Published: 05-21-03 Completed: 11-11-03CHAPTER 1: MEETING
“Is Project Arlene complete?” Prof. Allen Hobby asked as he went into the construction lab.
“Yes, Prof. Hobby. She is ready to be tested,” his colleague replied.
“Good. Do we have a suitable candidate?” Prof. Hobby came near to his secretary who was clicking away in the computer. She nodded and double-clicked on an icon.
“This one is suitable. His name is Paulo Santonio. He just worked here as a security guard and he and his wife are infertile. Chances are they won’t be able to have kids ever.”
“He’s a perfect candidate. Bring him in and I’ll talk to him,” Prof. Hobby smiled. The secretary nodded and went out of the office to find Paulo.
“Let’s hope this project won’t be lost again like David.”
“Isabella! Isabella! I have a surprise for you!”
Isabella Santonio came to her husband’s call. He sounded terribly excited. Usually he would come home weary and quiet after a long day’s work at Cybertronics. When she came to the living room, her husband was waiting for her near the front door.
“What is the matter, Paulo?” Isabella asked. It was really rare to see her husband who just got back from work in all smiles.
“Isabella, this is wonderful,” Paulo said enthusiastically. “Stand there and don’t move. I have a surprise for you.”
Paulo rushed to the front door and waved his hand at the heat-sensor. The door opened and revealed a little girl about not more than 10 years old. She had beautiful sparkling aquamarine eyes and her coffee-coloured hair reached her waist. She had rosy cheeks and a brilliant smile. She was a perfect little girl. She was beautiful beyond words, like a fairy that has just descended from the sky. She wore a pink nightgown decorated with little cloth roses.
“Hello, my name is Arlene. Pleased to meet you,” the girl smiled her brilliant smile and walked towards her. Isabella was quite taken aback by Arlene. She touched her hair and cheeks and felt her hands. She looked into Arlene’s eyes in wonder. She was so adorable. She was everything a parent wants.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Paulo asked, his eyes shining with hope.
“Can I talk to you for a second, Paulo?” Isabella gestured her husband to the room.
Paulo obliged. He expected that his wife would scream at him or some sort. He tried to explain, “Now I know what you’re trying to say, but listen to me. She’s perfect. She’s beautiful. She…”
His explanation was cut short by Isabella’s sudden hug. Isabella was in tears of joy, “She is beautiful, Paulo! She is the most beautiful child I have ever seen! Where did you get her? Which adoption agency did you go? How did you get an adoption like this so fast? The last time we applied for adoption, it took us six months to actually hear a rejection from them…”
“She’s no ordinary child, Isabella. She is a robot. A mecha.”
“A mecha? You mean a mecha-child? But…but she felt so real…!” There was a small sign of disappointment in her.
“Yes, Isabella. The company I work for had made this prototype and gave her to us as a test subject. I heard that they have a boy version of it being tested by another family. I think he’s called David. Anyway, they knew about our condition and they chose us to be the test subject. Isn’t it great?”
“Paulo, she is a robot. How can I have a robot as a child? What would people think?”
“She’s no ordinary robot, Isabella. She is a mecha that can love. She is programmed to love people and she would definitely love us unconditionally, Isabella. Aren’t what all parents wanted, to be loved by their own children without the children asking for something in return?”
“But Paulo, she is not real. I want to have a child who I can watch him/her grow up and have a career and go have a family and…”
“It is temporary. If you don’t like it, you can just return her to Cybertronics, no questions asked. Besides, she will keep you company until we can get a real child. Arlene can be our new child’s playmate or a toy or some sort. We can throw her back to my company any time you want.”
“Paulo, you make it sound like she is some kind of accessory! She is a child! A mecha-child, maybe, but still a child!”
“Just think about it, OK, Isabella?” Paulo did a puppy-eyed pout which his wife loved the most. “Don’t do anything until you’re ready. If you are, you can activate her with this sequence of words they given me. Be very sure about this.”
“…OK, Paulo. I’ll give it a try. I’ll see how it turns out before I activate her,” Isabella took the plastic folder and put it into her dresser. “She is…just…so real…”
That night, before bed, Arlene asked Isabella to dress her up. Isabella undressed her bellybutton shirt and jeans and put her on the nightgown she wore when they first met. She looked so much like an angel. Isabella’s heart couldn’t help melting for her.
“Am I in need of sleep now?” Arlene asked.
“Yes, Arlene. It’s late. You should get some rest,” Isabella replied.
“But I can’t sleep. I’m not programmed to sleep. But I can be really quiet.” Arlene had that smile again. She was so loveable. Isabella sighed at upon seeing her. Slowly she stood up.
“You wait here, Arlene. I have something for you.”
“Alright, Isabella.”
Isabella went into her closet and took out a tall and wide cylinder box from among her shoe boxes. She brought it to Arlene’s room and put it on the floor. Arlene responded by sitting down in front of the box.
“I have a present for you,” Isabella said as she took out the content of the box. It was a huggable-sized stuff cat. It had every feature of a cat and almost looked like it too. Isabella fingered with the power switch on the cat’s butt and turned it on. The cat opened its yellow eyes and dwindled for a while before sitting upright.
“This is Kitty. It used to belong to me when I was a kid and have been with me until I was too old to play with dolls anymore. It’s a Super Toy. Kitty, say hello to Arlene.”
“Hello, Arlene,” Kitty greeted her in a teenage boy’s voice with the same Mexican slang Isabella and Paulo had.
“Hello, Kitty,” Arlene greeted him back.
“I’m going to be in bed,” Isabella said as she got up again, taking the box with her. “I’m quite tired. If you want company, you can talk to Kitty.”
As she closed the door behind her and peeked through the rough stained glass of the door, she saw Arlene taking Kitty onto the bed and started a hushed conversation. She couldn’t help feeling dazzled at the way Arlene actually had fun talking the Super Toy.
“She is so real…”
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