I sat up in bed that morning and rubbed my eyes as the alarm blared and I turned it off. I grumbled then got up and headed to the bathroom connected to my bedroom.
I sat on the toilet and soon a small flood was shooting into the toilet. I wiped myself and looked at myself in the mirror. The girl staring back at me was of 18 years of age but, looked 19 or maybe 20 with curly brown hair down to her shoulders and liquid brown eyes. The body of the girl was athletic and trim with average sized breasts.
I rubbed my eyes again after washing my hands then brushed my teeth and took a quick shower. Soon I was dressed in a pair of pants and a blouse with sneakers. I bounded downstairs with my book bag and was about to get some cereal when I felt an uncontrollable urge to eat sandwich meat and soon I had eaten all of it.
During lunch I talked with Maria, one of my close friends, and both of us were eating iron rich foods and a lot of them.
Neither of us was really aware of eating the plastic on our trays but, somehow we did as when we looked down we noticed there was no longer any pieces of plastic on the tray.
"Strange," I thought.
In 7th period I found myself eating the eraser on my pencil and looked down in surprise. It was gone.
"What is wrong with me?" I wondered.
When I walked inside my house, my mother looked at me with concern when she saw me take out some American cheese and eat it, wrapper and all.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, mom," I say just realizing what I had done.
She just sighed and shook her head.
That night I woke up with a number of metal balls going down my throat. I woke up and looked around, there was no free standing metal object left in the room.
"What is happening to me?" I said softly aloud.
In the morning I woke up standing in the basement eating what appeared to be small pieces of metal. I wanted to gag but, didn't, instead the last of it went down.
I was beginning to get scared now.
I quickly went upstairs to my room before someone found me and got dressed. As I got dressed I found myself eying the metal bar in the bathroom.
Somehow I no longer felt scared but, did wonder what was going on.
Without realizing it, I packed a number of metal pieces in my pack.
I met Maria during lunch and noticed that she too was eating bits of metal.
"Maria, don't you think it strange the way we are eating?"
"Maybe a little," she admitted.
My limbs began to get numb after lunch and I had the appearance of a fever.
When I got home I ate more bits of metal then went to my bedroom feeling tired just meaning to take a nap.
Some time later:
[loading OS]
[loading file system]
[checking configuration]
[accessing sensory system]
[accessing motor system]
I found myself staring at the ceiling. I could no longer feel any emotion, no matter how hard I tried. Without really thinking about it I accessed my system and found I had been out for a couple of weeks.
Turning my head, I saw my mother standing there. "How do you feel?" my mom asked.
"I can't feel anything," I said in a flat emotionless voice.
My mom sighed. "Honey, look at your stomach."
I sat up mechanically and did so, on my front below my breasts was an open panel and inside of it was circuitry and two sets of buttons.
I began examining my body and detected faint seams where my limbs joined my body and when I thought about it realized they came off. There was a faint seam in my arms as well.
"I'm... a robot?"
"I'm afraid so, honey. I just turned you on."
I was not sure what to think but, thinking about it was able to access all of my systems including information on my body.
"What happened?" I ask at last.
"Some weeks ago, you came into your room and never woke up. Your body was changing into a robot. It would appear that you contacted the Bork Virus."
"The Bork Virus?"
My mom nodded. "Most people are immune but, a few are susceptible to it and will eventually become robots."
[processing]
"Who else knows?"
My mom sighed. "Just you, me, and your doctor who couldn't do anything."
I nod mechanically.
"Honey, can you act more human?"
[processing]
"I'm not sure. I've only been active a few minutes."
I searched my data banks and came up with nothing other than I could program myself or be programmed.
I stand up mechanically and walk over to the full length mirror and pull off the gown my mom put over me. Somehow modesty no longer bothered me.
I began opening panels, my right arm panel contained a toolkit, my left one contained my retractable power cord and some data ports. My outer thigh panels were for repair and I noticed my face could come off and did so. I put it back on and removed one arm before placing it back in.
