Chapter 7: An eventful birthday

OS:...Cluster Model 30421BmkX...

Systems check:... All organs are in good shape... Muscles are strained...Combat skills have been restricted for 12 hours... heart rate shall not exceed 300BPM...Powering up

Every morning I am forced to see that screen in front of my eyes. Though now it was even annoying as it seemed to decide what I can and cannot do. I guess it is all for the best but still, there is probably a way to override it anyway. I looked at my clock 10:12Am it flashed, though now I guess I can activate it via internal systems but I still am getting used to my... "condition" so to speak.

Though most people do dream of becoming one they just do not seem to think of what they may have to sacrifice. They will not feel the same warmth when they try to warm up by rubbing their hands together. The vision that is almost too perfect to comprehend, the knowledge that you have synthetic muscles and veins. You don't have true bones but metallic replacements. Although there are a lot of benefits, the great feeling of emptiness is almost overwhelming at times...

I shook off this emo attitude and decided to do my usual morning routine to pass some time. I did what every one normally does, went strait to the bathroom and had a shower. Brushed my teeth and washed my face. Went down stairs and fixed up a nice cup of coffee and skipped breakfast. I went back in my room because by the time I finished my coffee I was dry (I had a robe on I forgot to mention) and slipped on some slightly tight jeans and a plain white t-shirt with black stripes on it.

I made sure that Jenny's present was in it's proper place just in case she passes by, today is her manufacture/birthday so I walked down to the local store and got a card. Now here is where it gets tricky, what card do you get for a seven year old teenage robot? I chose the seventeen year old card, considering that Sheldon and Brad were also seventeen I though that it seemed more suitable.

After buying the card I went back to my house and wrote

"Dear Jenny, happy birth/manufacture day! Even though you're meant to be seven years old considering that you're a teen I thought this would be better. Hope it's a great day!

Rick Steward"

I took notice to the fact that my wallet was starting to run a bit too dry for my liking I went and got some steel, I wanted to make a bitchin' blade so I can sell some others to collectors. I walked to my garden where a small building stood, it was my workshop for making stuff in general. For cars I would go to the garage. The workshop was about fifty square meters, adequate space if you ask me.

*I started by getting a lot of clay and moulding it into the shape of the blade. I got the bars of steel and put them in a furnace, I set the temperature to 3000 degrees to quicken the melting process. While this was happening I finished shaping the mould to my liking. It is going to form a three meter long blade (including the hilt) the blade will be heavy duty for probably the moments of when I just need to swing something heavy and know that it WILL have a nice effect. So I made it one inch deep, also so it can go though a lot of abuse. I checked up on the steel and I set a timer for ten minutes, by then the steel would have melted.

While the steel was melting I started to carve the casing for the hilt, I choose a strip of snake skin for the grip. I got out some super-glue and started getting a strip of skin I cut twenty five centimetres. I checked on the metal once more and saw that it was melted. I put on a protective suite and left the furnace on just in case there were any un-melted parts. In the mould I made two holes where I could fit gems, one for each side of the hilt. For this one I decided to use a Jade and Sapphire, now fully protected just in case a drop of the melted metal was to fall on me I poured the liquid in with the skill of a master (well I have been doing this for about four years now considering the weapons and armour in the armoury). I closed the mould by putting the top layer on top of the bottom to stop anything from getting in the metal and stop impurities (like dust, soil ect).

I knew that something like this will take a day to solidify so I left the metal to settle, took of the protective clothing and went back inside, I checked the time and flashed 1:50Pm. Seeing that it was one of the last days they probably have half days now and probably finished. To prove my prediction right I heard the doorbell ring. On the LCD monitor it showed Jenny and her friend, I did not recognise her but I assumed that she would not do anything stupid. I went to the front door and opened it for them.

"Hey Jen, come inside." I said beckoning her and her friend in.

"Hey Rick, this is Misty an old friend of mine" I raised an eyebrow "You're not a local are you?" I said

"Nope, I'm from outer space" she gladly stated in a laid-back cool voice

"Hmm, not attacking me yet... I guess you're the first being from outer space that has not tried to attack me on sight. Sure you aren't planning anything?" I said sarcastically

"What are you going on about?" she said, confused but after a short pause "Ooh I get it, I guess you've already been introduced to the cluster eh?"

"Yeah, let me tell you it was not a good first impression on my side"

"Yeah Jenny said that they did something to you but refused to say what it was, care to share?"

