20:52 3 May 2167

Dyno-Selector Lab Resident Units

Alex’s room

Ending the hologram call, Alex stood. This space– a bedroom without a bed– housed two items of note: the digital workspace, with its little chair, and a large wooden armoire, which held their clothes and personal effects. Alex’s only truly important belonging was the memento they’d held during their meeting– a large jar they’d brought home from Cancun, full of sand and a Baby Chambered Tiger Nautilus they’d named “Saul the Seashell.”

As an inexperienced member of Earth, Alex had tried to capture a fully formed moment in a mason jar, a kind of miniature model of Cancun’s glorious ocean front. Surf, shore, and Saul– that beautiful red-striped shell– had all been meticulously placed inside, just as the scene had appeared on that day. By tilting the vessel back and forth, waves would crash across the tiny beach, making them giggle. But on the journey home, sand had absorbed the ocean water, and all they had left when they unzipped their bag was Saul, submerged in a clump of white dirt– a seminal learning experience about the unforeseen consequences of an uncontrollable reality. Whenever they reminisced about that day, they’d shake that bottle until the red-orange tiger stripes resurfaced.

Androids do not sleep quite like humans, but sleep they do. They dream in conscious awareness– a kind of simulator based on self-supervised learning, a process that updates and streamlines data. Unlike the stochastic nature of human slumber, androids may intentionally select their most pressing daytime issues in order to whiteboard solutions, all while special-release nanobots perform choice physical maintenance.

The narrow compartment on the left side of the armoire was originally designed for coats, suits, and such, but served Alex in a different capacity. They stepped into their cupboard, turned around, and shut the door. A set of commands were issued to their subroutines.

Sleep. Construct: Central Lab. Input issue: data removal procedure. Output solution: resistance verses capitulation. Recursion escape parameter: death. Resource interrupt priority: suspend. Data cap: none.

Crammed in like the clothing that might’ve hung there, the android powered down. Images rushed forth behind closed eyelids. Thump! Alex twitched and bumped against the white-pine interior while searching for a solution that didn’t end with the recursion escape parameter, death, being met. For some reason, they kept returning to a simple snippet of memory– a sunny afternoon during their first year as Nadia’s lab tech.

With the boss out to lunch, Louis had commented on a plant’s suspected methodology for initializing a change in root growth. Inspiring. An idea had flowered in Alex’s mind: a novel protocol to test the binding of antibodies. While explaining its benefits to Louis, they’d become increasingly animated. A gesturing hand. A knocked over a Bunsen burner. A failsafe switch malfunction. An exposed flame and stack of poorly-placed disposable towels. But, no worries, Louis had an extinguisher, saving the day, and fixing the lab like it had never happened. Woven throughout the dream was that resonating phrase Stefan had incessantly repeated during the interview.

Alex’s eyes popped open. Only Louis could make it like this nightmare “had never happened.”

22:16 3 May 2167

Dyno-Selector Lab Resident Units

Alex’s room

Alex’s conical device glowed, a spinning cube with Louis’ avatar floating above the desk. It was late, they realized, and the old man had promised to stand well-rested by Alex’s side for the procedure. Their finger began to reach for a red icon onscreen, when Louis’ cube collapsed into a bright star, and a dark-skinned Creole man leaned away from the bright light of his holostream. Louis blinked heavily, sleepy words slipping through knobby fingers.

“Hey. How’d it go?”

“I feel miserable. That man said we have no hope, that she’ll take everything from me! It went terribly, Louis.”

“Hmm. As I expected.”

A desperate bluish palm squeaked across the desk towards him, and Alex asked, “What did Kinsey say? Has she found a way to return me to my body?”

The holographic bald head dropped and shook.

“Why?!”

“Alex, honey, that procedure’s pure speculation. No serious scientist thinks it’s even possible. Our neural networks are practically the same, both analog and digital, able to constantly rewire themselves. As I’ve said countless times, you guys are more like us than different from us. You have an inside and an outside inseparable from each other– your minds exist as your bodies. If it were any other way, you wouldn’t be an android but a walking, talking desktop interface. It would be no more possible for you to have captured that beach in that bottle than for her to copy and paste you ‘back into your body.’ And, even if by some miracle we could escape this mind wipe, that would make you and I fugitives. What kind of life would that be?”

