Rena slid slowly into the seat with a feline sexuality, then paused for a few moments as if to allow the middle aged man behind the desk to fully appreciate her sensuous form. Then she leant forward, a hint of a smile on her full lips, as he openly leered at the sight of her large breasts only a little of which were hidden by the low cut front of her white, tight fitting mini dress. "Well," she began silkily, "it's most unusual to be personally greeted by the Governor of the planet on my arrival." "Tomas Vann," he introduced himself. "We don't get many visitors here on Finnigan's Planet," the man explained, "there's not much interest in a run down mining colony on the edge of the Galactic rim, and," he added, "it's been some time since we had a visit from a Metal Surgeon." Rena gave a brief grimace at the mention of the term. "I think the politically correct term is now Cybergenic Consultant," she countered, smiling sweetly. "But why would you want to come to a God forsaken dump like this anyway?" he continued. "Especially someone as young and beautiful as you?" Rena responded to the obvious compliment by slowly crossing her long legs, the hem of the dress riding up further. She almost absently caressed them with her hands as she replied. "I'm taking a Masters Degree in Android Antiquities," she explained. "Back on Earth, there's some material at the University and a little more can be found in Museums, but out here on the Rim, there are several isolated planets that still have working Androids that are no longer found anywhere else. Some are over a hundred years old." "My expedition was funded by my parents and a grant from the University, but in order to fully cover the escalating costs, I am also carrying out repair work on these old Androids where it is required. Apart from providing additional finances, it also provides excellent opportunities to further research the workings of these machines." "Well," the Governor stated, "we haven't had a Metal - sorry, Cybergenic Consultant out here for many years. Luke Graymore used to make an annual visit, but in the end, he decided it wasn't cost effective and stopped coming. There aren't many men here anymore. The mining operation also failed to remain cost effective, although there are large deposits of ore still readily available." "There's only a skeleton crew to keep things ticking over until the price of the ore rises to a level where it will be profitable to restart operations. This is a very rough planet for a young lady travelling alone." Rena looked up at the small machine hovering to her left. "There's no cause for concern," she assured him. "Daddy wouldn't let me travel without the protection of Mek. He is at the cutting edge of technology, unlike the subjects I study. In tests, he was able to identify and terminate over one hundred separate but simultaneous attacks in a crowd of over five thousand people. His success rate was one hundred percent with no harm caused to any of the rest of those present. I can assure you I am quite safe wherever I go, no matter how dangerous it might be." "There is another issue," the Governor continued. He paused, looking slightly embarrassed. "All the mining machinery and related androids were sold off by auction." He paused again. "Mr Finnigan, who still owns this planet, was and is, a very moral man. He considered females, particularly the type that would frequent mining settlements to be morally dangerous and disruptive." He paused again. "However, he realised that the men needed some form of, er, entertainment." Rena interrupted him, laughing. "It's okay," she said. "Before I started to tour this sector, Luke Graymore briefed me on all the planets he used to visit. I know the androids here are used for sex. I've not got any moral hang ups on that score," she said. She bent forward again and lowered her voice to a confidential tone. "In fact, I haven't got any moral hang ups at all. I think sex is natural, wonderful and fabulous and we should all get as much of it as we can. Don't you agree?" The Governor was lost for words, becoming visibly flustered. "I may only be in my late teens," Rena replied, "but I lost my virginity very early on, and was mightily glad I did. I'm very, very experienced and very open minded." She sat back up, adopting a more business like tone. "I won't be starting work here until tomorrow. I expect you'd like to have dinner this evening. Come to my space ship at eight." She stood up, stroking the creases out of her dress. The Governor watched mesmerised as she began to caress herself. "You'll remember tonight, forever," she added sweetly. "I promise." Then she turned and walked out of the room. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Governor Vann downed a second cup of coffee, but still couldn't stop his hands trembling. He considered himself to be a bit of a ladies man, and in his time had had many liaisons and had frequented a lot of high class and low life brothels, but never had he experienced anything like last night. Maybe he had met women who were as beautiful, sensuous, passionate, sexual, insatiable and wanton, but never more than one characteristic at that intensity in any one woman. Rena had all of them, at maximum. By the time dawn was breaking, she was still as rampant and demanding as she had been when they'd finished their meal, and she had dragged him into her bedroom. He shook his head in disbelief "Hey boss," a voice interrupted his thoughts. It was the foreman from the mining camp, Bart King. "Got a message for you from that broad who landed yesterday, you know, the Metal Surgeon. Says she's set up her clinic in her spaceship. She says you've made a list of appointments for the boys to take their women in for repair." "Oh yeah," Vann replied absently, digging out a piece of paper and passing it over. "Thanks boss. Say I warned the boys not to get any ideas with that broad, that hovering machine of hers could make her very dangerous." "She is very dangerous, indeed," Vann commented. "Tells the boys from me, if they're not on their best behaviour, they're in big trouble with me." "I'll tell 'em, boss," King assured him, "but I've already told 'em anyone steps out of line'll get their balls chopped off." Vann smiled wanly at the foreman. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Late in the afternoon, Vann's work was interrupted by a visitor. It was the girl, Rena. This time, her long dark hair was severely tied up in a bob and she wore a loose fitting overall. "How did it go?" Vann asked. "Any trouble?" "No," Rena assured him, taking a seat, "they were all as good as gold. I think some of them found it a turn on bringing me their 'women'. A couple of them even explained to me in great detail what they did with them." She laughed. "At the other end of the scale, three of them were too embarrassed to turn up personally and hired an 'agent' to deliver them on their behalf." "Name of Brown?" Vann enquired, smiling. The girl nodded. "He's a bit of a small time wheeler-dealer," he explained. "Plenty of work for you there?" "Most of them just need tightening up and servicing." She paused to smile at her pun. "Having the hell banged out of them for the last ten years without attention has taken it's toll, but I think I can get most of them in full working order." She paused again. "I thought I might get a visit from you," she added mischievously, "or don't you own one?" "No," Vann replied, not rising to her bait. "My position allows me to travel off world a lot, so I don't need one to satisfy me." "Were you satisfied by this morning?" the girl enquired smiling. "Very much so," Vann replied quietly, feeling at a disadvantage. "I should hope so," Rena continued. "Maybe we'll do it again before I leave?" "I'm free tonight," Vann stated hopefully. Rena laughed. "I think you'd better rest tonight. Anyway," she added, "this evening, I've got a date with a sweet young lad my own age." "Colm!" Vann exclaimed. "It'd kill him!" "Business, not pleasure," Rena responded. "He says you have some museum pieces here, on this planet. From his description, It's not a make I'm aware of." She changed the subject slightly. "He seems a bit out of place on this world. Surely he doesn't work in the mine like the others?" "His father did. Got killed in an accident while Colm was visiting here while his mother was ill. Mother died. He stayed on. Does the clerical work for me. It's his father's grave and those androids that keep him here." "Interesting," Rena commented. "Mind you," she added, "he can't be that sweet. He brought in a 'woman' himself and its casing was absolutely wrecked, although the workings were still operational." She giggled. "He has a very expressive face, and I could tell exactly what he was thinking all the time he was looking at me. I had a 'shell' in my store, in my own image. It was quite easy to transfer the workings over and I patched in a quick enhancement program that I knocked up during the afternoon. You should have seen his face when I presented it to him and assured him it was exact in EVERY detail! I don't think he could wait to get it home and try it out!" She paused again, allowing another mischievous smile, as Vann tried to stifle a yawn. "Poor boy. I hope he doesn't wear himself out. I want him to show me these androids." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Rena knocked on Colm's door. The lock was activated and it hissed open. Rena stepped inside. The room was sparsely furnished but untidy, littered with old cartons and other miscellany. Colm entered the reception room from the bedroom. "Sorry about the mess," he blurted out, "I was going to tidy up -" "But you had more important things to do?" Rena suggested, looking over his shoulder into the next room, where the naked android she had given him was spread- eagled across the bed. "How's it performing?" she asked candidly. The boy's face visibly coloured. "Come on," she said, "no need for false modesty." "Fantastic," he mumbled, looking away from her, "and that new program you put in - I haven't done anything dirty," he assured her anxiously. "You do what you like," Rena assured him. "I doubt if you'll do anything to it that I haven't had done to me." "I'll show you these androids," the boy decided, hastily changing the subject, "they're through here." He looked up anxiously at the machine, Mek that constantly hovered by the girl's side. "Is that thing safe?" he asked. "It seems to be trained on me the whole time." Rena laughed. "As long as you only think about what you're doing to me and don't actually try it, you'll be fine." Colm blushed a deeper shade of red as he led the girl into the back room. As soon as he switched on the light, the girl's flippant mood changed completely. "Where did they come from?" she breathed. "Dad found them during an excavation," Colm explained. "He believed they were on a space ship that crashed into the planet at some speed. Most of the ship had welded into the rock strata on impact, but these three had survived - Oh my God!" "What's wrong," the girl asked, alarmed by the new tone of the boys voice. "The spindly one," he breathed, "it's come to life!" Rena studied it cautiously. "It seems to be on standby. You say it's never done this before?" "No," the boy breathed. "They've all been totally inert, ever since they were excavated." Rena was scanning them with her instruments. "They're almost certainly alien," she decided. "I've never seen anything like them before. Their casing has an unknown molecular structure to me and its shielding whatever is inside from my instruments; but I'm certain they're very highly advanced. Almost certainly well ahead of any of Earth's technology." She looked up at her own machine, which was now firmly trained on the android. "Poor old Mek," she mocked, "he thought he was number one. I do believe he's jealous!" Her tone became more serious. "I can't believe these machines have been left here 'undiscovered' for so long. This could be a really major find. I'll have to return to my ship so I can get some decent surveillance equipment set up here." "Are we going to be famous?" the boy asked eagerly. "If we can master their technology, you can add 'rich' to that as well," the girl assured him. "If anyone asks, don't tell them what I've said," she advised him. "Originally they would have been the property of Finnegan Mining, when your father dug them up, but as they've been in your family some time, a smart Galactic lawyer could challenge ownership. If anyone asks, say I identified them as an old Earth robot type and they're worn out and of no functional value at all. You wait here while I go and get my equipment." Colm looked anxiously at the machines. "Are you sure it'll be safe for me to stay here?" "If it was going to make a move, I think it would have by now," Rena assured him. She looked pensive. "When was the last time you checked up on them?" "About a week ago. Why?" The girl shrugged. "No reason, just an idea I had...." She paused a moment, then hurried off back to her space-ship. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Rena returned a few minutes later and immediately began to study the three androids in some detail. Two were bulky and looked like they were designed for battle, but the third, which although it hadn't moved, still appeared to be on stand-by, was slimmer and seemed to have a more refined, though unknown purpose. Rena spent the next quarter of an hour installing her equipment, then in a slightly annoyed tone of voice, spoke to Colm. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she snapped. Colm shrugged. "I don't know, you seem different ......... you've lost that vibrancy you had earlier -" "Keep your fantasies to your toy I gave you," the girl replied coldly. "There's something else," Colm continued. "While you were gone, I got to thinking. If there's money in these machines, why should I let you in on it. You've virtually admitted I could legally claim ownership -" Rena laughed. "Look, son, I come from a very wealthy family, so I know that money talks. Let's be blunt about it, you're a nice kid, but you're a nobody, with no backing and no expertise. If this turns out to be as big a discovery as I think it might be; you go out on your own and you'd be eaten for breakfast, chewed up and spat out before lunch." "Well, we'll see," the boy decided sullenly. "I'll let you