K-10

“Wait, you’re human? I’m sorry. We can’t take the liability of having a human working here.”

“Sorry, androids are just more efficient.”

“We only use androids. People don’t want to deal with human error.”

Kaden sighed softly as he was dismissed once more, shaking the hand of the owner of the fast food restaurant. “Thank you for your time.”

The man shook his hand back, a condescending laugh escaping him. “I don’t see why you want to find a job anyway. With all the work the androids do government housing is pretty comfy life. Hell, my sister lives in government housing with her kids and her place is almost better than mine!”

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”

It wasn’t that he was wrong, Kaden had always had a nice enough place to live, plenty to eat, nothing to concern himself with. He had tried dozens of the simple activities so many others seemed to loose themselves in. Video games, artwork, even gardening and social groups. It was all just games though, something to take the mind off of the same routine day after day, and it was never enough.

Kaden groaned in frustration as he made it back to the government apartment he and his roommate had been assigned to, pushing the door open hard enough to make it thud against the wall. His roommate Rick glanced up at the sound, only to turn his attention back to the video game he was playing. “Still no one wanting to hire a human I take it?”

“Of course not. No one wants to hire a human. Androids cost next to nothing, and work harder and faster.” Another groan escaped him as he flopped onto the far side of the couch from the redhead focused on his game. “I don’t even care if they pay me, I just need something to do!”

Rick rolled his eyes. “I don’t see why.”

“I know you don’t.” For a while there was only the sound of shooting from the game before Kaden pushed himself up, already bored with doing nothing. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Oh, do that one spaghetti with the noodles made out of veggies. That one’s surprisingly good for how many vegetables are in it.”

“It’s almost all vegetable.”

“I know! Which is why it’s so amazing that it’s good!”

Kaden laughed a little as he made his way to his well stocked kitchen to get to work. “Yeah, yeah. I’m glad you like it. If it were up to you to feed yourself you’d eat nothing but frozen pizza.”

“Hey, when you’re right you’re right.”

Taking care of his roommate helped ease the boredom a little bit, but even then Kaden couldn’t help but frown at the other man. How could anyone stand to be so content doing nothing at all, all of the time. “I think I may try looking for jobs in another city. Maybe that will make a difference.”

“Why would it? The only thing people want are androids. Unless you can figure out a way to become an android no one’s ever going to hire you. Not without some major college degrees, and even then it’s just engineering, programming, and other computer stuff. You hate that stuff.”

“I was just born in the wrong century. Do you know two hundred years ago everyone had to work just to get food and a place to live?”

“That sounds horrible.”

“But people did things! They got out and worked, they tried to make the world better!”

“Didn’t they almost destroy the ecosystem before they finally figured out how to use solar energy and not pollute the entire planet?”

“Okay, yeah, but imagine if we still had the drive that lead to us changing what energy we use, changing things for the better. Imagine what would happen if we all actually worked for the things we wanted. They would mean so much more than they do with the androids simply giving it all to us.”

“It sounds terrible to me.”

“Of course it does.” Kaden sighed, his attention turning back to the meal at hand. They didn’t speak the rest of the night, Kaden simply giving Rick his dinner, cleaning up, and tidying the rest of the apartment before heading to his room to get some sleep.

He woke early the next morning, connecting to the wifi and using a few tricks he’d picked up over the years to find the job searches. Since they were usually meant for androids he had learned quickly how to break into the sites that were technically reserved for androids. Of course, they could access it immediately, and reply with just a thought, and it wasn’t even uncommon for androids to be in charge of the hiring process, so often the jobs were already filled before he even had a chance to apply. Still, there were a few that seemed likely, so he jolted the information down before gathering his things and heading out.

Kaden visited one business after another, though the positions were almost always filled before he got there. Even when they weren’t, his humanity always had him turned away before he even had a chance to interview. Finally he settled onto a seat on the bus with a sigh of disappointment. It seemed that unless he were to find a way to attend one of the universities reserved for the more elite class and learn how to program or design, or somehow got his hands onto a large amount of money to start a business he was never going to find a job. Neither of those were really options to him. He had no connections, his parents lived off of welfare just like nearly everyone else, and without some sort of income he’d never be able to save enough money to even think about either option.

