Written 10/7/10, 10/9/10. Typed and uploaded 10/12/10

Disclaimer: ALIENS belongs to James Cameron and the characters belong to, I suppose Ridley Scott (?)... GRACE YUTANI is my character!

At first, I was too stiff to talk to Bishop, as I had just arrived from Tokyo. I was not at all used to this American android whom was so curious and open to learning through experience instead of being programmed. Mr. Michael acted as if it were normal, like every robot did it, but I had never heard of such a thing. I was closed to the idea and didn't associate with Bishop, for I had a bit of distaste for him. I tried to ignore him in all situations, especially when around Michael. I suppose I was a bit rude, acted a bit snooty, but it was all in the effort of keeping myself the prim android I had been built to be - not like some Americanized machine. Once I even acted in such a way that let Bishop know I was avoiding him on purpose, and I didn't mind at first that he knew.

He had come up to me to ask a question, that of which I have never learned because I blocked it out, and I walked right past him, acting in complete to ignore him. In fact, it was like he wasn't there. He, being good-natured and quick to catch on, did not follow me, as I thought he would, but instead left in another direction. He knew my true feelings for him then and the amazing thing was that he didn't have to be programmed about it.

About a month after Mr. Michael tweaked my reaction, emotion and personality sectors I became almost completely different. It was like he had created an entirely new android with the design of me. I was shy around everyone, which had never happened before, and it took immense coaxing to have me out of my room.

I was also very, very quiet around Bishop. It wasn't because I was expressing my now-forgotten dislike of him, but because I was unable to speak, it seemed. It was as if every time he was around I lost the ability to form the simplest of words; I couldn't even mutter a sound. It was the strangest thing, and I had no explanation for it. After the first few times it happened, most of which caused very serious miscommunications between android to android, I asked Michael about it. He smiled a little bit, as if he had accomplished something minor.

"It means you like him."

I was slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

He put his tools down and, exhaling sharply, placed his hands on the metal table.

"You feel different, right?"

"Yes."

"As if you can't talk."

"Speak - or move."

"Or move. Right?"

"Yes."

"And you've never felt this way before ... right?"

"Yes - but I suspect it is because of the many alterations you've made over the past months. It could be that I have not adjusted well to being less of what I am used to."

"Is that a yes?"

"... yes."

"Then .. you .. like .. him."

" ... I don't understand."

Michael shook his head and sighed. "The reason you act like you do when Bishop is around is because your emotions are reacting the way they are supposed to. The way I designed them to - that's what I was doing all those months."

I thought this over for a moment. "You mean like him ... like a person?"

"Yes."

"Is that good?"

"I don't know. Is it?"

"Why are you asking me?"

He shrugged. I paused for a moment and filtered his question through my mind until I found an answer I was pleased with.

"Well, is it good?"

I blinked and managed a small half smile, a twitch of my lip. "Yes."

It was very good.