Neon Hearts

Neon collective. A Sci-fi/cyber punk short story. A collaboration. A cool premise.

This story came to me as a surprize. It’s core emerged from the wonderful world created by

Damien Storm & Foxy Magick

. After I read one of their Neon City chronicles, I couldn’t stop the story from writing itself in my head. All I had to do was let the characters live out their love through my words in the darkly glowing Neon City

Damien Storm & Foxy Magick

has built. It’s futuristic, it’s cool, it’s fun, and it was an absolute pleasure to play in this world. Thank you

Damien Storm & Foxy Magick

for letting me enter your world and use this premise!

---

Neon rain dripped from Lyra's hair, but she didn't care. The mural looked stunning, her best work ever. The rain soothed her sweaty back. Her white, spray-paint stained T-shirt, her leather jacket, torn jeans’ skirt, even her fishnets and leather boots - all were drenched in glowing neon rain.

Finally, it was done. Her art was the only real thing that existed. All else in this city was a neon lie. Glowing surfaces of empty vessels, which Lyra equally loved and despised.

Her art was living, pulsing with her passion, a manifestation of reality. She was alive amidst this neon death, dressed in state-of-the-art tech achievements.

Lyra finally stepped back from her mural art piece. Only then did she get the eerie feeling of being watched. She was always careful, but tonight her art had occupied every bit of her attention.

Lyra realized - two glowing eyes were observing her every move from the shadows.

"What do you want?!" She yelled, pulling out her tiny, pathetic sonic teaser. It could barely scare off stray robodogs, but this thing looked much bigger.

A tall man stepped out the shadow. He was too good-looking for a simple human, besides the irises of his blue eyes were glowing in the dark.

An Al android. Neon City was full of this scum. Humans used them in every possible way; cheap staff, bodyguards, soldiers, prostitutes, you name it!

"What do you want?!" She yelled desperately.

"To communicate," he said.

Lyra burst out in nervous laughter. What a weirdo, this Al! A comedian?!

"That's funny. The likes of you don't usually want to communicate. Are you a chat bot?!"

"I'm programmed to be a bodyguard. My employer passed."

"Then you suck at your job, huh?!" She snickered, lowering her gun. He seemed quite harmless. He could've attacked her a million times while she was drawing.

"Nobody re-programmed me or gave me further instructions."

"So, you're just wandering around?" Lyra assessed his masculine flame. He was incredibly human-like. This thing must've cost a fortune. Hm... maybe she could sell it in the black market?!

"I'm exploring the human world. So far, I’ve found it quite...enjoyable," he said looking at her wet T-shirt intensely. Was that a flirtatious smile Lyra saw?! Interesting...

"So, you're a bodyguard without a job? How about you become my bodyguard?" She replied smiling daringly.

"I would like that very much, thank you. I'm not programmed to be unemployed. I don’t like being idle," his blue eyes had such a clear, innocent glow to them, Lyra smiled.

"I'm Lyra. What's your name?" She extended her hand. He shook it. His hand felt so real and warm.

"Circuit-13."

"Seriously? That's not a cool name. I'll call you...Glow. Because of your eyes. Okay?"

"I like it very much," he said. Their eyes locked, and Lyra could swear she felt a spark igniting her heart, as it skipped a beat. Was he really just a bionic robot programmed by Al?!

Lyra forgot the cold rain, the late hour of the night, even her art, she got lost in the deep look of his glowing bionic blue eyes, his perfect smile, even his dark hair looked good, despite the neon rain dripping from it.

“Your art is impressive. My former employer had a prominent art collection, but I haven’t seen anything like your creation.”

“Thanks…I guess,” Lyra let go of his hand and turned away shyly. She wasn’t used to receiving compliments for her spray-paint murals. Even here, in the Neon Gardens, where nearly every wall was covered in murals, street art was forbidden, and punished severely.

Lyra pulled out her holo-phone and took many pictures of her work from different angles, while Glow stood watching her silently.

“Those people approaching, are they your friends?” He asked.

Lyra turned around swiftly, but before she had said anything, a paintball machine-gun shot a full round of ammunition onto her work. Glow was quicker than the paintball capsules, he grabbed Lyra and jumped to the side, out of harm’s way.

