Page 21 of Codi
“Yes, you are,” I reassure him with a soft smile, one that he slowly returns. I’m caught in his gaze, dangerously close to becoming completely captivated. I touch his arm. “You’ll see that, in time. If you decide you want to stick around, that is, and find out.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Denise.” Codi speaks with such certainty, his voice softer, deeper, and rumbling in his chest. My breath nearly hitches in my throat. “As long as you want me with you, that is how long I will stay.”
I’m shocked, speechless. “Codi,” I begin, but then I notice some of the parents are leaving the park in haste, their children in tow. Lucas is among the last still playing, and that’s when I notice a foreign sound over the normal downtown city bustle of honking cars, tires, and bus chimes.
The sun is setting, and I can hear the unified shouts of people in the distance, raising their voice together in a chant. I can’t make out the words, but we parked the car on the other end of Astor Park. Codi slowly rises as they come into view, carrying signs and torchlights, being led by a man with a bullhorn.
“Who are they?” Codi asks, more curious than alarmed.
I am instantly wary when I’m able to read a few of the signs as they draw nearer, stopping traffic as they continue their march down the street. “Humanity First!” and “Bring BioNex Down!” as well as “No Droids or No Business” decorate cardboard posters mounted on posts.
I can hear the chant clearly now.
“Can they take our humanity?
“No! Humanity first!”
“Can they take our livelihoods?”
“No! Humanity first!”
“Can they take our dignity?”
“No! Humanity first!”
Lucas is transfixed by the spectacle of people marching together as one down the street, bringing cars, trucks, all traffic to an absolute standstill.
“It’s Humanity First. Shit. I forgot about the strikes. We should go.” I hurry to Lucas and scoop him up into my arms, holding him close to me.
My son pulls away, still trying to watch the protest. “Mommy, why are they yelling?”
“Because they’re angry,” I answer. Codi comes to stand beside me, watching the protestors carefully, but he still doesn’t seem to understand the danger. “Codi?” He snaps out of his own thoughts, whatever they are, and looks at me. “We need to leave.”
“Why? Who are they?”
It’s too late. Some of the people marching have taken notice of us, and a group of them—I count five, maybe six—half walk, half jog toward us. Several already have their cell phones out. I try to keep calm, but inwardly, I’m anything but. My first priority is Lucas, but he’s not their target.
Codi is.
I try to steady my nerves and ready myself for a confrontation. I quickly step in front of him. His inhibitor chip is gone. If he harms anyone—
“Hey, you!” A young woman in her twenties wearing a black hoodie with “Humanity First” emblazoned on the front in large, eye-catching letters, glares at me as she points to Codi. “Is that your fucking trash can?”
Despite my own panic, I know when it’s time to stand my ground. I’m terrified, but I refuse to let them see it. “We don’t want any trouble. We’re just here to play at the park. Leave us alone.”
“He’s the reason this city is on the verge of collapse.” Another protestor raises his voice at me. “If you gave a damn about your son, you wouldn’t have an android in your house!”
“You have to realize Humanity First is right. How could you prioritize your own comfort over the comfort of other people everywhere?”
I try to walk away, Codi staying near me, but the agitators circle around us and cut us off.
“You can’t hide from the truth!” another man shouts at me.
My heart races as I snap back. “Fuck off. Leave us alone.”
My response only seems to rouse them further, and they all shout at me at once, together, over one another. It’s hard to tell one voice apart from the next. All I hear is rage.
“Our entire civilization is being threatened by machines like him!”
