Brian met Kelly in his freshman year of high school when her family moved to the ritzy part of town. He immediately became infatuated with the way she talked, the way her perfume smelled, the way she flipped her hair when she talked, the way she would give a half smirk when she knew something wasn't what it seemed. She stood about five foot six and had gorgeous blonde hair, which fell to just below her shoulders, a round face with a pert nose and dazzling blue eyes. After staring at her from afar for a month he was suddenly paired with her as a science lab partner. Too scared to ask her out, that semester he was in heaven every time third period came around.
Word soon filtered around that Kelly's parents wouldn't allow her to date. They said she was too young, and Kelly must have broke about twenty hearts that year, turning down every offer to go out from members of the opposite sex. With her girlfriends, however, she had slumber party after slumber party, though only on Saturday nights. She never went anywhere after nine from Sunday through Friday, and her grades showed; she got straight A's in every class. Meanwhile Brian worked hard, but only pulled mostly B's.
In sophomore year Kelly's parents kept her on a tight leash, so there were still no dates. She never stayed late after school and never did athletics. Even though she had an offer from the captain of the cheerleading squad to join her parents refused to let her. In her junior year her parents consented to let her attend the Junior Prom, and she showed up with a boy that did not attend our school and no one knew. She insisted they weren't dating, and almost to prove a point they hardly touched even during slow dances, and said goodbye at the door with only a brief peck on the cheek.
By the time senior year rolled around, Brian had overcome his shyness and asked a few girls out. He was fairly popular around school and a nice guy, but couldn't seem to hold on to a girl for more than a few weeks. He was beginning to feel a bit desperate when one afternoon he heard that Kelly had been allowed to join the cheerleading squad, and got a crazy idea. If her parents were willing to let her do that, would they let her date now? Brian took a chance and waited in the hallway at the locker room door after cheerleading practice. Kelly was one of the last ones out so as she walked down the hall Brian fell in beside her and said hi.
"Hi," Kelly said, smiling brightly.
"I don't know if you remember me. I'm Brian Tanner. I was your lab partner for a semester back in freshman year," he said, stumbling over his words slightly.
"Oh I remember you! I don't think you did too well in that class...you were too busy staring at me!" she giggled.
"I didn't realize you'd noticed," Brian stammered, and felt his face getting red.
"Oh! Don't be embarrassed...I got that a lot..I still get it. And since a lot of guys are too scared to talk to me, they just stare," Kelly replied.
"Thanks," Brian said. "Y'know, Kelly, I still really like you, and, y'see, I was wondering if you, ahh, were dating now, and, umm, if you wanted to, err, go out with me?" Brian said the last part in a rush, and exhaled loudly at the end.
Kelly giggled and smiled at him. "Sure, Brian...I'd love to be your girlfriend. But my parents don't allow me to go out on school nights, and ever weekend this fall I'm gonna be busy cheerleading. But we can find something to do!"
Brian almost fell over in shock. "Y-y-you mean you'll date me? Really?"
"Well, sure, why not? You're cute, and you seem really nice," Kelly replied.
"I don't know, I guess I just didn't think you'd even date, let alone date a guy like me," Brian said as he slowed his pace. They were nearing the end of the hallway and through the outside door he could see a car waiting, presumably Mrs. Greene, Kelly's mother.
Kelly slowed a bit too and said, "Listen, my parents are really overprotective of me, and they've only just recently started letting me have a bit more freedom. I was actually hoping you'd ask me, cause I've kinda liked you too since back in freshman year. But my mom and dad think I should be on my own before I date. I argued with them, and they finally allowed me to have a boyfriend. But right now, I hardly have time on the weekends for anyone cause of cheerleading and they won't let me out during the week. Listen. How about you come over this Thursday night and we can watch some TV and listen to some music?"
"Sure, I'd love that," Brian said.
"Ok. I live on 126 Manor Drive. The driveway is a bit long, so you can't see the house from the road. I'll see you around seven? Right after dinner?" Kelly asked.
"I'll be there," Brian replied and waved as Kelly walked through the door and got into her mother's car. It was a luxury sports car and it's engine roared as it sped away.
Brian spent the rest of the week walking on air. They had no classes together, but he and Kelly would smile at each other when they passed in the halls, and between classes they'd meet at Kelly's locker.