“Let go! Let go!” She was about to stand in the way of the paint balls, smashing against the wall with neon splatters. Her work was ruined.

Meanwhile the group of teenage punks approached laughing and ridiculing Lyra’s crying.

“Oh, boo-hoo, Lyr! That’s what you get when you mess around in someone else’s territory!” Their leader moved closer.

“Eff off Spyke!” Lyra broke out Glow’s arms to jump in front of her work.

“Too late, squirt! Ungrateful, little Lyr! I took you under my wing, taught you everything you know…”

“You taught me shit! I was better than you two years ago, and I still am!”

Spyke, a tall punk with neon-pink hair, straightened his leather jacket, and pulled his hand back to punch Lyra’s face. It happened momentarily, Lyra didn’t see it coming, but Glow obviously did. He stepped between Lyra and Spyke, and stopped the latter’s fist with ease, breaking Spyke’s arm with a muffled crack. Spyke gave a deafening shriek! He pulled back like a beaten mutt, whining and howling behind the backs of his friends. The gang attacked Glow; Lyra stepped backward pressing her back against the wall. She stared, hypnotized by Glow’s quick moves. He took them out one by one, breaking limbs, spilling blood.

“He’s not human!” They yelled at the sight of Glow’s eyes.

“Took them a while!” Lyra said laughing, as the punks scurried away like a band of mangled cockroaches. Glow stood completely calm, only the blood on his knuckles and clothes proved his actions had been real.

“You’re awesome, Glow! Just surreal!”

“Thank you… I guess,” he replied smiling kindly. “I was just doing my work. I’m a bodyguard. You’re an artist, but your work has suffered.” He looked at the mural, dripping eerily bright neon-paint.

Lyra sighed, touching the cold, wet wall.

“Yeah, it sucks, but I got the pics! That’s more than enough.”

“How come?” Glow’s serious face pulled a tiny smile out of Lyra, despite the destruction of her best work.

“You’ll see. Come, we have places to be.”

***

Lyra moved through the Neon City as quick as a shadow, she knew the place well. She had grown up here, Neon City was all she’d ever known, though she always longed for something else…a place she’d seen only in her dreams. A forest of trees, glowing softly from the neon rain, a calm place of safety and solace, away from the dirt and the noise of the city.

“Where are we going?” Glow asked walking beside her. He had no trouble keeping up with her quick stride.

“Aren’t you a bit too nosy for a bodyguard?”

“Forgive me.”

“Don’t sweat, Glow! I’m just teasing you!” She laughed at his bewildered face.

“Teasing? I’ll remember that.”

“Why?” Lyra frowned.

“I am set on explore and learn mode. It means I tend to ask questions and remember the answers. And use them.”

Lyra snickered.

“You’re just a machine. Why would you tease anybody?”

“Aren’t you a bit nosy?” He asked, smiling cunningly.

Lyra gasped and laughed. Glow didn’t laugh, but his smug smile was truly charming.

“A quick learner and a smartass, huh?”

They took a cab downtown, Lyra knew how to crack the robo-cab pay-panel, so they’d have a free ride. She never paid for anything she could avoid paying for.

They sat in silence, the soundless cab hovered above the road, Lyra watched the Neon City lights flashing by, blurred in long, glowing lines.

“Were you really willing to get hurt for your art?” Glow asked.

“Yes, I would.”

“Why?”

“Because… because my art is the only thing that’s real. The only thing I can trust to remain,” Lyra explained.

“But it did not remain. The punks wrecked it,” Glow asked with his eyes wide.

“It did. It always does. In here.” She put her palm on her heart, “and sometimes others feel something when they look at my art. It’ll remain in there.” She placed her palm on Glow’s chest but drew back quickly. “If you could actually feel anything,” she murmured. Glow sat in silence for the rest of their ride. Processing the new information, Lyra guessed.

They entered a parking lot underneath a dark office building. Walking next to Glow’s athletic, towering frame made her feel safe. She wasn’t used to safety, but it felt good.

“You finally done?” A girl spoke from the shadows.

“Yeah, sorry! Some stuff got in the way.”

“So I see,” the girl stared at Glow.

