SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Copyright 2004 © Vasanthan Senguttuvan

Chapter 1

It was late evening. I looked at the window edges, golden lights on white edges are fascinating. It was hard for me to wake from the bed. I didn't even moved my palpebras, still watching the point of reflection. As the sun moves the reflection was intensified. Slowly I moved my vision out of it. “You shouldn't sleep in day times! Wake up!” I remembered my father's voice. I smiled myself and suddenly I felt I should meet him. If he has been with me how good it would be? “At least within three months I should meet him. Must.” I told myself, without any sound.

I slowly tried to awake. It would be better to have some refreshment, and so I called “Shanthi”. I was just sitting in the bed, not removing the bed sheet over my legs. I stretched myself holding the hands back of my head.

“Good evening, Viji” Shanti greeted when she entered the room. She was wearing a dark brown Saree. It was neatly ironed, morning she wasn't wearing this, she should have changed after I went to bed. She took coffee pot and two glasses in a plate. I wondered what for the second one. Before I question, she poured coffee in one glass and gave it to me saying “Coffee”.

I just moved my head from the plate to her face. She smiled beautifully. I was just looking at her face for a while. Suddenly she changed her expression seeking what I'm looking? I hissed a little, not showing to her, and I took the coffee.

“I will tell your schedule, after 15 minutes” she told me and started towards the door.

Her walking style has been changed, it was aphrodisiac. I dropped some coffee in the bed sheet as I was looking at her. “Damn it!” I told myself moving my lips very little, when I noticed the bed sheet.

Now I stood up taking the bed sheet in one hand and coffee in the other hand. I was lazy enough to move to the next room.

“Bask” I called with a strong voice but with out loud. The little door at the corner opened and the tiny robot came near by me.

“Yes master” the little car toy told me.

“Wash this” I threw the bed sheet towards it. It opened four clamps from within and caught it. It reversed the direction and went through the little door it came before.

“And don't forget to remove the strains on it!” I said loudly once it disappeared. It might have not listened. It was a small stupid robot designed by Vasanth. It was given by him for my 26^th birthday anniversary. As it was a gift it didn't went to dust bin yet. So useless as it has understanding power of one year baby. It can't communicate with others than me. I asked him to reprogram but he told me to keep the way it was. May be he wanted to give it like a baby. But it seems to have learning power. It didn't repeat the mistake once I ask him to correct. By that time I drank half the coffee. I was leaning over the black box which was six feet long, enough to hold me inside. Shanthi took it when she came to this house as she wanted this to be in the safest place of this house and so it was placed in my bedroom. It was in the same position for the past six months, near by my favorite window. It doesn't seems to have any openings, only one thing I could read “Council X” etched inside on the top left hand corner. She never told me anything more than “I don't know anything, but I have to keep it” whenever I asked about the shinny black box. It might weight about 200Kg at least.

“Wash, Wash, Wash” Bask was repeating making a knocking sound. I realized what was happening. I drank the remaining in a quick zip, placed the glass in over the black box and made a fast walk. When i entered the next room I saw what I realized. Bask was hitting the washing machine with a little hammer like hand, holding the bed sheet with the other four hands.

“OK, OK” I told with a little laughter.

Bask stopped hitting the washing machine. Bask was too little to put the cloths inside washing machine. It was only 2 feet high, and looks like a tanker toy, still moves in wheels.

“I'm sorry Master. I can't complete your command” Bask said in a lowered voice.

“Well you too lower your voice on mistakes, hah?” I hit slightly the little robot with my left hand and took the bed sheet with the other.

“mmh” It made a sound like a pet dog.

“Don't worry. It wasn't a mistake” I told when I stand up. “Go to your home”.

“Yes master” The voice of the Bask was clear. It moved towards the little opening in that room. It wasn't a opening planned when the house was built. Bask itself drilled the wall so as to make a home for it. When I asked about it, Bask replied “I want to have a house like jerry's”. That day he might have seen Tom and Jerry show. I didn't get anger for that, after all it was my pet, favorite pet. The hole gave an ugly look for the room, nevertheless it was my Bask's home.

