From what Nova had seen in Kori’s memories, Shifties were classified as either one of three categories: Combat, Support and Ally. Combat Shifties were the strongest as they were created to be used for fighting alongside soldiers; they were associated with red earrings. Support Shifties were the equivalent of working citizens. They were programmed and trained to be able to be used in all sorts of jobs and associated with blue earrings. Ally Shifties were trained to be human companions. They were neither pets nor lovers, but lifelong companions; they were associated with yellow earrings.

How a Shiftie obtains knowledge was much different compared to a human. After their activation, Shifties are implanted heaps of knowledge into their system from supercomputer cords. Then, they would be trained in their respective fields for a year. Combats were taught how to fight. Supports were taught how to work. Allies were taught about humans.

Nova saw how it was applied to Kori. Seeing all those wires attached to him was an unsightly sight in itself. Was forced, implemented knowledge true knowledge? While he may have lived longer than Kori, there was still much he did not know about this evolving world. He was someone who believed true knowledge came from experience.

After a year of training and education, they’d be sent to the humans who bought them.In Kori’s case, while he was an Ally, he wasn’t bought. He was supposed to be a gift for someone of high status in Lamina, but Nathaniel had changed his mind and had given him to a teenage boy, Arcturus Mercury. His life with Arcturus was a lot different than his life at the laboratory.

Arcturus did not like being called Master and would scold him everything Kori tried to call him by that title. Kori could not comprehend why Arcturus hated being a master. He was taught that humans thrived over superiority. They wanted to dominate and wanted others to submit to them. Humans would be kind to those of equal status, look down on those lower than them and then try to submit to those higher than them. They were complex beings that he could not comprehend despite being told to live alongside them. He couldn’t understand them at all, until he had heard Sayaka’s voice.

When he heard her voice, it felt as if he was capable of dreaming. When he closed his eyes, he would see her. She wasn’t an unwanted presence, however. He enjoyed her company. She taught him what it meant to be human and what it meant to have emotions.

Nova noticed his surroundings. He was currently in an office of sorts. It was a wide room with a large computer and other complex devices. There were a lot of books on one side of the room while a wide corner desk at the opposite. The desk had a lot of folders and papers scattered about.

When Kori had gone to his yearly maintenance two years after meeting Arcturus, the engineer who was in charge of checking up on his condition had stared at him in horror. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

“Whatever you do, do not show that you have emotions to anyone here or to other Shifties, please.”

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With a confused visage, he asked “Why?”

“Shifties are perfect, impervious and omnipotent beings. That’s the ideal Mr. Hope wanted during the process of your kind’s creation. He believes emotions are flawed and imperfect. He believes that humans destroy themselves with their emotions and are the reason why we are declining in population. If your kind were to develop emotions, you’d just end up as similar to us and he doesn’t want that.”

“I don’t understand. Shouldn’t emotions be a wonderful thing? The humans around me say that emotions make people strong. On television, I see people make good and bad choices but everything ends up well for them. How can emotions be horrible?”

The engineer sighed. She glanced over at her desk and grabbed a picture of her family. “Yes, emotions are wonderful. When I look at my family, I think about how much I love them. Yet, love can be cruel. Sometimes, it makes us fight. It makes us irrational. It makes us stressed. Too much love hurts people and too little confuses them.”

“From what I’ve seen, humans are always flawed. I don’t get it. If we want to live with humans, shouldn’t we try to emulate them?”

“Humans don’t view you as people.”

Her words resonated in Kori’s ears. He felt a heavy pressure on his chest. It made him feel as if he was sinking.

What is this feeling?

Nova quickly held Kori’s hand in order for him to hear the thoughts of his memories. He wasn’t too sure if it could work on Shifties, but he wanted to try.

Sayaka remarked, It could be anxiety? Fear? I cannot tell you exactly, but I can tell you are afraid of not being seen as a person. It’s making you nervous.

Is that so? I am…nervous?

Kori’s ears twitched at the thought of hearing his thoughts in his memories. It fascinated him. Nova glanced over and saw that his eyes were glistening. He had the appearance of a teenage boy and he currently was behaving like one too.

“Is this your doing?” Kori asked.

“Yes…?”

“It’s amazing! The fact that I can hear my thoughts from my memory just from holding your hand. That’s something we Shifties cannot do!”

His grip on Nova’s hand tightened. The way he looked at him with such fascination and purity made Nova wonder why he hadn’t made such a face until now. From viewing Kori’s memories, Nova knew Kori could smile but he had never made that expression before.

The Realm of Desires only showed the truth, so he knew Kori wasn’t faking it. He wasn’t even sure if Shifties were capable of lying. Seeing a Shiftie smiling brightly and grinning ear to ear brought a warmth to Nova’s heart. Kori looked very innocent.

He had recalled Arcturus’s words about how Shifties were alive. While he wasn’t fully convinced, he could tell that Kori was an exception. In his eyes, Kori felt alive. Normal Shifties felt unsettling to him due to their lifeless demeanor. Kori was the opposite. He was full of life. Nova liked it. He’d rather see a “flawed” Shiftie rather than the default.

Fascination came to him. He couldn’t wait to know what sort of wish Kori wanted granted. Once Kori would come up with one, Nova would do anything to grant it.