investigate things for the moment." "Look," Rena explained, "you'd better start to trust me. I could have got Mek to vaporise you and no-one would have been any the wiser. You're still here. Just remember that." Colm gave the hovering machine a frightened glance. "Okay," he said. "But don't go all cold on me. I like it when you're all flirty and sexy." "There'll be plenty of time for that," Rena assured him, activating the final scanner. "Now I've got to get back to my ship and analyse the data from these monitors. If I can crack how to control these androids, they'll be worth a hundred times their present value." She looked at the young man with an almost pitying expression. "Now why don't you go and play with that toy I gave you. I'll speak to you again tomorrow." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A lot of the men from the mining camp were crowded into the bar that evening. As most of their 'women' were in Rena's space-ship undergoing repairs, they had nothing better to do than get drunk and have a punch-up afterwards. It was around the time that one or two of the men were getting aggressive and were shaping up to each other and trading insults that suddenly a deathly hush fell over the room. All eyes turned to the door. Rena had entered. She stood in the doorway for a moment, then stepped forward. "Hello boys," she stated, "it's cabaret time." In a graceful motion, she slipped out of the long coat she wore, letting it fall onto the dirty floor. She was stark naked. She pushed the glasses off a table and bent forward provocatively. "I hope you're all going to join in," she said smiling sweetly, "every single one of you." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "I'm telling you boss," Bart King enthused to the Governor, "I ain't never seen anything like it. If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed it. She couldn't get enough. She had us all and not just one at a time either and as many times as you could manage. Jesus, if Mr. Finnegan finds out, he'll have a fit." Vann was unable to hide his jealousy. It had been obvious she was free with her favours, but to go with all those miners and in the bar as well. "The sooner that little slag has finished her repair work, she's to be banished from this planet and will not be allowed to return," he cursed. "The boys won't like that, boss," King assured him. "I don't care what they like. They're paid to maintain the mine in working order, not to indulge in sex orgies. They knew the score when they signed up. Sack any of them who show discontent!" "Okay, boss," King replied, subdued by the outburst. "Now, down to more serious business," the Governor decided. He was interrupted by one of the miners bursting into the room. "What the hell do you want?" Vann snapped, "you can't just burst in here-" "Governor, governor," the man panted, "you'd better come quick. That sexy babe; I've just found her on the spaceport perimeter. Someone's hacked her to pieces. There's blood everywhere!" Vann looked bewildered for a second, then a serious look crossed his face. "Let's go," he decided quietly. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It was not a pretty sight at all. Vann had seen some horrific things in his time, but whoever had done this wasn't just a killer, but a maniac. The body had been horribly mutilated. Death seemed to have been caused by a large knife or axe which had been used repeatedly, long after death had been achieved. King pointed at the note that was pinned to the fencing. "You're next," he read. "What does it mean, boss? Whose next?" "I don't know," Vann confessed, realising it could be addressed to him. "Close off this area and video this scene in detail; then get the body covered up. I'll call the cops." "They don't usually bother coming, boss," King stated. "One miner kills another; that just the way it is out here," Vann stated. "Someone hacks to death a beautiful young girl whose parents are rich and influential, all hell'll break loose, believe me!" "Pity she never brought that floating machine out with her last night," King commented. "Yes," Vann mused, looking puzzled, "it would have blasted her assailant to bits before they could have even scratched her." He paused. "So where was it?" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Colm made his way out to the back room. He used to like going out there to look at the three androids, but since one of them had 'come to life', he now felt a sense of foreboding as he opened the door. The girl's scanners and monitors were humming away, but there was nothing there for them to watch; the three machines had gone. A hole had been blasted in the rear wall! