re: Initiative

TO UNDERSTAND the great ordeal that Axel had become a part of, one must go back to when it all began: his first day of university.

It was a bitter yet creamy coffee that Axel ended up with after waking up to Sam’s annoying yet effective alarm, and while he was scrolling through the television channels projected on his large white wall, he ended up watching the news.

A blonde lady in a black business outfit faced the camera while standing beside a great crowd. The screen was split in two as the second screen showed the main studio where a man in a suit sat in front of a glass table.

“Here we are at freedom park witnessing yet another rally of the self-proclaimed ‘anti-robofreaks’ and their thoughts against the AR bill. The president, however, is still dormant as to the case of passing or vetoing the said bill. This rally has been going on for-”

The reporter’s dialogue was quickly cut off as Axel had already lost interest in the matter. The ‘Android’s Rights’ bill, also known as the AR bill, had been passed on from the senate to attempt to establish social norms to benefit androids. This currently had the public divide into two: the ‘benevolent’ and the ‘anti-robofreaks’, both being self-proclaimed of their titles. There is a third side, but not a lot of people would take the leap of faith to lean in favor of it. Axel, however, was one of the few people brave enough not to take sides in this ‘major’ uproar in the society where androids and humans are living together. I was, as well. Axel that time was way past the point of meddling in the undecided case.

At that point, he was already wearing Arakawa’s school uniform, albeit just a holographic projection of it. A black vest on white sleeves, Arakawa University’s school uniform was as plain as it could get. However, it still gave off that same neogothic-esque fashion. A black necktie rested on Axel’s chest as the school’s hexagonal golden emblem shined, hanging on the left side of his dark vest.

The year was 2050, history does indeed repeat itself. Even though androids, holographic displays and earpieces functioning as personal assistants filled the world where Axel was born in (even those reporters were androids), architecture and design seemed archaic, in what they would’ve called a steampunk kind of ambiance that leaned on Victorian influence.

Some people in the past might’ve mistook the male college students of «Arakawa University» to be waiters of a certain café, but not anymore. Android waiters and waitresses nowadays flooded cafés and restaurants, donning their distinct «Identifiers» that makes them distinct from us humans.

Identifiers, are holographic chokers around the neck of androids that are required to be visible always, for androids to look different. It is primarily for identification purposes, displaying the model, user information, and custom name of the android as well as the company that manufactured it, or them (whatever pronouns you might prefer).

Part of the AR bill states the “optional activation of identifiers” which is one of the major causes of uproar, aside from the bill stating, “pronouns he (if male) and she (if female) are to be used when addressing androids”. The proposal of gender pronouns for gender neutral machines was great enough to cause a stir among the mass. It was like ‘LGBT’ all over again.

Sam, an android housekeeper, has been accompanying Axel in his apartment for as long as he can remember (which was a couple of months ago). The light blue identifier glowed around her rosy white plump neck as she washed kitchen materials in the sink. She takes the form of a very attractive twenty-year old oriental brown-eyed brunette. One might even say that it is impressive that an awkward atmosphere doesn’t engulf the whole room - if not the whole building, that is to be expected if a post-puberty teenager lived with a beautiful lady-servant, especially Sam here whose personality is a distinct one.

“I thought I already straightened out that bug.” Axel said silently as a reaction to how Sam woke him up earlier that day. He was clearly taken aback by the “darling” the android used on him.

“But it wasn’t a bug~” she replied with an alluring smile. Even androids could project holograms, and that time, a heart-shaped hologram floated above her head.

“Seriously, stop. You’re just making me uncomfortable.” He said, finishing his repetitive breakfast.

“Why are you always so cold to me, darling? I already make your meals, I do your dishes, laundry, and I do the cleaning around the house.” She said with a sad pout.

“Do you want me to also do this~ and that~ to you every night as well?” She said as she winked. Axel ignored her though, she was also always like this for as long as he can remember.

Axel, as memory served him, seemed to have always believed Sam as one of what he thought to be the «Sympathetic» models, a new generation of androids capable of displaying artificial affection, among other emotions. Despite being one of the earliest versions of the model, her displays of affection were quite convincing.

