Believing if only for its sake (OPEN)

[CHARLIE]

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The day had been longer than most, or at least it felt that way, and Charlie wanted more than anything to wash the dirt and smog away. Charlie had ventured out with some of the other more self-aware Actives on a salvage mission, heading into the desolate streets of Los Angeles in search of supplies. There was nothing like witnessing the destruction firsthand to make him appreciate the relative safety of living underground. There had even been some talk amongst the staff of stocking up on everything they could find and barracading themselves in completely, as Butchers seemed to be more prevalent now than they had been even weeks earlier.

All in all, it was a lot of hot air to Charlie. He’d go where he was needed, wherever Echo and the others in charge told them to go. He liked to consider himself fully self-aware but any time he was asked to make a decision solely on his own opinions, he still required guidance. That, or he had to withdraw into his memories of Trent’s life before coming here. But those memories weren’t his, not fully, and that was why he was doing his best to reach his own conclusions now, as some type of Charlie-Trent hybrid. He shuddered at the way “I try to be my best” echoed in his mind, even though he tried to avoid thinking about it. The more he tried to push it down, the more it came to the surface.

He left his dirty clothes folded on a bench just beyond the shower area and stepped into the large space encircled by frosted glass. He looked upward and welcomed the automated spray that poured down onto his greasy hair. He loved few things more than showering and exercising because they spoke to the simple-mindedness that still resided inside. There were other dolls in the showers as well, but he could easily tune them out. He’d used public showers in college--well, Trent had--and it never bothered him then. Coupled with the frequency with which Charlie had showered in this exact room surrounded by people, he was unphased.