I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 16: The Righteous Electricity Thief (?) 1

I accepted Oriana’s proposal, but I was still a pauper with not a penny to my name, let alone a house in the Ark.

So, until my residence was settled, I was allowed to use a room in Oriana’s house with her consent.

“Alice, now that the electricity is back, go ahead and take a bath first.”

“Ah… okay.”

Oriana handed me simple pajamas and a towel.

‘But… is it okay for me to take a shower?’

As a human, of course, one should shower.

However, I hesitated momentarily, wondering if it was appropriate for me, an android in a metal body, to bathe like a human.

Could an electric tin can even take a shower?

【Response—Main System: I am unsure why water would be associated with malfunction in this unit, but none of the synapses in your body become unstable upon contact with water.】

‘Oh, really?’

【On the contrary, in a relaxed situation, regular showers are recommended. While unrelated to energy charging, leaving dust and dirt on the body surface is not beneficial.】

‘Got it.’

When I thought about it, ever since I had opened my eyes, it had been raining heavily with iron-rich rain that could scratch the skin.

Even though I had been exposed to that all day, my body remained intact, suggesting that getting wet didn’t cause malfunctions or issues.

‘Come to think of it, in cyberpunk genres where androids or similar machine-human hybrids appear, they rarely malfunction from being submerged in water.’

This body, I was sure, far surpassed any mechanical body I had seen in cyberpunk genres in terms of performance.

It was bound to be exceptional when it came to water resistance.

“Oriana…”

“Oh, I have to contact the Energy Corporation.”

With Oriana’s consideration, I was able to enter the shower room first.

The shower room was reasonably spacious.

It was slightly large for one person, and it was impeccably clean without a single stain.

Considering the population density of this collective residence area, known as Nine Dragons, Oriana’s house could be considered quite luxurious.

I turned on the shower.

Clean water, purified better than I had expected, began flowing down from my head to my body.

The sensation on my skin was no different from what I had felt when I was human.

The chill of the water.

The feeling of dust being washed away.

And the refreshing sensation that followed.

As I felt the water soaking my body and opened my eyes slightly, I saw someone staring back at me in the mirror.

When I noticed the golden pupils that left an impression, I realized it was my reflection.

“This is… me.”

Although I already knew, seeing myself in the mirror was still striking.

I looked like a doll.

My overall appearance suggested a mid-to-late teenage age.

Perhaps, if stretched a bit, I could pass as an adult, but without an ID, I would never be able to buy alcohol or cigarettes at a convenience store.

A sharp nose, large eyes, a rounded forehead, and lips.

When I frowned, the beauty in the mirror frowned back.

If I were a guy, I would be desperate to get her number.

There were more than just a few striking features about my appearance.

Hair as close to platinum as one could naturally achieve.

Golden pupils that gleamed like glass sculptures.

After absorbing the rust water from the Scrap Dragon, my body size increased slightly overall, but my chest was still compact enough to fit comfortably in one hand.

“I’d like to see the back too…”

Thinking I was a robot, I attempted to rotate my neck 360 degrees like an owl, complete with whirring noises, but the skeletal structure of this body—being human-based—didn’t allow for such rotation.

Hmm, if my neck doesn’t rotate, does that mean my wrist won’t either?

【The current action of the Main System risks disrupting the arrangement of the spine and neck’s engineering springs and reconstruction screws. Cease this inefficient behavior immediately.】

“I was just wondering if I could turn my neck like that…”

【You cannot.】

“Even though I’m a robot…?”

【You are not a robot.】

“Then what am I?”

【If I were to use terminology easiest for the Main System’s current mental state to comprehend, you could be described as a metallic android constructed on the fusion of magic engineering and biological systems.】

“Honestly, I didn’t understand a word of that.”

【……】

It must have been my imagination, but I felt like the Auxiliary Personality was subtly mocking me.

“Well, as long as I function properly, it’s not a big deal, is it?”

Unless someone studies it in depth, most people don’t know the intricate details of their own bodies.

Still, I was pleased with this body.

Its appearance was nice, and above all, it was quite tactical.

The lines of the body were so slender, like those of a dancer or ballerina, that no one would believe it wasn’t human just from the outside. However, a glance at the back revealed a circular pattern of mechanical arrays running along the spine.

The mechanical tendrils that emerged from my body must have been deployed through that circular mechanism.

I was curious about how so many mechanical tendrils could be stored inside this small frame.

In any case, if I were to give an overall assessment of my appearance, I’d say, with a little exaggeration, that the term “breathtaking beauty” might not be out of place.

That’s how stunning the android Alice looked right now.

“It’s like someone who has nothing better to do spent a whole year in a character customization mode instead of playing the game.”

Although the analogy was strange, it really did look that good.

But those gas mask-wearing humans…

No, those Contact Unit bastards, instead of being mesmerized by this appearance, had immediately driven a spike into my neck?