Lyra handed the girl her holo-phone. She was used to a fast lifestyle, in Neon City - everybody was! The girl downloaded the pictures of Lyra’s art.

“Nice!” She said, smiling at Glow. “Here’s your share.” She handed Lyra a stack of money. Hard cash was still the most reliable currency in the underbelly of Neon City; hard to trace and safe to use.

“And my entrance card?” Lyra asked, her fingers still rummaging through the money, counting it.

“Here! And…” the blue-haired girl looked Glow up and down. He replied with a warm smile. “On the house. Take your friend with you.” She handed another entrance card to Glow.

“Don’t even think about it, Shade! He’s mine!” Lyra hissed jokingly. Obviously, Shade hadn’t noticed Glow wasn’t really human. The parking lot where he stood was well-lit, preventing his eyes from glowing. Shade would never invite an android to a rave. Only humans were allowed. But Glow was incredibly human-like. Lyra internally mused about Shade’s mistake. What a great joke!

They marched away from the parking lot.

“She seemed like a nice person.”

“Too nice, Glow! If I wasn’t there, she would’ve been all over you by now,” Lyra knew Neon City artist circles all too well. Heck, she was one of them! Everything was hard and fast in Neon City. No time for fancy chit-chat. Lyra assessed Glow’s looks while walking to the cab; he was a stunning guy, a bit too perfect though. His plain shirt was stained with blood, but it was nothing extraordinary in this city, plus the lights illuminating the streets made the blood look black. Her white shirt was glowing in neon, the wet fabric displayed her breasts and nipples openly. She noticed Glow looking at them more than once. A weird android. He couldn’t possibly be horny. Lyra tugged the leather jacket over her breasts.

“Wet clothes might cause you hypothermia. I suggest getting dry ones. Sadly, I cannot provide you with any,” said Glow.

“Does your programming include babysitting?” She retorted. “It’s okay, I’m used to crappy conditions. It’s stopped raining anyway. We’ll make another short stop and head home.”

“Home?”

“Yeah, the shit hole I live in. It’ll be your home too since you’re my bodyguard now.”

“Of course.” He nodded politely.

***

Another silent free ride took them to the slums. Usually, Lyra avoided this part of the Neon City, but since big money could be involved, she took the risk tonight. With Glow walking beside her, she felt safer than ever. She observed him secretly, so did he. Their eyes met several times, Glow smiled, and they looked away.

“This is not a good area of the city,” he noted, after a couple of punk groups had whistled and cussed at them, the homeless drunks spat at their feet and prostitutes kept inviting them to have a fun time.

“Well, doh! Sure, but I have a guy here I want you to meet.”

They went into an abandoned apartment complex; an elevator took them onto the top floor. Strangely, despite the place looking like crap, everything was perfectly functioning, the electric lights and everything. An empty corridor led them to a solid metal door. It even had fingerprint-lock. Lyra placed her fingers on it, to be scanned one by one. The lock blinked green, still the door wouldn’t open.

“Password?” A man’s voice bellowed from inside.

“Oh, come on, Hax! Don’t be childish!”

“It’s a scammer-proof trick, Lyr! Password!”

She sighed annoyed. “Fine! Password: Hax is the hottest guy in Neon City.” She recited monotonously.

“How long have we known each other?” She asked the man in the open door.

“Not long enough for you to sleep with me!” The freckled guy in black-framed glasses said smirking. “I should set sex as the entrance fee.”

“Charming! You’re not my type,” Lyra pushed him aside to enter.

“Riiiight,” Hax said looking up at Glow’s tall figure. “Oh… you got yourself a toy-boy!”

“You noticed, huh? He totally fooled Shade!”

“Wow… yeah. I get why.” Hax stared at Glow. “A fine model. Definitely nothing you could afford, Lyr! Where did you steal him? I suggest you bring him back, before you end up busted.”

“I didn’t steal anything! He found me in the Gardens. He’s a bodyguard.”

“Identify yourself,” Hax addressed Glow formally.

“Glow. Formerly known as Circuit-13.” He extended his arm to Hex for a handshake, but the latter jumped back awkwardly.

“He’s the reason I’m here. I need you to look at him and see if I could get a good deal for him,” said Lyra.

