Snippet #2569630

INITIATING BOOT-UP DRIVE

//Verifying OSID… ACCESS GRANTED
//CONFIRMED ID: AEGIS 4.0 - MODEL #1 - JIDO SHIKO
//CHECKING CIRCULATORY SYSTEMS: CHECK //REWARMING FLUIDS: CHECK //EPIDERMIS PIGMENTATION: CHECK //PERSONA DRIVER: CHECK
//INITIATING WAKEUP PROCESS… 56%

The pinwheel revolved in Jido’s retinas; he laid there aimlessly, watching the numbers slowly increase until the process was complete. His eyes dilated and blinked a few times, just to check their operational status. The android’s neck pivoted to view his surroundings. He was resting on top of white bed sheets, his limbs frozen rigidly in place and his back straightened on a streamline axis. ”And… lean forward.” As if he acted upon audible command, the student sat up and glanced down at his chest. At the moment, a black chord was embedded in his opened chest cavity, while the cover which protected his internal circuitry was hanging outward on its hinges. His integrity was an amalgamation of flashing LED lights, rotating gears and silent circuits, all centered around one central port. Said port was currently occupied by the transporter of electricity, which was currently lodged firmly inside of him. With a single motion, he gracefully yanked the power chord out and let it fall with a thump on his sheets.

”Oh, I have school today. It’s Monday, right?” Doubt and unsurety lingered in his voice. He had been asleep for the entire weekend, after all. Jido had gone through a process which he upheld on a monthly basis, a way of charging his internal battery. Since it does seem strange for a student to go complete off the radar for two days, he commonly refers to the timespan as ’that time of the month.’ His friends are left in such disbelief and awe, that they are unable to formulate a response and simply skip onto another subject. The android’s joints still felt stiff, he had to go through a few exercises before finally feeling fully awake.

Jido pressed the chest compartment back into place then quickly dressed himself. After slipping on his jacket and straightening his tie, he briskly walked down the stairs to the bottom floor. The robot and his guardian were lucky to live in a decent house. It was the government’s way of thanking the remaining members of the company which produced the Aegis 3.0 Assembly Line. The fleet of animatronics prolonged the events of the disaster, even though it was only by a little, they still bought the fleeing upper class some time. They were only able to transport his creator’s lab assistant and himself, and now they both lived in the ‘better’ part of New Haven. It was on par with what used to be classified as middle class. But now, it was considered to be a privilege to thrive in such arrangements.

The second floor consisted of a kitchen and a living room, connected by an open hallway which leads to the entrance. The android stopped by the kitchen first and was greeted by his guardian. The middle-aged man was sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of newly brewed coffee. ”Ohayo, Sir.” Jido fluently bowed then treated himself to some of the beverage. ”Ello, Jido. You better hurry up, and make sure your cavity is properly locked. Wouldn’t want your chest to unhinge in the middle of class, now would we? I’m sure some of your friends would leak themselves on the spot.” The man chuckled then took a sip, while indulging himself with that day’s newspaper. Jido let out a sigh at the man’s pun, but anxiety kicked in and forced him to double-check his cavity. After crafting himself a basic grilled cheese sandwich, he proceeded outside of the door with his satchel hanging on his shoulder. ”Oh, and remember to verify you cache later today. Haven’t done that for a while, right?” Jido shrugged and took a bite from his creation, ”Will do.” The man raised an eyebrow at the boy, ”Your fly’s undone.”

”No it’s not!”

"I see your pigmentation drive is fully operational. Voice is a little high there, though. Might want to recheck your pubescence emulation system."

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Jido had arrived at the station, breathing heavily as he gasped for breath. ”Damn axels… He muttered to himself while attempting to circulate oxygen through his mechanical imitation of lungs. The android had already finished his meal on the way, but a hand was still tightly wrapped around a coffee cup. Unfortunately, the monorail was pulling away just as he set foot on the platform. ”Guess I’ll have to wait until the next ra-”

“GOTT VERDAMMT!

The android cocked his head and swiveled towards the shout. His eyes rested on another student in the same uniform as himself, who was also in the same state of unrest. ”She missed the monorail as well. Oh well.” The android glanced at the expression of the other surrounding humans. It was amazing how none of them suspected of his origins. He had to hand it to his creator, that woman was as brilliant as she was elegant. But at this point, she was presumed dead. She was no longer a directive in his life, only a mere figment of the past. He was programmed to go through life at a brisk pace, remain on par with human beings and sink into their endless crowds. It was a subtle and leisurely existence for an android, at least he wasn’t forced into decimation like his brethren. The student simply took timed sips of his beverage while waiting for the next scheduled transport to arrive. As the next monorail came to a screeching halt, its doors slid open to give leeway for the flow of commoners. Jido remained standing and hung tightly to one of the ceiling grips. Civilians shuffled and bustled around, trying to make as much room as possible in the clumped car. It was thanks to pinpoint calculations of the laws of gravity and motion that the automaton’s beverage didn’t spill on anybody. He could only grunt and keep a stoic complexure as he felt his personal space be intruded upon. ”...Too many chests rubbing against my back right now. Just stay calm. Think of tomorrow. Yada… yada… This is why I hate the late rail.”

After finally arriving on campus, Jido briskly paced his way to his building. He let his chest expand, now that he had been given his own breathing room. ”That was a hassle. A painful one at that. Welp, time for classes.” With a few tactful weaves of the hallways, he ended up at his classroom door. ”And I made it on time. Nice.” Jido eased the sliding doors open, then advanced into the classroom. ”Ohayo. Robocop is in the classroom.” Such a title was truly ironic, since it was only coined due to his calm nature. His friends knew nothing of his robotic origins. ”Sorry about being unreachable over the weekend. It was… that time of the month again. I had to lay down a lot.” And he said all of this with an unbroken facade. Not even his lips quivered in temptation to make an expression. ”Sorry Lindholm-san, didn’t get to finish that book yet. You know, the one about Japanese deities? Kinda interesting how creative people were back then. I will do so this weekend. I’ll return it to you shortly.” He slung his satchel over the back of his desk seat, then plopped himself down comfortably. Four members were already present. The titan of a student known as Hiruka, the clumsy Saiko, the super jock Dmitri, and the easily flustered Kjerstin. The extents to which he was affiliated with them varied. For the most part, he was on good terms. ”I believe Nagata-san and the rest of our class should be arriving soon. Who knows, maybe we got some new students?"