#second hand love

[murdersinthemaking]

Ace has been working on doing things without asking for permission. His mothers encourage it, and so does Murdock. It's quite hard to wrap his head around, but he thinks he understands the concepts.

He can decide to do an action by himself, for himself. He doesn't always need others' permission. And sometimes, it's even considered good to not have permission.

Unfortunately, one of the first things he does to test his autonomy is to lick Murdock.

Tastes like despair.

Murdock had been frequently visiting the house in the upper levels of the city. More pieces for the android to play with and some of his own work he needed repairs with. Carrying them in his good arm, collections of tiny robots that replicated various insects he couldn’t find back home. He had to enjoy his time up there, with the real coffee and food provided and the company of the ever endearing Ace.

Leaning over one of the insects that he was trying to repair, he feels something swipe against his skin. Warm and human, but he can feel it from beside him. Jumping back towards away from the chair, he stares at the android and tries touching the wet patch of skin. “Are you…alright?”

[soulmusicsongs]

Second Hand Love - Dee Dee Gartrell (Would It Break Your Heart / Second Hand Love, 1969)

[guest923]

The Lot Radio: Second Hand Love with FATIK

by Guest 923

[murdersinthemaking]

Ace. That's his new name. That's what Irene and Anna said. His name is Ace and he's their son now. He doesn't understand very well, not yet, but they've assured him he will, with time.

There are not many rules he has to follow. Tell them when he needs something, and ask questions when he doesn't know something. Stay inside the house whenever possible. Never leave alone. Never leave unannounced. Don't go to the lower districts. People might want to do things to him because he's not like anything they've ever seen. Ace has always been very good at following rules.

Breaking half of those was not part of the plan.

He thinks his tracking and geopositioning software failed. He doesn't know where he is and can't seem to orient himself. There are a lot of people in the cramped streets, all busy and running around, running into him and spitting insults when they look him in the eyes. He doesn't understand, but asking questions isn't very appreciated here.

Ace knows, because he tried asking questions, and he ended up grabbed and shoved against a wall, yelled at, hit, and left there. The hit didn't do much damage, but it did enough for him to have to reboot. It was... unpleasant to do it outside of the house, slumped against a wall. He is still discovering what he finds unpleasant.

Hopping off the ramshackle of a cart, Murdock starts his scavenging before the sun starts setting. Most of the discarded parts he could sell for a decent handful of credits were swept up from higher districts civil services, and second rate parts were dropped off here. Through the alleyways and run over by street cars by the time he got there. Despite the sun blazing down through the open city skyline, he still dresses in a heavy overcoat and thick gloves.

Serendipity. Blocking out the entrance to the alley with a water barrel, Murdock kneels down beside the android. Completely intact from the outside, beautifully glossy and nearly human. There’s not a moment of hesitation as he unclips his tools from the inside of his coat. If it even had half of the parts, it would make a fortune.

Sliding his gloves off, his flesh and blood hand reaches to poke at the android. Nothing moves, perfectly still. Plying out the screwdriver from his coat, Murdock begins poking at the outer shell. “Come on, fucking unlock..”

[murdersinthemaking]

"Murdock, may I ask you a question?" Ace asks before he remembers that the human has told him several times that he doesn't need to ask for permission to ask a question. "Apologies. I will ask my question."

"How did you misplace your arm?" The question has no ill intent behind it. He's just curious. He hasn't seen many humans without limbs.

Since recovering Ace from the lower districts, his mothers have begun warming up to him. Murdock would visit every now and then, bringing new pieces of machinery for the android to work on. Escaping the smog of his apartment to bring new inventions and saved scrap. Something was uncanny about the android, so much that the mechanic couldn’t touch the deactivated androids sitting his shop. Their plastic shells felt human.

Buried in a robotic insect the size of a dinner plate, Murdock takes a moment to register the question he barely hears. “Misplace? A lot more than misplaced. It got infected, real bad. But my hand was still good, so we sold it. Just had to cut off the whole arm first.”

[linawu]

Second Hand Love by Yamada Murasaki

[linawu]

Second Hand Love by Yamada Murasaki

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Second Hand Love

By Yamada Murasaki.