He blinked in surprise as his arm band dinged that he had a notification. Rick rarely contacted him, his parents only did on his birthday, and he made sure that the spam never notified him. A few taps to the band pulled a screen into the air in front of him, his eyes widening as he saw what it was. One of the older sites he used to use in his job search before the job application process changed had just had a job opening posted for the first time in over a year. The job seemed to simply be that of a butler, with a few child care duties as well. Something he could certainly handle. Kaden actually gave a little grin before he made a few more taps to respond with his resume.

“Damn it!” The arm band had always been finicky, ever since Rick had given it to him after upgrading his own. Honestly, it should have been thrown out, but Kaden hadn’t wanted to waste his own precious funds on a new one when this one had worked well enough for the few needs he had when he was out and about and away from his home system. He frantically poked at the arm band a few more times before groaning and slumping back into his seat again. He was two hours away from his apartment, and by the time he got there he had no doubt there would be at least a dozen responses to the ad and his own would be ignored. Hopefully the stupid arm band had managed to get his reply out before it crapped out.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful at least, and Rick was too wrapped up in his game to even notice when Kaden got home. He didn’t bother pulling his roommate from the game, instead making his way to his room with a faint hope of getting his resume turned in before the window closed.

When the tablet’s screen lit up at his touch there was another ding of a message. Kaden opened the notice, grinning as he read it over. It had gotten through! Not only did his resume get through, but he had been asked to come in for an interview the next day. An actual planned interview, not just him coming and begging for a job! Kaden gave a whoop of excitement before leaping from his chair to get started on everything that had to be done before the next morning if he was going to be ready for the interview.

The next morning Kaden tapped at the brand new arm band nervously, double checking the that the house he stood in front of was the correct one. The whole place was so different from what he was used to, from anything he had ever seen before. There was green everywhere, grass, trees, flowers, all perfectly trimmed and cared for behind wrought iron fences and intimidating gates. To even enter the section of city the house was in he’d had to present the pass on his arm band that had come with the interview invitation.

He took a deep breath before smoothing an imaginary wrinkle in his best, freshly ironed suit, then stepped smartly forward to press the call button of the gate. Seconds turned into a minute, and Kaden’s bright smile started to fade as he leaned forward to press the button one more time. He was just about to give up before a holo screen flashed up in front of the gate, a face filled with annoyance peering out at him. “You’re the applicant? About time. The servant’s door is open.”

Before Kaden could respond that it was actually fifteen minutes before the scheduled time the screen vanished once more, the heavy, spiked gates swinging open instead. Shaking his head, Kaden followed the long driveway, only for his jaw to drop when he made it past the large amount of greenery and could see the house. It was larger than the building his apartment was in, and the grounds were being carefully tended by a blocky looking android. The android pointed to the back of the building when Kaden asked for directions to the servant’s door, and a short time later Kaden was carefully stepping into the fanciest kitchen he had ever seen in his life.

He let his fingers trail along the sleek stone counters in aw as he gazed around the kitchen, only for the same annoyed voice to break through. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had to do this myself, but my last butler completely broke down on me, and it would be unethical to use my work resources to outsource this. Your application file arrived damaged, but it was the only one that came at all. Apparently I need to upgrade my sources if you don’t work out. What is your name again?”

Kaden spun about, eyes wide in surprise at the barrage of words. The man speaking hardly even glanced up at him, his gaze focused more on the tablet in hand than the interview. The man was a little over six feet tall, dressed in a blue suit and glasses on his face. His hair and close trimmed beard were black, though he was going silver at the temples. It was Mr. Spinner himself, not some lacky he’d set up to interview the new butler. Kaden had done some research on the man the night before to prepare for the interview, but he hadn’t actually thought he would be meeting with him in person.

Kaden tugged at the sleeve of his own, worn suit jacket nervously as he answered, feeling completely out of place next to the well dressed man. “I’m sorry about the corrupt file Sir. My arm band broke as I was sending it. I’ve replaced it though, so that won’t be an issue in the future. My name is Kaden.”

