Chapter Text
Elliot looked out the window. Not a light on the dark canvas that was the sky of Battery City. Fumes and smog coming up and staining. There were no stars left. Kids didn’t dream anymore. They didn’t make wishes to the stars. Educated to obey the machine.
Elliot was working on his creation: a microchip that would stabilize the frequencies responsible for emotions in one’s brain: human and robotic. BLI was always watching and listening, they knew if someone was manifesting an emotion. Deeming it unacceptable and useless. A society that does not feel, that does not think is easier to control. It works like a colony of ants, mindless and mechanical.
Elliot wanted to give the people the chance to be human again and the robots the freedom to defy their programming. People are creatures that thrive on emotions. It’s not a coincidence it has the word “motion” in it. Humans are beautiful, they move, they dance, they live. Without emotions they stay grounded, they don’t move from their cage. They are trapped, just another gear in the mechanism. Elliot misses that, he remembers the stories his grandma used to tell him when he was a kid. Of a world without mind control headphones and Better Living Industries. In her time the first humanoid robots were being created and a generative process was being developed, giving them a mind that could evolve. But they used nothing but an algorithm to select information from a server of all human knowledge and history. Nothing more. Humanity had fun playing with the new tools. They didn’t know what those artificial minds would achieve, efficient and perfect.
Elliot sighed. That time was gone. Humans made robots to behave like humans, but now the robots were forcing the humans to behave like robots. Elliot fiddled with the electric circuits, not letting frustration and exhaustion get in the way. He could only work in the night, the surveillance system was lowered at night. BLI was always watching, observing everyone’s moves. They were always listening, they could tell where someone was and if their heartbeat was picking up. He stayed determined. He hacked into BLI's system and could see if his invention would work. Moment of truth. He tested the chip, wearing it on the back of his head, he imagined something that really made him angry. When no one would understand him and kept dismissing him in school. Bunch of fake lifeless sheep. The indicators on his screen didn’t move. Elliot allowed himself to get excited and the system didn’t seem to respond. It didn't capture the spike in his heartbeat, the frequencies coming from his nervous system. This was incredible. It actually worked. IT FINALLY WORKED!
He felt accomplished, he could actually make a difference. He’d have to keep it discrete though or BLI would find him and capture him. That wouldn’t be difficult. Elliot didn’t have many friends, really he didn’t have any. He felt like he was the only person left to be able to think with his own mind. It was a lonely existence but he knew he’d rather stay alone. He didn’t need anyone. He sat back on the chair of his secret studio, dark if it wasn’t for the lamp he had dragged in it, he turned off. The day after he had to go to school again so he better get some sleep to not look suspicious.
He went to school, he hated it, it felt like an endless hell, a cycle that repeats. Everyone called him with a name that wasn’t his. He had to wear clothes that felt itchy and uncomfortable. He wasn’t born a boy. He always felt jealous of boys, since he was a kid. They had it so easy, they could play with cars and planes. He always wanted to be one but he was always told that was wrong. His mother patiently told him that these thoughts were to be kept secret just like the other ones. He was only six years old. That night he heard noises, someone entering the house and talking to his mom. He didn’t dare move from his bed, petrified by fear. The morning after his mother seemed…changed. Thinking about it now he knew his mother was replaced by the Scarecrows and removed when he turned 16, judged obsolete. He was grateful for his old mom: she was programmed to immediately tell BLI that her child was manifesting these inappropriate thoughts. Instead her motherly instinct had overridden that program and she told him to hide who he was to protect him. He probably wouldn’t have been the same if she would have called him and sent him to the Tube. That’s why he made it his mission to help the androids of the city.
The day in school was just like all the other ones, grey just like that boring uniform he was forced to wear. He pretended to care about the lessons, things he already knew about. His mind was elsewhere but he’d gotten good at showing he was focused. He was thinking about what could be outside of the city. Everyone said that it was just desert for kilometres, with no inhabitants and no hopes of survival from the heat. But Elliot really hoped this was just one of the lies BLI fed the public. Maybe outside of Bat City there was freedom. Elliot couldn’t help but to wonder, to daydream about it. How it felt to be out of this fake world where he had to hide everything he ever was.
