The Disparate One
XVIII

It had been a few days since Oxford witnessed the somewhat spectacular moment between the two. It persisted in his mind as he wrote it down on Ray’s document, sharing it with the rest of his team. He spent most of the days in his bedroom because he had to plan for his trip with his friends, and of course, thinking of Sion’s idea of Ray being a brainwashed Micro. Even if the idea was wrong, they still had to deal with him for probably a long time. However, if the idea was right… could this be a conspiracy? What if Oxford was right all along that the management was toying him?

He leaned backward as he stretched his back, chair squeaking while rubbing his forehead, then his eyes. He got up from the seat and slid the curtains away, bringing sunlight back to the room. He glanced at his wristwatch after he stretched his neck and arms. He fixed his unruly hair before walking out of the room and across to the other side of the penthouse, where he heard the two’s echoing voices.

He stood with a stance on the doorway of the laboratory, watching Ray and the robot create glow sticks. Their vials glowed beautifully in their hands until the lights were flicked on by Oxford.

The two were wearing smiles and lab gowns, however, Ray was the only one wearing goggles and gloves. As Oxford approached them, he joked about them eventually creating a nuclear reactor in his residence one day.

“...either way, you two seem to be having much fun as I’ve anticipated,” he added, stopping at the other side of the island, hands tucked into his pocket.

“It would be better if you joined,” Ray brought out another pair of goggles from the cabinet. Oxford waved his hand, declining the offer.

“I know. That’s why you’re coming with me to the trip,” said Oxford, pausing the conversation for Ray and the robot to exchange gazes, smiles disappearing.

Ray looked at Oxford, furrowing. He asked if he was joking and Oxford shook his head No with a serious look. Oxford knew Ray would react this way, excited. But he was wrong. Ray placed the glass tube down and cleared his throat. He glanced at the robot who hid his frown by stepping away, pretending he was doing something.

“What about him?” Ray motioned at the robot whose back was facing them.

“Simple. As usual, he stays.”

Oxford said while showing no emotion. He then left the laboratory, leaving the two speechless from the sudden intrusion of their moment. Ray took off his goggles and gloves with a disappointing sigh. He removed his gown when the robot spoke.

“It’s alright. I’m used to it anyway,” the robot tried to be calm, but was horrible at hiding his shaking voice, “Y-you should start pack-”

“No,” Ray intervened. With a determined face, he marched out of the laboratory and to Oxford.

The robot quickly followed but stopped at the end of the corridor, pressing his body on the corner as he listened to their voices.

“...isn’t there another way for him to come with us?” Ray asked, placing his hands on his waist, staring at Oxford who was holding a few oranges, the door of the fridge slowly closing behind him.

Oxford cocked with his eyes narrowing. He didn’t expect his test subject to react this way. Definitely not how Micro would. He blinked several times at Ray before proceeding his way to the juicer.

“You do know he’s a robot right?” Oxford said, then he continued that if someone saw the robot, it would cause catastrophe not just on the surface, but in the facility as well, resulting straight in a death sentence for Ray and Oxford and his entire team.

Oxford wasn’t going to risk it. He had put his life at risk many times enough already. Even others.

“So what if he’s a robot? What is the point of having him here in the first place then, to be a slave?” Ray questioned with a stern look.

Oxford squeezed the sliced orange into his glass while looking at Ray with a brow raised. He thought of what caused this person to grow empathy and affection for someone made out of metal and circuits in the first place.

“You better think twice before opening that mouth!” Oxford snarled with a glare.

Ray gulped when almost all of his courage was stripped away from the sudden blast. He moved his head down and sighed. Their conversation paused for a moment, only the stirring of Oxford’s orange juice could be heard.

Ray straightened his back. With his remaining courage, he looked at Oxford straight to his eyes and said,

“I’m not leaving without him,” Ray stood still.

