lights from place to place.

After his time at the park, he went for another stroll. He found fond of different styles of glistening shops, displaying their products, shimmering pieces of jewelry. He glanced over at some stalls scattered around the sidewalk. There was even this one moment where he found himself playing with the steam spewing out of a small orange pipe, waving his hands around.

He disappointingly knew he had to return to the penthouse before Oxford finds it completely unoccupied. Plus, it seemed like the weather was finally calming down. He took one last moment staring at the sun rays piercing through the thick sky. When he crossed the street, people began to close their umbrellas. His eyes caught a baby staring at him, their eyes reminded him of his appearance. He found his way back to the park which was when a problem arose.

He had forgotten his way back to the penthouse. He had no idea what the address was nor the landmarks. He spent days searching. Many times he accidentally bumped into other people in the street while he was squinting up, scanning each building for the penthouse. Some almost got angry, one person made him nervous because he was challenged to a fight. He ran away, back to the park. He regretted putting on these clothes. He regretted leaving the penthouse. He regretted betraying Oxford just for his own pleasure.

Fortunately, Oxford found him sleeping on one of the benches in the park like a homeless person. Oxford didn’t want to say that the robot had a built-in tracker on him until that very moment, where he nearly blasted him in public.

Ever since that day, the robot never had the same daring thought of escaping the penthouse again. He promised Oxford.

Ray looked away for a second, now realizing why Oxford was running around in the penthouse earlier. Gently, he flattened himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“I didn’t know you like reading books, what were you reading earlier?” asked Ray.

The robot reached for the book on the nightstand and showed it to the teen. It was a self-learning educational book. It had some heft to it when Ray examined it, flipping through the pages, carefully not removing the bookmark.

The robot was reading about martial arts. He had to ever since he got beaten by Ray. It had been a while since he last touched it. Ray gave the book back to the robot without saying anything. Silence consumed them for a while. Both figuring how long they would stay hidden.

The bed silently squeaked when the robot turned to Ray with both ears perked.

“Have you played chess before?” he asked.

Ray’s brows straightened when he shook his head No. The robot grunted when he jumped off the bed and straight into his walk-in closet. Ray rolled and slithered on the bed when he noticed how empty the closet was, not a single set of clothes. No wonder.

Ray pretended he saw nothing when the robot returned with a box caked with dust. The robot had a tiny smile when he moved to the desk. He then gestured to Ray to help him move the desk closer to the bed. As quietly as possible, they successfully slid the desk.

The robot handed the box to Ray while he grabbed himself a seat. Ray couldn’t tell what he was holding until he blew the dust away. A tiny cloud formed. Revealing under the thick dust was a game of chess.

Ray tore the plastic cover before placing it on the desk, where they slowly slid the glass chess pieces out together with the glass chessboard. They somehow didn’t produce any clinks while they were assembling the game.

Once everything was ready, they exchanged gazes.

“I guess… you play as white since… you wear white?” the robot grinned.

Ray snorted when he nodded. He looked down at his pieces as he hovered his hand above them. He honestly didn’t know or remember if he had played one before. Though, this reminded him of the time when they fought in the gymnasium. Knowing nothing yet he claimed victory. He wouldn’t be surprised if he claimed another from chess.

After a few seconds of circling his hand around, he slid one of the pawns forward. The robot raised an ear with a silent, sharp sigh. He eyed at his opponent’s pawn before moving one of his own by two blocks.

After numerous turns, the two ended up with a few pieces left. Ray had the upper hand by two more. He rubbed his jaw when he stared at his horse, visualizing himself moving it and the robot’s counterattack. He rubbed his eyes with a hint of frustration. Moving the horse would give the win to the robot.

He shifted his gaze just a little while eyeing other movable pieces. He glanced at the robot, imagining him calculating every possibility of him winning. Staring at his blue eyes, he caught a reflection of his own rook. He darted his eyes at the piece, then it dawned on it. A giant, cocky smirk grew.

The robot’s eyes widened when he watched Ray slide his last rook by a few blocks, ending the session, not in checkmate, but a stalemate instead. He chuckled. He was confident Ray would move the horse out of the way to get the queen as the bait.

“This is honestly my first time playing chess… and first time using this set,” said the robot, stretching his arms out.

“Oxford gave it to you?”

The robot nodded. He explained that Oxford bought it for him. They began putting the pieces back into their slots when Ray suddenly asked a question, an oddly familiar one.

“Do you think Oxford has parents?” Ray whispered, glancing at the door to the hall.

The robot blinked curiously at him when he carefully grabbed the chessboard.

“I honestly don’t know… but, it is possible, otherwise he wouldn’t exist, right?” the robot recalled all his learning from how babies were born.

