Fiction: Group 3
Friend
ISF Academy Secondary Division, Mao, Dorothy - 12, Fiction: Group 3
ne day, I could be upgraded to a human.
This was what Ben told himself everyday, but he knew it’d never happen. After
all, he was just a robot, nothing more, nothing less. He stared at his plastic arms and
once again imagined how wonderful it’d feel to have flesh and blood.
“Hey Ben!”
Ben lifted his head and walked towards Kevin, the boy he was programmed to assist. About 34 days
and 7 hours ago, Ben was delivered to the Wong household’s door. He could still remember when he first
opened his robot eyes and the time when he was commanded to ‘become friends’ with Kevin.
The child
seems much happier now. He was constantly bullied and didn’t have any human friends,
the robot thought
as he walked towards the apartment’s front door, where Kevin, a black-haired boy wearing a dark blue
patterned hoodie and a pair of light brown trousers was waiting with an excited look on his face.
“Before mom and dad went to work, they told me they’re letting us go out to have fun!” Kevin
said while opening the front door. “Now that I’m thirteen, I can go out on my own without any fussy
adults! Isn’t that great, Ben?” Ben answered, “If you say so, Kevin.”
Both robot and the boy stepped out the door, went down the elevator and walked towards the
building’s entrance.
Immediately, a scan result popped up in Ben’s program.
Location: Hong Kong area, Pearl River Delta.
Time: 11:09 AM. Saturday. October 1, 2075
Kevin stuffed his hands into his pockets and said thoughtfully, “Maybe we should take the MTR
to- uh, Shenzhen? I feel like going there. Hold on- how long does it take to get there again?” Ben replied,
“About fifteen minutes. Are you allowed to go to Shenzhen today?” Kevin nodded, “Yup! As long as we
stick together, I’m allowed to go any area in the PRD, but we have to get back home before four thirty or
Mom will ground me.”
O