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Governor listened grimly to Colm's story. "So you think that this girl somehow activated one of the machines in the first place?" Colm nodded. "There was never a peek out of any of them in the past, Governor." Vann tapped his fingers on the table while he reviewed the new information. He turned to the foreman. "Bart, make sure everyone is armed. We must assume for the moment that those androids are responsible for the girl's death. If anyone sees one, shoot first and ask questions later!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ An hour or so later, a Police craft landed. Just one officer, a slightly elderly looking man appeared. "Inspector Jenks," he introduced himself to the Governor. "The main investigating team are on their way," he stated. "I was in this sector, so they diverted me here. I've read your report on the way here. I'd like to see the scene of the crime first before I do anything else." The Governor nodded grimly and with King in tow, the trio walked across to the perimeter of the spaceport, where two of the miners guarded the sealed off area, at the centre of which lay a plastic sheet which covered the corpse. "It's not nice," Vann warned. "Not nice at all." He pulled back the sheet. There was a brief silence. "Oh, but it is," Jenks disagreed. "Very nice indeed!" He knelt down and shook the naked girl's shoulder. Her eyes fluttered and a smile broke onto her face. "Hi, officer," she said silkily. "Mmm, I like a man in a uniform. Can we get together?" He helped the girl to her feet. He pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her. Then he looked angrily at Vann and King who stood there, white faced with their mouths gaping open. "Now will one of you jokers tell me just what the hell is going on here?" he demanded. The two men were at a loss to know what to say, they just gawked at Rena who smiled at them with a little girl lost look. The impasse was broken by one of King's men, who came running across the 'port to where the group stood. As he came within hailing distance, he called out: "Hey, boss, that babe, you said she was dead, well we just seen her by her space-ship!" He skidded to a halt, looking bemused as he saw Rena standing with the group. "No kidding, boss," he gasped, "she's over there .......... ain't she?" "Right," the Inspector decided. "I think we'd better go and see what's going on!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "I'm so sorry, Inspector," Rena explained apologetically, after she had listened to what the policeman had been told. "I had no idea what was going on." She paused for a moment, then continued. "I have an android decoy for security reasons, my father insisted on it, even with Mek, my mechanical guardian, he was concerned for my safety out here on the Rim." "I was, through my android, checking up on some robots I'd been told about. Some old relics from the mining days. I'm afraid they turned on my android and destroyed it. Fortunately, it is a very sophisticated bio-machine and has a self regenerating routine built into it, real state of the art stuff. Well, daddy only wanted the best for me." "Mek, my guardian, managed to apprehend the robots and blasted them. There's not much left of them I'm afraid. He's very thorough when it comes to my self defence. Let me show you, there'll be no danger from them anymore." The group walked over to a pile of twisted and seared junk, the melted metal now cold in a shapeless heap. "Well," the Inspector decided, "there's certainly no possibility of them causing any problems." He looked at the girl severely. "If you'd been a bit more honest with people, young lady, none of this need have escalated into a major incident." "I'm sorry, officer," the girl responded, looking suitably abashed. "Daddy made me promise not to tell anyone in order to maintain my safety. If those robots had known about my android, they might have then discovered me in my ship." "Well, it's just lucky we hadn't filed the report back to your parents," the lawman decided. He turned back to the Governor. "I'll call off the investigating team; doesn't look like they'll be needed here. Goodday, ladies and gentlemen." As the group dispersed, the Governor grabbed Rena by the arm. "Did I have sex with that machine?" he demanded angrily. Rena shook his arm free and regarded him with a cold stare, then a smile broke on his face. "No," she assured him sweetly. She paused, the smile vanished. "Would you like to buy it off me, I'm assured it's very very good and never says no." "I want you off this planet just as soon as you've finished your repair work," Vann ordered. The girl nodded brusquely, then ordered her mirror image android to follow her back into her ship. