Do Robot Girls Dream of Nerdy Boys?
A "My Life as a Teenage Robot" Fanfic
Chapter one:
Sensations
We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.
-Anais Nin
The Moon hung like a dead man above town of Tremorton. It dangled there, waxy and pale, as dark and foreboding clouds swirled around it. Frequently, they obscured the moon from sight. An unseasonable rain sliced through tumultuous winds on its flight toward the ground. The Streets of Tremorton were slick with water and mud, each of which tossed up tiny bits of themselves like some sort of ecclesial dancers as the rain collided with the earth. Somewhere, lightning flashed, illuminating the street in a flash of light brilliant enough to pierce even the deepest shadows. Thunder pealed overhead in a deep and rumbling roar.
An automobile traveled down the slick and ominous streets of Tremorton, its wheels splashing through puddle after puddle, kicking up filthy brown water as it did. Bits of mud were caked around its old 2015 styled bumper and marred its dull maroon paintjob; rainwater ran freely across the car and mingled with the mud, causing unsightly brown streaks to run across it. The windshield wipers worked furiously at keeping the heavy rain from the glass, succeeding only enough to keep the glass clear for only fractions of a second before it was obscured again. Through the hail of water, two dark figures could be seen through the glass.
The car turned down a lonely side road, hardly paying attention to any of the posted signs. It struggled through the heavy rain up the gradual incline of the street slowly, careful not to lose traction. The car crept ever farther up the road in a low whine, until finally, it settled into a small parking lot, next to a squat and ugly building. The building was dark, its windows shuddered. Even the light from the streetlamps could barely shed any light upon it. The Car eased into one of the parking spots around the building, idled a bit and then shut off. Its lights sputtered, and died. The doors opened in a billow of grey smoke, and two shadowy figures emerged. Both Figures were shrouded by long coats and hats, each obscuring their features. One idly flicked a cigarette of into the darkness where it extinguished. The other thrust his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. He looked about nervously.
The one who had held the cigarette slapped the other on the arm and gestured toward the squat building "We going to do this or what kid?" He said in a gruff and masculine voice which sounded like sandpaper being dragged over steel.
The other shrugged "I don't know" This voice was much more youthful, with a bit of a nasally twang in the back of his throat. "It doesn't seem right" The figure fidgeted a tiny bit, balancing on his heels.
The Other figure spit, an action almost unnoticed in the downpour "You weren't saying that an hour ago"
"I Know, I know… Still…" He shuffled uncomfortably "Doesn't this strike you as morally and ethically indefensible?"
"Yeah" There was a chuckle in the other figures voice "And doesn't it make you feel alive?" He let the question hang in the air for a few seconds, then began to walk forward "Come on, lets get moving. It's not like the day's getting any younger" The Younger of the two figures looked about nervously, and began to follow.
The Elder of the two came to the door of the building and jiggle the handle experimentally. It didn't budge. Unperturbed her reached into his pocket and pulled out a slender piece of metal. He slid the object into the lock and waited. A few seconds later, he twisted, and the door opened with a loud squeak, seemingly by magic.
The two shadowy figures entered the building quietly. The Younger carefully turned back and closed the door behind them. Outside, the only evidence of their presence was their old and dirty car, and the lonely cigarette butt. Lightning flashed outside once again, illuminating the squat and dirty building for half a second. In the brilliant flash, a sign could me made out: Tremorton Mortuary.
The two figures had been inside the building for and entire hour, and the storm around them grew worse. Then, an hour and two minutes later, the back door burst open and the two figures emerged, carrying a long and wrinkly black bag between them. As the rain slashed down at them, a staccato could me made out as it struck the tarp of the bag. One of the figures reached out his leg as they went by and closed the Mortuaries door, which locked itself again with a click. The Younger of the two mumbled "This is so wrong"
The other gave a bit of a laugh "Chin up kid. It's not like anyone will miss her, she was dead already. No place for her but the incinerator. Now that's the crime if you ask me, burning a perfectly good body just because they don't know if she was an organ donor. I mean really, if they had put up a body like this for scientific experimentation I wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of stealing it would I?" He grunted "I still don't know why you wouldn't let me get that other one, she was a much better fit than this one."
