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Birthday

"Surprise!"

David wasn't surprised, though he certainly acted like it. Surprise was a human emotion, a brief emotional state of mind experienced as the result of an unexpected event. So while an event had certainly occurred, and he certainly hadn't expected it, the synthetic couldn't feel surprise. Not at his co-workers, not at the streamers and party hats, nor the cake with a single candle on it and the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID spelt out with frosting on it.

"I…I…what…?"

"Your first birthday," declared Joseph, one of his co-workers and what David supposed qualified as a friend, though it was a definition that overlapped too much with acquaintance for his liking. The human put a party hat over the android's head before he could react. "First of many."

"I…see…"

The human brain was a miracle of the natural world, an organic supercomputer that its host species couldn't even exceed through their own creations. Yet David knew that he and the other eighth generation androids were a damn close second. Yet for all his mind's sophistication, he still felt hesitant. Yes, today was his 'birthday,' but that had only been for the PR stunt this morning. Some human with a camera crew prompting him to say certain things at certain times, and perform various activities ranging from crying to smelling flowers. He hadn't resented that exercise-after all, public relations was an area of interest for every major corporation, and given the controversy that Weyland Industries had generated over the years, he could understand the need for the corporation to give a positive spin on what was arguably its most controversial act. Why it was controversial, he couldn't exactly understand, but in dealing with the controversy that existed? The activity was quite logical.

This, however, was not…

"Shouldn't you people be home?" the synthetic asked as Joseph escorted him to the cake. "It's after hours after all."

"Exactly," his co-worker exclaimed. "We could hardly hold a birthday party during our shifts, could we?"

That was true, David supposed, but why the humans would want to stay beyond the tedium of factory work was a question he couldn't answer. They had to fulfil their psychological need to 'unwind' (not that they had devices that wound them up), ranging from spending time with their families to abusing their bodies through alcohol. Being an android, he was left behind at the factory, acting as part of the night shift. Considering that he didn't need sleep, that suited him just fine.

"So, David?" asked Loreto, a male human that had a higher body mass index than what was considered healthy for his species. "You going to cut the cake or what?"

Silently, David obliged. He remained silent, even as the organics cheered. He wasn't sure what the big fuss was about, or rather, why they were making it. And while he didn't experience curiosity in the human sense, some equivalent was rooted into his programming. So when Joseph came for his piece of the cake, he had to pop the question.

"Joseph…" the android began. "May I ask you something?"

"You can if you give me some of that."

"Ah, yes. Of course." David put a slice of the flour/egg/butter/strawberry substance on the organic polymer plate.

"Thanks. Anyway, you wanted to know…?"

"Yes. I would like to know why…why is it my birthday?"

The human raised an eyebrow, and while most of the organics were wrapped up in their own conversation or 'chilling' to the music being played, a few looked his way in surprise.

"I mean…consider the word…" the synthetic continued. "Birthday. As in, born. To give birth to."

"Yeah? So?"

"So…why do I have a birthday when I was created? Isn't that an incorrect usage of the term?"

Joseph opened his mouth…then closed it. Confusion? Hesitation? The emotions went hand in hand.

"I do understand the idea behind a birthday of course," David continued. "It is a celebration of the start of one's life, to mark the day they were born. It is something quite common in human culture, and in some cases, may mark the birth of a historical or religious figure. But even so…"

Joseph sighed. "Funny…never thought about it that way."

"Exactly," the synthetic said, giving the last piece of cake to Basil and assuring him that he didn't need any, considering that he was an android. "The celebration of my birthday is meaningless. I was created on this day, one year ago, but-…"

"But nothing," Joseph interrupted.

"But…"

"But nothing," the human repeated. "So you were created rather than born. So you were manufactured rather than were squeezed out of the birth canal. So you'll never die through natural causes. It doesn't change the fact that you're an intelligent being, our friend, and are going to sit through the next few hours as we celebrate your life."

"Hear hear!" exclaimed various humans, lifting up their glasses of alcoholic beverages.

David smiled. He couldn't feel joy, but certainly appreciated the point. Could appreciate what they'd done for him. Could appreciate that in a world where everyone from scientists to theists were discussing the moral and technological implications of creating synthetic life, his friends at least could appreciate him for who and what he was.

He wondered what would happen if he worked with humans in a different environment…and whether they'd be as accommodating…

A/N

Somewhat obvious, but I'll specify regardless that this was based on the David's birthday video as part of the Prometheus viral campaign. Another very well done promotion IMO, as was the one with Peter Weyland-both come across as being positive in the social and scientific sense, but there's a faint level of menace in each one. Of what Weyland Industries ultimately becomes...

Anyway, it remains to be seen whether David will end up being likened to Ash, Bishop or be his own character, but hey, we only have to wait to June to find out. :)

Update (29/10/17): Corrected spelling of "celebrated" in summary.