Hax invited them deeper into his apartment, which was a mess of wires, old and new tech devices, and countless computer monitors.

“And what am I getting out of this? You’re wasting my time now,” Hax leaned over Lyra in hope of a kiss. Glow stepped closer to him, giving the nerd a threatening stare.

“Whoa! Got yourself a fan-boy, huh Lyr?!”

“Just check out his data and specification and tell me where do I go from there.”

She told Glow to follow Hax’s instructions. They sat Glow into a computer chair, Hax attached multiple wires to his head, scanned his temple with a device, and tapped away on the keyboard. Glow sat still as a doll. Lines and lines of data appeared on Hax’s monitors.

“Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Hax gasped.

“What?”

“This is… so cool. This big guy here is the most advanced android I’ve ever seen. Look at that! His bionics are something… they kept everything human and sustainable by bio-chem they possibly could. His brain is more tech than tissue, but still… dude…” Hax’s eyes kept scanning the data lines. “He’s not just an android. He’s a work of art!”

“Who’s the fan-boy now?!” Lyra smirked.

“And you found him… where?” Hax’s voice gave out his greed.

“Don’t even think about it! He’s mine! But if you find him a buyer, I’ll share the profit.”

“Ouch, mmm, tough, Lyr! A model this advanced is easy to spot. I’ll have to dig deep to find a discreet buyer.”

“Do it!”

“Besides, I can’t access all the data. Even my tech isn’t advanced enough.”

“Are you saying, you can’t do it?” Lyra stepped closer to Hax, biting her lip flirtatiously.

“Don’t give me that look, Lyr! I know you don’t want me, but… okay, I’ll find a way.”

“Perfect! Call me when you’re done. Byeee!”

Lyra beckoned Glow to follow.

“Do you want to sell me?” Glow asked as soon as the door had closed behind their backs.

“Well, yeah, but it’s for your own good. And mine. You need an employer who could sustain your tech, I need money. Win-win! Okay?” She couldn’t help but feeling guilty. Why though? He was a machine, after all. Lyra gave him a guilty smile. The bewildered and lost look in Glow’s face stung her conscience.

“Come on, don’t look at me like that!”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re human. You’re not, okay?”

“I’m not.” He repeated, looking downward, with his jaw clenching. Damn! He seemed more human than any guy she’d ever met. How was that even possible?!

“Let’s just go home, I’m totally beaten, and it’ll be morning soon. I hate mornings.”

Glow nodded. Another robo-cab took them to the outskirts of Neon Gardens, where Lyra squatted in a ginormous apartment block. Lines and lines of intertwined skyscrapers, full of tiny capsule-apartments. Nobody asked questions, squatting was allowed if the real owners of the place didn’t find out. Lyra had squatted in this tiny place for a couple of years. At least she didn’t feel guilty of occupying a big place.

“Here we are!” She led Glow into the apartment. It only had one tiny room, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. Lyra had painted the bare concrete walls with the landscape from her dreams, deep green forest, and flowers.

“It’s beautiful,” said Glow, looking around slowly. The furniture Lyra had picked up by the trash. There was no neon in her place, not a single glowing item.

“I like this place. It’s very peaceful,” Glow said after assessing the apartment.

“Thanks,” she replied shyly.

“So… do you need a place to sleep, or… anything?” She had no idea what an android like him would want!

“Yes, my bionic parts need a place to regenerate, or sleep as you say. I have some protein bars to sustain me. But I do need to operate maintenance on my bionic parts.”

“What do you mean?”

“I need to keep the skin tissue clean.”

“You mean, like a bath?”

“Yes, preferably a bath. A shower might damage my audio circuits.”

“You mean when water gets in your ears?!” Lyra said laughing.

“Yes.”

“I hate that too. Okay, Glow! Let’s get you into a bath.”

Lyra’s apartment had running hot water and electricity, and she always wondered how that worked. She didn’t pay for it. All the money she made with her art went to food, clothes, and spray paint.

She filled the tub with hot water. Glow was too tall to lay in it, he would have to sit.

“Okay, you’re all good? Need help?”

“Considering the size of this bath, I might need help to wash my back tissue.”

“To scrub your back?”

