Futile attempt to locate two old stories

[Section_Eight]

Right, these ones should be impossible to find. I think I found it through the old robotgirl.net (.com?) directory, but can't be certain.

The first is "Terrible Swift Sword," a surprisingly good Saber Marionette fanfict that disappeared from the net a few years ago.

The second is one I can't recall offhand. I know that the website had a black background with white text and the plot involved one of those post-apocalyptic settings. The details I recall are that it involved gynoids wearing Faraday suits that glowed real nice when shot with EMP rifles, super-soakers full of anti-material acid, some kind of war and a lady with an android at the end.

Any leads?

[Nerfherder]

The second is one I can't recall offhand. I know that the website had a black background with white text and the plot involved one of those post-apocalyptic settings. The details I recall are that it involved gynoids wearing Faraday suits that glowed real nice when shot with EMP rifles, super-soakers full of anti-material acid, some kind of war and a lady with an android at the end.

That sounds pretty familiar, in fact, it sounds a lot like a story a lot of our original people might remember that used to be around on the boards and then later on my old crappy website I had for a bit. To be honest though, I don't have it to hand to check - But I know a man who does. Some dirty yank feller.

I'll see what I can turn up.

Nerfaroonie.

[Keizo]

Some surly Englishman from Beyond the Pond said that I needed to take a double-take. Seriously? Section_Eight, if the names Kylan, Portia, or Francis Stanley mean anything to you, then you may be thinking of a story I wrote 11 years ago. I don't recall Faraday suits, but they did wear full body fishnet stockings that absorbed and dispersed EMP blasts.

[DukeNukem 2417]

Some surly Englishman from Beyond the Pond said that I needed to take a double-take. Seriously? Section_Eight, if the names Kylan, Portia, or Francis Stanley mean anything to you, then you may be thinking of a story I wrote 11 years ago. I don't recall Faraday suits, but they did wear full body fishnet stockings that absorbed and dispersed EMP blasts.

Consider me intrigued.

[Lithorien]

The second is one I can't recall offhand. I know that the website had a black background with white text and the plot involved one of those post-apocalyptic settings. The details I recall are that it involved gynoids wearing Faraday suits that glowed real nice when shot with EMP rifles, super-soakers full of anti-material acid, some kind of war and a lady with an android at the end.

Any leads?

I can't speak for the story (though it seems amazingly familiar), but the site you're thinking of might be the legacy of timeless beauty archive.

[Section_Eight]

[quote="Keizo"]Some surly Englishman from Beyond the Pond said that I needed to take a double-take. Seriously? Section_Eight, if the names Kylan, Portia, or Francis Stanley mean anything to you, then you may be thinking of a story I wrote 11 years ago. I don't recall Faraday suits, but they did wear full body fishnet stockings that absorbed and dispersed EMP blasts.[/quote]

Don't recall the names, but yeah, the suits sound about right. I remember them because of the entertaining electric-glowy-thing they did. Huzzah! Eleven years sounds a little early but could be about right.

[dale coba]

Age of the file on my hard drive: Created Feb. 2002.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The droid emporium
nerfherder presents:

The Enemy Of My Enemy (Part1)
- By Keizo
Kylan ran down the staircase to the old subway station just as the entrance exploded behind him. The concussion knocked him down the rest of the flight, but he was okay; his armor had protected him. Kylan Renson knew these tunnels well. He remembered when the trains still ran before The Great Mistake and he remembered skipping classes� sometimes he would ride and explore all day. Though that was almost six years ago, there was still power and water in some places so he was hardly trapped.

He had not taken this passage for some time but he could reach the Lounge from there. "Hmph. In the dark," he thought to himself as he made his way down the track. A moment later Kylan jumped into a crevice as he was rounding a curve. Peering out he saw two uniformed female bodies at the far wall. A blonde one was sitting slumped against the wall and the other was lying on her back. After a few minutes he didn�t see any movement so he went to investigate, since they looked too good to be in a place like this and especially since he knew androids didn�t usually recharge in such awkward positions. A kind of nervous excitement came over him as he approached them. So far they both looked completely intact, but for Kye, that was cause for suspicion. When he drew nearer he noticed that the blonde looked familiar then realized that it was designed after a famous actress. "Prob�ly was some rich bastard�s custom job," he thought, since celebrities didn�t normally sanction use of their images unless they just naturally wanted royalties.

For the first time Kylan looked down at the other android lying about four feet away; a very well proportioned brunette of deep auburn-tinted hair with vivid blue eyes set in one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen... and he couldn�t help but start laughing. The irony was just too perfect.

He recognized it as an M-67 or "Monique" (the M really stood for "maintenance"). It was an expensive chambermaid model that was popular in the more fancy resorts and high-class hotel chains that could afford a bulk deal. This was also the same type of model that killed the cause of The Great Mistake, Phillip Gaines.

*****

Phillip Gaines was a software mogul who cornered the market on just about every level, except the booming new android industry. This was owned by a rival company which wasn�t about to sell its patents and/or software copyrights since not even Gaines� attempts to launch his own line could compete in quality and price. It wasn�t about money for him anymore; he had more than he could ever possibly spend in a hundred lifetimes. Now it was about power. He became obsessed with ruining and taking over any competition, so, because he couldn�t take over Replico, he wanted to ruin them so that they might finally sell out. Even though Gaines wasn�t really in the hardware business, Replico was and had the foresight to make it monumentally difficult for almost anyone to add to or change the preset programs himself. Of course this didn�t stop the more savvy computer "users" from trying and, for all his flaws, Phil Gaines was still a genius.

Even though it was nearly impossible to get at and not damage an androids CPUs without the right tools, they still had one conventional connection set deep in the lower back of their skulls for the recharge cable. But, with a modified adapter, it also dubbed as a port (as Gaines� R&D team was to find out). It took several tries and just as many droids, but he and his team finally developed a program that could override the built in, and even hardwired, safety blocks that would cause meltdown of the internal electronics if tampered with. So it was only a matter of adding to the program. Now everyone didn�t have to go to the manufacturer or a certified Replico dealer to change, upgrade a program or have an "embarrassing" one added.

Phillip Gaines was a businessman; he knew that public condemnations were private obsessions. Sex sales. Period. Taboo has always had an overwhelming allure and he was counting on that. Replico also knew this which is why all of their androids were fully functional and anatomically correct, but most of all, flawless and idealistically beautiful (which hadn�t escaped Kylan�s notice). It cost just as much to make an ugly, plain, or average looking one as it did to make one undeniably attractive in every physical aspect. Of course they came with a standard "basic" program to follow instructions from the controller like "Take off your clothes. Kiss me. Pelvis forward, pelvis back" etc� They even had memory replay, but this was more of a lure and a tease to get people to purchase the "optional" programs. It failed.

