It's Dragoncat again! Thanks, LTC, for the name of Casey's boss, and also
for clearing up the mystery of the lucky charms. I, myself, prefer cocoa
puffs. But seriously, thanks to all who are enjoying the story so far and I
hope this next chapter is just as enjoyable.
And now, I am pleased to present...
Chapter Four
This time Zee feels more at ease as the mist surrounds him. He morphs into his tuxedo and, as he hopes, Ro approaches him wearing her beautiful white gown. As he holds her, the mist slowly envelops them, but Zee is not worried about it. Holding Ro in his arms and being able to feel the love they share is all that matters to him right now. As long as he's with Ro, he has everything a man could want...
As Ro wakes up with the morning sun, she remembers a time when Zee would be the first to wake up. They always had to be out on the road before the crack of dawn - sometimes during the middle of the night - all in the hopes of evading Agent Bennet and finding Dr. Selig. But now that Bennet's leaving them alone, Zee is now in the habit of sleeping in. Ro can no longer deny that ever since his bout with depression, he's becoming more and more like a human. Even now, with Zee holding her in his arms, she remembers the first time they did this. Zee was having nightmares about Dr. Selig's death. As she soothed him, he went back to sleep holding her close to his chest. One would think his titanium body would feel hard and uncomfortable, and yet Zee's body felt smooth and...warm. And then, after their first kiss, they returned to their hotel room, where Zee told her that he could actually feel her. She decided to put this to the test: she blindfolded him while she slowly stroked parts of his body. As he stood there letting Ro slowly move her hands over his arms and chest, Ro discovered that not only did he react pleasantly to her every touch, but also that his hologram felt more solid than before.
(This is incredible! It's like Zee is...evolving?)
So now, Zee prefers to sleep on the bed snuggling up to Ro. On one hand, he is no longer having nightmares. On the other hand, Zee wakes up later than usual.
According to the clock on the nearby table, the time is now 8:17. (Good grief! Casey! He's probably gone to work already.) She's about to wriggle out of Zee's loving grip when she notices Zee's arms don't look robotic. They look human. (How could Zee's hologram be on while he's still snoring soundly?) As she slowly lifts the bed sheets, she discovers that Zee is indeed in his human form, except that he appears to be topless...and bottomless.
(Dear God! I'm in bed with a naked man!)
After taking a moment to calm down, Ro moves his arms very slowly. Fortunately, Zee is still in a deep slumber, so she's able to climb out of bed without waking him. As she covers Zee with the sheets, she notices his face. He looks so calm and content. His smile makes Ro blush at the thought of what he could be dreaming of. She decides to let this sleeping robot lie while she treats herself to a nice, cold shower.
About thirty minutes later, Ro returns to the bedroom. Zee is still sleeping, still smiling. As she finishes getting dressed, she can't seem to take her eyes away from Zee. He looks so handsome, it would be so easy for her to just bend over and gently kiss him. But the gentle rumbling in her stomach reminds her that it's past breakfast time. And since Zee does not need to eat, she decides to let him enjoy his dream a little while longer.
Upon entering the kitchen, she finds a covered plate with a note that reads:
Dear Rosalie:
You and Zee were sleeping so soundly, I just didn't have the heart to
wake you. Besides, I figure you'd want to catch up on your beauty
sleep. So I've prepared a plate for you. You can microwave it if it's
cold. I remember Zee saying he does not need to eat.
I'll see you after work.
Love
Casey
Ro lifts the lid to find scrambled eggs, pancakes and a sausage. She can't remember the last time she had such a big meal. If Zee could eat, she'd definitely ask him to share it with her. (Now there's a romantic scene: The two of them sharing a meal in a fancy restaurant. They'd be quite the couple, the envy of everyone around them...)
"Ro? Ro, where are you?"
Ro places her plate in the microwave. "Zee, I'm in the kitchen." (That's strange. He sounds worried.)
Zee emerges from the hallway. "There you are. Has Casey left for work already?"
"Yes, he probably has to make early... Good Lord!"
"Ro, what's wrong? Why are you blushing?"
(How can he stand there and ask me that?) With her eyes closed, she says, "Zee, look...at...what...you're...wearing!"