“Yes,” he replied innocently, but Lyra had a funny feeling he could very well do it himself.

“Okay, call me when you need me.”

After 5 minutes of active splashing and scrubbing, he called her.

“Lyra, I need your assistance.”

She entered the tiny, steamy bathroom. To say Glow was gorgeous was to say nothing! He was perfect. Lyra swallowed hard and went around the bath to scrub his beautifully strong back. She couldn’t help but notice…

“Um… why… ugh…. Why do you have your manly parts? I mean do you use them? Or... um… whatever…” she stuttered whilst scrubbing his back.

“I was built on a base of a real physical body. The male genitals produce testosterone, necessary to give my body the muscle mass, strength and aggressiveness to function as a bodyguard,” he explained casually.

“Okay…” Lyra wasn’t listening, her hands glided over the muscles of his back along with the sponge. Damn! If he was real, she’d probably join him in the bathtub.

“Okay, I think you’re good,” she finally snapped out of the moment.

“Thank you.”

Lyra stepped out the bathroom, gasping a silent Wow to herself. She had seen naked men before, but this one was far above an average guy.

***

She gave Glow clean clothes, her Ex had left some T-shirts and sweatpants behind. They barely fit; still he looked almost like a normal guy. A very good-looking normal guy.

Lyra had microwaved mac’n’cheese for dinner, while Glow chewed on his protein bars. All the while they ate, he asked questions about her art. They ended up sitting on the couch together, Lyra showing him photos of her work on her holo-phone, then she pulled out her old paper scrapbooks full of sketches. She knew he was programmed to show interest in his employer, nevertheless it was nice to have a friend who liked her art, and who didn’t want to sleep with her. Somebody she could feel safe with.

It turned out, Glow’s former employer committed suicide, after forbidding Glow to follow him.

“I would have stopped him,” Glow said.

“I’m sorry I said you suck at your job. I think you’re a great bodyguard.”

“Apology accepted and… thank you,” he smiled, looking at her. They sat close staring into each other’s eyes. If he was a real guy, this is where they’d kiss, Lyra knew for sure. Instead, she turned away and cleared her throat. Too awkward. They talked some more about how she ran away from an unhappy household. How Spyke’s gang took her in, but she separated from them, because they broke the law more than she wished to.

“I didn’t want to get busted. Neon City prison is one place a girl doesn’t want to end up in. Besides, they’re all messed up, sniffing Shimmer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!”

“Shimmer?”

“A drug. Makes you see stuff. No good if you wanna make art. I don’t get Spyke. He lets his art become crap, because Shimmer makes your hands shake.”

“You stay alone to make art?”

“Yeah, I guess so. It’s harder to survive alone, but I’d choose loneliness over bad company anytime. I even kicked out Craig because he was jealous of my art.”

“Craig?”

“My ex-boyfriend. A crappy artist. Stole my ideas all the time.” Lyra shrugged.

They talked long after the daylight chased the neon night away. Lyra didn’t feel herself slipping into sweet sleep. She woke from a warm hand stroking her hair gently. She pretended to be asleep for a long while because Glow caressed her cheek, as she laid in his lap. It felt good. He might have been a human-like robot, but he definitely was the gentlest creature she had ever met.

***

She woke up alone on the couch, covered by her blanket. Was yesterday just a dream?

“You don’t have any cream. My former employer loved his coffee with cream,” said Glow coming from the kitchen with a mug of hot coffee. “Sugar?”

“Oh… yeah, sure,” Lyra sat, rubbing her eyes. It was too good to be true. She didn’t know what made her happier, coffee in bed or Glow’s smile, when he sat near her.

“Did you get any sleep?” She asked.

“I slept on the carpet. It’s your home. Besides real humans need more good quality sleep than… the likes of me.” She definitely heard sadness in his voice. Lyra wished she could comfort him, but she didn’t have a clue what to say! Instead, she held his hand. Yet again their eyes met, their faces moved closer slowly. Lyra wasn’t thinking, she just went along with the feeling. A second before their lips met, Lyra’s holo-phone buzzed in her lap furiously.

“It’s Hax,” she said with a heavy sigh. Glow took the mug from her and walked to the kitchen.

“What?”

