First - Chapter 5

First closed the book that he had been reading, not before taking note of the page number so he could get back to where he was later: it was almost time to go pick up Collin. He stood up from the couch holding the book in his one hand and the dictionary in the other. I had finally taken First to a friend´s workshop and could get his hand fixed by a fair price.
The dictionary was his trusty reading companion lately. He often found new words he didn´t know and he liked to understand everything that he read. The books in my library told amazing stories he had never thought could be possible and told of so many people and their lives. So many different stories, real or fictional, stored in just a few bookshelves’ space!
He was about to take both books back to their place, but the newspaper that lay over the table to one side of the dictionary caught his attention with one of the words he saw often on the news but that he could never get the meaning of.
He opened the book once more and started searching. Letter D… Damage… Designate… Die.

Die: 1. to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead. 2. to cease to function; stop. 3. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist.

The robot turned the pages, backwards this time.

Dead: 1.no longer living; deprived of life. 2. not endowed with life; inanimate. 3. bereft of sensation; numb. 4. no longer functioning, operating, or productive.

First ignored the rest of the meanings. He had gotten the idea. He thought he knew already what it meant and he didn´t like it.
But he still wasn´t really finished. He thought he knew what the next word was going to mean now, and he certainly knew he wouldn´t like it either, but he had been created with curiosity built into his system, so he went ahead and turned the pages.

Kill: 1. to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.

The book was slammed closed as First did not want to read any more.




It was a very nice day. First feasted on the people´s entertaining outdoor activities as he walked up Montgrey Road towards the grocery shop, where he was supposed to buy a package of flour from his cousin robot. He was always willing to go out of the house for any excuse just to be able to watch the humans and their behavior, which he always found so fascinating. Sometimes he was reminded of his own masters, at which times he would usually slow down the pace and defocus his eyes, perhaps smiling inside.
The robot at the shop had long lost interest, though. First found his actions too repetitive, programmed and limited and didn´t have any kind of conversation: it was boring.
First didn´t even bother say hello. As soon as he went inside, he said “two pounds of flour” and watched as the robot marched away in a rhythmic manner to the storage.
Just as he was reaching inside his own mesh of wires to take out the small purse with the change, he noticed someone at the entrance of the shop.
The old man was staring at him, smiling. First had been stared at before, but there was something about that old man´s look that was different. He grinned like he knew him already. After a short while, the old man seemed to make up his mind and walked up to the robot.
“You must be First” he said.
First didn´t reply. Was he the same kind of people that attacked him and Collin?
“Tanya´s told me a lot about you.”
First seemed more interested all of a sudden. This time, at least, there was something to say.
“Tanya?”
The old man nodded, still smiling his toothless smile.
“Old friends, see? Albert Greu” he said, extending his shriveled hand to First, who glanced at it, doubtful. “Shake it” said Albert.
First took the old hand and the old man shook it for him.
“I´ve never done this before” said First.
“Figures” Albert replied. “Are you as intelligent as Tanya says?”
“It depends on what you compare me with.”
Albert laughed. The other robot came out of the storage room with the package of flour, walking clumsily and slowly and laid the package on the counter. First gave his back to Albert to pay.
“That will be thirty dollars and forty nine” said the robot with a cool voice. First gave it the money and placed the flour in a bag. He also knew that the man called Albert was watching his every move, and didn´t know what to do about it. Should he just leave or stay and talk to him? He did know Tanya after all.
“So what do you think of that robot, First?” said the man, clearing up his doubts. “Pretty silly robot, ain´t it?”
First had a look at the old man, who was still staring with his awkward grin, then examined the other robot.
“Why would he be silly?” asked First, a little uncomfortable already.
“You could say it´s a pile of junk compared to you, right?” Albert said and directed his next words to the other robot. “You are a pile of junk, you know that, you stupid machine?”
Albert smiled wider when the other robot answered with the same cool voice “I´m sorry, I don´t think we have that here.”
“See? Doesn´t give a damn.”
“Is this a compliment?” said First, not as happy as he possibly should be.
The old man laughed again.
“Tanya was right, wasn´t she? You are a magnificent machine, First. And yes, you could say that´s a compliment. At least for the guy who created you.”
First didn´t understand. The old man was smiling, he was laughing, yet somehow he felt that his niceness wasn´t at all that honest. It was almost like he… maybe… didn´t like First, somehow.
“I know what I have learnt” said First, raising his voice a bit without even wanting to. “The “guy” who created me did not make me as I am now.”
Albert was quiet for a moment and dedicated First another doubtful grin.
“Tanya has also told me how you saved Collin the other day. That must have been scary, huh?” First was silent. “But I still can´t understand how you managed to scare those two away. They did have a gun, didn´t they? What did you do to them? I´m just curious.”
Albert awaited a response. First looked around at the other robot again, who was just standing there, looking forward to some costumers. But the store was empty except for them three, and painfully quiet. First didn´t want to tell Albert what happened. He knew from what he had learnt that what he did was not rewarded by people. He also knew that it could´ve been worse. He could´ve killed someone. What would happen if he told?
“You´re smart. You don´t want to tell me because you know what anyone would do about it” said Albert at last. “You don´t need to tell me what occurred to those two. I happen to live on the street, you know? I just want to make sure that you´re not a threat to Tanya or Collin. I want to know if you know what you did, if you know what you could´ve done, and what you could do.”
First did not move a single gear. He knew. Of course he knew.
“Also, if you did that to a person, even if was for a good cause, would you do it to Tanya or Collin?”
“No” First responded almost immediately. But how did he know?
Albert nodded.
“Just checking. Cuz you know what would happen if you ever did anything of the sort again, right?” Albert was getting too close to First´s face. “I know about your creator, First. I know what you did to him too. And I don´t want to be a mean bastard with one of Tanya´s friends, but if I ever see a hint of it occurring again, I will do all that I can to have you caught and dismantled.”
Albert backed up at last, but didn´t leave just yet. He stayed and watched the look on First´s face.
Was that fear? Anger? Anxiety? Or all at once…?
“But then again” Albert continued “I could be wrong. And if I´m warning you now and not running to the police, it´s because I believe there´s a slight chance that I am. Tanya tells me all these wonderful things about you. You do understand I care for them, don´t you?”
Since First did not make a sound, the old man turned around and left the shop, crouched, his hands in his pockets.
“Can I help you?” First heard the robot say, although he didn´t listen. He did not even make a move for a long while. He had been given things to think about.
Some minutes later, First noticed a couple of women peeking inside the shop, seeing him there, and then staying outside, perhaps waiting for the disturbingly intelligent robot to come out before going in. Were they scared of him?
First took the bag with the flour and went outside, throwing a glance at the two women before leaving. Once he did, the women went inside the shop.