Ray agreed with the robot’s statement, however, he recalled what he saw in Chap’s laboratory, and other advanced technologies and materials in the facility. These things made him think of an idea. What if they built something that gave them the capability to produce human life? It would be an extraordinary feat in engineering and whatnot. This thought made him wonder more, what else could they be hiding in that facility?

“What if Oxford was created in the facility?” Ray whispered a question.

“Like… his parents having se-”

“No!” Ray snorted, “Artificially.”

“You have a point there. Though, there’s only one way to find out.”

Ray gazed at the robot with questioning and intrigued look. Could this be it?

“Only Oxford has the answer,” said the robot, closing the box and heading back to the closet.

They returned the desk to its place and plopped themselves on the bed, both staring at the plain ceiling. They could hear the foreign voices slowly dying out.

“Have you ever been on an airplane before?” the robot suddenly asked.

Ray hesitated. The memories of his one particular nightmare flashed before his eyes.

“I-I think I have… I’m not sure… I don’t remember a single thing about myself.”

The robot rolled on his chest and gave Ray a confused and curious look. His feet dangled on the edge of the bed.

“So… you’re telling me… you don’t have any idea of who you are yet you know how to beat me in martial arts and chess?”

Ray lifted his shoulders and frowned for a moment.

“Strange… well… since we’re on the topic of the facility, do you think… you were once one of them and for some unknown reason, you just can’t remember it?”

Ray remained silent. Being brainwashed could be a possibility. But who would do that to him? What did he do to deserve wiping his memories?

They both darted their eyes at the doorknob when it began to jiggle. At last, the door swung open, Oxford kept his hand on the knob as he looked at the two on the bed. His eyes narrowed.

“Seems like you two managed to mend something that occurred earlier?” Oxford titled his head before stepping away, heading back to the dining area to finish the groceries.

The two followed, however, as soon as they walked out of the bedroom, their nose picked up the feminine scent of cologne lingering in the living room. Ray glanced over at the robot who also had the same look that said “I smell it too”.

Ray continued to sniff around when his nose began to notice two distinct fragrances, one smells like strawberry and the other was rose. The robot headed to the kitchen to make lunch despite already being late for the day. Oxford was folding the bags when Ray called him.

“Who were they?” the test subject asked.

The robot froze in his place when he shot a look at Ray. Oxford was also frozen in place. He never had the guts to ask that question to Oxford despite years of being with him and experiencing those kinds of moments. He figured it would trigger Oxford, hence he didn’t ask. With that, the robot was ready to prepare orange juice. Thank god they restocked.

“They’re just some people,” Oxford bobbed his head as he finished folding the bags and crossing his arms.

“Friends?” Ray crossed his legs on the armchair.

Oxford nodded, glancing at the two as if he did something wrong.

“We just discussed some personal stuff. So… what did you two do on the other hand?”

Ray slightly cocked, he gave a doubtful look for a second, until he remembered who he was. Oxford gave a somewhat serious look. The robot went back to his business of washing the vegetables.

“We discussed the pictures in his bedroom, played chess, stalemate, then we returned talking about…” Ray’s eyes caught the robot snapping his eyes at him, reminding him to be cautious on his words, “...o-other things.”

Oxford furrowed.

“W-when was the last time you two hang out?” Ray jumped to another topic before it could get any worse.

Oxford looked away, his mouth remained shut. So did the robot, who was eagerly waiting for Oxford to say the exact date which he “bookmarked” in his mind. Though, he expected to be disappointed.

“I-I don’t remember…” Oxford said softly.

Ray hummed.

“Well… since I assumed it had been a while, I and… him (the robot) are planning to play hide and seek while the lunch is being cooked,” Ray let out a smile.

Oxford turned to the robot who was pretending not to listen to their conversation. He returned to Ray, squinting. What were they trying to do? Were they planning to escape? What did they really talk about in the bedroom? He raised his brow. Even though he felt uncomfortable about this, he still remembered the times when he and his predecessor played this game.

“What are you up to?”

“Nothing. Just an ordinary hide and seek in the penthouse. We would appreciate it if you want to join, more fun,” replied Ray nonchalantly.

The robot was slicing, more like stabbing, cuts of meat on the cutting board. Even the robot himself didn’t know where Ray was going with this. He was somehow thankful he wasn’t made out of flesh otherwise he would be sweating bullets.

“Alright, but only within the penthouse,” said Oxford, sliding out his phone and going to the security system of the place, locking the front door and the windows with only one tap.

Once the pot was boiling, the robot joined the two in the living room to further discuss the rules. They all agreed to not step out beyond the penthouse or any trickeries that could cause troubles and the facility itself. They also agreed that no one should lay their hands on the weapons in the gymnasium.

