Week 5 Story: The Test of a Friendship

In the year 3,523, there are two best friends. The fir st, An^pu, is three years older than the second and already has an established life, running a chain of greenhouse forests with her partner, Wil1ou. The second, B@ta, is a robotic android, whose life is in disarray. Recently fired from his previous job as an investigative journalist, he is now managing one of An^pu's gree nhouses. One afternoon, B@ta was working with Wil1ou among giant mimosa trees to cut away an infection that was devouring their fern-like leaves. Drunk off the sickly sweet perfume of the blooming pink flowers, Wil1ou confessed her developing attraction and feelings for B@ta and leaned toward him to measure h is expressions. But she leaned too quickly, throwing off her balance and she fell from her perch on a branch. She crashed into the wide trunk of the tree before the mechanized harness recognized and stopped her descent. B@ta moved down the massive trunk like a panther, using his unnatural strengt...