Oxford was baffled by the teen’s statement. The two looked at each other as Oxford sipped his cold beverage. Oxford was confident Ray violated some rules with that one statement, but something prevented him from mentioning it. Maybe because he didn’t know all of the rules, resulting in him being unable to pinpoint which, this could also undermine his position. Strangely, Oxford felt like Ray had leveled the field between them. A first with his test subject.

Ray remained in his position, he was not asserting dominance or anything, he had spent a lot of time with the robot to the point where he realized how lonely he had been prior for a long time. It was as if someone bought a toy but had forgotten in some closet.

Oxford slightly shifted his head to the side, giving a more dominant look, while standing tall, like what he usually did in the facility. The intense moment was disrupted when a third voice joined.

“It’s alright Ray,” the robot revealed himself, grasping his hands together.

“No!” Ray glanced over his shoulder, “It’s either we all go or one of us does!” Ray strengthened his decision, standing by on his statement, forgetting who he was compared to the two.

The robot hastily walked and stopped next to Ray, pressing his metal hand on his shoulder as a signal for him to turn away and forget all of this. He assured again for the third time, this time whispering to him. But it had no effect. It was like the robot was talking to a statue. Ray remained still, fighting the robot’s soft force of retreating him from the talk. He nudged Ray’s shoulder, he was close to starting begging when Oxford finally spoke.

“Alright, if you so desire for him to join us, then so be it,” Oxford stirred his beverage, moving his gaze at his robot.

The two’s bodies relaxed a bit, but Oxford wasn’t done yet.

“You will hold responsibility for the robot’s safety throughout this trip, should he get caught, well, don’t expect me to defend you from your execution,” Oxford paused to sip, “still up for it?” he smirked.

Ray looked at the robot’s lonely eyes then back to his Guardian. He bravely nodded. Oxford’s dominance vanished. He couldn’t believe Ray would risk his own life for someone. Very strange.

“Alright,” Oxford nodded back to the two, finishing his drink.

The robot interrupted, asking how they would deal with his eye-catching appearance.

“...I can already feel the metal detectors and the x-ray machines…” the robot shivered.

“Don’t look at me for answers,” Oxford shrugged, staring at Ray who should be the one to deal with the problem.

To add more pressure, while Oxford was heading to his bedroom, he stated that their cruise leaves the dock at eight in the evening. Ray took note of it. Once alone with the robot, he received a playful punch from him. Ray only responded with a victorious smile.

“You nearly got us killed!” whispered the robot. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Ray rubbed his shoulder while saying to the robot that he should be thanking him instead, otherwise he would try to escape the penthouse again due to ‘boredom’. The robot immediately placed his hand over Ray’s mouth with his widened eyes. He knew Ray meant it as a joke, but he should know when to use it. The two gazed at each other, understanding that both of them didn’t want Oxford hearing any of it.

The two went to their own bedrooms where they placed their empty luggage on the floor. Ray was in his closet, mumbling to himself as he decided which of these he would bring with him to the trip. But, just to be sure, he included a pair of his suits.

The robot in the other room was staring at the wall, taking one last look at the pictures with a smile on his face for the first time. He shook himself out of the moment and started to gather his belongings. He skipped and jumped back and forth from place to place in his bedroom. He wanted to bring the globe but feared he would break its significance.

Ray pressed down on his luggage as if doing CPR. Placing his entire weight on it, he reached out for the zipper, finally closing it with a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, the robot only packed a few things into his luggage which barely gained weight.

A few hours later, Ray’s mouth watered. He sniffed again before finally submitting to follow the delicious smell from the kitchen. He heard something sizzling. The robot was wearing a tall chef hat when flipping a pair of steaks in the air. He poured wine into the pans, sparking a glorious, crackling fire.

Ray silently took his seat on the dining table, admiring the robot where he noticed something… new. The robot hummed and slid around the kitchen instead of walking. And of course, the hat was the prominent feature.

Once the steaks turned red-brown, the robot gently placed the products on the plates, dressing them elegantly and wiping the edges. He lifted both plates like a fancy waiter. He turned around and nearly dropped his hard work when he spotted Ray.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” the robot shook his head with displeasure.

