Page 39 of Ezra
“I emailed over some digital proofs of the posts I want to publish on the website and on PhotoGram. I didn’t want to shoot them off without the go ahead. How is your dad, by the way?”
“He’s fine, he’s recovering,” I answer gratefully. “Thank you for doing this, Ramsey, it means a lot to me and my family.”
“Of course! Anytime. This cause is worth fighting for, and we can’t let people forget it,” Ramsey says eagerly. “I’ll wait for your response, but if there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Talk to you later.” I end the call. It’s hard to think of anything else when my stomach growls again. Finally, I want some food. With Charlie skittering in front of me and me trying not to trip over the little bionic, I head to the kitchen and retrieve some fruit from the fridge. I’ll start small and eat more when I feel ready.
“You’re awake early,” Ezra says as he comes out of standby from his position in the living room. His low, gravelly voice sends a shiver up my spine. “How are you feeling?”
“A little hungry,” I reply, praying he didn’t see me last night and that if he did, he won’t try to talk to me about it. “It’s progress, at least. How’s your investigation going?”
“Slow,” he says. “But there’s little to be done from here, anyway.”
I pop a grape into my mouth, relishing its sweetness. “I know we got off on the wrong foot. It’s bound to happen, since, well...” I motion between us. “But I realize you could be doing a lot more constructive things with your time right now than protecting me. I guess I’m trying to say thank you.”
His gaze locks with mine and lingers. “You’re welcome.”
I hesitate before eating a strawberry. There’s so much unsaid that suddenly pulls at me, needing to be broached. “Look, I’m not going to pretend you’re not perfect.”
Ezra furrows his brow in surprise. “Perfect?”
“Yes, you’re every inventor’s dream. You walk and talk and sound and act incredibly human, just like Dad and Dr. Lewis wanted. And you’re right about what you said about corrupt politicians, systems, everything. Everything’s so complicated. I’m doing my best to sift through all of it.”
Ezra is pensive. “Perfect is something I never thought I’d hear from you, Miss Carson. Are you suggesting I’m causing you to have second thoughts about Humanity First?”
“No,” I say, speaking sincerely and not out of anger. “I think the mission to remove androids from certain jobs and penalize corporations that lay off human workers is a just one.”
His expression flattens considerably. “What do you hope to achieve by ridding the world of androids?”
“I don’t want to be rid of them at all,” I protest. He seems to relax a little. “Having androids in the home is fine. Androids in law enforcement and fire and rescue is fine, but there has to be some balance, or everyone will be starving by the turn of the century. We need to return the world to some semblance of normal.”
“That’s a fool’s errand.” Ezra chuckles bitterly.
“It’s not,” I insist. “Balance is everything. What’ll happen to us if we’re completely reliant on all of you? If we don’t know how to cook, or clean, or even raise our own children? How will our future generations survive if we aren’t self-sufficient?”
“Your logic is flawed,” Ezra replies. “Perhaps you’d like to return to a world where there are no cell phones because life is supposed to be difficult. No computers. No cars or planes, because travel was meant to be difficult.”
“That’s different.”
“Except it isn’t,” Ezra says. “Whenever anything is invented that’s intended to hand humanity back hours and years of their daily lives, people complain. Humanity First is filled with sycophants who’ve dug in their heels and cling to a past that’ll never come back, rather than adapting to a new present.”
“We’ve got city strikes, unemployment, and terrorists killing people because they think you’re better than us,” I reply. “How is that ideal?”
“Those things existed before I was created.” Ezra’s voice is edged. “And they’re right in one regard. Wearebetter than you, in a way.”
My face warms. His arrogance is so close to setting me off. I rein in my temper, but I can’t stop the passion flowing out of me. “Please, enlighten me.”
“I don’t make excuses for myself or for android shortcomings, for one.” Ezra’s lips are a thin, stern line. “My programming enables and upholds three primary directives—investigation, protection, and the care of people. Not other androids.People.”
I purse my lips.
He motions toward the windows and the bustling city around us. “I don’t have an innate fear of the unknown or uncertainty in general. I’ve never wanted to kill, conquer, steal, rape, destroy, or take advantage of anyone else in any way. I’ve never been overcome by greed or a need for money at the expense of others. These are all things humans do to one another out of fear—that you’ve done throughout your history for thousands of years. And you always make an excuse to justify your bloodthirsty nature, be it race or religion. Yet, you have the gall to blame bionics for humanity’s shortcomings.”
“I don’t,” I declare heatedly.
“Perhapsyoudon’t.” Ezra becomes just as heated. “But you stand with many who do. And I’ve yet to hear you correct them. If you honestly think everything was fineand normalbefore we were created, then you have no understanding of the world or suffering in general. Your father made us out to be the villains. We’re not at fault.Youare. The longer it takes you and the rest of Humanity First to understand that, the easier it’ll be for TerraPura to create more chaos.”
“I know!” I shout, my own volume startling me. I compose myself, willing my hands, jaw, every muscle in me to relax.“Believe me, I’m well aware. And I’m scared. Because like it or not, the stakes are higher now.” Ezra looks like he’s about to retort. I drive on. “Look—I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’d rather not spend all this time arguing. Humanity First, pro-bionic. We’ve both got better things to do. My opinions don’t really matter right now. People have died. I have fundraisers to organize, and you have your investigation, right? So let’s just drop it.”
