In the blink of an eye, time went by, and I have to admit something: I’d never felt so happy in my life.
Yes, I’m still an automaton, but in my previous life I’d never set foot on any world other than Earth, and since I was “born” in the factory I hadn’t gotten out much either.
Now, though, I had total freedom to explore a brand-new city still under construction.
Well.
Not entirely.
At that precise moment I was keeping young Miss Charlotte company, and she was holding up two outfits in front of me with an expression of total concentration.
“Look, Samuel, which one do you like better?”
“They’re very pretty, my young lady,” I replied, my voice trembling for a reason that had nothing to do with the quality of the fabric: both outfits were so colorful they bordered on offensive.
How had I ended up in this situation?
It all started that same day, while I was leading my coworkers through the final phase of the city’s construction as the first humans were beginning to settle into their new homes.
I have to admit it: the city went up at an astonishing speed.
It ended up covering half a continent, which bordered on the absurd when I thought about it calmly.
We were assigned mostly to clearing the land: felling trees, filling in ravines, leveling the ground.
I even witnessed a gigantic mech flatten an entire mountain in a single step, which left me speechless.
And yet, in the middle of all that, I couldn’t shake a strange feeling: the certainty that I’d seen those machines before, somewhere I couldn’t quite place.
That aside, we were coming back that day from another shift, and God, I felt exhausted.
Which is funny, for a machine.
I’d lived my whole previous life as a flesh-and-blood person, so being able to feel tired, even now, was almost a relief: it meant I hadn’t completely lost that human part of me.
That, at least, made me happy.
All I wanted was some good maintenance.
I was covered in dirt from head to toe.
I was lost in those thoughts when I heard a voice calling my name, closing in at full speed.
I recognized it instantly, and I didn’t hesitate: I hid.
“Samuel!
Where are you, Samuel!”
God.
That was the other reason I was so tired: this kid had boundless energy, and she was always coming to find me to play.
I was basically her life-size doll.
“S-a-m-u-e-l, are you here?” she sang, and I felt something like a shiver at the sound of my name, praying she wouldn’t find me.
A pair of small feet stopped right in front of my hiding place.
“Miss Charlotte, your friends are waiting for you,” said a voice I recognized as one of the maids.
“Okay, I’m coming,” Charlotte answered, walking away.
I poked my head out just a little to make sure the coast was clear.
Detecting nothing unusual, I came out of my hiding spot and let out a sigh of relief: she hadn’t found me.
I started walking back toward the hangar.
“Sammy.”
I froze on the spot.
I turned around in genuine terror, and there she was, peeking around the edge of the door.
“Found you.”
Almost on instinct, I dropped to the floor, pretending to be out of power.
“Samuel, get up.
I know you’re faking.”
Silence.
No response from me.
“Ooooh, so you really are out of power.
Okay, Lucy, hand me a marker, I’m feeling the creative spirit.
Hahaha.”
“Yes, miss.
Which one would you like, the permanent or the washable?”
“Heh heh, the permanent one.
The pink one.”
“I’m awake!” I shouted, with tears in my eyes, as I was hauled upright at a speed I didn’t know I had.
“Hahaha, you can’t hide from me.
I’m the best at hide-and-seek,” she said, with a pride that was not at all unfounded.
And it was true, however much it pained me to admit it.
She loved that game, and she was a true master: when it was her turn to hide, she was like a ninja; when it was her turn to seek, she turned into a huntress tracking her prey.
And that prey, invariably, was me.
“My lady Charlotte, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?”
“Ooooh, I’m glad you asked, it’s because… because… hmmm…”
She’d forgotten.
While she was trying to remember, a maid hurried over.
“Miss, you’re going to be late for Anna’s birthday party.
Your friends are already waiting for you.”
“Oh, right, the event!” she exclaimed, looking at me with eyes that, from one moment to the next, seemed to light up with an idea.
I felt something ominous, the silent certainty that I was in danger.
The girl took me by the hand and dragged me toward a luxurious hovercar parked nearby, while all I could do was pray she hadn’t come up with anything too crazy.
The vehicle took off, heading for the mansion of the planet’s regent.
I hope you can understand, and thank you for your patience and support!