"Are you mad?" The Younger hissed "That one was scheduled for a funeral. Would you really want to steal someone people were still mourning over? I mean this one is just another Jane Doe, but that one had an actual family."
"Why would I care? I hate people. I thought you had known this by now. Really, are you just slow on the uptake? Is that it?"
The Younger put a hand to his forehead "I am disgusted" He sighed "Just open the door so I can stop holding this cadaver."
"What? Can't stand to lift a little weight? I thought you were a mechanic" The Elder scoffed as he opened the car door and slid the body bag inside. He dusted of his hands and thrust them into his pockets. He pulled out a cigarette, and despite the storm, lit it. Its cherry red light played over his wrinkly old face, revealing the smirking face of James McKinley, middle aged science teacher.
The Glow of the cigarette also reached the scowling face of Sheldon Lee, McKinley's reluctant accomplice. He nodded at the Cigarette "I hope you get cancer" he said and opened the passenger door to the car and sat down.
McKinley guffawed "You and me both kid. You and me both" He slid into the drivers seat, turned the ignition, and trundled off down into the darkness. As they disappeared into the gloom, the storm increased in fury.
Eventually, both came to the dirty apartment that was McKinley's. Both of them were arguing intently over where they should place the body. McKinley felt that the table would be the best bet, even if it was too small, and Sheldon felt that McKinley's countertop, as filthy as it was, would be a much better place to lay it. Both felt very strongly on the matter. Harsh words were exchanged.
Truthfully, neither minded where it was set, but Sheldon was still perturbed by the theft and McKinley just liked to be argumentative. Sheldon wasn't that upset even, but the talking, no matter how inane it was, took his mind off of it.
They settled on a compromise and sat the body bag upright in a chair. Sheldon sat down heavily on a nearby couch, while McKinley disappeared into another room, searching for paper and compasses and chemicals. Sheldon was normally not one to do the illegal. He had certainly done it before, but he always regretted the experiences. And this was by far the worst thing he had ever done. It was not actually that bad when he thought about it. It was only for scientific purposes, and the only reason they couldn't get one legally was because of time constraints. Very important and binding time constraints really. No one was going to miss the body either. It was a nobody, just some teenaged girl who had ended up on the wrong side of an electrical wire, a confused young girl far away from home without an ID. McKinley had hypothesized that she was a runaway, or maybe just lost.
Whatever it was, it didn't matter now. She was dead and was going to be incinerated without a funeral or memorial service, just a little footnote in the towns census. Or at least she would have been. Now she was going to be part of something greater, or perhaps something more obscene. Sheldon had yet to sort his feelings out on this matter.
A Knock on the front door reverberated through the Apartment, startling Sheldon. McKinley from the other room shouted "Hey, get that will you? Oh, and cover the body"
Sheldon quickly obeyed, throwing a sheet over the body bag, just in case. He hurried over to the door and peered through the peep hole. Through the distorted view of the glass, he could make out a bent female form, complete with white hair and a yellow dress. Sheldon opened the door. "Mrs. Wakeman! Glad you could make it."
From the adjacent room, McKinley could be heard mock screaming "Oh crap, her? Close the door, Close the door!" Nora huffed and walked into the dirty apartment, taken slightly aback by the dirt
She turned to Sheldon "Nice to see you Sheldon, It's good to know you'll be here and I won't have to be alone with this idiot. I doubt I could survive here without you"
From the other room , McKinley could be heard dimly saying "That's what your Mom said last night!" Both Sheldon and Nora hollered back "Shut up!" and continued talking.
"Are we going to begin soon?" Nora asked, glancing about "And where is the model?"
Sheldon striped the sheet off of the body bag "It's right here. And we should be getting started as soon as McKinley gets back. He's gathering supplies"
Nora stepped up to the Body bag "Well let me take a look at it" she said and unzipped the bag. Sheldon covered his mouth as the reek of formaldehyde rolled off of the body. Mrs. Wakeman seemed unaffected.