Ray only let out a soft chuckle while watching the robot serve. Oxford joined them later on as Ray ate lunch. He was pouring gravy on his mashed potato when he heard Oxford’s question, reminding the two about the robot’s appearance. While he chewed, Ray glanced at the metal body, visualizing him wearing clothes. It worked, but not completely. The problem left was his face. He told the others of his idea. They had the same question.

“A mask… perhaps?” Ray grinned.

The robot shook his head disappointingly while Oxford rolled his eyes with a sigh. Ray fidgetted his fingers on the table as he brewed more ideas. He could either make another head that had human features, though, he bet it would be time-consuming, especially when they only had a few hours left. A mask was the only way, but how? He couldn’t just make one out of thin air.

Ray gasped when a bulb lit up. His gasp gathered eyes from the robot and Oxford, both had questioning stares. Ray told the two that he would push his idea of making a mask, which didn’t surprise the two, however, in a way that they didn’t expect. Ray remembered the time when he and Oxford were visiting Ony; Ray witnessed a few employees testing a holographic device that changed the appearance of a dummy robot.

Oxford thought about his idea, he didn’t frown, he admitted, it was somehow a great idea. It even made him contribute, maybe because he knew which one to contact. A few minutes after lunch, the robot was washing the dishes while he listened to the two’s conversation in the living room.

Oxford called Ony and requested a digital copy of the blueprint of the said device, which he then handed all to Ray who then spent an hour or two in the laboratory, watching the 3D printers buzzed. The robot was with him, watching him while swiveling on the stool. Minutes later, after putting all the pieces together and connecting the device to a power source, Ray snapped his fingers and said,

“Aha!” a holographic face hovered in the air.

Oxford came to the lab just in time when Ray accomplished the device, but their worry wasn’t over yet. Hopefully, would this work. Either way, Oxford would definitely add this to his document, probably even share it with other teams.

Ray gestured to the robot to stand straight when he temporarily placed the device under his chin. He began doing some adjustments on the face, modifying it, and quick tests, making sure the edges of the hologram completely wrapped the robot’s head, front, back, and bottom. Sadly the top of his head couldn’t be reached, but that could easily be fixed with a hat.

Once the robot’s head naturally looked human, Ray gave the thumb-sized device to him before getting showered. Oxford advised them to wear something fancy for their first impression to Oxford’s friends.

Oxford was wearing an ocean-blue suit with a red tie and a white hat while Ray decided to wear a typical black suit with a matching long tie. Upon walking to the living room, Oxford frowned and stuck his tongue out with disgust while forcing him back to his bedroom where he fixed him up further.

Oxford placed Ray firmly in front of the tall mirror before moving around the closet where he snagged a different style and color of tie while bringing out his tiny pack of gel that he always carried with him.

Ray admired Oxford’s hands moving around his necktie, knotting it with slight pressure on his neck. Then, Oxford began pulling his hair in all directions. Ray wanted to tap out when his eyes watered from the pain, but he instead decided to suffer through it in silence, staring at his reflection.

A few minutes later after uprooting strands of hair, gone was the test subject from the facility and replaced with a different, handsome person.

Ray blinked when he stepped forth to the mirror, turning around and doing some light poses. He never thought Oxford knew about male fashion.

“I was about to tell you how painful it was but I guess this is what it takes to be… striking,” said Ray to Oxford’s reflection when they heard footsteps from the door.

Oxford and Ray were in awe upon seeing the new sight of the robot. He decided to sport a black suit jacket with a dark red waistcoat with glossy patterns and a matching red tie. His taste of style outdone the two.

“W-what do you guys think?” the robot asked, smoothening his sleeves.

The two approached the robot with praises, unfortunately, there weren’t any roses to throw. Ray was glad to see the robot choose the suit he gave, he indeed looked ten times more attractive than the two combined! And, the robot looked like his pockets were filled with gold.