My mom just watched me.
After a few moments I closed my panels and turned back to her. She asked me "Honey, would you get dressed? I activated you now because you need to see a specialist."
I just nod and get dressed pulling on a pair of red panties and bra along with a pair of pants and a red top. I looked around for my jacket and purse and noticed they had been moved.
"Where is my jacket and purse?"
"Sorry, I moved them downstairs while you were um, out."
I say nothing and just walk mechanically downstairs after putting on a necklace and earrings. My now artificial ears had holes in the earlobes.
My mom followed me downstairs. When I got down there and found my purse and jacket I asked, "Did you tell the little fink?"
"No, I didn't tell your sister, I kept your door locked." My little sister was three years younger than me and was a freshman at the same high school.
"I suppose I'm ready."
My mom grabbed her own jacket and purse and led me to the car, where I got in the passenger side.
My mom occasionally looked at me while she drove. "I thought I'd lose you for a bit back there," she said.
"Thanks."
After a half hour we arrived at the office of the specialist. Inside it was a typical waiting room but, there was a lot of technical reading material lying around.
I signed myself in as "Jennifer Lutz"
The secretary smiled at me. "You got Bork's?", she asked noticing my mechanical movements and blank face. "It would appear so." The receptionist just smiled.
I sat down and just looked around. Time flowed different for me now. A minutes was a lot longer for me than it used to be.
After a while I was called and I was led to a room with a metal table and a lot of electronic equipment. In a bit the Doctor came in; she was a small woman in her twenties. I found that odd. I looked at her closely and saw a seam on her arm.
"You are a robot?"
"Yes actually," she said, sounding quite human. "I'm a grade 2 Bork's so, I'm more human than you are."
I nodded.
"You can call me Cathy if you want."
"Okay, Cathy," I say flatly.
"Would you mind if I called you Jen?"
"I don't mind."
"Okay I want you to remove your clothes and open all your panels"
I did so and was soon naked with all my panels open exposing the circuitry underneath.
"Do you feel any emotion?"
I shake my head.
"I thought so. "
Curious on a logical level I ask, "And you do?"
"Yes, grade 2's retain emotion although we tend to be about as much machine as you are."
Cathy is examining my circuits and ports along with slots and writing things on a clipboard. "I'd do this the other way but, the establishment wants paper records," she shrugs.
She tweaks my nipple.
"Did you feel that?"
"Yes"
Cathy gets out a cable and plugs it into a port in my open back panel. The computer it is connected to requests data and I send it without really thinking about what I was doing.
Cathy looks it over on the screen.
"Thought so." she says.
"Okay, I can help you act more human. Mind you, they will only be active in Human Emulation Mode but, you will be able to feel. You will still think like a computer though even in Human Emulation Mode. Do you want me to install them?"
[processing]
"I guess so."
Cathy types something on the computer.
[receiving Human Emulation Mode Programs]
[installing....]
[installation complete]
"As you might know now from installing them, you have two modes. One is Robotic mode which is what you are in now. The other is Human Emulation mode. You can control the level of emulation..."
I nod.
"Why don't you try it?"
[switching to Human Emulation Mode]
I put a smile on my face and when I spoke next it was close to my old voice. "How is this?" I also felt pleased with the results.
"Quite good. Run a diagnostics on your system."
[Running diagnostics]
"All systems are working as they should"
"Good. I will have to check you once every two months on a routine basis and more often if you are unable to repair yourself after damage."
"Thanks," I say, plastering a happy smile on my face.
"Oh, don't get too carried away with upgrades. As a machine you will probably want to do them but, don't overdo it."
I nod. "I'll try not to."
"You can close your panels and get dressed now", she says after removing the cable.
I do so.
I walk back out to the waiting room where my mother was. My walk is smooth and more human. I'm at level 10.
"Hi, mom", I say brightly.
"Oh, honey..." she hugs me.
"What did the specialist do?"
