#053
President Min arrived with tired eyes, saying she had a lot of work lately. Yoo Seong-woo, who helped unload items from the electric truck’s trunk, checked the list on his tablet. But one item was missing.
“Why isn’t there any Centimenade?”
“Ah, that. It’s hard to get these days. You know about the large-scale blackout that happened when there was an earthquake in Zone 5 recently? Seems like a lot of medical supplies were damaged then.”
On this damaged planet, earthquakes were so frequent they were almost routine, and disasters like blackouts or tsunamis occasionally followed. It wasn’t particularly strange.
“…I see.”
After bringing the remaining items into the hospital, Yoo Seong-woo paid President Min while subtly asking, “Is there no way to get it?”
“Well… with Zone 5 being like this…”
In Zone 2’s case, since most of their Centimenade was imported from Zone 5, the earthquake became a major variable.
“Is it the same for other animal hospitals?”
“Yeah. The situation’s similar everywhere.”
The conclusion was that it would be difficult to obtain nearby. President Min checked the payment and sent the electronically signed file. As she took off her gloves and was about to get back in the truck, she turned around as if remembering something.
“Ah, come to think of it, there’s that large general hospital opening at the Zone 3 border. They might have it? Though it’s not open yet.”
Since a large general hospital would likely have distribution channels outside the earthquake-struck Zone 5, there was a good possibility. Yoo Seong-woo hid his excitement and tried to ask casually, “When does it open?”
“In a week.”
However, the answer left him despairing. A week was exactly when things would go wrong.
Should he just run away and think later? Escape first, then figure out a solution? But wandering outside with his emotion function removed carried too many risks.
An android with all emotions gone. A being clearly different and inhuman. He would immediately have his black moonstone heart torn out by android hunters.
“Mr. Yoo, are you okay?”
His expression must have hardened without him realizing. She might have been concerned since he asked for cognitive disorder medication. Yoo Seong-woo gave President Min a bitter smile and nodded.
“Yes, of course.”
He had to be okay. To survive.
***
A large general hospital before opening. Naturally, strangers entering would be suspicious.
Of course, there was the option of directly stating he needed Centimenade and making a deal.
But Yeon Tae-soo was the problem.
He couldn’t avoid Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes to get there, and if he said he was buying Centimenade used for cognitive disorders, it would obviously seem strange to him.
He could lie and tell Yeon Tae-soo he had a cognitive disorder and ask for help. Maybe that would be the easiest way.
But lies breed more lies. It would naturally seem strange if he needed medication but wasn’t receiving treatment. Above all…
‘I don’t want to lie anymore.’
That was the problem. Why did he now hate lying after using him as much as needed to survive?
If they were going to make an android, they should have made a proper one. He didn’t know how many times he’d had that resentful thought.
If he were a normal android, he wouldn’t feel these ’emotions.’
In the dark hospital interior, in the narrow room that still felt like his only space in Haeya-dong though he rarely slept there now, Yoo Seong-woo curled up tightly.
Popo came over and gently poked his curled-up body, as if wondering why Mr. Yoo was like this. It was quite different from when it had energetically body-slammed Yeon Tae-soo before.
“I’m fine. Just… have something to think about.”
When he turned his head sideways to speak while still curled up, Popo flashed its top lamp in rainbow colors. It was showing off in its own way. This must be due to its companion dog AI.
As Yoo Seong-woo quietly watched Popo, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
If there was about a week until the hospital opened, there would be many areas still not organized. That means there would be many industrial robots there. Robots replacing workers too.
While it would be difficult for people to enter, industrial robots could easily come and go. With the chaos right before opening, there would be many gaps in security.
“…Popo, do you like new clothes?”
At Yoo Seong-woo’s question, Popo tilted its round body left and right as if not understanding.
***
Yoo Seong-woo finished the seams of the rectangular metal box and carefully examined what he had made.
This box, with a hole in the bottom and openings for robot arms to come out, was modeled after commonly used industrial robots for carrying items.
Though it looked a bit crude upon close inspection since it was made hastily, there were so many cheaply made industrial robots that no one would find it strange.
