Arrival of The RX-2000

"There we are Master. Now what would you like for breakfast?" Susan asked, walking in with his black robe around her shoulders.

"Eggs and toast please." Josh said with a yawn, "And would you mind calling me Josh?"

"Of course Josh, I'm sorry. I forgot." Susan said quickly, bowing to him.

"Susan...please. I'm uncomfortable with you being so formal and respectful. We're just friends in the same house." Josh said, walking into the kitchen with her.

"Okay Josh." Susan nodded, pulling a pan out of the cupboard.

"You know...it's still really strange...I can't honestly think of you as a servant or an android. Your just too human for me to think like that." Josh said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I apologize Josh, would you like me to act more robotic?" Susan said.

"No no, it's fine. I'm just...you know...a little...nervous around women." Josh said, quickly taking a sip of his coffee.

"Is there anything you want me to do mas...Josh?" Susan asked.

"Well...I...I would like it if you thought of me as a friend, not your owner or master." Josh said, putting a hand on Susan's shoulder, "Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, I would like that." Susan said, turning around, "I would like that very much."

*******

The day at work had been an average one. A few classes of college students and a bag full of school homework to correct. He got out of the car and headed up to the house.

"Good afternoon Joshua. How was your day?" Susan asked as he walked in the front door.

"It was about the...holy...mother of god..." Josh stopped, staring around.

The house was immaculate. There wasn't a speck of dust or dirt anywhere. Everything was in perfect order and it even looked like the wall behind the television had been repainted.

"I did some cleaning while you were gone today." Susan said, bowing to Josh.

"I can see that..." Josh mumbled, looking around the room in amazement.

"Sorry Josh, does it displease you?" Susan asked worriedly.

"No, it's amazing. I've never seen the house this wonderful!" Josh said, "Thank you!"

"I'm so happy you like it!" Susan cried, throwing her arms around him.

Josh held up his hands in shock at her sudden affection.

"I'm sorry, was that wrong?" Susan asked, stepping back.

"No...it's just...usually a hug is a sign of affection." Josh said nervously.

"Yes." Susan nodded.

"Do you really feel affection?" Josh asked.

"Well of course. You're my Master and I love you dearly." Susan said.

"Wow...I...I didn't know." Josh said, blinking in surprise.

Susan smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"Do you know what it means to love someone?" Josh asked, following her.

"I do. It means to give your undying affection for another." Susan said, "It means you would give anything for them."

"I didn't think it was possible...I mean...Love is a chemical reaction between two people. I just kind of find it difficult to think an android can love." Josh said, scratching his head.

"Love is just a word though. If I understand the word, would that not make it possible to love someone?" Susan asked.

"I suppose...it's just...there's something special about love between humans...something I'm not sure you entirely understand." Josh said, sitting down at the dining table.

"Really? How would I know if I feel it?" Susan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well...I...come here for a second." Josh said.

"Yes Master?" Susan asked, sitting down next to him.

"Give me a kiss." Josh said.

"Okay." Susan said, leaning forward.

Josh gave her a kiss on the lips and sat back.

"Okay?" Susan asked.

"Did you feel anything?" Josh asked.

"I felt your lips on mine." Susan said.

"That's my point. All you felt was the physical aspect of it. Anyone in love would have felt a glow in their chest. A sudden heart beat and a flushed face. Kisses are something special to those in love." Josh explained.

"Okay...well...maybe I don't love you." Susan said, looking down at her knees, "But I'm going to try!"

"Really? Why?" Josh asked.

"Well, I figure if I'm going to love someone...why not you?" Susan said.

"Let's get to know each other a little better first. Since I already know everything about you, is there anything you would like to know about me?" Josh asked.

"Um...have you ever been in love?" Susan asked.

"Well...wait, why the sudden interest in love?" Josh asked.

"I...I watched some television today. There was this show I had watched...it was called One Love. It was about..." Susan launched into a long description of the Soap Opera, "And so I thought it was something I would enjoy."

"You are one strange android." Josh sighed, "Anyway...I suppose I've only loved one girl before. When I was in college...there was this young girl named...well...her name isn't important. But she was a bit of a geek and wore these really cute glasses. She had such a sweet voice."