Finally Thursday came. After school he got in his ten-year-old Ford Taurus and made his way to the florist, where he picked up a single, long-stemmed red rose and a small box of chocolates, as expensive as he could afford. He drove home and dressed in his best casual-wear and tried to concentrate on something to make the time pass quickly.
Finally six forty-five rolled around and Brian decided to leave to allow himself some extra time to find the house. The drive from his house on Donner Street to Kelly's house on Manor Drive across town normally wound have taken five minutes, but Brian didn't know where he was going, exactly, and combined with his nerves it was nearly seven by the time he located the large stone with the number 126 on it. He started down the long, windy driveway and when he came across the house he almost turned right around. It was a huge, brick building with an imposing black front door. There was a large garage off to the left with Mrs. Greene's sports car and a luxury sedan that presumably belonged to Mr. Greene.
He pulled up carefully next to Mr. Greene's Lexus, grabbed his rose and chocolates and walked slowly to the door. He stared at the ornate, brass lion-head door-knocker for what seemed an eternity before he got the nerve to actually use it. Two loud knocks vibrated through the house and his body. He waited. The door opened.
Kelly stood there looking to him like a radiant vision. She had on a simple pink sundress that and a pair of white socks. Her hair hung loosely at her shoulders, framing her face nicely. "Hi Brian," she said softly. "Please come in."
Brian entered and Kelly shut the door behind him. The entryway was very spacious and featured a cathedral ceiling. There wasn't much decoration except for an ornately framed mirror hung on the far wall. "These are for you," he said as he gave Kelly the rose and chocolates.
Kelly blushed and shyly said, "Thank you Brian. Come and meet my family!" She led Brian through a short hallway into what appeared to be a study of some kind. There was a wooden desk to one side and towards the middle of the room was a sofa that looked like it was made of very expensive leather. Another mirror hung across from it. On the sofa sat a man that looked to be in his mid-30s. He had a shock of black hair that fell just shy of his deep brown eyes. Next to him was a young woman that looked to be in her early 20s. She had blonde hair like Kelly's that was longer and was currently done up in a complex braid. Both of them stood up when they entered the room.
Brian was so nervous that he immediately said to the man, "Hi! You must be Kelly's father. I'm Brian Tanner." He held out his hand to the older man, who returned the handshake.
"Nice to meet you," he said.
Turning to the younger woman, Brian said, "Kelly didn't tell me she had a sister! It's nice to meet you."
Both Kelly and her father had slight grins on their faces at this point, but the other woman was now wearing a wide smile. "I'm actually Kelly's mother, Brian, but thank you for the compliment," she said and extended her hand.
Brian's cheeks were flaming red while he returned Mrs. Greene's handshake. "I'm so sorry...I'm just a little nervous," he said.
"Don't worry about it," Mrs. Greene said. "It's good to meet you. Kelly talks about you all the time!"
"Aww, moooommm," Kelly said, and now it was her cheeks that got red.
"You have a lovely, uhh, home here Mr. Greene. What do you do for a living?" Brian asked a bit hesitantly.
"I work in computers. So does my wife," Mr. Greene answered.
Mr. Greene gave a knowing smile to his wife and said, "Well, Brian, Kelly will show you where the TV room is, and we'll check in on you every so often. Kelly's curfew is nine so that'll be when the evening will end. Have fun!"
"This way, Brian," Kelly said as they left the study. They followed another hall into a room a bit smaller than Brian expected, but more cozy and lived-in than what the rest of the house appeared to be. Plush couches and chairs lined the walls and in a corner sat an entertainment system that rivaled any Brian had seen before. Above the television hung yet another mirror. Brian sat down while Kelly turned on the TV to some generic comedy show and sat down beside him.
They sat rigidly for a few minutes before Brian got the nerve to say something. "Your parents seem really nice Kelly."
"Thanks Brian. They may be overprotective but that's only because they love me," she replied.
"I understand. But don't you think they go just a bit too far? I mean, nine o'clock on a school night for a senior?" Brian asked.
"Maybe, but I think it's for my own good," Kelly said.
"But you've never been to a teen party, or a concert," Brian said.