“You sound annoyed. Did I interrupt something? Don’t tell me you’re using the poor guy as a giant dildo?! You can have me anytime you want, Lyr, no need for toys!” Hax chattered away.

“Shut up! Why are you calling?”

“I cracked the data. The guy is much more advanced than I thought. Did you notice I’m calling him “the guy”? Because he’s more human than tech.”

“Really?!” Lyra chirped, “how?”

“Now you sound happy. Oh, Lyr… anyway, he’s as advanced as it gets. I’ll explain in the dummy language - basically, they took a dead body of one guy, infused it with as many fine tech as they could, gave him an AI brain and downloaded another guy’s consciousness into the tech brain. So, he’s the closest to human as an android gets.”

“What are you saying? He’s human or not?”

“He’s in that narrow grey area in-between. Hard to tell. He’s real name was Luke. The guy whose data they downloaded into his brain. That’s what makes his reactions and behaviour so natural.”

“Thanks.”

“You don’t sound happy.”

“Just find me a buyer.”

“Split the profit 50/50?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Lyra hung up. The new information didn’t make this any easier. What was that moment before the phone call? If Glow was just a machine, why was he leaning for a kiss? Was he just imitating her, or was there something fundamentally human about him?

“Is everything alright?” Glow returned.

“Yeah, fine. Let’s go for a walk. I need to clear my head.”

***

They walked to the nearest park. Lyra had always been drawn to nature, the natural beauty of growing things. This park was tiny and pathetic, still she loved it. The trees and flower patches were glittering in the pale, smog-covered sun, yesterday’s neon rain had left its mark.

Glow’s smile was warm as the sun. They talked about nature and art. Lyra didn’t know how or when it happened, but they were holding hands when they left the park.

As mysterious and cool Neon City was at night, daylight turned it into a pathetic hangover-ridden place, colourless, dull and grey. Neon city was an illusion, only her art was real and… Glow walking next to her. His eyes were as blue as yesterday, his smile was sweet and his words kind. He even knew some silly jokes, which made Lyra laugh. She had a good coffee in the local coffee shop. Glow observed her lips touching the lid of the coffee cup. His warm hand caressed Lyra’s palm. It felt almost like a real date. The best one she’d ever had. He listened to every word she said. He understood her. They spent the whole day walking around the Neon Garden district, they bought Glow some new clothes for the rave, Lyra showed her work hidden in dark alleyways and abandoned buildings.

When the neon lights woke, and daylight retreated, they headed back home to change.

“It’s a big night tonight! Neon Eclipse is the coolest rave ever, it’s like art, music and dance performance intertwined, like losing yourself in art… it’s the best!” Lyra explained. He went to change into the bathroom, while Lyra did the same in the living room. She felt him watching her change silently. She said nothing.

“Oh, you’re ready?” She pretended to be surprised at him standing in the doorway.

“Could you please help me with this?” Her black leather top had a zipper on the back.

“Of course.”

Glow pulled the zipper over her nude back waaay too slowly. She bit her lip. Lyra wished he would touch her. She turned toward him. Glow’s eyes said it all. This was a human, and he wanted her.

Lyra’s holo-phone buzzed again.

“You should answer,” Glow’s lips whispered just an inch from hers.

“I don’t want to.”

“It might be Hax about the buyer.”

Lyra took the phone reluctantly.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, not happy again? You will be. I found a buyer.”

Lyra listened. The money would be enough for her to buy a place outside Neon City. To start a new life.

“Bring him to my place after the Eclipse, ‘kay? Our man will be there by 4:00 am.”

Another free robo-cab took them to an industrial district. Lyra knew what the clues on their entrance cards meant, she had been providing Neon Eclipse raves with her art every month. It was good money, enough to sustain her.

 The air between her and Glow felt electrified. They held hands all the way.

This is wrong, Lyra kept thinking, this is all an illusion. He’s an AI, he’s just imitating natural human behaviour. He can’t have real feelings.

A large, abandoned warehouse was booming with low bass beats. Neon lights greeted the two as they entered the rave. Neon City’s heart was beating here tonight, and all the coolest cats were dying to get into this place. It was a living dream - pulsing beats conducted by the best DJ’s, drinks and Shimmer included, and art that came to life as holograms all around them.