Most people weren�t shameless enough to take their droid in and request the sexually oriented programs even if the shop was fully automated. What would the neighbors think? And in those days privacy was hard to come by. Obviously, Gaines saw this situation as fertile ground for his plans. He used his vast resources to begin to develop high quality programs that even covered most major fetishes. He knew that he could not directly distribute his new line of products, not just because of the patents and copyrights, but also to protect his corporate image, which he was quite fond of. There was another way. Using a pseudonym and a local web provider he set up a homepage where he simply gave away detailed instructions on how to modify an adapter to access the hidden port then entered a related chatroom and just "mentioned" the site. The news spread like wildfire. After he felt his page had enough hits he began the next phase of his plan. Careful not to advertise he set up a link to one of his many dummy corporations where he offered a free download of a program called The Stripper. No one would pass it up since there was still the matter of overriding the safeties� and people love free stuff.

Gaines did his homework. Like the legendary cartoonist Tex Avery, he actually hired professional strippers to map out their best routines, but also, how to respond, adapt, and improvise. Unlike human strippers, though, they obeyed commands and only offered slight initial resistance for the tease effect� and all for free. It was an elaborate program, but with the new crystal technology and hard drives, it ran fast and perfectly with plenty of data space to spare.

The Internet finally provided the privacy and secrecy everyone craved while simultaneously allowing them to share and be heard without real repercussions; the latest legislation still couldn�t stop the masses. In public, no one talked about it but it was already everywhere. The download site looked very plain and professional so even people at public terminals were able to copy it. One day news footage of a poor careless user, who snuck it in to work in a laptop (no pun intended) and stayed after hours to try it on a hostess android, made "Top Story." Everyone acted shocked. And when strip clubs started replacing some of their dancers to get around the laws since they didn�t apply to synthetic women, the real women got really mad, especially the ones against stripping. Naturally, politicians jumped on the bandwagon, too.

Phillip Gaines quietly found this all very amusing. Soon all those hypocrites would be exposed and Replico would need a good team of lawyers because when phase three came, not only would their company image suffer, but all evidence would point to them. People panic when their secrets are out and not just Replico�s image was going to suffer. Gaines knew how popular his program had become: from law enforcement to politicians, from the gay and lesbian communities to the Bible Belt, from hospitals to even daycare, and just about every business was a given� Everywhere that you found droids someone was experimenting with them when all backs were turned.

The clock was literally ticking. Unknown to anyone but Gaines and his R&D team, there was an encrypted rider program in addition to the original download that would activate on the anniversary of the first release date at a time that would cause chaos simultaneously all over the world. No one questioned the program or suspected anything because it worked so well, which is why it spread so fast and the real reason sales of female models had tripled. They were already much more popular, though, probably because people feel less confrontational and intimidated with females and because most of the buyers were men. It�s still not certain how Gaines was going to implicate Replico nor does it matter, but one way was that all internal back-up timers were synchronized to Greenwich Mean Time in case an emergency shutdown or recall were to happen. This only made his plans easier. On an average day when most of the industrialized world was at work, at 4:30 p.m. GMT, all hell broke loose.

Not being totally without conscience only adult males and computers were to be targeted; Mr. Gaines was, after all, a father himself. Something went wrong. They were only supposed to break things, crash some systems and slap the men around a bit, not kill them. What Phil Gaines failed to consider was that the "respond, adapt and improvise" part of the programming borrowed and linked to other files and most droids came with standard "bodyguard" or security programs. In the business world, Asimov�s laws didn�t always apply. It was almost surreal to watch. With cool, quick efficiency they went from target to target inflicting lethal blows, their fingernails worse than sharp talons as flesh and plastic alike were torn and bones crushed in their grips. They even targeted male androids and teenage boys that looked like adults. It was early morning as Gaines watched in horror as his plans backfired; there would be no gloating for him. He forgot how strong and tough they could be and, in a way, envied Replico�s superior designs. The synthetic muscles in even the most petite ones were still over sixty times stronger and more resilient than a human�s and high caliber bullets couldn�t break their skin or dent their skeletons. The program scrambled their remote shutdown codes including the emergency override signals from the satellites. Soon enough, the human women realized that they were being completely ignored so only they could get close enough to shut them down manually. Replico had the foresight to install OFF and PAUSE toggle buttons that worked mechanically not electronically� just in case. The buttons were located under the skin at the base of the back and were flush with the lower lumbar section (the place usually covered by the small triangle of a g-string or belt to avoid easy or accidental contact). Pressing one would pause, but both at the same time would shut a unit down; either way, the day was saved.

A sense of relief came over Phillip Gaines as word got out and he watched the reports as the women became our saviors. He never saw his own modified M-67 come from behind and would never know that it was his own fifteen year old son that unwittingly installed the program. Having grown up in a broken home, Phil Jr.�s innocent boyhood crush on his long-time housekeeper and nanny only worsened with puberty. He had his father�s computer skills and was able to crack the safety codes that Phil Sr. installed for on-line access. Fortunately, he was away at boarding school when The Great Mistake occurred, but when he learned what really happened and the company soon to be liable and in ruins, he suffered a nervous breakdown. Not even his mother could comfort him.

By the time order was finally regained over two-thirds of the men in the industrialized world and the leaders and the rich men of lesser nations were dead. And in the next few years more would die. The doom-sayers, religious fanatics, the superstitious, and the ignorant claimed it was an android rebellion, that it was retaliation for their exploitation, abuse and enslavement. They had seen too many episodes of The Outer Limits. Despite the packaging, the droids were still just machines and only did what they were told to do. The women were devastated and furious over the deaths of family and lovers. They had always hated the androids, be it because of jealousy or fear or insecurity, now they finally had an excuse to destroy them� not knowing that they would need the droids to save themselves. With most of the police force killed, most ranking military officers, most government officials and even the President dead� with the country in chaos as corporations and the infrastructure were now vulnerable, the threat from foreign adversaries and terrorists became very, very real. Though many of their leaders and elite were also killed, that only made room for the more radical factions to take control and fuel old animosities against Western culture. Suppressed and unnurtured lust and love had done the work of a million saboteurs and a billion assassins.