Sheldon could feel his ears begin to heat as Mrs. Wakeman inspected the body. This came primarily from the fact that is was naked. He'd seen a naked woman before (Though not in person), and he's even seen this particular one when he and McKinley put her in the bag. But now that there was a live woman in the room he felt terribly sensitive to the fact that this body was naked. At the same time he was disgusted, repulsed by the odor and the blank expression on the body as Mrs. Wakeman inspected the cadaver. He turned away.
"And the party wagon has arrived!" McKinley said as he came into the room, His arms bundled with paper, pencils, and other important note taking apparatus. He set them down heavily on the table and turned to the others. "So," He began "Are we ready?"
Nora stood up "Everything seems to be in order" She turned back to McKinley. "Now where did you get this body James? I've been searching for months and still wasn't able to find a suitable cadaver"
McKinley shrugged "Internet" He said, without even a twitch.
Nora nodded, not willing to probe the question any further. "What is the damage on her?"
"Electrical shock. Stopped her heart nice and quick. There shouldn't be too much tissue or nerve damage." McKinley said as he grabbed a tarp from the table and spread it out over the floor.
"Let's hope not, I would hate to have to go searching for another" She stood up. "I've seen enough, let's begin. Sheldon, Get her down on the tarp will you?"
Sheldon took a deep breath and did what she said, blanching at the cadaver's icy skin. He set her down, and McKinley pressed the box he was holding. Sheldon opened it to reveal an assortment of scalpels and probes. He gulped.
"Don't worry kid, I'll guide you through it' McKinley said, and reassuringly as possible. In truth, McKinley would rather have done it himself, but since his operation he had no sense of touch in his right arm, and during a dissection that could spell disaster. And Wakeman was really just old and shaky. Sheldon knew he was the best one for the job, but was loathe to do it. The things I do for love He thought as he selected a scalpel.
As he prepared to begin, he was aware of Mrs. Wakeman behind him, ready to take detailed notes. "Now I want you to begin with an "I" cut over the breast about a centimeter deep and four inches long, OK?" McKinley was saying next to him, watching eagerly.
Sheldon took a deep breath and made the first cut.
The next day, as the sun rose over the grey sky, Sheldon lay exhausted in a reclining chair. His hands were stained red, and there were bags under his eyes. Mrs. Wakeman sat across from him at the couch, snoring quietly. He yawned. The night had been the most exhausting thing he had ever done. But from what he had heard, it could be one of the most rewarding things he had ever done, except of course for that 200 page Wikipedia entry on Star trek the Next Generation (A classic). But this put even that in doubt.
"Who wants Coffee!" An Irritatingly cheery voice pealed through the apartment as McKinley barged in, a huge smile on his face and a pot of coffee in his hands. Nora snorted and groggily woke up, while Sheldon stared incredulously at him. Dimly, Sheldon recalled that McKinley only needed to sleep once a week. Apparently, this wasn't his sleep day.
As Mrs. Wakeman mumbled and went back to sleep, Sheldon raised his hand "Sure" He grunted, grabbing a proffered mug. The Coffee itself tasted horrible, but it was invigorating. Sheldon gulped it down. "Is everything fine with the measurements?" He asked.
"Oh yeah, they should do nicely. I just need to crunch a few numbers, write a few programs, you know the normal stuff." He took a swig of his own coffee "Hmm, I wish I could still taste. Anyway, this should be a snap as long as Nora gets the parts ready. And she already promised, didn't you" Mrs. Wakeman grumbled a bit in response, and turned over in her sleep. "That means 'yes' in old woman, If you didn't know" McKinley said to Sheldon , Taking another swig from his cup.
"Ah, Sensitive" Sheldon said, struggling to remain awake. "So, you think Jenny will like this?