I put the bed sheet in the washing machine and I returned to my bed room. When I was in my bedroom the colour of the room has been changed to olive green, every five hours the colour of the room will change. I set to randomly select a colour. Olive Green was my favorite, but it was the second time I saw the same colour in the same day. What happened to the house controlling machine? Whether random generation has failed? Should ask Vasanth. So many thoughts were running in my mind. Now the bed went inside the wall. It look very clean, except only one black box, a window and two doors.

I was moving towards the main door. Suddenly I noticed the window. The same amount sunlight was there for long time. Now I turned fully towards the window. I slowly moved towards the window and I could realize what was there which increased my blood pressure. I tried to touch the blue sky seen on the window and I was able to do it. I was shafted.

I turned to shout Shanthi, when I opened my mouth she was entering into the room. I wanted to be normal so I lowered my voice but I could not control the firmness: “Is this what you have done?”

“What?”

“Why did you placed the holograph screen on the window?”

“Sorry for that Viji. I know you like the evenings so I placed a simulation of it”

“What's wrong with the real sunshine?” I asked with pressure of controlling my anger.

“Viji it is raining outside now. I don't want to disappoint you, So I placed a simulation of the real” She told politely.

“ ”. If not now I have to wait for next week I thought myself.

“What happened, still you aren't convinced?”

“Fuck you” I told slowly, so as to free the anger, seeing toward the window.

“Do you want me to have sex with you?” She replied.

“What the hell are you talking?” I turned my head slowly.

My blood pressure went to the maximum of my life record. I was watching her now, she was directly looking at me. I quickly recovered myself.

“No. Never with Celluloids.” I told each and every word firm, slow and in clear voice. “Get out now.” I added.

Though she went I was still thinking about it. I closed the holograph screen to see the real world. Rain drops was precipitating. I placed my both hands on the window folded. My hands become wet. Rain wasn't heavy. I looked down so as to watch the rain drops travel. It might take 800mts to reach the ground level. The entire city was fully covered with solar panels. So it was black down there. Only a few of the top class people get the house at the roof level and only my windows is opened for the real sun. Moreover it was illegal to access the window with out permission. It was one of the security policy this city.

“Why is a robot asks for sex?” I asked myself. “After all Shanthi is a celluloid robot. They are given by the council for the higher officials for the serving them, that is it. Or all the robots ask their masters like this? May not be. Each one adapted for their masters. But I never talked about sex with it? But how does it change itself for each and every thing for my taste: from the smile, to dressing style. How? How?, how?“ I was asking myself again and again.

The raining stopped. There was a reddish orange sun flooded light on my face. I turned my head left side to see the full view of the sun. It was great and gave me peace. I convinced myself, she was responding to what I have told.

After my wifes death I don't want to have a life partner. When the council gave us the robot, I accepted because only I need someone to talk with.

I reopened the holograph screen again over the window. “Greenery” I commanded the window. It displayed a park scenery outside the window. It was life like simulation.

I wanted to have the dull mode with me and so I just washed my face before changing to the new dress.

I was moving outside the room. I told “Mails” when I was walking. The Gini appeared before me in the air. It was an projected in 3D ghost. It clicked with a smile and a box appeared before it.

The Gini was moving along with me.

“You have 2 new mails Sir” Gini told with artificial enthusiasm.

“Read it” I told. By this time I reached the hall and seated on the sofa placed on the center of the hall. When I seated on the sofa Gini told “The first mail was sent on July 25 3022...” it continued. Gini simulated the mail opening and reading, it was colourful but only Bask fascinate on this. It looks Gini with a surprise and it really likes the way Gini reading the mail.

One mail was from father. He wanted me to see him as soon as possible. I thought I have to it.

“Gini remanind me every week that I have to see my father”

Gini took a pen and a paper from nowhere and pretended as if though it was writing.

“OK Viji, I will” Gini confirmed the date.

“Shanthi, I'm going for Council. Will be back by 11pm” I told without waiting for the response. When I move towards the street I wondered whether she will be crying like humans. I don't know that she did. I didn't felt the changes happening around me.