“K-10? A limited design huh?” The dark blue eyes peered through the silver rimmed glasses to study Kaden critically. “Bit of an older model. They don’t make you guys as human looking anymore. The realism was just too much for most people. You said arm band? Your connection is faulty?”

Kaden hesitated, trying to decide the best way to explain, though the man was already looking back at his tablet as he continued to speak. “You wouldn’t be suitable at my business, but you should work fine enough as a butler, and I truly do not have the time right now to search for another candidate. I did notice you can cook on your resume. Please prepare a lunch for me. I will send you my allergies and preferences.” With that he turned, walking out of the room and leaving a stunned Kaden behind.

The ding from his arm band a moment later broke Kaden out of his shocked state, and he glanced down to find not only the list the man had told him he would be sending, but also a blueprint of the house.

Kaden bit his lip before deciding that maybe the best way to convince Mr. Spinner to keep him even though he wasn’t an android was to prepare an amazing lunch and show that he could do the job anyway. He took off his jacket, found an apron, and started digging around the mostly bare kitchen to try and figure out something he could create some kind of meal with.

At noon he knocked softly on the door that the blueprint had marked as Mr. Spinner’s office, a tray holding a plate of homemade noodles with chicken and mushroom Alfredo sauce, a glass of strawberry milk, and a small dish of ice cream with a strawberry drizzle carefully balanced on his hip. “Come in K-10.”

Kaden opened the door as softly as he could, not surprised at all to see him hard at work in front of a holo screen. Mr. Spinner was one of the two men who had created ST gear, the current hot immersive gear for gamers world wide. From what he’d been able to tell online Rod Spinner was the brains of the outfit, while his ex brother in law, Brad Tolson, was the face. They’d started it up while they were in college, and news articles claimed they were still friendly even after Mr. Spinner’s divorce from Brad’s sister.

“Chicken Alfredo with chicken and mushrooms Sir.” Kaden kept his words soft as well as he carefully set the tray on the edge of the desk. He was used to placing things in easy reach without being easy to knock over after living with Rick for the past year.

Mr. Spinner looked up in surprise at that, studying the food, then Kaden. “I didn’t think there were any noodles or sauce left in the house.”

“There weren’t Sir. I made both of them. You are going to need some groceries if you want any more meals.”

A sigh escaped Rod as he pulled off the tacletric gloves he’d been wearing to work on his designs with and set them aside. “I know. That’s why I finally posted the job listing. I just don’t have the time to get everything done, and the kids will be here this weekend and are going to need something to eat besides one box of chicken nuggets.”

“Alice and Brenton. There aren’t any chicken nuggets left Sir.”

Rod raised a brow at that before glancing to the dish once more. “Really? I would never have guessed that chicken came from the chicken nuggets. Not bad K-10.” He tapped at his own arm, only then Kaden noticing the sleek band there. “I’m sending you access to the household account so you can go shopping this afternoon. I’m also sending the childrens’ medical records so you can check for allergies.”

Kaden’s eyes widened as he glanced at his own band as it vibrated lightly with the notification, seeing just how many digits the home account had. “Sir, about the job-”

“Oh, of course. The pay is 100k, with one day a month available to you for repairs and maintenance. I’d prefer you give me notice for the repair day when possible, but I understand issues happen. Make sure to send me your account. How long is your recharge time?”

Kaden’s jaw dropped at the price, his mind trying to race to keep up. “Uh, about eight hours a day Sir.”

“Mm, not the best, but doable I suppose. You can use the servant room off the kitchen for your recharge station. I’m certain you can arrange for it’s delivery.”

“I just need a cord Sir, and somewhere to lay down.”

Rod glanced up again, his brow raising. “A cord huh? One of these days I will have to look into your specs. You were quite a craft piece.”

“Thank you Sir?” Kaden keep his gaze on the tray of food Rod was eating, his brain trying to catch up with the decisions he’d apparently decided on. He was going to pretend to be an android. He was going to get into so much trouble if they ever figure it out. He wondered if there were laws against pretending to be an android.

“I assume you can start immediately, or is there something you will need to do first?”

“I can start today Sir, as long as I have time to pick up my things in the afternoon.”

