The Glitch

As I start up from my deep slumber, I feel myself tied onto a chair. The ropes run through my whole body as I sit there with no movement but gloomy thoughts all over my head. All of this started when I wanted to change.

The sunlight shone on my face and reflected onto the bright purple walls. I slowly woke up, disconnecting myself from my charging chair to face another lifeless day in Robocity. I went into the wiperoom, a place where we detox ourselves or waste some time like I was going to do now. I touched my chest and a pop-up window came up. I scrolled down the many useless options, tapped on the outfits option, and chose “nothing”. My face started turning shiny silver and slowly made its way down to my mechanical legs. 

I went into the shower and warm baking powder fell upon me as I rubbed myself everywhere and started singing loudly, “La la la ooo.” 

Then I heard a sweet voice, “Stop singing like your father, Gamma.” It was my mom, Alpha.

“Leave me alone at least in the shower, ma,'' I shouted back and continued singing. Then I came out from the wiperoom and took the sandpaper. I rubbed the sandpaper on me and my body slowly started glimmering and even reflected the tube lights in my room. I again touched my chest and chose the outfit “Prison uniform.” We could edit out the names of the outfits ourselves and I named my school right. I walked out of my room donning my blue shirt and pants

and I saw my Mom moving here and there with her roller skates. She was displaying a bright pink outfit with embroidery almost everywhere. She always had the cutest outfits and the amount of time she puts into her clothing is obnoxious. 

“HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR CHARGER, BOOKS AND BAGS? WE ARE GETTING LATE,” she shouted hurriedly. 

“Yup, ma. What are you searching for?” I asked her serenely. 

“My charger.”

“Here it is, ma.” I handed over the life-saving charger and proceeded to our flying car on my roller skates, smoothly brushing the floor. 

My Mom sat in the driver's seat and revved up the engines. I could see the ground under me going farther away and we proceeded forward.

I looked out the window and waved to Mr. Hanks, watering his garden. Then I saw 4 robbers covered in black having huge bags filled with steel currency coming out of the Robank. 

“Don't look there, Gamma,” my Mom called me out and I quickly turned my head. 

“Why don't we stop them, ma?” I asked for the zillionth time.

“Because we don't have to, just stick to your Script.”

Ah, the Script! It's a set of written rules and routines given by the government, which one should follow his entire life.

“Ah, and we have freedom!” I thought.

We entered the premises of the place I hate the most, “School.” I looked up at the white building and saw the board, “FREEDOM IS YOUR RIGHT.”

“Bullshit,” I murmured and kissed my Mom goodbye. 

I walked through the quiet hallway and the only sounds I heard were the wheels of roller skates. I sat on my seat and saw the numb faces of everyone. But there was this one robogirl, Angela, that I had been seeing for a long time. She was the only one who smiled and her silvery cheeks showed dimples. Her bright red head attracted me and I would keep looking at her all day.

“Good morning students.” I heard the dull voice of our teacher who had been with us for almost 13 years now. Boring faces!

She was greeted by a weak, “Good morning, madam.”

She announced, “Happy sixteen to everyone here. It has been great teaching y’all.” She again received a weak, “Thank you” from her beloved robots.

Oh my god, today is my sixteenth birthday and my mom didn’t tell me! 

After some banal classes, the Charger time had come. I plugged in my charger and waited. No one talked to anyone, it was always lonely and I saw Angela, still smiling. 

I'm gonna talk to her, leave out the script, meh.

I unplugged my charger and slowly moved towards her as all my classrobos looked at me in awe. Suddenly, a red light appeared in my body and a beep sound came! I was panic-stricken as it had never happened to me before. I quickly moved to my seat and hoped the teachers didn't hear it. The red light was gone but I was frightened. I touched my chest and chose “play music.” 

*****

After a while, my Mom suddenly entered the class and shouted, “WHERE IS HE?”

I stood up and she ordered, “Come with me now.” 

She faced the teacher and said, “I'm taking him with me, I’ll brief you afterwards.”

I was so pink after all this happened and was shell scared.

We started to home in our flying car and I saw a roboman getting robbed in broad daylight by the same black folks. As we reached home, my Mom called me, “Sit here, Gamma.” I sat like a quiet robo attending his first day of school. 

“Did you do anything new today?” she asked me, worried.

“No, ma.” 

“Don't lie to me, I got the red signal from your system.”

“I wanted to talk to Angela, so I..” Before I could finish she cut me off. 

“Is it in your script?”

