Do Androids dream?

"So the scrapyard - That's where you found me, huh?"
Alexsei nodded, his blue eyes briefly meeting Scott’s, “Yes. I dove you out from beneath the water”
Getting down from the bike, he offered to take Scott’s helmet.
"What did you say you were doing out there?"
Packing the helmets into the Krate, he shrugged, “Just hunting for parts…I can’t always buy the parts I need, so I sometimes head out there so see what I can salvage.”

With the bike parked he gestured towards boardwalk, “Lets walk a bit, there are a couple things I want to discuss with you.”
Slowly making their way down the long and winding path, Alexsei mulled, “So…have you thought about what you want to do yet?”
He paused for a moment, discreetly examining the android’s expression.
Gingerly he continued, “I was thinking that if you need some time to get things sorted out, you could continue staying with me.” Clearing his throat, he quickly added, “You see, I’m swamped with work these days and could use the extra help. Naturally I’d pay you for whatever work you do.”

“Just hunting for parts…" Alexsei replied, "I can’t always buy the parts I need, so I sometimes head out there so see what I can salvage.”
"Hm." Scott nodded his understanding, "I can't imagine it's easy to get access to what you need to create work of your calibre from the slums."
Scott fluffed up his hair, flattened by the helmet, and climbed off the back of the bike. Alexsei gestured toward the broadwalk. "“Lets walk a bit," He suggested, "there are a couple things I want to discuss with you.”
"Alright." Scott fell into step beside him, his breath coming out steamy in the chilly evening air. The sun had gone down fast.
“So…have you thought about what you want to do yet?” Alexsei pasued, and Scott did the same, returning his gaze with a questioningly raised eyebrow. “I was thinking that if you need some time to get things sorted out, you could continue staying with me.” Alexsei cleared his throat, seeming perhaps a little anxious, and added, “You see, I’m swamped with work these days and could use the extra help. Naturally I’d pay you for whatever work you do.”
Scott's face immediately split into a warm smile. "That'd be fantastic." He enthused, "Right now I have no idea what to do with myself, besides lie low and stay out of trouble. I could use some time to figure myself out - and some purpose. There's no need to pay me. Well," He laughed, "Maybe just enough to get some clothes that fit me." He grinned sheepishly, lifting his arms to gesture the wide, floppy sleeves gaping around his slender arms.

With a devilish grin, Alexsei shook his head, “No arguing, you will get paid for the work you do. I want you to have funds for clothes and anything extra you need.” Giving Scott a firm pat on the shoulder, Alexsei winked, “Take it from someone who’s had start from scratch before. Earning your own way in life can be er… what’s the word - Empowering.”
The two continued their walk for a while longer, chatting about the day’s events and ironing out the details of the next day’s work.

By the time they got back home it was already dark. Alexsei attempted to make supper for them, but It was a task slightly too ambitious for his skillset. Halfway through Scott had to takeover before the meal was completely unsalvageable. They laughed about it afterwards of course, then turned in for some much needed rest.


…Three Months later...

With the extra help in the shop, Alexsei was able to take on more jobs than before. This was good for business and it wasn’t long before he suggested that they look at moving to a bigger apartment. Their new apartment was a considerable improvement over the last place, Scott had his own room with a window and their kitchen area opened up to a small lounge space. Alexsei, of course, insisted on having his bedroom in the workshop like before but made some extra effort to keep it tidier.

Things were going well for them and the Russian actually felt kind of happy. He had done things alone for so long, he hadn’t really realized how much he missed having company. People usually irritated him, but strangely enough not Scott. He could debate complex topics with Scott, share banter and even brainstorm challenges he faced with his designs.

One Morning, after reluctantly dragging himself out of bed, Alexsei found a letter waiting for him. It had been pushed underneath their front door and held a familiar insignia on it. Curious, he picked it and began to read its contents. It was from an old friend out in the district city, they were requesting some parts for their business.
Taking a seat on the couch, Alexsei felt concern etch into his features. He disliked the district cities and would much rather avoid any trips near or in it.

The past 3 months had passed in a strange limbo. Scott still felt like his life was kind of on 'standby' - if he even had a life - but he enjoyed working with Alexsei and helping out around the house. The tasks were familiar, and it felt good to be busy again. For the most part, he was happy, and at the very least, he felt safe. Obviously those who had been pursuing him didn't have any reason to believe he was still alive, and that was a good thing. It was for the best, he reminded himself, to lie low and fly under the radar.

