Super Android Eighteen

By Moonraker One

CHAPTER FIVE – Problem Correction

It was quite a problem. Bulma had isolated the problem to the CPU's memory control. The problem was somewhat complex; because eighteen was an android, she did not need to sleep. What she did instead was put herself into standby mode overnight so as to rest her system. Due to the nature of the connection between her own CPU and the chip from space, she had no ability to access the internal memory of the chip, nor control its actions; it was as if there were two different entities within her. Every time that she would put herself into standby mode, the main personality was not active, so the chip would take over; this was a feature built into the chip. When the chip was part of the supercomputer, it was absolutely imperative that the system never go into standby mode; the races using it might have died off otherwise. So, as a systematic precaution, a special feature was put into the chip that if the supercomputer's main activity go offline or into standby, a backup system that was part of the chipboard become active. In this case, however, that backup personality had been put into auto-termination mode; it was set to destroy everything it deemed hostile. Bulma was working on this little problem that they were having with everyone's favorite female android.

"So Bulma," Krillin said, looking into the opened head of his wife as she laid on the table. "Have you isolated the problem?"

Bulma wiped sweat off her brow. "Yup," she replied, "and it is quite a problem. It is long to explain, but, when she goes to sleep, another personality takes over her body. I guessed that when she saw someone familiar, it brought the main personality back into active mode."

Trunks interjected, "What are you planning to do, exactly?"

Bulma looked over at him, a facial expression indicative of her hatred towards interruption. "I'm planning to connect the alien CPU to her main chip, then set the alien chip from self-react mode to external input control," she explained. "This way, she should be able to control the main chip with her own mind, and be able to access any of the data contained within the chip."

"Clever," remarked Krillin.

Bulma, looking through her eyepiece magnifier, located the microscopic switch attached to the lower region of the main alien chipboard. She then moved her needle to the tip of the tiny switch, which looked like a building in a nano-city. She took in a deep breath, and prepared to change the main setting; if she screwed this up in any way, eighteen might go into permanent shut-down mode.

"Here goes everything," she whispered.

With one quick, fluid motion, she moved the switch to external input. Everyone moved back quickly as eighteen jerked violently on the table for a few seconds, almost breaking the bonds strapping her to the table. When she fell limp, her height changed back to five six, and her hair to medium-length and blond. She seemed not to move.

"Eighteen!" Krillin shrieked. "You've killed her!"

Bulma looked at the frightened little bald dude. "Don't worry," she reassured him. "It's a feature. The chip hasn't been attached to her main chip yet, so it's natural that her entire body would go into shut-down mode. As soon as I attach the wiring, she should resume her normal appearance and form."

She quickly moved several wires from the alien chipboard to the auxiliary outlet on her main chipboard. Everyone held their breath; if she didn't respond within a few minutes, more than likely she had permanently shut down and died. After two whole minutes of holding their breath, android eighteen still lay shiftless on the worktable. Krillin leaped up and began to pound on eighteen's stomach.

"Don't die on me, eighteen!" He screamed as he jammed his fists down. "DON'T DIE ON ME! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I'VE GOT!"

He began crying. Trunks came over and put his hands on Krillin's shoulders to console him. "I'm so sorry," he replied. "I guess there was nothing we could've done."

He broke free from Trunks' grip and walked over to his wife's body, lying motionless on the table. "Why'd you have to leave me," he muttered. "WHY'D YOU LEAVE ME?!" He repeated, only in a screaming tone.

He went to punch her shiftless form in her face, when a hand flew up from the table and caught his fist in midair. Quickly she lifted her head, and opened her eyes; a bright red glow lit up the room. "System Diagnostic commencing," she said, her glowing red eyes moving their gaze across the room. They first landed on Bulma. 'Subject is human, female, five foot seven in height and one hundred three in weight. Target identified as Bulma. Subject is to be considered a friend."

Next, she looked at Krillin. "Subject is human, male, four feet in height and one hundred seventy in weight. Subject is to be considered a friend."

And then, she looked at Gohan. "Subject is half human half Saiyan, male, five foot ten in height and two hundred ten in weight. Subject is to be considered a friend."

Finally, her gaze ended at Goku. "Subject is Saiyan, five foot eleven in height and two hundred thirteen in weight."

She hesitated a moment, then finished. "Subject is to be considered an enemy; must be terminated at once."