II.
Raul left. Without him, the apartment seemed strangely quiet and deserted, just as it once had been before she decided to bring him into her life. In such moments, she wondered if she really liked her Companion, or maybe it was rather a much deeper feeling. It was once thought to be a dangerous absurdity—now people just didn’t talk about it—but the progressive anthropomorphism of the androids was somehow accepted. The visions of d**k and Asimov were embodied, albeit in a slightly simpler, gentler form. Fortunately, the production of androids as slaves, intended for hard work, was unprofitable in every way. The cost of such a replica of a man was high, and if not for the sales in installments, people like Etta wouldn’t be able to afford Companions. Therefore, androids were initially re
