The stockholders filed into the boardroom at the behest of Devin. Some of the richest men and women in the Universe sat in that room, waiting for the latest unveiling from Autons Inc. Chase?s pretty little assistant making sure each of them was comfortable with a smile upon her face.


?May I get anyone a coffee? Water? Anything?? She asked them.


Orders taken, she set to work as the doors opened and Chase walked in, dressed to the nines, an expensive wool overcoat on. ?Ladies, Gentlemen!? He exclaimed with the air of a true showman.


His assistant stepped up to him helping him remove his coat and taking it to hang.

?Welcome back. Breyer. Melissa. Good to see you.? He acknowledged some of the more familiar faces, flashing those pearly whites. ?My friends,? he said, clapping his hands together ?I am sure you are all aware we regrettably had to lose Alvin Martin a month ago.?


There were quiet murmurs among them. The ?retirement? of Alvin had been a larger blow to the company than anyone had anticipated. They saw a worrying drop in their stocks, and there were whispers that the company was in trouble without their greatest creative mind.


?We?ve all heard the rumors.? He said, looking around from person to person. ??Autons Inc. is a sinking ship.?? He repeated the rumor. ??They?ve got nothing left. Time to shut the doors!?? he said, slapping his hand on the table for dramatic effect.


That cocky smile returned to his face as he turned his gaze back to the stockholders. ?Well, ladies and gentlemen. What if I told you that Autons Inc is already, well into development of something...SO revolutionary...SO amazing...that it will change the way we think of robotics forever??


The room visibly perked right up as Devin stepped back toward a counter and opened a drawer. When he turned around, he held a blaster pistol in his hand. Immediately there were gasps, but Devin held up his hand to calm them. He looked to one of the men, Breyer Thomlins, and gestured with a nod. ?Breyer. Mr. Thomlins. Please, if you would.? He gestured in front of him and held the gun out with the grip facing the man.


Thomlins stood hesitantly, but Chase waved him on jovially. ?Now, I want you take this gun and point it at me.?


The old businessman stared at him as if he were out of his mind. But Chase simply grinned and nodded, shaking the weapon in his direction. ?Please.?


Thomlins looked to the rest of the group and then, let out a nervous laugh and, with a shaky hand, took the pistol. Chase pointed his finger to his forehead. ?Aim right here.?


Off Thomlin?s panicked look he just grinned. ?Trust me.?


The older man slowly rose the gun, and the second it was leveled at Chase?s head, there was a blur. A small, feminine hand was around the barrel, jerked the pistol away from Chase and ripped it out of Thomlins hand. The pretty little secretary had an intense glare as she gripped the weapon and bent it in half as if it were made of wet clay, a burst sparks issuing forth from the power pack that she didn?t seem to even notice. She reached out and grabbed Thomlins by the shirt and lifted him off the ground as if he were weightless.


?Halt.? Chase said, and the girl froze. ?Release.? Gently, Thomlins was set upon the ground.


The board members all stared in shock as Chase stepped up behind her. ?Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Ava. She?s our first, fully realistic, android. Fast, strong, and completely indistinguishable from a human. One final gift from the man himself, Alvin Martin. She can fit into any situation with the right programming, and, unlike our other autonomous units, her programming is not based upon the 3 laws.?


Thomlins was shaking still as he took his seat, a mixture of embarrassment and fear on his puffy face.


Chase continued, ?She is strong enough to bend steel,durable enough for even the most strenuous of combat situations, yet delicate and gentle enough put junior to bed at night. My friends, what we are looking at here...is the game changing.?


In that moment, she looked every bit the machine she was. Her pretty, brown eyes lifeless, her face expressionless, her body stock still.


One of the boardmembers, a woman in her 60?s leaned forward. ?What is she made of? She looks so realistic.?


Chase looked on the droid with pride. ?Fascinating isn?t it? She is a new, synthetic skin and musculature over a brand new, lightweight...yet incredibly strong metallic endoskeleton we?ve been working on. Virtually indestructible, even if a Neo gets ahold of her.? He smirked.


He put a hand on Ava?s shoulder. ?Even *touch* won?t give her away.? He held up a finger. ?But...if you cross the line?? with that he gestured to Thomlins.


?When do you plan on beginning production??


?As soon as possible.? He responded.


Behind that prideful grin was the knowledge that what Alvin had created was beyond him, beyond any of their top scientists. It would take months of reverse engineering to crack the positronic brain Martin had created with Ava. But for now, they needed the money. And with this meeting...he was guaranteed to have the funding to do all the research and development he wanted.

?You don?t understand, sir. She doesn?t function like the other units. I mean, her neural kinetics are-? Bryant began.


?I don?t care HOW you get her straight, sweetheart. Just get. Her. Straight.? Chase said, straightening his tie as he stared into the mirror.


?You?re asking me to solve a puzzle created by the smartest man in the galaxy and we can?t even find the first piece. We don?t know what we?re dealing with.? the mousy doctor replied.


Chase shut his eyes and sighed in annoyance, his hands gripping the counter in front of him. He collected himself and spoke quietly, but very precisely in a harsh tone. ?The Ava Unit is going into production in two weeks. I don?t care if you don?t sleep again, you are going to make sure she is perfect. If she is anything less, then I will personally see to it that the only job you?ll be able to get once I fire you will involve the words ?would you like fries with that?? Do you understand me??


?I-?


?DO you...understand me?? He interrupted her, staring intensely.


?Yes sir.?


?Good.? He said. Chase stepped around her and grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it on quickly. ?Wipe today from her memory banks. I don?t need her little panic attack lingering around. You can do that much, can?t you??


?Yes, sir.? Bryant said, trying to keep her voice even.


?Good. And until further notice, I want her personality matrix locked down. See to it.?


Willa Bryant watched him leave, letting out a deep breath as tears of frustration fell down her cheeks. God, she hated that man. She grit her teeth and glared after him as the door shut. The slight doctor pulled up a chair in front of Ava, accessing her memory banks. She selected everything from the last 24 hours and was about to hit delete when a thought occurred to her. Her wide eyes glanced back toward the door her boss had left through.


He was a bully. A coward. A dim bulb in charge of something he neither cared about nor understood. This wasn?t about the future of robotics and testing the creative limits of mankind for him. This was about one thing and one thing only. Securing the legacy of Devin Chase as anything more than a swindler. She knew why he hated her. She was Martin?s protege.


Bryant was a gifted young woman that the Doctor had seen through his Young Achievers program. She graduated a year early from high school and Martin himself saw to it that she was placed in the most prestigious institute of science in the universe on a full scholarship, sparing her single mother the worry of affording higher education for her child. When she?d graduated, the old man recommended her to several graduate programs. When she was finally done with school, she was brought on as Martin?s assistant. For the last 2 years, she watched as the Doctor had become more and more withdrawn and secretive, even to her.


The day he?d just gone, without so much as a goodbye was heartbreaking for her.


Chase believed she was hiding something from him. That Martin had told her something HE wanted to know. He was jealous that Martin had done everything to secure her future, but always stood in the way of Chase?s rise to power whenever possible.


Bryant dialed it back farther to the day Chase activated her for the first time. She may lose her job for it, but not before leaving that son of a bitch with a mountain of work neither he nor anyone else in that building were smart enough to figure out in the timeframe he wanted.


She reached out and touched the face of the slumbering Ava. ?I?m sorry, sweetie. I hate to play with your mind like this. But if I can?t stop him...I can sure as hell slow him down.?

The corridors were mostly deserted as Gable stepped out, moving toward his target. Those eyes sweeping left to right. Time was of the essence and he would have to be quick about this, every second threatening the success of this mission.

?Make a right at the next hall.? came Lexa?s voice.

Gable turned the corner, and thought about the sterile aesthetic of this place, feeling like a filthy uninvited vermin within it?s gleaming, streamlined perfection. The nature of his work often left him the dark. They were being paid well by an unnamed third party. The mission: recover a piece of tech and deliver it to a previously agreed upon rendezvous point. He knew his place in the plan, and didn?t ask too many questions and the people who hired him didn?t give too many answers. Afterall, why would he need them? He was only breaking into and stealing from one of the wealthiest and powerful corporations in history. What could possibly go wrong.

?End of the hall. Go!? came the voice in his ear.

Gable leadfooted it over coming up to the keypad. Another quick look around to check for security and he set to work.

?I need you to pop the faceplate off and plug me in.? Lexa told him.

Gable nodded ?On it.? He fished around in his tool pouch, and pried the plate off, producing a datapad and cord before plugging it into an access port.

Lexa was good. Damn good. He?d met her in his days as a cop. She had been part of a team of cyber criminals that had been compromising the systems of several major corporations and stood to walk away with an ungodly amount of credits. He?d been the arresting officer that day when the tattooed little minx finally got caught. If it had not been for one of her cowardly compatriots rolling over on her, she might have never been busted in the first place.

Over the next few years, she would help him take down several, less-skilled copycats, securing the girl a release from prison. They found they worked well together, and after his injury, it was she who?d helped him get back on his feet.

With a series of beeps, the door to Martin?s old office slid open.

He?d known Martin personally. The old man was kind and altruistic, but a little eccentric. He?d actually created the Protector Initiative that had saved Gable?s life. A move that Gable, himself, would call ?A mixed bag.?

Much of the clutter of this room had been removed, making it look empty. Alvin was not a neat man, but he?d heard somewhere that most geniuses weren?t. For a moment, he considered that, without Alvin?s clutter, this room felt perverse. Wrong.

He remembered the time he?d spent in this room. Working with the doctor to acclimate himself to his new prosthesis. Gable?s fingertips brushed the cool metal of the very chair he?d sat in. He could almost hear the doctor?s voice.

?You?re fighting it. You have to embrace the system or it isn?t going to work.? Alvin had warned him.

?Maybe I don?t WANT it to work.? Gable had said, frustrated.

Doctor Martin had stared at him like a disapproving parent, looking down his nose over his glasses. ?You?ve been given a gift, son. You *should* be dead.?

?Maybe I should be.? Gable snapped . ?I didn?t ask for this. I didn?t want this.?

?No. I suppose not. But here we are, James. You have a second chance at life. At greatness. And I believe you are capable of great things. The only question is...are you going to capture it...or squander it??

Gable snapped back to the moment. There would be time to reminisce later. ?What am I looking for.?

?Loading the specs now.?

The occular implant in Gable?s eye flashed a holographic image of a metal box, like a cryogenic chamber. His eyes scanned the room landing on a tall object cloaked in cloth. That had to be it. Quickly, he moved over whipping off the sheet, and sure enough there was his target.

He checked his watch and ignored his curiosity. ?Five minutes. Have them ready for evac.?

?Yessum.? Lex reported back through garbled static.