Kelly's face went blank for a moment, but then she said, "If I did all those things I wouldn't be able to focus on my grades, and when I'm in college I can have all the fun I want."
"I suppose," Brian said. "Hmm..your dad must be pretty successful to live in this house."
"Yeah, he is, but he goes away a lot. He'll be gone all of the next two weeks," Kelly replied.
"Oh...that must be rough on you," Brian said.
"Not really...I'm used to it," Kelly told him.
"Hmm. What's your room like? I bet it's big like the rest of the house," Brian said.
"Kind of. There's not much up there now. Just a bed, computer, dresser and some of my old stuffed animals. There's a big tree outside my window that I like to climb out on at night when I can't sleep," she said.
"Wow. That's cool," Brian said, and turned his attention to the TV for a moment. "Hey, I love this part," he said and laughed, a bit more at ease..
Kelly laughed too and leaned back on the sofa. Brian did the same, and then cautiously put an arm around Kelly's shoulders. He noticed Kelly's cheeks get red, and her body remained rigid. Brian applied slight pressure to draw Kelly a bit closer, and she snuggled up beside him and put her head on his chest. Brian felt her body was a bit warm, but figured it was because she was a bit nervous--he knew he was. He started to caress her hair, and she took his hand in hers. Brian felt like he was in heaven.
Two weeks went by, and Brian had been over the Greene's to watch TV with Kelly two more times. Both times they ended up snuggled together on the couch while they only half-watched whatever was on TV. While Brian enjoyed this very much, he longed for something more. Two days ago he finally got Kelly to agree to accompany him to the movies on Friday, and it had finally arrived. Now he just had to sit through Mr. Ryan's history class, Mrs. Ling's English Lit class and the Pep Rally before he could go home and get ready for tonight.
"Many companies' stock sold for upwards of $80 dollars a share only to plummet over 90% overnight..." Mr. Ryan droned on about the Internet Boom and subsequent bust of the late 1990s as Brian stared at the clock, longing for the bell to ring. Ten seconds later the bell rang and Brian was out the door before it stopped.
He hurried down the hallway and then casually leaned up against a row of lockers next to Kelly's. A few seconds later, she rounded the corner with one of her friends from cheerleading. Brian's heart skipped a beat, and he felt his palms get clammy.
"See ya tomorrow Erin!" Kelly said as she noticed Brian standing near her locker.
"Ok..have fun," Erin said with a smirk on her face when she noticed Brian as well.
Kelly came over and stood next to Brian as she opened her locker. Brian couldn't help but stare as he looked at her cheerleading uniform of a white sweater with the school "CHS" logo in navy blue outlined in gold, navy blue skirt and white kneesocks. Finally he came back to his senses and got down to the business at hand.
"So what movie do you want to see tonight?" he asked. "There good ones are "Fear Dot Com", "Simone" and "Triple X". Do you have any--" Brian trailed off when he realized Kelly was staring off into space with a worried look on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Umm, yeah, Brian..you know I have to get up early for the game tomorrow..." she faded off.
"Well, we can go to an early show..we'd probably be back no later than 9 or 10," he told her.
"I know, but I still want to be well rested...maybe it'd be better if we did it some other time," Kelly said.
"Ok, how about Saturday then? Maybe after the game?" Brian suggested.
"Well, you know my dad's coming home tomorrow, and..." Kelly let her sentence trail off.
At this point, and given his previous dating record, Brian was getting pretty suspicious, and angry. "Come on Kelly! So far our dates have consisted of me coming to your house to watch TV with you. You know I love being with you but I wanna do something else!"
"You know I can't help that my parents won't let anyone over without them being there! And you know my curfew is 10 on Fridays and Saturdays," she said.
"Just forget it," Brian said, turned away abruptly and walked quickly to his next class.
"Brian, wait..." Kelly called but Brian was long gone...
Brian spent most of the pep rally silently fuming and didn't bother to congratulate Kelly afterwards on a job well done--he just went straight home. But on the way he began to have second thoughts on the way he acted. It wasn't Kelly's fault she had a game the next day, or that her dad just happened to be coming home tomorrow. She didn't have anything to do with the fact that her parents were so overprotective. With that in mind, and the positions Kelly had contorted herself into in her cheering routine, Brian decided to head over to Kelly's to apologize.