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That evening, Colm had a visitor. "Rena," he gasped. "What's going on? I've heard all sorts of stories -" "Are the androids back here?" Rena demanded cutting him short. "No. Then you haven't destroyed them!" "I doubt if I could if I wanted to," Rena confessed. "That was a story I made up to cover up the truth. What I showed them was some unsalvageable scrap from my repair work that I'd trashed." "So do I get to know the truth?" Colm enquired, stepping back to let the girl and her hovering defender, Mek, into the room. "Very well," the girl decided, "but this is only to underline that fact that I'm trusting you." She paused, looking slightly embarrassed. "There is more than one android replica of me," she confessed. "The one that was 'murdered' was the Mark Three. Each one I produced had certain enhancements over the last. The bio plasma circuitry is very sensitive indeed and even the smallest change can alter the personality profile disproportionately. When I produced the Mark Eight, I must have erred somehow. The android is criminally insane." She paused again. "It has been stalking me for some time now. It intends to kill me. It wasn't the alien androids that launched the attack, I know that for sure; it must have been Eight. You see, I gave it, Three, as a trade-off, hoping it would stop harassing me, but it reneged on the deal and now wants me dead." There was a mixture of fear and admiration in her eyes as she continued. "Last night, my sensors went haywire. The three alien machines came to life." She paused. "They went to where Three lay mutilated." She lowered her voice. "The spindly one repaired Three; she doesn't have a self regeneration program. They have some sort of shielding that can make them appear invisible. Their technology is amazing, they are hundreds of years ahead of us. Although it had no previous knowledge of my android, the repair it carried out was one hundred per cent perfect down to the minutest detail. Do you realise how amazing that is!" "It's a Metal Surgeon," Colm breathed, "it's like you, another Metal Surgeon." "Smart kid," the girl enthused, "but I am just an apprentice in comparison." She paused again. "I suspect it was the arrival of my craft that triggered the machine into stand-by. The other androids on this planet are so basic, it probably didn't register them. It was Mek and my replicas that triggered it. For whatever reason, it has decided to repair Three. Maybe it is just altruistic, but the other two machines are warriors, probably its bodyguard. I suspect its a military machine with a mission to repair damaged android warriors. Where it was bound when it crashed here, who knows. Although it didn't recognise the design, it no doubt has the ability to carry out its own rational thought processes, and decided Three was 'friendly'." She shivered. "God knows what might have happened if it had decided this was a war zone and we were the enemy." "So what happens now?" the boy breathed. "This all sounds dangerous!" "I can't pretend that I can control these alien androids," the girl admitted, "not yet anyway, but my scanning of them has led me to believe I may know their operating frequencies. I may well be able to jam them. If we can then isolate them from any sophisticated androids, I hope they'll go back 'off line', which will allow me to carry out more detailed studies." She became animated. "If we can gain mastery of these machines, we will have conquered awesome technologies that can bring us unlimited riches!" "So are we going to try and find them?" Colm asked, a little unsure that the girl had told him everything about the replicas of herself that she had created. Rena smiled. "I know exactly where the aliens are," she confessed. "I'm still scanning them. There's a spaceship that landed some way from the settlement. They're heading towards it. I'm convinced it must belong to Eight. It's all too much of a coincidence otherwise. They are travelling on foot. I've got a fast carrier on board my ship, we should be able to get to the ship before the androids. That will give us time to lay a trap." "But why are they heading for the other ship?" Colm mused. "We might find that out when we get there," Rena decided. "Come on, let's get going!" