#i've been on lithium for two weeks now and so far i'm feeling nothing :

[finefeatheredfriend]

been crying all night (well, until i fell asleep and since i woke up a few minutes ago) and the area around my eyes is super sore, more than it usually is after crying so much... i wonder if it's because i've got more salt in my body because of the lithium so that my tears are more salty..?

[rk1700lover]

Breathing Blue / Chapter 1

2529 Words / Philosophical_Army

Model AX400

Serial#: 579 102 317

Bios 7.4 Revision 0389

REBOOT…

Memory Reset

Loading OS…

System Initialization…

Checking Biocomponents… OK

Initializing Biosensors… OK

Initializing AI Engine… OK

Memory Status… OK

ALL SYSTEMS OK

READY

000

First thing that the AX400 realized was that he was in a CyberLife shop, standing on a kind of showcase, being unable to move while looking straight forward. There was humans inside the shop, walking around with the salesman androids to buy other advanced androids inside the shop. Second thing he noticed was the little girl looking at him. She stood in front of him for awhile before her mother, AX400 presumed that she was her mother, took her away. “Come one, Zoe. Let's go.” Then they were gone.

After that nothing happened for a few seconds. But then he noticed someone was watching him like a hawk. The man was far away, near the end of the store, leaned to the counter. He quickly scanned him.

Todd Williams, 45 years old, unemployed.

The feeling AX400 got from him wasn't pleasant, plus the man seemed almost like he was kind of… Scared from him. He stopped looking at the AX400 when a human salesman come to the counter, looking through some papers before he got out from the counter to come to him with that man.

“There it is.” The salesman said while looking at him. “It was a bit difficult getting it back in working order. It was really messed up… What did you say happened to it again?” The salesman asked towards Todd who looked absolutely annoyed with the question. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Huh, a car hit it… Stupid accident…” Salesman gave him a suspicious glare. “Oh, I see…” He raised one of his eyebrows. “Anyway, it's good as new now. Except that we had to reset it. Meaning we had to wipe it's memory. Hope you don't mind.” Todd continued to give him that annoyed look. “That'll be fine.”

The salesman gave another look to him before speaking. “By the way, I never saw an male AX400 model before, where did you get it?” Todd suddenly looked alarmed, he gulped down slightly before speaking. “A friend gifted it.” He said too quickly. The salesman frowned but didn't said anything to him. “Okay, did you give it a name?” Todd looked relaxed for a moment. “My daughter did…” The salesman nodded before turning his attention to AX400. “AX400, register your name.” After that he took a step back, giving Todd some space to get in front of him. He gave him a weird look before saying his name.

“Connor.”

The androids LED flashed yellow for a brief moment before speaking.

“My name is Connor.”

∆∆∆

After the salesman made Todd sign some more things, Todd made his way out from the shop, Connor following him behind towards the car. He got in the passenger seat while Todd got in the drivers and he started to drive. Connor looked outside from the window of the car, watching the buildings, humans and androids walk past as they drive back to probably Todd's home.

After half an hour, the landscape changed from the big buildings and skyscrapers to more neglected houses which he assumed was this area is the people who lived was in middle class or probably unemployed. The moment the car stopped and Todd get out from the car, Connor opened the door and followed after him immediately inside the house and closed the door after him.

“You've been gone for two weeks, so the place is a mess…” Todd said while taking his jacket off and turning back to Connor with a tired expression. “You do the housework, the washing, you cook the meals, and you take care of…” He stopped to look around with a more annoyed look on his face. “Goddamnit! Where the fuck’s the brat gone now?” He turned around to shout the name. “ALICE!” after saying her name a few times he stopped suddenly when he saw the little girl sitting on the stairs. “Oh, there you are…” With that Connor turned his head towards the little girl, who looked suspiciously at him and with a scared expression on her face,which Connor didn't really understand. He sighed with a bored face before looking back at Connor. “That's Alice. You look after her, homework, bath, all that crap… Got it?” With that a small kind smile spread on Connor's face. “Yes, Todd.” Todd gave him an annoyed look before speaking again. “Get started down here, then you do upstairs.”