"Maybe we can even watch TV for a bit before she goes to bed," Brian thought.
Within five minutes he guided his aging Ford into the long driveway at 126 Manor Drive. He pulled up behind Mrs. Greene's Mercedes and walked up to the door. He rang the bell, and Mrs. Greene answered.
"Brian! It's nice to see you. But Kelly didn't say you were coming over tonight," she said with an obvious look of surprise on her face.
"She doesn't know. We had a little fight at school and I thought I should come over to apologize," Brian said meekly.
"Oh, well, Kelly's getting ready for the game tomorrow. She's a bit too busy to talk now," Mrs. Greene said.
"But it'd just be for a moment. I really acted badly today," Brian explained.
"No, I'm sorry, it's not possible. You can see her at the game tomorrow," Mrs. Greene said.
Brian opened his mouth to explain again the necessity of talking to Kelly now when he realized Mrs. Greene had shut the door in his face.
"Kelly can't be *that* mad at me..." he thought...
Mr. Greene watched the exchange through the two-way mirror in the hallway. He admired the youth's tenacity, but realized he couldn't take that kind of a chance.
"He'll have to be taken care of," he said softly to himself...."and I know just the way..."
Brian got back into his car and drove back out of the driveway. He had gone a mile down the road when an idea crept into his head.
"That tree...outside her bedroom window...if I can crawl up there I could get into her room and apologize," he surmised.
He turned his car around and parked it on the street out of view of the house. He made his approach through the thick woods that bordered the house, using the trees and shrubs for cover.
He came upon the house and saw only one tree that was close enough to a window to climb onto it from the house. He ran to it and climbed into the lower branches. By this time it was getting dark, and the dusk, in combination with the leaves, made sure he wouldn't be seen unless someone looked directly at him.
He reached the second level and looked in the window. He saw Kelly propped up on the bed with only her cheerleading skirt and socks on. He also noticed Mrs. Greene in the room, sitting at the computer. Then he saw something that almost made him fall out of the tree. Kelly's eyes were open but they weren't focused, as best he could see. She was staring blankly right at him but there was no recognition, not even a blink! And then he saw, directly above Kelly's breasts, a panel in her flawless, creamy skin. And in that panel he could see...circuit boards and data ports! And attached to one of the data ports was a thick cable that ran from her chest into the computer!
Mrs. Greene was typing furiously on the keyboard, and every once in a while Kelly would jerk spasmodically or a red or orange LED would blink in Kelly's open panel. Finally, after one last spasm, a light glowed green and Mrs. Greene got up from her seat and unplugged the cable. Then she turned toward the window as she put the cable into the desk. Brian was slightly in the open to get a better view, but he couldn't look away.
After storing the cable, Mrs. Greene took out what looked like a remote control. She held it close to Kelly's chest panel and from behind the skin the panel cover slid down and restored the appearance of a normal teenage girl's chest. From Brian's vantage point in the tree he couldn't even see a seam, and he doubted he could see one if was up close either. Leaving Kelly where she was, Mrs. Green turned off the computer and the light in the room and shut the door.
Brian slowly walked across the thick branch near the window and tried it. Locked. He put a bit more weight into it and to his surprise it opened easily. He gingerly made his way into the room and quietly closed the window. He noticed an alarm circuit on the window, and momentarily panicked before he saw no wires and realized it had been deactivated. He apprehensively made his way over to the bed.
He looked at Kelly who still showed no sign of knowing he was in the room or there at all. He slowly touched Kelly's legs through the kneesocks. They felt like well-toned legs should. He moved up and touched the skin on her stomach and arms, and her face. No movement. He felt the skin of her breasts. They felt soft and offered slight resistance, as normal as he'd expect. He caressed the area over her panel. There was, of course, no seam, and not an iota of evidence to tell that she wasn't real, if you didn't count the increasingly eerie vacant stare.
He made his way to the desk and looked at the computer, which displayed an innocent startup screen. Then he opened the drawer and took out the remote control, which he located rather easily. He brought it over to Kelly and pressed the single button at the top, pointing the bottom at her chest. Silently the panel cover slid behind her upper chest and exposed her data ports and circuit boards. He ran his fingers slowly over them, getting a shock and causing Kelly to jerk slightly when a bit of static electricity zapped his finger. After staring at her open panel for a few moments he sealed it back up and replaced the remote. He was ready to do some exploring on the computer when he heard voices, and quickly escaped back out the window, shutting it securely behind him.