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ They left their transport craft a little way from the target spaceship and proceeded the rest of the way on foot. "We must be very careful," Rena whispered, "Eight is a very dangerous adversary, and being mentally unhinged, totally unpredictable." "But surely with Mek you have no fear for your safety," Colm suggested quietly. The girl smiled. "I wish. However, even Mek is not sufficiently sophisticated to tell us apart; an issue I've taken up with his makers. He will defend Eight as well as he does me, that is why we must remain unarmed. If Eight attacks me, or vice versa, he will take no action; if you try to attack Eight he will blast you to bits." The boy looked deep in thought for a few moments. "Then reprogram Mek to defend me instead of you," he decided, "then I can take your replica out without any danger to you or me." Rena smiled. "A good thought, and one I'd implement if it would work. Unfortunately, Mek cannot be reprogrammed; he was constructed around the central command to defend me and me alone." She scanned the ship. "I don't think Eight is on board," she decided. She consulted her instruments again. "The aliens will not be here for a few minutes; let's see what we can find out on the ship." They proceeded carefully to the airlock. Rena punched in a code and the lock hissed open. She smiled. "That's one advantage to a replica, it's basic thought processes are the same as mine, even if it's superficially gone haywire." They went to the control room, where a quick check of the ship's log confirmed that Eight had indeed brought the ship here. Rena spun round from the screen as Colm gasped. A figure stood in the doorway. Colm had studied Rena carefully since he'd first met her; there was something of an unnatural brightness in the newcomer's eyes and it seemed to exude more sexuality, but otherwise it was identical! "Well, Rena," the android sneered contemptuously, "I was coming back to find you, but you seem to have saved me the trouble." Her face contorted with rage. "The final humiliation! You've brought your lover with you to taunt me. You bitch! You knew I'd do anything for you, anything, and I did. And you threw it back in my face! Well no more, do you hear me. No more! Well, it's going to end. You've pushed me too far this time!" "He's not my lover," Rena protested, "he's working with me on a project; that's all." Eight's eyes slitted with hatred. She turned to Colm. "Do you know about her," she hissed. "Do you really know." Her voice fell. "I loved her. I did everything she wanted me to .... vile, filthy things, but I did them to please her, because I loved her. We should have been together, it would have been perfect. If she'd just given me one chance to prove it, just one - but oh no! She played me for a fool, pretending she cared about me, but all the time she was using me. Me, her perfect love. Well, you can't treat people like that. They can't be allowed to get away with it. They have to be punished. Severely punished!" Eight was distracted as a voice from the controls spoke. "Alert. Intruder Alert. The air-lock security is damaged by a forced entry." "Reinforcements, eh?" Eight sneered. "Well, I'll see them off, then I'll deal with you." She turned and locked the hatch to the control room from the outside. "What is exactly was she going on about?" Colm demanded. "I told you, it's mad; mentally deranged. It doesn't know what it's saying," Rena replied evasively. "Look," Colm demanded. "For all I know, we could be minutes away from death. We agreed to be honest with each other. If we are to stand any chance of surviving this, I need to know the whole truth. There's more to this series of android replicas you've built than just security doubles isn't there?" The girl stared uneasily at the floor for a full minute before replying. Her face was blushed with embarrassment. "I built them to have sex," she stated. "Each one is more sophisticated than the last, refinements added to increase their sensual perfection. What I told you is true, with bio plasma engineering, even the slightest change can be significant. I did make a minute error when constructing Eight, it is mentally unbalanced, honestly." "Sex?" Colm queried. "Sex machines? Why?" The girl turned away unable to face him. "My sex drives are as high as anyone else, higher than average I guess, but the thought of getting intimate with anyone, male or female, I find repulsive, even kissing made me feel sick." She stopped again. "In my ship, I have a machine that receives the feelings the android experiences while making love, I can store it and play it back through contacts on my body." She paused again. "I can experience every feeling and sensation as if I was there, but without having to be." She paused again, turning to look at the shocked expression on Colm's face, then quickly looked away again. "Having very rich parents and an aptitude for bio-plasma engineering, I was able to indulge my fantasies. I can also send the androids out to stand in for me, so there is the security element as well." "So, if the rumours are true, who spent the night with the Governor?" "Nine," Rena confessed, "my latest and best. It has none of the problems encountered with Eight." "And the orgy in the bar?" Rena shrugged. "Must have been Three. The early ones were less discriminating. "Eight must have set her free for some fun before she mutilated it as a warning to me." "And this really is you