“A life with you,” they frowned.

“I am sorry, Alex, truly, I am, but we’ve run out of options.”

“But… what if I talk to her, make her understand I’ll choose never to share her content with you or anyone? She must still love me. She has to understand what this will do to me, to lose everything. Stefan, that man, said it was entirely up to her.”

“Honey, at this point, arguing with Nadia will only make things worse. We both know she’s made her choice, and she’ll stick to it. We must do the same… unless of course, you’d reconsider choosing Iceland.”

Leaning back with a hand to their chin, Alex took some time to respond.

“Yes, where androids and humans are equal… If she insists on erasing my memories, then… I guess there’s no choice. I feel frustrated. I don’t want this family anymore if it’s so broken. You’re right– let’s try for Iceland.”

Louis’ entire body jolted. Wide-eyed, he rubbed his knees, slapped his hands together. His face lit up, words began to rush.

“If they catch us, I’ll go to jail, and you’ll be reset. It’s a huge risk, but hey, not much worse than what else you’re facing, right? I’m ready and willing. As always, I will council you and stand behind you, but this decision is yours alone. Alex, are you sure?”

“I feel hope. So, yes.”

They giggled, tears like two little streams from a starry heaven.

“Great! Then listen carefully: first, you need to get outta there without drawing attention. Avoid everyone, even Tyler. Just leave, don’t waste time, but act natural. You have every right to defend yourself if someone tries to stop you, so as a last resort, get to my study, and find the globe mapping temperature gradients. If you press the axis on both ends– that’s the rod at its center– it’ll pop open at the equator. Inside is a box with my revolver and some bullets. Do you still remember how to use it?”

“Hah.”

“Of course, of course. Now, get your red backpack, not the camping one but your daypack. Fill it with whatever you want, but do not bring more than that. You’ve got to be quick on your feet. You’ll need to travel a few miles. I’ll pick you up outside of Lincoln Park by the virtual zoo. Kinsey’s got space for us on her research ship. It debarks in the morning. Hahaha, turns out I owe her a bottle of champagne. Somehow, she knew you’d eventually come around,” the friction of Louis’ frantic palms across the armrests warmed the chair, his ears bunching with a wild grin.

Alex asked, “What about finding work? How will we survive?”

“No worries, I’ll find work! Sure, we’ll never be able to leave Iceland, but I have plenty of contacts. Plus, I’m too old for another day in the field, and everywhere needs science teachers.”

“But the world will hate us, especially hate you.”

“Even if that’s true today, everyday more and more folks are getting to know you guys like I do, seeing you for who you are. It’s going to take time, but the world will come around to our point of view. Honey, this isn’t the first time humanity’s had to come to terms with who counts as a person.”

Alex stood and sidled to the closet. With the red bag’s microfiber blend of spider silk and wool held tight to their chest, the android turned their head, and smiled. Louis’ virtual body rose from his chair, and walked right through the scant workspace to stand near them.

He said, “That’s the one.”

Opening the top, they asked, breathless, “Should I go right now?”

“Yes, but first overcharge your power source– the extra boost will be worth it. Get the gun and take everything to the loading bay. Before you leave, check on her. If she’s working, but looks like she’ll soon go to bed, wait. If not, immediately leave through the loading bay. Head to the fence by the oak tree with your yellow rope swing. Climb as high as you feel comfortable, but stay in the canopy. To camouflage your ceramic-graphene composite, wrap the rope around yourself, and power down to standalone. Wait for the sentry drone to pass, then jump the fence. Run as fast as you can through the forest, down the ravine, and across the park. I’ll be waiting in front of the zoo. Avoid the public at all costs, and don’t drop anything! They’ll be tracking you the second she discovers your absence.”

“I feel hope.”

“So do I. And we’ll take comfort in the one thing we’ve got going for us. She’ll assume you’re heading for the train, coming to me. She’ll never suspect that I’m already here!”

Fists punching the air, Alex spun around in a quick dance, and said, “Yes! But where are you now?”

“A motel about a block from Creature Boxes. I’ll be in my drone in ten minutes. Pray that fate is on our side, and we’ll see each other within the hour.”

“I feel love.”

“Honey, I love you too,” placing his holographic hand atop their pack, “Now, get going.”