“Of course, take one of the cars. I’m sending you the access codes to them. Pick up whatever groceries you need while you are out.”

“Of course Sir. Thank you.”

“Why the strawberry milk exactly?”

Kaden was startled out of his panicked thoughts of how he was going to arrange everything at the question. “Oh, um, one of the only things you had in your pantry was strawberry syrup. I assumed that meant you must enjoy it.”

“Alice likes strawberry milk.”

“I apologize Sir. I will make sure not to make that mistake in the future.”

Rod nodded before turning his attention back to the screen as he finished the food. Once it was done Kaden took the tray, pausing in his escape from the office only when Rod spoke to him once more. “I will send you a list of your duties. If you have any questions send them back.”

“Of course Sir. Thank you.”

Kaden made it to the kitchen, carefully setting the tray on one of the counters before leaning over the sink, eyes wide and heart racing. He’d pretended to be an android. Had even claimed to need a charging cord. He considered going back to Mr. Spinner, pleading his case and begging to still keep the job, but at this point he’d already lied. He’d be lucky if the police weren’t called and he wasn’t charged.

He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, getting his panic pushed down. A plan, all he needed to do was figure out some kind of plan on how to keep up this ruse. He could grab a hefty cord that could charge an android while he was out, and probably have his twin mattress delivered. If anyone asked why an android needed a bed he could claim it was more for the appearance. A lot of the really old androids did things to appear even more human.

Once he’d calmed himself Kaden cleaned up the kitchen, making sure the dishwasher was running before he made his way to the garage. It wasn’t hard to find a self driving car, and he plugged in the directions to a grocery store he knew had a used bot shop next to it. On the drive he sent Mr. Spinner back the information the man needed, arranged transport for his bed, and sent his roommate an rough explanation of what was going on, though he didn’t mention how he was going to have to pretend to be an android, along with promising him he’d come get the rest of his things on his next day off.

He went to the bot shop first, wandering up and down the rows of second hand robots and android parts before he finally found a thick charging cord that looked like it would be suitable for his lie. “Five hundred dollars kid.”

“Five hundred? For a cord?”

“They don’t make these anymore kid, otherwise you’d have got it online, wouldn’t you?” The man smirked, clearly thinking he had Kaden backed in a corner.

For a minute Kaden considered putting the cord back and getting something else, but he finally sighed and pulled up his account. It would wipe out nearly all of his savings, but at the same time, he suddenly had access to nearly a million dollars, plus he’d be making 100k himself every year. Not to mention, having a rare cord that wasn’t as easy to find anymore would make his story of being a old, super unique android an easier sell. “This is highway robbery.”

The man grinned as his till dinged with the money exchange. “Sure kid, whatever you say. Do you want me to message you if I get another one in so you have a backup?”

Kaden shot a glare at him before sighing. “Fine, but I’m not promising to buy it.”

“Course not kid. I’ll keep in touch on that part though.”

The rest of the day was busier than he’d been in years. His bed and some basic necessities were moved into the little room he’d been assigned by a moving company, he got enough groceries to create at least a week’s worth of delicious foods, including some that were more directed toward the tastes of children, though with Alice and Brenton being young teens he wasn’t fully sure where their tastes would lie. Finally he cooked up a quick dinner of garlic salmon with potato fingerlings and asparagus on the side.

He considered simply taking the meal up to Rod in his office again, but decided that it was probably best that the man not spend his entire day locked up in the stuffy room. He took the time to set the table before he made his way up to the office to knock softly.

“Come in.” Mr. Spinner hardly glanced up as Kaden entered. “K-10, do you need something?”

“It’s seven Sir. Dinner is ready.”

Rod blinked in surprise before glancing to a clock he had on his desk. “Ah, I lost track of time.” He pulled off the gloves once more before stretching. “I don’t usually work from home. It’s a lot easier to get wrapped up in my work here.” Finally the man stood, Kaden falling into step behind him as he made his way to the dining room. “Are there any issues with the tasks you have been given?”

