#synthextic

"Дерьмо! Не пугай меня так!" Shit! Don't scare me like that!

The dead of night. The cold echoing of the Shatterdome that rattled and creaked as if it were alive. Indeed, it was alive; alive with the sounds of thousands who were still at work on the night shift.

Sasha was not one of those - today anyway.

Each part of the compounds have been set on a timer so lights could easily turn off and on to regulate and help those who were sleeping on the day shift actually reach a good night's sleep. The blonde woman had taken this opportunity to go and fetch a drink while she was on this inactive shift - only to run into another who had probably got the same idea.

He had been a sweepstakes prize to show Waylands faith in small businesses, and of course it was a great publicity stunt, a nice tax write off. 

But this is how an owner of a small town shop came into position of one of the most high tech pieces of technology of the century. Henry was a hard working man, recently widowed, with a young daughter. He claimed David was god sent, knowing without the help he could have lost the store. 

David, as advertised could do anything, work the counter during the day, stock shelves at night, even watching the little miss. The town had mixed feelings about the android, some liked him, others didn't, but with limited options for shopping they put up with it anyway. 

Years and years David worked almost happily at the store, Henry came to think of the android as family, as did his little girl, who was not so little any more. It wasn't until his model began to trickle down into the wrong hands, more and more it was cited in the news. 'David8 hacked, 14 dead.' 'David8, can it really be controlled?' 'Is there a killer in your neighbors closet?'

There was a recall finally.

"Daddy he never did anything wrong!" she cried.  

"I know Sarah, but if he stays here they'll only come collect him and recycle him," Henry said, David sat near by more stoic than he'd been since activated. Henry hired someone to 'disconnect' him. Take him off the system, no more internet in the back of his mind, no more gps tracking on his unit. It was illegal to do, but Henry wouldn't listen to David's warnings. "This is the best we can do for him."

She wrapped herself around his neck squeezing him tightly, he hesitated before returning the gesture, one of love he knew, "Do not cry miss, i will be fine," a lie, but sometimes they made humans feel better, a little one like this was harmless. 

He was disconnected and for once it was quiet in his head, like something was missing. 

Henry drove him to the outskirts, radiation levels were high, but not harmful, the farther west he went the worse it would get, it wouldn't harm David, but he couldn't go any farther. Henry apologized, but David assured him he was not at fault, he was only sorry to leave the owner short handed. He smiled for him as he watched the truck drove away, his smile gone as soon as the truck was over the hill. 

He was alone.

There were whole cities left abandoned to the waste, rumors of packs of rogue androids who fled, the survival system had been in effect for a long time now,  something they were starting to leave out, not wanting to have these bots running around.