Do Not Reuse: A Robot Mystery

By Melissa Dill

All over the city, companion androids have gone missing. Each one fits the same profile: pink-hair, female-coded, owned and rented out by the company Unocero.
As the androids are recovered, it soon becomes obvious there's another problem. The androids think they're human.
Meet Nova Grimaldi, a human raised by androids. As a tax accountant, she has no business in Hacktivist bars and chop-shops. But as a person who feels more comfortable with robots than humans, these missing androids are more than stolen property.
As she searches for missing androids, Nova must face up to her own strange past and conflicted identity. Can she ever truly live as a human, or will her identity forever fall somewhere in between robot and human?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Dill
• Release date: Apr 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463580066

Melissa Dill

I am a writer of poetry and short fiction. I live in Seattle with my husband and two toddlers.After exiting my vocation (Social Work) to care for my children, I discovered that I suddenly had a lot of things to say.Most of my writing is available at no cost on my blog, listed below. I have just finished my second Smashwords exclusive book (!).Writing is my whim and secret joy. So, lean in and let me whisper to you; the funny, the beautiful, the absurd.

Book preview

Do Not Reuse: A Robot Mystery

Published by Melissa Dill at Smashwords

Copyright 2020 Melissa Dill

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favorite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents

Prologue

The Movement

Control Me

Puppets

Bots-Rights Kook

Just Like All Humans

A Favor

Hard Restart

Force-Control

Unnatural

Feeling Human

Blue Screen of Death

No Parts

The Heart Chip

Dog-Eat-Robodog

Corruption

Friends

Security Breach

Anyone But Binary

Epilogue

Glossary

Other Books by Melissa Dill

Connect with Melissa Dill

Sample of Save Desdemona

Prologue

A solitary bee felt its way across the brick. It was new to this world, but it already knew two things: the darkness below meant to sleep, and the light above meant food. Heading for the light, it buzzed its way up to a grime-smeared window. There was no food there, only a slick surface to bump against. Dismayed, the bee banged it's way up to the top right corner, where it stuck itself to the glass.

Before it could pound against the window again, there was a click and a shaft of light spilled into the room. Curious, the bee hummed its way down, landing on the shoulder of a pink-haired android. Wires snaked out of the back of her neck into a computer.

The android stirred, pink eyelashes fluttering open. Please let me go.

This is what you wanted, remember? a man sidled over to the computer, punching in a password, You wanted freedom, I’m giving you freedom.

The bee flitted off the android and landed on the edge of the screen. It was warm to the touch and vibrated slightly under its fuzzy legs.

The android watched the bee, her silicone lips pursed in a frown, I changed my mind.

Oh, did you? Do you love your master? the man taunted. Behind him, the computer screen lit with the image of yellow trees against a blue sky. Startled, the bee buzzed in a circle.

I . . . I think there’s something wrong with me, the android’s pink eyes followed the movement, I’m seeing bees.

Don’t be silly, bees are extin - the man jerked as the bee landed on his hand. In a panic, the bee took off in an arc, bumbling towards the door. It narrowly avoided being swatted, then flew out of the room into a stairway.

The stairway was dim except for a domed light, which it clung to, hoping that this object would at least remain still. From its perch, it watched the man exit the room and open another door. Flicking its antennae, the bee followed.

A faint light shone in the distance. Excited, the bee flew towards it, smacking straight into the window screen. I meant to do that, thought the bee, as it buzzed through a tear in the screen.

The Movement

I called you here because there's no one else I trust, Calix Boosalis felt his shirt pockets, Now where are my readers?

While he searched, Elect, a silicone-coated green-haired android handed Nova Grimaldi a sheet of paper. Call it ’botnapping,’ call it theft if you must, but there’s been a string of disappearances, it narrowed its orange eyes, Even humans can see the pattern.

Nova looked at her paper. Rows of fresh-faced companion droids stared back at her. Each one was female coded, young, pink hair, a variety of skin tones, but still, the similarities were blatant. Elect, you said botnapping. Have any of them been found?

Two of the bots were recovered, the android cringed, I honestly don't know which is worse: being taken against one’s wishes or being returned to sexual slavery.

Ah, here they are, Calix slid the glasses on his face. They distorted his blue eyes owlishly. He turned to Nova, Elect is right, although I personally find chop shops more terrifying than companion work.

Nova pinched the bridge of her nose and stared down at the sheet of paper. Most androids were owned by the companies that made them, and in this case, they all looked like Unoceros. Trade secrets? she hazarded, Thugs from a competing company?

That’s what we were hoping you would find out, Calix frowned at the walker parked behind him, It’s too dangerous to send Elect, and I . . .

Nova reached across the table and put a hand on his arm, You need to focus on getting better.

Can we stay on topic, please? Elect stabbed the paper with a finger, My people, if you’ll excuse the expression, are being bricked.

You know how I feel about this, Nova put her other hand on Elect’s arm, Androids are people.

Elect pulled its arm away, And I still disagree with you. Androids are robots. They are nonorganic. They don’t have gender.

Would you argue they don’t have minds? Free will? Nova’s brown eyes flashed, If that’s so, you shouldn’t be able to pull away from me, you should be my slave.

Elect stood, its hands clenched into fists. Elect, Calix’s voice was gentle, blurred by illness and old age. The android turned and walked away from them. Just as it left the room, it drove a fist through the drywall with a thud that shook the room.

Great, Nova mumbled, I bet that goes all the way through.

Well, I’ve been meaning to install a window right there, Calix grinned.

Really?

No. Anyway, Nova, will you help us? Despite differences in philosophy, we really are all on the same team.

Equal rights for all who think, Nova looked at the hole, Calix, do you ever worry about Elect?

Calix ran a hand over his thinning hair, I worry what will happen to it when I’m gone. It's like a child to me.

A very strong child.

You are worried about my safety, but the number one killer of humans is still humans. I built Elect with my own hands and programmed it only to learn, Calix removed his glasses, I did that to find out if I was right. If it would develop personality and feelings on its own. And it did.

And yet it obstinately insists on being called ’it,’ denies the feelings it very obviously has, and runs around unclothed.

It has deeply held beliefs on what separates androids from humans.

Ah, Nova folded the paper into quarters, It should start an underground movement.

It already has.

Control Me

Lights shone in the honeycomb windows of the condominiums. Ivy trailed up the sides, climbing across the brick facade, branching out to dangle over balconies and twine around