Old and new enemies would soon find the First World nations had radicals of their own. In most cases the feminist extremists found little or no opposition in taking control of the void left in the first aftermath and were the only ones with the balls (pun intended) to do what ultimately had to be done. The U.S., being the focal point and trendsetter, also was the main target of blame� as usual. This was the first time in history the line of succession had gone beyond the Vice President all the way to the Secretary of Education, the only female in the Cabinet at that time. Facing danger from all sides and also from within, she declared indefinite martial law and had the backing of the new feminist leaders. Under the new government an unlikely alliance was formed; Replico and Gaines Corp. were under Executive Orders to reactivate and reprogram the androids and the other nations followed by example. It was now a womyn�s world.

There was some initial resistance at first, but the Constitution was dead and when the first attacks came, the New Order was quickly accepted as the androids once again proved their effectiveness. Most of the few remaining male models joined their human counterparts in the military, which had suffered only minimal casualties in the lower ranks. This was due to their normally higher security measures and the fact that they had electromagnetic disrupters that were able to shut down the standard models along with any other non-shielded power supplies. The A-I�s that operated the tanks and planes for conventional warfare looked more like filing cabinets than people, but even these giant brains were limited to their programming. Of all the battles, the worst came when China, who had already conquered most of East Asia including Japan, tried to invade the U.S. America still had the best technology, though, and was finally able to stop them and grounded their missiles with electromagnetic pulse cannons on our military satellites. These knocked out ALL their power at crucial moments. Distance also made war too expensive so a truce was reached.

The fear of a terrorist biological weapon attempt was now the biggest problem after the bombing of a terrorist camp in Afghanistan lead to the accidental release of an airborne plague that spread like mad in the densely populated Third World nations� especially since symptoms took a few days to show. This crippled many countries including China as most of their populations were exposed along with many would-be terrorists. As usual, the U.S. was blamed although we were not the ones who planned to use such a thing. In a desperate attempt, terrorists released a virus in Mexico to try to indirectly infect the Americans, but super-sensitive "electronic noses" detected the bug while still on the airplane. All passengers were quarantined and the airplane incinerated. Fed up, the new leaders closed the borders, instigated self-sufficiency for the United States and adopted a zero tolerance policy. They would force the world to take estrogen seriously or pay dearly and severely. Diplomacy was exhausted; others could expect no cure or help from us.

Within the U.S. violent criminals were immediately executed, even the ones already in prison� even with the growing shortage of adult males. Resources became too precious to waste on sustaining the malicious. Gangs were also eliminated. Boys and girls as young as fifteen were being executed if they fit the profile, were violent, and found carrying a weapon but most were sentenced to heavy restitution -- especially vandals. The penalties were always harsh for failure to comply. The reprogrammed android enforcement officers didn�t carry guns; they didn�t have to. Guns had been outlawed and the few that remained were ineffective against them� as well as most common weapons. When the New Order was first established, the wymyn were eager to back the changes and finally got their wish concerning firearms, "For the children!"

A-I�s ran the industrial robots, the utilities, and took care of farming and other services and necessities. Most things were now virtually free, except for luxuries. Crime was all but eliminated, so protests went ignored. All that the humans had left to do was start over and shape the future and, this time, try to get it right. If it wasn�t for Human Nature�

*****

Kylan couldn�t help but lose himself gazing at her face. She looked so alive; her eyes sparkled in the dim light; the corners of her lips were turned up, ever so slightly. It was a calm, inviting look -- a picture of serenity. Of course she was made that way and could break his neck or get hit by a bus without changing expressions. But such a placid expression was something he hadn�t seen or felt in a long time and he longed for the peace and comfort it brought, even if it was just an illusion� Kye felt ashamed of his thoughts and tried to remember that she wasn�t human and tried to forget who she reminded him of.

There was still the matter of how they came to be there so he turned the Monique over to see if he could find any damage. Even after all these years he was surprised at how lifelike the limp body felt and tried to keep his mind on business. He immediately found the distraction he needed and a reason to worry. The power-feed/port-connection that ran inside the back of her neck was ripped open by what appeared to be an animal, but with eerie precision. And what sort of animal could tear that skin? He examined the flesh around the wound, but could find no burn marks or powder residue. Kye still couldn�t believe how incredibly soft and realistic the android�s skin felt to the touch. It was made of an alternate form of treated synthesized Golden Orb spider silk. This was the same basic material his hard armor was made from as well as several other things these days. In its raw state it is already five times stronger than Kevlar and was once hard to come by, that is, until someone figured out how to grow buckets of it using a bacterial culture.

A sudden movement out of the corner of his eye startled him and he jumped to his feet; the other droid was still activated. He knew he couldn�t take her on and was ready to attempt to flee, although they couldn�t be outran either. Kye stopped almost as suddenly. She only made very slight, rigid movements so he ventured a closer look. Once again she was frozen and stared blankly forward. The blonde wasn�t limp like the M-67. When he lifted her lightly coffee-cream colored wrist she seemed very stiff and her arm held the position. He leaned her over to find the same type of clawed tear at her manual shutdown area with the same calculated accuracy. He looked around but could find no signs of struggle; whatever did this was also fast. Machines reacted quicker than humans and weren�t hindered by fear or shock.

Just then she began to speak. "Error. Power failure in three point four eight hours. Initiating automatic shutdown in twenty minutes." Kylan was surprised to hear the normally absent electronic undertone in her voice. It dawned on him that she was in pause mode, which was a power drain on an android since it kept all its muscles flexed simultaneously to counter any movement while letting it keep its balance and be posed. This one had a very large athletic, yet, very feminine build and was also well endowed like a Valkyrie. Such a body was noticeable even with the unflattering uniform and explained why she felt so tense. But this was probably more so because she was damaged. A cold chill came over him as he realized that she couldn�t have been there too long and whatever attacked the two might still be in the area. "Did she say twenty minutes?" that was barely enough time to get back to the Lounge and that�s without the weight of two full sized bodies. He wasn�t about to leave a find like this. The blonde could easily carry both of them, but he couldn�t risk reactivating her so he dragged them about halfway back on a makeshift stretcher before he decided to hide them in a recess. He was about to cover the opening when he heard a sound like twisting metal come from the tunnel he had just left. There was just enough room to fit in the recess with them and he quickly pulled the cover against the entrance.

His heart was racing although he was already exhausted. He could feel their bodies against his as he sat motionless looking out a crack in the cover. A moment later he saw a shadow against the darkness, then a blur as something shot silently past. "Initiating shutdown." Kylan almost screamed when she spoke and he felt the android�s body go limp, but he remained silent and hoped she didn�t give them away. He held his breath as he peered though the crack once again. Something was out there.

