SR5608

The tall, thin woman scanned the crowd from right to left, then back again. There were approximately nine hundred and fifty-seven human beings crowded into the town square, give or take a dozen. It was harder to inventory the little ones, they darted in and out and around the main throng. Also hindering the count was the fact that over two thirds of the people wore black- black cloaks, capes, feathers, tunics, smocks, dresses, and pantaloons.

She herself had donned a silky hooded cape to fit in. She’d adjusted her skin tone to a light tawny bronze color in an effort to blend in with the indigenous race of the city.

Though the general sentiments of the people were of mourning and profound loss, there was the underlying feeling of the excitement of a special occasion: the learning centers were closed, the shops and offices were closed, restaurants were closed but many restaurateurs had set up small shacks erected to provide snacks and refreshments. The men in the long black robes that led the procession scowled at the capitalists, but the day was hot. A few of the scowlers even glared at the sky as if thinking, how dare this day be so fine and cloudless?

The tall woman pulled the hood from her shoulder length chestnut hair in order to hear better. Her ears were like radar dishes. She tuned out the fast-flowing river of voices and gave attention to the distinctive sound of the girl’s gait.

A man nearly knocked her over. “Hey watch where you’re goin!”

The edges of her lips curled upwards just as a real human’s would, as she bit back a scalding response. After all, it was he who had not been watching where he was going. He was a mere distraction, as insignificant as a flea on her knee. She continued to scan the crowd.

***

‘Don’t forget to blink.’ The voice of my master softly said inside my head.

I blinked. There were so many things to remember. Not blinking every few seconds was weird.

‘Turn thirty-eight degrees to your left.’

I did so. And detected the girl’s footfalls. I tuned in and the ocean of voices and clanks and clicks and hoofbeats and rustling fabric ceased.

Pat…shhhp, pat…shhhp, pat…shhhp.

The girl had been born with a club foot. Braces had straightened the leg, but her ankle remained fused, her left foot may as well have been made of wood. She was thirteen years old, and small for her age. Though her androgynous, willowing body looked frail, she held her head high. Her dark sienna hair was long and muti-braided and adorned with crow feathers. She wore a rosy tint on her lips, her dark eyes focused straight ahead and at the backs of the priests before her.

A handsome, middle-aged woman on her left side bent and whispered something to her. Upon detecting her in the crowd, the sounds of the crowd rushed back like water over a damn, and I was unable to hear what the woman had said. I adjusted my hood back over my hair.

The petite princess nodded, her face a disconsolate mask, as fresh tears leaked from her eyes.

The woman was her aunt, the king’s sister. His wife had died the year before and not remarried. Though in my observations of the palace, I’d spied young, attractive women furtively being led by guards through the gate at the rear that led into the kitchen.

I followed, weaving around of folks, until directly behind the girl’s aunt.

As we came upon the burial ground gates, Princess Katori looked nervously behind her.

Her aunt said, “They will only let two hundred into the grounds, as per my request. Do not fret. We are nearly there.”

Katori nodded and visibly relaxed, letting out the deep breath she’d been holding. “I wish Uncle Bari were here.”

“He’d be here if he could. The Grecian mission is one your father initiated; Bari will see it through until the pact is set in stone. He will make it up to you when he returns.”

‘I’m sure he will.’ I thought sarcastically to myself. I knew Duke Bari was here somewhere, lurking in some dark hole like a fat crunchy spider. ‘Can he see the tall thin woman in the black cape holding hands with a sad little girl? Hmf. With out a doubt.’

The dozen priests, like ominous, looming black vultures, reached the gates and parted to let us through. Amongst the first twenty people through were family, then came courtiers, educators, the holey women-seers, alchemists. The black garbed crowd swarmed the gravesite. The priests looked on, standing next to the guards. As the grassy expanse surrounding the royal graveyard filled, the priests started turning people away, yaying or naying, as the press of bodies came on.

So hard was I concentrating on imitating the humans’ expressions- and blinking appropriately- I jumped in my lab manufactured skin when the little girl took my hand. I looked down and beheld the entire human race’s redeeming qualities in one small and ethereally beautiful face. I smiled carefully, not full wattage, I’d learned that that frightened people and was still working that whole expressions thing out.