Zee looks down at himself and discovers that his holomorphic program has him appearing as a human without any clothing. (But how did...?)
Before he can say anything, Ro wraps a hand towel around his waist - although it doesn't really cover him - and herds him back to the bedroom, locking the door behind her. "Zee, what in the world is the matter with you? You can't run around like that!"
"I...I'm sorry, Ro. I..."
"I realize you don't need to wear real clothing like I do, but there's a big difference between a naked robot and a naked human, and that towel isn't big enough to cover it. So please, Zee... Put something on!"
Rather than upset Ro any further, Zee concentrates on his purple outfit. Seconds later, the hand towel is on the floor, but Zee is fully dressed, much to Ro's relief.
"Ro, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize..." Zee sits on the floor with his back against the wall next to the bed, his arms hugging his knees. "I can't believe I did that. I had no idea my holomorphs were activated."
Ro can never stay mad at Zee, especially with that look of shame on his face. So she sits next to him and says, "Zee, I'm sorry I snapped at you. The truth is your hologram came on while you were sleeping. I can't deny I was shocked at first, waking up in the arms of a naked man, but you looked so handsome, I saw no need to wake you while I had...breakfast! The microwave!" Ro hurries to the kitchen.
Zee, meanwhile, ponders over what Ro had just said. (Your hologram came on while you were sleeping.) While he was sleeping...he was dreaming about Ro; being able to hold her, feel her, love her; and how she makes him feel like a...a man. That had to be what activated his hologram. But it shouldn't have activated at all. When he sleeps, his body completely shuts down...or at least, it's supposed to.
(What's wrong with me?)
After flying down the stairs, Ro sits by the microwave, which was never turned on. She needs a moment by herself to think. (First, he's able to feel me; and now, his hologram activates while he's asleep. That must have been some dream...) Ro blushes again. (...and Zee makes one very handsome man.) She takes the breakfast plate out of the microwave to study it. (I couldn't eat all of this now even if I wanted to.) She wraps the plate in a foil wrap and puts it in the fridge.
"I'm sorry, Ro."
Ro turns and finds Zee standing just outside the kitchen entrance. (How long was he standing there?)
"I've ruined your breakfast. I'm sorry."
Ro can no longer stand to see this wonderful robot feeling sorry for himself, so she puts on a reassuring smile, gives him a warm hug and says, "Zee, let's face it. You're evolving. I know it's hard to believe, but somehow you're doing it. This is just something we'll have to deal with, and we will. And don't worry about breakfast. That's a lot of food to eat at once, anyway. I'm more accustomed to smaller meals." She grabs two apples from the fruit bowl. "So, now that that's settled, how about we do a little sightseeing? We can check out some of the sights we missed the last time we were here. Perhaps a little window shopping along the way? I'll just grab my bag, and we'll be ready to go."
Zee watches Ro as she heads up the stairs. Zee loves Ro for many reasons, and one of those reasons is how she likes to cover for him when he makes a mistake. When Ro hugged him, he felt the warmth that comes from being with her, but his advanced hearing picked up the faint rumbling from her stomach. She's hiding the fact that she's hungry to keep him from feeling guilty. For this, he loves her even more.
But it does not change the fact that he just made her skip a hearty breakfast.
Ro returns with a small shoulder bag. "Okay, Zee. Shall we go?"
(I will make it up to you, Ro. I promise.)
As the morning goes by, Zee and Ro walk the streets of San Francisco toward the nearest city park, stopping only at a Ground Wire to buy a root beer- cherry-cola to wash down Ro's apples. Zee is enjoying his walk with Ro, but at the same time, he can't help but wonder about what's been happening to him. His holomorphic program seems to have developed a will of its own, and it's beginning to worry him. (Ro said that I am evolving, but how is this possible? The only thing that makes me different from other robots is the conscience module Dr. Selig made for me. But Dr. Selig died before he could tell me anything more about it. He thought it had never activated, and yet it's made me what I am now...But what exactly am I? I'm not really a human, and yet I'm not the standard robot, either...)
"Zee? Zee, are you alright?"
