Too Be Human Chapter 1

To Be Human: Chapter 1

 * Welcome to the World

Thunder, that was the first thing I ever remembered, the shake and sound of thunder. “Emergency Booting Process Completed”. The words seem to just ring in my head as my consciousness was awaken. I looked around and saw a laboratory smash and destroyed. Heads of uncompleted androids littered the ground along with scattered tools. The roof seemed to have collapsed on one end of the room. Rocks, debris, and dirt filled the section as a crimson substance stained the ground. A small fire burned in the corner bringing light to the damaged unilluminated section of the building.

As I looked around a single question continued to pop into my head. “Where am I”, I spoke finally bringing the though from my head to the surface. No longer focused on the room as a whole I focused on my immediate surroundings. I soon found myself inside of a very strange structure. The walls curved around me and were made of some kind of metal. On the walls were lines and circles. There was a few words inscribed on the inside of it paired with a series of numbers.

“Antrinock 001”, I spoke as I read the words aloud. What was Antrinock? I had no clue. Still however I had no intention of remaining inside of this… this… this capsule. I guess that would be the best way to describe it. Grabbing hold of the outer layer I hopped out the capsule and landed onto the floor. A loud sound filled the air as my feet hit the floor. A small vibration was felt in the room as the rocks shifted a bit.

“What the”, I spoke in confusion. Was I really that heavy? I l looked at my hand and arms for a moment. They seemed normal. I had the metal rings and circles. Maybe this place was just not stable. Still however I wondered why was I inside of that capsule in the first place? I stopped for a moment and turned around. As I turned I noticed something that was not there before, or rather something I did not see before. There was another capsule, but this one was close. Curiously I walked up to it to get a look at what was inside. As I walked I noticed the reflection off the glass, and I as immediately frozen.

“Is that me”, I spoke as I stared at the reflection. There I was. A man of metal, screws, bolts, and joints. This did not surprise me as this was who I was, but the thing that bothered me was the fact that I had seen this before. This very same design. This same structure, and the same red dot in the middle of the face. Slowly I turned and looked at the ground. There it was another me. Its body ripped in half by crumbling stones. A million question began to run through my head. What that my brother? Was that actually me? Or am I another me created after the first me died? How many of me are there? Maybe that was an imposter? The questions keep coming on and on questioning everything, but eventually one question surfaced to the top and erupted from me like a volcano. “What Am I”, I screamed. My voice echoed through the broken hall. For a brief moment the room lit up with sound and then silence.

I stood there for a moment. Not thinking anything. My eyes focused on the body that laid before me. Answers, that was the word that surfaced above the sea of nothing. I want answers. I need answers. “I must have answers”, I finally spoke breaking the silence. My head turned and my vision now focused on the other capsule. “What is inside the other capsule”, I spoke aloud? Was it another me, or was it something else. Could it be the answers I seek, or could it simply be more questions.

As I walked up to the capsule I noticed it was frozen over. Little Ice crystals were distorting my view of what was inside. No matter, all I had to do was open it. My first reaction was to simply punch through the glass, but as I pulled my hand back something took over me. My left hand rose up and pressed a series of numbers on a pad next to the glass of the capsule. “Pass code accepted”, a voice ran out over the lab. The capsule opened and cold air erupted out from within. For a moment my vision was blurred thanks to the releasing smoke.

“So you finally decided to wake me back up good doctor Propumpus”, spoke a voice. The voice was not of my own. As the smoke cleared a black figure came into vision. It was another creature like me, but it was not like me. It was different. It was smooth and shiny. It did not have the exposed lumps of circuitry like I had. “Oh you are not the good doctor”, spoke the individual as I came into his sight. His voice had a sound of confusion. For a moment he stared at me and then looked at the room around.

“Oh I see”, spoke the man. “Well old chap are you going to move or do I have to let myself out.”

“Who is Propumpus”, I asked. The other man continued to look at me for a moment before giving me a jester with his hand to move. Eager to find answers I obeyed. If I moved and let him out he might tell me what I want to know.

“Thank you kindly”, spoke the other man as he climbed out of the capsule. Unlike me he did not jump out. He simply placed one foot after the other and stepped out onto the floor. “Now let’s see what they have to wear”, spoke the man as he began to walk off.

“Wait”, I spoke as I stretched out my hand toward him. Before I could say more he spoke cutting me off.