There didn�t seem to be anything at first until he looked up. It was on the ceiling. He could only vaguely see a dark form crawling behind the weak, flickering light which only distorted the image even more. He still heard nothing but his heart pounding in his ears. His lungs burning, he risked a breath as soon as it had past. Immediately it stopped and returned to the area just above. For an instant a glint of light reflected off a sleek dark-grayish hide the size of a child, but all else he saw was an abnormally long, multi-jointed limb and he could swear it was wearing a backpack! It hung down just behind the light using the shadows to stalk its prey. Kylan never saw the strange being�s face yet he knew it was staring straight at his hideaway. He was trapped. A small clang further down the track broke the horrible silence and the creature was already gone. Only seconds later he heard a rat shriek in pain� then all was quiet once again.

After a few eternities, he figured it wasn�t coming back but he was still reluctant to leave his shelter, though he knew it offered no real safety. He just wouldn�t know when that thing was breathing down his neck and he�d had enough surprises. He felt drained. He found the power button on the blonde model and thought of taking his chances, but decided he would only switch her on as a last resort. She felt so much softer now that her synthetic muscles were relaxed and he drew some comfort in her presence. At least the worst thing she might do is arrest him; they didn�t know what was going on. He was sure the officers were only caught off guard. If he explained the creature to her, she could offer protection� if he could only be sure� if he wasn�t so damned tired� if he� Kye collapsed as he sank into the soft bosom of the M-67 and fell into a disturbed sleep. The Lounge seemed so far away.

He had no idea how long he had been out, but he estimated it must have been at least a few hours. Kye felt his strength returning and thought it might be safe enough to attempt an escape. The tunnels ran for miles and there were plenty of them. Obviously that thing had moved on by now. Kylan Renson kept in pretty good shape; he had to. Being a supply scout wasn�t easy. The Great Mistake left many places abandoned but relatively unharmed, a looter�s paradise, and anyone who wouldn�t conform was forced to survive in hiding. The government seized all unregistered property and ran most of the businesses now. Unfortunately for Kylan, some of the automated security systems could be lethal. He was lucky there was a subway entrance near that electronics warehouse. WAS. He knew what to expect from the systems and that sometimes patrols ventured into parts of the tunnels. But today�s encounter was something he had never faced before and it scared the hell out of him -- especially since a patrol was overtaken. He couldn�t be certain if what he saw was responsible for the attack or if there were more of them, but he wasn�t taking too many chances. Still, he had to get the bodies back to the Lounge. Maybe Stan could make some sense of it and he would definitely want to know what happened. Besides, he would need the bodies for that and Kye owed him one� or two.

Kye had rest and adrenaline on his side and he intended to use them to make the journey as short as possible. The entrance to the Lounge was very inconspicuous and could easily be overlooked if one didn�t know what to watch for. What looked like rubble was actually extremely solid and only opened with the correct authorization. After several more hidden gateways, Kye made it to the inner sanctum where he was greeted by surprised stares and exclamations as he passed other outcasts and non-conformists. Mostly younger and some older, mostly male but some female, it was open to all but the selfish and malicious and secrecy was the rule. Only a few females were trusted here. The lighting was much better here and Kye found it easier to drag the stretcher across the well-kept floors. It was spacious in the main hallway. This was formerly an underground shopping center that connected to the subways and several buildings above ground. This was also one of the few areas hit by a terrorist bomb almost immediately after the Mistake as women and children had gathered to receive aid.



The timing could not have been better for Frances Stanley, one of the original members of Phillip Gaines� elite research and development team and also one of the best; he was second only to Gaines himself. Stan had other plans. He was very loyal to Phil and had access to much of the corporation�s resources. He, also, was anticipating the day of chaos and took steps to advance his own selfish ambitions, but mainly for thrills. Stan was very happy with his position at Gaines Co. having almost free reign to experiment as he pleased with all the lab usage he needed. But he didn�t want to wait for Phil to take over Replico; he was eager to get his hands on ALL their technology and do some research of his own, and he had Phil�s blessing. Phillip Gaines would not be implicated but he would have his lawyers ready if Stanley got caught again, after all, what are friends for? He knew Stanley seemed sometimes a reckless thrill seeker but Stan wasn�t stupid and knew how far he could push things. Phil didn�t mind though, since they all usually benefited from Stan�s independent little "excursions."

Stanley was all set for the Big Day. He was planning to use his favorite personally reprogrammed custom-ordered assistant, his portable customized laptop with port connections, and some uniforms he won in a bet to get into a major Replico outlet during the confusion to copy their main database files. Given the early hour, Stan didn�t expect too many obstacles. That was the plan anyway. He, himself, ended up hijacking a cargo truck full of parts and data while trying to escape, but not before assuming the identity of a technician he found dead. It was a good thing he had brought his assistant to protect him. Well-armed male androids attacked after the download alarms went off. Portia was able to shut them down but not without a fierce battle since the androids at the outlet had heightened security programming, but she was programmed better than any. By the time they reached the cargo truck Portia was heavily damaged, but not her unique and beautiful face. Stan got her inside along with a few females that she deactivated. He didn�t know how to drive the big rig so he jammed the port connection into one of the service androids and overrode her access before she sprung back to life. The outlet was crawling with them and they began to surround the truck. He frantically convinced his "new assistant" to drive the truck away and fast! The droids that were hit on the way out didn�t seem phased. He was free. Despite the hour, the emergency services were out in force� only to become victims themselves. Many never even made it out the door.

Frances Stanley went straight to Gaines Co. It was relatively safe there since they had taken precautions, but they didn�t anticipate this. He knew that he couldn�t stay and that once it became obvious that they were not affected by the chaos, there would be an inquiry. Why the hell wasn�t Phil answering the phone?

"Hello?" The sultry voice of the M-67 casually asked. Stan felt a coldness come over him since this was Phil�s private line; he asked if he could speak to Phillip Gaines. "I�m sorry, Mr. Gaines is no longer operational. Would you like to leave a message?" Stan began to panic but soon came to his senses. He ordered equipment to be loaded into all the mobile labs. He made back-ups of all their research, wiped the databases and sent tapeworms to all their offiliates. Most everything was automated and given his position, the few on duty didn�t question his orders. The convoy ran on remote and followed him to one of the dummy corporation buildings that was located downtown and was not in use at the time� except by Stan. The trucks found their final destination in the underground parking garage because when the blast came a few days later, there was no way out.