When Todd finished his order he went towards the dirty looking couch, and Alice went upstairs immediately. Like she didn't wanted to see Connor at all. Connor ignored that it and instead focused on scanning the environment to see which tasks he was supposed to do.

Main Mission: Finish the first floor

After scanning the environment Connor started to work immediately. He went towards the kitchen grabbed the trashcan and started to pick up the empty beer bottles, empty pizza and Chinese takeout boxes. First he cleared the kitchen counter and the island counter, then he went into the living room to collect things that are in the little table in front of Todd. After that he went back to kitchen to take the other garbage bag to take out. When he headed towards the door to take out the garbage, he saw some papers on the little counter which seemed from the various banks who rejected to give a credit. His LED flashed blue before he get out from the door and threw the trash inside the trash can.

When he headed inside he started to collect the dishes, glasses and the empty alcohol bottle from the wooden table to place it inside the dishwasher. But when he come into the kitchen and saw that the dishwasher wasn't working. He scanned the dishwasher and when he saw one of the components aren't working, he ordered it before he went towards the sink, grabbed the sponge and started the wash all of the dishes.

Later he felt someone was watching him, so he stopped washing the dishes for a moment and turned his back, only to see Alice watching him with a teddy bear in her hand. Though when she saw him, she run away towards the living room. A small smile appeared on Connor's face before he continued to wash the dishes.

“Connor!” He heard Todd shout from the living room the moment he finished washing the dishes. “Yes, Todd?” He asked with a monotone tone. “Bring me a cold beer.” He shouted again. “Right away.” He said and turned his way towards the refrigerator to get the cold beer. When he get the cold beer, he did not waste any time to bring it to Todd. Then he made his way towards the backyard to collect the laundry and wash it again.

So when he went to backyard, he grabbed the red laundry basket and started to gather the clothes one by one. When he gathered everything he turned his way back to the house to laundry room. But he stopped once he saw Alice come out from the house and sit on big wheel, a smile made its way on his face before he continued and made his way towards the laundry room.

Once he get in the laundry room, Connor placed the clothes inside the washing machine, then he looked around for the detergent. When his eyes catched the little box on a little shelf, he grabbed it only to find a small package full of red crystals inside of it. He grabbed it with a frown on his face and analyzed it.

Red Ice

Acetone, Lithium, Thirium Toluene, Hydrochloric acid.

Before he can understand anything he was pushed harshly towards the washing machine by his throat, his hands trying to catch the edge of the machine. His LED flashed red. Todd who held him by his throat looked delirious and angry. “You shouldn't mess around with my stuff. It makes me nervous…” Connor gulped down out of habit before speaking. “I'm sorry Todd…” He seemed like didn't hear what Connor said, and continued to speak with that angry tone. “You stay the fuck's outta my business, unless you wanna piss me off… You wanna piss me off?” Connor gulped again. “No, Todd.” He said before Todd let him go, taking the Red Ice packet with him. Once he get out of the sight, Connor saw Alice, who was looking at him with sadness before she went away. Connor blinked a few times before he turned his back and added the detergent inside the washing machine and started it.

Once it was done he got out from the laundry room and saw Alice sit near the window. So without thinking anything he went towards her. A small appeared on his face as he kneeled near her. His eyes catched the toy she was playing before he started to speak. “That's a pretty toy. What's its name?” Alice gave him sad look which Connor didn't understand. He stayed there for a few seconds and once he understood that she wasn't going to speak, he get up from near her and went towards the Roomba to activate it. After activating it and tidying the books on the floor, he heard Todd shouting towards Alice. He ignored it. “I've made a good start down here. I'll head upstairs.” Todd didn't have him a look as he continued to smoke that red ice. “Do what you have to do but stop botherin’ me.” So Connor made his way towards the upstairs.

When he went to the second floor, he started to tidy from Todd's room. He made his bed, tidied his albums, placed the guitar on its place, ventilated the room by opening the window. Lastly he went to tidy the little drawer near the bed, only to see a bottle full of pills.