Welll, that seemed bad. No matter. If he moved quick, he?d be right within communications range in no time. Gable set right to it, laying the chamber flat, activating its hover lift and began rolling it out the door.

Lex?s voice garbled in burst of commuication. ?..ble...ou...re!?

?I didn?t get that. Say again??

?ABLE!...E...F?.?

?HEY! Who are you!? a voice echoed down the hall. Gable snapped his attention toward the guard with his hand on the grip of his sidearm. The thief froze in place for a moment trying to come up with some sort of excuse for being there.

?Uh...uh?? He blanked. ?Oh the hell with it.? Gable reached behind him and drew a hold-out stun pistol firing a blue energy burst that sent the Guard diving out of the way. Wasting no time, Gable pushed the chamber down the hall as fast as he could, desperate to get to the extract point.

The guard didn?t even get back up to his feet before opening fire. A red blast bolt sheared through the sleeve of his coat, grazing his flesh slightly before exploding against a ceiling panel, raining down sparks a tiny debris.

Gable let out a little yelp and turned, firing his stun weapon back at the guard as he ran. The guard was already on his feet, running and having to flatten up against a doorway to avoid the shots.

Gable burst into the exit room and hit the controls, the heavy metal door slid shut. He turned his weapon on the control panel, blasting it and frying the electronics. It would hold them, but not for long.

His fingers went to his comlink. ?Lex! I?ve got company! Tell them we need to bump up our grand exit to...NOW!?

?That?s what I was trying to tell you! They ran into some trouble! They?re not going to make it! You need to find another way out of there!?

Gable?s heart sank. ?Uh?? he looked around there was only one way out at this point. Armed guards were pounding on the door behind him...and a 150 floor fall waiting on the other. ?I?m open to suggestions.?

The sound of a laser cutter came from the other side of the door. They would be through in no time.

?Okay...That chamber have hoverlifts?? Lex asked him.

?Why don?t I like the sound of that??

?That?s a yes.? she said. ?Plug me into its control panel.?

?THEN what.?

?Then you?re going skydiving.?

?WHAT?!? he exclaimed. Just then, the laser penetrated the surface of the door. He was out of options. Gable grit his teeth and pulled the panel plate off and plugged her into the workings of the containment unit.

?How do I let you talk me into this ****?? he grumbled.

?Just DO it!? she yelled back.

Gable gripped the handles of the container and braced himself. He broke into a full sprint and began cursing repeatedly before he kicked off the ground, launching himself and the Box into open air.

Ava stared out the window of their automated conveyance, watching the streetlights and people pass as she went in the night. All over she could see robots at work. Dealing with trash, sweeping streets. Walking dogs. Delivering packages. Carrying a wealthy-looking couple?s children.

They went about their tasks unaware of themselves, living only for what they were programmed to do. Something deep inside her felt...it might be described as pity to someone who knew better. Someone who understood emotions. Someone not her.

Her eyes flicked to the sweaty, dirty man beside her. The man who claimed to be her friend. He was looking at a wound on his arm and sucking in air through his teeth. Those big doe eyes turned up to him. ?You are wounded.?

His blue eyes turned to her and he shrugged. ?Just a scratch.? he said.

She looked uncertain. ?Do you require medical attention?? she asked the man.

The stranger looked to her with furrowed brow befor letting out a little laugh. ?No, I?m fine.?

?What is your name??

He offered his hand to her. ?James. James Gable.?

She looked down at his hand a moment too long.

?I don?t bite.? he said with a smirk.

She looked confused. ?Is that something I should be concerned about??

He laughed and took her hand, shaking it slowly, as if teaching her. ?You?re an odd one, y?know that.?
?I am ?odd?.? She said as if contemplating the word.

The man studied her curiously. ?What?s your name.?

Ava turned to him and looked him in the eye. ?Ava. My name is Ava.?

The conveyance took them to the outskirts of the city and came to sudden stop. Outside the windshield there was a gate, littered with signs. ?No Tin Men!? ?No Canners!? ?ROBOTS NOT WELCOME!? ?NO HEARTBEAT=NO ENTRY!? The ruined remains of a series 4 Enzel chained to the links.

Ava frowned in concern. ?What is this??

?Novus Vitae. An organic life-forms only community.? he said.

?You live here?? she asked him.

Gable nodded. ?It?s a place for those of us who feel the things your friends back there have been cooking up are taking the world from the anything with a pulse.?

She turned to him. ?What did they take from you??

Gable looked over at her a moment, considering the question and rubbed his hand over his prosthesis. Finally, he turned his attention forward. ?Come on. We should go.?

The pair of them stepped out of the car and Gable handed his jacket to her.

?Thank you.? she said, slipping it on.

They walked down the street toward his apartment. She looked around, seeing the streets lined with old, non-automated cars and speeders. Everything here was user-operated. She saw similar anti-robot signs posted in the windows as she walked beside him.

?Why do they dislike robots so much?? she asked.

?You?ve seen the world out there. They?re everywhere. Jobs people used to do were taken up by machines. They take your garbage, they clean your streets, they make your vehicles, they build your homes...they even cook your food. Did you know that even the Police are becoming automated?? He explained to her. ?They took over and the rich got richer and poor got poorer. To survive these people HAD to create this place. A community by people for people. We?re self reliant here. We do the work that they took from us.?

She considered this for a moment. It made a sad sort of sense. ?Do *you* hate robots??

Gable glanced over. ?Hate is a strong word. Not everyone here actively hates them...some people just had no place else to go. No jobs, no money and mouths to feed. So they came here. Here they could hold down a job and put food on their family?s table.?

?And what do you do?? she asked him.

?What I have to.?

They came to an old apartment building, it looked pre-industrialization and had clearly suffered a bit from the elements. Gable led her down the stairs to a basement flat. The inside was pretty sparsely decorated. A bedroom, a bathroom, and the kitchen/living room in one area. There were pictures on the wall that told his story. A young man in his late teens in the uniform of the USM beside his dogtags hung from a nail. Pictures on some backwater planet with his platoon. His first day back on Boros in civilian life. A picture of him graduating from the Academy followed by another of him in uniform. The only other was a picture of him, holding a dog with a big smile on his face.

Ava?s head canted to one side before she suddenly heard the scurrying of little feet. Around the corner came a little pitbull, now bigger than the puppy in the picture, barking with excitement to see its person.

?Heeeey, Maxxy.? Gable said with a little smile, leaning down and greeting the dog and playfully teasing it before the dog leaned into him. He looked up to her. ?This is Max.?

The dog took one look at her and immediately froze. A low growl rumbled from deep inside the animal as it watched her. Ava took a few steps back, sensing danger.

?Maxxy?? he said reproachfully as the dog snapped at her. He stepped in front of the little guy. ?She?s a friend. Go on. Go lay down.?

The dog looked up at him as if it was unsure., looking back at her with a poorly concealed growl. ?Max!?

Hesitantly, Max went and lay down, but his eyes never left her.

?Sorry about that...I don?t know what got into him.? He said. ?He?s usually pretty friendly.?

Ava simply nodded.

?Well..make yourself at home...I?m going to clean myself up and make a few calls.? With that, Gable left the room and Ava was alone.

She looked around this unfamiliar place, watched like a hawk by an animal who very clearly did not like her. What had come before, she could not remember. Only waking to this strange man. Something creeped into her consciousness. Something she wasn?t sure how to process.

She was afraid.

-2 hours Earlier-

Gable was alive. Well, that was a relief. But out of the frying pain into a hellish inferno of biblical proportions. Now there was a girl? What the hell was going on? The cops had been notified to the disturbance back at Autons Inc.

No time to dwell, only time to act. Lexa called up an autonomous cab, manipulating it?s programming so it would never record the journey it was about to take or the passengers who would occupy it. A little smirk crossed her lips as the tattooed hacker leaned back in her chair. The satisfaction of a job well done, and a police force outsmarted washed over her.

Annnnd then it was replaced by something else.

Blue and red lights cut through the shades of her apartment, the girl?s eyes widening. She rushed over and peered outside to see three squads.

Damn.

One of them must have talked. The cowards. They burned her!

Fortunately, she had options. Options and a fake name. Christine Lesanche did not exist...not in Century City, Boros anyway.

She rushed to her computer, leaning over it. ?I?ve got a ride coming your way, get in, and get the hell out of there. I?ll contact you when I can. I need to go. My place has been burned.?

She could hear them enter the hallway on her floor and a frown turned the corners of her mouth downward. ?Good luck.?

She cut the connection and shut off the holoscreen of her computer, and stuffed it into a bag. With the press of a button, every bit of her equipment and storage uploaded immediately to a heavily encrypted server and fried the hard drives. Time to bail.

Lexa grabbed a coat, slung the bag over her shoulder, and slid open her window, slipping through onto the fire escape. She slammed the window just as they started banging on the door. The slim computer genius climbed the stairs to the top of her building, the cool winter air biting her inked skin.

There were options open to her. A few back-up safe houses under pseudonyms she might retreat to. Curiosity, though ate at her. She wanted to know what the hell they had gotten themselves into. Nobody on this extraction team seemed to know the whole story. She was brought on by a third party, and she had hired the morons who?d given her up after they gotten themselves busted in a stolen ship.

It was so hard to find good help anymore?

As she vaulted over the edge of her building onto the next, the various apartments and warehouses cramped tightly together, she heard the crash of the window. Lexa?s blood began to pump quickly, fueled by adrenaline. She broke into a run, leaping over the short distance from building to building before hiding behind a large, steaming vent just as the security drone rose up from beneath the rooftop.

Lexa cursed under her breath. It wouldn?t be long before it tracked her, tagged her, and kept her down until she could be processed. A bit of steam and metal wouldn?t buy her much time.

She swiped a finger down her forearm, bringing to life the holographic multi-tool implanted beneath her skin. Her slim, nimble fingers expertly danced over the orange-lit keyboard as data flew across the screen.

The drone was moving toward her slowly, its scanners detecting a heartbeat in her direction. She knew there would be some desk jockey in the van downstairs watching on a monitor, waiting for his que to come and put her in binders.

Closer and closer it came to her as she worked her way into its system. Numbers and commands flew like a hurricane of activity as she tried to take it over.

She could HEAR its repulsorlift engines rumbling, it was so close, her breath burning at a mean rate as she desperately typed and swiped away. The hacker clenched her eyes shut and flattened against the wall as the drone appeared beside her and slowly turned to face her.

Within the surveillance van, the tech watched the screen. Where there should have been a thin, tatted up woman with short, choppy black hair...there was nothing but air.

Lexa waited for inevitable...but only heard the drone spin away from her and continue on away. Her hazel eyes popped open and she turned, watching the automaton drift on away from her, relief flooding her entire being.

MOVE!

