Growing up you didn't have many friends at all. You just never seemed to fit in, always saying the wrong thing, always receiving funny looks and quiet, judgmental whispers about you amongst your peers.

You father's heart broke as he watched you become more and more withdrawn from life and everything about it. Being an inventor/engineer for a large technology company, he would often make you things to try cheer you up.

He made you a teddy that would speak to you and interact with you, holding conversations like a person would. From the age of ten, you never let the Teddy bear go as it was your only friend. However, the kids at school only picked on you more for bringing the Teddy bear everywhere you went.

One day, you had fallen asleep in class, with your head on the desk, clutching your Teddy bear. When your awoke, the Teddy bear was nowhere to be found. In a panic, you shot up from your desk and began searching for the bear. You sprinted outside to see the other kids kicking the bear about, like it was a football. You tried to retrieve it but they wouldn't let you and by the time they had finished, the bear was in pieces.

You decided not to return to school, and be homeschooled instead. You spent years in isolation from the world, in your own little bubble where no one could hurt you. Once again, your father was heartbroken to know that you had no desire to experience life to the fullest and interact with people.

For your eighteenth birthday, he surprised you with a gift that exceeded all expectations. He gently guided you by the hand, your eyes closed as he lead you through the house, to the garage. You came to a stop and waited for your fathers permission to open your eyes.

"Open your eyes."

You looked up to see that your father had made you a new friend...a robot so lifelike, it was uncanny. The robot almost looked human, it was obviously male, with black hair, brown eyes, pale skin, broad shoulders, towering height (at least six foot) and an alarmingly realistic feeling "skin."

However, by simply lifting the hem of the robots shirt, the true metal material was exposed. Your father explained that in time, he would continue to make the robot look more realistic and had simply run out of the skin-like material for the abdomen.

"This is Niki...he's your friend. He's very intelligent and I've programmed him to be patient with you. He also likes all the things you like."

You father spoke, nervously watching for your reaction, however your eyes were glued to the robot as it simply stared at you, as if analysing you.