"Would you like to watch some television with me? I quite enjoy television." Susan asked, standing up.

"Well the house is immaculate and I've a bit of correcting to do. So sure, we could watch some television." Josh said, getting up.

"Oh goodie!" Susan giggled, hurrying to pick up the remote.

She turned on the television and sat down on the couch. A Spanish voice met Josh's ears.

"You're watching this in Spanish? I forgot, you're an android. You can speak multiple languages. You know, I thought you said your memory banks were empty?" Josh asked.

"Well my memory banks were. But my language system is fully programmed with fourteen different vocal languages as well as sign language." Susan said.

"Can you turn on subtitles? I don't understand Spanish." Josh said, opening his binder full of calculus papers.

"No need. I have the ability to communicate with the human brain though direct contact with your skin. So with this, I'll simply relay it in English into your mind." Susan said, putting a hand on his arm.

There was a small popping in his ears and a voice seemed to speak into the back of his mind. The characters on screen were still talking in Spanish, but inside his head, the words were being repeated almost instantly in English. Susan was recreating their voices so closely that it was as if someone had simply dubbed over the Spanish with English characters.

"How is it that you can do this?" Josh asked, looking at her.

"Well, my entire body is capable of electric connect on the digital level. Because of this, when I touch a human, I can feel the electrical signals in their nervous system. Through those signals, I can reach the brain and reproduce simple audio signals through my fingers and into you." Susan explained.

"Good lord...I knew they could use the nervous system to cure deafness and blindness, but I never guessed they would give mind reading to an android. You really are that advanced." Josh said.

'What the hell kind of trouble is this robot going to get me into when her real owners find out where she is?' Josh thought.

"I don't know, but I hope it's not very much. I like being here." Susan said in response to his thoughts.

Josh sighed and laughed.

*******

"Susan, I'm leaving for school, I'll be back tonight." Josh said, opening the front door.

"Wait!" Susan called, running out of the laundry room down the hall.

"What is it?" Josh asked, stopping as she came to the front door.

"What...what am I supposed to do without you here all day...?" She asked with a nervous tone, fiddling with the frilled edges of her apron.

"What did you do yesterday?" Josh asked.

"I cleaned. But the house is all clean now! It would only take me an hour at most to keep the house clean. Then I would be..." She prodded her fingers together, "Lonely all day."

"Lonely? Good lord, you really do have human emotions. Well take off your apron and come on. You can be my assistant for the day." Josh said, pointing at the car.

"What? Really? Give me one minute...maybe ninety seconds!" She said, dashing away.

She was gone for a little more than a minute and came back in a nice outfit. She was wearing a white dress shirt with a blue pinstripe blazer and similar dress skirt that reached below her knees. She actually looked quite professional in the blue and white pinstripe. Slipping on her black low heels, she hurried out the door, followed by a chuckling Josh.

"So where did you get the suit?" Josh asked as they got into the car.

"Oh, when you told me I could wear your clothes, I took one of your suits and some information on tailoring and sewing to make this. I hope you like it." Susan said, straightening her skirt as she sat down.

"Oh yea...that's fine..." He said, starting the car, "The blue pinstripe was only my best suit."

"Oh no. Master, I'm so sorry." Susan said, biting her lip nervously, "I never knew master. You told me that you didn't care about me wearing your clothes...so...I just..."

"It's alright Susan, just in the future, don't go sewing up any more of my clothing." Josh said, "And really, can you stop calling me Master?"

"I'm sorry Josh. My core programming just says to call my owner 'Master' so I do it by default." Susan said.

"Well, set your default to Josh. I'm really uncomfortable with anyone calling me Master." Josh said, pulling out of the driveway.

"Of course Josh. I've fixed it. I am sorry about the suit though. I didn't know it was your best." Susan said with a guilty look.

"It's alright, it actually looks very good on you. Where did you find time to do so much sewing when you were cleaning yesterday?" Josh asked, looking her over.

"While I was watching television, I carefully pulled the stitching apart on the jacket and pants. Then I tucked and sewed the shirt with some thread and needles I found in the kitchen. Afterward, I took all the thread from the jacket and resewed it into this." Susan felt a strange happiness inside her at his compliment, "And...thank you."