"She gave me some human emulation programs so, I can act and feel more human in Human Emulation mode. I have to come back in two months"
My mom nodded.
"So, you still don't feel?"
"Actually I do when in Human Emulation Mode but, not in Robotic Mode I turned out to be a grade 1 Bork's which means I'm very much machine and think like one."
"That's okay honey. I love you anyway."
"Thanks mom" At my current emulation level, I felt glad my mom was so accepting.
The secretary handed my mom a piece of paper with things I need for maintenance. My mom took it and looked it over. It contained things like machine oil, some spare parts, some fluids, and some less used items. She paid for my visit and scheduled the next one.
"You don't eat do you?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Would you like some machine oil?" my mom asked tentatively.
"That would be nice right now. Some of my systems aren't that oiled yet." I made a face.
We stopped at the hardware store and got a few supplies then went to the electronics store and picked up some spare parts.
When we got home I sat down at the table and opened my left arm and unscrewed a small cap . I took out the machine oil and began pouring it in. My mom saw me doing this just as I finished and recapped it. A faint hum that had been coming from my body got quieter.
"I needed that!"
Just then my younger sister came into the room having walked home from school. She saw all the machine related stuff on the table. "I can't believe I'm asking this but, Are you okay?"
"As much as I can be anyway."
She spotted the still open arm panel.
"You are a robot?", she asked incredulously.
"I am now. I got Bork's," I sounded resigned.
My sister looked shocked for a moment then got a mischievous look in her eyes, "Can I reprogram you?"
"Forget it, fink."
Mom turned to Linda and said, "Don't bug your sister."
"Aw mom..."
After I got done and put the stuff in a box to take upstairs my mom said, "I have the class work from when you were out," she told me.
"Good, I should be able to do it fairly quickly."
I found the class work. It was a big pile of three weeks worth of class work. I sighed in my human mode, "This is a lot" I took it upstairs. I was not expecting how quickly I went through the Math, the math was the easiest part for me now. Strangely I found the hardest thing for me now was a literature class. I had to struggle to think about it as my mind worked differently now.
My mom stuck, her head in "Having trouble?"
"The math was easy but, I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around the literature now."
"Anything I can help with?"
"Not really. The problem is, the way I think is like a computer."
She patted my shoulder. "Keep at it," she kissed me on the cheek.
My battery was getting low so, I opened my left arm panel and plugged myself into the surge protector my Mac was plugged into with the retractable cord in my arm.
After a while it was late and my mom dropped in. "Don't you need to rest or something?"
"No." I gesture at my power cord.
"Oh. Well, if you stay active would you keep it quiet so, we can sleep?"
"Not a problem, mom," I gave her a smile.
After a while I decided to switch back to Robotic mode.
[switching to Robotic Mode]
The feelings of emotion left me as I switched. It was an interesting feeling, I reflected.
I closed the door and sat on the bed to think.
[I sure do think like a machine now] I thought
Out of curiosity I took off my clothes and looked at myself critically in the mirror. I calculated that no one would be able to tell unless they noticed changes in my behavior as the only reason I could see the seams was my extremely good eyesight. My eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, I never bothered to turn the light on as I could see in the dark.
I felt my breasts and could feel metal under the skin and stroked the nipple causing a small metal rod to make my nipple react.
[I think I'll go into sleep mode after I finish that class work] I decided. Sleep mode was where my system was still powered on but, was not active.
I finished the rest of my class work and set my internal clock to activate me at 7 am for school then stood to the side of my desk as I entered sleep mode.
At 7 am, I activated in robotic mode and looked around. [Time to get dressed] I thought
I was wearing a teddy but, had not used the bed last night.
I went to the bathroom and carefully dabbed my skin to clean it then used a cleaning solution on my synthetic hair and combed it. I then got dressed in pants and blouse along with black boots.
I completed the outfit by putting on a necklace with a heart pendant and earrings. I did not bother with a watch as I did not need one.
