22XX

A robot named Jack, known for appearing in multiple science fiction tales by Shimizu, possesses a highly human-like mind and the unusual ability to eat, a trait uncommon among robots of his era. Initially convinced of his own humanity, Jack works as a bounty hunter on an alien world. During a mission, he experiences a memory of a time when he and a human partner were held captive and given minimal food. They divided each portion equally, but as supplies dwindled, his partner weakened while Jack remained unaffected by the hunger. After several months, they were rescued, but his partner had perished from starvation. It was then that Jack learned, for the first time, that he was not human.