• Dr. Doc's Journal Entry #4

    Feburary 21, 2010


    tab "Hello, Steven." I found him after our discussion hour, sitting on a bench near the garden, as usual. This time, though, he looked...different, somehow. And when there was no reply, I asked,
    tab "Something wrong?" No response.
    tab "You can tell me anything, you know," I went further, sitting down next to him. "I'll under--"
    tab "Feeling...tired..." he got out hoarsly. Tired? Was it possible for a machine to actually feel tired?
    tab "That's impossible. You're a--"
    tab "I know..." he said weakly, shaking his head vigourously, and then clamping his hands around his temples. "It's Mr. Power's fault..." I raised my eyebrows. That was the first time I heard that name.
    tab "Mr. Powers, Steven?" He slowly nodded, and then looked at me.
    tab "Your 'master', didn't you know?" He looked back down at the ground, and went on, "He must've tried to programmed me to act human...That b*****d..."
    tab "You think he programmed you to act weak?" I repeated, surprised as the words came out of my mouth.
    tab "That's what I said, isn't it?"
    tab "The Master wouldn't do that, though," I argued. "The Master is nice, right?"
    tab "Wrong." Steven countered. "And don't call him...'Master'. Please."
    tab "Why do you hate him so?"
    tab "You wouldn't...understand. After all...you are Mr. Powers favorite." He sighed, and said even softer,
    tab "Lucy and I...We're nothing to him. He hates me, and Lucy..." He swallowed, and finished,
    tab "Well, you'd best...figure that out by yourself." We sat there, both quiet for a minute, and then Steven said,
    tab "I...I need to tell you something, Doc."
    tab "What's that?"
    tab "I'm actually not sure...But there's something..." He looked straight at me, and went on,
    tab "I get these pictures in my head...Blurs, images...I think I saw two people fighting, and then..." He pounded at his head, and cried,
    tab "Then nothing! I don't know...what these pictures mean, or how to piece them together..."
    tab "Maybe..." I said, thinking my answer through, "maybe it's a glitch. I mean...what else could it be?" There was no answer, so we both continued to stare out, as I began to wonder things. Who could I trust? What was true? Was it possible to actually feel something as a robot? Did Steven really feel tired? And what about Lucy? What was her deal?
    tab I suddenly reminded myself that I didn't really want to know the answer to any of those questions. As a robot, one was not supposed to think about any of those kinds of things. Then again, if that were true, why was I thinking about them?
    tab Robots, or humans. I wondered, outside of the wires, nuts, and bolts, what was difference between the two?