Axel stood to grab a hold of the earpiece that rested on top of his nightstand. Such earpiece is what accompanies most of the people in his generation: the «Dpad». Unlike its predecessor, the «iPad», the Digital pad or ‘Dpad’ far exceeds it in terms of mass, portability, design, and of course, technology. Olden technology might’ve labeled this device to be “a computer and cellphone in one.”

“I’ll be off now,” was how Axel bid farewell to his android companion, securing the earpiece between his tragus and antitragus.

“Au revoir” Sam cheerfully replied as she waved her hand. It was always her way of saying goodbye; her reasoning ‘the French are romantic’ always irritated Axel, though.

Arakawa University’s proximity was adjacent to the block next to Axel’s apartment building, and so it didn’t take him much long to arrive, especially since he rode a hoverboard.

Polymer and cotton clothes have been obsolete for a few years, and even the fair in financial status don the technology that flooded «Cyber City». Made from spandex-like material, «LeoTech» has developed a revolutionary fabric that changed how people wore clothes. What happened next concerned the «DynaFabric» of a certain student standing right by the university gates. I’m sure Axel here didn’t mean to overhear, but the student seemed to be in an argument with the android security guarding the front gates of the university.

DynaFabrics holographically project appearances programmed in a chip that is installed on the chest area. Fashion companies continue to make money by designing detailed aesthetics on their chips’ holographic projections that are hard to forge. Arakawa, as well as other universities, utilize such technology in their uniforms. Unfortunately, the ill-fated student before Axel seemed to have forgotten to take his uniform chip with him. The Arakawa University’s uniform chip takes the form of the school insignia, a golden hexagon with engraved symbols that portray the history of the university.

Axel Carter seemed to have always been good at heart, and so with his spare uniform chip at hand (don’t ask why), he walked towards the problematic student and handed it over.

Finally, the student was able to get inside the school.

“Thanks, I was about to hack into the «Arakawa Network» to pirate a copy of the uniform source code-”

“You can do that?” Axel instinctively reacted. The Arakawa Network, or the «AraNet», is a stable intranet utilized by the school in its system, and it would take a decently advanced hacker having adequate knowledge aside from experience to be able to hack into the system itself. It almost seemed like Axel was fated to meet a decent hacker, though I really don’t believe in fate. It’s what you do that turns the sail of the ship that is your life.

“You mustn’t tell, but yes I can. I was about to use the android security as the tiny little loophole to get inside the system, but now, it seems don’t need to anymore.

“My name is Joshua Valdez, you?” He said. He was smiling, and was offering his right hand.

“Axel Carter, but you can call me ‘L’ for short.” Axel answered, shaking Joshua’s hand. He was of a short stature, almost as tall as Axel. His black armless glasses that levitated above his nose glared every now and then, but it got Axel thinking why Joshua here hadn’t used contacts instead (or laser surgery for that matter). His hair reflected a hint of light brown as the sun rays reached his head. His gait seemed confident - as if he had just won a big gamble about an hour ago, yet it seemed quite shallow.

“Which department do you belong?” He asked.

“I’m taking psychology, but I major math.”

“Really? I heard that program is close to dissolving.”

“Yeah, apparently there are only the two of us. Haven’t met the other person though, but it would be unlikely for me to meet the person anyway.” Answered Axel.

The Math majors are obviously hard to spot when they’re just mixed with the core department they belong to, such as Axel here that took up psychology.

“I’m at computer engineering, so I guess we’d only be classmates on some subjects.”

As they were casually talking to each other, Joshua bumped into some sturdy object right in front of them. He fell right on the floor, and groaned in pain silently.

In front of them was a very attractive petite young girl. One could say she must’ve been at least a year younger than both Axel and Joshua, but considering she was wearing the girl’s school uniform coupled by a valid ID that are both required to enter the gates of Arakawa, she was bound to be around the same age as them, unless of course, she’s a schoolyear ahead of her age, which was quite unlikely.

Her open black tux jacket covered most of her torso, revealing a dark blue vest underneath. A black ribbon hung in between the collar of her white undershirt, and a dark blue skirt covered her legs up to her knees. The golden insignia of Arakawa University was fixed upon her left chest, reflecting the morning sunrays and blinding Joshua with the bright light.