Usually Elliot just went home after lessons ended. But as he was walking he looked up and saw a little drone. They didn’t make those like that anymore. This was an obsolete model. Elliot started following it without even realising it.
The drone flew to an alley Elliot had never been before. He ran but the drone picked up speed and flew off. Elliot panted. Why did he even follow that thing in the first place? He shook his head and looked around him, by the look of it he got to the part of Battery City called The Slums. It was an underground grimy and grunge place. The secret part of the City. Full of crime, old models and prostitution. The true effects of BLI.
He felt someone come up behind him, an artificial breath on his neck.
- Hey sweetheart… wanna have a fun time?
Elliot blushed, not expecting the sudden presence so close to him - uh…no i’m good…thanks. - he said nervously.
- C’mon…i know you do…you’re a teenager, so cute. Whatcha doing in the Slums if you don’t want to get it on? - the voice said so smoothly it felt human.
- Uh… I was just… - Elliot felt one of the robotic hands on his waist, he pulled away. He turned around and faced the android. It was a male porno droid. They didn’t make a lot of these. He was slim and…effeminate. Elliot was pretty sure those were illegal, since homosexuality was obviously wrong by BLI’s standards, like any kind of love really. He observed him carefully and noticed parts of his body were damaged, his knees and his left eye. - Want me to fix that for you? - Elliot offered before he could even register that he said it.
- What? - the droid couldn’t believe his ears.
- I know how to fix your wounds, I can help you. - Elliot repeated looking at the robot.
Elliot was soldering the ligaments of the android’s knee. The robot had brought him to a place that looked like it was going to fall apart, that’s where he lived, Elliot presumed.
- Sorry I forced myself on you earlier. I was…insistent. It’s my only way of getting some money, you know. And I need some Plus for my battery. Not saying that’s an excuse…
- It’s…it’s okay I understand. - Elliot assured, working on the wires. - Try moving your leg now.
The android raised and lowered his leg.
- Oh my Destroya, you’re really good at this. Thanks.
- Hold still. I’m gonna fix the other one. - Elliot said moving to his other knee
- So… what’s your name my saviour? - the android asked with a mischievous smile.
- I’m Elliot, what’s your name? - Elliot said, concentrated on the task at hand.
- Everyone just calls me Pink.
Elliot looked up at his bright pink hair.
- Yes. Because my hair’s pink. We don’t really have names, we’re serial numbers. So our clients name us by attributes. - Pink explained, annoyed.
- They have no imagination. - Elliot commented.
- Who has it these days? - Pink replied with a sigh.
- Alright. Done. By the look of your eye I'll have to replace it though. I should have one lying around somewhere in my studio. I can get it tomorrow.
- Oh so you wanna see me again? - Pink flirted.
- Yes. I actually do. You’re not afraid to feel like everyone else. – Elliot replied genuinely.
- You aren’t either. Wouldn’t you be in trouble for it? - Elliot asked curiously.
Elliot smirked. He had talked to Pink enough to know he could trust him. - Not with this. - Elliot said, moving his hair and demonstrating the chip behind his head. - I made it myself. With this BLI can’t see my heartbeat rise. It sees everything in order. - Elliot said proudly.
- Holy Destroya, how can you be so smart? You’re like 17.
Elliot gave a smug smile. - Hey, who’s this Destroya you keep mentioning?
- It’s our Messiah. We droids believe that he’s gonna come down Battery City and free us all. There’s even scriptures, we call it the Graffiti Bible.
- Interesting.
Walking home Elliot pondered on Pink’s words about Destroya. What if Destroya actually existed? What if there was a way to freedom? Elliot couldn’t imagine how freedom would feel. It must be breathtakingly beautiful.