Page 23 of Nolan
Another couple walking a dog passes by us. Nolan gives them space while remaining close by my side. I wonder if he’s uncomfortable, being out here like this with me. Even if he can hide certain aspects of his synthetic nature, I wonder if there are people who can tell, who can pick him out from a crowd, no matter what. I really wish he didn’t have to.
“You won’t get in trouble,” I ask, shaking off the cobwebs, “if you’re out with me past a certain time or anything, right? You don’t have a curfew?”
“There is a curfew, yes. But it’s only for androids walking alone. Since I’m with a human being, I’m not breaking any laws. But I have ways of hiding. I blend in. When I appear human and I avoid places with droid scanners, I can do pretty much whatever I want.”
I faintly remember the news of when that was implemented. One of my coworkers in LA, a happy android owner, was livid she couldn’t send her assistant out in the evenings to run errands for her after a certain time. She complained about the inconvenience of it all. “What’s the point of even having one if I have to go with him anyway?”
Admittedly, I haven’t given it much thought because it didn’t affect me before. “I just don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s not like I’m out here moonlighting as a vigilante and fighting crime.” Nolan chuckles.
“You’re right. That sounds like a movie I’d watch, though. A superhero robot?”
“I’m sure Hollywood’s done that already.”
“Have they? I wouldn’t know. Apollo was the superhero nerd, not me.”
“That’s true, he is.” Nolan chuckles. “We had a movie marathon of all the turn-of-the-century hero movies one weekend.”
“That’s just surface level.” I stretch my arms out wide. “Bins and bins of vintage comic books in rare paper format—Titanium, Mastermind, Nightfall—that are probably worth a small fortune. Packed sky high in the garage. Jessica’s ready to sell them.”
“Do you read that kind of thing?”
“I did when I was little. Apollo introduced them to me,” I answer wryly. “I liked the love story of Titanium and Metallurgy. Everyone thought he was a hero, but he really wasn’t. He’s actually this super villain. Despite that, he saved a girl, they fell in love with each other, and he’ll burn the world to be with her. It’s pretty twisted, and nothing like real life, but it’s an interesting dynamic.”
“I’m glad it’s nothing like real life. Burning things is entirely against my programming. The exact opposite, in fact. Especially burning the world.” Nolan’s remark makes me giggle.
We pause near another park bench that overlooks pairs of ducks swimming in the pond, which is outlined by blue neon light. I snap a few photos and take a video, and Nolan seems just as taken with how adorable they are. I’ve lost track of all the subjects we’ve covered. Time moves so fast when I’m with him, it’s hardly fair.
We sit down together again and stare out at the view, the neon city in the distance, the way it glows in the darkness with blue, green, and pink. BioNex Tower dwarfs all the other skyscrapers in the distance. The company responsible for dreaming Nolan to life.
I used to be rather indifferent. I heard all the stories. Humanity First, TerraPura. But I had my own things to focus on. I thought a lot of what was happening was terrible, but I didn’t allow myself to get caught up into any of it. It never directly affected me. Until now.
“Can I ask you something?” I blurt before I’ve fully thought it through.
“Ask away.”
Composing myself, I tear away my attention from that glowing city and focus solely on Nolan. “Are you in danger because of Humanity First?”
“Honestly, not really,” Nolan replies. “They’ve got some troublemakers, but I’m handled by the state. That’s one hell of a lawsuit if they try to take me on. That, and the fire department has been very clear from the very beginning that I’m not replacing anyone. I’m meant as support. Nothing more.”
“And . . . TerraPura?”
Nolan’s expression is carefully neutral. “TerraPura is the bigger cause for concern.”
My stomach twists a little. I don’t like the sound of that. “Have they tried to take you, to—change you, like they did with that android that blew up protestors at the march?”
“Not yet. But never say never.”
“Is that why you change your eye color?”
“No. That’s purely for human comfort. Another android can sense what I am from some distance away.”
That worries me. “You’ll always be careful, won’t you? If something happened to you?—”
He reaches out and brushes my black hair behind my ear. “Everything will be fine. They can sense me, but I can also sense them. And I am equally as dangerous to them as they are to me.”
“How?”
