Chapter II: The Threat

"SHEGO!" Dr. Drakken shouted at the top of his lungs as he looked at their haul from their latest heist. However, due to the extreme security measures of the robotics facility they had robbed, they only left with one crate.

A six by four by four crate stood in the middle of the cargo bay and was being inspected by Dr. Drakken.

Shego sighed as she walked towards him. The raven-haired woman hated when Dr. Drakken's plans went awry. He always seemed like a spoiled child than a mad scientist. And as usual, he was the reason the plan went awry.

Dr. Drakken tripped the laser sensors by accident.

More like, he wandered into a web of them. The response was instantaneous. Sentry robots hummed to life from their posts as the alarm sounded. To Shego, it was like the entire factory came alive, making more robots to protect the facility.

All that nuisance for a crate that sat in the middle of the cargo bay.

"Indoor voice please," Shego grumbled as she faced him. There were times that she felt like a babysitter when dealing with Dr. Drakken.

He could be such a child sometimes, she thought to herself as she smirked.

"Since all of you were incompetent, we only made out with one crate!" Dr. Drakken said as he paced around the crate.

"And now he's blaming his own clumsiness on us," Shego heard one of the henchmen sigh.

"You're new, aren't you?" Shego said with a raised eyebrow. The henchman trembled as he slowly nodded. "Get used to it," she said leaving no chance for discussion.

"This must be something important since it's heavily guarded," Dr. Drakken said as he looked at Shego. "Well? What are you waiting for? Open it?"

"Do I look like a crowbar to you?" Shego complained but complied as her hand emitted a green glow and slashed the front of the crate open.

"Ooohhhh. It must be horrendous!" Dr. Drakken said in excitement as he peered into the crate. But when he looked inside, his face fell in disappointment.

Inside was the most unimpressive robot he had ever seen.

The robot was obviously made in the late 80's with its crude design. He stood about five feet tall, if standing was the term. Instead of feet he had tracks. The threads were aligned in the formation of a triangle and angled for better traction. His body was just a stem as it were. It was made of several tubes that ran from the tracks to a joint that would be its waist and continued to its head. The arms were ordinary. Instead of the articulate human-like fingers Dr. Drakken used in his robot army, these were three fingered clamps. Its head consisted mainly of twin cameras that were placed in a box.

"What is it?" Dr. Drakken frowned in dismay.

"FNR-00 Sweeper robot," Shego said as she read the cover of the instruction manual. "The Robot servant of the future. Ah, Dr. D? I think we got one of the facility's rejects."

"I know," Dr. Drakken grumbled as he stomped away. "Throw it away. I don't need something that primitive." But Shego, was interested.

"You guys go. I'll take care of it," she said. Reluctantly, the henchmen obeyed. Shego looked inside the box and found another set of folders.

Curious, she opened one of the folders and looked at the designer's notes. What she read intrigued her.

The FNR-00 Prototype performed extremely well as a maintenance robot and was ready for the LK-00 Prototype program which made the unit extremely smart and had learned initiative. Before with the old program the FNR-00 will simply put itself in standby mode to await further orders. The LK program diminishes such burden for the user. The LK program with the aid of the RNRK-00 processor made the unit think faster than any computer at this time. However, my colleague Dr. Sending, feels that the learning capability of the unit was not enough. He had experimented with the unit to the point that it would not function at full capacity. At one point, disobeyed every order Dr. Sending gave it.

I have learned later that the unit simply was ignoring Sending just to annoy him. That day, I found that the FNR unit was developing a 'personality problem'. Instead of fixing the problem by deleting the files that made that problem, I had installed a set of programs to help it grow even more.

Basic Psychology, good values and good graces to name a few. Surprisingly, the unit learned right from wrong and I hope he chooses to do good.

Shego looked at the file in wonder. If the FNR was so good, why was it rejected?

"Good Evening, my lady," a nasally voice suddenly said making Shego look up and saw that the robot came to life. Surprised, Shego cried out, making her drop the files. In an instant, the robot caught the files before it fell to the ground and arranged it. The robot looked at her curiously and handed her the files. "I am sorry to have startled you. Are you fully functional?"

"Fully functional?" Shego snickered at the word. "How should I be fully functional?"

"Are you in pain? Did I damage anything?" FNR asked.

"You did not," Shego smirked as she looked at it. "And the word used is 'fine'."

"Noted," it said as it tilted its head like a curious puppy. "Are you… fine?" Shego looked at it with scrutiny as it looked at her curiously. Sighing, Shego smirked and answered the robot.

"I'm fine but you should not scare people like that," she said.

"I was unaware that I was… scaring anyone. For that I apologize," Shego blinked in surprise. So far, this robot had more manners than anyone she dated before.

"Never mind," she said. "What kind of robot are you?"

"This unit is designated FNR-00. This unit…"

"Hold it!" Shego interrupted the robot clearly annoyed at his way of speaking. "Can't you use pronouns?"

"Pronouns. Words or group of words use instead of names…"

"Well, can you?" she asked and the robot nodded.

"I can if wished of it."

"Then I wish it," Shego said.

"I am FNR-00. I am designed as a serving robot. I can clean and do menial tasks and I am yours to command," the robot said in Shego's amusement.

"A servant," she smiled. "Very well, come with me. Can you learn? I really need to teach you some things so you won't be a dork."

"My processor and programs allow me to do just that. What is… dork?"

"I'll tell you later," Shego said as she walked towards her room.

"Noted," the robot said as it followed its new master.

"By the way, do you have a name?" she asked. "I can't call you FNR. Seems to impersonal."

"I am not a person," it said without any emotions. "But I was given a name before."

"What was it?" Shego asked genuinely curious.

"My creator called me Fenrir."

… … .. .

Mrs. Dr. Possible frowned as she got home. Being one of the best brain surgeons she had been called time and again for the most difficult and dangerous operations.

The one she had just finished was one of the strangest.

She needed to tell her husband and fortunately, she found him sitting in the living room watching the news.

"Dear, I have something disturbing to tell you," she said as she sat beside him.

"What is it, honey?" Mr. Dr. Possible saw the concerned look on his wife's face he knew it was important.

"Dr. Sending just had an operation today," she said making Mr. Possible frown in confusion.

"You operated on him?" his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Is it serious? Is he dying?"

"I know I'm violating the patient-doctor privilege in telling you this but it's disturbing."

"What is?" Mr. Possible was now curious as to what the head of Project Odin was up to.

"He had a microchip implanted in his cerebral cortex. I don't know why but we were told not to ask any questions," she hugged her husband to seek some comfort and he gave it by wrapping his arms protectively around her.

"Didn't they know who you were?" he asked slightly concerned.

"The people who were there didn't ask any questions," she sighed. "But I'm worried. That computer seemed… alive."

"Alive?" Mr. Dr. Possible frowned. Why would Dr. Sending wanted a microchip implanted in his brain? "It's all right honey. I'll get to the bottom of this."

"Don't," she pleaded. "It's not worth it."

"Your safety is my top concern as well as the kids'. If they think you could compromise their secret…"

"Let it be," Mrs. Possible said tiredly. "Let's just see and then we could do something about it." Grudgingly, Mr. Possible nodded but the main question kept nagging him.

What did Dr. Sending implant himself with?

/End of 2/

"When all is lost all we have is hope, determination and each other."