Katori smiled back. It was the first time I’d ever seen her smile. I also realized that, unlike young people her age, she had no friends. She looked away quickly as her aunt spoke to her. “The empire is watching, child, quit grinning like a fool.”

Through the small hand in mine, I felt her tremble and detected her anger. It was gone in a fleeting second and I was truly in admiration of this small human. She had such control, such poise. I knew she was being groomed to be ruler in approximately six years, as her father had been before her, and his mother before him…and so on.

But I knew secrets I intended to keep from her. And I would keep them…unless asked of me directly, for an android can not lie. It’s where my alien makers either drew the line or hadn’t advanced my model type to be able to. Hence the coaching in my head. This was my first assignment after all.

The crowd was silently listening to the dirge-like preachings and chanting along when prompted. I found it all very hypnotic and rather fascinating. Stupid, but fascinating, like the last thoughts of a deer in the headlights.

My higher power are my creators. The scientists of Alaxor, a planet two light years Northwest of Pluto, have ultimate control over my entire being. If discovered, they have the ability to have me self-destruct, like a piece of evidence discovered by a spy. They are with me at all times. The more time I spend here on Earth, the more I am developing…um…issues. Just the fact that I said um, hits the nail on the head.

The funeral was winding down like a spiral into a quagmire of grief. The people had loved their king. They believed he was good. They believed he had developed and maintained a prosperous land for them. I saw through bullshit politics, saw the real agenda. And had acted for the best of this race’s future. I had been created to be a protector.

We shared a look as the dirge of depressing hymns were sang. The look was one like a groan. We both squashed the urge to giggle at the absurdity we displayed. Yay! It was over, time to go home now…

…my thoughts were interrupted by Princess Katori saying, “Thank you.”

“No problem” I said.

She smiled and my circuits glowed.

The crowd swelled past the gates. The people were now partying; celebrating the king’s accomplishments and the bright future they perceived in his lineage. Though the businesses were not allowed to open, the sellers of food and drink in the streets had doubled. The general vibe was intoxication and revelry and anticipation.

I too, felt anticipation. But it was not joyful. Mine was controlled rage, I focused it like a laser beam, seeking the murderous fiend.

We were again herded through the square and streets. Vulture-like priests in the lead. Interesting how people steered away from them automatically. Guards everywhere and people relaxing as they headed towards the main square where I’d first found the princess, then beyond to where the palace sat like a fat, gem encrusted toad.

Katori let my hand go when her aunt turned to face her. She raised a hand in goodbye on the sly. I nodded my understanding and stepped back into the crowd. Her and her aunt and a pair of guards headed towards the palace. I followed, scanning the rooftops and second story window arches.

The voice in my head said, ‘danger SR5608, armed mode.’ My eyes flashed red under my hood.

I caught the glint of the setting sun’s light reflected off a metal shaft. The human spider lurked in the deepening shadows of a second story portico. I deduced the shaft to be a crossbow arrow.

I turned my radar on and aimed at the small, roofed archway…the noise of the revelers faded. The guards were animatedly talking to the aunt, distracting her.

I homed in on the single noise and spotted the assassin just as he was poised to dispatch the arrow from the crossbow.

‘click…whzzz’

 I was a blur as I leapt into the air, my legs like uncoiled springs. My silken cape swirled around me and floated down over the princess as I landed directly in front of her, crouching protectively. The entire assignation attempt had taken two seconds. I covered her mouth with my hand and uncaped my head. Her eyes were wide, her face milk pale.

“Sssh…okay?” I said.

She nodded, her expression not one of fright, but of horror. She pointed at my head. I understood then and reached a hand to the side of my head where I found the nasty little deadly projectile solidly embedded.

“Y-you’ve got an arrow. In your head.”

I plucked it out and quickly pocketed it as her aunt turned back to us. Katori’s eyes fluttered as if she were about to faint. I shook her shoulders and said, “You are strong. I am fine.” She started to put the lightning-fast events in place. Anger, confusion, and disbelief.

She looked up around at the buildings around us but her aunt swooped in.

“Unhand that child this instant! Guards!”

The men approached and attempted to assess the situation. I said to the girl, “Do you trust me?”

She nodded.

As the men raised their swords, I swooped up the little girl. Jets sprung from my back and calf shields; we were airborne and whizzing away too fast for us to hear the crowd’s reaction. My cape caught fire and sizzled away, the charred fragments like bat ghosts wheeling away. I smelled burning leather and knew my tunic and leggings would go next.

