To 18-year old Feliciano Vargas, this field trip meant two things:
1. He would be riding in an airplane for an hour and a half with his older twin brother, Lovino.
2. He would get to learn more about robotics, which he had been contemplating pursuing as a career.
Whilst he was thinking about all of this, a collision between him and a frazzled (and rather callipygian) young employee of the facility occurred.
"I'm so sorry," cried out Feliciano. "I wasn't- Ow!" Lovino smacked Feliciano on the back of the head. "Watch where you're going, idiota." He didn't have time to glare at his little brother this time, because then the scientist spoke.
"Oh no, that was my fault." the green-eyed scientist replied, still a little out of breath. "We're just very busy right now with our research, and having visitors." Every word the scientist spoke seemed to smile a bit sleepily, like his eyes. "Well, I'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow, though. I'm teaching in tomorrow's cybernetics department workshop. I'll see you then!" and with that, the scientist, whose nametag said ANTONIO C., scurried to wherever he had originally been headed to.
Feliciano and Lovino then quickly scuttled to catch up with the rest of the group. Feliciano walked for a while, in awe of the building and the things researchers were creating and discovering in it. Out of nowhere, Feliciano stopped dead on his tracks.
At that very moment, Feliciano felt it.
He needed to go to the bathroom.
Of course, he didn't want to be that kid that raises his hand in public to ask to use the restroom. At eighteen years old, he was a grown man, a responsible adult! He convinced himself that he could go to the bathroom quickly and get still back to his group in time. Making sure that Lovino didn't see him, Feliciano snuck out of the group and searched for and located the restroom, quickly finding it. That was easy, Feliciano thought to himself.
After using the bathroom, he emerged to find his classmates and brother gone. Crap. Now I have to go looking for them!
Now, not only was his group gone, but there weren't any labcoated people in sight to ask for help. Now that he was alone, Feliciano started to feel slightly unnerved. Something is off about this place…
No, he thought, I'm just thinking too much again.
He spent God-knows-how-long hopelessly wandering empty hallways to no avail. After roaming like this for a while, he decided to look into a lab room. His group had been instructed at the beginning of their tour not to enter the labs, but Feliciano had decided that this was an emergency and that he would have to take desperate measures.
Poking his head into the nearest laboratory, he saw the back of a man standing alone, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. He didn't look like he worked there, but Feliciano figured that he was probably a new employee whom hadn't received a labcoat yet. Feliciano nervously approached the man.
"Hello, do you work here? I lost my group."
The man turned around and Feliciano immediately took a step back in shock. The young, muscular man had slicked-back blond hair, and was missing part of his face. On the side that was normal, he had a gorgeous, piercing blue eye and pale, perfect skin. The other side didn't have skin covering it, and it revealed the circuits and metal skeletal system inside him. The "eye" on that side was just a red laser that made Feliciano wonder how 'he...? it...?' could see with it.
"Oh… Uh, so, you're an android?" Feliciano asked hesitantly. He began to stutter and ramble. He had a bad habit of talking excessively when he was nervous. "S-sorry. I...um-"
"I am L-673G Prototype 1." The android man spoke, making Feliciano jump for a second time. "My nickname is Ludwig. It is a pleasure to meet you." Ludwig extended 'his? its?' hand, which, thankfully, thought Feliciano, was covered in the artificial flesh that covered half his face.
Feliciano reluctantly shook Ludwig's hand, unsure of what pronouns to use if needed- or, more importantly, what to do in this situation. He decided that this android deserved respect as much as anyone else.
"I- I'm Feliciano. It's nice to meet you, too." Feliciano flashed a small, sincere smile at Ludwig. There was a bit of an awkward pause until Ludwig spoke again.
"Are you with the group visiting the laboratory this week? My creator told me that they were touring the building today." Ludwig spoke English, slowly and carefully, as if he had to sculpt each syllable inside his processor before saying it. Other than his slowness and unfinished face, Ludwig looked and sounded surprisingly human, unlike a stereotypical Hollywood robot.
"Yes, and now I'm lost. Do you know where they went?" Feliciano wasn't feeling as uncomfortable anymore. In a way, he found Ludwig's voice to be soothing, in a strange way. That and the fact that the fear of not seeing his group again took priority over
"I do not know, but my creator will know. His office is in the next room on the left. You should ask him."
"Thank you, Ludwig. It was nice meeting you!"
Feliciano was almost to the door when Ludwig asked one last question.
"Will I see you again this week?"
The question took Feliciano by surprise. Why did Ludwig care? Could Ludwig care?
"Actually, I signed up for the simple robotics workshop, not the android one, so I don't really think so... Why do you ask?"
Ludwig turned to face Feliciano with his half-face. "Because I am a computer, I cannot forget anything. I meet new people multiple times a week, and when that person leaves, I am alone with the memory of them." Ludwig paused, almost as if he was sighing. " The team just does not believe that I can feel emotions similar to them. I believe the thought of it scares them. I wanted to know if that will happen with you as well. If it happens, I understand. Humans lead busy lives." Though he was missing part of his face, Feliciano swore he saw a glint of loneliness in his expression.
"Oh…" Feliciano didn't know what to say. "In that case, maybe I'll try to switch programs. I should probably get back to my group, though. I hope I'll see you again too." With that, Feliciano went to the office next door to the lab Ludwig was in. The door had a nameplate on it that said, PROF. FRANCIS BONNEFOY, ANDROID/AI DIRECTOR. Feliciano knocked lightly.
"Come in!" Yelled a voice from inside. Feliciano entered the room, and he saw a man sitting lazily at a desk, reading a book while ignoring the instant message beeps on his computer. Feliciano stepped into the office.
"Hi, do you know where my class went? I lost them." Feliciano looked down at his feet.
The professor smiled. "Oh, you're from the class that visited today!" The professor stood up from his desk. "I'll go find them with you."
"Thank you."
Feliciano and Professor Bonnefoy left the office and silently walked the hallways. Feliciano did not mention Ludwig. When they finally found Feliciano's class, they were all relieved. They had noticed immediately that he was gone, because when we was around, he was always talking. Lovino smacked Feliciano on the back of his head for the second time that day.
"Idiota," He mumbled bitterly. "I thought I'd have to do your chores at home in case we never found you again."
Feliciano loved his brother.
After the tour, the class went back to the hotel to get some sleep before tomorrow, when they would start their workshops at the BIR. Feliciano, however, could not sleep. He was thinking about Ludwig, and how amazing it was to talk to an android. Feliciano decided that he definitely wanted to talk to him again. He decided that he would attend the android/AI workshop instead of the robotics one. He eventually fell asleep, his head filled with wonder. Maybe this is what I want to study in college, Feliciano thought. He was brimming with apprehension when they arrived at the BIR the next morning.