The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 2/Chapter 08
- Index - Previous chapter - Chapter 08 - Next chapter
Aura tapped Kylan on the shoulder as he was overseeing the last of the supplies brought into the garage, “The Queen is requesting an audience with you, M’Lord,” she said in a perfect British accent. “I guess she got her radio fixed,” Aura was back to normal, “I just told her that we’re on our way, if that’s okay?”
Kye smiled and kissed her hand chivalrously, “Thank you, M’Lady,” he couldn’t duplicate dialects as flawlessly as the androids, but he had fun trying. He had heard their individual personalities use all types. Their voices ranged from exotic to Swedish to Irish or a Southern Belle just to name a few. And then there was the always popular French Maid, which was Aura’s original program as an M-67 at a pleasure hotel. But they all had these abilities.
As Kylan and Aura made their way back to The Lounge from Stan’s old garage they passed a few of the evacuating residents carrying their belongings. A Girl was helping them. There were no words, only acknowledgement and understanding in the expressions they exchanged with Kye.
The scene was repeated at The Lounge where the mass exodus was in full swing. With everyone busy with his or her own problems, the small tunnel connecting The Vault to The Lounge was empty and so was the chamber outside the massive door.
Anja looked like the kind of cheerful attractive young woman you would see waiting tables at the old restaurants that appealed to men. She certainly had the legs and ass for hosiery and hotpants. Stan used the lovely late-teenaged model as his secretary but she was not at her desk. The door was closed but it began to open as they approached. “I told Her Majesty that you have arrived,” Aura said with false respect.
They were greeted at the door by a blonde android that was as tall and physically striking as Portia. She was wearing a sports bra, a short plaid skirt and leather sandals. She wore her hair in two braids. It was Aura’s former patrol partner. Neither android had any memories of when they served as police or of each other.
“Hi, Kylan, my name is Mitzie. Portia is in the lab with Anja. Please follow me,” she didn’t twitch or stutter once although she was rebuilt using Portia’s old and damaged body. Her high effeminate voice was friendly and playful.
The main chamber of the bank vault that Frances Stanley used as his lab was always very bright with extra lighting. Portia was sitting on a small bench with her limp arm lying across a gurney next to her while Anja worked with diligent precision repairing it. Despite this, Portia looked very elegant and dignified… even with the cable plugged into the back of her head.
She had since cleaned the horrible filth off of her body and wore her hair well-coifed. She was wearing only a simple and plain silk nightie and spaghetti strapped high heeled shoes on her dainty, yet, proportional feet.
“Is this going to take long,” Aura asked impatiently, “Der Kaiser, should really eat something soon.” Kye was beginning to feel his hunger at the suggestion when he noticed Aura's expression suddenly go blank as she froze in place. He waved his hand in front of her face then touched her cheek, but she showed no response.
“I’m sorry, Kye. I hope that you don’t mind, but she can really get annoying and I want to talk to you seriously,” Portia said politely as she looked up at him. Her soothing voice sounded healthy once more. “Please take off your armor so you’ll be more comfortable and come sit next to me. You’re not going to like what I have to show you.”
Mitzie helped him remove the shielding and smiled at him strangely as she took it to lie on a nearby table. Right next to what was left of “Sparky.” The strange robot looked as if it had been thoroughly dissected and stripped of anything useful. Anja stayed completely focused on her task as if no one else was there. Both she and Portia were Stan’s personal lab assistants and were the only Girls programmed with his degree of skill.
Kye felt nervous as he took the small space next to Portia. …She smelled intoxicating with a raspberry fragrance. The androids didn’t usually wear perfume or even make-up for that matter. They left such limited luxuries for the human females of The Lounge, but after being covered with sewage, Portia allowed herself the privilege. Kye could feel the heat of her body through the thin silk of her nightgown and he felt ashamed of the feelings that were coming over him.
Kylan distracted himself with the large widescreen monitor that was facing them. It was showing a still-framed image of a construction area. He would now learn of the secret meeting that took place earlier that day and of the fate of Frances Stanley. He would also learn what had lead to Portia’s terrible condition.
She took his hand in hers and Kye was honestly beginning to wonder if it was more for her own comfort than for his as he felt a tiny squeeze when the sequence on the screen started to unfold on her cue.
In an odd way, it was as if things had come full circle from the time Stan had first shown Kylan the footage he found in that very same room. Now Portia was using the same body that brought them the footage to show him what became of it. And the future seemed all the more ominous.
“Mitzie can bring you a snack if you like,” Portia said as if to ease the tension she felt in Kye’s body.
“It can wait, but thank you anyway,” he told her appreciatively. She nodded and reluctantly turned her attention back to the images that she was practically reliving in order to show Kylan. But she felt that she needed to in order to experience it with him. She wanted to create a better understanding for both of them.
The digital video was much sharper than “Mitzie’s” police footage of the killer robot. But there was an alien, quiet streaming-hiss, like the sound of several fax machines on loud speaker. The audio data stream made Kye shift uncomfortably.
“I’m sorry Kylan. That sound is my thoughts. I’ll filter them out for you.” Portia said nothing more during the rest of the footage and let the digital record speak for itself. She wanted no other copy but the one she contained.
- Index - Previous chapter - Chapter 08 - Next chapter