McKinley raised his eyebrow "Like it? She's going to love this" He chuckled "These aren't some cheesy little prosthetic ears were talking about" Sheldon sunk back down into the recliner. He didn't remember telling McKinley that story. "Anyway, this is going to be fantastic. She will literally love whoever gives this too her"
"And naturally you plan on taking all of the credit"
"Of course. You better butt in when I present this or I might even forget you exist"
Sheldon slurped down more of the bitter drink "Heartwarming" He said. "Still, the last time Wakeman tried something like this it didn't really work" He made a dismissive gesture with his left hand "A disaster, some might call it."
"Yes, Exo-skin one and two, I heard about those failures"
"Don't forget the one with Himculese, it was worth mentioning"
"I do like the word play on that guys name, I really do." McKinley mused "Anyway, those were because Wakeman didn't have such a talented programmer working for her" He puffed his chest out
"I don't know man, she could have called me"
McKinley scowled at Sheldon "ha ha ha, devaluating an old man, is that how you get your kicks?"
"Only this early in the morning really" Sheldon yawned "What time is it anyway?"
"About 6:30" McKinley replied
"Hmm… That means I've stayed up 24 hours now"
"Grats', I suppose" Mckinley said. He sat down on the couch next to Nora, who was so small she barely covered half of the couch. He looked down at Nora, then looked back at Sheldon "I remember when she did that thirty years ago…" he said, the nostalgia think in his voice.
"Did what?" Sheldon said, curious
McKinley made a circular gesture with his hand. "You know, fall asleep on the couch like that. I remember back in the lab she would always work so hard. I remember that time when I left one day to go home, and the next day I came back there she was, passed out on the couch. She didn't even go up to sleep with her husband." He sighed "And the fights we would have, me and her husband. They were nearly as good as the ones I had with Nora." McKinley put down his Mug. "He was a good man, and she's a good woman…" He brandished his finger back a Sheldon "If you ever tell her I said that, I swear to god I will break your neck. I just said she was a good woman, that doesn't mean I still don't hate her"
Sheldon rolled his eyes "Right…" He looked thoughtful "Still, I never really remember Mrs. Wakeman telling me anything about her husband. I even asked her once"
McKinley looked back at Nora's sleeping figure "I know, she never told me what happened to him either" A long moment passed, and McKinley stood up "Anyway, lets get you home Think-sack"
Sheldon's brow furrowed "Now? I was hoping to work on the parts today"
"Like hell you are" McKinley said "I am not letting some little stalker geek work on the delicate parts of this project. If Jenny found out she'd give me a razor wire enema"
Sheldon winced "Thanks for that disturbing mental imagery, McKinley, I appreciate it." He stood up "You really just want all the credit don't you"
McKinley gave an exaggerated sigh "I wish it was that, I really do. But for some reason I just can't do it, really. I mean I don't think I'll be even able to tell her what I installed really. Call it fatherly protection "
"Or cowardice" Sheldon suggested
"That could work too" McKinley conceded "But I really think it's the idea that some boy might see future parts of her that I don't even want her to know about until she's eighteen"
Sheldon's eyebrows rose, and his face began to heat. He had known this was going to be a substantial upgrade, but what McKinley just implied was unprecedented "That's… Uh… That's a little… This project's more extensive that I first… I thought we were just adding nerves. Are you…?"
"Talking stops now" McKinley said, His left eye twitching violently. Sheldon tried to speak, but McKinley violently shushed him "I am giving her some nerves and add a bit to her a sensory perception, you know, so she can smell and such." He moved his hands in small circles, trying to get his bearings "Yes, I do admit that I am going to add a few specialty organs that she doesn't have right now, like a tongue, And… other things… For very scientific reasons" He said, as I trying to justify some sort of horrible crime. Sheldon could see an embarrassed blush creep into McKinley's face. It was an Ugly Blue/black color."
"Really" Sheldon said, crossing his arms "A scientific reason?"
"Yes, really" McKinley wrung his hands nervously and swore under his breath "Damnit, it's hard to explain this. I didn't think … When I originally had the idea I didn't think I'd have to do it on my own daughter. Well, I did, but I didn't think of her as my daughter then, you understand?"
Sheldon sat back down again "Start over, from the beginning" This was weird, he thought. He wasn't used to playing the adult of the conversation.