Zee's train of thought is stopped short by the worried look on Ro's face. Rather than upset her again, he guides her to a nearby bench so they can sit and talk. "I don't want to worry you, Ro. It's just that this whole idea of evolving...It scares me a little. I'm certain it has a lot to do with Dr. Selig's module. No other robot has this module. No other robot can do what I do: feel emotions, feel warmth, dream. You're the only one I can talk to about all of this, and I love you so much, and yet...I feel like I should consult someone who knows more about robotic science. But the problem is...I'm afraid that the NSA will use this as an excuse to take me back and reprogram me. Just the thought of it reminds me of Meg, Pug and Buzz. I thought we could trust them. I thought that they really wanted to help us, but...mmmphh." Zee suddenly finds his mouth covered by Ro's hand. At first it startles him, but then the warmth of her hand begins to soothe him.
Ro has some valid reasons for doing this. First, she does not want to be reminded of those three characters. Despite the fact that Buzz did prove to be of some help in the end, she still does not like the idea of someone being obsessed with her; Second, Selig's death left Zee feeling so guilty it gave him nightmares. Whatever Zee dreams about now has to be a lot better than the alternative; Finally, Ro is still amazed at the idea of Zee being able to feel, so she uses this moment as a means to also stroke his cheek. Seeing him smile puts her at ease.
Now she lowers her hand and says, "I understand you not wanting to be taken apart. I don't want that to happen, either. And, to some degree, neither did Bennet. He just wanted to fix what he thought was wrong with you, so you could go back to work. Selig's module came as a surprise to us all..." (So did what happened this morning.) "But even though I want to give Bennet the benefit of the doubt, you might be right about his superiors wanting you back. I can't believe Bennet hasn't gotten back to us yet. I also can't believe I'm suggesting this, but if you really want to have the module looked at, then..." Ro takes a deep breath. "...maybe we should try and contact Bucky. Maybe he can do it without having to dismantle you."
If Zee's smile was not enough to assure Ro that he's feeling better, then the kiss he gave her was proof to everyone around that Zee was back to his old, loveable self.
About a hill-and-a-half away, sitting under a tree, Agent Jack, disguised as a bird-watcher, scans the area using binoculars with green lenses. And as he spots the metallic lovebird kissing a flesh-and-blood loon, he feels a sudden urge to throw-up.
Okay, Folks! That's it for now, but there's more to come. Trouble is just starting to brew for our heroes. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.
Sincerely,
Dragoncat
And now, I am pleased to present...
Chapter Four
This time Zee feels more at ease as the mist surrounds him. He morphs into his tuxedo and, as he hopes, Ro approaches him wearing her beautiful white gown. As he holds her, the mist slowly envelops them, but Zee is not worried about it. Holding Ro in his arms and being able to feel the love they share is all that matters to him right now. As long as he's with Ro, he has everything a man could want...
As Ro wakes up with the morning sun, she remembers a time when Zee would be the first to wake up. They always had to be out on the road before the crack of dawn - sometimes during the middle of the night - all in the hopes of evading Agent Bennet and finding Dr. Selig. But now that Bennet's leaving them alone, Zee is now in the habit of sleeping in. Ro can no longer deny that ever since his bout with depression, he's becoming more and more like a human. Even now, with Zee holding her in his arms, she remembers the first time they did this. Zee was having nightmares about Dr. Selig's death. As she soothed him, he went back to sleep holding her close to his chest. One would think his titanium body would feel hard and uncomfortable, and yet Zee's body felt smooth and...warm. And then, after their first kiss, they returned to their hotel room, where Zee told her that he could actually feel her. She decided to put this to the test: she blindfolded him while she slowly stroked parts of his body. As he stood there letting Ro slowly move her hands over his arms and chest, Ro discovered that not only did he react pleasantly to her every touch, but also that his hologram felt more solid than before.
(This is incredible! It's like Zee is...evolving?)
So now, Zee prefers to sleep on the bed snuggling up to Ro. On one hand, he is no longer having nightmares. On the other hand, Zee wakes up later than usual.
According to the clock on the nearby table, the time is now 8:17. (Good grief! Casey! He's probably gone to work already.) She's about to wriggle out of Zee's loving grip when she notices Zee's arms don't look robotic. They look human. (How could Zee's hologram be on while he's still snoring soundly?) As she slowly lifts the bed sheets, she discovers that Zee is indeed in his human form, except that he appears to be topless...and bottomless.
