Another Being

Wilson and Jessica pulled up in front of the Robotoid museum. Wilson carried her cardigan in case she found the air-conditioning too cool. He liked to carry anything of hers. The building had a grand, almost gothic, entrance because some of the robots inside were larger than people. Robotoid was a manufacturer of generations of specialised robots. A reception robot with a smoothly sculptured exterior rolled forward. It had a fridge magnet of a butterfly adorning one side of its face. ‘Greetings. This way to the robots,’ it announced with a wave of its arm. A short can-shaped cleaning robot scooted across the floor. It had thin arms that mopped and wiped whatever it passed. Everything had to gleam. It was in a rush because it was supposed to have finished by opening time. Wilson and Jessica were funnelled through to a security scanner. A tall security robot stood by on alert ready to pounce on any visitor whose pockets were detected hiding a remote control unit inside. The museum couldn’t risk another visitor reprogramming their robots. The last time that happened, the robots turned zombie-like and ransacked the gift shop till. The robots that Jessica and Wilson could see in the first aisle were all standing still in chronological order. A loud bell heralded opening time. At once the exhibited robots activated. The nearest and oldest Robotoid robot started clanking its joints. It was a labourer. The second oldest Robotoid started flipping pizza bases. It was a cook. ‘It feels like the movie, Night at the Museum, except here the exhibits come to life during the day,’ said Wilson. They turned the corner and reached the generation of robots they grew up with. ‘Wilson Redman, you haven’t returned your library book,’ said a twenty-year-old female robot. ‘What are you talking about?’ replied Wilson. ‘2137, Senior High School,’ said the robot. ‘You’re just an exhibit here, what would you know?’ replied Wilson as he kept walking. ‘But it had a past job at the library,’ said Jessica nudging him with her elbow. ‘Yes, it’s 2157 now, I can’t remember what books I borrowed back then,’ said Wilson. ‘Robots don’t forget. They remember even the smallest detail,’ said Jessica putting her thumb just a hairbreadth under her finger. ‘What book was it?’ asked Wilson after returning back to the robot. ‘Duck shooting for sport,’ replied the robot. Wilson cringed, knowing that Jessica cared for ducks back home. ‘Wilson, I’m surprised at you, how could you even think of harming such innocent creatures?’ snapped Jessica. She came forward and snatched her cardigan back. ‘When are you going to return the book?’ demanded the robot. ‘Are you serious?’ asked Wilson shaking his head. ‘Well, I think the robot is right. Even if it were two hundred years ago, you should return the book,’ said Jessica. ‘I thought you would have taken my side,’ said Wilson turning to Jessica. ‘Really,’ said Jessica. ‘Look,’ Wilson sighed. ‘I’ll check the attic at my parents’ place, and if I find the book, I’ll post it to the school. I’m certainly not taking it there myself.’ They moved on to the latest robots. One robot shuffled right up to Wilson, its eyes zooming in on his glasses. It was an improved astronaut model. Robotoid Corporation had been trying hard to get a contract with SpaceBiz to have their robots pilot a mission to outer space. This time, the robots had better vision so they would be able to detect buildings with an invisibility case around them. New buildings that blocked the ocean view from existing apartment complexes behind them were forced by the government to install invisibility cases. From any angle, it looked like an empty glass container. Light rays received at one wall of the invisibility case were rerouted to and reemitted from the opposite wall, just as if they had passed through. The Robotoid robot pilots were now trained to notice these hidden buildings when approaching a beach to land on. At the exit, a sign read, ‘Gift shop this way, the way you came is history.’ Wilson turned to Jessica, ‘I hope you’re not too upset with me for a book I borrowed twenty years ago. Look at the bright side; I kept it out of circulation for twenty years.’ Jessica broke into a smile. ‘I guess what counts is that you haven’t touched it in twenty years either,’ replied Jessica putting her arm around him. ‘Hey look at these oven mittens for robot hands,’ said Jessica admiring the wedge shape cut for the thumb and depiction of mechanical fingers on the fingers pocket. ‘Let me buy them for you,’ said Wilson. ‘Hmmm, that’s nice of you,’ replied Jessica.