Chapter 3: The seeds of sweet disaster.

The imposing store he'd just entered looked even bigger from the inside. Once inside, only the huge shelves filled to the brim with clothes were visible. However, Reiner awkwardly opened his mouth, trying to reassure Alice even more awkwardly, as she remained stiff from the slight shock she'd suffered.

"Alice, try to forget it, I won't do anything to you, don't worry. Besides...it's just statistics, it's not always accurate."

"Why just me...and not save everyone else too?"

Alice murmured, her face showing only a pensive expression.

"These people paid for a product, it belongs to them, they can do what they want with it... It's not for nothing either that your database states that after a series of hardware malfunctions, the child synthetic range was discontinued and destroyed... A series of malfunctions could never have stopped profitable mass production..."

Alice listened to everything Reiner said, but still felt uneasy, not really knowing where to look, or what to really think. After all, how should we react when all our beliefs are collapsing one after the other? Especially if we've only just opened our eyes to this seemingly utopian world for the first time. Reiner continued to speak, trying to be descriptive so that Alice could better understand the reality of this world.

"You know, androids are considered objects, at least in our world, and very few people grant them rights, let alone consider them human. So you know, trying to save all the androids would be impossible...who wouldn't try to make a little money on such a flourishing business?"

After sighing, Reiner added a few words, trying to change the subject as he realized he was only making his situation worse.

"Despite that, would you like to help me get your clothes? I know there are better things to do, but..."

A sort of awkward silence settled between the two of them, leaving the soft music projected by the store, and the few conversations of the other customers as the only background sound. But this music was interrupted by a message announced in a mechanical voice.

"This is a message of prevention from the Honorable Great Governor, and from the government. The large asteroid approaching Earth will undergo a final strike before entering the atmosphere. Please do not panic in the coming days at the sight of this asteroid, and of the future launch of several explosive nuclear charges and possible long-range plasma beam shots aimed at deflecting, or totally destroying the obstacle in the event of a third failure. The asteroid is about the size of "UG", previously destroyed by a pre-emptive strike, but its material was incorrectly estimated to be much more durable than UG. It will be within ideal strike range in just under two days, by which time all the necessary armament will be ready for launch. Thank you for your attention and understanding. The risk of failure is almost nil, but we invite you to observe this incredibly rare and magnificent spectacle."

A commotion erupted among the customers, with talk of how big "UG" was. Reiner stood in the middle of this atmosphere, applauding discreetly as he murmured sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, just goes to show...it was possible to create an even more rotten atmosphere."

However, Alice wasn't really panicking; on the contrary, she seemed even calmer, and amused by Reiner's reaction. The news almost went unnoticed, after all it wasn't the first time, everyone knew there was no danger if they were hit before impact. Of course, some people panicked, thinking of the possible burglaries or robberies that would take place, just like the last few times.

With that in mind, Reiner headed for a magenta dress with a few frills. It didn't cost much and was quite modest, without looking poor compared to the other dresses. He pointed at it, before looking at Alice.

"Hey, Alice, what do you think of this dress?"

"It's very pretty, but I'd like to see some more..."

Alice replied, a little embarrassed. Even though she knew she could refuse, it was a little hard for her.

Reiner and Alice consequently looked for various other items of clothing, talking about anything and everything. Twilight had long since come to an end, transforming the beautiful orange cityscape into a bright city full of life even in the early hours, although the smaller streets were dark and empty. The store was as bright as ever, remaining open every day regardless of the hour, which didn't give Reiner, or Alice, any sense of urgency. Fortunately, after several more unsuccessful attempts to find clothes that would appeal to Alice, a few sets emerged.

These consisted of eight outfits. A magnificent blue dress with little ornamentation, apart from a single red stone at the top of its collar, which made Alice's eyes stand out surprisingly well. Three other simple outfits had also been chosen, consisting of jeans and T-shirts, plus several jackets to go with them. Likewise, an outfit consisting of a sports bra and a simple tracksuit lay in Reiner's bag, plus another set taken on a whim by Alice despite Reiner's strong opposition, consisting of a short blue skirt, a white shirt, and a beige jacket. As for the second-to-last outfit, it was made up of a black tank top and a pair of white shorts that can be seen everywhere, and as it was very hot these days, these outfits were a rather good choice. The last outfit, on the other hand, stood out from the rest, being a winter outfit.

Although in the end Reiner had been rather useless, being far too embarrassed to follow Alice, time had passed quickly, even if a feeling of oblivion overcame him. As there weren't many people around once night fell, they were soon able to head for home, continuing their frivolous chats to get to know each other better.

* * *

The journey wasn't long, and once home, Reiner froze, staring at a large cardboard box in the corner of his living room. He realized that the sense of forgetfulness he'd felt wasn't unjustified. He hadn't installed the android charging station, leaving it lying there. He then looked a little awkwardly at Alice, who looked happy as she carried one of her new outfits in her hands, knowing only too little or rage, as he said.

"Sorry...but, can you help me set up the charging station in the apartment...? ? I kind of forgot to do it..."

"Yes, of course."

Alice replied, flashing a slightly exaggerated smile, as well as her naturally cheerful tone of voice, making her look radiant. Which left Reiner wondering.