"I suppose it's my fault. Most robots don't wear clothes or need to change clothes, so I didn't think of it. But I suppose we will need to buy you some other clothes sometime." Josh said as they merged onto the freeway.

"Oh thank you Josh." Susan smiled.

Just had to admit it to himself, he was getting quite attached to this girl, even her goofs and quirks. He had to keep reminding himself that she wasn't a person, but an android.

*******

"Good morning class." Josh said to his first class of the morning.

He stood in an raised theater style class that was wrapped around him. Susan stood behind him, fidgeting slightly. The class filed in slowly as he started to write a few problems on the board. The class had room for a little over a hundred students to sit. The stage he stood on had a single desk with papers strewn across it as well as a podium for him to lecture from, however he rarely stood there. Around sixty students were slowly taking their seats.

"Um...Josh..." Susan muttered quietly, clasping her hands together against her chest.

"Yes?" Josh asked as he drew problems across the digital black board.

"Is...is there always this many people in your class?" Susan asked, standing close next to him.

"Yes. This is actually my smallest of the day." Josh said as he wrote.

"Well...I...I feel a little..." Susan mumbled and prodded her fingers together.

Josh looked at her and was shocked to find that she was actually blushing.

"You're nervous in front of this many people?" Josh asked.

"Y...Yes..." Susan said, "I know it's irrational and illogical, but I can't help myself. For some reason, this many people in front of me is making my fear sensors go haywire."

"Susan, if you want to go back into my office you can. This class is an hour long lecture with intermittent questions and student work. I don't really need an assistant if you don't want to be here." Josh said as he finished up the problem.

"But I don't want to leave. You asked me to be here." Susan said, biting her thumbnail nervously.

"Well don't worry about it. They aren't going to say anything or make fun of you or anything. They're just here to learn and they see you as a teacher. The students are usually very respectful, just take a seat at my desk and don't think about it." Josh suggested before he walked to the front of the stage.

"Okay..." Susan mumbled, walking over to the desk to take a seat.

"Okay class, we're starting on chapter six today. I know we went through chapter five a little fast, but chapter six revisits and reinforces what we were doing in chapter five." Josh said, "I want you all to start by completing these problems on the board."

The class mumbled quietly and went about their work.

"Oh and I've got a new assistant today, her name is Susan Smithy. You will call her Madam or Ma'am. She is here to help with any questions you may have while we're working." Josh said to the class.

Susan blushed and fumbled with her hands in her lap before giving a small, shaky wave to the class.

"So, you know calculus right?" Josh asked Susan quietly.

"Of course, just because I don't know what some things are doesn't mean I don't know math. I'm a computer Josh." Susan said.

"Okay, well how about you go help the young girl in the front row with her hand up. Anyone with a hand up has a question. Just give them a little help to get them going, don't do the problem for them. Remember, they're just people like me. Just call them miss or mister. You'll do great." Josh advised her.

"Okay Josh." Susan nodded, standing up.

She walked nervously over to the student in the front row.

"What's your question miss?" Susan asked, standing nervously in front of her.

"Well I've worked the problem out through here, but I'm a little stuck on what you do here." The girl said, pointing at spots on her paper.

"Okay...well...through here you need to..." Susan started to help her.

*******

An hour later, the class was over. Susan was a rousing success. She had helped students better than Josh ever could have and by the end of class, more than one student asked Josh if she was his wife.

"See, it's not so bad." Josh said once the students were all gone.

"You're right. They're just people like you. I feel good helping all these students learn math." Susan nodded.

"So you're going to be okay?" Josh asked as he erased the digital board.

"I'm wonderful. Thank you for bringing me today." Susan said, stepping next to him.

She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Josh was a little shocked at her when she did so.

"Sorry...was that wrong? I thought girls sometimes thanked boys with little kisses like that." Susan said, scratching her chin nervously.

"No, it wasn't wrong. I was just unprepared for you to do something like that." Josh said with a small blush.

"Well I'll warn you next time. I apologize." Susan said, nodding to him.

"No no, that's not what I mean. I just meant that...you know...I can't figure out weather to think of you as a girl or an android...so it's a little weird." Josh shrugged.

