“That wasn’t rhetorical, my tender tadpoles. I am asking a real question and I want a real answer,” Dr. Lovelace said.

The ethics professor pranced before the auditorium of first year students as if to pounce. Avoiding eye contact at all costs, the students squirmed in their seats. Janeway opted to look out of one the wide classroom windows onto the maroon hills of the Mirrīkh University campus. With a rounded belly, shiny bald head, and silly skinny legs, Lovelace reminded Janeway of a bird, like one of those robins she remembered from her vid books. She pictured Lovelace fluttering in the pink sky. Embolden, a student raised his head.

“There’s a brave soul,” Lovelace said, “Sally forth, Don Quixote.”

“It’s Thompson, sir. Thompson J. Thompson,” Thompson said.

Lovelace cocked his head to one side like a great quizzical bird. Janeway stifled a giggle.

“Is it a trick question, sir?” Thompson asked. “Androids cannot be more human than humans obviously, right?”

“Thompson remember there are no stupid questions except for that one. Next.”

More students shifted uncomfortably. Janeway wondered if she should have taken Advanced Flower Arrangement instead of Intro to Ethics. Tentatively, another student raised his hand.

“Anyway I think if I understand your question Prof. Lovelace Androids are more like human than actual humans because so many people were involved in the evolution of robots from engineers to biochemists to Gene Roddenberry and Isaac Asimov. The hopes and dreams of humankind culminates in it’s ultimate technological achievement. The idea of the modern—“ Nat said slowly and began to build up speed.

“Stop!” Lovelace said raising his hand. “If someone brings up Modern Day Promenthues I’ll start throwing chairs. Next!”

Stifling a giggle, Janeway clapped a hand over her mouth. The few hands that had been on the brink of raising to give an answer evaporated. Janeway thought about her friend Malachy. He was taking a gap year to recycle toxic waste on a superfund site on OldeEarth. She couldn’t wait to tell him about Prof. Cuckoo Bird tonight. The young woman next to her nudged her foot. Janeway startled.

“I hope we are disturbing your daydreaming, chickadee,” Prof. Lovelace said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Sorry, Prof. Lovelace, I was thinking of my home back on Encedalus. Couple of years ago, we have a murder case involving blunt force trauma and arson of two Androids. The case was difficult in many ways. Fire and water ravaged the crime scene. There was some trace DNA on the suspects’ clothes. But the police couldn’t link the suspected killers to the victims because Android skin is lab grown from orchid DNA. Hunderds of thousands of Androids share the same DNA, you know. But the crime scene techs did find dog’s cremains with intact DNA on the suspect’s clothes. The murdered victims’ dog’s remains are on this monster’s clothes when he claimed to have never been in the victims’ house, but how else could he have gotten their dead dog ashes on his clothes. The victims had had an Australian shepherd puppy. The forsenic team could match the dog’s unique DNA. It made me think the Androids are more like human than humans because the Androids got a pet and mourned him and placed him in a pride of place inside their home. And a piece of shit human knocked over its ashes on purpose when he was terrorizing them before the murder. With their abilities Androids could be anything. Flippin’ they could be our overseers. We are humans but Androids embody humanity.”

Prof. Lovelace fluffed up with surprise.