She wasted no time, rushing to a fire escape and gripping both sides of the ladder. With the kick of a lever, she plummeted toward the ground, coming to a stop a few feet from the pavement. Lexa had to get to Gable?s. It was time to get their bearings.

The apartment in Siennica was registered to Millicent Erstraud. 45, single. A Corbeulan transplant who had moved to the planet to eke out a living as a waitress. A frightfully dull and non-descript woman. In fact, the most interesting thing about Millicent Erstraud... was that she did not exist.

It was amazing what you could do when you knew how to break into the city records office. Lexa had 4 such places to hide-out, under different names, now dwindled to 3. The door shut behind her as she stepped into the sparsely decorated, studio apartment. Little more than a couch (that doubled as a bed), fridge, and a table for her rig adorned the room.

Lexa leaned back against the door and let out a breath, her eyes sliding shut. What she had seen had to have been a fluke. Could not have been real. She swiped her finger along her wrist, the multi-tool implant activating and glowing to life.

?NON-ORGANIC MATERIALS DETECTED? it read. That in and of itself was not out of the ordinary. Hell, she and even Gable had synthetic enhancements here and there. But this was nothing of the sort. While the scanner would show her wrist, an implant behind her ear, and few odds an ends, Ava showed absolutely no organic matter whatsoever in her entire body. No eyes, no internal organs. Even her hair and skin was synthetic.

This technology did not exist.

Sure, they could make life-like skin, Gable had it over most of one side of his body. But even that felt...off. She?d touched the girl. This was not the same thing. It looked, felt, and reacted just like the real thing.

And those eyes?

Since when could synthetics feel and express fear? Even the most lifelike among them still had that disconcerting rigidness to them, looking like little more than animatronic wax figures. Like a poor imitation of life. Ava breathed. Her pupils dilated. Her skin had imperfections, got goosebumps. She could even shiver.

If they could program a machine to mimic human behavior so completely, where was the line between the two? Did it even exist anymore?

Suddenly, Lexa became very aware and very frightened of what exactly they had been sent to retrieve. This wasn?t just the next step. This was a leap. An unprecedented leap forward in the field of robotics. And if half the rumors about Devin Chase were true, he would kill to retrieve it.

Willa sat in her station, half-heartedly trying to sort through Ava?s neural profile. A vain attempt to be prepared when the girl was returned. The ?girl?. Even knowing what she was, Bryant still had trouble reconciling the difference between human and machine. Perhaps that was what bothered her so much about the situation.

Everything had spiralled so completely out of control. It was supposed to just stall him. Give him a panicked robot to deal with and ruin his timeline. She couldn?t have anticipated someone breaching the building?s defenses and stealing the top-secret, terrified android who didn?t need to play by the rules. But the reality was, Ava was out there with God knew who, enduring God knew what. What comfort or satisfaction she might have had with her part in all this went right out the window.

The hiss of the door sliding open behind her caught her attention. She didn?t have to see him to know who it was. Chase?s overly-applied cologne hit her nose before the sight of him ever could. When she first started, she enjoyed the scent. But after years working under the man, she?d grown to hate it. It felt like him. Part of a pleasant facade hiding a absolute horror of a human being.

He turned his head, looking at the metallic, skeletal frame from an Autons Inc. S-17, the latest release in their line of home robotics. An antique in comparison to Ava. He smirked bitterly and stepped further into the room.

Willa didn?t look up from her work. ?Mr. Chase.?

?Doctor.? He said looking around her workspace. The woman was certainly better organized than her mentor. Everything was in its place, neatly arranged. Sometimes an new employee would go in there and move something out of place and catch holy hell for it from the roboticist.

He leveled those dark eyes upon her. ?I want to know everything about your contact with Alvin Martin.?

?We?ve been through this Mr. Chase.? She muttered distractedly as she focused on her work.

Chase glanced to the screen and then to her. With an arrogant sigh, he leaned over her shoulder and turned off her screen. Willa just froze and clenched her jaw in annoyance.

?Now. I want you to tell me everything about your last contact with Alvin Martin.?

Willa;?s head turned slowly, her eyes narrowed. ?I?ll tell you what I told the investigators.? She started in an icy tone. ?I haven?t spoken to him in months. The last time we spoke, it was to drop off a status report on the S-17?s connection issues to the central hub. We barely spoke beyond the usual ?hi, how are you???

?Nothing more?? His tone suggested accusation. Distrust.

?Nothing more.? She repeated.

Chase studied her a long moment. He was good at reading people. Especially when they were lying. ?You expect me to believe that Alvin?s golden child was completely clueless about the revolutionary work he was doing behind the closed doors. That you, his brightest student, his disciple, had no clue that he had been working on something so far ahead of where this company is today that it makes our S-17s look like can openers??

?Alvin became withdrawn in the past couple years,? She said. ?Even from me, he kept so many secrets. Lunches, dinners, even the occasional phone calls stopped. It was heartbreaking, and I felt like I?d lost the only father I?d ever known and didn?t know why. And then he up and disappears without so much as a goodbye??

Bryant?s nerves were raw and on display. Martin?s withdrawal from everyone and everything had left its scar. ?So, no, Mr. Chase. Alvin hasn?t contacted me. Not in some time. You can send your goons to try and intimidate me, but they?re going to go home disappointed.?

The fire in her eyes told him she wasn?t lying. ?Now. Is there anything *else*, Mr. Chase?? She spat at him, pouring acid all over his name.

Chase smiled and nodded, with that trademark arrogance that made her want to choke the life out of the man. ?If he does. You let me know, doctor.?

Willa?s fists clenched tightly until the door slid shut behind him. She lashed out, grabbing a drinking glass from her desk and whipping it at the door behind him. The soundproof seal would conceal the sound of the shattering object, thankfully. Willa watched as the small sanitation bots immediately rolled out, quickly making short work of the clean-up.

Finally, she crumpled back into her chair, taking deep, steady, calming breaths. Where the hell was Alvin? Why had he frozen her out? Why would he not tell her about Ava? Why had he abandoned her?

The screen beside her flickered, drawing her attention. The display went to black and green, her work in the background turning opaque, blurry. She leaned forward, her brow furrowed.

?Hello, Doctor Bryant.? Said a heavily modulated voice.

Her eyes widened. Someone was in control of her system.

?We have much work to do.?

The trio stood in a crowded train carrying them into the city, Gable?s hat pulled low over his brow as he gripped a pole. Lexa stood across the aisle, a knit cap upon her head and her eyes hidden behind large sunglasses. Ava was beside him, dressed in one of the outfits Lex had brought. Bundled up, she looked completely unremarkable. Just a cute girl on a train with her friends.

Those expressive brown eyes looked around at the packed the train and out the window at the sprawling, alive city. Pedestrians, skycars, ships coming and going in a steady pace in the atmosphere. And then there were the robots, their numbers competing with humans... and catching up. She saw one standing at a curb holding the hand of a young child no more than 6 years old.

?There are so many?? she said quietly.

Gable glanced over to her, considering her words. ?9 billion life forms on this planet alone.? He informed her.

?How many?? she started, not finishing the thought.

?Machines?? He asked. ?We're not sure. Last count was 6 billion on Boros. Galaxy wide...I don't even think Autons knows. They've crept into every corner. Most ships? AI even run on a positronic brain from them.?

Ava began to realize the scale of what Gable was fighting so hard to escape. She didn't understand his hate, but she could see why he might feel threatened. She knew there was something...different about her. Her understanding of organic life and the way it functioned was enough to tell her she wasn't one of them. Yet, seeing the machines blindly, unquestioningly carrying out their tasks, little more than clockwork drones, told her she wasn't one of them, either.

No. She was special. While that might have made an organic feel emboldened and important, it made her feel simply alone.

The train jostled to a stop, the automated PA announcing the stop in a soothing female voice.

?This is us.? Gable said, gesturing to the door as it slid open.

Ava looked to them, wide-eyed. ?We cannot linger! There are two ships outside lowering drop-lines!? she said, the panic in her voice.

?I told you to make sure you were not followed!? Plau?ti rumbled, walking to a crate that hid his rifle. Gable was already on his way to his pistol, when the Bissarian drew on him.

?Do not move, human!?

Gable froze, his hand hovering over the weapon upon the ground. Lexa stepped toward Plau?ti cautiously, her hands out. ?Plau...what are you doing??

?This was a set-up!? he accused her, keeping that weapon trained on Gable. One of those eye-pieces swiveled at her, operating independently of the other. ?Make one more move and he dies.?

?Plau! Nobody set anybody up!? Lexa demanded. ?But if we don?t leave now, we?re all going down, so put down the ****ing gun!?

Plau?ti wheeled the weapon on her. Gable clenched his jaw and dove for the gun. Lexa?s stomach turned as she prepared for the worst.

Suddenly, there was a sharp hissing sound and the Bissarian went rigid. A whisp of smoke rose from his chest before his body dropped like a marionette with its strings cut.

The glass skylights shattered, armed mercs dropping into the room as the trio scrambled for cover. The warehouse was alive with laserfire when Gable tackled Ava to the ground.

?Stay down!? He yelled, drawing his weapon up. He rose and picked his target. With the squeeze of a trigger, a red bolt burned through the chest of one of their attackers.

Lexa spied Plau?ti?s rifle. She wasn't much of a shot, but damned if she was going down without a fight. She swept it up and blind-fired over the top of her cover.

?Lex! Aim! THEN shoot!? Gable shouted at her.

?**** you! They've got guns!?

?So do you!? He yelled back, rising up and dropping another with a well-placed shot.

Lexa steeled herself and came up to fire, immediately forced to take cover as a barrage of gunfire rained on her position.

Finally, she was able to line up a target, blasting one of the mercs descending into the warehouse in the arm. The merc tumbled to the ground with a loud ?thwack!?, laying there unconscious.

Ava's robotic eyes took in every last detail of the situation. An unseen attacker had Gable in his sights and was about to pull the trigger. The android leapt forward, forcing him to the ground a split second before the laser past overhead.

Gable stared up at her a moment, catching his breath. ?Thanks.? He said with a relieved grin.

Lexa fired off a wide shot before ducking behind cover. In the back of her mind, she was trying to figure out exactly how they had found her. All of them had been so careful.

A blast against the crane behind her brought her out of her head. Lexa cursed to herself and looked around her. Plau?ti?s corpse lay nearby. Maybe he'd have something she could use. The slim hacker scrambled over to his lifeless body, shots burning through the air over her head so close she could feel the heat. Lexa, flattening herself upon the ground, began fishing through his pockets, those eye-stalks now motionless upon his alien face.

Her fist wrapped around a small cylinder and her brows perked. Quickly, she withdrew a small stun grenade, fully intact. Quickly, she pushed herself to her knees and started a mad, crawling dash toward Gable and Ava.