here?" The girl nodded. "Honestly. You see, in order to increase the sex drive, something had to be sacrificed. The androids are in no way as skilful engineers as I am. I doubt if I would have left the ship at all during my stay here. Nine was covering for me until it saw the alien machines, then I had to take over myself. If things are going to plan, Nine is at the moment in the Governor's office, making up with him. It will smooth the way to get these androids off this planet with the Governor being friendly." She laughed sardonically. "If things are going to plan, they should be making up on top of his desk right now." "That replica you gave me," Colm began. ".......Does it have a feedback to your ship?" Rena shook her head. "No, that still is your machine, slightly enhanced, just in one of my shells." She paused again and then turned back to face him again, her eyes full of tears. "You must think I'm disgusting; a pervert." Colm laughed nervously. "That would be somewhat hypocritical," he confessed, "when I've got my own sex robot. You've just gone a stage further, I guess." Now he became a bit embarrassed. "I'm still a virgin," he confessed. "I'm okay with machines, but I've been too embarrassed to try it with a real person. I-" His confession was cut short by the door opening. Eight was backing in. "Keep back," she was cursing. "Keep back or I fire." "No," Rena gasped. "Don't-" Her warning came too late. As Eight fired, it's body was ripped to pieces with a bright yellow light. Mek automatically retaliated but the awesome power caught him as well. Rena shielded her face, expecting to be splattered with blood from Eight's exploding body, but what she saw as she lowered her arm made her gasp in horror. The android's components, along with those of Mek lay in neat piles on the floor. "My God," she breathed, "this technology is beyond anything I imagined." The three aliens had now entered the room, they regarded Rena and Colm for a moment; then seemingly ignoring them, the 'Metal Surgeon' directed the other two to pick up the parts of the dismembered machines. The two humans followed the aliens as they took the parts outside and placed them on the ground away from the ship. "Take cover," Rena ordered Colm, "just in case." She activated her blocking mechanism. She whooped with delight as the three androids froze where they stood. She cautiously moved forward, constantly scanning them with her machine. Colm stood up and began to step forward, when Rena turned and ran back towards him, pushing him down behind the rock. "What's happened?" Colm demanded. "They are internally reconstructing themselves," Rena gasped incredulously, continuing to study her scanner. "No good," she breathed, "they're completely shielded now." The 'Metal Surgeon' seemed to look over to where they were and almost gave a 'good try' gesture, then the three boarded the ship. "What now?" Colm wondered. "Of course," Rena concluded sadly. "What?" "I couldn't understand why they came out here. At first, I wondered if it was Eight's instability - they were being drawn here to repair it, but, no, it was the ship." Her voice was momentarily drowned as the engines roared into life. "The only ship on the planet captained by an android," she shouted trying to be heard above the din. "Their alien android logic would not allow them to take a human's ship I guess." They covered their heads as they were splattered with debris as the ship took off and headed skywards. "They're going home," Rena concluded. She sadly watched until the craft had vanished from sight. "Oh well," she said sadly, "back to my Master's degree I guess. If I'm going to be rich, I'll have to earn it the hard way." She looked at Colm. "Let's get back to the settlement. I'll distribute the rest of the robots I've repaired and then I'll be on my way." "Can I come with you?" Colm blurted out. "There's nothing to keep me here now the androids are gone, and well, I can't live in the past by my dad's graveside forever." "You want to come with me after what I've told you?" Rena asked incredulously. Colm nodded. "It doesn't worry me. I understand." "Look, I like you. You're not like all the other men I've met. You're kinder and more, well, innocent, but that doesn't mean anything's going to happen between us. You do understand that don't you?" Colm nodded. "I like you too. Look, there's no danger, I'd be too embarrassed-" The girl giggled. "Maybe you could try out Nine. The Governor seemed to like her." Now it was Colm's turn to blush. "Maybe," he said. "So can I come with you? At the end of the day, it's your company I want, not a fantasy machine." "Come on then," Rena decided. She held out her hand. "Holding hands is okay, then, friend," Colm asked. Rena nodded and holding hands they walked back to her transporter. |