Suddenly the country had bigger things to worry about than pointing fingers so Mr. Stanley took the opportunity set up shop and to try to find an escape. His answer came in the form of a Nordic young man named Kylan Renson who had been on his own since the Mistake and found refuge in the vast subway system. He also found a way into Stan�s lair. Once free, Frances Stanley used some of his equipment to give off false radiation readings and give the blast area the appearance of a hot zone. He didn�t want any more visitors but was grateful for the one that he had. Kylan seemed to know the area well enough to find some food supplies and anything else that he needed. It was a start. Kye was wary of working with the androids after the Great Mistake and was suspicious of his new friend but didn�t ask too many questions because he was running from his own problems.

The dead could no longer be counted. The stench of their bodies filled the tunnels and any pocket of space where the air vents didn�t reach. The gruesome task of clearing out the bodies went to the Replico droids after Kylan had located what was to become "The Lounge" and there was also the matter of shutting down the androids that were still active in some areas. They didn�t resist the female robots. A macabre ghost train became the last stop for the dead as the last of corpses was loaded into the subway cars and sent on their way to a literal "dead end." The only witness, a woman, would become one of the first residents of the Lounge. Now began the long task of secretly relocating all of Stan�s equipment. The vault of a bank was ideal for him to set up his lab and was near the Lounge, separated only by a short tunnel. Money was no longer of any value so no one would be coming to look for it. The vault�s main entrance lead to many storerooms within it and the main chamber was perfect for his plans. The first was to repair Portia.

Kylan couldn�t understand why Stanley was so attached to this one in particular. "Haven�t you ever been in love?" was Stan�s only response and the end of the argument. He was rarely serious so Kye didn�t pry when he saw the emotion in Stan�s eyes. Daniella was less understanding but didn�t like the reports she saw on the television of what was happening topside. She loved her new freedom too much and saw this odd twosome and their little collection of servants as her chance to start over. When Stanley finished repairing Portia, the patches of slightly discolored skin were obvious though no scars were visible, but he did an excellent job although some of her internal glitches were beyond his facilities� even with the parts from another android. Daniella started calling him "FrankenStan" which annoyed him at first, but he grew to like it (although he didn�t tell HER that). As long as no one called him "Frances."



The young attractive secretary behind the desk smiled when Kylan approached the Vault. "Hello, Master Renson. Shall I tell Lord Stan you would like to see him?"

"No, Secrophilia, I think I�ll surprise him." Stan wouldn�t be too surprised since Kye was the only other human allowed in the vault. As innocent as his secretary looked, she was programmed to stop a truck. When she rose, Kye couldn�t help but notice her shapely legs. He always did.

Her name was Anja, but she was use to Kylan�s jabs and knew to expect them. Besides, her personality program was not set for personal spite but she would get quite defensive of any attacks on her masters. "Do you need any help?" she asked coyly as she opened the massive door.

Kye was finally noticing how tired he was and accepted her offer. She hoisted the larger blonde over her shoulder with graceful ease while he cradled the M-67. Anja closed the door behind them and took the lead; Kye followed her and enjoyed the view. In moments of weakness he succombed to his carnal desires and had his way with her and some of the others, though always feeling like he was a loser and a traitor. He had issues. He was distraught enough after losing his family during the Mistake and resentful even before then. His love life before Stan�s androids was painful at best, as was Stan�s and one of the elements that strengthened their friendship. But when Kye learned the truth about Frances Stanley�s past he found himself at odds. He finally learned to accept it and knew that Stan didn�t intend or mastermind the madness that destroyed so many lives. Stan was living with enough guilt for all of them and only found escape with his work and his only true comfort and peace with Portia.

Stan was surprised. He asked how Kye got a hold of two cops and was just as disturbed when he learned what happened in the tunnel. This was also a nice distraction since he had started to become more and more reclusive lately and this worried Kylan since that was so unlike him. "Well first thing we gotta do is get them out of those uniforms!" Stan hadn�t been this excited about something for a long time and seemed overly zealous when he saw the blonde. The uniforms were very unflattering and looked more like a pilot�s jumpsuit than a police officer�s clothes. The wymyn acknowledged their need for the androids, but were still bitter and jealous and enjoyed belittling and abusing them even though the droids didn�t have the capacity to be offended. Kylan was hungry and went to get something to eat while Stan had his fun; Portia came to assist him and somehow seemed excited too.



"Bullshit." An older supply scout didn�t believe Kye�s story. He had lived in the tunnels for years and had never heard of such a creature. "You sure it wasn�t that �goatsucker� thing!" He began to laugh.

"How the hell do you explain the cops, then? HUH! You�re damn lucky I don�t kick your ass out of here or just KICK YOUR ASS! I don�t need this shit. I hope Stan can figure something out because I don�t even want to go back out there."

"FrankenStan? You�re serious. Hell, I�m sorry, man. What about if you had back-up? Anja�s pretty sharp on her feet for a robobabe, or I�ll go with you on your next run if you want."

"If it took down two cops without a fight, I doubt even Portia could handle it. No. I think it�s best if none of us risks it until we have some answers� or we have to."



When Kye made it back to the lab the next day, he found the blonde�s tall, perfect, naked body lying on a table with synthstraps holding her down and wires running from her port to a mobile console. Several monitors were set up and everything seemed connected. Stan came into the room looking as if he had been up all night working. "I�m glad you�re here; I was just about to send for you. I tried the other cop first and got nothing as far as answers, but I did get a lot of good info out of her that I�ll have to tell you about later."

"What�s with the mad scientist set up? Dr�"

"Don�t say it. Ha. Ha. When I tapped into some classified files, the other one woke up. I�m glad Portia was there to shut her down. I haven�t had any trouble from this one so it�s just a precaution."

"Where�s Portia, anyway?"

Stan smiled. "Kylan, old friend, I can�t tell you how happy you�ve made us. In case you didn�t notice, the only difference between her and this one is her hair and face. Even her rare skin tone and skull size are exactly the same and this body�s hardly been used. She�s in the other room and I�ve already removed her face section, scalp, and hard drives. She�s going to be good as new. First I wanted to show you what I�ve found." Stan began to turn on the equipment and the android�s eyes opened and stared blankly foreward. "She�s going to take a minute to boot up and so�s all this stuff. I tried to see if she caught an image of this thing you were telling me about and I found a whole clip!" Just then the monitors blinked on but remained blank. "Computer, find video segment one-one-nine. I�m telling you it�s freaky as hell, but there�s good news."

"Sequence is ready for your viewing pleasure, Handsome." Kye was amused to hear the phone sex voice come from the console, but his joy vanished when he saw the screen. The digital image looked almost like a home video, but the sound was clear� as was the silence.