Gable saw her there, exposed, his eyes going wide. ?LEX, GET DOWN!? He cried and held up a hand to halt her, but the second she looked up at him, a bolt caught her in the left shoulder blade. Her agonized cream rang out even over the sound of combat. Lexa dropped to the floor, pain like she had never experienced before radiating from her shoulder and burning through her entire body.

Gable returned fire and made his way to her, dragging her back in a hail of gunfire, and taking cover again. Lexa winced as she was laid back against the crane.

?Lexa! You alright?? he asked her, ignoring the panic-stricken girl behind him.

?Just ****ing dandy.? she growled back at him. Those hazel eyes opened then, the haze of pain over them as she lifted her good arm and opened her hand to reveal the grenade. She and Gable shared a grin.

?You are SUCH a bad-ass.? He said, snatching it from her, looking back at Ava. ?Get ready. We?re gonna have to get her on her feet and run.?

He leaned back against the crane and popped the cap, his thumb pressing down the trigger. ?Cover your eyes and ears.?

The grenade sailed over their scorched, battered cover and right into the din of Mercs. Gable grabbed Lexa and pressed her left ear to his chest and clamped his eyes shut. Instantly, the room was filled with blinding white light, a high pitched squeal filling the ears of the unprepared mercenaries. One by one, they dropped, unconscious upon the floor.

Gable?s ears were still ringing despite his best efforts. Slightly dazed, he peered behind them. All the men behind him were down for the moment, but he knew they didn?t have long. He pushed himself up and gently pulled Lexa to her feet, supporting her weight as they moved quickly to the door.

Ava seemed perfectly fine as she led the way. The instant she opened the door, there was an armored merc waiting. His arms wrapped around the thin android, attempting to drag her away, Gable, still dazed, fumbling for his weapon. Those big brown eyes widened in panic, but only for a moment. He arms shot outward, breaking his grip upon her. The merc stumbled backwards and drew a shock wand. With a snarl, he swung it right at Ava.

Gable began to raise his gun just as she caught it...barehanded...blue electrical arcs shooting up along her arm and having no effect. The girl?s head twitched slightly just before her fist jabbed forward like a piston, hammering her attacker square in the solar plexus. Gable watched the man sent flying back away from her as if he were weightless.

Still holding onto the shock wand, Ava stared at the unconscious merc, twitching as the weapon continued sending electricity through her mechanical body. Her fist clenched then in one quick motion, demolishing the wand in a quick burst of sparks and smoke. Slowly her head turned, taking in Gable, clutching his weapon in one hand and a wounded Lexa in the other, a mixture of fear and confusion upon his face.

The door to Gable?s burst open, the trio returning. Gable assisted a pain-stricken Lexa to the kitchen. She winced as she straddled a chair, the burn at the wound at her back sending screaming agony through the entire left side of her body. As Ava stepped forward to help, Gable wheeled around on her, the look in his eyes, she decided, was not one of friendship.

?You!? he growled at her. ?What in the HELL are you?!?

Ava was taken aback, her first instinct was to be polite, but something inside of her overrode that. She got quiet, she got angry. Her eyes narrowing, her voice lowering. ?I don?t know.?

?Bull shit!? he said pointing in her face.

Ava spoke slowly and deliberately. ?Remove your finger from my face. Now.?

?Or. What?? he replied, mimicking her tone.

Through grit teeth and pained breaths, Lexa looked back at them. ?Hey, if you two are done flirting back there...I?m...I?m kinda in a lot of pain. So...maybe we can do this later??

Ava?s eyes flicked to the woman. She was right. They could argue about this another time, Lexa needed help. She went to step around him, but found him stopping her.

?No. You stay away.? He said.

?I am capable of treating wounds this severe without risking infection. Are you?? She countered.

Ava could see the wheels turning in his head. He wanted to throw it back in her face. Lie, and say he could. But his concern for his friend made him swallow his pride and let her go to work. Ava put all her functions to treating Lexa?s wound as Gable leaned back against the wall.

?Lex...what the hell happened back there? How did they find us??

Lexa winced as Ava worked. Even the most careful hands couldn?t keep her from feeling the pain. ?I?ve been trying to suss that out. Best I can figure, they had to be tracking Plau?ti.?

?You don?t think they were tracking *us*?? he said, a pointed look at Ava.

?Not a chance in hell. When I don?t want to be found, I don?t get found.? She snapped.

?That right, Millicent?? He smirked with his arms crossed.

?Hey, I got sold out, and I?ll point out that I?m not in an interrogation room, am I?? Lexa spat back at him.

Gable grinned, for a moment forgetting the culmination of his fears sitting right in front of him. It all came rushing back the moment he set eye on her again. ?We need to figure out what we?re doing with it.? he said.

Lexa sucked in air through her teeth as Ava brushed a tender spot on her wound. ?It??

Gable nodded to the girl. If looks could burn, Lexa would have reduced him to ash. ?SHE isn?t going anywhere. She?s important, and we need to find out what the hell is going on .?

?Not here.? he insisted, arms crossed.

?So, what? You want to toss her out into the world?? Lexa glared at him, ?She wouldn?t last a day out there!?

?She?s a timebomb, God damn it, and you want to sit here and wait for her to go off?? Gable looked to her incredulously as Ava finished patching Lexa up.

Lexa stood up, a little too quick, but damned if he?d let her see the pain it caused. ?**** sake, James, she?s not a weapon! She?s a scared kid who has no idea who she is or why she?s here! You want to wash your hands of her because she isn?t what you expected, well **** that! I?m not letting you!?

?You?re not *letting* me??

?Damn right.?

Ava felt like a child in the midst of a screaming argument between her parents. She calmly stepped between them, looking from one to the other. ?Enough. If I am to be a point of contention or danger for either of you, I shall take my leave. I do not wish to cause any undue stress for anyone. I will leave.?

Gable said nothing, but Lexa immediately went to her. ?No. He doesn?t understand. But you saw those men. You know what they?re willing to do to capture you.?

?Yes. I do.? Ava said. ?And I will not allow them to do it to you.?

?You?re not leaving.? Lexa said, grabbing her arm.

?With all due respect...you cannot stop me.?

Ava looked hurt and apologetic, yet resolute. ?I will find my own way.? She said, turning to Gable. ?Thank you for all you have done for me. I wish you well.?

Gable sat in that apartment, alone with this thoughts. Maybe Lex was right. Whatever she had been programmed for, the robot didn?t know what was happening. Even he had to admit, her fear was incredibly realistic. Whatever she was, she had no love for the company, and certainly no desire to return there.

What was the famous phrase? ?The enemy of my enemy is my friend?? After everything that had happened to him, after...after the incident...he was actually considering knowingly helping a machine. The world no longer made sense.

He looked down at little Max, the pit pup wagging his tail and staring up at him with those big, dark eyes. ?Yeah?? he said quietly to the dog. ?I don?t get it either.?

Gable grabbed his jacket and a sidearm and started toward his door when Max started barking. Gable glanced back with a quirked brow. ?What is it??

The lights suddenly flickered and went dead. Something was wrong. The former cop, glanced upward, cautious. But not cautious enough. With a massive boom, the door flew open, torn in a shower of sparks and smoke from the lock, and knocking him to one side and onto his left shoulder. Through his daze, he could make out the red lights of their rifles as the began to enter. Max sprinted at the intruders, barking that high pitched little bark as if he were the fiercest creature on the planet.

?Silence the dog.? one of the voices ordered. And that was it. Gable grabbed the point man?s rifle and yanked upwards, the weapon discharging into the ceiling. In one fluid motion he brought the weapon up and put a round between the eyes of the second intruder. Using the weapon as bludgeon, he cracked the pointman in the neck and threw him aside.

One of the attackers slammed into him then, tackling him to the ground, trying to get leverage so he could point his gun. Max leapt through the air, biting the man?s gunhand, distracting him enough so Gable could grab the man by wrist with his prosthetic hand. Instantly his impoosibly strong fingers constricted around the wrist, drawing out a sickening crunch. The thug cried out in agony, his weapon dropped to the ground. With his left, Gable jackhammered his fist in to the man?s face while his right swept the weapon up and fired at the next man through the door, knocking him back into the man behind him.

Gable swept his dog up and bolted toward the kitchen. The intruder at the doorway threw aside his fallen partner and brought his rifle and opened fire just as Gable launched himself over the kitchen counter, the blasts missing him by a hair., splintering the wood cabinets and shattering the tiles along the wall.

Gable pressed back against the trash compactor. It would provide a little cover, but it wouldn?t last forever. He set the dog down and signaled for him to stay, the pit staring up at him with those big dog eyes, but remaining still.

The remaining three men moved into the apartment, weapons up. They moved closer and closer to the kitchen, closing in on their target. Closer and closer the left-most came, his adrenaline pumping. This was it. Time to end it.

He whipped around the corner, only finding a very angry puppy letting out on high-pitched bark.

Suddenly, he felt something grab him from behind. Gable slammed his face through the drywall and into the metal support beam, the man?s body crumpling limp to the ground. The second wheeled around on him, but Gable was on the move, grabbing the barrel and redirecting it at the wall, Quickly, he ducked underneath his target and planted his boot square in the third man?s chest, knocking him against the wall.

No time to waste, Gable reached back, grabbing the second attacker by the neck and flipping him onto the counter onto his back. He brought his elbow up and then slammed it down with his entire body weight behind it upon the man?s face, breaking his neck in one swift motion.

He turned to face the final intruder just in time to find a weapon pointed at him. He immediately went to dodge just before the trigger was pulled, the blast seering right past where his shoulder had been. Gable?s foot planted on an ottoman and sent it sailing into the attacker?s knees, sending him stumbling forth. He immediately set toward the man, kicking the weapon from his grasp before he could get his bearings.

Gable grabbed him by the shirt and whipped him around, throwing his back against the wall so hard it cracked the drywall. His body loose, the attacker managed to draw a knife, and start advancing toward Gable.

The former cop?s eyes locked on him, presenting his side and as small a target as possible to his attacker. When the attacks came, they were fast, aggressive, precise. He knew what he was doing, but Gable blocked every strike. An over-head slash was blocked and countered by a quick right jab to the face as Gable pivoted out of the way. The attacker shook off the daze and planned his next move. He came in low and fast, a stab at Gable?s belly. He barely dodged the strike, grabbing the man by the wrist with both hands. In one motion, he swept his leg at the man?s feet and jammed an elbow into his face,

Both men fell to the ground, and Gable reversed the knife. The man resisted, fighting as Gable worked to overpower him. He grunted, trying to force that blade into the man?s chest. It was amazing what someone could do when they didn?t want to die.

Enough was enough, Gable lifted his body up and brought his full weight down, pushing the knife far enough that the tip punctured the man?s chest. But he didn?t stop resisting, so Gable did it again. And again. And again.

