The day the androids came to town, everyone agreed that things had been slightly more eventful than usual.
Not everyone agreed on whether that was a good thing.
Some residents swore it was the best day of their lives. Others were convinced it was the beginning of the end.
But when the cheques for beta‑testing started landing their hands, even the skeptics had to admit: whatever was coming, it was going to be worth it.
They’d all heard of androids before, of course.
But they weren’t expecting this – These were Incredibly Lifelike Androids. (a.k.a. I.L.A.’s for short) Their skin felt real! Their smiles looked…Natural!
The kind of beautiful that distracted you with their lashes… and would pretty much fool anyone until they glitched on something mundane like blinking at random enough rates or letting go of their super stabilizing nav. systems to let them actually trip when the opportunity came up.
Apparently it was the little things that could give you away.
The programmers had realized they couldn’t simulate every possibly scenario in the lab – and that’s why there were here.
They would learn in a private, real-world setting, and get used to all different kinds of people. They could expand their subroutines exponentially past whatever their creators could have dreamed up and prepare them for anything. That was the goal. Not too lofty eh?
The money was life‑changing, but there was that wee little catch… oh, btw no one outside North Lark can know.
Not family. Not friends. Absolutely No One.
As far as outsiders were concerned, these strangers were exchange students or government‑sponsored refugees who just needed a place to stay.
With tourist season approaching, their first real test was just around the corner. Lucky for them they were a bit off the beaten path to get the biggest crowds on the island; but there were enough strangers around in the summertime to cause a bit of concern.
The company had been clear – any android that currently couldn’t fully pass as human would have to stay away from outside eyes until they were ready.
Which is how North Lark found itself hosting the first of many classes on human foibles and flaws.