Over the months the workload had increased significantly, for which he was grateful, and Alexsei had even moved them into a new, bigger apartment. Of course, Scott he immediately set to work turning the damp and dingy place into a livable home, but he had not been able to talk Alexsei out of sleeping in the workshop. Not that he'd had high hopes. You couldn't talk Alexsei out of anything, really. Scott had never met anyone quite so stubborn - but it suited him, and Scott had really become quite fond of the grump. He had taken over most of the cooking and cleaning duties, and had learned to just ignore any of Alexsei's objections and carry on with the work anyway. He enjoyed caring for his friend - he was a nurturer by nature after all - and over time it seemed like Alexsei had slowly grown accustomed to it.

It was a cool Winter morning when Scott appeared from the kitchen with the morning coffee to find Alexsei sitting on the couch and frowning at a letter, an uncharacteristically worried look on his face.
"What's up?" Scott asked conversationally, trotting over and placing the two mugs of coffee on the table, then flopping on the couch next to his friend. He nodded to the letter, "Bad news?"

"What's up...Bad news?"

Looking up from the letter Alexsei slowly shook his head, “No, not exactly”
Picking up the mug of coffee, he took a deep swig and passed the letter on to Scott. He explained, “We’ve received a ‘parts’ request from an old friend of mine out in the district city. It sounds like supply is low due to local gang activity.”
The frown lines appeared to deepen on his brow, “The location of this job is… particularly problematic. The district cities are run by gangs and bounty hunters. It’s not exactly safe for people like you and me.”
Leaning back and folding his arms behind his head, he sighed and stared up at the ceiling, “I can’t really say no to this request either, I owe a massive debt to this friend…”

A couple of moments passed as Alexsei mulled over how to handle the situation. Tilting his head, he met Scott’s gaze with an expression that looked almost wistful. It seemed as though he made a decision. “I don’t want to put you at risk, so I’ll handle this one on my own. I’ll be gone for a couple of days, but you should be able to handle things here, right?”

“No, not exactly” Alexsei replied hesitantly. Scott frowned, and took the letter his friend handed him. His eyes skimmed it quickly as Alexsei continued, “We’ve received a ‘parts’ request from an old friend of mine out in the district city. It sounds like supply is low due to local gang activity.” Scott pressed his lips together. He'd never experienced the gangs of the District Cities, but he'd certainly heard about them.
“The location of this job is… particularly problematic. The district cities are run by gangs and bounty hunters. It’s not exactly safe for people like you and me. I can’t really say no to this request either, I owe a massive debt to this friend…”
Scott swallowed thickly, reaching absently for his mug of coffee. It wobbled precariously in his shaky hands, and he quickly placed it back down. Particularly problematic was right. Scott still didn't even understand the intricacies of his own situation; whether they were still after him or not - whoever 'they' even were - who knew about him, how important his decommissioning actually was... Alexsei's concerned silence seemed to mirror his thoughts. At last, the other man spoke.
“I don’t want to put you at risk, so I’ll handle this one on my own. I’ll be gone for a couple of days, but you should be able to handle things here, right?”
For a moment Scott was relieved and even breathed a quiet sigh, but then suddenly the concern returned in full measure for a totally different reason. He still didn't even know Alexsei's story. Didn't know who he was or why he was here; just that he wasn't supposed to be. For all he knew, Alexsei could be at just as much risk as him, perhaps more so. Scott gritted his teeth. He absolutely hated all this ignorance and uncertainty. His whole life, he'd been accustomed to having all the knowledge and information he could possibly need. Now he had none, and it left him paralysed and indecisive.
"What about you, though?" He voiced his concerns at last, frowning at Alexsei, "Is this safe for you? Will you be okay on your own?" He spread his palms, "I don't even know if I'm wanted in the District Cities or not. For all I know everybody who wants me dead already thinks I am." He tapped an anxious finger against the edge of the desk, frown deepening, "I don't know your situation, but honestly I don't even know my own either, so we can do whatever you think best, but just know that I am willing to take the risk to help you." He squeezed Alexsei's shoulder reassuringly, and handed the letter back. "If you want me to stay I'll absolutely handle things here, but I'm in if you need me, okay?"

Feeling Scott’s hand on his shoulder, Alexsei relaxed his tensed muscles. He felt a bit better about the situation, perhaps he was being too paranoid. He didn’t have any history with the gangs that side, nor was he on anyone’s bounty list – logically the worst thing that could happen would be a mugging, but he could handle a situation like that.

