BATTER 13

After an absurd silence, Baron arched both eyebrows and spoke.

“I’m a dog person.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the being corrected himself.

“Woof!”

“I like armadillos, too.”

He only threw that out as a joke. However, the being was more sincere than expected. Instead of smiling awkwardly, the guy accessed a video portal and actually managed to track down an armadillo’s cry.

“Ooo-way-oh-oh-ong.”

In the end, an excessively realistic onomatopoeia emerged. That day marked the first time Baron had ever heard what an armadillo sounds like.

“…They really cry like that?”

“Yes. The reference material is as follows: Dr. Animal. (2241, Apr 21). Screaming Armadillo [Video]. MeTube…”

“Ah, thanks. Thanks. Excellent, yeah.”

Baron hurriedly cut him off before the guy could finish citing his sources in APA style. He stared quietly at this robotic witness—beautiful, but nearly useless for testimony. If it had been five minutes after the final shooting, the suspects would have had more than enough time to flee. Should he just rip out the memory anyway to verify if he was telling the truth?

“You said you’ve been helping injured people until now, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then you must have a lot of friends in this neighborhood?”

“Yes, most of them like me! There are friends who help me charge my battery, and also…”

The being began to ramble on. The main gist was who had done what for him. It suddenly occurred to Baron that while the citizens of the Lower City might not talk to a detective or even Neon Leon’s Paul, they might be a bit more cooperative with this guy. He was a bit airheaded, but he was a respectable resident who had survived twenty-three years in the Lower City.

“Hey, pretty boy.”

“Yes!”

He seemed to know he was pretty, as he answered faithfully even without being called by name. Baron met his eyes and spoke.

“You like helping people, don’t you?”

“Of course!”

The Chief’s attempt at “comfort” came to mind. Take three months off? He’d rather die. Baron, who hadn’t even thought of a last will yet, gave a sharp grin.

“Then give me a hand.”

“Yes, gladly! What kind of help do you need?”

The being held his head stiffly and his eyes sparkled like a dog waiting for a command. Baron could almost see a tail wagging furiously near his waist. Now, with a kind face, Baron prepared to throw the frisbee.

“I’m looking for something. It’s very important, and I think I’ll need your help to find it.”

“Are you looking for a person or an object?”

“Maybe both. But the people here are a bit unfriendly to me. Yet you say everyone adores you? I’d be very grateful if you helped me out.”

Fetch! As if he had been waiting only for those words, the being replied with a radiant smile. He looked exactly like a pet dog about to catch a frisbee that hadn’t even been thrown yet.

“Yes, gladly! I will help you as much as you need. After all, I am S2—2, a friend, lover, and family for the lonely you, who will always love you.”

“Right, right.”

If anyone was lonely, it seemed to be this blonde android. However, Baron was the one who had to worry about choosing the right words. What would be the appropriate question for now? Rolling his eyes from left to right, Baron spoke before too much time passed.

“Have you ever heard of a man named Paul Xavier?”

“I’ve heard him referred to as a scary thug.”

“By whom?”

“That’s a secret. I was told that speaking carelessly about a member of Neon Leon could cause big trouble.”

Tight-lipped about other people’s business, are we? It wasn’t his intention to ask how ruthless Paul Xavier was, anyway. Baron lowered his voice to make it sound a bit gentler.

“But I heard those guys all got rounded up and locked away?”

“But I heard a few of them weren’t caught. They say Paul Xavier wasn’t caught either.”

“What are people saying about him lately?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

So, at the very least, he hadn’t heard any talk of a “traitor” or a “snitch.” It seemed the news that Paul Xavier was an undercover cop hadn’t spread yet. Well, the transition from arrest to custody had been instantaneous. In that case, was the attack the other day targeted at Neon Leon’s Paul Xavier?

Baron thought of several gangs that frequently clashed with Neon Leon. He could think of plenty of candidates, but with Neon Leon virtually dismantled, was it really that necessary to take out the boss’s right-hand man? If so, why didn’t they finish the job? Did an interloper really appear? If so, the blonde android who showed up a step late wasn’t the “interloper.” Was there another witness?

Or, making all these deductions meaningless, had this guy given a false testimony with that innocent face?

Baron needed a moment to organize the information. To do that, he didn’t need to continue the interrogation in a damp, smelly vacant lot. Baron glanced back once and walked toward a car parked a few feet away. Though he hadn’t said a word, the being followed him and plopped down into the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?”

“I sat down next to you!”

“I mean, why?”

“Because I wanted to sit next to you!”

“You shouldn’t just jump into a stranger’s car. Have you no fear?”

He thought even androids were programmed with a minimum level of caution. Baron smiled and adjusted the rearview mirror. He cast a brief glance at the space behind the car before turning his eyes to the android in the passenger seat. This being, who claimed to have wandered aimlessly through the Lower City for twenty-three years, had eyes shining as if he’d never even seen a puddle of gutter water.

“Why is that? Do you perhaps intend to dismantle me and sell me to a broker? Or do you have plans to exploit me in a way that violates the laws regarding the safety, management, and protection of androids?”

The being prattled on fearlessly from the passenger seat. Baron let out a hearty laugh.

“Should I?”

“No.”

“I don’t plan to, either.”

“Then there is no reason to be on guard. Where are we going?”

There was no need to reveal his actual address here. Somewhere he could catch his breath and test the guy’s sincerity would be enough. Baron decided on a destination by scouring his memories from his time with Neon Leon. There was a district in the Lower City packed with lodging facilities. From places that stacked visitors like cargo…

To motels greeted by unmanned systems that were embarrassing to even call artificial intelligence.

—Welcome! How many guests in total?

“Hello! I am S2—2, who will always love you. According to the laws regarding the safety, management, and protection of androids, there are two of us in total.”

When Baron finished parking and walked up, the being was introducing himself to the kiosk at the motel entrance. Baron signaled with his eyes as he paid for a day’s stay.

“You’re quite polite. Are you two old friends or something?”

“We’re as close as I am to you!”

“Ah, so you don’t know it at all.”

Baron chuckled along with him and caught a glimpse of the area behind them out of the corner of his eye. Once the payment was processed, the kiosk spat out an entry card along with a mechanical welcome. When he tapped the card against the pad, the door opened. Inside, the air smelled of cigarettes, burning rubber, and a deodorizer mimicking lavender.

The building might be managed by machines, but one had to use the stairs to get to the rooms. If you took a deep breath on the stairs and in the hallways covered with thin, low-quality carpet, it felt like dust would get stuck in your lungs. Only the android, who had no lungs to breathe with, prattled on incessantly, but since the building wasn’t particularly impressive, there wasn’t much worth listening to.

Baron found the room number encoded on the issued card. It was the room at the very end of the hallway. When he opened the door and entered, the same deodorizer scent he’d smelled in the hallway hit him. This artificial fragrance was… how should he put it? The smell of memories? Baron smiled and tapped on the wall-mounted television in the room.

“Wow, this is a total relic. A genuine relic.”