The Mecha Boy

It was John’s first day in the office. He was asked to work with David, as they both were to work on the same project. David told him the process and made him comfortable with the tools and programs to be used.

John realized that David had a good understanding of the work. He knew a lot of things and he was very dedicated to the work. John liked David instantly.

John started talking him other friendly stuff too, but David seemed uninterested in that. While going for a coffee break, John often asked David to join, but he always refused. He was more interested in completing the tasks assigned to him. He had never taken any coffee break.

Though John made other friends too, David was different. There was some connection between both of them, which John started feeling. He started considering David as his best friend, but there was no such gesture in return.

David was like an innocent child, who didn’t care about the outside world, just wanted to work, work and work, and that too, flawless.

It was a team party after office hours. Everyone was there, except David. John was really missing him. So much he wanted David there, he couldn’t express it to anyone. Above that, he was concerned for him too, he wanted David to enjoy life too.

“Doing good and hard work is fine, but David should enjoy life too, otherwise, it may impact his health.” He showed his concern to his colleagues. 

But the response knocked him off his feet, “It will not impact him at all, as he is not a human. After all, he is a mecha boy. He is a Robot with Artificial Intelligence.”

It had already been a month that they both were working together. He looked so real, so humane, that John never realized that David is an AI-driven Robot.

Deep down his heart, John had certainly developed caring feelings for his friend David, but now he knew, he would never get the friendship in return. David was a machine, an AI Robot. John couldn’t expect machine to show his friendship, or feel the love of a friend.

But David had already made his special place in John’s heart, which John knew, he could never make in David’s heart, as David didn’t have a heart. David was heartless, he was a Robot; and Robots don’t feel, they just act.

That day was different. John’s eyes were looking for David, but David was nowhere.

“What happened to him? Is he alright? Do Robots also get unwell? That’s why, I always tell him to take some rest in between, but he never paid attention to it. Though he is a mecha boy, machines also need rest. Who is taking care of him now? Does anyone know, he is unwell? I should check with the Manager about his whereabouts. After all, he is my friend, I will take care of him. He is important to me, no matter if I have no importance in his life.”

 

It took John’s breath away to know that David was replaced by a new version AI Robot, which was much better than him.

“But, what will happen to David now?” he asked.

“David will be dismantled. “

“Oh no!” John was crying like hell.

After trying so hard, he got permission to go to the workshop, where Robots were dismantled.

 With a heavy heart, when he reached there, he found David in a miserable state. It was for the first time that David expressed his feelings. “They will erase my memory. I will be dismantled. But I don’t want to die; I want to live more, want to work with you always. I want to go on coffee breaks with you. I am glad that I could see you before dying. I wanted to tell you that I learnt this new thing, ‘friendship’ from you. You are my best friend John and I treasure this friendship of ours. “

John could see David’s invisible tears and David could feel John’s emotions.

 

All of a sudden, a high dismantling machine was about to fall on John’s head. How quick act it was for David to push John aside and come in between. David was crushed to death.

 

It was the end of a new beginning.