Sincerely
Chapter 31: Alessio

When I was originally built and sold, it was illegally to some rich family as a bodyguard. Of course, being an android, I was privy to things going on behind closed doors in this family’s house, illegal activities, drugs, crime, etc. That was how I first met Elias. He seemed wary of the family but needed the money, I realized I felt bad for him, neither of us had chosen this life for ourselves, we were both just here.

One night he left after the head of the family got mad and yelled at him over not bringing back enough money to account for all the drugs he sold. I was standing outside the gate to the house as he walked out and decided to follow him, knowing full well, this, too would anger the head, but I couldn’t let Elias walk home alone at this time of night.

He noticed me following him quickly.

“What do you want?” he asked annoyed.

“I just wanted to make sure you made it home alright,” I replied staying where I was not wanting to further anger him.

“Did he send you to tail me? People only pay so much for the drugs he’s selling now, prices fluctuate, I sold them for the highest price I could get, if he didn’t stick his head in the ground so much maybe he would know that,” Elias commented. “I didn’t pocket any of the money.”

I stepped closer, still nervous but wanting to calm him. I wanted to touch him, but I was afraid he would beat me for doing that.

“I’m not his biggest fan either, he’s doing illegal things, hurting people, hurting you,” I replied.

“He and I aren’t much different. If I could get out I would, but I can’t. I’m stuck selling drugs and doing illegal things to make a living,” Elias replies quietly.

“You’re saying you can’t get a normal job?” I ask.

“Most places don’t like hiring criminals,” he reasons quietly.

I nodded, I guess that was understandable. I got an idea then, there was a club that was family-owned that they had as a clean stream of money but many of the employees didn’t like how it was being run, one of the investors was hoping to buy it, if he succeeded and Elias could get a job there, he would be free, surely the investor would take pity on Elias, just as he would all the employees of the club, that’s why he was buying it in the first place, so it would be in better hands.

“I have an idea,” I replied.

“You’re an android, aren’t you supposed to follow their orders?” Elias inquired.

I paused for a second, scared to continue.

“I’m a deviant, I don’t want to be there. I hate working for them. I want out,” I replied quietly, my eyes glued to the floor. Elias looked at me, particularly at the indicator spinning and flashing on my temple.

“It’s late, we’ll try your idea tomorrow,” he replied taking a few steps forward.

He looked back at me again.

“You coming?” he asked.

“Where are we going?” I asked confused, expecting him to want me to return to my owner.

“You can’t go back there once all this is over, he probably knows you’re gone. It’s not safe. If you can help me get out, I’ll help you, too,” he replies.

He was the first one to take me seriously and treat me like I was a person with feelings, everyone in that house had pushed me aside and ordered me to do things, he was offering and asking.

“You sure?” I asked quietly.

“Just come on,” he nodded and I followed him to a rundown apartment building. He unlocked and opened his front door and made sure to shut and lock it behind me.

“You can never be too careful,” he commented.

I watched him go over to the kitchen and find a knife, he brought it back over to me.

“What are you doing?” I asked backing up, worried I’d made a mistake and he was going to sell me for parts or something.

“Sit down,” he stated, disregarding my question.

I did but only because he backed me into a couch and I had no choice but to.

He knelt down in front of me before reaching up and wedging the tip of the knife into my indicator, I was worried he was going to pull it out and I would break, but he made a quick motion and the glowing circle popped off and landed on the couch beside us. I looked at it.

“Now you look human, you might want to change how you look if you don’t want to get found though,” Elias warns me.

He stands back up setting the knife aside and removing his sweater, I spot tattoos on his arms, a flame pattern that ran up his arms, from his wrist to where it disappeared under his t-shirt’s sleeves. I felt the urge to touch them, I wanted to see them but I was scared again, that he wouldn’t like that.

I did as he instructed, and changed my outward appearance, by the end of it, my hair was a dark auburn red and my eyes were a deep brown that was hard to distinguish from my pupils, it was a drastic change from the blond hair and green eyes I had started off with. When Elias looked back, he seemed surprised but hid it quickly.

“It’s late, I’m going to bed,” he commented before slipping off to his room.

I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t expect him to bring me back to his apartment and just leave me alone. I started looking around the living room and kitchen. I decided to do the dishes, throw the laundry in the wash, and dust the shelves. I glanced at the pictures sitting on them, Elias was with an older woman in a lot of them, she shared his black hair and light eyes. I assumed it was his mother, there wasn’t a really recent photo of them together and I wondered why. I opened up a cabinet side table on one of the ends of the couch and spotted some photo albums. I pulled one out and opened it and inside was a memorial card inside. It read:

Judith Mercury

May 9th, 1970 – July 24th, 2050

Funeral taking place August 5th, 2050

It was his mother, the inside said she was survived by her son Elias. I closed the album and set it back in the cabinet, feeling like I had invaded his privacy as much as I wanted to get to know him and help him. I felt sad he lost his mother so young though even if she was old. I wondered where his father was.

I went and switched the laundry to the dryer, in a few hours the sun would be rising, if they didn’t already know I was gone, they would know when they went to leave for work. I wasn’t regretting, it was freeing being able to do things I wanted. I was helping Elias, I was just hoping I would succeed and not put him in further danger.

Elias rose at around 8:00 am, he walked out of the bedroom without a shirt on and I could see that the flame tattoos covered both his chest and back as well as his arms. It was like he was consumed in an inferno. I wanted to run my fingers over them but I held myself back yet again. I didn’t know why I was like this, before I just felt bad for Elias.

“What’s your plan?” he asked knocking me out of my thoughts.

“Find you a job that has clean money, I know someone who might be willing to help,” I replied.

He looked cautious and unconvinced but I think he was willing to try anything at this point.

“Okay,” he replied slipping back off to the bedroom with his coffee. He came back with black jeans, a dark grey shirt and a leather jacket which hide most of his tattoos, the only parts you could see were the flame ends peeking out of his collar.

“Let’s go,” he stated nodding toward the door.

I followed him, supplying him with the address of the club, and soon we were in front of it. He didn’t seem keen on the idea of working at a club.

“You have to get out somehow, if you don’t start now, then when?” I stated.

He looked at me, before sighing.

“I know, I’m just worried I’ll never get out, this has been my life for so long,” he stated quietly.

"I was scared to leave yesterday, that house was all I’ve ever known, but it’s not…” I paused thinking about how to word it without tipping him off. “What I want, if I can want things, I guess.”

He glanced at me, studying me for a second.

“They gave you emotions, of course, you’re gonna want things,” he comments.

“They made us simulate emotions, whether we feel is another matter. I didn’t like being there, knowing they were hurting people and not being able to do anything about it,” I reply.

“You want to help me, right? So, you feel something that makes you want to help me. You did do something, you are helping me and you left and didn’t just ignore what they were doing,” he reasoned.

“I guess so,” I answer quietly.

“The sooner we do this, the better, come on,” he replies nodding to the club.

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