I went downstairs with my pack and set it on a chair. Mom had already left for work and my sister was sitting eating cereal. She watched my mechanical movements.
"You seemed more human yesterday." she said around a mouthful.
"Different mode," I say flatly then switch modes
[switching to Human Emulation Mode]
I grin at her, "Actually, Robotic mode is closer to how I feel now. I am only able to do this because of some programs a specialist gave me."
"Oh" she says.
I pick up my jacket and put it on.
"Don't you feel anything?"
"Well yes, except in Robotic Mode I don't. " I make a face then continue "...and I think like a computer. Math is easier than literature now."
"Does that mean you wouldn't mind doing my chores?" my sister asked hopefully.
"Forget it. Just because I don't feel emotion does not mean I'd want to be your maid in Robotic Mode"
I looked at her and sighed. "You are running late aren't you?"
"A little, not much."
"Don't be late. I'm going to school" I turned and sling my pack over my shoulder.
"I won't"
I went out the door after sticking an umbrella in my pack. I had no intention of getting wet if I could avoid it. I didn't think I had any leaks but, I didn't want to risk it.
The walk was uneventful and I got to homeroom with five minutes to spare.
I sat in my assigned seat and Mr. Jenkin's looked at me with surprise and concern. "Jen, are you caught up?" I nod and hand him my class work.
He then turns to the class and begins to do attendance along with then to teach social studies.
The rest of my morning classes went my without incident.
At lunch I sat next to Maria. Maria looked at me, and I at here. "You too?" she asked.
I saw the faint seam around her neck that was too faint for the human eyes and nodded.
"I'm a grade one. You?"
"Same. We seam to have gotten the same batch."
Just then my best friend Carol sat down next to us with a tray. "Aren't you two hungry?" I could no longer lie but, just shook my head.
"Jen, where have you been the last three weeks? I've been trying to get hold of you."
[processing]
"I was at home."
Now Carol really looked concerned. "Are you sick?"
[processing]
"I caught a virus." That was true enough. I looked around, "Meet me at home after school and I'll explain."
Carol nodded eating her lunch in silence lost in thought.
The rest of my classes passed without incident.
When school was over I met Carol by the main entrance. We walked to my house in silence. I opened the door and let Carol in, my mom wasn't home yet and my sister would probably stop at a friends house first.
"Come upstairs"
I led her to my room and the closed and locked the door behind her.
"Carol have you heard of Bork's?"
"Can't say I have..."
I sigh.
[switching to Robotic Mode]
My face went blank and my movements mechanical and I no longer felt emotion. I then continued in my flat voice. "Bork's is a virus that most people are immune to. However a few are not, and I was one of the few."
I mechanically pull off my blouse and there is a click as my front panel opens.
Carol looks inside and sees circuitry along with two sets of buttons. "Are all of you like this?"
I reply flatly, "Yes"
"Does the virus do this to you?"
I nod mechanically.
Carol gets excited, "Can I see your other panels open?"
My back panel open, both arm panels and outer thigh panels.
"My face can come off."
Carol looks in them curiously. She sees slots and ports in my back.
"So, the virus did this?"
"Yes. Until three weeks ago, I was as human as you are."
I just stood there letting her examine me.
"What do you feel?"
"Nothing, right now. In Human Emulation Mode I can feel though."
She turns me around to face her and asks, "Jen, you still have free will, don't you?"
"Yes but, I can be ordered to do something by someone with my root access."
I walked mechanically over to the bed and sat down. "I'm still your best friend."
Carol sat down next to me. "Yes you are."
Then she reached out and hugged me still with my panels open. Looking at them she said, "You can close them." I did so.
[switching to Human Emulation Mode] I now felt a little relieved.
I playfully swat her.
"I swear if I didn't just see that I'd have trouble telling you were a robot."
I tickle her. She tries to tickle me back. I look and feel smug when she can't do it.
"Hey, no fair!" she complained.
To be continued...