Antidepressants

Contains Tianeptine

Risk of behavioral disorders

He dismissed the warning by opening the drawer, putting the antidepressants in it, near the… gun. He frowned before he get out from the room, only to be pushed by Todd, who got out from the toilet. “Watch it.” He said grumpily before going downstairs. Connor ignored it and went inside the toilet, cleaning it before he get into the bathroom, doing the same thing. Then he got into Alice’ room. When he got inside Alice looked at him with a sudden panic and went towards her fort. “I just want to tidy your room a little. I only need two minutes. Is that okay, Alice?” Alice didn't said anything, so he started to tidy her room, make her bed and ventilate her room. After doing everything, he kneeled near Alice’ fort, attempting to speak with her once again.

“I know I used to live here, but they erased my memory…” He sighed looking almost lost. “I thought maybe you can help me get my bearings, give me some advice,that kind of thing.” Alice gave him a look and turned her head back to her toy. He tilted his head slightly. “You're very quiet. I hope I don't scare you.” He didn't get even a look this time. He placed a friendly smile on his face before speaking this time. “You should tell me about yourself, what you like to do, where you like to go, your favorite foods… that would really help me.” Alice bite her lip like she wanted to say anything, but again she didn't. “What about your mother?” He asked while looking at the clock in his vision. “Will she be home soon?”  After that Alice crawled out from her fort and made a run towards the open door, which alarmed Connor a little bit but she stopped suddenly, turned towards him and gave him a key and get out from the room.

Connor get up from the floor, giving a confused look at the key Alice gave him. Why would she give him a key? He didn't know but weirdly, he wanted to found out why. So he looked around to find where this key belonged, and soon enough he found it. There was a brown wooden box, decorated with colorful hearts. A.W. Treasures. Without hesitating Connor opened the box with the small key. The first thing he saw inside the box was a dried four-leaf clover, he grabbed it and put it aside with a smile on his face then he grabbed a family photo, which he assumed was Alice, her mother and Todd. They looked happy, even Todd looked happy. He put it aside too before grabbing a few drawings. Which made him slightly frown. Cause in the first drawing, a girls head was bleeding and crying, he assumed that was Alice. In the second drawing Alice was with an angry looking Todd, in the third drawing there was Connor himself, an angry looking Todd and a very sad looking Alice. That seemed like… Todd was hitting him. When his LED started to blink yellow he put it aside. But in the fourth drawing his eyes grow, LED turned red. Cause in the fourth drawing, he was ripped apart.

It seemed like he wasn't hit by a car.

Connor put them inside the box quickly, closed the box and get out from Alice’ room and went towards the downstairs, only to froze in his place with the scene in front of him.

“What are you doing?” Todd asked to Alice, who was playing with her toys silently on the table. “I… I'm playing…” Alice said, her voice full of hesitation. “You're playing…” Todd started to circle around the table. “I know what you’re thinking… You think your dad's a lowlife… Huh?” He asked to Alice, who looked uncomfortable but continued to play with her toy. “Fucking loser?... Can't get a job, take care of his family? Don't you think I tried to make things work?” He said, his voice slowly rising as he continued to circle the table. “But whatever I do, when someone comes along they just FUCK IT ALL UP!” He threw one of the chair to the side with fury. “I know what you are thinking of me… You hate me. You hate me don't you?” Alice backed up from her seat, knocking down the seat while she backed up, before she can get away Todd grabbed her from her arms and started to shake her with more hostility in his voice. “SAY IT! YOU HATE ME!” He suddenly stopped shaking her when Alice started to cry, which made him look suddenly, and weirdly in Connor's opinion, upset. “God what am I doing?” He hugged Alice, while she looked at Connor with tears falling down from her eyes. “I'm sorry honey, I'm sorry… I'm sorry…” He started to son silently, Alice still in his arms. “You know I love you, don't you?... You know I love you…”

When Alice looked at him one more time, like she was asking what to do, Connor stood still.

He didn't know what to do.