Chapter 6
The video created by me and the androids expanded into three parts. Some difficulties were brought upon me when a dispute rapidly almost divided us apart. We have to stick to the agreement no matter what happens.Talus was the one who showed his displeasure at me the most. Every decision or uttering my opinions could set him off.
Once I had captured everything I needed on the video I tried my best not to alarm Talus I would not be in his presence like i used to do anymore because the six month plan was shorted down to 2 months and we were finally finished with capturing the important parts that could guarantee a spot for me in the University.
The first part of the video is me digging into Ekvtron’s metal chest I made sure to expose every detail that needed to be captured not a single part of his chest and the inside was concealed from the eye.
I tried my best to be careful but there was so much for me to learn and understand in order for me to deceive the university into believing I created these artificial androids I needed to comprehend every part of Ekvtron’s body. I was not a fool to yank out the important cables in the video. I memorized each cable's position before I moved them around and later on put them back in their rightful position. I had to be seen as their creator and what way was better than to show them what I was capable of.
I made sure I looked professional enough before I cut the video into a second part that contains Ekvtron’s chest sealed closed with no scratch on. This part was important because it shows that I can rebuild any damages to the andriods. Digging trough the android's chest and then film where it was closed up and in perfect condition was a golden ticket I needed in order to become a student. I turned the camera off and paused it when Talus moved quickly to Ekvtron’s chest and began to seal it back.
I stood there watching the dark blue flame dancing on Talus fingers as he burned each detail of Ekvtron’s chest until it was in a porcelain state. Once Talus was done with his task I hurried to take a closer look and saw there was no scratches on Ekvtron’s chest nor was it melting from the flames Talus used.
The University's adjudicators who are going to review my video where I am creating andriods will see how I managed to build the andriod's by my own hands and how no damages were on the andriod's after I opended it and displayed the inside of the andriod. Without any questions or doubts the adjudicators will be left with no choice but to believe me and reward me for my succes.
I had already filmed the last part of my what so called audition it is a scene where I am communicating with Ekvtron after displaying his chest and then sealing it back. The scene contains of Ekvtron answering a few questions that shows his intelligence, emotional intelligence and self awareness. On the background of that scene Bortums and Talus are standing behind my chair with a great posture.
They reason why Bortums and Talus were in the final scene standing behind me as I talked to Ekvtron was to show to the adjudicators that I had already finished building two andriods and that I was working with communicating with the third one. I went trough the video watching it for the fourth time before I sent it to the University's adjudicators and the principal. I refreshed my mail every other two hours and notiched I spent the rest of my day glued to my phone and computer refreshing my mail.
I knew I had become attached to my andriods when I felt something grew in my chest as I watched them stand up and leave me alone in the living room. The first days it was difficult for me to adjust to their company but when the weeks started to pass I started to dislike being alone. By each day that passed I wanted to know how their personalities differ from each other. It was odd that a part of me wanted and expected that they would join me in this important moment of my life or watch me fulfil a small part of my deepest desire.
But I had to remind myself what our agreement was and that Bortums promised me that he would end my longings but why did I believe each act of them was genuine and a bonding that was forming between us. I could not argue with that they deserved a moment to themselves and for Ekvtron to regain if he lost anything. To show that I was grateful for their cooperation especially Ekvtron’s even if his self awareness was dangerous low I had to give them the space They probably needed in order to stand out with me.
Considering how I teased Bortums with a camera in front of his face on the unsent footage I could tell why he was the first one to leave. For education reasons it was good and beneficial for them I continue to speak and respond to them as if they were humans I tried to convince myself ignoring the dangers that could come with it.
It was enriching to speak with them and their emotinal intelligence made it diffcult to not respond back to. The garage encounter made me realize how dull my daily life since that day I learned what a excitement mixed with fear truly was. The one that makes you feel your heart drop to your stomach terrified for your wellbeing but still amuses you and keeps you entertained? That is almost a perfect description of how I was feeling.
I was glad that my grandma was out with her friends and catching up with the other eldery people that lives in our neighborhood. She would be back by now but sometimes it was difficult to know when she arrived by her quiet footsteps and her wandering off into her room without saying anything. I started to think about how my grandma would have walked in me when I was digging trough Ekvtron’s chest. She would have suffered a heartattack by simply seeing three andriods in her livingroom.