"She must either have reeeal good hearing or the Monique managed to get off a distress signal before she was hit." Stan was standing by the monitor and pointing to the bottom right as the image of the tunnel spun. Just as the body was coming into view he told the computer to pause. "There�s the bastard," Stan said. "I had to clean up the picture a bit and slow it down because the thing moved so damned fast, but there�s a few good shots." There, crouched over the M-67, was the monster. It was spidery in its appearance but was hardly bug-like. It had four long multi-jointed limbs with a long "finger" at each elbow. Instead of walking upright it crawled on four slender hands. It wore a small square backpack with a handle for something at each corner. Its small, flat head was perfectly triangular and protruded from its sleek, tapered body on a snake-like neck. "Notice how, from this angle, only one side of its head is facing our lovely guest. Now watch how it reacts when it sees her coming. Computer. Play in slow motion." Instantly it turned to face her and jumped straight for her. Kylan could see its muscles tense under its grey skin as it sprang and grabbed both of her arms with its lower hands. "Pause. Go forward frame by frame. Stop. Here you can see its face. No nose. No mouth. Just those big beautiful eyes or, should I say, cameras? This thing is definitely synthetic; that�s the good news, by the way. It can see out of all three, one on each side of its pointy little head; I think those are mikes on the tips. To get depth perception or hone it can focus two quickly and move in on its target while still being able to watch its own back� and it can easily look around corners and through small spaces. Brilliant. Computer, forward two frames."

Kye was slightly relieved to learn that it was a robot because if anyone could figure out a way to stop it, Frank Stanley would. This only made Kylan wonder, though� who created it and why did it attack police officers? The next still-frame showed the robot�s underbelly and revealed two more limbs pulled against its chest like a mantis and a small camera between them. But instead of hands, there were metallic talons at the ends. Stanley was pointing this all out and sounded as interested as if he was seeing it for the very first time. "The tips of those claws must be like molecular-disrupter scalpels. They would barely have to touch the skin to break it. I don�t know what�s in the bag. Could be tools or weapons; who knows? Computer, play the rest of the sequence in slow-mo�." The thing disappeared over the android�s head as it held her arms and swung itself, then the image went to static. The picture came back on just as suddenly but was heavy with static and the words "Error," "Emergency" and "Officer Down" flashed on the bottom of the screen and the angle changed as the android slid down against the wall. The synthetic creature landed several feet away and turned as if it sensed something just before it vanished in a blur. "If you think that�s bad, check it out at normal speed."

The entire event only took about three seconds. "I wonder how long it takes until you show up? I didn�t get that far." Stan smiled as he continued to stare at the monitor but froze when he saw his own image popappear on the screen. There was a loud clang as the metal bolts that secured the synthstraps holding down the blonde broke under the android�s strength. She immediately reached for Stan and grabbed him by the coat and he struggled to pull free. Kylan jumped at her back and the outlines of the shutdown/pause buttons were still visible where the skin was torn away, just above the crack of her buttocks. He wrapped his arm around her abdomen and pushed down on both buttons with his free hand. Her body went limp in his arms and his hand slid down from her belly to her crotch while her large breasts brushed his face. Stan fell back and looked up at Kye. "Wow! Did that turn you on as much as it did ME!?!"

Kye realized what he was touching and felt embarrassed. "I�m sorry, man. I didn�t mean to� I mean, I know that you want to use her for Portia."

Stanley started to laugh. "What are you talking about? You just saved my ass! Besides, I haven�t switched their bodies yet. I don�t know about you, but that was a RUSH! Dude. I love it when they want to hurt me, but can�t! He-he-he."

"You�ve been down here too long, you crazy bastard!" Kye started to laugh, too, when he saw that he did get "excited" and tried to hide it.

Stan got up and started to walk to the console and turned off the equipment. "Don�t be shy, Kye. Follow me; I got something to show you." He went to the door that he entered from when Kylan arrived and Kye followed him to the back area. Portia was lying on a rolling table with her chest opened and her face, hair, and drives were laid out with care on clean sheets. Kye had never seen her like that before� nor any of the other Girls. The incision to her thorax was similar to the "Y" used in the autopsy of a human as was the anatomy of her muscular and skeletal systems, but that�s where the similarities ended. The main drivers, CPU�s, and back-up power supply were located behind the protective rib cage which opened on hinges; Kye could even see the primary gyro, lubricant pouches and muscular pumps behind her abdomen and the base of the watertight voice emulator at the bottom of her throat cavity. The muscle lubricant was refilled through the navel while other lubricants were loaded through other cosmetic fixtures, such as the urethra, as needed. The entire skeleton acted as rechargeable batteries. "Isn�t she a work of art? You know, whether natural or artificial, a well tuned machine is a beautiful thing." Stan seemed to be in his own world.

Kye was surprised to learn that the brain was not located in the head, which held mostly circuitry for the senses, and that so much of her face came away. The section went behind the entire jaw, ears, temples and forehead; the fore-skull and muscle lay bare where the hairline would have been. "I didn�t know there were so many muscles."

"There are even more in humans; an android�s are more efficiently designed to get the same range of movement. Replico did an ingenious job of isolating the facial ones from the neck. What? You thought the face just popped off? The throat and inner-mouth behind the teeth are all standard� and the hardest part to reseal while putting the face back on. Because of the skull size, though, not all faces sections are compatible with other models, but most of them are. Did you know that I had my Portia�s face custom designed?"

"No." Kylan had never seen another android like her, but since hair, skin, and eye color were so interchangeable, he didn�t really think about it.

"Yeah. There was a woman about 30 and already re-married when I met her. I loved her the moment I saw her but, realistically, we had nothing in common� not to mention that she also had no interest in me. I guess you could say that I became obsessed and managed to get some very good pictures of her� some video footage�" Stan hung his head, "I even used Phil�s connections to get an MRI of her bone structure from her medical records. Replico did the rest for a hefty fee. Three-dimensional molds are easy to do if you have enough data to feed the right equipment. Anyway, I cared about her too much to try to come between her happiness. When I turned to Replico, I was desperate and I thought that I was somehow doing her an injustice, but I felt empty and needed to fill that void. At first I was bitter and wanted to �get back� at Life for bringing her into mine. I ordered the finest body they had, a very limited edition Miss Universe winner, and what she didn�t know wouldn�t hurt her. I didn�t really know what to expect but when Portia arrived, I fell in love all over again, but this time I could set the parameters. Her personality, her likes and dislikes, skills� everything� even her love."

"I thought that they were incapable of true emotion."