"What room do you want it in? Ah...and I'm sorry for the lack of space... There's just a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom..."

Alice took the time to think, then shook her head and spoke with a slight smile, less tense and more natural.

"Wherever it's least inconvenient."

It was with this vague answer that, after a few minutes of searching, Reiner realized that there were no longer any electrical outlets available, despite the sparse furniture in the relatively cramped living room. What's more, there were no power outlets available, making the very idea of setting up the station here impossible. With Alice's help, they began to set up the station in a corner of the room, away from the bed and the surprisingly clean desk with an old computer on it. However, a strange thing happened. The parts of the station seemed to disappear and reappear at times, even becoming stains of abysmal blackness that seemed to devour everything. But even more strangely, no one seemed to be paying the slightest attention, as if it wasn't real to them.

In the middle of the installation, Alice struck up a conversation, asking several little things to pass the time.

"Do you live here alone?"

"Yes...I...I think you might have noticed, and I've already told you don't bother to be so formal with me."

"I'll try..."

Alice replied with her usual smile, continuing to speak.

"Does your family often come to visit you? Or friends?"

Hearing this, Reiner laughed uncontrollably, speaking without much conviction.

"Seeing the state of this place, I think you've already got your answer...I don't really have any relatives or family left."

"Ah...I'm sorry..."

Alice stammered awkwardly, feeling instinctively sorry to have brought it up.

"It's nothing don't worry."

Reiner added with a smile, prompting Alice to ask a question, motivated by her curiosity.

"If...if it's not intrusive, can I ask why?"

"You can, there's nothing to worry about, do you want me to go into detail or make it quick?"

"As you wish, I'm already asking for a lot..."

Alice retorted, scratching her cheek.

"No, I told you, it's nothing."

Reiner sighed. He then took a deep breath, and spoke in a slightly trembling voice that he tried to mask.

"Well...my mother died when I was six in an accident caused by a deviant android. After that, my father saw almost no reason to live, leaving only my older brother and me. Then a woman found the situation interesting, and as my father had good savings in addition to a more than decent job, and I was only seven and a half...well. They got together when I was eight and a half, and married when I was nine. When I was fourteen, my father's condition became critical, and he died just before I turned sixteen, without even having had time to seek treatment, because he'd hidden from us that he'd been feeling ill for too long. So, this woman was left alone with me, and threw me out without a penny when I made a mistake."

Reiner resumed thoughtfully, as if recalling the past had sunk him in his thoughts.

"I got by thanks to my older brother who was nineteen and took me in, and I also met my one and only friend, Clovis. He had just turned eighteen, and had been thrown out of his orphanage. So I helped him out with a part-time job while he looked for work. Then afterwards, he rented an apartment and asked me if I wanted to live with him as the rent was a bit expensive for him alone, so I accepted so as not to become a burden, then afterwards I ended up here after falling out with my brother, so there you go, nothing very exciting, is there?"

Hearing the end of her sentence, Alice whispered hastily, waving her hands.

"I'm...I'm sorry I made you remember that... But don't say it's not exciting, it's what you've been through anyway..."

"Well, it's no big deal, don't worry, I only said it because I wanted to say it, staying in a stranger's house can't be pleasant for you... So I thought that if you knew me at least a little, it would bother you less... and then this story goes back a long way now."

Alice didn't know what to say, leaving a somewhat awkward silence. This silence lasted for a long time, to the point where the station was almost entirely in silence. So Alice awkwardly tried to change the subject, trying not to remain in this increasingly pensive silence.

"And... you'd mentioned periods using your age as a basis, so I was wondering how old you were..."

Reiner then tried on a somewhat forced smile, holding out his right thumb in the air as he spoke.

"I'm 23, and as one of the best professors would have said... Reiner 23, single and free as a bird..."

After saying this sentence Reiner began to blush, hiding his face as he whispered.

"When I say it, it really doesn't come across..."

This provoked a giggle from Alice, who dropped the mechanical part she was holding to the floor with a loud clatter, also leaving her a little embarrassed. Reiner also chuckled to himself as he assembled the last of the machine's parts, finishing after a few tens of minutes with a station almost identical to the one in the store, albeit without any glass around it. Reiner turned off the lights in the room to get a better view of the station, which lit up the place slightly with its soft bluish light, emitted by a few neon lights. Alice deactivated them, returning the darkness to this small room, before leaving it, following Reiner.

"I'm going to clean up a bit before recharging, you can go to sleep if you like."

"You need a rest too I-"

But as he spoke, Reiner was interrupted by Alice, who addressed him as she began to walk away towards the center of the room, all the while observing the disaster that was the apartment.

"You know very well that we have a seven-day autonomy, so don't try to protest by saying I need rest..."

Reiner tried to reply, but as his argument had fallen on deaf ears, he simply spoke with a dejected air while sighing.

"Let's finish this quickly, it's already twenty-two o'clock..."

The two continued to talk about various subjects, while cleaning the apartment, finishing a little before midnight, leaving Reiner exhausted in view of the colossal task of cleaning the place. On the other hand, the cleaning made the apartment shine, leaving a feeling of well-being to replace his tiredness, although both returned to the only bedroom to spend a well-deserved night's sleep.