McKinley sat down as well. He sat still for a few pregnant seconds before speaking. "Well the reason for this goes back to when I originally made her brain. You need to remember that I didn't really expect this to work at first, I was just fiddling around really. But as time went on, and I got behind the line of no return, I realized a few things.
"Firstly, this was actually going to work. Or at least work better than I had expected it to. I mean I really was surprised, elated even. Secondly though, I noticed that the brain I was making needed all kinds of sensory input, not just the ones that we were giving the robot. Just like a real brain really. Sensory deprivation is a nasty thing.
'At first I just thought of it as an oddity. I mean how bad could it get? But, one night I decided to run some projections. What I found was… Troubling…
"Now you know Jenny experiences the full range of human emotion right? Fear, anger, Joy, envy… lust. She has all of it. The problem is, she can't actually, er, act on some of those, um, feelings. Ifound out that those blocks, ninety percent of the time at least, ended up in a long term case of depression, often leading to potential suicide. Especially during the teenage years where those emotions are at their, ah, height.
"Back then I thought it was a wonderful problem, and I drafted a few plans to give my android a few extra senses, like taste and smell, and, uh, touch. Of course I was abducted around that point in time and never got to finish the plans, and when I came back… Well let's just say I'm glad that she hasn't lost it yet. So I got talking with Nora and she agreed it was the best course of action to give her some of these upgrades. Even if she did find some of these distasteful"
Sheldon stared at McKinley for a few, long seconds. "Wow" he said, dumbstruck. It was like all of his hormonal fantasies had come true. He tried not to let it show "that's a pretty good reason for not wanting me to work on the project"
"I thought it was" McKinley stood up again "So, ready to go home?"
Sheldon got up to follow him "Yeah, I guess I am" As they both began to walk out the door, Sheldon queried another question "So when do you think this thing will actually be ready?"
McKinley turned back around "Ready? Well I thought you of all people would have guessed. It should be done in time for Jenny's Birthday"
As they walked out into the grey morning, Sheldon couldn't help but grin.
Wakeman OS, XJ9 Audio log, 7:30 PM. July 18th, 2072
---------------Input password-----------------------------
---------------Verifying----------------------------------
Password accepted, Welcome Nora. What action do you request?
Play file 40020701, 5:25 PM July 17th
Playing…
"So, how's my girl doing? You Nervous?"
"Yeah, a little bit Dad. But I'm really exited also. Its sort of weird being trapped between those emotions"
"Ha! Tell me about it. I remember when I was a kid I had to perform in a school play once. Same thing really. You ever work in a play?"
"Yes actually. I wasn't that nervous about it though"
"Really? Most people blanch at the idea of acting in front of others."
"Well, technically I had already run over a thousand simulations before I went out. There wasn't much room for error."
"Ah, that would explain it. Lie down on the bench would you please? That's a good girl."
" 'Good girl'? What am I, two?"
"Fiv- Six actually. Almost forgot you were a year older today"
"Forgot? The party just ended two hours ago."
"I have a very short memory. Put this helmet on will you?"
"What's it for?"
"Mostly to make sure you don't twitch too much while I'm operating."
"Nice, I suppose. Hey, I have a better question, what exactly is this upgrade for anyway? And why is this a 'surprise' for that matter?"
"Oh, you know, reasons"
"Right, does that mean you're going to tell me what were doing?"
"Not a chance Jen"
"Whatever. Where's Mom?"
"She'll be out in a second. She's just getting all of the equipment together. This isn't just some simple little operation you see. We're going to be making history. Don't worry; I won't bring out the camera"
"Thanks"
"Though I'm not to sure about your Mother"
"What?"
"Oh look at the time! Nighty night"
"Hey wait a minute what do you mean by my Mo----"
--------------------------------------------File End----------------------------------------------------
The words "Wakeman OS Online" Filled the fluttering vision of Jenny Wakeman, followed by the cheery green Text of "Good Morning Xj9."