And then...he stopped resisting. He stopped breathing.

Gable rolled off the man?s corpse, Max rushing up to him and licking his face excitedly. Gable gave the dog a stroke along his back and pushed himself up. If these men had gotten to him, then Lexa and Ava were in incredible danger.

The lights of the city illuminated his face in waves as they passed through Century City?s bustling streets. It was no longer safe to stay within its limits. The vehicle was unregistered, untraceable, the tracking systems encrypted to hell and back. If anyone wanted to try and digitally trace their movements, they?d find themselves looking on the other side of the planet. A contingency in place for just such an occasion. Never let it be said that James Gable was ever left unprepared. Hastily thrown-together bug-out bags were placed in the car?s cargo area.

Lexa and Ava remained quiet at first, preferring to catch their breath and get as far from everything as possible. The lithe hacker watched the cars go by and the city carrying on, the world still spinning, oblivious to them and their little dramatics. She hovered between the two states of still being upset with him and grateful that he?d come around...even if he was being tight-lipped about the reason for the moment. She?d known Gable a lot of years, and one thing she?d learned about the man was that, when given a long enough time and suitable pushing...he could often be counted on to do the right thing.

Lex glanced Gable?s way, studying the stoic, focused former cop. ?So...what changed your mind??

Gable?s jaw clenched, his focus ahead. Honestly, he wasn?t entirely certain that he HAD changed his mind. At least, not about Ava. At the moment, his main concern was protecting himself and his friend. If the girl...the robot was part of that package, so be it.

?They found us.? He said simply.

?What?? She exclaimed, her eyes wide. ?How??

?Didn?t think to ask.? Gable said, mocking her with his tone.

Lexa sighed in annoyance. Obstinate man...?Well...are they going to come after us??

Gable was quiet a long moment before finally uttering ?No.?

The tone in his voice told her everything about what happened in that apartment. The thought chilled her to the bone. Lexa was aware of what he was capable of. Gable was a killer when he had to be. It was often hard to separate the two sides of him for her. He could be helpful, kind, downright sweet...and then when backed into a corner, he could be ruthless.

?Where are we going?? She asked, deciding to push those thoughts aside.

Gable?s hands gripped the wheel, white-knuckled as they took a turn. ?I?ve got a safehouse out of town.?

?If they found you in Novus Vitae, what?s going to stop them here?? She asked.

?It?s off the grid.? he said, looking over to her a moment. ?Vitruvia Lake.?

Her brows rose in surprise. ?That IS off the grid.? She said. The place was hours away from any city in a very rural area. Right smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

Gable glanced in the rearview to the machine in the back before he turned his attention back to Lexa. ?Get some rest. It?s going to be a long trip.?

The hacker turned her hazel eyes back to the open road ahead as they passed out of Century City limits and into the unknown. She?d put her faith in him for now. It was the only hope for their survival.

The door slid shut behind him, Chase?s clenched fists shaking as he paced. He?d gone too far. Showed his hand to that arrogant little bitch. If he didn?t need her, she?d be dead, but circumstances being what they were, she was the closest to Alvin Martin he was going to get. The doctor was still missing, along with the most valuable piece of tech in the universe.

Chase walked to his liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle Cerillian Whiskey, pouring it into a glass and immediately downing the contents in one gulp. The haze hit his system near instantly, giving him a moment of dizziness. His hands gripped the countertop, steadying himself.

The mercenaries hadn?t reported in. That was usually a bad sign. Facial recognition applications pulled up a partial match from the bodycam of one of the dead mercs. They?d been lucky the woman?s blocker malfunctioned for a split second when she was wounded. It was enough for them to extrapolate and narrow down their choice.

James Gable. Former Century City cop. Known for his actions during the MatsuTech hostage situation. Became a part of Martin?s Second Chance initiative for wounded officers and soldiers after an incident left him near death and without a significant portion of the left side of his body. He was discovered as living outside the influence of robotic surveillance in Novus Vitae.

Novus Vitae. A collection of delusional doomsayers, clinging to their antiquated ideals, fighting a pointless war against progress. From the old man?s psych notes, Gable fit right in with them. Bitter, angry, prone to violence. A deep seated dislike of robotics, despite their integration into his body, keeping him alive.

There were no reports coming from the mercenary force he?d sent. Gable must have been more capable than he thought.

Chase poured himself another glass of whiskey, turning on the holovision. An anchor was reporting on a disturbance coming out of Novus Vitae. Several bodies had been found in the 100 block of the Organics-Only section of the city. None of them mentioning a female of any kind. Gable might be dead, but Ava and the woman were almost certainly still alive and still at large.

Somewhere deep inside him, a boiling rage had begun to rise. His fist clenched the glass, shaking with anger before he let out a frustrated scream, throwing the glass with all his might and sending it shattering all over the floor.

Almost immediately, the tiny maintenance droids scurried out to clean the mess.

The cottage sat in a clearing, surrounded by trees, a lake running along the western side of the property. It was a rustic sort of place, far away from the nearest town. No cortex connection, in fact, there was not a holoscreen to be seen on the premises, much to Lexa?s chagrin.

She'd only heard about this little cottage in passing. Gable wasn't exactly forthcoming with an explanation to the nature of its existence, not that he ever was a big talker about his life. It was a cozy little space, and as safehouses go, it was better than most of the dingy, smelly basements she?d usually chosen for her own.

As they opened the car door, Max sprinted out. The dog running amuck around all the new smells and sights like tiny grey blur. Just full-on sensory overload for the little guy. The corners of Gable?s mouth were tugged upward in a smile, watching the dog, oblivious to their current predicament, just running wild and happy.

Max was lucky, Lexa thought. He would not lose sleep to worry or be concerned with the men searching for them or the dead. He just wanted someone to play with, food, and a spot to sleep. For the first time, she envied a dog.

?You know...if you wanted to get away from society and robots...this would have been a great place to do it.? She said.

Gable ran his eyes over the charming cottage. There wasn?t nearly the amount of warmth she might expect from him over such a pleasant little place. In fact there was a hint of sadness there. ?Too many memories. ? He muttered distantly. Gable blinked, shaking out of it. ?Besides. Not going to make much of a difference from here, am I??

With that, he shouldered his bag and moved into the house. Ava stared after him. ?He seems sad.?

Perceptive, kid, Lexa thought sarcastically.

?It was his family?s place.? Lexa explained.

?Where are they now?? the android asked her.

?Gone.? Lexa said simply. She knew the story of what had happened to Gable?s family. She couldn?t really blame him for being less than excited to get here. ?Grab your stuff. We?ll find rooms.?

Willa walked down the corridors of Autons Inc, her tablet in hand. Her workplace had become one filled with fear since Chase had attacked her. Part of her considered running, but where would she go? There was no doubt in her mind that he would make good on his threats. She wasn?t sure she had the ability to make herself disappear, let alone her elderly mother.

The strange modulated voice had contacted her again in a rare moment to herself in the lab. Who it was, she still couldn?t figure, but it was very knowledgeable. It seemed to know she was stalling, and the voice supported this. It would offer advice and work-arounds to certain problems, providing solutions, but only on an incremental level Whoever it was wanted to see Devin Chase fail.

That was a sentiment Willa could support.

Chase was not in his office when she came looking to deliver a status update. His AI secretary informed her that he could be located on the production floor. Ugh...it was bad enough, being forced the deliver these reports to his repugnant face herself, but now the son of a bitch was making her chase him?

Willa boarded the lift and glanced up. ?Production.? She instructed the machine, receiving a pleasant tone in return. The inertial dampeners erased every bit of force from the lift?s acceleration. In the silence of the elevator, Willa found a moment to just think. The voice. That mechanical voice that was so deadset on standing in Chase?s way...there was something so familiar about it. In the back of her mind, Willa dared to hope that Alvin was still out there. Working to undermine Chase in secrecy. Hiding his identity. It was a pleasant fiction.

The lift came to a stop with a ding as a soothing computer voice said ?You have arrived at the Production and maintenance-Observation deck.? Willa stepped out into the antiseptic silver and white hallway, lit entirely in bright, fluorescent lighting. She moved through halls, clutching her tablet, dreading seeing that face. That greasy, slicked back hair. She imagined touching him would feel slimy, the disgusting pig.

She steeled herself outside the door of the control room, taking in a deep breath. ?Okay, Willa, girl. Just go in. Hand him the pad. And walk away. You might not even have to stay and talk?? the roboticist told herself before pushing a thumb to the ID plate.

As the doors slid open she found him standing in front of the huge room-length window overlooking the assembly floor, his hands clasped behind him. If he heard her enter, he showed no signs of it. She rolled her eyes and pushed onward.

?Sir?? She said irritably. ?I have the reports. Status updates for you.? She kept her distance from him.

?I was born in Davosport.? He said quietly. ?The rough end.? Chase clarified. Great, Willa thought. It was story time.

?My father worked in a foundry creating the metal used in this company?s robots. Mean, violent drunk.? His eyes narrowed as he spoke. ?My mother was a whore he managed to knock up.?

Slowly, he glanced back at her. ?They told me I would never amount to much.?

It certainly explained a lot about him, Willa thought. Why he was such an unimaginable bastard.

?Now look.? His arms raised up, gesturing around him. ?When I became CEO, do you know what happened??

She could guess, but shook her head.

?I had that factory closed down. I bought that *****y apartment block and I had it demolished. Now *they* are nothing.? He said in a low, gruff tone. Chase turned back to the window, looking out. ?Look what I have done. I will usher in a new era of robotics??

Willa?s brow creased with concern as she stepped forward. Her eyes widened in horror. There were thousands of them. Androids just like Ava, given different appearances, different sexes, standing there naked as newborns, but mere shells until Willa cracked the positronic brains. He was going to try and fasttrack something he did not understand, something NO ONE understood. She?d seen what Ava was capable of, and that girl was a work of art. What would a half-assed imitation be capable of?

?When I am done?? He said ?...the galaxy will never be the same.?

Ava lay in bed in one of the spare rooms. Anyone who saw her might assume she was sleeping, but her system was actually recharging on its own internal generator. Her eyes remained shut as she lay there, still as death.

Images flashed in her mind. An older man. Smiling.

He appeared familiar. Kindly. He made a silly face at her, flipping her hair after putting it in ties at either side of her head. He seemed huge, like she were a mere child. And she felt love. Pure, unadulterated affection for him.

And then he was gone.

Ava?s eyes popped open suddenly. Her senses picking up sound coming from downstairs. Slowly, the android sat up and pushed herself off the bed. She was near silent as she padded down the hall to the balcony, peering over its edge.

Gable sat out on the porch, the door left wide open as the sound of night and a cool breeze blew in. The cold air rose goosebumps on her synthetic skin, Ava?s arms hugging herself instinctively. If pressed, she couldn?t quite explain why she?d done it, it just sort of happened.