One rainy Saturday afternoon, First and I were watching some movie at home, sitting on the couch. Collin had basketball training, and we were lazily killing the time, waiting for him. He was to be driven home by a friend´s parent, so we didn´t even need to go out to pick him up.
The movie suddenly disappeared from the screen to leave way to the News logo.
““We interrupt this program to bring you new information on the Lone case that has just been revealed by the police” said the news woman. “Sandy Rogers, live at the old Beaks and Grahams factory, gets us in on the matter. Good afternoon, Sandy.”
“Good afternoon, Linda. Here at the old Beaks and Grahams editorial and printing house with Detective Robert Jenkins…”
At this point, First picked up the remote and changed the channel unexpectedly.
“Hey, what- First! Why´d you do that? I was watching it! That factory´s very nearby. Put it back on, I want to hear it!”
“Please, Tanya, let´s watch this instead.”
“What? No! Hand me the remote!” I said, excited, yet not angry.
But First did something he had never done before. He ignored my order.
He was still holding on to the remote and avoided looking at me. Needless to say I was astonished to see him act this way.
“First? The remote, please” I said, uneasy.
First doubted a few seconds, then slowly handed me the remote. I took it from him a little doubtful and changed back to the news.
“So it is confirmed, then. It´s completely certain that a robot did this to Dr. Lone.”
“Yes, Linda, it is quite certain. Dr. Lone had all of his research heavily secured. Passwords, voice key, everything. We´ve had trouble getting in the computers, but our laboratory has managed to obtain certain files, and a few videos were among those, in which you can clearly see him and his unidentified robot having conversations, complicated ones, if we´re talking about a robot. Some of them showed explicit aggressiveness from the robot, but I´m not allowed to reveal more information on that. However, with that and the previous autopsy report, it is safe to confirm that the robot did actually kill Dr. Lone.”
I glanced at First, who was still avoiding my eyes.
“And where is the robot now?”
“We don´t know. We´ve interviewed some of the people on the street. Some said they saw a walking robot a while back, but one man affirms to have in fact seen the robot being taken, or stolen, and carried away in a van. We are on the matter and expect to find more clues as we investigate.”
“Thank you, detective. This has been Sandy Rogers…”
I turned off the TV and realized First was expressionlessly looking at me this time, awaiting my reaction. I got up quietly and thoughtfully. I really didn´t dare look at him. I opened my mouth to ask, but reconsidered.
“I don´t need to ask, do I?”
I was stunned. I didn´t know what to think. More precisely, I didn´t need to think, it had all been left too clear.
“What are you going to do, Tanya?” said First in a soft, cautious voice.
I was getting scared, realizing I was standing in a room just a few steps from a murderer robot. I unconsciously gasped when First stood up too.
“I didn´t mean it, Tanya.”
“Please, stay where you are” I told him.
Before he could do or say anything else, I walked away to lock myself in my room.