Running a hand through his messy hair, he sighed, “Maybe I’m just overthinking this whole thing.”
Stretching his arms, Alexsei slowly got up from the couch and began to make his way towards the workshop, “I’ll take you up on your offer Scott...It’s probably safer for us to stick together, bad stuff can happen anywhere, even here.”

With that decision out of the way, the Russian disappeared into his room. Cranking up the music and setting up his tools, he was ready to start working. The parts requested were not too complex to manufacture and he soon slipped into the rhythm of his trade.
By the time he had finished up the order, the entire day had slipped passed.
Getting up from his spot, he yawned and gradually began to pack up the parts into a small box. He was pleased that it wasn’t a massive amount of metal that he had to lung into the city, this was at least less conspicuous.

Carrying the box from the workshop to the kitchen area, Alexsei greeted Scott, “Phew, time flies when you are having fun huh?” The Russian was filthy, but he was in better spirits at least.
“I’ve completed our district order. I’m thinking that we head out early tomorrow to deliver it. What do you think?”

"Maybe I’m just overthinking this whole thing.” Alexsei sighed, standing up and making his way over to his workshop. “I’ll take you up on your offer Scott...It’s probably safer for us to stick together, bad stuff can happen anywhere, even here.”
Scott nodded quietly, and reached for his coffee with a slightly shaky hand. The truth was, he was nervous. He had no idea what awaited him out in the real world, and the memory of his terrifying flight from the hounds was still very fresh in his mind. But he was not a coward, and he couldn't hide forever.
He drank his coffee slowly while Alexsei worked in the other room, and when he'd finished he rinsed out the mug, and set to work with his usual tasks of tidying around the house.

The day sped by, and eventually Alexsei entered the kitchen carrying a small box. Scott rinsed off the rag he'd been using for cleaning, and turned to face the other man. “Phew, time flies when you are having fun huh?” Alexsei chirped cheerfully. Scott smiled warmly in response. It was true; he enjoyed being busy. It might be nice to have more fulfilling work to do though.
“I’ve completed our district order." Alexsei continued, "I’m thinking that we head out early tomorrow to deliver it. What do you think?”
"Sure." Scott nodded, "Fine by me." He nodded to the box. "What is it? I don't often see you making parts so small."

"What is it? I don't often see you making parts so small."
Reaching into the box, Alexsei removed a handful of plastic-wrapped parts and placed them neatly on the kitchen countertop.
“You’ll probably laugh at this since it’s a bit of a running joke up in the first-class cities…but these are parts for Cosmetic Alteration machinery - y’know ‘CAMs’.”
Alexsei could see the quizzical expression on Scott’s face, so he continued to explain, “As you know ‘’natural beauty’ is the preference of the First class cities, but that isn’t the case in the district and middle cities…”
Turning around so that his back faced Scott, he moved his hair and pointed out a tiny almost unnoticeable bump on his own neck.“Do you see those spider-like chips on the table, I have one implanted here. Depending on what chip you use, you can alter aspects of your appearance.”
Turning back to face Scott, He shrugged, “The friend we are meeting works as a cosmetic artist. Some of the parts she requested are chips, while the others are replacement parts for the machinery she uses. As you can imagine, people living in such a dangerous place frequently need to change their appearance.”

“You’ll probably laugh at this since it’s a bit of a running joke up in the first-class cities…but these are parts for Cosmetic Alteration machinery - y’know ‘CAMs’.”
Scott raised an eyebrow, puzzled but intrigued. He'd heard of them, of course, and studied the theory behind them, but Cosmetic Alteration was never something he'd dabbled in himself.
“As you know ‘’natural beauty’ is the preference of the First class cities," Alexsei began explaining, "but that isn’t the case in the district and middle cities…”
The other man lifted the hair away from the nape of his neck, exposing a small bump not unlike an insect bite. “Do you see those spider-like chips on the table, I have one implanted here. Depending on what chip you use, you can alter aspects of your appearance.”
"Huh!" Scott picked one up, and rolled it gently between his fingers, frowning deeply at it. "Fascinating. So this..." His gaze slowly wandered to Alexsei's face, searching his handsome features. Well - perhaps not his features? Which, he wondered, were altered? It was a strange thought, that the man he'd come to know so well had once looked so completely different. Not that he had any right to be surprised by something like that...
“The friend we are meeting works as a cosmetic artist." Alexsei continued, turning back to face him, "Some of the parts she requested are chips, while the others are replacement parts for the machinery she uses. As you can imagine, people living in such a dangerous place frequently need to change their appearance.”
"Hm." Scott nodded, replacing the small part on the table, "That makes sense. Really fascinating stuff - I have never seen cybernetics tech used for this purpose before. I would be curious to see how it works."