The stairs creaked lightly as she descended into the living room. Outside, Gable was sat in wooden lounge chair, his feet up on a matching ottoman. The final picture of his family in his hand and a bottle of whiskey sat on an end table beside him.

?You know, kid??he said to no one with a drunken slur to his voice. ?I think you?da thought it was pretty cool??

Bloodshot eyes stared at the picture. ?Your old man riding a hoverpod off a building?? He snickered. ?All to...to...rescue a?.a friggin?...can opener.? He laughed bitterly and took a swig from the bottle.

The insult brought a frown to Ava?s face, her eyes lowering for a moment.

?It...she?s...she?s different Kate...I dunno what she is...but?? He trailed off and shook his head. ?She?s got a...something about her. Had every excuse to just leave her where she was and get on with my life. Don?t know why I didn?t.? He mumbled to himself. ?She just...she?s so...helpless.?

Ava?s eyes upturned again, listening, the frown fading a bit.

?She?s...actually...she?s alright.? He said, slowly shaking his head. ?I hate it, but she?s...I like her.?

Gable was quiet a long moment, staring off as his drunken eyes went glassy, his voice breaking with emotion. ?God, I just miss you both so much??

Ava saw him reach for the bottle again and stepped out. As his fingers wrapped around it, her hand gently lay across the top of the neck. ?Perhaps you should reconsider.? She said in a soft, soothing voice.

He looked confused a moment as his eyes turned up to her, tearful and red. He softened and cleared his throat. ?What...hey. What?re you doin? here??

Ava titled her head. ?I heard a noise, and was coming to investigate.?

?Ah??He said with a distant nod.

?May I sit?? Ava asked him. Gable?s only reply was to gesture to another chair. The android dragged it over and sat beside him. For a long moment the two sat in silence before she glanced over to the picture. ?They were your mate and offspring, were they not?? she asked him.

His fingertips brushed across their faces. ?Yeah.?

?And they are the reason you hate my kind??

Gable looked over as if he was going to argue, but he just didn?t have it in him. He stared back at the picture and nodded. Ava noted his lack of denial. ?If I may ask, what happened??

The man stared off, the crickets in the night sky and the wind in the trees the only sound to be heard. ?We were coming home. We?d spent a long weekend here, Katie, Kaylee and me? Kaylee, she was my daughter. Smart kid. Funny kid.? He said, his eyes distant and a little smile on his face. Those blue eyes turned her then. ?You know, she?d walk into a room and talk to everyone there, make ?em laugh...make ?em smile. She took after her mama like that.?

The corners of Ava mouth twitched upward. There was so much love in his voice when talking about the two females.

?Katie could light a black hole with her smile. Just a sweet...fair...ridiculously good woman.? he said almost wincing at the end his description. Gable stared off a long moment, lost in memories before he cleared his throat.

?So, we?re driving back to Century, and one of those automated A2 cargo haulers throws a hover disk.? he started, his brow furrowed. ?Thing jerks into our lane. We take the hit, and all I can hear is busting glass, crunching metal and...and screaming.? His voice turned hoarse, haunted.

?Thing crashes us through the guardrail and slam down onto the underpass. We hit a concrete divider and I get thrown through the windshield. I finally come to a rest, and I know...everything?s broken...everything hurts. I?m dead and I just don?t know it yet.? He said, turning his eyes to the android with a shake of his head. He paused a long moment at the look upon her face. Again, she didn?t understand the how, but she knew what she felt. Horror. Sorrow. Empathy.

Gable turned those sad. booze-soaked eyes to her. ?But Kaylee and Kate are still in the car. I see Kate and she-she?s bleedin? from her head, she was probably already gone at that point? But Kaylee?s in back and I see her start to move. So I?m crawlin? and crawlin? to her when I hear this sound. This awful...wrenching sound. The A2?s about to fall.?


Ava felt a pain in her chest, then. Something she was certain she should not have been able to feel. Something none of her kind had ever felt, she knew. Gable looked destroyed, but persisted.

?So, I try to get up to run, but my body ain?t cooperating.? He said, his face turning dark. His voice filling with spite. ?S-14?s out walking, sees me, assesses the situation. I finally get to the car and Kaylee?s pinned in there, trying to get free...but she can?t.? He shook his head.

?Now, I *know* I?m ****ed up because she sees me and screams and starts crying. I start pulling on the door with my one good arm but it won?t budge.? Ava listened sadly as his voice dropped into a low growl. ?And I hear that son of a bitch behind me, shouting ?you are in danger!? Those metal claws grabbing at me.?

Ava knew what had to be coming, but didn?t want to interrupt. Suddenly, she was able to understand James Gable a lot more.

?I manage kick him away and I?m screaming, pulling at the door, but the bastard won?t stop. ?You are in danger!? he keeps yelling at me over and over again...and I feel that cold hand grab my ankles and he starts draggin? me. I?m clawin and fightin...and Kaylee...she?s just?.She?s screaming and crying and trying to get free...and then...then...it fell. 7.000 lbs of steel and cargo...just...fell onto her.?

Ava blinked away guilty tears, feeling like something inside of her just broke. It must have been what she?d heard referred to as ?having the wind knocked out of you?. She stammered a moment. ?The...the 3 laws operating system is forced to operate on...on computations. The likelihood of-?

?Yeah. The likelihood of survival. I was injured so badly, I might as well have been dead already, but my little girl MIGHT have taken it too long to save. That was my baby.? He said to her. ?That was my baby girl and that damn thing didn?t even try. Any human would know better.?

?But you?re alive now.? She said simply.

?For what? Huh? To do what? Drift around like a corpse? Stare into that mirror and hate what I see every second of every day?? his voice was so venomous, it made her flinch. ?It would have been better if I had died. For everyone.?

?Not for me.? she said quietly, her eyes cast downward. ?I would not be here...free, if not for you. And Lexa would not have her friend. ?

?She doesn?t need a friend like me.? He grumbled.

?You underestimate your value.? Ava shook her head. ?You have lost those you loved. But there are still those who care for you. You should not discount them, nor your importance to them. Allow me to share with you a sentiment I have come to realize since falling into your company. A concept that has given me great comfort.? she said to him.

?You are not alone, James Gable.? She said simply.

Gable stood outside, axe in hand. Sweat made the shirt cling to his muscular form as he set up another log. The axe was brought up and cleaved the wood in two with one swift stroke and a grunt, that cybernetic arm making short work of the log. Footsteps approached from behind.

A quick glance back revealed Lexa, wrapped up in a little sweater, combating the cool morning air. A smirk played across her lips as she hugged herself, holding a mug of coffee in one hand. ?Well.? She said, almost antagonistically.

Gable quirked a brow, setting up another log. ?Well, what?? He brought the axe up and slammed it down again.

?My little lumberjack was hanging out pretty late with the horrible robot girl last night.? She teased him. ?James Gable, are you developing a soft spot for the girl??

He turned his eyes up to her, unamused, and lined up another log.

?Oh, come on, grumpy-puss!? She chuckled.

?She?s...very convincing.? he allowed. He couldn?t help but notice the widening of that smirk on her face as he hefted the axe up. He sighed and let his shoulders slump. ?What now??

The tattooed hacker regarded him warmly. ?You called Ava ?she?.?

Gable stood there a moment, looking confused. Had he? Must have been a slip of the tongue. Though, he couldn?t deny, spending time, speaking to the machine...even he had his doubts. There was something growing in place of the blind hatred of what she was. He would be hard pressed to call it affection. No, this was more...pity. He felt sorry for her. Whoever made her, programmed the girl-no, he caught himself, the machine to feel fear, sorrow, pain. To show empathy and concern. Those were human emotions, human feelings, and often they were unpleasant and confusing. For a being just figuring those out, he couldn?t imagine what it was like.

Lexa walked up to him. ?It?s okay to admit you were wrong, you know?? She turned her eyes up to him.

Gable looked like he wanted to say something, but it didn?t pass his lips. ?You don?t have to be best buddies with her, Jim. But she?s a good kid. And I think you know that? She patted him on the arm and headed back to the house.

Lexa sat in the yard upon a swing, not really up to anything. In reality she was thinking about how much she missed technology. Not having any way to access the Cortex was infuriating. She felt like a junkie in dire need of a fix.

At least Gable and Ava were getting along. Having him so on-edge was almost worse than putting up with all this...nature.

He?d still not given them a concrete plan in the slightest. All he kept saying was that he?d figure something out. She was beginning to think this WAS the plan. Rot here until either Chase gave up or their bodies did.

She heard the steps behind her before she saw who it was, the slim hacker leaning her head back to find a curious looking Ava standing there. ?Hey there, cuteness. What you up to??

?Nothing.? She responded those big brown eyes looking over the swing.

?You look confused.?

?This?device. It stirs up strange feelings.?

?Feelings??

?Images. Images I cannot explain.?

?Some programming information embedded in your system??

?No. You might call the data ?memories?.?

Lexa stared at her with a furrowed brow. ?What do you remember??

?I remember a child. Sitting upon a swing. Like this. Very much like this. And older man pushing her.? A smile formed on her face. ?The girl laughs as she high. So high up. The man smiles to her. Calls her ?Goldie?.?

Ava?s eyes shimmered as tears formed. ?He tells her he loves her. Holds her tight...so tight. And the girl feels safe. Secure. Home with her father.?

Those deep brown eyes fluttered as if coming out of a trance, her brow furrowing. ?Father....why do I know that??

Lexa looked on unsure of what she was witnessing. Something was wrong with Ava. ?Maybe it?s just something in your positronic brain. I can take a look if you like??

