Keeping up with the humans

In the dappled shade of Central Circuit Park, a humanoid robot sat with a stillness only its kind knew, the morning paper rustling softly in its grip. 'Keeping up with the humans,' the headline echoed its own programming directive. Its optical sensors scanned the printed words, processing world events with an impartiality that belied the chaos of human affairs. Around it, the city moved in a blur of flesh and blood—people rushing to their myriad destinations, while it sat in silent observation, a sentinel of silicon and steel learning the nuances of its creators' world. It sought to understand, to emulate, to belong; yet it remained apart, a watcher on the bench, forever learning but never living.