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The automatic doors of the supermarket whooshed open, and Connor stepped inside with a curious tilt of his head. His LED cycled briefly to yellow as he processed the sensory overload: bright lights, colorful displays, and the hum of conversation from the other shoppers. Hank walked in behind him, already regretting his decision to bring the android along.
“You don’t have to analyze the floor tiles, Connor,” Hank muttered, pushing a shopping cart that had a wobbly wheel.
“I’m not analyzing the tiles,” Connor replied, straightening up. “I was just noting the efficiency of the layout. It’s designed to guide customers in a specific path to increase impulse purchases.”
“Yeah, well, we’re here for basics, not a marketing seminar. Bread, eggs, milk—simple stuff.”
Connor nodded, falling into step beside Hank as they moved through the aisles. Every few steps, something new caught Connor’s attention: a display of cereal boxes with cartoon mascots, a pile of brightly colored fruits, a free sample stand offering tiny cubes of cheese on toothpicks.
“Lieutenant,” Connor said, picking up a box of Frosted Flakes, “this cereal claims to be ‘grrreat!’ Would you consider it great, or is this hyperbolic advertising?”
Hank stopped mid-step, rubbing his temples. “Connor, it’s just cereal. Do you want some cereal?”
“I do not require sustenance, Lieutenant” Connor replied, setting the box down neatly. “But I find the packaging compelling.”
“Of course, you do,” Hank grumbled, steering the cart toward the dairy section.
They passed a mother trying to calm a crying toddler, a young couple debating over which brand of spaghetti sauce to buy, and a man stacking cans of soup into a precarious tower in his cart. Connor observed them all with quiet fascination, his LED flickering as he recorded every detail.
By the time they reached the dairy aisle, Hank’s cart was only half-full, and Connor had asked no fewer than twenty-seven questions about various products.
“What’s the difference between brown eggs and white eggs? Why is there an entire section dedicated to yogurt? Do people actually consume this much cheese?”
“Connor!” Hank interrupted, grabbing a carton of milk. “Can we just focus on the list? Bread, eggs, milk, remember?”
“I remember,” Connor said earnestly, holding up a loaf of bread. “Would you like multigrain, sourdough, or rye?”
Hank sighed, snatching the multigrain. “This one’s fine. Let’s move.”
As they approached the checkout lanes, Connor paused by a display of candy bars. His LED turned yellow again, and he plucked a Snickers bar from the rack.
“Lieutenant,” he said, holding it out, “this slogan claims you’re ‘not you when you’re hungry.’ Do you find this to be true?”
Hank stared at the candy bar, then at Connor, then back at the candy bar. Slowly, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You know what, Connor? You’re absolutely right. I’m buying that.”
Connor looked pleased, his LED flashing briefly blue as Hank tossed the Snickers into the cart.
At the self-checkout, Connor insisted on scanning the items himself, treating the scanner like a delicate puzzle to be solved. Hank leaned on the cart, watching with a mix of exasperation and amusement as the android carefully positioned each item for the barcode reader.
Finally, as they exited the store with their bags, Hank glanced over at Connor, who seemed uncharacteristically quiet.
“You did good in there, Connor,” Hank said gruffly. “You know, for your first shopping trip.”
Connor’s LED glowed softly. “Thank you, Lieutenant. It was... enlightening. Humans have such an interesting relationship with consumer goods.”
“Yeah, well, next time you’re carrying the bags. And stop calling me Lieutenant! We're not at work!”
“Understood... Hank,” Connor replied, reaching to take the bags from him without hesitation.
Hank chuckled as they headed to the car, the faint crinkle of grocery bags accompanying them. It wasn’t exactly a relaxing trip, but as far as Hank was concerned, it was a step toward making Connor feel a little more human.
And maybe, just maybe, Hank felt a little more alive, too.