(Dear God! I'm in bed with a naked man!)
After taking a moment to calm down, Ro moves his arms very slowly. Fortunately, Zee is still in a deep slumber, so she's able to climb out of bed without waking him. As she covers Zee with the sheets, she notices his face. He looks so calm and content. His smile makes Ro blush at the thought of what he could be dreaming of. She decides to let this sleeping robot lie while she treats herself to a nice, cold shower.
About thirty minutes later, Ro returns to the bedroom. Zee is still sleeping, still smiling. As she finishes getting dressed, she can't seem to take her eyes away from Zee. He looks so handsome, it would be so easy for her to just bend over and gently kiss him. But the gentle rumbling in her stomach reminds her that it's past breakfast time. And since Zee does not need to eat, she decides to let him enjoy his dream a little while longer.
Upon entering the kitchen, she finds a covered plate with a note that reads:
Dear Rosalie:
You and Zee were sleeping so soundly, I just didn't have the heart to
wake you. Besides, I figure you'd want to catch up on your beauty
sleep. So I've prepared a plate for you. You can microwave it if it's
cold. I remember Zee saying he does not need to eat.
I'll see you after work.
Love
Casey
Ro lifts the lid to find scrambled eggs, pancakes and a sausage. She can't remember the last time she had such a big meal. If Zee could eat, she'd definitely ask him to share it with her. (Now there's a romantic scene: The two of them sharing a meal in a fancy restaurant. They'd be quite the couple, the envy of everyone around them...)
"Ro? Ro, where are you?"
Ro places her plate in the microwave. "Zee, I'm in the kitchen." (That's strange. He sounds worried.)
Zee emerges from the hallway. "There you are. Has Casey left for work already?"
"Yes, he probably has to make early... Good Lord!"
"Ro, what's wrong? Why are you blushing?"
(How can he stand there and ask me that?) With her eyes closed, she says, "Zee, look...at...what...you're...wearing!"
Zee looks down at himself and discovers that his holomorphic program has him appearing as a human without any clothing. (But how did...?)
Before he can say anything, Ro wraps a hand towel around his waist - although it doesn't really cover him - and herds him back to the bedroom, locking the door behind her. "Zee, what in the world is the matter with you? You can't run around like that!"
"I...I'm sorry, Ro. I..."
"I realize you don't need to wear real clothing like I do, but there's a big difference between a naked robot and a naked human, and that towel isn't big enough to cover it. So please, Zee... Put something on!"
Rather than upset Ro any further, Zee concentrates on his purple outfit. Seconds later, the hand towel is on the floor, but Zee is fully dressed, much to Ro's relief.
"Ro, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize..." Zee sits on the floor with his back against the wall next to the bed, his arms hugging his knees. "I can't believe I did that. I had no idea my holomorphs were activated."
Ro can never stay mad at Zee, especially with that look of shame on his face. So she sits next to him and says, "Zee, I'm sorry I snapped at you. The truth is your hologram came on while you were sleeping. I can't deny I was shocked at first, waking up in the arms of a naked man, but you looked so handsome, I saw no need to wake you while I had...breakfast! The microwave!" Ro hurries to the kitchen.
Zee, meanwhile, ponders over what Ro had just said. (Your hologram came on while you were sleeping.) While he was sleeping...he was dreaming about Ro; being able to hold her, feel her, love her; and how she makes him feel like a...a man. That had to be what activated his hologram. But it shouldn't have activated at all. When he sleeps, his body completely shuts down...or at least, it's supposed to.
(What's wrong with me?)
After flying down the stairs, Ro sits by the microwave, which was never turned on. She needs a moment by herself to think. (First, he's able to feel me; and now, his hologram activates while he's asleep. That must have been some dream...) Ro blushes again. (...and Zee makes one very handsome man.) She takes the breakfast plate out of the microwave to study it. (I couldn't eat all of this now even if I wanted to.) She wraps the plate in a foil wrap and puts it in the fridge.
"I'm sorry, Ro."
Ro turns and finds Zee standing just outside the kitchen entrance. (How long was he standing there?)
"I've ruined your breakfast. I'm sorry."