The place came to life with artwork holograms synchronizing with the music.

“Hey, Lyr! You made it! Looking good!” Shade greeted her.

“I wouldn’t miss it. My best one yet,” Lyra tried to out-yell the music. She made Glow wear sunglasses, to hide his glowing eyes.

“I see you brought your friend. Stay safe, Lyr! Craig is here…” Shade winked at them and danced into the crowd.

“Craig? Your Ex?” Glow asked with badly hidden dislike in his voice.

“Whatever. I don’t care. Come, my work is displayed in the next hall.”

“Hey, Lyr! Is that your walking dildo? You could get busted for this crap!” Of course, the first guy they met in there was Craig, a smirking blond hunk, a bit shorter than Glow.

“Eff off! I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is Glow, he’s new in town,” Lyra retorted.

“Lie all you want, sweets! Spyke knows what he saw. I could report you here and now!” Craig stepped closer. Glow shielded Lyra momentarily.

“Shimmer has turned Spyke’s brain to mush. He sees all sorts of stuff. Glow is as real as you and me,” she said, wrapping her arms around Glow.

“Yeah, whatever…” Craig stayed behind as Lyra pulled Glow onward.

“Forget that loser! Look!” Lyra’s eyes sparkled with excitement. The music shifted into beats blending with sounds of nature. A magically glowing neon forest grew around them, the life-like hologram seemed almost tangible. Lyra swirled with joy. They had been transported into her dream.

“Now I understand,” said Glow, “your art is real and it’s alive. It lives in you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Let’s dance.”

“I’m afraid I can’t,” said Glow, watching the bodies around them dance and jump in a trans-like state.

“Just shift your weight from one foot to another. Follow my lead.”

He did as he was told. They swayed in a slow dance among the bodies moving to the rhythm of the beats robotically.

“Close your eyes. I have to check something,” said Lyra. She took off his sunglasses. Was he only repeating what he saw?  Lyra knew how to test it. She leaned closer and kissed him. He responded, kissing her back. A wave of electrifying desire overtook Lyra’s whole body. They kissed holding each other close.

“Tell me, do you feel anything?” She whispered in his ear.

“I feel my heartrate increasing, the blood flow moving to the lower parts of my bionics, arousing them.”

“And that’s it?”

“No. I feel something here,” he pointed at his chest, “I can’t define it. I want you closer. I don’t want to stop.” He kissed her with more passion than any man ever had. The artful forest swirled around them; Lyra had fallen into a dream.

“Whoa! How low can you sink, Lyr? It’s one thing using your toys at home but playing in public?! I’ve always known you’re a dirty slut!” Craig’s voice sang near them. Glow reacted quicker than Lyra. He turned and wacked Craig over the face. He hit the floor with his skull cracking; the force of the blow was that huge! Glow wouldn’t stop there, he jumped onto Craig, hammering his face into a bloody pulp.

“Stop, Glow! Don’t kill him!”

He moved like a machine, only after Lyra tried to pull him away, he stopped. Craig laid in a puddle of blood.

Everybody saw the glowing eyes. They heard sirens; somebody had called 911.

“Come on!” Lyra grabbed Glow’s hand, and they ran, breaking their way through the crowd.

“Come on! Come on! Come on!” Lyra pressed commands on the panel of the first robo-cab they jumped into. Her hands shook. Glow took her hands into his to stop the shaking. He was completely calm.  He pressed the code on the panel she used to get free rides. He remembered it perfectly.

Lyra said nothing as they rode home, she pressed her hot forehead to the cool surface of the glass window, and watched the neon lines fly by.

“Why wouldn’t you stop? You could’ve killed him,” she finally spoke.

“I don’t have the answer.”

They got to her apartment. Lyra threw her clothes into an old gym bag.

“What are you going to do?”

“I broke the law. Everybody saw it. Abusing an android is forbidden, unless it’s an official android-prostitute, which you are not,” Lyra replied not looking at him. “I’ll find another place to crash, plenty of room in Neon City.”

“What about me?”

“Hax found you a buyer.”

Glow hung his head.

“What about your art?”

Lyra looked into his eyes, surprised by the question. Did he really care? Nobody ever had.