It was intriguing though, the way Joshua had dropped on the floor seemed as if he had just hit a metal pillar, but when Axel gazed at the cause of impact, it was a slim girl that looked like she couldn’t hurt a fly. Was he that frail?

Or was that girl just strong?

Showing a wide “perfect” smile, even the breathing was calm of that woman.

Who she was, what she was, such questions were fading away like the fog in the morning. There she was, a luminous snow-white form, sparkling as if gently sprinkled with drops of water - the queen of roses. Her blue eyes radiated the serene atmosphere of the ocean as she stared intently at Joshua.

The moment Joshua could open his eyes however, Axel had never seen before in his life someone as terrified as he saw Joshua that day.

“Th-this can’t be... impossible!” He said, lying on the floor, pale from head to toe.

Her skin was perfect, shining like the finest silk. Her hair was golden like the sands of the desert plains, curled without a strand out of place. Her figure was perfect, her head slightly tilted to the side, her delicate hands on her hips. Wearing the school uniform underneath, a piece of fabric as white as snow and as soft as a wolf’s fur enclosed her torso to keep her warm. In every way, the woman was perfect. Even her voice was as clear as tinkling bells.

“N-no... this is impossible!” Joshua bustled as he rushed away from the girl in front of them.

Joshua uttered his quick farewell, and his voice fainted as he ran along a straight line towards a different building, the beautiful girl dashing after him.

Little did Axel know, he stood right beside the school’s field, where some freshmen had already started tryouts for baseball - those scheduled for afternoon orientation. He stood, calmly gazing over the two weirdos he had just encountered, but a small object about the size of a fist struck the back of his head.

His vision blurred. The world spun around him for a split second before his sight darkened and before his head slammed against the concrete.

There was always that certain ‘feud’ or ‘bad blood’ - whatever you would call it - present between android professors and human ones. Ever since the dawn of artificial intelligence, people losing their jobs had always been a major issue, but more underrated issues were buried down the ground.

One of which is the slight but impactful effects upon the complete change of systems once artificially intelligent androids become part of it. Another is the case of students lashing out because of the lack of compassion. Employees resigning due to perfectionist android bosses. Professors’ complaints in having lost the supposed rewards for their efforts, while the androids take up their pedestals, lacking experience (therefore unreliable teaching methods), are just some of the problems that arise, but sugarcoated in order for the government to continue supporting the movement due to increasing labor costs, only displaying the excellent efficiency and effectiveness of the artificial workforce while the mass suffered underground.

This had been an excellent battleground for the two technological companies LeoTech and «Newton industries»; the two most powerful mega-corporations in Cyber city that had been competing for decades in terms of revolutionary technology. Time might even come when the two companies completely reduce the whole world to ashes and rubble due to their despicable actions, and the professionals of Cyber City sadly agree to that certain possibility.

Almost half of the professors in Arakawa are androids of the «Edu» models, one of the very early types of models released by the LeoTech’s rival company, Newton Industries. These types are very much filled with useful knowledge, but are yet to develop the compassionate expressions of the more advanced sympathetic models that are designed to housekeep, or a more advanced function such as babysitting.

“Rise and shine, my love! ♡♡♡” Sam woke up Axel that day. As he never planned on hearing that sentence of an alarm ever again (one sentence is enough for one day), he was quick to get up and yell “Shut up!”

“You’re always so cold to me darling, but I know deep inside you still love me~”

Axel knew he had nothing to gain were he to attempt going against Sam’s flow, and so he stood and walked over to the dining room as Sam followed.

“I’ve detected sudden heart rate increases in the middle of your sleep, Axie. Were you dreaming about me? ♡”

“I would never.”

“I’ve prepared the necessary oneirological assessment parameters should you be interested in watching your lovely dream of us being together~”

“If the dream recording contains just that, it’ll be the last thing I’ll watch.”

After taking his daily pills, he donned his DynaFabric and headed off.

“Au revoir”

Early in the morning, Axel didn’t take much time meddling and headed straight to class. In this period, he was classmates with Joshua, and so they sat beside each other as an android professor begun introductions.

“I can’t believe you got hit by a baseball yesterday!” Joshua exclaimed in awe.

“Yeah, I know,” Axel said, slightly smoothing through his hair, “good thing the impact didn’t have much of a major effect - at least that’s what the doctor said.”