“Let’s make it more interesting. The seeker should also not let the hiders touch him or else, game over.” Oxford smirked. All of them nodded.

The three of them placed one of their hands in the middle. They decided to choose the seeker by playing rock-paper-scissors. The one who lost would be the seeker. Once ready, they all shook their hands three times while chanting “rock-paper-scissors”.

Two of them snickered when they found out who the seeker would be. It was unfortunately the one who started this whole idea.

“I’ll go easy on you,” teased Oxford, recalling his strategies when participating in this kind of stuff. He strolled to his hiding spot. The robot followed.

Ray sighed when he waddled over to one of the corners. He counted one to fifty with both eyes closed. His eyes rolled from side to side as he followed the thuds, scratches, and echoes from the halls. He was confident that the two separated.

“Fifty!” shouted Ray while he jumped around. As expected, no one was in sight, even the noises disappeared.

“Goddammit... “ Ray let out a sigh when he realized the fact that he was the only person who didn’t know this entire place, there could be hidden rooms. Perhaps secret passageways.

While he was still on the white carpet, he took off his shoes but kept his socks on. Step by step, he approached the right-wing of the penthouse. At the entrance of the hall, he found all three doors wide open.

He kept glancing behind his back when he first scanned the gymnasium. The room was clean, nowhere to hide except behind the door. He moved to the laboratory after closing the door. It was dark. He flicked the switch but no light came, only the luminescence from the glass tubes. He grinned, impressed by what they were trying to do. Though, behind his grin was fear of losing. He grabbed one of the glowing tubes and waved it around as he moved around the large island. Nothing.

Closing the door, he moved to the library where he grew confident that he would find someone here. The library was fairly lit by the large windows. He kept a safe distance from the bookshelves as he scanned each path. His ears were open for any sounds of small movements. For now, the only thing he could hear was his own heart, beating intensely.

The tiny maze made Ray vulnerable from getting touched. Fortunately, he was still untouched. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t found any of them. The thought of him leaving the library empty-handed distracted him when his ears picked up some heavy, quick footsteps nearby. He looked both ways before proceeding to his path. His breathing deepened.

At the end of the path was a sharp corner. He pressed his back on the shelf as he made his turn. He sighed in relief for a second until he suddenly started to hear someone running. He spun and caught the robot at speed, hand just inches away from defeating him. He instantly dodged him while calling out his name.

Ray burst into laughter when he witnessed the robot slammed on the shelf with a loud bang. His laughter immediately stopped when the shelf creaked and began listing. They quickly got on the other side to prevent it from tipping.

Ray’s chuckling returned when they got the shelf secured.

“You’re so lucky!” remarked the robot, playfully punching Ray’s arm.

Ray stuck his tongue out before placing his finger on his lips, shushing the robot. He resumed his search for Oxford. He didn’t know if he had tricks up his sleeves. Once verifying he cleared one side of the penthouse, he returned to the living room where he checked the kitchen and the dining room. None.

He moved to the left-wing of the penthouse where their bedrooms were. Oxford’s bedroom was locked, leaving Ray to scan the other two. Sadly, even though he thoroughly scanned the rooms, he still hadn’t found Oxford. He was right, there must be a secret door somewhere. Or worse, which could be considered cheating, Oxford was in his own bedroom.

He frowned and scratched his head when he walked back to the living room where he found the robot standing oddly. Ray’s eyes were uncomfortable instantly. Out of nowhere, he was shoved to the wall with a loud bang. His eyes couldn’t believe to see Oxford all of the sudden. He gasped and followed by an “ouch”.

Where the hell did you come from?! Ray thought.

Oxford and the robot snorted when Ray slid down to the floor.

“Oh no!” The robot laughed when he pointed a gaping hole at the wall behind Ray.

“Oh!” Oxford covered his mouth with his hands, holding his guffaw. He brought Ray back to his feet.

“W-where were you?!” Ray demanded.

“I was hiding in one of the kitchen cabinets!” Oxford continued to chuckle. He shook his head as he apologized to Ray for the scare. Oxford quickly regained his senses when he gazed at the damage.

“I guess... we all lost because now we have to clean this... thing...” he added.

The robot went to the kitchen closet to grab some cleaning implements while also turning off the stove and checking their soup.

“You should’ve seen your face!” the robot shifted his weight on the broom, running out of breath.

“You should’ve seen your face when you struck that shelf in the library!” Ray retaliated.

After cleaning the mess, and leaving the hole untouched, they moved to the dining room where they continued to talk about their bonding.

“I... honestly enjoyed that,” Oxford claimed with a glee.

“I thought we already established that? Especially after making a hole.” Ray smirked and chuckled.

“Well...”, Oxford cleared his throat, “...I might as well say this... I will be gone for a few days.”