CHAPTER 2: ACTIVATION
Arlene has been in the Santonio family for about 2 weeks now. She had a curiosity about everything, and like David, she followed Isabella everywhere she goes, watching her every move, absorbing data on Isabella and tried to help out in the chores she was doing. And she always had that smile on her face that was so loveable, Isabella just couldn’t ignore.
Later that night, after the Santonio couples were asleep, Arlene continued her normal routine of chit-chatting with Kitty.
“Are there no other children in this house? Why is it always so quiet in here?”
“Because Isabella couldn’t have children. Neither can Paulo. They were both not of the capacity to produce.”
“Will they ever have children if their capacity were to be increased?”
“Don’t be silly, Arlene. It is impossible for an orga to increase body capacity. They are not mechas like us. They are human, people of flesh and blood.”
“I understand. It’s just that this house is too quiet.” Arlene shrugged as she climbed up to bed, taking Kitty with her.
“It will not be quiet for long, I can tell you that,” Kitty said as he huddled himself in Arlene’s arms.
“Why?” Arlene was curious.
“Let’s just say you’ll be much better off letting things happen by themselves.”
Arlene stared at Isabella as she makes her hot chocolate. She stared really intently as Isabella scooped the chocolate powder into a small pot of boiling water and stirred it in a certain rhythm. She was absorbing data again, as usual.
“It’s almost bedtime, Arlene. Why don’t you go and wait for me in your room?” Isabella said when her hot chocolate was done.
“Can I stay here and watch you drink?” Arlene asked.
“Why would you want to do that?”
“Because you seemed lonely,” Arlene replied as she giggled gingerly, sending Isabella into smiles.
“What’s so funny?”
Arlene didn’t reply. She just giggled mysteriously. Her voices sounded like wind chimes—so soothing, so lovely yet it penetrates the heart and soul. Then, as suddenly as she started, she stopped giggling and looked at Isabella with her sparkling aquamarine eyes.
“Alright,” Isabella said after a momentary silence, “you can sit with me and watch. Just don’t make me spill or anything.”
“Yes, Isabella.”
So as Isabella sipped her hot chocolate, Arlene sat beside her, watching her every move. Isabella held out her hand and pulled Arlene close to her chest, feeling the mecha-child’s body heat on her. Even for a mecha-child, Cybertronics did a great job in making her as realistic as possible, and that includes her body temperature. If she hadn’t known that Arlene was a mecha, she could’ve sworn that she was a real girl. They made her so life-like and so real that through time, Isabella began to think that she was really flesh and blood, and that she was her true daughter. She stroked Arlene’s hair that was soft as silk and gazed into her aquamarine eyes. She had fallen in love with this mecha-child.
After she finished her chocolate, she brought Arlene to her room and changed her. As she tucked her to bed, Arlene suddenly responded, “Read to me.”
Isabella was caught unexpected. She had always wanted to tuck children of her own into bed and read stories to them until they fall asleep, and now Arlene was actually giving her a chance to do so. She began to love Arlene even more.
“Alright, Arlene,” Isabella said as she took out a book entitled ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. As she read to Arlene, Arlene listened intently to every word, and giggled at the funny noises Isabella made when she imitates the voices of the characters. When she finished reading, Arlene was staring in space. It was as if she had gone into a trance. Isabella assumed that this was the way mechas sleep and kissed her forehead before retiring back into her room. As soon as she left, Kitty climbed up to Arlene’s bed without Isabella’s knowing and chit-chatted silently with her.
Isabella finally made her decision.
“Is this a game?” Arlene asked, her aquamarine eyes gazing at her intently.
“Yes, well, sort of.”
Isabella was holding the maroon plastic folder in her hand, staring at the form inside. She took it out slowly and followed the instructions written on the form. She laid her fingers on the activation button behind Arlene’s neck and asked, “Am I hurting you, Arlene?”
“No, Isabella.”
“I’m going to read some words and you have to listen to every word I say. Look into my eyes while I’m doing it. Can you do that, Arlene?”
“Yes, Isabella.”
She fingered on Arlene’s neck, trying to find the tiny bulge that is Arlene’s activation button. When she found it, she pressed it and started reading the sequence of words in the form.
“Yogurt, metal, dolls, titanium, rabbit, sugar, spice, Mercedes, Arlene, Isabella. Arlene, Isabella.”
A few seconds later, Arlene’s smile faded into a look of surprise. Her mechanism was slowly activating itself. Isabella put her hand down and looked at the form, hoping that she didn’t do anything wrong with reading the sequence of words. When she tried to contemplate if she has made a mistake, she heard Arlene’s tiny voice calling her.
“Mama? Mama…”
Isabella looked up and gasped. Arlene was staring at her with a pair of aquamarine eyes full of…love?
“What did you just call me?” Isabella was close to tears of joy.
“Mama,” Arlene repeated herself.
“Oh, Arlene…” Isabella held out her arms to hold her. Arlene immediately got off her chair and held Isabella tight.
“I love you, Mama…”
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