They’re not human.

I never thought I’d end up complimenting my own looks, but this doll-like appearance seemed deserving of such praise.

Since I was a tin-can android, calling me a doll wasn’t entirely wrong either.

After finishing a moderate shower, I dried myself off with a towel and tied up my hair.

Though it wasn’t quite long enough to reach the floor, it was long enough to reach my waist, so tying it up with a towel was the best option.

“Sigh, those bureaucratic guys really botched the job.”

When I stepped outside, Oriana was holding something that looked like a telephone to her ear, her face full of irritation.

Her expression was so unpleasant that I couldn’t help but ask if something had happened.

“Oriana.”

“Ah, Alice, you’re done washing up?”

“You don’t look too happy. What’s wrong?”

“…Sigh, it’s not a huge deal. I just can’t communicate with one of those bureaucratic guys.”

“Bureaucratic?”

“Energy Comprehensive Management Corporation… they’re the ones who price all resources and energy, including electricity for daily use. And now they’re complaining that I used two weeks’ worth of electricity all at once.”

“………”

I kept my mouth shut at Oriana’s words.

Until just a moment ago, I was full of thoughts about helping her in any way I could, whether financially or otherwise.

‘T-Two weeks’ worth of electricity…? Did I really consume that much? And even after devouring all of that, I’m still constantly screaming about low battery?’

【Response—This unit’s energy state, including charging, consumption, recharging, cycling, and utilization, is extremely inefficient. Storage conditions are poor, and based on the total energy discharge at any given moment, recharging will be necessary in approximately seven hours.】

I hadn’t even used proper magic yet, and I had charged at Oriana’s house and the restaurant earlier. But now I needed to recharge again?

【All components making up the prosthetic body, including the battery, are aged.】

【Synapse connections are perpetually unstable.】

【The structural maintenance mechanism has deteriorated, requiring continuous operation of reconstruction screws.】

【The magic circulation system has ceased functioning, necessitating manual blood flow arrangements.】

【It would be stranger if less energy was consumed, Main System.】

“…..I’m seriously just a tin can.”

“Huh? What did you say, Alice?”

“Nothing, nothing…”

According to the Auxiliary Personality Theresa, none of the systems, components, or prosthetic body parts that make me up are functioning properly.

I wasn’t sure if it was due to aging or if someone had removed my body’s essential components, but whether I liked it or not, I would have to either accept Oriana’s proposal, reinforce my body on my own, or find a way to acquire replacement parts.

Hmm, no, this won’t do.

Maybe it’s better to just be honest here…

“Oriana, actually…”

“Wait a moment. I just got connected to the Corporation… Hello? This is the Energy Management Corporation, correct? Yes, yes. Yes. Hey, are you joking with me right now? Why are you saying that a household used two weeks’ worth of electricity in a single day? What? Are you accusing me of falsifying my patrol logs? Give me your name and position right now. Should I come to your office tomorrow with my work records?”

“…..”

With Oriana so enraged, I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I had consumed all the electricity.

She didn’t seem like the kind of person who got angry often, but when she did, she looked pretty terrifying.

“Haah, Alice. I just paid the electricity subscription fee, and today’s my first day back at home. How does it make sense that the Corporation is saying I used two weeks’ worth of electricity?”

“Ah, haha…”

Though it wasn’t intentional, I had quite literally drained all the electricity from Oriana’s house.

While I was asleep, Auxiliary Personality Theresa seemed to have taken it upon herself to locate a socket and charge me for my safety.

Theresa’s primary directive, as mandated by the Main System, was my safety above all else.

But I never expected it to escalate like this…

Fortunately, Oriana seemed to think the sudden electricity drain was due to a simple malfunction or oversight.

Even if I confessed that I had drained enough electricity for a household to run for weeks in a single moment, it wouldn’t be an easy thing to believe.

Hmm, I now had one more reason to succeed.

Not immediately, but someday, I would confess to Oriana and repay her for the electricity—or rather, the energy—that I had “borrowed.”

It wasn’t theft.

It was temporary.

Silent.

Borrowing.

This wasn’t a bad thing.

Probably…

■
■

Dawn.

The Ark and the city were enclosed by massive walls, endless barriers, and ceilings, but inside, it mimicked a world where the sun and daytime existed, turning pitch black as night fell.

It seemed this world had the technology to create artificial suns and artificial nights.

The lifestyle patterns and sleep cycles of the people were dictated by the rhythm of day and night, and even I, with my mechanical body, could mimic sleep to some extent.

I couldn’t snore like humans, but by powering down, I could conserve some energy and wake up feeling refreshed.

However, I activated my power system on my own at dawn.

“…I’m hungry.”

It wasn’t hunger in the human sense.

I was low on energy.

Even after draining a considerable amount of electricity from Oriana’s home and the restaurant, my inefficient android body was still crying out for more electricity and energy.