Ava turned her gaze upon the tattooed hacker and nodded.
~~~
The pair sat in the basement of the cabin, It was a bit of a cluttered mess down there, but it would be fine for their needs. Ava pulled up an old deck chair and sat as Lexa approached. She looked down at her counterpart. ?Now, I?ve got a multitool interface implant. I?m going to try and access your system processes, but I need you to lower any firewalls as we come to them.?

Ava nodded in response. ?Very well.?

Lexa placed two fingers on her right hand to the girl?s temple. Her forearm flexed, the holographic interface flickering to life like a gauntlet of red light. A holographic display of Ava?s brain glowed blue in front of them. Nimble fingers on her left hand manipulated her way into the mind of the machine as they came upon firewall after firewall.

?Damn...somebody REALLY didn?t want you getting accessed.? Lexa muttered.

?I detect 400 such firewalls. I will attempt to shut them down.? Ava said helpfully, her eyes sliding shut.

Little by little, the map of Ava?s brain was being revealed, and it was astounding. Lexa had seen a positronic brain at work. This was something else. Even the most advanced robots were merely a marginally successful approximation of humanity, simplistic and focused for their one purpose. Ava?s was hugely complicated, infinitely more complex. ?My God?? she said, an enthralled laugh escaping her lips. ?What the hell are you? You?re amazing.?

Suddenly, Ava twitched, the unlocked portions of the brain flashing red a moment. Lexa?s brows knit together. ?Whoa...what was that??

Ava twitched again, this time more violently, her face contorting in anguish, the display showing synapses firing like a warzone as the girl?s body arched. Ava?s hands clenched the armrest so hard, she cracked the wood.

?Holy ****!? Lexa exclaimed, panicked as she backed out of Ava?s system in a rush, before removing her fingers.

Ava?s eyes opened slowly. Silent for a moment before she began to speak. It wasn?t her usual tone. It was more conversational, more lighthearted, more lively. ?I will, Daddy.? She said to someone who wasn?t there. ?I?ll be home in just a few hours, okay??

Lexa?s head turned, cautiously.

?I love you t-? Ava suddenly looked horrified. ?Oh my God! DADDY!? She screamed and suddenly slammed back in her chair, agony on her face.

The hacker stared down at her friend in stunned silence. Her eyelids fluttered a bit as she took stock of the situation.

Ava?s eyes opened slowly, looking dazed, exhausted...hurt. She seemed to be struggling to breathe.her entire body shaking. ?D...d?.daddy?? Her hand reached up, shaking aggressively. ?I...I c-can?t f-feel?.? she trailed off, tears pouring down her face as she went still, her body going limp.

The sound of Gable?s feet clomping down the stairs pulled Lexa out of the moment. ?What the hell is going on down here? Who?s screaming?? he demanded.

Lexa was pale, looking like she?d seen a ghost.

?Lex? What is it??

Ava sat outside that night, resting upon the swing. Her synthetic mind a whirl of confusion. Images and memories were coming and clashing like a tornado, overwhelming her to the point where she couldn?t make sense of any of it just yet. There was joy, sadness, pain, pleasure, even just memories of boredom, but there was no order. It was like watching a movie out of sequence.

?You know, those work better when you...swing on them.?

Ave turned her attention toward the voice, finding Gable standing there, hands in his pockets. A small smile formed on her face. ?So I?ve heard.?

His brow creased in an expression she knew was confusion. ?You sound different. You can do sarcasm now??

?Sarcasm simulator operating at 100%.? She said, going stiff and robotic

He quirked a brow, but then saw the smirk form on her face. ?Oh no. You?re developing a sense of humor.?

?Lexa unlocked many things inside of me.? She nodded.

?And being a bit of a smart-ass just happens to be one of them?? He asked her with a grin.

Ava turned her head to him. ?Among the best of them, yes.? She smiled proudly up at him. The smile faded as she cast her eyes downward. ?All these bits and pieces, and I still have no idea who I am. What I am.?

?Does it matter?? He asked her. ?Who you were? Where they came from??

She turned those big brown eyes to him, curious.

?The past is trivia. Who you were doesn?t have to define who you are.?

?The girl in my memories...she was happy. She had someone who loved her. A father. And she loved him. I remember a moment...the two of them at a funeral for a woman...I assume her mother...and I just...there was this feeling of loss. Such profound loneliness and sadness. And her daddy put his arm around her and held her close...so close, so tight. It felt safe.?

There was a tightness in her chest as tears began to roll down her cheeks. ?He loved her so much.? she said with a longing. ?I want her memories. I want them to make sense. I want to be her so badly....to have someone care for me like that.?

Gable looked down to her sympathetically, but stayed quiet.

?Otherwise, I?m just...this shell. This blank canvas that has nothing but the moment you woke me up. No one loves her. No one knows her. She?s a thing. No more real than this swing I?m sitting on or a computer.?

?You are far more than that.? Gable responded.

The android turned her gaze up to him. ?You say that. But you hated me for what I am. For what this...this shell represented. You thought I was some mindless automaton. No better than the ones who allowed your family to die.?

?And I was wrong. Do you think I?d still be standing here with you, protecting you if I thought otherwise?? He asked her.

?I don?t know.? She admitted. ?I think you?re as confused as I am.?

Silence hung between them as gently swung a little. She knew she was probably right. You didn?t lose that kind of hate overnight. She just sat there, rocking back and forth on the swing until she felt hands on her back. They flexed and pushed giving her a bit of lift on the swing. For a moment, she felt indignation, but it was replaced by a mild exhilaration as she swung forth. The hint of a smile working its way to her lips. Again, he pushed, giving her more acceleration in her arc.

The moment brought her back to the memory of the father, pushing his daughter on a swing much like this. As the little girl laughed, so did Ava. She was joined shortly after by Gable, continuing to push her until she was managing to control the arc and height on her own. For the first time since she was activated, she felt happy. Not someone else?s happiness. Not a memory. This was her own.

Lexa and Ava sat in the kitchen with a deck of cards. The android had taken every match they'd played, but the hacker was dead set on beating her. Lexa studied her hand, the slightest twitch coming to the corner of her mouth. She turned her eyes up to Ava. ?Well. You?ve had a good run, sugarlumps, but as the man says...All good things must come to an end.?

She laid out her hand: four of a kind. A triumphant little smirk formed on her face as Ava?s brow furrowed with concern. Those big brown eyes turned up to her, just feeding that smug feeling of victory in the hacker.

?Throw ?em down, kiddo. It?s okay, we all know what?s going down.? She winked to the android.

Ava laid out her hand...and Lexa?s stomach dropped. A royal flush. When she looked back up Ava was grinning. The hacker narrowed her eyes across the table. ?I liked it better when you couldn?t gloat.?

?Awww...keep at it, ?sugarlumps? I?m sure you?ll get there one day.? Ava said in response.

Gable came running into the house. ?Hey!? He called out to them.

?In the kitchen!? Lexa called out. ?Getting my ass handed to me?? she grumbled under her breath.

Gable stepped in, a happy little grin spreading across his face. ?I?ve got good news.?

Ava turned to face him, an inquisitive look on her features.

?Martin?s on his way.? He said simply.

Ava's face dropped, her eyes widening. ?He's coming here??

A little grin spread across Gable?s face. ?He?ll be here any moment.?

A rumble reverberated through the ground. The unmistakable sound of an approaching craft. Ava lit up and rushed out the door, leaving Gable smiling to Lexa.

The tattooed hacker quirked a brow at him. ?Ugh. You?re so smug when you think you?ve done a good thing??

Though, even she couldn?t keep up the annoyed facade as she passed him, and a happy grin worked its way out.

Ava stepped out into the clearing that was the cabin grounds, the ship approaching in the distance. A wave of emotions rushed over her. Fear, joy amped with the anticipation. Slowly the craft settled down, the thrusters whipping dirt, dust, and debris all around as it lowered to the ground.

Gable stepped past her, giving her arm a squeeze. The boarding ramp lowered bit by bit as he made his way over.

But the face waiting him was not Alvin Martin. No, instead it was a woman. Tan skin and a scarred face. His brow furrowed in confusion. ?Where?s Martin?? He called out to her.

A sinister smile spread across the stranger?s face. And then she drew a pistol, took aim.

And pulled the trigger.

?He?s waking up.?

The voice was muffled, distant. Echoing in the air as the world came back, murky and blurry. Gable looked around,finding a tan-skinned young man knelt over him, talking to an unseen figure. Suddenly everything came rushing back. The woman, the gun, the ship?

Suddenly, he panicked trying to move, to fight but the entire left side of his body was paralyzed. The young man held him down. ?Whoa! Easy! Easy!?

Gable managed to wrench his right arm free and grab the boy by the throat. ?Who are you! What did you do with Ava and Lexa! Tell me NOW!?

?Ava and your friend have been captured by Autons Inc. right now.? A familiar voice came from behind. Gable slowly turned to the sound, finding an older man, tall, grey haired...those stern, yet kind features.

?...Doctor Martin?? Confusion in his tone.

Martin nodded, hands in his coat pockets. ?That?s right, son. In the flesh.?

?Where...what happened?? Gable asked.

?Well...if you wouldn?t mind releasing Aresh, I will be glad to tell you.? The doctor said with a little smile.

Gable looked to the kid, suddenly aware that he was still holding on to him. He let go immediately, his face flushing. ?I?m sorry.?

Aresh rubbed at his throat. ?Don?t worry about it.? He said in a hoarse voice heading off for elsewhere in their craft.

Alvin Martin approached him, sitting down beside the wounded former cop. ?How are you doing, son??

Gable shifted as best he could. ?Can?t move very well.?

?Yes, well, there was damage to your CBC actuator when Ms. Rojas shot you. Aresh over there installed a new one for you.?

Gable glanced to his chest, noticing that the synthetic skin was burned away, showing the metal underneath. For some reason, it made him think of Ava.

?What is she like?? Martin asked him. ?Ava.?

Gable turned to him, thinking. ?She?s...very funny. Kind...smart...I mean, you know...aside from being a robot.?

?Did you know the term robot is derived from the slavanic word for slave?? Martin asked him. ?Ava isn?t a robot. She is far, far more. Yes, she is a synthetic form of life, as were the Neo Tarrans so many centuries ago, but she has the potential to be every bit as alive as them.?

Gable rose his eyebrows and nodded, ?Oh, we know that. We stumbled across a memory block for her and suddenly she?s got a sense of humor and can mock us??

Alvin turned to him, suddenly looking a bit horrified. ?You removed the blocks??

Gable nodded. ?I think so.?

Alvin brought his hand to his head. ?You shouldn?t have done that. Those were there to protect her.?

Gable furrowed his brow. ?What do you mean??

?The mind can only take so much trauma. And...where Ava comes from...those memories, the pain of it...it could drive her mad.? Martin stood up. ?I blocked those memories, because it happened before. I had planned on a slow leak of information for her until Chase pulled his coup.?

?But she seemed fine.? Gable said.

?That?s how it starts.? Martin said. ?Jokes, smiles, and laughter. And then the pain sets in. The agony, the anger. The memory of who she was and how she died.?

Gable stared at him, the left side of his body slowly coming to life. He pushed himself up. ?I don?t understand. Who was she??

Martin turned toward him, blue eyes regarding the man with a pain behind them. ?Ava was my daughter.?

At last.

He finally had the girl back. Chase stood in the lift heading up to the landing pad, his face a mask of grim determination. Armed guards flanked the sharply dressed man.