"In a way, they are. There is a difference between compulsion and desire but sometimes it�s hard to tell, and sometimes it really doesn�t matter as long as the outcome�s the same. To say that she has true emotional satisfaction from our relationship is stretching it, but she always manages to make things interesting. Like I said, I set the parameters, but I left a lot of room for self-discovery and development. She doesn�t really understand why having a sense of humor is pleasing and gives her fulfillment, only that it does� and that�s enough for her. And for me." Kye was beginning to understand why she acted so human most of the time and why Stan devoted so much time to her ongoing development. "You know what? She even asked if she could keep the blonde hair on for a different look, but I love her thick red hair so much that she changed her mind and said that she�ll just put on wigs to keep things spunky! She�s too cool. The pubes are just cosmetic and won�t be a problem." Stan picked up her main hard drive, a large shielded crystal cube, and held it tenderly. It was as if he was holding her very soul because, in a way, he was.

Kylan was curious. "Why don�t you just upload her data into the new drives?"

"No," Stan said, "hers are special. I modified them so that they can read from more than one side to enhance her abstract logic abilities. It�s more than multi-tasking; it�s as if she has several minds working on things at once, and she�ll never freeze and no one can override or shut her down but me. I�m going to need to install all the special circuitry, too, but it should just fit into place� and I don�t want to risk losing any of her."

"What was her name?" Stan didn�t open up very often and Kye was seeing a side of him that he rarely showed anyone but Portia.

"Huh?"

"The woman that you fell in love with. You had told me that Portia was just an experimental model that you had custom ordered with all your favorite attributes. Now there�s this mystery woman that you claim to have loved even though you never got close to her."

Stan raised his eyebrows and smirked. "I never, ever believed in love at first sight until it happened to me and I still couldn�t believe it. I�m probably more horny than a drunk teenager, but I know the difference between love and lust. Her name was Patricia and her last name doesn�t matter because it changed when she got married. I thought �Portia� made a nice irony and homage. That�s the name of a Shakespearean heroine, but it�s also an arachnid predator, one of the greatest hunters on Earth. It can adapt and think. Portia was my salvation and I truly believe that I�m happier with her than I could have been with Patricia� even though Pat had a whole history that made up her character. I think you know what I mean even if you don�t realize it. That�s why I brought you back here." Stan gently put the crystal back and walked towards a nearby shelf.

"What are you talking about?" Kylan almost sounded defensive.

"Here." Stan handed Kye what looked like a cross between a net-ready cell phone and a remote control and it had a post-it paper stuck to it. "I saw the way you were looking at the Monique when you brought her in and I also saw the resemblance. The first thing I thought of was Phil, but the second was Daniella."

"You have lost it! I don�t know what you�re talking about." Kye started to leave.

Stan stopped him and looked at him intensely, "Look. Whether you want to hear it or not, Daniella was a bitch."

"You�re right; I don�t want to hear it!"

"She used us and when things calmed down Topside and the wymyn had it all worked out just for them, she split, which was for the best. She never even gave you a chance! Just because you were five years younger than her, always calling you �Kiddo�� Then as soon as that punk, Armando, shows up, she goes and gets pregnant! Below is no place to raise a kid, anyway, so �Good Riddance� to all of them!"

"Well she never ratted us out!"

"What� and be an accomplice! She didn�t give a damn about you or any of us even after everything you did for her. I�m sure she forgot all about us as soon as she started living the good life. You saw her on the fucking news! Her and that scumbag with their sob story about being trapped in a bomb shelter while the only thing that kept them going was their �love� and the hope to give their child �a better life.� The wymyn ate it up and they became fuckin� celebrities and got everything handed to them! There was no turning or looking back after that."

Kylan fell silent. It was a painful memory, but Stan was right. Kye still had feelings for Daniella and remembered the good times they had although she would never be intimate with him. She made things more bearable and gave Kye a sense of purpose during the crucial days after the chaos began, but she always made him feel like a child no matter what he did. Stan was the only human who really had faith in him and appreciated all of his efforts. He shared all his resources with Kylan and taught him how to survive. Together they used the robots to make a home for themselves and the others whom they eventually came across and who gained enough trust to be shown the Lounge. But everyone had to do his or her part.

"I�m sorry, Kye, but it�s the truth. She never did anything to help while she was here and never offered any once she got connections Topside. But I found a use for her."

"Stan. Stan, I know you mean well, but please don�t push this. I say we�re even already. I don�t know exactly what you�re getting at, but I don�t like where this is going, so let�s drop it." Kye pulled the paper from the device. "So is this the number for this communicator?"

"No, man. That�s your new girlfriend�s phone number. Surprise! I suggest you memorize it. You can do voice commands and talk to her from around two miles away in the tunnels, or you can use the screen or control panel to enter codes too, since I fused her toggle buttons shut like all our Girls. Go ahead� take her for a spin. I hope you don�t mind if I kicked the tires a little!" Stan put up his hands as if he was about to be hit.

"Forget it, Frank. I don�t need a servant to boss around to make me feel like a man. She�s not the real thing, anyway."

"AND�! SO�! Why do you think I told you about Patricia? It�s not about having a slave. Sometimes Portia gets harsh with me and gets on my case about things, but only when I deserve it and for my benefit. She�s always pointing things out to me. Sometimes we even disagree. Sure, her programming won�t allow her to ever betray me or get jealous, but SO WHAT. We�re partners, lovers, and friends and I�m not ashamed of her or my lifestyle. So don�t get �Holier than Thou� with ME and don�t deny yourself a little piece of happiness, because we can all use as much as we can get!"

"I didn�t mean to insult her -- she�s different -- I actually respect her. She can think and she�s helped me out when I needed it."

"So has Anja and the other Girls. They can all carry on a conversation and they all have there own unique personality thanks to the data I saved; I saw to that. Hell, you�ve even had your fun with them and I don�t see why you don�t do it more often. Some of the other guys do and have even asked if they could start earning exclusive rights to one. Maybe you wouldn�t be so uptight. The Girls don�t mind if you just walk up and touch as long as they�re not too busy. They don�t get offended if you stare."

"Haven�t we had this conversation before?" Kylan was starting to get restless.

"Yeah, but this time I think that you can have something more meaningful. The only thing Daniella was good for was more research. I put her voice and character into the Monique, only yours will be more reasonable. She�ll be just as sarcastic and annoying as she ever was but you can change or add anything you want. Her drives can�t handle Portia�s advancements though. Still, she�ll act more human than the other Girls."

"No thanks. Just put her in the Closet with all the Girls in storage or on stand-by. Here�s your toy back."

"No. You keep it. Just think about it, that�s all I�m asking. I hate to think that you�re so lonely out there. I know it�s hard for you to see some of the human females, but they all came here to be with their men, the straight ones anyway. Hey, if you want to customize any of the other Girls, we can do that. How about Anja? You get along pretty good with her; it�s just that I�ve never seen you look at her the way you did with the Monique and it is one of the most durable and best models that they ever put out."