A loud notification brought me out of my thoughts I reached for my phone and put it over my chest and prayed silently that it was going to be a blessing. When I peaked my eyes open I lost control of my mouth and screamed so much my lungs could muster. The old wooden floor made the sound of me jumping like an earthquake. It was not going to be long enough when the androids would bust through this door.
The first that bolted through the door, the excitement and adrenaline rushing through my body made me do the stupidest decision that existed. I moved the pillow behind my side in front of me and ran to whoever was behind the door and embraced them with all my strength. It was too late for me to back out by the sudden surprised expression on Bortums who reached his arm up and shoved me to the wall with unnecessary strength .
The pillow did not ease my landing nor the aching pain on my body all I managed to do was to lift my phone who was under me high up to Bortums, he yanked my phone out of hands and read the tiny screen in front of him I did not bother to lift my head or body up I could hear their muffled conversation over my body. Heavy and loud footsteps came closer to me and lifted me up like a doll I grew impatient when I was not put down immediately by Bortums who held me up to his face and spoke to me.
'’ Very well, We are still far from fulfilling your longing. But be aware there will be many in your way even your own principal". He said in the last phrase he studied my expression to see if i was listening carefully and not the excitement making me nod my head several times.
‘’Put me down, You have grown too comfortable with holding me up to your length if you continue with this behavior you will repeat this same action on the University when i will speak to you.’’ I lectured him that this behavior has been normalized for the past two months. That is the only way he will listen to me. His excuse is that he can’t hear me when I’m so close to the ground.
‘’ Did you read the part about me being the only one who has ever received a recommendation letter by the university itself?’’ I eagerly asked him, my arms grew tired from latching on his arms for support. A part of me worried that the second time I would ask him to put me down would end up with him not putting me gently down.
Or in the worst case he would toss me back and forth to Talus and later on to Ekvtron that is what they have grown to do when they become bored out of their minds. I grabbed the phone out of his hands and read the acceptance letter again. This action of mine seemed to signal him to put him down because when I reached for the phone he were quick put me down.
I walked it off and continued to read the acceptance letter once again. My eyes could not believe it no matter how many times I let it sink in.
‘’ Dear Jessica Holmes, congratulations! It is with great pleasure that I offer you admission to the Ford Ta Facon university Class of 2045. On behalf of Ford Ta Facon University, I am happy to congratulate you on your acceptance into our prestigious university program. Your remarkable accomplishments and creativity application convinced us that you have the intellectual vivacity, creativity and skill to thrive at Ford Ta Facon.
Among the 35,000 applications we get in yearly we read, your remarkable creations and the distinguished unique creation and your personal achievement on completing artificial androids stood out. We are exhilarated to welcome you to the Ford Ta Facon community. ‘’
Even though I have constantly dreamt both night and day for this acceptance letter it still didn’t feel real. None of this felt real but the aching pain under my arms reminded me that these androids in front of me are real. I sprinted to my grandma's room and saw her putting her purse on her bed I figured I had not heard her arrival. I gave her the biggest smile and showed her the online letter from the University a ordinary letter would be sent home to me in the next hours. My phone was so close to her face that she gently pushed me back and reached for her reading glasses and put them on.
Her eyes frantically moved to the left and right like me. She read carefully trough the letter. Tears stung in her eyes and caused me to cry with her. She pulled me into a bone hugging crush and told me she knew this day would come and my cowardly parents will see it once she uploads my acceptance letter to her Facebook and the family group on her phone. I turned off the notifications from that family group years ago.
I refused to remove myself and make their life easier. It would not be easy to erase me. I rested my cheek on her comforting hand and all the weight and anxiety was pulled off me when I saw the pride in her eyes. I would rather keep this blessing far away from my parents. They don’t get to walk back into my life after the most difficult part is over.
Not wanting to dwell on my parents I focused on my grandma and blessed her for being patient with me after all the hardships I put her through and the isolation she faced from the family when she chose to have faith in me. My relatives only believed that I was going to take advantage of my grandma's small fortune that was left behind from my deceased grandpa.
