Elven Roses

"Well, that's all … very romantic, Aldrec," Mericlou said slowly, attempting to absorb the elf's metaphysical jumble, "but it just sounds like a theory to me, and nothing else. I mean if learning to dream is really what we have to do, then it's like saying that we will mentally …" She searched the air for the right words, " …evolve to be able to do it. We androids have been around for over a hundred years, and still, none of us have ever experienced a dream. And so that's just something that I'm not quite ready to believe."

To this, Aldrec merely smiled. He did it so often and so readily, but Mericlou found it nonetheless comforting.

"Time will tell," he said, and continued down the street.

Mericlou caught up to him, following at his side. She did not know where they were headed, but did not care to ask. His presence alone was enough to hold her interest. This Aldrec had to be one of the most fascinating individuals she had met in a very long time. And in both his speaking and now, silence, she knew that there were depths to him that she longed to fathom. She dwelled in her thoughts, digesting what he had said, creating a long, thoughtful silence that passed between them for several city blocks.

"You say you like plants?" Aldrec said at last, as they neared the city limits.

"Well, yes!" Mericlou replied, pleasantly surprised by the question. "I've always loved them. When I first came to Lusea, I used to visit the botanical gardens every day, but then my job and my family got in the way. But even before that, I collected an entire library of data about them from the Orb Network; I even decorate our apartment with flowers and potted plants; I have quite a collection."

"Fascinating!" Aldrec said, grinning broadly.

"Fascinating?"

"Well, don't take this the wrong way," Aldrec said, "but the interests of androids that I've seen lie more in the synthetic: computers, ether links, vehicles, architecture, the Orb Network … but you're different. I've never seen an android with an affinity for the natural world before."

"I guess t is kind of ironic," Mericlou said in agreement, "the synthetic being attracted to the natural. I agree that I'm unusual for my type. My brothers and sister are more classic androids, but I've always been the exception to the rule. Wouldn't I be a case for psychologists, hmm?"