Page 33 of Garbage

It was only when he looked closely that he could detect it. The skin on her hands was just a little different from Evan’s, textured, but still too evenly smooth. The gentle creases around her eyes were just a little thicker and less flexible. Her teeth were a little too perfect and shiny.

He thought he might be able to identify other sparks and androids now, but he never would have known if she hadn’t told him first. He just stared and stared.

“And I’m Ben.” Ben held out his hand, demanding a shake.

Quincy finally felt like he could move again. He knew Ben was teasing him, and it gave him a happy glow. “Hi, Ben!” He eagerly returned the shake. “Nice to meet you.”

Everybody laughed around him. He’d made a joke, too!

They spent hours at the restaurant, hanging out and generally letting Quincy ask a million questions. He’d read a thousand articles, but it was different meeting other sparks face-to-face.

Their stories and explanations were like gold. Sam was a programmer who wrote music in her spare time. CC was a counselor at a public high school and loved to garden and play role-playing games. They both had full careers and interesting hobbies.

They were also very different from each other. Sam was friendly but more serious; she seemed happy to let Zia do most of the talking for both of them. CC was full of funny stories and teased everyone at the table. As part of his humor, he’d replace the pixels that made up his face with moving icons, like a little dog wagging its tail or a goldfish swimming in a bowl.

Quincy couldn’t imagine losing his face just to make a joke. But with CC, it was fun and relaxed. He even flashed up a circular face emoji with Xs for eyes and a tongue sticking out when he pantomimed choking on the smell of Yue’s dirty socks.

Quincy was starting to understand, in a visceral way, everything that Evan had been telling him. He was a spark, but he was also himself.

And this could be his future. A job. Friends.

Maybe even a partner, someday.

He looked at Evan. What would it be like to curl up next to someone, the way that Sam did with Zia?

Well, of course, Quincy did curl up with Evan on the couch when they watched movies. And they hugged a lot. Was that the same?

Quincy liked cuddling with Evan. He liked it a lot. Evan was leaning against him now, and he was warm everywhere they touched.

Quincy was about to ask how people got to be boyfriends and girlfriends, when Sam popped a bite of onion ring into her mouth and chewed before swallowing it down.

“You can eat?” Quincy screeched.

That got another round of laughter, though he hadn’t meant it as a joke. It was friendly laughter, though. Everyone was still smiling at him.

Sam shrugged. “I like food. It tastes good. I don’t order anything for myself, because it would be a waste, but I’ll usually scavenge off of Zia’s plate when she’s done.”

“Where does it go?” Quincy asked.

Sam raised an eyebrow.

Evan leaned into Quincy’s side. “That’s generally considered rude to ask. I don’t think you’d like explaining where your arms go, or where you put the trash that you pick up.”

Quincy turned to Sam. “I’m so sorry. Please pretend I didn’t ask.”

“No problem,” she answered. “And it’s one of those questions that’s actually alright between sparks. We’re allowed to compare features and upgrades. I liked the idea of eating, so I got tongue upgrades and a 500-milliliter collection container that I can dump out when I get home. It’s only when humans ask that it’s rude.”

Quincy considered this. “What about kids? Sometimes I show them where my arms go, when they ask me while I’m working.”

“Are they being kind to you?” Evan asked.

“I think so. I like kids. They’re usually nicer than adults.”

Evan hugged him from the side, his warm arm reaching around Quincy’s waist and settling there. “If you’re comfortable with it, it’s okay. Kids are learning. And maybe if they see that you’re friendly, they’ll be kinder and more respectful to sparks in the future.”

Quincy nodded. He liked that idea. He’d never really thought of himself as having something to teach. Well, he was teaching people how to put on makeup in his videos, but this was different.

He also liked Evan’s arm around his waist. Just like how Zia was holding Sam. Did that mean Evan was his boyfriend already?