"I could have sworn I heard footsteps up here," Mr. Greene said as he glanced at the inert form of his "daughter" on the bed. "And that's strange...the window motion sensor and the video camera aren't operating...I'll have to call the security company tomorrow..."
Brian ran as fast as he could to his car and leaned against the hood to catch his breath. "She's a robot? A machine? But how...? I've seen machines paint cars, and machines carve wood, but never a machine that looked like *that*! Mr. Greene must be a genius..." Brian said between large breaths of air. The shock hadn't really set in--he was still in disbelief. He got in his car and slowly drove home, got into bed and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
He woke up the next morning and went right to the football field without eating breakfast. He took a seat in the bleachers and waited until the cheerleaders came on to the field. He didn't have a chance to talk to Kelly before the game, and he still wasn't sure what he'd say. Was she aware she was a robot? Or did she think she was human?
As Kelly came onto the field Brian could see her scanning the seats, and when their eyes met she smiled and waved. Brian waved back. After the game they met up on the field.
"Are you still mad at me?" Kelly asked hesitatingly.
"Mad? About what?" Brian asked, half-staring at the space on her chest where the panel was.
"About the movies--last night?" she said.
"Oh!" Brian said, understanding. "Not really...I came over last night to apologize."
"Really?" Kelly said, looking a bit confused.
"Yeah. Your mom said you were too busy to talk, so I thought you were still mad at me. Anyway, Kelly, I wanted to ask you--" Brian began, but Kelly interrupted.
"You're not mad? Really? Cause, actually, y'know," she said coyly, "I was gonna ask you if you wanted to come over today...my mom will be out running errands and my dad won't be home till later. Mom thinks I'll be with my girlfriends..." she let the sentence trail off.
Brian was puzzled. Kelly must have been programmed to not compromise her secret, or at least to obey her parents. But here she was trying to be sneaky behind her parents' backs. Something didn't compute, but his hormones made this a moot point. "Sure, let's go," he said, and they gathered her stuff and walked to his car.
When they arrived at the house it was deserted, as Kelly had said. She let Brian in and deactivated the alarm. "Why don't you make yourself at home in the TV room. Do you want something to drink? We have lemonade...or soda...?" Kelly asked.
"Lemonade is fine," Brian answered as he made his way to the TV room. He sat down and a moment later Kelly came in with a glass of lemonade. "You're not thirsty?"
"Nope. Just hungry!" Kelly said with a laugh and advanced towards Brian.
Brian took a gulp of his lemonade and set the glass on the table. Then he advanced towards Kelly. Their lips met in a deep kiss, and Brian began to caress Kelly's shoulders and gradually moved his hands downwards...
"How about we go upstairs?" Kelly whispered.
Brian swallowed hard. "Sure," he whispered back. His mouth was dry--he grabbed his lemonade as he followed Kelly upstairs.
He took a drink of lemonade and put the glass on the bureau as he surveyed the room.
"Nothing special," Kelly said as she motioned to their surroundings. "But I didn't bring you up here to see my room..." Kelly kicked off her shoes and flounced on the bed. She lay on her back, slightly propped up by her arm and with a very inviting look in her eyes.
Brian stole a glance at the computer---just a generic start-up screen. He turned his attention back to the cheerleader on the bed. He pulled off her socks and started tickling her soles. Kelly giggled and tried to pull away. Brian kicked off his shoes and joined Kelly on the bed, running his hands up and down the smooth skin of Kelly's legs. He reached Kelly's cheerleading skirt, but before he could go further Kelly pressed him close in another sensuous kiss. When they broke for air Brian still held her close, and began to run his hands over her breasts, using the slightest touch to heighten the arousal and anticipation.
"Oooh...Brian...," Kelly moaned softly.
Brian moved his hands slightly above her breasts to where the panel would be. He was amazed by the realistic warmth and softness of her skin and body, knowing what Kelly really was. He moved again to untuck the cheerleading sweater from her skirt and began to push the skirt down and--
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??!?!" came a loud, authoritative voice.