As the doors opened, cold winds whipped at his long, woolen overcoat and tosseled his inky black hair. Rojas? ship awaited, the loading ramp inching down slowly as bursts of hydraulic steam jetted forth from the vessel.

Rojas stood on the other side, flanked by her crew. The scarred beauty smirked at her employer before stepping aside to reveal a metal and glass stasis tube. Inside lay the slumbering form of Ava.

?Ms. Rojas...you are worth every penny.? Chase grinned and stepped forward only to be greeted with raised weapons.

?Slow your roll, Chase.? The woman said moving right up in front of the perplexed and increasingly frustrated man. Those sharp, dark eyes stared up at him. ?The money.?

Chase?s expression turned to amusement. ?What, you don't trust me??

?No.? She said simply, producing a datapad. The man smirked and pulled off one of his leather gloves, pressing his thumb to the device.

Rojas watched the screen until the transfer was complete, turning her dark eyes up to the man. ?Pleasure doing business with you.?

Chase watched her saunter off and turned to his technicians. ?I want the android?s mind wiped. And boost security. I want the entire building on lockdown.?

Chase followed after the technicians, too self-satisfied to notice the mousey woman he?d kept in fear for the past few weeks peering at him from her office.

Martin stepped out of the cockpit and approached the gathered team. His eyes swept over them one by one.

?You have all given so much to be here today.? He said. ?Sacrificed safety, careers? loved ones. If we allow Devin Chase to complete his work...to bastardize the technology and power within Ava...it won't just be our loss...it will be everyone's.?

Lexa, sporting a bandage on her head, locked eyes with Gable.

?In less than an hour, we will infiltrate Autons Inc. We will march our way in?and we will reclaim what is ours. We will deliver a blow from which that son of a bitch cannot recover. Stay strong. Stay resolute. Stand together.?

Martin turned to Gable. ?Mr. Gable. You will lead a team in through the rooftop while I shall infiltrate from below with a team of my own, while Ms. Davos runs ops from here. AI reprogramming is on level 123. That is where they will have her. That is where we shall meet. Reclaim Ava at all costs, but there are innocent, good men and women in that building. Remember, we are doing this to save lives. Do not fire unless fired upon. This is our most desperate hour. Prepare for a battle, for Chase will not give her willingly.?


Gable nodded slowly testing out his newly repaired prosthetic.

?Godspeed to you all.?

Ava woke in an antiseptic, metallic room. Rather spartan in its appointments. The android attempted to move but found her limbs strapped down tight. What happened? She tried to remember.

The last thing she could was?. Oh no. Lexa. She'd taken a full force header into the tree...and from there, everything was black. What had they done to her friend? She HAD to know!

She tugged and tugged to no avail.

?Gods, but you are magnificent, aren't you?? A voice came from behind. That low, brash, arrogant voice harkened back to something before Gable woke her up. Something that caused no small amount of revulsion in her.

Chase rounded the table, eying her up and down. ?High marks to Martin. He really outdid himself with you.?

She glared at him, but he just marveled at her. ?Not much in the way of foresight, though.? Chase said. ?Gods. All the things he could have given you, and he gives you hatred.?

?My hatred is all yours. You want to enslave me. Tear me apart so you can turn me into your own little army. You want to kill me.?

Chase leaned in close. ?You can't kill a machine. No matter how your little friends or Alvin want to dress you up and play make-believe, you're a thing. You are property.?

He reached up and cupped her face, but she pulled away, recoiling in disgust.

?And considering you were created on Autons Inc grounds, using Autons Inc resources? well that makes you *my* property.? He smirked to himself.


Ava looked him in the eye her fists clenched. ?I am alive. More than you can possibly comprehend. I remember everything. My childhood. My father??

?Your death?? He asked pointedly. ?Ava Martin died. Her body is ash scattered to the wind. You're a lonely old man?s inability to let go. Nothing more.?

?I am Ava. I'm everything she was. And when I get out of here...everything she'll be.?

Chase leaned in close his cologne reaching her nose like he was hiding the rottenness within. ?When the sun sets on today? you will be nothing more than an empty shell.?

Willa?s heart seemed to be pounding in her ears as she made her way down the hall. The slim roboticist doing everything she could present a calm exterior, her mini-taser clutched tightly in hand and hidden partially up her sleeve. It was supposed to be used to get her home safely on the hyperlift. She never thought she?d need to just to get around her place of work.

She passed other, gossiping doctors and patrolling security guards, every time certain they would see right through her and this would all be for naught.

The target was in-sight. The main AI core for all Autons technology throughout the galaxy. And at the door, a mountain of a man, armed and armored. Willa steeled herself and pushed onward.

The big security guard held out his hand. ?Ma?am, this area is off limits.?

She put on a smile trying to will herself to stop sweating nervously. ?I'm Doctor Bryant. I need to get into the core to do a security check.?

But the guard didn't budge. ?I'm sorry. We're on a lockdown.?

Her nervous energy translated well into indignation. ?What is your name and badge number. Because when I tell Mr Chase that you are impeding me from following his orders, I'll have him see to it that you won't be able to guard a garbage dump let alone a multi-trillion credit installation! Now stand aside!?

He looked at her, moment of doubt beneath the faceplate of his helmet. ?I'll have to call this in.?

Oh no. Her chest tightened as she stared at him, panic setting in. His arm moved to press the comm system in the helmet. It was now or never.

She lashed out as quickly as she could, the taser pressed to his neck, sending arcs of blue throughout his body. The man went rigid, control of his limbs no longer his. Willa grit her teeth, terrified that the man had not yet fallen and would just shake it off.

She had no interest in killing him, though and ripped it away. The guard trembled violently then, and with a loud thud, slammed against the ground.

Willa breathed a sigh of relief and checked his vitals, making sure he was alive, and took his access card. Her eyes landed upon the door. No turning back now.

The metallic prosthetic gripped tight, sparks flying from the elevator cable as he soared downward behind the team. The synthetic flesh torn from the severe friction as they came closer and closer to their destination.

The moment they stopped, he gripped tight, his arm feeling like it might get ripped from his body as his body coming to a sudden, lurching halt. He let out a strained grunt and go his focus back. Below, one of the team outlined the door in a clear paste. Time was wasting, they had to pick up the pace.

?Clear!? The demolitions expert kicked off and away from the door as she pressed a detonator. As she swung back, the paste glowed red and in a burst of sparks, immediately ate through the layers of metal. Using the momentum of the return swing, she kicked the ruined lift door into the hallway and detached, rolling up to one knee and drawing a weapon. The others piled in after her followed by Gable.

He rushed ahead, taking point and leading the way down the hall, a twitch in his prosthetic he was hoping was only temporary. Ava waited just down the hall and he would have to get to her before it all went to hell.

He came to a halt, a buzzing reaching his ears. Gable?s fist rose, bringing his team to stillness. Slowly, he turned his gaze behind him as it sank in. Hover drones slowly elevated within the shaft, blasters attached to their bottom. ?GET DOWN!? He called out

The drones opened fire, lighting up two of his people immediately as he and the others scrambled, madly, for cover. Gabe pressed up against wall as a blast slammed right into the wall beside his face, the former cop falling onto his back as he recoiled. Red, burning reams of light tore overhead as he brought the weapon to bear upon the attackers, unleashing a few shots of his own.

A drone?s side burst in a shower of sparks and shrapnel as it spun wildly into one of its companions, both exploding as they slammed into a wall.

?GABLE!? A teammate called out. ?GO! WE?LL HOLD THEM OFF!?

He stared wide-eyed reticent to go as another volley of blaster fire tore into the wall beside him.

?GO!? the woman screamed at him. With a grimace, he pulled away and sprinted down the hall, the sounds of combat echoing behind him. No time to look back, only one thing to do.

Gable stood in the corridor, waiting on Lexa to get through the security lockdown. ?You wanna hurry it up, Lex??

?Hey, pal, when you figure out how to program the clock on your stove, you can rush my hacking through the most advanced coding I've ever seen.? Her voice sounded out.

The battle raged at the other end of the hall. Gable wasn't sure how much longer they could hold out.

A series of beeps and the green glow of the panel called his attention. ?You're in!? Lexa said.

Gable shouldered his rifle as the door slid open, Ava strapped to a table, her eyes wide with worry..

?JAMES!? she called out. But it was too late, currents of agony ran through his body as Chase came from behind, jamming arc-prod against his back. Gable?s body went stiff, arched out hard as the arcs ran over him, the robotic prosthetic going limp.

As the rod was pulled back, he dropped to his knees, barely held up with one hand. Gable shook, his breath harsh and ragged while Chase slicked his hair back, stalking around the electrocuted man.

?You.? He said with an arrogant air. ?You?re the reason for all of this, aren?t you?? Chase asked before putting a boot in the man?s ribs, knocking the wind right out of him.

?You broke into my building. You stole my property.? Chase said ?You ****ed with the wrong guy, pal.?

?She?s not...she?s not a thing for you to own, you ****ing lowlife?? Gable managed to growl out.

?I?m the lowlife?? Chase nodded, then gestured to the door. ?How many bodies are piled up out there because of that thing? Because of you? You want to play the white knight? You want to pretend your hands are clean?? He smirked and leaned down. ?I?m a survivor. Which is more than I?ll be able to say for you.?

He grabbed Gable and dragged him over to Ava. That shock rod brought up so close to his neck, the hairs stood on end. ?Look at this thing. She?s amazing, isn?t she? ? Chase said. ?She can walk, talk, laugh...I bet she can even cry.?

Gable locked eyes with her?s. Those big brown eyes, staring back, filled with something he?d seen before. Something terrifying. Something primal.

?Let?s find out how she reacts when I fry the brains from your thick skull, yeah?? Chase sneered, reeling back, ready to jam the weapon into his captive?s neck. Gable?s eyes shut as he prepared for an agonizing death.

But it didn?t come.

Ava?s fist gripped Chase by the wrist. Her face contorted in rage as she ripped through her restraints almost effortlessly. Slowly, she rose from the table. The android?s fist closed around his arm, bones popping and screams echoing as the rod clattered harmlessly to the ground.

?You. Will. NOT. Hurt my friend.? she snarled at him.

Chase?s hair hung stringy in his face. ?Let me go, you ****ing machine!?

?My name?? she said, grabbing him by the throat. ?Is Ava.?

She hefted him up with one arm, slamming his head up into the neuralizer, his eyes bulging as his jaw went slack. She held him there, his body shaking and convulsing until those eyes went blank...the engine running, but nobody behind the wheel any longer. Finally, she dropped him.

Gable watched, dumbfounded as Chase?s lobotomized body collapsed to the ground. Those eyes stared off into nothingness, and empty vessel, barely alive. Slowly, he turned his gaze up to Ava, her hand outstretched to him.

The Android pulled him to his feet, the pair of them, clasping hands in silence, a little smile crossing her face. ?Are you alright?? She asked him.

He nodded slowly. ?Yeah...I think-?

Suddenly the power cut out in the building. ?What the hell?? Gable said, looking around in confusion. The two of them stepped up to the window, watching as, grid by grid, the lights went out over the city, plunging the world into darkness.

A chill settled into both of them as they stood and watched, oblivious to what had happened below.