Before they left the room, Ray threw a red hat at the robot who then placed it on while activating the device, erasing his metal face. Oxford was walking back to the living room alone when he thought how drastically the atmosphere changed in this penthouse since Ray stepped in. Even he himself couldn’t keep up with the pace.

The three chatted for a little bit, complementing one another with their new aura before preparing for departure. They rolled their luggage out of the front door where the doormen carried it to their limousine. As they were heading to the elevator, Ray stopped when he noticed something sticking out from the robot’s appearance. His hands.

Oxford was the only one who owned gloves when he strode his way back to his bedroom, grabbing the same brown gloves that the robot wore on his escape. The robot never thought he would see those again.

After double-checking that the device was working properly, they finally headed down to the lobby where the robot stopped. At first, Ray thought he had forgotten something, hence he stayed with him, leaving Oxford to go ahead.

The robot stared at the shimmering streetlights and headlights on the other side of those glass doors. The dark sky together with the glowing moon. The robot never expected to step back to the outside world again, let alone at nighttime and on a trip, especially after his promise. He was thankful he wasn’t a human or else he would be a walking fountain.

“Ready?” Ray softly placed his hand on his shoulder with an enthusiastic smile.

Oxford was in the limousine, observing the two interact.

Micro wouldn’t do that, thought Oxford when he slid to the other side to make some room for the two.

Their chauffeur drove them to the terminal where a few cruise ships docked and surrounded with tiny, working ants, some were operating forklifts, handling luggage and supplies. Oxford made absolutely sure that no one was left behind when they pushed through the crowds. The entire process through the terminal was going smoothly, bribery included when suddenly, they halted in front of a short line. A line to the security.

The beeps of the metal detectors and the hums of the x-ray machine stiffened the robot.

“He won’t be affected by those, right?” Ray looked at Oxford with a frightening look.

“Of course he won’t! They’re not that stupid when building the first prototype,” said Oxford, hiding uncertainty.

They lined up, Ray was at the front, Oxford was at the middle, and the robot was at the back. Seconds later, as they inched towards the machines, Oxford leaned down to Ray’s ears and whispered.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Ray shot a fearful look at Oxford but hid it from the robot.

I guess there’s only one way to find out, Ray thought, grinning and holding his guts in.

Ray passed the security without a problem, the same happened to Oxford. They stood nearby, eyes wide and heart-thumping when the robot froze one step away from the detector. The robot looked back at them as if they were speaking telepathically that they regretted this decision.

The robot closed his eyes when he moved his foot forward. He could, no doubt, feel something inside him moving and buzzing. Would he combust into flames? Would he never see the two ever again if he triggered the detector? He wanted to run away, but then…

“Next,” the guard spoke, motioning the robot to proceed.

Ray and Oxford exhaled like a deflating balloon. Once the robot regrouped to them, he smiled and sighed as well.

“Funny, here I thought to see you, or a part of you, to get stuck on those machines,” Ray joked before resuming their walk.

At last, they got out of the building where people dispersed to their ships. Ray slightly shivered from the winds blowing through between the two colossal ships. They dragged their luggage onto a ramp and into one of the gigantic ships. Ray and the robot were stunned by their sheer sizes. Must have taken forever to build one.

Walking through the halls, Oxford explained that he booked two suites. Ray and the robot would be separated from him, for safety measures. Oxford would be staying with his friends in the opposite room to theirs.

They didn’t have time to get bedazzled by their rooms since Oxford had scheduled a reservation with one of the exquisite restaurants. While making their way to the restaurant, Oxford told them that this was where they would meet his friends. He stuttered when he reminded them to act naturally at all cost. Ray saw no problem with the reminder, though, he did notice the sudden worry on Oxford’s face.

A few minutes later, Oxford stood up from his seat when two females arrived. Ray’s nose picked up the same scent of strawberry and rose. They shook their hands around the table with smiles. The robot had been waiting for this day, to interact with a human being. Finally, studying human interactions had paid off.