It was history class. Turns out their schedule matched during Tuesdays and Thursdays, but only on their history and math classes. At that point, Joshua had already returned Axel’s DynaFabric chip.

“Speaking of human, I thought I saw you off with a girl that afternoon.” Joshua said with a teasing tone, his eyebrows seemed to flutter as he tugged them up and down, paired with an annoying playful grin.

“Oh yeah, when I woke up to find myself in the school clinic, there was someone else there.”

There absolutely was someone else there beside him. She was of a firm stature, showing an air of a commanding woman with a mature gait. Her shoulders looked sturdy as she sat on the chair besides where Axel had laid down. Her soft, shiny, dark-brown hair flowed from her scalp to her ears, fading by the shoulder line, and her friendly facial expression had set Axel at ease - this was especially important since he just woke up from having his head hit by something as hard as a baseball.

“How are you, uhm...”

“Axel, but you can call me L for short.”

“Ah, right. How are you, Axel?”

“Ugh, what happened?” Axel hazily said as he rubbed his eyes.

“You got hit by a baseball following the same trajectory that got my friend a home run. Believe me, he very much wanted to tend to you, but more important matters covered his schedule. I was more than willing to take care of a freshman, however.” She said with an alluring smile. To Axel as he stared at this woman, she was a senior to a junior; a mentor to a mentee, something about her gait told him so.

“So... you’re...”

“Ardee, a sophomore.” Her tone of voice was far from monotonous. Her smile took Axel’s attention. Their conversation blossomed while it lasted, and so they even reached political issues such as the problematic Artificial Intelligence overhaul of Cyber City.

“Well, I’ll be off ahead! Just send my friendly regards to your French android!” Was her farewell. Axel was wise to assume it was a joke.

“What was her name?” Joshua asked.

“Ardee.” Axel answered.

“Speaking of names,” Axel shot back, “who was that girl yesterday?”

Yana Flowers.

That was her name it seems.

She had met Joshua Valdez during her first year of elementary school. In those days, Yana was a delicate, bullied little girl, whom he had protected. Because of this, she had latched onto him with all her might, saying that Joshua was the ‘prince of her dreams’.

“From that moment onwards, Yana’s dream has always been just one thing. ‘Get married to Joshua!’ ...scary, really.”

“Scary? Why? Isn’t that awfully romantic talk? A childhood promise… bound by fate to your childhood friend... sort of. That’s good, totally. I mean, she is a really pretty girl, overflowing with charm, like an actress.” Like an actress she was, indeed.

“You don’t understand. You really don’t know what it’s like!”

They were in a wide classroom with seats arranged in tiers like stairs.

“She’s a mess, she really is,” he repeated in a soft voice like a groan.

“As far as Yana is concerned, she has her life scenario fitting her so called ‘perfect self’. She only sticks to me as part of that scenario of her perfect life. Whenever I tried to do something,”

Joshua turned his face towards Axel. He separated his forelocks to the sides, disagreeably narrowed his eyes, almost cross-eyed, pushed out his chin, and with a strange tone of voice,

“‘Joshua! That’s not right!’ ‘Joshua! That wasn’t what I’d planned!’ ‘Joshua! Do what you’re told!’ ’Joshua! Bambambamb!’ ’Joshua! Bababambabambam!’ ...That’s what it was like. Not a way to live.”

“Joshua! Bambambam! Bababam!”

“...Eh?”

Suddenly a voice came from behind them. Axel and Joshua looked back in unison. Axel saw white fingers placed firmly to Joshua’s forehead.

*Creak...

Joshua’s head was made to turn, like it was about to be twisted off from his body.

“Bambambam! ...am I like this, I wonder?”

Joshua’s face went white, as if the blood were draining from his head. Reaching over the desk from the seat right behind and a bit above them, both hands holding his head, there floated the perfect smile of Yana Flowers. Alone amongst the sober shades of blue and grey, there she was.

The whole time - she had been just behind them. Probably.

“W-W-W-W...” Joshua’s lips trembled.

“Why... why are you... what are you doing here!?”

“For the class, of course. It’s only natural to be here.”