Jenny struggled back into the land of the living, fiercely blinking her eyes as she did. She was lying on her back, on what felt to be some sort of table. She felt sluggish and slow, and oddly enough, heavy. She blinked again and her vision swam around her. She closed her eyes and let out a deep focusing breath. Resolve filled her and she determinedly opened her eyes and sat up.
She instantly regretted that move. Her vision swam once more, swirling around her like a cyclone. She lost her balance and fell back onto the table, this time on her side. She lay still for a few moments, willing her vision to calm. She made a tiny annoyed noise, and with a belabored thought she began to run a system diagnostic. Seconds passed as her body began to hum with exertion while her internal scanners dissected every system and subroutine, searching for problems. The Search came up negative. Nothing was wrong with her body. The only thing that was out of place was some weird new upgrades.
Jenny chuckled and rolled her eyes at herself. Of course, that was why she felt so weird. Those new upgrades her parents had installed must be the problems. The drivers were probably still installing, all she had to do was wait. So she did. She lay on that table quietly, not looking at anything or even looking. She was completely motionless as she waited for her body to once more return to full operational abilities.
Soon, her vision stopped swimming and her fine motor control returned. Jenny sat up, cautiously this time, as not to send her reeling again. She felt fine as she sat up, revitalized even. Jenny frowned. Something was different; she just couldn't put her finger on it. She put her head in her cold hands as she tried to think. She froze.
Cold hands. As in temperature. As in touch. As in feeling.
Too astonished for words, Jenny withdrew her trembling hands. She looked in dumbstruck amazement at what she saw. Her hands were still the same as ever, still china white, and they still had those mechanical creases. But now there was a soft sort of silicone covering over her hands and arms. Barely even half a centimeter thick, it flowed into and out of her mechanical creases, permeating her. It looked soft, like real flesh. Jenny opened and closed her hands in wonder. She rotated them, and looked at them from every angle. Cautiously, she touched her own arm. It felt soft.
Jenny was ecstatic. It felt soft, it felt soft! Emotions cascaded through her circuits. She felt human. Not emotionally or mentally, she felt like she was physically human. And that was a wonderful feeling.
She drew her arms close and hugged them close to her body. With a sigh, she reveled in the sensation; it was like a breath of fresh air through old circuits. She let her arms travel all over her body, feeling, probing, exploring. Jenny felt alive, and better than she had ever felt before. The familiar feeling of a tickle passed through her body as a finger slid over her lower spine. She gasped in shock at the sensation and wiggled away from it, giggling as she did.
Sighing contently, she lay down on the table. She put her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling, reveling in being alive. She just lay down and felt. Not like a person feels, by feeling other things. She just stopped and listened to her own body, letting it tell her what it felt. Letting it tell her what it knew. She closed her eyes. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel. The only two sensations she had ever had were pain and tickling, how was she supposed to know what she was supposed to feel like? She let her mind wander.
She had new parts, Jenny noted. Additions really, new hardware and the like could be found all throughout her body. The most obvious she thought was a tongue and a pair of delicate lips. Her interest piqued, she also noted that some of the things on her were not actually parts of her body. They had no feeling, they were alien, foreign. She was wearing clothes, Jenny realized with amusement. Her armor had been a part of her body before, just like and arm or a leg. But now her boots, her skirt, and her top were all separate objects. They were coverings.
Her feet were in some sort of boots she noticed. She also noticed that she had several new digits at the end of each foot. Jenny tilted her head a bit to the side; she had toes now, strange. Jenny looked at her feet. They looked like they always had, encased inside the blue steel of her uncompromising boot. Inside, her feet squirmed. Seized by a sudden curiosity, Jenny moved her hands to the boot, each searching for a way to undo it.
Her hands felt the contours of the titanium boot, searching. She was surprised at how thick the boot was an entire three quarters of an inch thicker. Even in a preliminary guess, Jenny estimated it gave another 69750 psi worth of resistance. An impressive amount to say the least. Finally, near the top, she came across a button of some kind. With trepidation she pressed it, reflexively wincing as she did. A sharp hiss and a puff of pressurized gas squirted out of the contours of the boot, sending a pleasurable sensation along Jenny's lower legs. The Boot split into two equal halves and fell to the ground, revealing a china white leg and a perfectly formed foot. Jenny looked in awe at her own appendage, flexing and wiggling her toes. It was all a marvel. Joyously, she quickly released her other foot and pushed the remains of her boots into a corner of the table.
