Andy the Android

Chapter 2

WILLY HAD BEEN a penniless, clueless, homeless man and now he wanted a change. He wanted out and into something superior and beyond. He was willing to try something new, he was sick of his life, he had no family. No one, except Wendy. He had no past, because he had no lingering memory of his past. He had no recollection, he was a clean slate, it was ironic!

Wendy yes, she had been way too kind. But he hated being pitied, it made him feel weak and inferior.

“Yes," Willy repeated again nodding firmly.

With a finger snap, the Stranger’s hat and cigar were gone, replaced by a firm, grim smile

The Stranger was pleased:

“Good,” he said. “Your hand please, I need to take your particulars.”

He pressed the point of a pen like instrument on Willy's right pointer finger, Willy felt the sting of needle pain, just like they do at the hospital.

“There now your broken nose along with all your undesirable traits will be gone,” the Stranger said smiling.

Willy's heart quickened, he will no longer be a homeless man, he will be an agent of a course.

But, what was the course?

Before he could recuperate further and discourage himself, the Stranger interrupted pointing, “Go in there and lie down on that soft bed that you will see, and you wait for the final evaluation process.”

The Stranger nodded at another bright energy doorway that had suddenly appeared.

Willy cannot recall lying down for the night, for any night on a soft bed. All he could currently recall was the hard bitumen paved surfaces that he had to sleep on with a cardboard, on rainless nights.

The soft bed sure as hell looked inviting.

But now, why was he oddly, faintly excited and he was not afraid of the strange man who had brought him here— to this strange place, telling him to do strange things?

.  .  .  .  .

Willy goodwill felt he had limited choice in the matter, to afford losing a rare opportunity to make a difference, so he timidly went towards the bright energy doorway and entered cautiously.

He saw what was a cross between a white beach chair and a soft foam bed. His delusion about having the first-class taste of lying on something soft had over came his reasoning. Now he was suddenly aware that he was alone in that brightly lit room, he felt a tinge of fear touch his spine. A male voice startled him disturbing his thoughts.

It was a new male voice:

‘Everything will be fine Willy,’ the new voice assured him.

Adding, ‘Please lie down on the induction surface or bed as you would like to call it, so that we will start the induction process.’

The voice further added as an after thought, ‘Remember, being an agent has a lot of privileges.’

Still Willy was understandably reluctant.

A bright energy doorway suddenly appeared— and the Stranger Oswald’s frame emerged half smiling at Willy.

He cleared his throat— and motioned towards the induction surface, “I had the exact fears that you are now having.”

He looked slyly at Willy and added, “The fear of the unknown.”

Then he held up a finger, “But, you know what made me do it?”

Willy was listening. He was striking a whole orchestra of chords there.

“I had nothing to go back to,” he looked away momentarily and he now turned back a phony emotional face towards Willy. “I was at the verge of suicide.”

“Now behold!” He grandly spread both arms.

“I’m living in a dream,” Some how the cigar and the hat both suddenly appeared out of thin air—

—Willy gasped in surprise,

Oswald smoked the cigar and tipped the hat at Willy. He said simply, “Its a trick that any level 6 agent can more than muster.”

And, he added masterfully, “—You too can.”

Pointing at the induction surface, Oswald said firmly in a rare first command, “Lie down, Agent Willy,”

Oswald did not even have to blink twice.

.  .  .  .  .

Much later; it could have easily been even much more later, the passing of time was not accounted for:

Willy woke up and stared up ahead at the white ceiling; how had he simply lost consciousness and had fallen asleep?

He knew the lure of sleep; when it comes, it comes: it was not dictated or scrutinized.

He must’ve drifted off to sleep somehow.

He was still lying on his back and staring upwards.

How long was he asleep? He wasn’t really sure but all he felt sure about was, he was now feeling 100 percent renewed.

He again, heard the new familiar voice say, ‘Induction process complete, Willy Goodwill, age 28 years old, agent 02. Level classification, probationary.’

Willy was surprised that the voice knew something he himself did not even know about or guessed: His own age. So he was of 28 years of age. That was just a slight piece of the much deeper unrevealed depth.

Willy now began to wonder that who was agent 01? If he was agent 02 then there must be an agent 01; probably his superior.

The voice interrupted his thoughts, ‘Have a look at yourself Willy.’

Willy was still lying on his back, he stared upwards surprised at the new person now staring down at him. Then he realised that it was just a mirror, the mirror had suddenly appeared above and it was the mirror image of himself. He was in a black tuxedo much like Oswald’s, but not exactly the same. The tux matched his dark hair and black shoes. He was still lying on his back and was staring upwards.

Willy was surprised, even his broken nose was healed, with not even a slight scar to even insist that it was once there.

He felt his face, the black prickly stubbles that were there previously, were also gone. Replaced by a smoothly shaven, clean, fresh face.

“Can I stand up?” Willy asked suddenly,

‘Suit yourself — if you please,’ the voice replied.

Willy sat up slowly, he then stood up, and he saw the Stranger Oswald standing by not so far to the left.

Oswald grinned and held his hand towards Willy, who shook it.

Oswald said, “Congratulations Willy you're now agent 02!”

Oswald smiled and added, “I am agent 01 by the way, as you may have already guessed; I will be your superior for the time being.”

“Are there any more agents besides us?” Willy asked,

“No,” Oswald answered curtly.

And he continued, “Take a look at your left wrist.”

Willy lifted up his left arm, and saw a black wrist watch like gadget, embracing his wrist like a watch:

“That's an Enabler,” Oswald said.

“You will utilize most of it's functions from using only, just your mind, which by the way is correctly known as telekinesis,” Oswald said lightly tapping his forehead with his index finger.

Willy found out that he had so much questions now, “Who's voice was — the one that I kept on hearing, previously?"

Oswald’s eyes twinkled, “That was Andy's voice.”

“Andy?” Willy stared at Oswald.

“Yes — but No; he’s not a human or someone with human form," Oswald looked at him.

The answer sort of creeped Willy out, what kind of a place was he in?

“Andy the Android is a formless entity; an Artificially Intelligent operating system that controls this whole place, that includes most of it’s functions and operations,” Oswald nodded at Willy.

It seemed that the Stranger was questioning the latter part of his own statement.

Willy wondered if Oswald reported to Andy,

Incredulously as if reading his thought: Oswald said, “I report directly to the Supreme Master.”

Oswald suddenly clapped his hands together once and said, “Now it's time for your on the job training.”

.  .  .  .  .

Moments later Willy was in a huge plain room. Andy the Androids voice said, ‘Willy you're in a multi-facet room.'

A projection appeared before him.

It was a satellite like image of the New York city.

Thin green mist swirling like smoke or mist, was attracted towards a bright green dot on the imagery.

‘The green mist is the energy that we are harnessing, from the people of New York and the rest of the whole world,’ Andy explained.

‘The green dot is us, at the stress harvester. Can you see the stress harvester sucking all the negative energy?' Andy asked,

“Yes, I can see that,” Willy stared at the fascinating projected image.

“But how is the energy transferred to the other worlds, that you say exists?" Willy wanted to know.

‘Good question,’ Andy said pleased. ‘Have you noticed that I always spoke to you by telepathy?’

“No — I can’t see you, and I don’t even know what you are; or who you are,” Willy waited for an answer.

None came.