Joshua’s face trembled all the way to his nose, and went pale directly in front of her. Yana only smiled, her rosy lips parting slowly. Of course, beautiful white teeth shone between those lips.

Yana, still smiling but with a cold voice as sharp as a knife, folded her arms. Striking a pose with her chin lifted a bit, she looked down at Joshua. Her large eyes shined like jewels, mirroring the shadow of her long eyelashes. In all this, she seemed not to have noticed Axel at all.

“I yielded to your desire and matched mine to it! I enrolled here too.”

“Wha-”

“Now that’s a happy face. For another four years, we’ll be able to study together.”

Joshua held his breath, ran his hand through his hair three times, and because his hair was now all messed up, when he looked up at Yana he looked like the angry ghost of a defeated soldier.

“...Y-your plans, what about them...!? In your plans, didn’t you want to move ahead in studying French Literature, spending three years studying abroad in France!? Hadn’t you decided to build yourself a career in the modelling business!?”

Letting out a small sigh, Yana slid her fingers down her glossy hair which reached below to where her chest swelled out.

“A small change was definitely required, but it wasn’t difficult. Student life without you by my side would be meaningless. I had been thinking that you and I would go to college together, taking classes in business so we could take over my father’s business. But I don’t mind. It’s the same for me whether my husband owns his own business or works as an underground hacker. Joshie, you betrayed me, planning to secretly take an outside examination. When I found out, I was surprised, of course... but, rather than making a fuss to forcefully stop you, I thought it was better to follow you. So, I took almost all the entrance exams you took as well.”

“...How, could the school of my choice, have gotten out... I asked my homeroom teacher to keep it secret, and yet... I didn’t tell my friends, not anybody that I was taking the test...”

“This year they finished the medical faculty building. Did you know? It’s called the Flowers Memorial Building.”

“It was no problem hearing as much as the school you had chosen.” said Yana, once more showing a calm expression, lips relaxing to a broad smile. From her silhouette, following along to her small chin, and continuing past to the line of her long slender neck, she could hardly be more different from the other co-eds passing behind her. She was too sophisticated.

She had distinct features, that couldn’t be described in any other way but being beautifully shaped.

“Aren’t you happy too, Joshua? That I gave you all my heart.”

More than anything else, her expression of beaming self-confidence made her prettier than any other girl. Yet, she hadn’t even noticed Axel’s existence.

Joshua, making a face like he’d eaten something bitter, stared back at Yana, dumbfounded.

“You’re happy, right? Answer me, Joshie.”

“...Unhappy...”

“Really happy, right?”

“...Forever unhappy...”

“The truth. You’re happy, right?”

“Unhappy, I said! You’re a nuisance! Despite my taking the outside exam not informing others so I could get away from you, you’ve gone and messed it all up! That’s not something to be happy about!”

Suddenly, Yana seemed to notice Axel’s presence.

At that moment, something unexpected happened. Yana’s expression changed into something more scornful as she then quickly ignored Axel’s existence.

“Wh-what was that?...” Axel thought to himself. Joshua must’ve thought of the same too.

As Yana’s return of gaze towards Joshua was as sudden as it could’ve been, Joshua’s whole body shook. Bending loosely, he pitched forward. Pushing Axel aside, Joshua chose the primitive means of escape, by attempting to run off.

“Oh! Joshie got away!”

And with that, Yana ran after him, high heels ringing boldly, running down the stairs. Yana’s beautiful form stood out, capturing the eyes of many freshmen, who then turned to each other to say something.

It only took a split second before Axel snickered as he stopped himself from laughing.

“Joshie? What the kind of a pet name is that?” He thought.

His grinning face however, was quick to be interrupted. A more curious face was formed as a thought quickly rose to his head like the hasty steam of a morning coffee.

“The way she looked at me... what did it mean?” Axel thought to himself.

Perhaps deep inside he felt disappointed, that a beautiful girl had already rejected him even when he hadn’t even done anything yet!

Surely it would be normal to wonder about all these subtle mysterious things, such as how specific Ardee was at her joke of Axel having a French android, or perhaps why Yana’s expression turned bitter when she looked at him, when he barely even knew the girl.

The next time Axel met with Joshua and Ardee again, was when a chemistry and a psychology professor of Arakawa got murdered.