His plan was as follows:
Put this shell on Popo and send it to the hospital that’s preparing to open. Then have it steal Centimenade from there.
Since Popo had functions to subdue rampaging patients and was equipped with high-performance AI, he judged it could accomplish this task without much trouble.
When he put the metal box over it, Popo rolled around inside.
– Popo got stronger! Popo got bigger! Popo is uncomfortable!
“Please repeat what I told you.”
– Get Centimenade. Don’t look even if others call. Pretend I can’t speak.
“Good. If you bring it back safely, I’ll definitely give you wheels.”
At the mention of wheels, Popo made happy beeping sounds. Yoo Seong-woo put his hand through the bottom of the box onto Popo’s body.
“I’m going to connect our visual sensors. Please bear with the discomfort.”
Instead of speaking, Popo just beeped. It was already in mission mode. Yoo Seong-woo confirmed that Popo’s view of his face appeared like an old camera on one side of the visual display, then sent Popo out.
If this mission failed, he would have no choice but to ask Yeon Tae-soo. Adding one more lie.
He knew that the more lies he piled on him, the harder it would be to leave.
How could humans deceive each other so easily? Even a few overlapping lies weighed so heavily on his heart.
He anxiously watched Popo’s brave departing figure.
***
As Yoo Seong-woo expected, the pre-opening hospital was very busy. The corridors were cluttered with transport robots and various items, as furniture and medical equipment hadn’t been fully moved in yet.
Popo bravely navigated through it all. It even mimicked the movements of transport robots that looked similar to its shell. Though the transport robots were very sluggish and it had to move much slower than its natural nimble speed, it could endure the frustration.
Popo kept remembering its mission from Mr. Yoo. Centimenade. It had to transport that to Mr. Yoo. Like a brave robot dog returning to its owner with a thrown disc in its mouth.
– Go to the psychiatry department. It should be there.
Psychiatry Department. Seeing the hologram sign still wrapped in vinyl floating in the air, Popo moved in the direction of the blinking arrow. To avoid suspicion, it held a box it found nearby in its robot arm.
While moving along the corridor with other transport robots, something caught Popo’s visual display. Something round and tempting.
A ball! It’s a ball! Popo felt the urge to kick that ball and run. Its companion dog AI wagged its tail vigorously. But the mission came first.
– …If you come back safely, I’ll buy you a ball too.
Because Mr. Yoo, sharing its vision, said that, Popo could resist.
Popo safely entered under the arch labeled Psychiatry Department. Fortunately, there was no one in the lobby.
There were several doors inside the lobby. Following Mr. Yoo’s instructions, Popo entered the room with a hologram reading ‘Injection Room.’ One wall was packed full of medications.
– There it is.
Centimenade. The item Mr. Yoo asked for was on a slightly high shelf. But this was no problem for Popo with its long robot arm.
Popo extended its robot arm and touched the box labeled Centimenade. However, the paper box was double-packaged and wouldn’t open easily.
To make matters worse, there was movement outside. Popo’s lamp spun sharply inside the crude metal box. Looking through the hole, it saw a human shadow cast on the floor. Footsteps could be heard. Popo’s lamp flickered in panic.
The long, thin robot arm searching for the box trembled. Then, as the footsteps drew closer, three robot arms quickly pulled down the box.
As it stuffed the unopened box into its body, it heard Mr. Yoo sigh. Not a sigh of relief, but one of frustration. Popo checked above. Only where the box had been was empty.
While Popo shook its body to fix its briefly disheveled shell, people had approached and started checking the outer shelves of medications. From how naturally they passed by, they didn’t seem suspicious of Popo.
Popo left the medication room, still slowly mimicking a transport robot. Then, human voices were heard from behind.
“Oh, this came to the wrong place, teacher.”
“Huh? Really? Why did administrative office items come all the way here?”
A moment of silence. Popo ignored it and continued moving toward the lobby at transport robot speed. Slow and creaky. It could feel human gazes.
“But why did a transport robot come into the medication room? Did you register it?”
“What? Of course not. What if it breaks the medicine?”
“Then what is that?”