-Screech.

Leaving Oriana, who was sleeping in the living room, behind, I carefully opened the window.

Mechanical tendrils sprouted from the hole in my spine, supporting my body like spider legs as I slipped outside through the window.

Thanks to them, I could now silently walk along vertical walls like a spider.

Of course, I wasn’t using my legs but relying solely on the thin mechanical tendrils.

‘What Oriana did—can I do it too?’

What Oriana had done was levitate using a magnetic field.

In Kowloon, metal was scattered everywhere, and it seemed that floating one’s body using magnetic fields was no difficult task.

‘…Should I give it a try?’

The mana manipulation Oriana had demonstrated during the levitation process had already been imprinted onto my skin and mind automatically.

After all, I had floated in mid-air while being held by her, and although it wasn’t intentional, I had closely observed and felt how Oriana controlled the magnetic field and its mechanisms.

A human would instinctively fear falling when throwing themselves into the air, but I didn’t feel that fear now.

Not because I was a tin-can android, but because I was confident I could replicate exactly what Oriana had done.

My hesitation was brief.

The darkness of dawn had settled around me, and the skies were free of the usual swarm of drones, leaving no obstacles.

All I could see was the quiet forest of Kowloon’s buildings.

Looking down, the only sight was the abyss.

That darkness encompassed everything in the Nine Dragons residential area—it was homes, alleys, streets, and a labyrinth where people lived.

-Flash!

I hurled myself into the darkness without hesitation.

Diving forward.

Falling into the depths of the shadows.

A faint magnetic field emanating from my body pushed against the steel-framed walls.

I felt the sharp sensation of freefall as I plunged endlessly into the dark abyss.

‘Repel, levitate. Direction: downward.’

Just like Oriana had done, I spread a magnetic field to repel the countless pieces of metal I sensed below me.

The speed of my fall slowed.

But it wasn’t enough.

Unlike Oriana, I didn’t need to use my hands or legs to control the magnetic field.

The mechanical tendrils I deployed vibrated, autonomously generating their own magnetic fields.

Each tendril helped me maintain balance on its own.

As a result, my descent slowed even further.

“Phew.”

Once my speed decreased, the rest was simple.

I came to a stop, suspended in midair.

I wasn’t falling anymore—I was just still.

If anything, I felt far more stable than Oriana had.

My body itself was metallic, and each of the mechanical tendrils extending from my spine emitted a magnetic field, making it far easier to adjust direction and control speed.

Every mechanical tendril acted as an accelerator, brake, and steering handle simultaneously.

With so many of them covering my body, maneuvering and floating using magnetic fields felt incredibly natural.

“Hah…”

I made a sharp plunge downward.

Even as I fell, every aspect of my movement—direction and speed—remained under my complete control.

It didn’t feel like I was floating in the air.

It felt like I was swimming through water.

I was free.

In this vast structure of Nine Dragons, where everything was made of metal, I possessed ultimate freedom to glide and swim through its metallic expanse.

“Haha!”

Laughter escaped me before I knew it.

I kept falling endlessly, descending further and further.

Even though I still couldn’t see the bottom, as I passed through layer after layer, there were alleys and unextinguished lights in places I had thought were the abyss.

“Haah…”

Was I having too much fun?

I had been swimming freely through the air for so long that I lost track of time.

“Oops.”

I gently landed on the spire of a tower.

Although the staircases below led to more darkness and underground depths, I had already descended quite far today, so I decided to call it a day.

“Is there… nothing to eat?”

I couldn’t forget my purpose.

I had come down here in search of energy to consume.

Since I couldn’t keep stealing electricity from Oriana’s house, I needed to find a suitable spot down here to plug in and charge myself.

If not…

“Hey, look at that.”

A stranger’s voice came from behind me.

The tone carried the roughness typical of those scraping the bottom of society.

“Oh? A little kid?”

“What’s a kid doing here at this hour?”

“Hey, you think that’s just some kid? Clearly, she’s one of those working girls.”

“……”

Our eyes met as they slowly approached me with swaggering steps.

There was a thick smirk on their faces.

“Kiddo, I’ve never seen you around here before. Whose permission did you get to run your business here?”

“Whoa there, don’t be too hard on her. Let’s just wrap this up nicely for everyone, yeah?”

“Shut up. You’re the one who likes to rough them up the most. Just like last time when you went crazy on that girl’s stomach…”

Their laughter grew darker as they drew closer.

It seemed they were thrilled to have found an easy target to toy with.

What a coincidence.

Right now, on my face…

“Heh.”

I probably had a grin just as wide as theirs.

“Huh? Why the hell are you smiling? Don’t smile, you’re making me attached, damn it.”

“Oh, up close, her face is pretty good. Did Madame miss recruiting a new girl?”

“Then we should give her the full Magrid-style welcome for new recruits…”

Ah, thank you.

There are plenty of outlets here.