"That makes sense. Really fascinating stuff - I have never seen cybernetics tech used for this purpose before. I would be curious to see how it works."
Alexsei smirked, “Trust me, when we get to the city you will see your fair share of cosmetic alterations...” He paused, thinking back to his first ‘City’ experience. “Just a warning, some CAMs can be quite extreme so try and keep an open mind”
Carefully scooping up the parts, he repacked the box and sealed it with packaging tape. He then made his way towards a cupboard in the lounge area. Opening the doors, he peeked inside and began to rummage through its contents.
When he finally found what he was looking for, he closed the cupboard and held up two rucksacks. Turning to Scott, He passed one of the bags to his friend. “Let’s start packing, I want to hit the road first thing in the morning.”
Placing the small box inside his own bag, he then began to scavenge the washing piles currently sitting on the sofa. They had been neatly folded up by Scott earlier that day. Calling over his shoulder, Alexsei added “Remember to pack light, you don’t want to lug a lot of stuff with you.”
The remainder of the evening was spent packing bags and making preparations for the following day.

………….
When the morning came, it was cold and damp with the first traces of winter hanging in the air. Alexsei dressed warmly, clad in a thick winter jacket with a fur-lined hood. He patiently waited for Scott to Join him outside their apartment. He knew that his friend wasn’t quite prepared for this kind of cold so he had headed out earlier that morning to pick up something more suitable for Scott.

“Trust me, when we get to the city you will see your fair share of cosmetic alterations...” Alexsei replied, smirking slightly, “Just a warning, some CAMs can be quite extreme so try and keep an open mind.”
"Heh." Scott chuckled quietly, "Can do. I didn't get where I am by being closed-minded, after all."

Alexsei tossed him a large rucksack, and Scott spent the rest of the day packing a few of his scant belongings; mainly a change of clothes and a toothbrush. He didn't have much in the way of possessions anyway, and he couldn't really think of what he might 'need' for the trip. Luckily, Alexsei always had his back. He'd make sure they were covered if there was anything Scott overlooked.

The next morning, he stepped outside to join Alexsei, shivering at the cold. "Geez." He muttered, teeth chattering. "You weren't kidding, this bites." He shuddered, then glanced out to the pale gray line in the sky where dawn was beginning to break. "So," He rubbed his arms, "How are we getting to the District Cities? Best to lay low, I imagine." He frowned. He really didn't even know what that would entail when it came to transportation. He had never really traveled between the cities, himself. Not on purpose, anyway.

"Geez. You weren't kidding, this bites."
Rubbing his arms in an attempt to keep warm, Scott asked through chattering teeth, "So, How are we getting to the District Cities? Best to lay low, I imagine."

Pulling up his hood, Alexsei explained, “I was thinking that we take the train.” Pausing for a moment, he reached into his backpack and removed a small parcel. “My business is registered with the engineering board, so I can use a work permit to allow us to travel between the slums and the district cities.”
Passing the parcel to Scott, He grinned through the fur-lined hood, “Open it, You’ll need something to keep you warm in the upcoming snow.”
The gift was a jacket. Alexsei had had it made for Scott a couple of weeks prior to winter. It didn’t snow in Ion City, but here in the lower cities it did and it could get extremely cold very quickly.
Rubbing his head, clearly a little awkward, the Russian added, “Does it fit okay?”

“I was thinking that we take the train.” Alexsei replied, pausing to rummage through his backpack, “My business is registered with the engineering board, so I can use a work permit to allow us to travel between the slums and the district cities.”
"Ah I see." Scott nodded. He had not even considered travel permits. It was funny how living in the upper rim could make one forget the regulations in place in the lower. Their system really did protect the wealthy.
Alexsei's arm finally emerged from his pack, and he handed Scott a paper-wrapped parcel. Scott took it, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Open it," With a pleased murmur, Scott obliged, cold fingers ripping at the paper as Alexsei added, "You’ll need something to keep you warm in the upcoming snow.”
Scott tucked the brown paper under his arm, and held up the jacket, looking it up and down with an excited sparkle in his eye. When last had he actually received a gift? Perhaps not ever, if he did not include his strange 'past life'.
“Does it fit okay?” Alexsei asked, sounding almost a little anxious. Scott smiled, touched by this tough man's strange, delicate brand of warmth.
"Like a glove!" Scott enthused as he slipped his arms into it, admiring the softness of the warm material against his skin. "I love it, thank you." He smiled gratefully, giving Alexsei an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "I already feel warmer."