Android of the Present

I was walking on the sidewalk in crowded New York City. I tried to blend in, walking like they did, making expressions like they did, et cetera. If I could sweat, I know that I would be. I had recently escaped a technology university. The students there made me to take out "the competition" as they told me. Other university's were supposed to be competing with them for a spot in the "robotics finals." I was supposed to go to the rival college, destroy the other robots that they had made, and escape. The realism of my face was supposed to help disguise the fact that I was an android. Yep. A full blow, android. Like, a robot.

I tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone. I had recently gone back to the university and taken everything that I thought I might need. Money, some spare clothes, things like that. I was on my way to get some clothes other than the ones I had stolen from some random boy at my college. They were big and baggy on my small figure.

"Come on C.A.T!" I said to myself. C.A.T stands for Computer At the Top. Some kid in the group came up with the name, and everyone sort of agreed, "Think! Where could I get women's clothes?" I stopped walking and looked around. Across the street from where I stood was an H&M. That looked like it could have some clothes, so I crossed the street, almost getting hit by a car on the way. I panted. Even though I was a robot, the way the students designed me made me seem like any normal human. Long black hair, tan skin, I looked like your average girl. Except for my eyes. My grey eyes were what set me apart. They were this color because of the metal scraps that had been used to build me.

I open the doors leading into the store and immediately know that I made the right choice. There are different sections devoted to each age and gender. I run over to the young adult women's section and chose a plain grey shirt and leggings. Secondly, I grab some blue jeans, black jeans, a red shirt, a white shirt, and a shirt with a butterfly on it. I also grab some underclothes, a cap to help hide my face, and some hair bands. Lastly, before I leave, I see a plain grey sweatshirt. I grab it and check out, paying with the stolen money. I stole 500 dollars from the university, not knowing how much I would need. I still have 460 dollars left. I go into the customers only bathroom and try on the clothes. Luckily, they all fit, and I put on the grey shirt, leggings, and the grey hoodie. I pull my hair back into a ponytail and slide on the cap. I continue down the street. There are people everywhere. I don't know where to go until I see something.

I see them. In a blue car, looking for me, I run down the sidewalk and into an alleyway.

"There she is!" half of them are getting out of the car, running after me. I might be a robot, but I can still run as fast as any human that I've known. I hide behind a trash can. Then, realizing that it isn't enough, I jump into an open window, ducking down and letting the wall hide me.

I can hear their footsteps in the alleyway.

"Come on out C.A.T, we just want to talk!" a boy says. Sure, you're definitely not going to reprogram me into an evil robot killing android. Thanks for being so honest. I hold my breath as I hear one of the students walk past the window. He leans his head in the window, looking around the room for me.

"Damn it!" One of the girls in the group says, "She's gone."

"We'll check the nearby areas, look for her there." A boy says. I hear their footsteps as they leave. I let out a sigh, stand up, and look around the building I jumped into. It's deserted with paper and other trash strewn across the floor. A broken television sits on a stand up against the wall. A couch is torn up, the stuffing popping out of holes. A wooden table is chipped and missing a leg, a cracked vase sitting on top of it. The kitchen is a disaster. It's perfect. I grab the broken leg of the table, use some melted metal from my finger to fuse the leg back to the table, and clean up the area. This will do nicely.

***

It's been one year. I was never found by the students, but I did report them. They're being taken out of the robotics club and the things they did will be taken into account when they are trying to apply for jobs. I live alone. The same window I jumped into the day I escaped? Yeah, I live there. I fixed the place up, got new furniture, a new television, and even job at H&M. I got new clothes and filled up my closet. I mostly just wear plain old colored shirts with jeans or leggings, but recently I started dating. I have a few nice shirts and dresses in my closet and dresser too. I have a cat, Whiskey. He doesn't scratch or hiss, but loves to play. The only food I spend money on is food for Whiskey. Right now, the university that I was built in is trying to build another robot, a male one. I'm excited to see how that works for them. It took the students almost a month to build me. I also write books on the side as something to bring in a little extra money. None of them have sold out yet, but I have my fingers crossed. I also have been interviewed by a few of the other Universities so that the students studying there can get some hands on experience with one of the first ever realistic robots. It's good to know that I'm helping kids for the future. New York is my home, and I hope that it is forever.