Ro can no longer stand to see this wonderful robot feeling sorry for himself, so she puts on a reassuring smile, gives him a warm hug and says, "Zee, let's face it. You're evolving. I know it's hard to believe, but somehow you're doing it. This is just something we'll have to deal with, and we will. And don't worry about breakfast. That's a lot of food to eat at once, anyway. I'm more accustomed to smaller meals." She grabs two apples from the fruit bowl. "So, now that that's settled, how about we do a little sightseeing? We can check out some of the sights we missed the last time we were here. Perhaps a little window shopping along the way? I'll just grab my bag, and we'll be ready to go."
Zee watches Ro as she heads up the stairs. Zee loves Ro for many reasons, and one of those reasons is how she likes to cover for him when he makes a mistake. When Ro hugged him, he felt the warmth that comes from being with her, but his advanced hearing picked up the faint rumbling from her stomach. She's hiding the fact that she's hungry to keep him from feeling guilty. For this, he loves her even more.
But it does not change the fact that he just made her skip a hearty breakfast.
Ro returns with a small shoulder bag. "Okay, Zee. Shall we go?"
(I will make it up to you, Ro. I promise.)
As the morning goes by, Zee and Ro walk the streets of San Francisco toward the nearest city park, stopping only at a Ground Wire to buy a root beer- cherry-cola to wash down Ro's apples. Zee is enjoying his walk with Ro, but at the same time, he can't help but wonder about what's been happening to him. His holomorphic program seems to have developed a will of its own, and it's beginning to worry him. (Ro said that I am evolving, but how is this possible? The only thing that makes me different from other robots is the conscience module Dr. Selig made for me. But Dr. Selig died before he could tell me anything more about it. He thought it had never activated, and yet it's made me what I am now...But what exactly am I? I'm not really a human, and yet I'm not the standard robot, either...)
"Zee? Zee, are you alright?"
Zee's train of thought is stopped short by the worried look on Ro's face. Rather than upset her again, he guides her to a nearby bench so they can sit and talk. "I don't want to worry you, Ro. It's just that this whole idea of evolving...It scares me a little. I'm certain it has a lot to do with Dr. Selig's module. No other robot has this module. No other robot can do what I do: feel emotions, feel warmth, dream. You're the only one I can talk to about all of this, and I love you so much, and yet...I feel like I should consult someone who knows more about robotic science. But the problem is...I'm afraid that the NSA will use this as an excuse to take me back and reprogram me. Just the thought of it reminds me of Meg, Pug and Buzz. I thought we could trust them. I thought that they really wanted to help us, but...mmmphh." Zee suddenly finds his mouth covered by Ro's hand. At first it startles him, but then the warmth of her hand begins to soothe him.
Ro has some valid reasons for doing this. First, she does not want to be reminded of those three characters. Despite the fact that Buzz did prove to be of some help in the end, she still does not like the idea of someone being obsessed with her; Second, Selig's death left Zee feeling so guilty it gave him nightmares. Whatever Zee dreams about now has to be a lot better than the alternative; Finally, Ro is still amazed at the idea of Zee being able to feel, so she uses this moment as a means to also stroke his cheek. Seeing him smile puts her at ease.
Now she lowers her hand and says, "I understand you not wanting to be taken apart. I don't want that to happen, either. And, to some degree, neither did Bennet. He just wanted to fix what he thought was wrong with you, so you could go back to work. Selig's module came as a surprise to us all..." (So did what happened this morning.) "But even though I want to give Bennet the benefit of the doubt, you might be right about his superiors wanting you back. I can't believe Bennet hasn't gotten back to us yet. I also can't believe I'm suggesting this, but if you really want to have the module looked at, then..." Ro takes a deep breath. "...maybe we should try and contact Bucky. Maybe he can do it without having to dismantle you."
If Zee's smile was not enough to assure Ro that he's feeling better, then the kiss he gave her was proof to everyone around that Zee was back to his old, loveable self.
About a hill-and-a-half away, sitting under a tree, Agent Jack, disguised as a bird-watcher, scans the area using binoculars with green lenses. And as he spots the metallic lovebird kissing a flesh-and-blood loon, he feels a sudden urge to throw-up.
Okay, Folks! That's it for now, but there's more to come. Trouble is just starting to brew for our heroes. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.
Sincerely,
Dragoncat