Katori trembled in my arms. I said, “Do not be afraid…”

“…I’m not afraid…this is the best thing EVER!”

I laughed and she put her arms out and said, “Wheeeeeeeeee!” At last, a little girl again.

We flew for forty minutes: over a vast river, a crisp yellow plain, and blueish grey foothills adorned with white and yellow wildflowers. I curved us over a mountain range until we approached the giantest one. I felt a scream building in her lungs. “Hey kiddo…” I hugged her tighter and the scream wheezed out like air from a bellows.

I slowed to half speed as a rocky face on an outcrop slid away sideways, revealing a dark cavern.

“Oh,” she said like a mouse.

I couldn’t resist as we landed on the outcrop and said, “Ta da!”

Her thin legs wobbled as I put her down, but I kept her upright and she recovered her equilibrium as rapidly as I’d expected. This one was a fireball of life-force for certain.

I took her hand and led her into my home on Earth.

Soft, velvety amber lighting alit before us as we traversed from corridor to corridor. At one nook in the cave wall, I asked if she was hungry. She said, “No, but I am thirsty.”

I thought for a second then pressed a few buttons on what was my kitchen wall. In the small vestibule resembling a microwave oven, something that would not be invented for 226 years, a crystal glass appeared, it filled with a brown fizzing liquid.

“Try this, it’s my favorite,” I said, handing her the glass.

She didn’t even hesitate to sip. “Ooh…tickles my nose. It’s sweet. And really good…”

“It’s called Dr. Pepper. You may never have it again, it won’t be invented until 1885. All right, c’mon, we need to talk.”

“Can you make anything in that thing?”

“Well…yes. But I don’t actually make it. My masters do. I’ll explain about them. Come.”

***

I had led her deeper into my cave home. We reclined on comfy pillows (after I’d put on new clothes) and talked throughout the night.

She soaked up my words like a sponge. I told her about my planet, my alien masters, my mission… she’d said, “But why me? I’m heir in six years and the people are happy.”

“There’s someone who does not want to see you take the throne…”

“Uncle Bari?”

I nodded.

“It was he who shot you, trying for me.”

I nodded again.

“But why? I’m to be married to his son, Frankel…” her shoulders drooped again.

“You do not like this person?”

She looked at me in the eyes for a few seconds, then said, “No. I find him repulsive. I like no one and have no friends.” Her lower lip pouged out like a child’s, it was nice. “Except for one…a guard. He’s fifteen and super cute.”

I rolled my eyes and she laughed and swatted my arm.

I grew serious. “Your country needs you. You are destined for greatness. You will lead your people into a new horizon that is different from the one your aunt and uncle see. Theirs is one of war and so much death.”

“It was my uncle that shot at me, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“And my aunt knew about it, that’s why she left my side just then.”

“Yes.”

“You can not tell a lie, can you?”

I was taken by surprise. “No.”

“It was you that killed my father.”

I cringed like a human would. “Yes. I had to…”

She got up and I stood too. She said, “I’m tired.”

I tried to put an arm around her, but she sluiced away and said, “leave me be, please.”

I showed her to my guest room. I asked her if she wanted any food or more soda. She closed the door slowly in my face.

***

The next morning, Katori came into the kitchen nook where the microwave-looking-thing was and I was waiting. She came in holding the Steif teddy bear I had laid on her pillow. She was still small- petite- and a weariness had settled in her.

I had seen her dreams. I didn’t like spying, but my masters forced me to keep tabs.

She had seen the truth in them and try as I might to predict a human’s moves in the next few seconds, I simply could not. Perhaps another android a decade or two after me could…but no.

She sat at the two-person table. I’d erected it just for her visit.

She said, “Eggs, soft boiled, two please. And some spinach wilted on a biscuit. Boiled ham too, with some maple jelly…please.”

I fell in love with her then. This child-queen. I felt all the danger and woes had been worth it. I still had a mission to see to its end, but the hardest part was complete.

The killing would be easy.

Princess Katori said, “Please make it fast and painless.”

“I always do.”

“And promise me we can go flying again.”

She knew if I said yes, I’d be committed to it. I said, “of course.”

She smiled and ate her breakfast, holding her bear. She said when she was halfway through, “Oh, by the way, I’ve named him SR5608.”