Kelly and Brian both turned to see Mrs. Greene starting at them both with a shocked and disappointed look. "Mom, I can explain, I-I-I.." Kelly stammered.
"What is HE doing here? You're not supposed to be with any *boys*!" Mrs. Greene said the word "boys" like it was the worst kind of insult. "I want you out of here NOW," she said, pointing at Brian. "And I'm going to give your parents a call.." With that she turned away and strode out of the room.
"Mom, wait!" Kelly cried and followed.
Brian was about to follow when something occurred to him. This all seemed too perfect. They thought he was too close to the truth! They just wanted to get rid of him! He grabbed his lemonade and was about to try to reason with Mrs. Greene when something else struck him. Mrs. Greene looked so similar to Kelly, and so young. There was no way she could be Kelly's biological mother...which meant that she *could* be... Brian looked at the computer table, and then went through a few drawers before coming across something he hoped would be useful: Kelly's remote. He threw it in his pocket and walked down the hall, sipping his lemonade as he went.
When Brian found his way to Mrs. Greene's room Kelly was still arguing with her mother, and Mrs. Greene was holding the cordless phone in her hand, finger ready to dial. "What are *you* doing here? I thought I told you to leave?" Mrs. Greene said angrily as her eyes rested on Brian.
"Listen, Mrs. Greene, I was hoping you'd give me a chance to explain..." Brian started.
"Explain what?" Mrs. Greene interrupted. "How you were about to rape my daughter?"
"Woah, wait a minute..rape?" Brian questioned.
"She would not submit to a *boy*," Mrs. Greene shouted. "Now leave the premises before I call the police!"
Brian knew it was now or never. He quickly approached Mrs. Greene, pulled out the remote and pressed the button. Nothing happened.
"What are you trying to do Brian?" Kelly asked him, curiously.
Mrs. Greene started to approach me once again when suddenly a soft whir of a motor interrupted the silence and a small panel on her upper chest not covered by her tank top slid open.
Mrs. Greene looked down, stunned. Exposed for Kelly and Brian to see were Mrs. Greene's circuits and data ports, currently flashing yellow. "How did you know? Well, little matter now.." she said and started to once again advance, but this time he was ready...his arm came up and the remaining quarter-glass of lemonade went right into the access panel.
Mrs. Greene looked up in scared shock. "What have you done? Now I willllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll..." her throat stuck on the "L" sound and then became like a digital sample stuck on repeat as she froze in place, eyes staring blankly ahead.
Brian was about to turn to Kelly to explain when he heard a monotone voice coming from behind him. "Unit malfunction detected. Repair sequence initiated," Kelly said without any inflection, and walked woodenly over towards her malfunctioning mother. She stiffly removed her cheerleading sweater and a click and a whir signaled Kelly's panel's opening. From a drawer in a table Kelly drew a long, thick cable. She attached one end to a port in her panel and the other to the corresponding socket in her mother's. "Repair sequence commencing," she said in a flat monotone.
Brian stood there motionless as one android repaired the other. There were a number of beeps coming mostly from Mrs. Greene, and occasionally a pop and a flash of bright blue light could be seen in her chest panel. The repair was not going too well.
As he watched, Brian noticed himself becoming very aroused. He never thought before that having his half-naked girlfriend android service her mother that could easily be mistaken for her sister would make him feel so hot. Almost as if he was on autopilot, Brian slowly came up behind Kelly. He turned her head so he could look into her face. There was no emotion--just the vacant stare that he had seen just last night. A piece of Kelly's golden blonde hair fell in front of her eyes--she didn't even blink. Her joints were locked into place and her gaze was focused on somewhere not in this world. He stared into Kelly's exposed chest panel and saw a myriad of wires and circuit boards and three data ports.
Brian couldn't take it any longer. He pushed Kelly's cheerleading skirt down to her ankles and then did the same to her panties. He took off his own pants and underwear, and then approached Kelly from behind. He pushed deep inside her, relieving his intense desire. As he thrusted he heard another pop of circuits, but this time it was from Kelly. "Illegal instruction." she stated flatly.