Jenny knew that this was only going to go downhill because soon as I was about to start saying she interrupted me "Guys, it's my birthday today! Let's keep the mood good while it lasts!"

"Speaking of witch where's Sheldon, Brad and... Tuck?" I pointed out

"Oh they'll come by some time soon they apparently have quite the surprise for me."

"Oh, hey I got something for you my self. Gimme a sec I'll go upstairs and get it." I rushed upstairs to my room and got out the present. I went back down and gave it to her.

"Oh with a card too? How sweet, hey it even says happy birthday you're 17. You do know that technically I'm seven though right?"

"Yeah but I figured that you are a teen so I got you a card for seventeen."

"Well thanks, now for the present."

She opened the box and pulled out an exact replica of her chaises. It started to mould it's self with her own.

"Hey what's going on?" she said starting to get nervous

"It covers you so you can choose what colour you want your paint to be. So you can choose if one day you want to have red and black stripes one day you can just choose what paint job you want.

It's programmed so now you have an extra compartment in your wrist so you can choose what paint you want and the vinyl. You just draw it on the screen and choose what colour you want it to be. So now you are not just blue now you are what ever colour you want!" I explained "Also what is currently covering you is the protective membrane it's biomechanical so even if it is cut completely it will repair it's self within the day."

"Well that's really cool. I also do not need to stay getting paint jobs and paying a whole lot for them."

"Well that's the whole point, it also stretches far as your arms and legs go. It also stays out of the way if you deploy lasers, weaponry and other gadgets."

"How did you manage that?"

"I asked your mother for some basic blueprints to avoid any dangers that may have been introduced to you if you were to use it."

"Oh, anyway I'm going to try it out."

She opened the new compartment in the wrist and selected orange. Then from being blue and white she was now orange and white.

"I also added some pre-designed options such as camouflages and general awesome vinyl's"

"Woah, not even my mom would make something like this for me! Thanks soo much!"

"Well it's your birthday.."

Though a happybirthday was not something Jenny was to experience. For her chest monitor opened showing her mother's face.

"XJ-9 WE HAVE A PROBLEM! CLUSTER ARE INVADING!" She shouted "Also why are you orange?" She added

" Oh it's Rick's present, I can change the colour of my armour. Anyway, when will these guys stop?"

"Until they have you and Rick by the looks of it."

"Shit, this isn't good..." I said

"Why? Can't you just do the same like yesterday?" She asked

"Well thing is even with my body it seems to take quite the strain on my muscles, I've been restricted from fighting for another eight hours. I'll see what I can do, maybe a few guns that I can find. I can use my short range weapons. I just can't go into over-drive, I have not tried it out but I don't think that the results will be pleasant."

"Oh... I don't want you to come then. I don't want them to put you through even more hideous things." She stated

"No Jen, you can't do this alone. We are talking about an entire FLEET. I know you're programmed to be a defence mechanism you have to think rashly. You can't just go and do a suicide mission by your self."

"No worries, I'll be with her." Misty said

"No, you two just will not manage to take on twenty one fully laden warships. Each one will carry at least two hundred war bots."

"How do you know all this?"

"I have the cluster army OS... though modified to fit me. I have all their army schematics and data, what I am saying is correct with no doubt. They probably did not expect me to react how I did and run off."

"Wait? What?"

"I'm a cyborg... I do not wish to get into that topic now though. We have a hell of a problem on our hands."

I ran down to the armoury and got my ceramic "Soul Keeper" armour. Then I rushed to the workshop and checked on the new blade, it seemed to solidify and I accessed my scanner to see if it was at the optimum and reliable state. "Scanning...10...50...90...100%...complete... metallic structure is of extreme strength due to the grade of steel. It is ready for use."

I picked up the sword and slotted the sapphire and Jade in their rightful places. I took the blade and slung it on my back, the weight was expected and I only grunted a bit. I ran to Jenny as Misty "Okay I'm good to go, is there anything you two have to do?"

"Wait Rick, you said the two of us couldn't manage it. Just with you added how does that increase our odds?" Jenny said

"Because I've got a whole Batch of things I want to test, so if you want to come then come but I'm going."

I accessed my jet propulsion system and flew off ready to destroy an entire fleet... even if it costed me my life...

AN:What I said about the weapon making is total bullshit don't even fucking think of trying this, if you do then don't blame me if you fuck up and screw yourself over.

With the health hazard out of the way I guess I'm going to end up doing something pretty stupid but epic if I'm going after a whole fleet my self o.O well I guess you will see in the next chapter :D as usual R&R