“No, ma.” 

She looked at me, nodding her head sideways.

“Do you remember what happened to your Dad?”

“He was arrested and dismantled by the government for behaving out of script,” I said and bent my head down.

“Beta, your dad, tried to help people but he got destroyed for that, you want that to happen to you?”

“No, ma. I won't go out of script anymore.”

“Hope you don't,” my Mom said and walked off in disbelief.

I have to make my Dad proud.

That night, I entered my Mom’s room and charged there, telling her I was scared to be alone. And ya, I switched off her notifications so that she won't get the signal.

The next morning I woke up before her and got ready as fast as I could.

Today is gonna be different. For you, Dad.

The beep sound and red light appeared in my system but I switched on the forbidden incognito mode. If you know, you know. 

I went into Mr Hank’s house and waved at him. I grabbed his watering can and started watering the plants. I felt like flowers growing on my hands and it was enchanting!

After waving bye to Mr Hanks, I proceeded to my second task, stopping the robank theft.

I moved into the bank slyly and hid behind a counter. 

The four robbers had packed their bags with cash and rolled over to their flying car. 

But this time it's not gonna be easy, thieves.

I went to the back of the burglars and kicked one down. 

“WHO ARE YOU?” another robber shouted at me.

“Your nightmare, baby,” I replied and switched on combat mode in my settings. Both my hands turned into hammers and a protective shield covered my body. 

The robbers had no experience in handling failures and they ran away.

If you come again tomorrow, you will have to face me again, idiots.

I handed over the cash bags to the Robank manager and he was shocked. 

“Thank you,” he said, hugging me. 

I hope you are proud of me, Dad.

Then I heard the sirens, it was the police. 

That was quick. Why can't they come and stop the theft?

A robot police with medals all over his green upper thorax approached me. I lifted my head high up to see him and his bulging arms. 

“You are welcome, officer,” I mocked, going for a handshake with the mountain of a robo. 

“You are welcome to jail,” he told calmly and took out the handcuffs.

What is happening here? I have to act quickly.

I slid away from there as fast as I could. The police started chasing me in their fast-moving cars. I touched my chest and looked for settings like escape mode. I scrolled down and finally found “Transparent mode.”

I escaped into a narrow street, being invisible and the cars drove past me.

Phew, that was a close one. But why are they chasing me? I don't understand anything.

I switched off the transparent mode and stood there, completely hopeless. 

Suddenly, something hard hit my head and here I am now tied to this chair.

I look around and find only darkness. I shake my body and use all my power but it's of no use. 

“SOMEBODY HELP,” I shout at the top of my voice. 

“Ahh somebody save him,” says a voice, mockingly and a door opens with blue light coming in. 

“What do you want?” I ask the voice.

“La la la ooo.” Then the room starts getting brighter and I see the robot slowly coming towards me along with the other robbers.

“DAD!” I exclaim.

“Yes, my boy. How have you been?” he says, chuckling. He is an average build with tattoos all over his body. 

“Dad, we thought you were dismantled.”

“I was going to be, but I escaped, you know, the transparent mode.” Then he waved his hands and the ropes of the chair freed me from its hold. 

“But why are you here with these guys, did you get kidnapped like me?” I ask, panicking and then all of them start laughing.

“He's our boss,” says a robber and continues laughing.

“But, Dad..” my Dad cuts me off, “I'm proud that you became just like me and not like your scaredy mum, haha.”

“No, Dad. This is not right. Come back to our home," I plead, holding his hands.

“I can't live by The Script, son. You join us. You will have fun,” he says.

He's not my Dad now, he's a monster.

I let go of his hands and stepped back. 

“The script sucks but I'll go against it only to help people,” I say, switching on combat mode.

“Aww!” my Dad exclaims and gets his hammer hands along with his henchrobos. 

I first go for a hit with my right hammer but BAM! I got my head hit by my father.

I can't win them straight. The lights! 

I look around and see a lever near the door. I quickly dodge the robbers and slide to the entrance.

“Come here, my boy. You are not going anywhere.” My Dad laughs.

“I'm not going anywhere, Dad.” I give a huge grin and pull the lever down.

Darkness prevailed over the room and  I switch on night vision. I could see infrared versions of them.

It's my time now!

BAM! CHUCK! POW! And done.

I switch off the 3 robbers and finally move to my Dad. 

Before switching him off, I declare, “We are not the same, Dad. I chose the right path.”

Thus, I embark on my journey to help people and take down The Script.