"I told you that I would try and learn what love is didn't I?" Susan smiled.

*******

Between watching the television and being around a classroom of students, Susan had really changed in a short week. She had been acting mildly strange and was being very human. She was currently wearing a white pleated skirt and a blue top that she had picked out at the store a day before. Josh was slowly buying her her own wardrobe.

"Umm...Josh? I never learned really how to cook stir fry. I know that you use a wok and vegetables, but what do I do once they're in the wok?" Susan asked from the kitchen as the vegetables sizzled softly in the hot wok, "Your encyclopedias don't have instructions on this."

"Well, let me show you. I was always really good with stir fry." Josh said, getting up from the couch, "You know, I'm not used to always having dinner cooked for me. I think I'm getting spoiled."

She smiled and moved the vegetables around the pan with a wooden spoon.

"Here, let me show you how to do that." Josh said and she started to move, "No, stay there."

He wrapped his arms around her and grasped her hands that were on the wok's handle and the spoon. Susan flinched, a strange feeling inside grew her as he touched her hands. A warmth blossomed in her chest as he told her what to do and moved her hands. Over the last few days, a lot of things like this had been happening. Whenever he complimented her, her head seemed to be in the clouds and whenever they two of them sat on the couch together, she loved being close to him. She couldn't seem to get her mind off Josh.

"Susan...Susan, are you listening?" Josh asked, stopping.

"What? I...yes, I'm listening." Susan said suddenly.

"As I said, you hold it like this and with a small flick and push." Josh moved her hand forward and the vegetables slid up the side of the wok.

They kicked up out of the wok and fell back in, sizzling loudly.

"Wow! That was cool!" Susan said.

"Well, why don't you try it." Josh said, standing back.

She mimicked his move perfectly and the vegetables sizzled happily. Susan giggled, still thinking about how she felt when he had his arms around her.

"Susan...are you blushing again?" Josh asked, seeing her red face.

"I...what? No, it's not what you think!" Susan cried, putting her hands at her sides.

She backed up and bumped into the wok handle. It rattled on the stove and she tried to grab it. The wok slipped and fell off the stove, dumping the vegetables on the ground. She cried out and jumped back. Josh stepped out of the way and the wok rang on the ground. He knelt down and picked up the wok, setting it back on the stove. Susan turned around and looked at the cupboard, her arms around herself.

"I think it's a little early for you to try and...Susan?" Josh said, seeing her shaking, "Susan, what's wrong?"

He walked over to her and looked at her. She had her eyes clenched shut and tears were running down her face. Susan was trying not to cry loudly.

"Susan, it's just dinner, it's not that important. It's okay." Josh said, trying to comfort her.

"But...But I...I..." She choked out, tears running down her face.

She turned to Josh and put her arms around him. Putting her head against his chest, she cried loudly. Josh was amazed to see her crying. He had never expected something could hurt her like this.

"It's alright. Come on now. Let's go sit down." Josh said, guiding her out of the kitchen to the sofa.

"I screwed...everything...up..." She mumbled through her tears.

"It's just dinner Susan, it's alright." Josh said, again, sitting down by her side.

She leaned over and laid her head on his chest. Josh was a little taken aback by her affect and he nervously wrapped his arms around her. Susan sniffed and cried in his arms for a short while. He just sat there with his arms around her quietly. She slowly sat up.

"I'm sorry I screwed everything up..." She mumbled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You didn't screw anything up. It's just dinner, I can clean it up." Josh said with a gentle smile.

"Josh...can I ask you something...?" Susan asked quietly.

"Of course." Josh said.

"What does it mean if my chest got all warm and felt tight?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Well...I don't know...why do you ask?" Josh said, raising an eyebrow.

"When we were cooking...and you put your arms around me..." Her tongue fumbled over the words.

"You felt that when I put my arms around you?" Josh asked in amazement.

"Well...I...yea...it...it felt good...is that...bad...?" She asked nervously.

"No...um...no it's not. That's pleasure Susan. You felt pleasure when I put my arms around you." Josh said, feeling himself blush a little.

"Josh...would you kiss me?" Susan asked, putting a hand on his leg.

"W...What?" Josh said in shock.

"Please...would you kiss me?" Susan asked a little more confidently.