Kye was hesitant, but kept the remote. "I�ll think about it."

As he walked out the door into the lab, Stan followed him and they both looked at the blonde lying twisted on the floor. "Kylan. Could you tell Anj� to come in her on the way out? I�m going to need her assistance and she knows what to do."

"Sure." It was going to be a long day.



It was unusual for everyone to be in the Lounge at once but no one was going out into the tunnels since Barris, the old scout, spread the word about the creature. The last of the supply scouts made it back without any incidents. As much as it had everyone worried, it was a nice break in the monotony. Kylan had everyone�s attention when he told them about what Stan had found out, but the rest he kept to himself. He always respected Stanley�s privacy and guarded his own.

Kye was surprised to hear the anger in his voice when one of the guys started talking lewdly about the two androids that he had brought in the day before and asked when they would be ready for use. He was confused. He sat alone against a far wall, staring at the remote in his hands, when he heard the people starting to stir. Everyone moved out of the way when Portia came walking down the hall. She was friendly enough, but they all knew that she was off limits. Sometimes the guys would try to hit on her just for fun or on a dare and she would laugh at their one-liners, but when someone tried to molest her, she tossed him across the room before he could apologize. At sixfoot-two, she could already be intimidating and was taller than most of the people and all of the androids there, but only Kylan knew why she seemed even more powerful today.

She smiled widely and waved happily as she approached him. "Hi, Kye! There you are!" She was wearing a cheerleader outfit and always looked gorgeous without any make-up, which was how Stan liked it. "Is there somewhere that we can talk in private?"

"No one�s up at the Balcony right now and if everyone can see us, they won�t get any ideas."

"Oh, stop being so paranoid! Don�t you want them to talk? C�mon, I�ll let you brag to all the other guys and I won�t deny anything. Maybe we�ll even make Franky jealous." Kye knew she was only teasing him and felt a little foolish, but he always felt comfortable talking to her. "I�m going to go ask for some food for Frank, okay? So I�ll meet you up there. Do you want anything?"

"Nah, I�m cool. I think Barris scored some frozen dinners, so you might want to check with him. I�ll see you in a few minutes." Kye was glad to see that Portia came through even better than he had expected. Stan was an artist and Kylan was sure that he put everything he had into her operation. He also knew Barris would like to get a visit from her even if it was only a brief business call -- all the guys did.



Kye looked down at the Lounge. The droids and humans kept things running and very clean. Most of the smaller shops had been converted to living spaces while the big department stores served for supplies, first aid, and entertainment centers; the video, audio, and book libraries were shared by everyone. Dances and live performances were often held by the local talent and the Girls. The Balcony was at the far end of the main hall and was originally a food court, but was now just a nice place to have gatherings. The Lounge was a haven in the ruins that surrounded it� but they all knew that someday they might be discovered and the killer robot reminded them of that.

Portia walked up the broken escalator to the Balcony with a small insulated bag of food and sat at a bench near Kylan. "One of the boys found a whole six-pack of soda and gave me two. Do you want one? It�s cold."

"Sounds great!" Kye hadn�t had a soda in months.

She handed him the drink as he took the seat next to her and she looked at him thoughtfully. "Kylan, I really wanted to personally thank you for bringing me this new body. It feels sooo good and works even better than my old one."

"I noticed that you haven�t stuttered or twitched once. I saw you in pieces and now I can�t event see the microseams." He peered at her hairline and she smiled and lifted her chin so he could look closer. Even with a magnifying glass the seams would be hard to see. Stan was an expert with the molecular bonding tool and knew how to match the grain of the skin.

Portia smiled and licked her full, soft, lips and said "So� you saw me naked and I heard about where you touched my body after you turned it off, you naughty boy! I�d feel dirty if it were anyone else."

"I didn�t mean to! It just happened that way."

"Relax! Goodness, I�m only playing with you. It wasn�t even my body yet and you were there for my Darling, so I DON�T MIND. I just wish that you didn�t see me all messy like that."

"I�m just glad that I could help out you and Stan. You�re like the only family I have now."

"It makes me happy to hear you say that." She sounded so sincere that Kylan forgot he was talking to a machine. He felt deceived.

"Do you really? I mean, can you actually feel."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Oh boy, you never give yourself a break, do you? Would you feel better if I said �No. That- does- not- com-pute. Please- try- a-gain�." She let her expression go blank and used an electronic monotone in her voice then started making stiff robotic movements before she started snickering. Kye actually caught himself getting aroused, but stopped himself when he realized it. "Hey, if you can�t laugh at yourself� laugh at someone else! Yes, seriously, I do� in a sense."

"I don�t get it. How�?"

"Uh-oh. Stop everything, folks! He�s getting philosophical. Look, Kylan, I doubt that you even know how you can FEEL, but don�t think that I don�t know that I�m programmed to react certain ways, and a lot of that I did myself through observation. Oh, yeah. I automated my expressions to correspond appropriately by learning to read human emotion. Otherwise I�d act just like I did a minute ago no matter what I was thinking� and sometimes Frank likes it. He even asked me to sometimes pretend that I still have glitches for him," she looked skyward as if to say "Whatever" but then changed her tone. "I�m sure your genetics programmed your reactions." She seemed offended.

"That�s different; you don�t understand. I�m sorry if I said something wrong." Kye was regretting that he brought the subject up.

"No. You�re right. Maybe I don�t understand human emotion completely, but that�s because I�m not human. Hey, don�t feel bad. If I can help you get over it, LET me. I�ll tell you what I believe. I believe that what I, or any machine that

[Keizo]

Yes, Section_Eight; I wrote that in 1999 and then had originally posted on Xeran's first website. When that site was gone Nerf asked to post it on his in 2002. This was my first attempt at writing a longer story and then I had decided to keep going and added a second part, which was even longer! The second is the one that has the anti-EMP catsuits and the supersoakers with the anti-agent. Robotman takes the cake for longest story about fembots, though

After a couple of computer crashes and a stolen laptop, I finally located the whole thing on a 3 1/4 floppy. I can re-post it to the wiki if you like. I can go over it and format it so that it translates more readable and break it up into chapters. After re-reading some of it, I would prefer to do it that way since it doesn't flow very well and some parts are a bit too Emo for me (I was in a weird place in my life at that time!)

I suppose if this is indeed the story you were thinking of, then it would be nice to put it out there again.

[Section_Eight]

Wheeee! Post, if you please; it had subject matter of interest to certain audiences, as I recall. And was generally silly too.