This started out as a one-shot lament at the lack of sci-fi AU in this fandom, but then I sort of couldn't stop writing it. Here's hoping I can keep it up – I'm notoriously bad at this sort of thing. xD' MMM, DEDICATION. TASTES LIKE FAILURE. If anyone can link me any OTHER sci-fi/cyberpunk AU fic, any character, any pairing, PLS DO, 'cause I can hardly find any at all.

Anyway, here you go. Deidara-centric AU Akatsuki-fic. ENJOY PLS.

1.0

prologue

I'm on the tunnels, the first time I see him, between Pilgrim's Over and Riley at one fifty. He sits down opposite me and at first I think he's a human with an implant, this little gleam of metal at his jaw and my other eye telling me he's got wifi, but he's an android, got these exposed wires everywhere and that sort of weird look to his skin, yeah? So an oldish one, or something, 'cause the ones you get from even a couple years ago you can't tell they're not people unless you know what to look for and you really really look. But it's obvious with him, and it's weird cause he looks like someone's toy, you know? Toy. He looks like he'd be pretty if his skin didn't look preserved and you couldn't see the wires, got these big, bored brown eyes and too-perfect face and looks like someone made him to look that way, someone who liked touching little boys – 'cause he looks like he's fourteen or something, yeah. That's kinda wrong, except no-one gets hurt when it's a robot so I guess it's not wrong so much as just really creepy. I guess. Except he's on his own on the tunnels and it's nearly two, and he's giving me this look like he can tell what I'm thinking and anyone who ever did want to touch him ended up missing limbs. It's creepy. I kind of want to spam his inbox just to see what'll happen, but I don't. He's wigging me out, yeah? I hate androids.

I get off at Brink Hovers, even though my stop's Three Wizards. Takes me about half an hour longer than usual to get home but I couldn't stand another five stops in a section with him.

Anyway, the air does me good, yeah.

So I walk home through the chilly night streets and think about other things until my skin stops crawling and I forget him.