She inspected each foot meticulously. She had never really had toes before. The entire idea ,her mother had said, was a completely frivolous expense, she could work just as fine without toes, and much cheaper. She tilted her head as she stretched out her toes and thought. Why did she have this upgrade? Exactly why did her parents give her this? It was what she, Jenny, wanted, but it was inefficient, unwieldy. From what Jenny knew about her mother it was against everything she had been designed for.
She sat on the cold operating table, pondering. She shifted her weight slightly, and as she did she bumped her boots, which lay discarded to the side. She gave the blue pieces of footwear a long look. Jenny looked to the side as an idea blossomed in her head. She had new appendages, as evidenced by her toes. Perhaps it wasn't to far fetched that she had other new features, other new body parts. She knew that her skirt and top were no longer a part of her, merely armored coverings. What could she expect to find under them? Her hands twitched and she began to blush self consciously. The blush was a deep and embarrassed blue hue. Eventually, curiosity took hold, and her hands began to travel over to her skirt. Tentatively, she fingered the clasp.
The Sound of the lab door opening shot through the laboratory, followed by several sets of footsteps and a jumble of animated voices. Jenny quickly pulled her hands back to her sides and acted as casual as possible, both panicked and relieved at how close she had come to being seen. She looked over to the door, curious.
Jenny saw her father and mother stride into the room, the former with an arrogant swagger and the latter with confidence. Behind them were Sheldon, Brad, and Tuck. Brad pushed his way to the front of the procession, gaining a quick curse from McKinley "Wow Jenny!" He said enthusiastically "You look great!" He leaned in closer toward her, inspecting her new skin "Oh man, this is so cool"
"Hey! Don't crowd her boy" McKinley growled from behind Brad as he pushed Brad aside. He rolled his eyes "I leave the room for five minutes and you choose those minutes to wake up. Could you be any more contrary Jenny?" He raised a disdainful eyebrow "Really now. I didn't even get to see you wake up"
Mrs. Wakeman made a derisive noise, "Well I don't think Xj9 is the one responsible for your faulty sleep program James. With any talent you should have been able to program when she woke up" Nora looked to the side knowingly.
McKinley's left eye twitched "One of these days Nora, one of these days…"
Nora raised an eyebrow "Straight to the moon?"
McKinley looked perplexed "What? No. What the hell does that mean?"
Nora looked annoyed "Nothing, it was before your time" She looked over at Jenny, smiling and tilting her head slightly "So… How are you feeling?"
"I feel… I feel fantastic" Jenny murmured. "I feel the cold table, I feel my skin…" She looked up, smiling "And I feel alive"
Nora Smiled and McKinley smirked smugly. Behind them, Tuck looked disinterested and Brad scratched the back of his head, uncomfortable with the warm and sensitive conversation. Sheldon was beaming, the smile on his face stretching from ear to ear.
"Good to know, good to know" McKinley said with amusement. He pulled out a tiny notepad and began to scribble on it. "Now you understand that there will be some maintenance issues. Repair not covered by your internal systems. Cleaning and bathing procedures, you know the drill."
"Bathing?" Jenny said, surprised. The exclamation was echoed from the back of the room by Sheldon. His eyes were wide and his mouth draw in into an astonished line. Jenny scowled as she saw the gears of Sheldon's imagination began to churn.
McKinley Turned back to Sheldon, his brow furrowed and his left eye squinting fiercely "Yes, Bathing. Is that of interest to you technophile?" Sheldon seemed to shrink into his hoody as he looked away, flushing into a beet red blush. Beside him, Brad began to chuckle. Tuck just looked confused, wondering exactly what a technophile was.