“This is Azalea.”

Oxford introduced the girl with gorgeous, curled, blonde hair and captivating brown eyes twinkling from the chandeliers. Her red velvet dress swayed gracefully when she sat down. Oxford cleared his throat and his calm tone disappeared.

“S-she’s my daughter.”

Ray and the robot darted confused gazes at each other.

“A-and this is Zinnia, my w-wife.”

She had the game golden hair as their daughter, but bouncy and sliding down her shoulder. Her contrasting white dress together with her glamorous smile made her look like an angel.

What an odd set of “friends”, Ray thought with a fake grin.

Once everyone seated, Oxford gestured to one of the waiters nearby. Ray and the robot were silent, not because of how gorgeous they were, but of the fact that Oxford just lied to them! They were not his friends at all!

“...and also some oysters,” Oxford followed the last order before sending the waiter away.

Zinnia breathed in, pushing out her chest.

“Well! What fine gentlemen you two are!” she grabbed her glass when a waiter began pouring wine.

Ray thanked her for the compliment and introduced himself to the two females. He straightened his posture, applied his proper dining etiquette, and took a glimpse of the robot next to him when Zinna asked for his name.

Ray’s eyes widened for a quick moment while he sipped their finest wine. He discreetly looked at Oxford who also swallowed his wine. He stuttered, saving the robot from the exposure.

“H-his name is…” Oxford closed his eyes and his right hand began to wave around, snapping his fingers, “Fier!”

“What a unique name!” the wife smiled with a soft nod and cheers.

“Indeed it is,” Fier calmly replied, glancing at Oxford who returned to drowning himself with wine.

Their water returned with their trays of fresh oysters. Oxford waved at the waiter to his side and whispered to not serve anything to Fier, lying that he had already eaten. The waiter understood the request and eventually retrieved Fier’s tray. Oxford told his daughter and wife just to be sure.

“So, how did you three meet?” asked the daughter, grabbing an oyster.

Ray stopped forking the oyster and gazed at Azalea. In the corner of his eyes, he could see Oxford immediately formed a fake story.

“They’re newcomers to the place where I work. I decided to invite them to… at least reward them a break from the stressful job,” Oxford smiled.

“No wonder you two looked wealthy,” commented Zinnia.

Ray and the robot nodded. They continued to chat during their dinner. Ray was able to assist Oxford in producing lies to hide their true identities when they got to their main course. Soon, Fier also began to produce lies. It was a successful dinner with Oxford’s… friends.

They were heading back to their rooms when Oxford, who was trailing behind the girls, slowed down. He gave enough distance from their earshot before speaking, but Ray took the opportunity.

“’Friends’ huh?”

“I never thought that a family member, especially a father, could view them as ‘friends’,” the robot added.

“Alright! I lied!” Oxford motioned his hand to calm the two so that he could defend himself.

He admitted that he made the “friends″ stuff up to protect their identity, which made the two curious as to why. Once the problem was instantly solved, Ray and Fier went to their room where they jokingly brought up the moment again.

“He has some gorgeous friends,” said Ray with a passive-aggressive tone while taking off his suit in front of the mirror.

The robot sat on his bed where he took off his shoes and gloves. He snickered quietly as Ray continued to mutter. The robot turned off the device and placed it on the nightstand. Within minutes, the two were in their pajamas, watching the tv, when they heard a knock.

They had no time for the robot to change appearance, so as they planned, Fier agreed to hide in the closet while Ray took care of the stranger. He lifted himself by his toes into the peephole. It was Oxford.

He snapped his fingers aloud as their sign that everything was clear. He unlocked the door and let the man in. Fier returned to his bed.

From the fine night, Ray and Fier were shocked to see Oxford’s frown. They didn’t say anything nor joked about the dinner. Oxford plopped on the nearest armchair and rested his head on his hands, rubbing his brows.

“Remember Sion?”

Ray nodded.

“He’s dead.”

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