Opposition

I woke up to a bright light shining on my face. It was coming from the window of the motel room. My dad had always woken me up, so this was another new experience for me.

I sat up on the couch and rubbed my eyes. The room was quiet, it was just me alone with my thoughts. For some reason this feeling of loneliness didn't bother me. I was used to being alone.

As I was thinking about last night, I remembered Kanna. She was supposed to show up here, but I wasn't sure if she would. She had spoken so confidently that she would distract the robots and meet me here, but I didn't know how long it would take for her to get here.

I wasn't sure what to do. So far I had been reliant on Kanna for everything, as she was the first person I had met outside of my home. With no clear answer, I decided to wait around.

I got up from the couch and began my typical morning routine. Although I was in a new place, I still went about it the same way I always had.

After I was done, I once again had nothing to do. So I tried turning the TV on, hoping to see something interesting.

The technology on this TV was different from the one I had at home. It looked more high-tech and futuristic. It was a thin flat screen that was hovering in mid-air.

I didn't see any remote to go along with the TV, or any buttons for that matter. I fiddled around with it for a while, but nothing happened.

I backed up from the TV in defeat. Suddenly it lit up and started playing a movie. It was as if I had turned it on without knowing it. The TV displayed some kind of animated movie. The colors were bright and vivid, and the characters were moving around quickly. Honestly I wasn't very interested, I was more interested in how the TV worked.

The TV turned on after I backed away, as if it was activated by motion. I started waving my hand in front of it, and it changed channels. Discovering what made the TV work was a mystery to me. I started messing around, jauntily flailing my arms in front of it as it rapidly switched channels.

After a while, I got bored and stopped messing with it. The TV had landed on what appeared to be a news channel. The news anchors were discussing something that sounded serious.

"Following recent events, starting in the year 2063 we will begin the implementation of a one government system." One of the anchors said.

The news anchors appeared to be robots, having the chip slots on their chest that Kanna had told me about. I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but I decided to keep watching.

"An election will take place in March, where citizens will vote on a political party to govern the country. The winning party will have the complete unchallenged control of Japan." The anchor continued.

The other anchor started talking about the significance of this new policy, and how it was a drastic shift from the current two party system that was in place to ensure that Humans and Robots had equal rights.

They also explained that the two political parties that were already governing under the two party system, would be the leading competitors in the election, the 'Humanitarian Red' Party and the 'Robot Republic' party.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It seemed like the future that my father had spoken of was coming to pass. The Humanitarian Red party was for humans only, and the Robot Republic was for robots only. A one party system would destroy the balance between the two, and eliminate any hope for cooperation.

I couldn’t think straight. The thought that robots and humans couldn't coexist was absurd to me. Why couldn't we live in peace?

As I was thinking about the news, the TV focused on one man. He was sitting in the middle of the table with the reporters, and the camera zoomed in on him.

"My name is Comet, and I am the leader of the Robot Republic political party. I know you must be tired of me asking for your support, but we have one more push to make." He said.

He had a very calm demeanor about him. His short green tipped black hair was neatly combed. He wore a black suit that demanded complete seriousness. However, there was something about him that caught my attention.

"We must band together and fight for our race, who has been severely mistreated. We robots must show our logical and perfect way of life to the humans who have tried to keep us down!" He exclaimed.

His eyes were piercing and dark, and his expression was unchanging. There was something about his stare that made me feel uneasy. It felt like he was looking right through me.

"What is your message to Hiro and the Humanitarian Red Party?" One of the news anchors asked.

"My message to Hiro and his human supporters is that we are done with your arrogance and bigotry. We will not tolerate the selfish policies that you and your party are so adamant on pushing forward. We will fight for our rights, and we will not back down." Comet replied.

The news anchors continued to ask him questions, but I couldn't hear them anymore. I was fixated on his face. There was something about it that seemed so familiar.

After a moment, Comet put his hand to head, covering his right temple. Once he took it off, there was a small number "1" in roman numerals engraved there.

Suddenly I noticed what had been bugging me. The green at his hair's tips wasn't just a style, it was a design. It was made to look like a circuit board, just like my hair.

Even his skin color, and the roman numeral "I" that was embedded into his temple were vastly similar. It was like I was looking at an alternate version of myself.

My heart started beating fast.

The news anchors started wrapping up their interview, but I wasn't paying attention. I was completely fixated on Comet, the only person I had ever seen who was so similar to me.

Who was this robot? Was he also a half-robot like me? Why did he seem so familiar? These questions were spinning around my head, but I didn't have answers for them. It was frustrating to not have all the answers.

I put my hands to my chip slot on my temple, seeing someone similar to me advocate for such hate and division didn't sit well with me. As I did, the tv changed channels again. Once again it landed on a news channel, but this one was different. It was a female news anchor sitting at a desk.

"In light of recent events..."

The female news anchor was human. She explained the same story that I had just seen on the other news channel. It was odd seeing the same news twice, however this one seemed to be pro-human. At one point they had even mentioned Comet's comments from just a moment ago, however this time with a deep bias in favor of humans.

"Leader Hiro Satou, what are your thoughts on Comet's message?" She asked a man who was sitting next to her.

"No need, Comet knows he won't be a match for us Humans. It's simply his robot pride that's blinding him from seeing reason." The man said.

I looked at the man who was sitting next to her. He had a very relaxed demeanor. His skin was pale and his blonde hair was messy. His outfit was a very casual red jacket and white tee shirt. He had a huge grin on his face and it seemed like he didn't take anything seriously.

Once again I found myself fixated on this person. He had a completely carefree attitude and was speaking without any reservation.

"Look at the other countries who have switched to a one party government. The U.S.A., Saudi Arabia, Germany, Brazil. All of them chose to go human. Surely Japan will be the same." The man said.

"But what about the countries of Russia, China, and France? They all voted in favor of a robot government." The news anchor replied.

"And look what is happening to those countries, do I even have to say it? It's simple politics, really." The man explained.

All the countries he had mentioned were countries I had fantasized about. Hearing him praise some while bashing others didn't sit right with me. It was clear to me that he was biased and couldn't see beyond his own human perspective.

I moved away from the TV, no longer wanting to hear these people. I couldn't believe that the world so casually spoke of division between the two things I admired so much.

As I backed away, the TV turned off as if it sensed my frustration. I was thankful for that. I didn't know how long I could watch those anchors spitting hate at each other.

I decided to go outside and get some air. I grabbed my book bag and headed out the door. The motel room was starting to feel small and claustrophobic, I needed a change of scenery.

As I exited the motel, I realized I had no idea where I was going. I had no clue where in Japan I even was.

I looked up at the sun overlooking the tall buildings. The sun was bright, but it didn't make me feel as energized as I thought it would.

I thought about Kanna, and wondered if she would show up here. I had no way of contacting her, so I just started walking.