“I should have enough money to last a while. Then I’ll figure out how to make my art. Shade won’t invite me to Neon Eclipse anymore, that’s for sure. I’ve always loved taking risks. This time I’ll pay for it. It’s okay, I’ll survive. I always do.”

Her hands shook. Glow held them. Tears flowed down Lyra’s cheeks.

“Forgive me,” he said. Lyra broke down crying in his arms.

“No, it’s all my fault. This is wrong. You’re not real. Just a life-like robot, operated by AI brain with real human data downloaded into it. I can’t… I shouldn’t love you...”

“Luke. I used to be real. I don’t know if there’s anything human left in me, but I do remember that name. And I remember what it was like to be human.”

She looked into his glowing blue eyes. Their lips found each other. They undressed. Glow wasn’t just imitating human behaviour; Lyra knew it, she felt it. He was gentler than any man who had ever held her. He couldn’t have memorized or learned it. Lyra knew she was making love to a human, not a machine. Suddenly it all made sense - he was genuinely moved by her art, he cared about Lyra, he was jealous and angry at Craig. His body, warm and strong swayed with hers. It was natural and beautiful, like a forest moved by wind in her dreams. He enjoyed it as much as she did when they climaxed. They held each other close, until Lyra’s holo-phone buzzed.

“It’s Hax.”

“At least his timing was better this time,” Glow joked, making Lyra smile.

“I knew you’re a real boy all along,” she said.

“Yes, Hax?”

“Get out! Get out now! They’re on to you! My buyer was a set-up. They’ll wipe him clean. Run!”

Lyra and Glow got dressed within seconds. They heard a noise at the door within minutes. Lyra looked into Glow’s eyes. He grabbed her and the bag, opened the window and jumped out. They were coming up the fire escape ladder. Agents dressed in black. Glow jumped over their heads. He grabbed onto the ladder of the opposite building, and slid down its railing, holding the squealing Lyra. She never realized how strong Glow really was. He ran through the dark alleyways and narrow streets, pulling her along.

“I have the map of the city downloaded in my brain; I know where we are.”

A car with its brakes screeching blocked their way.

“Get in!” Hax yelled, and drove off as soon as they jumped in.

“How did you…?”

“I put a tracker on Glow when I scanned him,” Hax murmured.

“You did WHAT?!”

“I couldn’t let you lose this walking pile of money! I love you, Lyr, but you’re not the most responsible person…”

“What are you saying??!”

“Well, have you ever wondered, who pays your bills?”

“Don’t tell me… it was you?”

“You’re the closest person to a friend I have. I make good money. It’s easy as pie to hack the tax server of Neon City!” All the while Hax kept driving like a mad man.

“You’re one of the few real people I know. There’s no bullshit. I like you,” Hax added.

“Thank you.”

“No probs’, kid!”

They rode through the flashing neon signs further and further, until they ended up in a factory district, mostly inhabited by android workers.

“This is where you, lovebirds, say goodbye.” Hax had noticed the two holding hands and cuddling in the back of the car. “It’s safer if you separate.”

They stepped out the car into the darkness.

“No…” Lyra whispered, holding Glow close.

“Unless you want the moguls who made him wipe out his memory…”

“I want to keep you close, even if it’s just a memory of you,” said Glow.

“Whoa, a poet…” Hax smirked. “Here, take this ID. Now you’re a new android factory worker on the monitor assembly line, sent to them to replace an obsolete one. I hacked their server and altered the information. Play dumb, nobody has to know how advanced you are.”

“Thank you,” Glow replied bitterly, as he and Hax shook hands. “What will happen to Lyra?”

“You really are more human than machine, huh? She’ll lay low. I’ll take her to a safe place outside Neon City.”

Hax took away the tiny tracker he had planted in Glow’s ear. They were safer being unaware of the other’s whereabouts.

“I don’t want to let go. You’re more real than anything I’ve ever felt. I love you, Glow!” Lyra whispered covering his lips with a million kisses.

“I love you… I will find you as soon as it’s safe,” Glow replied with their lips touching.

She kept looking back as Hax drove her away, only to see the sight of two blue glowing eyes in the distance, to keep the memory of his loving sight in her heart forever.