Brian continued his deep motions, forcing himself deeper in. "Illegal instruction." Kelly repeated more times, and each time her head snapped to the right. Now her voice was slightly higher and a bit more urgent. Feeling as if he had no control of his body, Brian could sense the stiffness as he moved closer to her.
"Repair com-com-com-complete," Kelly stuttered, and Mrs. Greene suddenly got up and started to walk. When she got to the bed she didn't stop but continued to rhythmically pump her legs, stumbling into the bed and falling, hitting her head hard on one of the bedside tables on the way down. With a sickening crack her neck snapped back, and in a slow, drawn-out voice she just barely got out, "Syyssssstteeemmmmm shuuuuuuttttdoooowwwwnnnnn.."
Kelly, on the other hand, was having troubles of her own. The popping continued and blue flashes could be seen deep within her. But once she was free of her mother, she managed to say, "Brian...what...are..y-y-you d-d-doing to m-m-me.." Her voice was higher than normal and a bit rushed.
Brian was in a daze and continued to press deeper. "Y-y-you must st-st-stop! P-p-please st-st-stop!" her voice was even higher now. "I am-am mal-mal-malfunctioning-ing!"
A thin trail of smoke began to rise from her chest panel. "I-I-I-I am a t-t-teenage g-girl! I am not p-p-p-pr-pr-programmed-pr-pr-pro.." she tried to get out.
"B-B-B-Brian..I-I-I am-am m-m-m-mal-mal-malfunc-func-functioning-ing...P-P-Please S-S-ST-STOP!" Kelly tried again as her systems began to shut down. "N-N-Nooooo," she said and began to do what could best be described as crying. And as her body shuddered, whether from malfunctions or from crying, it jolted Brian out of his trance. He quickly pulled out and stared at his girlfriend, fear in her eyes, shaking and struggling to stand.
Immediately Brian felt immense shame and his cheeks glowed bright red. He quickly pulled up his pants. He went to Kelly and held her tight. "Y-y-y-you kn-kn-know m-my sec-secret," she managed.
"Show me how to fix you," Brian whispered as he gingerly pulled up her skirt.
Kelly laboriously pointed to the cable. "My-my r-room," she whispered.
She leaned on Brian as they slowly made their way into the room. "H-h-h-ook me u-up t-to the c-comp-p-p-puter," she said quietly as Brian helped her to sit down on the bed. Brian plugged the cable into one of her dataports and plugged the other end into the only slot that would fit it on the back of the computer. Immediately the screen turned from generic log-in to thousands upon thousands of lines of code running through the screen.
"How can this fix you? I must have done much more damage than that..." Brian said in shock.
"It w-w-will f-ff-ix my soft-soft-software," Kelly said hesitantly. "M-m-m-my d-dad w-w-will have to f-f-fix the ha-ha-hardware."
"Oh my God..what will your dad say? I broke your mom and almost broke you!" Brian said in hushed tones.
"M-m-mom c-c-can be fixed. I-I-I c-c-can b-b-be f-f-f-fixed," Kelly said. "I-I-I-I'm going t-t-to shut d-d-down n-n-now..t-t-to h-h-h-help f-f-fix m-m-myself..."
"No! Don't leave..I almost r-r-raped you..almost k-k-killed you," Brian had difficultly getting the words out.
"Be here wh-wh-when I w-w-wake up..." Kelly said in a hushed, slightly higher pitched version of her regular voice, and then, in a voice much slower and deeper: "fuuuullllll sysssssteeeemmm shuuuutdddoooooowwwnnn..." Her eyes closed and her head fell to one side.
Through his tears Brian stared at his girlfriend, a robot, sitting motionless on the bed. With the way the light refracted off the tears it appeared as though she were some hybrid cyberangel, with an aura surrounding her. It made her almost glow with radiance. He was so lost in the image he didn't hear the footsteps come up behind him, didn't see the arm come up upon him, didn't see the cloth in the hand soaked with chloroform placed upon his nose, didn't see or hear anything after that.
When Brian woke up he was sitting in a brightly lit room with no windows. Everything in the room seemed steel except for the couch he had been laying on moments before. He surveyed his surroundings slowly...he was still a bit nauseous. Things were still blurry. Gradually the picture cleared, and he could see off to his right Kelly's body lying prone on a steel table, and the shape of Mr. Greene hovering over. Wires were hooked up all over Kelly through different panels on her chest, legs, head, shoulders, back, arms, feet. Brian got up hesitantly, and as soon as he was standing braced himself against the wall. The noise distracted Mr. Greene's attention, and he turned and saw Brian. He motioned for him to come closer.