“Yes, yes, you want answers, am I correct”, asked the other metal man.

“Yes”, I spoke as I nodded my head.

“Well you are going to have to wait”, spoke the other man as he started to walk again. “If you have not noticed we both a stark naked. I know we don’t have genitals or any of those other fleshy parts of humans, but”, spoke the metal man. “What is a human”, I asked interrupting his monologue, but he seemed to ignore me and continue on his rant.

“However I have standards, and I refuse to walk around like some uncultured heathen.” As he spoke he began to shimmy his way around the mass of rocks that appear in the room. With nothing better to do and eager for answers I followed. Getting around the fallen rocks was a bit harder for me as my frame seemed a bit larger than his, but once around I was able to see the other side of the room and hear his continued rant.

“I am a man of class”, he spoke as he opened lockers. He began to throw out clothes onto the floor as he went locker by locker looking for something. “Useless fools”, she spoke with anger. “Don’t any of these humans know how to dress? I swear a monkey has a better collection than these men of science have”, he spoke. Finally he found what he was searching for. “Eureka”, he shouted as he pulled out a pair of black clothing. It took him a minute to get dressed, but once he had his clothing on he seemed to be satisfied. He turned towards me and stared for a moment.

“So”, I spoke, but he soon cut me off

“Hey, you get dressed too”, he spoke. “I am not about to have a conversation with a necked heathen.”

A bit confused and bewildered I grabbed a couple of articles of clothing and began to put them on. I really did not care what they looked like, but the other guy was completely into it. Every time I tried to put on something that he dis like he was say no and make me changed. Eventually either I picked the right combination or he simply got tired of correcting me. In truth I have no idea of which one it was. I think I chose the right combination though. A dark blue jacket and a pair of brown pants. I also picked up a pair of white sneakers, I actually like these.

“So”, I spoke finally dressed to his approval. I was ready to get answers, but once again he cut me off.

“Ok let me go ahead and make this crystal clear”, he spoke. “I owe you one for waking me up. If it was not for you I would probably be stuck in that tin can till the day the world ended. However I don’t feel like answering a thousand questions and teaching you about the outside world. So I am going to make this nice and easy for the both of us. You have three questions. No more and no less. Chose them wisely”, spoke the man.

“Well”, I spoke, but again he cut me off. This was starting to get very annoying.

“One more thing my name is Kuroba”, spoke the man. “If you call me metal man, or man I kill chump your head off.”

Taking in his new name a question came into my mind. By accident I spoke it aloud. “What is my name then”, I asked. Kuroba gave me a queer look and soon realized that my question was not actually meant for him. However he did not allow me to take it back.

“I don’t know your name”, spoke Kuroba. “However you actually have no name. As a sword bot you don’t get names only numbers. Wait let me take that back”, spoke Kuroba suddenly. “You’re not really a sword bot per say. You’re more than likely a sword android. Your curiosity and way of speaking insinuates that you can think on your own.”

“What’s a”, I spoke, but he cut me off.

“Remember you have wasted two questions. You only have one left”, spoke Kuroba. Immediately I stopped. I had just wasted two questions and I was still nowhere near the answers I sought. There was one question I could ask that would cover all that I seek. “What am I”, I asked. Kuroba gave off a slight chuckle. I had asked the million dollar question and he was required to give a million dollar answer.

“You are a sword android created by Dr. Lunocious Crixious Propumpus”, spoke Kuroba. “More than likely from your location here at his old science facility and the fact that you are similar to the Antrinock bots you are the prototype to all of his android models that came after you.”

Antrinock, the word began to ring in my head. Something about it seemed familiar. Yes Antrinock, that was my name. I was Antrinock. As I came to a solution in my head I began once again to focus on Kuroba’s words.

“So to make it simple you are the primogenitor of all Propumpus androids”, spoke Kuroba in closing.

“But who is Propumpus”, I spoke still seeking answers.

“Hey”, spoke Kuroba as he began to turn his back to me. “I said only three questions. You used them all up. If you want answeres you are going to have to find them yourself or prey that I suddenly become generous”, spoke Kuroba as he walked to a key pad on the wall. He pressed a series of buttons and then a door suddenly opened. Light began to flood into the room from a bright square. As the light shinned on me I felt a surge of energy shooting through my body. As Kuroba walked into the light he stopped and turned and looked at me.

“Welcome to the world”, spoke Kuroga as he disappeared into the light.