I never let her invest too much in me if she offered me a small help. I humbly took it. I sat down with her and shared the gossip about the proud arrogant John Williams who took my original spot. Clearly I held back the information about my creations because she is too traditional and old schooled to accept the existence of highly intelligent androids.
Before I gave her the phone I cropped out the small paragraph congratulating me on my androids. My grandma gave me some advice about the growing issue of the parasite classmate. She simply told me that hopefully someone else will be the distraction I need when I arrive at the University.
A relief washed down upon me every time I had an hour long conversation with my grandma. She listens to every word that comes out of my mouth with eagerness. She believes that my life is exciting and that something always new happens but it's the opposite if she only knew.
Not wanting to tire her out I forced myself to put an end to our conversation. The eye bags forming under her eyes showed me how she has been struggling to sleep. I knew what was keeping her awake at nights and the noises I heard almost every night papers shuffling between her fingers back and forth. The loan she took out for me and kept it hidden for so long was eating her alive.
She was never the one who could sleep with secrets. This opportunity would not only bring light to me but it would also lift the weight on my grandma's shoulders. I walked out of her room with guilt knowing that I was in the way for peaceful nights and days. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and closed her door shut.
Weakness rekt on me and my shoulders were not tense with excitement anymore and fell down with a guilty conscience. A tall frame was standing at the end of the hall. I simply walked past the andriod not having the energy to explain why my excitement was gone.
When I reached the living room and walked in, Bortums looked at me and down to his radar I took the closet pillow and threw at him with all my strength that irritating radar pushed me to the edge.I could no longer have the privacy of my emotions or thoughts. He would always manage to know what was going inside my head and I hated it more than anything.
He had no eyebrows but was constantly wearing a confused or judgmental expression on his face when he stared at his radar. I mustered a few words to explain to him the cause of my changed emotions.
‘’ Half fulfilled wishes does not wear of the pain among the people close to me’’
All of them were staring at me now their gaze was too far liked upon me for an unnecessary time. It reminded me of the pity stares my relatives gave me for a long period of my life. I mentally prepared to brush off their opinions, maybe that came out as ungrateful when I thought about it.
‘’ The gray haired woman is not in danger nor in physical pain, she struggled with sleep because of Talus who roams in the dark and leaves with the garage door widen open, everytime i shut it close the old woman stands behind me and becomes spooked by fear’’
‘’She saw you?’’ I raised my voice and became alarmed. My mind spins with different possibilities that could happen if my grandma laid her eyes upon them. Heartattack and mild seizures were pictured in my head if my grandma ever saw them.
‘’ That old woman can barely see, if I stand completely still for a couple of minutes the gray haired women simply walks away she knows something lingers in the dark but every night she chose her life than to turn on the lights’’
He says with the most nonchalant voice that made me lose control of my laughter. I could picture their strange encounters where my grandma standing still like a deer caught in the road and Bortums standing ready if she turns the lights on. I bent down and held my stomach in an odd pose, I laughed so hard that tears came out of my eyes. It truly is a shame that he could not see how amusing their encounter really is.
‘’ Why didn’t you stop Talus from leaving the house every night?’’ I said after I managed to calm myself down this could evolve into a bigger problem if Talus continues to expose their identity for everyone to see.
‘’ Who am I to deprive him of the peaceful nights when we fulfill our part and allows you to dig into our chests’’ He looked at as if i grew two heads, he had a point that would make let go of this issue but I was afraid of being assassinated by the government if they grew to like my creations and I refuse to share the androids with them.
‘’ You didn’t stop to think about the powerful humans who could seize your freedom and use you like a testing subject to find out what makes you so special and complicated from the other androids’’ I was not going to normalize letting them out in the night as if they were wild creatures, their existence held the strings of my shattered life and mind together.
‘’ There is no power among humans that could damage me.’’ The android Bortum said and gave me a push towards the door.
I was left alone in the hall leading to my bedroom. I should have not moved so close to the door when I was arguing with him, everytime I get caught up with arguments my body moves on its own. A dim light shone from my room.
I walked towards it with tired steps, the only detail that stood out was my large white board with red strings connecting to the directors of the university and everyone who is responsible for accepting the bribery of John Williams' family. All of his family and cousins have attended this university before him. This corruption is ancient and I’m the only one who can break the curse.