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"Wow, that's a long ladder." 9S said, looking up its rusted length. It was so tall he could barely make out the end of it. "I'll go first, 2B. Who knows what's at the top of this building."
9S hopped on the first rung and began climbing, with 2B following close behind. 9S smiled to himself, waiting to see if 2B would speak up.
"9... ass."
"What's that?"
"9S, are you not wearing pants?"
"No ma'am. My calculations indicate that the increase in speed and thermal regulation efficiency more than offset the loss in defense metrics. Must be why combat models don't wear them, huh?"
"Combat models have leotards. You're not wearing anything." she shot back.
2B gulped. Her systems indicated an increase in core temperature. Her eyes were locked on his... junk. It stared her down as it swung lazily left and right between his skinny legs with each step up the rungs. Humans were strange. Why would they call it 'junk', but still see fit to equip an extra appendage on a scanner model android?
"Is it much further?" 2B asked impatiently.
9S stopped climbing. "We're only a third of the way up. Looooong way to go. Is something wrong?"
"Are you enjoying this or something?"
"Of course not. 'Emotions are prohibited,' right?" 9S lied. His systems indicated something was abnormal. Emotional or not, there was something exhilarating about exposing himself to 2B. Without lifting a finger or saying a word, he had made her his in an intimate way. He had debased and exalted her at once. 2B could look down or to the building walls around her, but she could not un-see what 9S had exposed her to. 9S continued climbing the ladder.
"But it is nice and airy. You should try it, 2B."
There was a slight pause in conversation before 2B answered, "Isn't it cold?"
"No, not at all! Why'd you think that?"
"It just…" 2B looked up again, "…Looks like it's cold."
"Thermal regulation efficiency." 9S grumbled.
Their climb continued. There was about a third of the ladder left when 2B spoke again.
"…Ass, uh, 9S. So, you haven't told 21O about this, have you?" she said, more as a statement than a question.
"Well, uh, no. It's still calculations. I need data before I upload to the bunker."
"And you're going to get combat data climbing a ladder?"
"We don't know what's up here yet. Could be some nasty machine. We could kill it."
The top of the ladder lead to an old I-beam and a chasm, across which was a door outside. There were no machines at all to kill, to 9S' disappointment. Just a fancy long table with candelabras and two chairs.
"Nothing here." 2B remarked.
"I wouldn't say nothing. It'd be a nice place for a date. Like one of the old human romances." 9S replied. He looked around and spotted something shining on the table. A pair of glasses. He picked them up and put them on his face.
"Whattaya think, 2B?" 9S asked, brushing back his hair rakishly.
"It's better than the ribbon, but you still look foolish."
"…Ass."