McKinley turned back to Jenny. He looked only slightly less perturbed now that he had silenced Sheldon. In fact, he didn't look any less perturbed at all "Of course I'm not going to be the one to explain all of these new maintenance procedures, it just wouldn't be proper. So I will hand everything off to my lovely assistant Nora"
Mrs. Wakeman raised an eyebrow "Assistant? I made the device you know. What were you doing that make you the mastermind James?"
McKinley looked dismissive "Moral support mostly"
Nora rolled her eyes "Of course" She cleared her throat "Anyway Jenny, come along with me upstairs Away from prying eyes" She glared at Sheldon, who seemed to disappear into his shirt.
"Aww Mom." Jenny whined "Do I have to go now?"
McKinley folded his arms "Jenny, you should do what you mother says. There is a reason for all of this"
"Like what?"
"Well…" McKinley said, allowing a long and pregnant pause to follow the word. Then, calmly and purposefully, he reached out with his right hand and gave Jenny a light shove. Surprised, Jenny lost her balance and fell off the lab table with a resounding crash. The Room felt was spinning from Jenny's point of view as she lay on the floor in an undignified heap. McKinley stepped over to look down on her. He had a deadpan expression "The upgrade hasn't been calibrated and your internal gyroscope needs to be brought back to operational ability" McKinley grinned "You know, the thing that lets you keep your balance?"
Jenny glared at McKinley "And why can't we do that here?"
McKinley gave a knowing smile "Well, to get to do the calibration we have to remove the outer layer of your armor…"
With those spoken words, Jenny blushed a light blue. "I'll be going to my room now…" She said quietly, mortified. She tried to stand and began to loose her balance. Nora caught her arm and helped Jenny to her feet.
As Mrs. Wakeman and Jenny left the room, McKinley whirled on Sheldon, Brad and Tuck "Well?" McKinley said "What are you people still doing here?"
Tuck raised a finger in answer "Well, I thought we were going to check out Jenny's freaky new upgrade…"
"Get out of the house you little vultures!" McKinley barked, and the three young men ran off into the night.
Hi Everybody! I'm back. With a vengeance!
So, as you can see I've started a new story. And you have undoubtedly noticed that it is a sequel to my last story. I hope that doesn't come as a surprise. I thought I had made that abundantly clear.
You know, it's sort of funny. I decide to do a story with only one plotline, and I end up producing a chapter just as large as the chapters in my last story, which had three plotlines. It makes me wonder though, If I had more plotlines would my story be longer or the same size? The world will never know I guess. Except of course for the parallel universe where an exact copy of me made a story with two or more plotlines. Of course, that version of me wouldn't know what would happen if he had only done a story with one plotline… So If I was to find out, one of my copy's would have to be an inter-dimensional traveler.
You know what? Forget the whole thing.
Getting back to the story though, you may or may not have noticed a change in subject matter, And more specifically its trend toward a more "Mature theme". I will tell you ahead of time. It is not going to go much farther beyond this point. I am not sure if this is a popular move though. I am not sure weather I should keep the story cleaner or not. It is a quandary, I can tell you.
I promise though, things are going to happen. Some of these things will be of varying importance. Some will be of little importance, and some will be of large importance. Love will be found, love will be lost, and everyone will be richer for the experience. Except the ones who are dead. And I am going to have so much fun with the dream sequences!
Note: nearly all of what I have said may, or may not be, a lie.
I'd like to say thanks though to everyone who posted on my last Fanfiction. I really can't stress that enough. Oh! And a special thanks to Mettela, without those recent reviews, I probably never would have got around to even typing this thing without her. Thanks everyone, the next chapter should be up soon (give it a week or two, it should be up by then)
Wait, I almost forgot, review me! If you don't, who's going to stop Saren from bringing back the reapers and destroying galactic civilization as we know it? Not me I'll tell you, so review me! Or Else! (Seriously, you don't want the Reapers to come back. Trust me)
PS. I think I might need to up the Rating on this story. Mostly for the psychological themes I want to present. Also, I tend to swear like a Sailor, and even though I'm trying to stay away from that, I'm not entirely in control of the characters (Some of them can be pretty wild)