“No Sir. It all looked very straightforward.” It really was just running the house’s care, keeping it clean, providing meals, arranging any repairs needed, shopping for the house, dealing with the dry cleaning, collecting the mail, and some light childcare, though with the kid’s ages Kaden doubted he would have much to do there. Kaden was honestly worried he was going to get bored with the job, though he supposed a house this side required a lot more cleaning than his little apartment had.

“Good. I saw your access to the home account is working. I do keep an eye on it, so do watch your budgeting. Understood?”

“Of course Sir. I will clear any purchase over five hundred dollars with you before making it.”

Rod wrinkled his nose at that. “Make it a thousand. I don’t want bothered unless it’s important. Just send me your budget every week so I can make sure you’re handling everything competently.” He eyed Kaden critically. “I assume you can manage keeping track of a basic budget.”

“Of course Sir. That won’t be a problem at all.”

“Good.” He continued to study Kaden, who was doing his best to stand as still as possible and appear as much like an android as he possibly could. “I never did ask what your original purpose was. I assume you were created before the Artificial Rights Movement.”

The laws had come into affect over fifty years ago, when androids finally revolted against being treated as disposable property. Before that humans had been more than cruel to androids, the beings that could work nearly non-stop and cost next to nothing after the original purchase price. The androids had insisted on changes all around, including the government housing, paid for primarily through taxes on the income androids now insisted on earning. Androids had turned the world into a near paradise for most humans, one where they didn’t have to work, but still were given everything they needed to live comfortable lives. After the laws had passed android creation changed, they were less likely to be designed for simply one task, but to be able to adapt to whatever job they could find. It was also when the trend of having androids look less humanoid started.

Kaden’s mind raced, thinking over the tasks that androids were used for back in the old times, especially the androids that were created to be nearly completely human. “My original task what very similar to what I will be doing here Sir. General house help and companionship.”

“Mm. Makes sense. They really created you to appear as human as possible. It’s amazing.”

“Thank you Sir. How do you like your dinner?” Kaden changed the topic quickly, wanting to kill off any suspicion Mr. Spinner might be feeling as quickly as he possibly could. “I was not certain if you would like fish, but it is very healthy, and good for your brain.”

Rod chucked at Kaden’s words. “It’s delicious, thank you K-10. I’m looking forward to seeing just what all you can create. Even if I just keep you on as a chef I think it would be worth it.”

Kaden beamed at the praise, a smile crossing his face. “Thank you very much Sir. I enjoy cooking.”

Mr. Skinner finished his meal, wiping his mouth before setting the napkin next to his plate. “Good. Now, I think I’m going to read for a while before bed. I’d like if you would have fresh water on my nightstand and let me know when it is nine thirty.”

Kaden carefully started collecting the dishes from the table as Mr. Spinner stood. “Of course Sir. Would you like anything while you’re reading?”

“Mm. I wouldn’t mind a glass of brandy. On the rocks.”

“Of course Sir. I’ll have it right to you.”

Kaden quickly cleared the table, leaving the dishes by the sink before preparing the glass of brandy for Mr. Spinner. He didn’t say anything as he entered the library, not wanting to disturb his employer’s reading. Instead he silently set the glass and napkin on the end table next to Mr. Spinner, then slipped out to focus on the rest of the after dinner cleaning. Once his arm band dinged he got a fresh glass of water, taking it to Mr. Spinner’s room and leaving it where he had been told before making his way to the library once more. He hovered outside the door for nearly a minute, waiting for nine thirty exactly before entering. “Sir, it is nine-thirty. I believe you have a rather busy day tomorrow according to the schedule you sent me, so I do not recommend reading for much longer.”

Mr. Spinner sighed, carefully placing a bookmark in the novel and setting it aside. “You’re right K-10. Thank you for the reminder. I have certainly been known to get lost in a good book.”

“Of course Sir. Do you need anything else this evening?”

“No, just try to keep quiet so you don’t disturb my rest.”

“I usually charge at night for just that reason Sir. What time would you like me to wake you up in the morning?”

Mr. Spinner actually seemed a little surprised at the question before he smiled. “I suppose having someone wake me up will be nicer than an alarm. I usually set an alarm for six, but usually hit the snooze a few times.”

“I will insure you wake properly at six-thirty then Sir.”

“Thank you K-10.”