Chapter 12: No One Else But Me… a Robot, Part 3

The next day.

We just have to wait for the results of the debriefing and counseling of the girl we've encountered, and now the results are in.

The girl is indeed one of the many victims of Otto's unwanted advances, and she asks never to be identified in fear of reprisal.

She was recommended by the officer in charge of cases of unwanted advances to do the following.

"Communicate with him sparingly and cut off those chats; only send him a message if you just want to copulate. Clarify the agreement that you only want him as a "casual encounter". If he disagrees, he either didn't really get the memo, or his delusions are beyond repair now. Right now, you look so confused with your current setup. You're vulnerable to attachments and it's your first time. And thus, it's best that you discuss your terms with him as soon as possible.

"But if those delusions indeed went too far, keep us in touch. We will take further actions against him, no questions asked."

Alright. It's just a matter of time before that deviant is finally brought to justice.

Again, we three do nothing but chill, letting the long arm of the law do its thing.

But right before we eat lunch, we're receiving an emergency message.

And it's from Dax!

"Fred, everyone! I've spotted Otto Sarthou around the hospital area! Better surround him, OK? The authorities are also after him!"

Alright, time to spring into action!

Since we will be chasing a fugitive, it's better if we three separate and then coordinate via our phones.

And since Aurora doesn't have a phone yet, a still-working one that Leigh doesn't need anymore will be the one to use for now.

As planned, we all head separately towards three possible areas where the fugitive can escape, and they all come from the hospital itself.

We all keep our eyes peeled on even the littlest of suspicious movements, even though we don't have an idea what he looks like in the first place.

Leigh then messages us.

"I've spotted someone suspicious! I'm gonna go after him!"

Alright, I trust you, darling.

***

My plan all along is to bait Otto into having a casual encounter with me, then alerting the authorities once he goes too far. This is akin to a sting operation, I may add.

And thus, in a parking lot not too far from Emmanuel Slacie Memorial Medical Center…

I try to act all flirty.

"Come here, boy. I've got what you need… and more."

No sooner does a thirty-something man who's clearly showing some signs of aging such as wrinkles on his face, but still maintains his drive, judging from the twitching fingers he has, approach me.

I try to stay composed and confident in the midst of his encroaching creepiness as he initiates…

"Whoa! A perfect 10! Forget about that other girl… you'll be the one I'll take for tonight! I'll guarantee you'll be happy in my arms in no time, babes!"

"Alright, boy. We can stay in any place we like. Like… my house."

Hmm… most likely, he doesn't know I'm one-half of Brave Ad 65.

Or his tastes in music are wildly different from mine.

Maybe he prefers… those kinds of songs with instruments that are sure to arouse the basal instincts?

Like that instrument named after a Belgian inventor?

Aw, now I'm getting off-tangent. Let's get this over with.

I message to Fred and Aurora in secret that I'm actually luring that creep into our apartment.

Aurora replies, "Alright. We'll head to the apartment right away, but we'll stay put outside. On your mark, we'll startle him, OK?"

Sounds like a good plan.

Alright, now I'm pretending to be all flirty with Otto as he and I walk back to the apartment, pretending to be lovers.

Hmm… come to think of it, I could be a good rental girlfriend if I keep that act up.

But then, I'm the actual, honest-to-goodness girlfriend of a man named Frederick Keith Nighy, and not a make-believe one.

Alright, back to the actual pretension.

It's clear from his face that he's raring for "action" right away, as his fingers twitch more, his lips are prepared for a sloppy French kiss, and he's ready to unzip his pants.

Alright, Fred and Aurora. I'm giving you the signal right away!

***

Man, I never knew Otto Sarthou could be this thirsty.

Alright then, Aurora and I are given the go signal, so off we go!

We open the door just as the deviant is about to do the deed on my girlfriend.

Since our apartment unit has no back door where he can escape, she and I just block the one and only entrance and exit door.

But that isn't enough for him to just slip past through us via a gap in our human wall!

Man, he's really that sly!

Just as we three are all chasing after him, the cops on standby within the vicinity also start chasing after him.

That deviant is getting away from the authorities and us. He is unarmed, but he sure runs freaking fast!

After what seems to be six minutes of a wild goose chase…

We three and the authorities finally corner Otto in an alleyway.

"You have the right to remain silent," one of the officers declares as Otto steps backwards, unaware that he's walking into a dead end full of dumpsters.

"Just how many women's lives will you ruin all because of your delusional beliefs about love, huh?" I quip.

Leigh and Aurora echo my sentiment.

"Your days of being a walking harassment lawsuit will be over~"

Judging from the fear on his face (and he's not faking it), Otto Sarthou finally gets down on his knees as he surrenders.

"Alright! Alright! I give up! I won't prey on women any longer!"

So after a hearty lunch, we three decide to take part in the pre-arraignment proceedings, in which Otto confesses everything and admits his faults.

***

I am Otto Sarthou, a freelance app developer who has a delusional view on women and is now taking advantage of casual encounters to satiate my cravings for a significant other.

My short-sighted view of women I uphold today is a result of a childhood experience I will never forget for the rest of my life.

It was back in grade 5.

I've had a crush on a girl named Nini.

She was the epitome of innocent beauty – long, straight hair, brown eyes, and amply-sized lips.

Of course, I instantly fell in love with her the moment I first laid my eyes on her.

But then, I remembered something that really infuriated me.

I was the only son of a strictly conservative couple who was arranged a marriage with another girl – a girl I had no interest in, since I barely even knew the girl in the first place.

I've always wanted to break free from their clutches, seeing as I grew up with books and nothing else – not even toys. And due to their overbearing control over me, I eventually hated reading.

The first act of rebellion I did… was to propose to Nini herself, learning all about the ins and outs of courtship from the books I came to loathe.

I knew my parents would eventually catch me being in a relationship with a girl they didn't approve at all.

But what I didn't know…

...is that they angrily invaded the school I was in and forcefully separated me and Nini once they saw me propose to her.

Naturally, she and I wanted to defend our newborn love, but my parents instead reported us to the principal's office.

With their bribes, the principal decided that Nini and I would never meet at school or anywhere else ever, with a minimum radius of ten feet.

It was so heartbreaking, that I wanted to curse my fate of being born into an overly strict family!

What was even more heartbreaking…

...was that, in the elementary graduation ceremony, I was not just barred from seeing Nini again…

...but I also voiced my defiance to my parents when I received my diploma.

They… they simply disowned me, snatching my diploma away.

While I was thankful that I broke free from my parents' control… my thoughts of Nini would eventually taint my views of love for the next years of my life.

First, I ogled on girls. And I graduated to taking advantage of women's thirstiness, which brought back my longing for a girlfriend.

And now, I'm a wretch. A complete and utter wretch who squandered every opportunity to fix my own twisted views of love, and is now paying the price for it.

Let this man be an example of not using childhood heartbreaks as an excuse to muddle the already-muddled definition of love.

***

Otto Sarthou, as he admitted to his various counts of misdemeanors related to harassment, will undergo 12 months of imprisonment in a local jail. Once he is set free, he can go back to being an app developer – but he will be under intensive scrutiny of the authorities to ensure he will never prey on women again.

With the case resolved, we can now go back to what we do best – serenading patrons with our unique take on country songs.

Curiously enough, many of the girls who were victimized by that deviant comprise a good chunk of tonight's patrons.

And thus, we roll out a country-styled cover of a famous duet song taking about endless love, because we want to give our distinguished guests one, albeit indirectly.

Hope they've learned their lesson and not let themselves give in to their basal instincts.