Brian staggered over to the table. He could see the wires coming from Kelly more clearly now. They were all hooked up to what looked like a mainframe computer, and Mr. Greene was staring at a small screen intently. Brian looked at Kelly's face. Her eyes were closed and it almost looked as if she were asleep. Her shimmering blonde hair was swept off to the side out of the way--he could see another open panel in her neck.
"You really did a number on her," Mr. Greene said. "What possessed you to do *that*?"
"I-I-I don't know...I was in such a trance..watching her try to repair Mrs..OH! Is Mrs. Greene ok?" Brian asked.
"She'll be fine. It'll take me longer to repair her but it won't be the first time. Now, if you had thrown soda into her panel that would be a different story...you know they use Coke to clean up hazardous waste spills on the highways..."
"What are you doing to her?" Brian asked.
"I had to replace the components you fried, Brian. She wasn't programmed for sex of *any* sort, let alone *that* kind. She may be anatomically correct, but she's still my daughter!" Mr. Greene said.
"I was so ashamed..so scared I had lost her," Brian said. "She's the first girlfriend I've had for more than a few weeks...I've had a crush on her since freshman year."
"Really? Well, I figured there would be boys eventually, enrolling her in public school. You know, you were only supposed to be temporary. I had to set something up to quell any suspicions...y'know, an attractive girl and not even *sneaking* in a boyfriend? But she actually took a liking to you. Yup, she has a personality all her own. She's sentient, y'know. Aware of herself and who she is. Except when that repair thing kicks in. Has no idea her mother's an android too. Of course, she's not sentient. She was only really created for me and to explain Kelly's presence. But anyway, as soon as you started showing up at the house unexpectedly I had to do something. I threw in a little override programming, had Tara, my wife, interrupt your little rendezvous and voila! No more boyfriend. But things never go as you plan, do they...and now you know her secret...my secret..." Mr. Greene explained.
Brian had zoned out a bit during it, but snatches replayed. "supposed to be temporary...took a liking to you...she's sentient..my secret..." "I can keep your secret, Mr. Greene. I just want Kelly to be ok."
"Oh, she'll be fine. In fact, watch this," Mr. Greene said and tapped a few keys.
Kelly's eyes opened up. "Oh Brian! You're still here! Can you hold m-m-my hand?" she asked with such innocence that I took her smaller hand in both of mine and held it tight.
"You're still stammering a bit," Brian said.
"Not finished being f-f-f-ixed yet. Al-al-almost," she said, and managed a tired grin.
"I'm going to turn her off now. She needs to charge and her A.I. program needs to assimilate the new hardware I installed," Mr. Greene said.
"Ok. I'll still be here Kelly," Brian whispered.
"So will I," Kelly whispered back, and then Mr. Greene typed a few more keys and Kelly's eyes once again closed.
Mr. Green walked over to the sofa and Brian followed. "I called your parents--they think you're staying over here tonight. Now we have to talk. You know a very big secret here. Something that, if got to the wrong hands, can cause not only emotional pain but physical pain for not only me or Kelly but you as well. I need to be assured of your complete silence," Mr. Greene said.
"You can count on me, Mr. Greene. I would never do anything to endanger Kelly," Brian said.
"What about tonight?" Mr. Greene asked slyly.
"I think this incident has scared me enough that you don't have to worry about anything else, Mr. Greene," Brian said.
"Good, that's what I like to hear," Mr. Greene replied. "Now why don't you try to get some rest. You can sleep on the sofa here if you'd like."
"Yes, I think I will. Thank you, Mr. Greene," Brian said and shook Mr. Greene's hand. Then he lay down and pulled a small blanket over him that had been draped over the back of the sofa.
Mr. Greene walked back over to Kelly and stared down at his daughter. He picked up a folder sitting near the mainframe and reviewed the photos inside; there were pictures of Brian in various compromising and illegal positions with his daughter and wife. "I think we can assume his silence...but if not..."-he put the folder down--"things don't always go as planned..."