"And there's no doubt about it?"

"Absolutely none, Miss Parker."

"You're sure it's terminal."

"I'm afraid so. I'm also afraid I'm going to have to confine you to the hospital. You can go back to your house and get your things, if you'd like. We can make you comfortable for as long as we can, but that's all we can do. I know. It's a shame for someone so young."

Diane Parker got up and headed out to her car. A mere 20 years old, and she was being given her death notification.

She drove back to the Purdue University campus and to the house of the sorority over which she had presided over the past two years:Delta Iota Alpha. She walked into the house, and towards the room of the chaplain, and her pledge sister, friend, and confidant, Claire Grant.

When the door was opened, Claire asked, "How was the doctor's appointment?"

Diane just stood there and said, "Very, very bad."

Claire just turned to her and said, "Why? What's wrong?"

"The doctor says I have lymphatic cancer."

Claire gasped, "Oh, my God. How bad is it?"

"He's given me three months."

"Three months until what?"

After a pause of mortal silence, Diane said, "Until I die."

"Is there anything they could have done? Could they have treated you if you had come in sooner?"

"They say that it's genetic. It would have developed anyway."

Claire hugged her and said, "Oh, Diane, I'm so sorry."

Diane simply said, "Well, if nothing else, I'll have the satisfaction that I've spent the last years of my life in the service of Dia and her noble cause."

Suddenly, Claire thought of something. "You know, this isn't exactly the end. Dia sometimes gives us trials, not only to test our faith, but to see if we'll ask for her help. Come on."

Claire and Diane walked downstairs to the shrine. Most of the time, this space was reserved for the most sacred rituals of commitment and education. Now, they would return to commit themselves once again.

As they knelt before the shrine, Claire, the chosen representative of Dia to the women of Purdue's Gamma Rho chapter of Delta Iota Alpha, began to speak. "Our supreme mistress Dia, we present this woman to you to renew her commitment to you. Since her initial commitment to you three years ago, she has worked to ensure that these women can learn from you and improve themselves, which is the design of your organization. She has followed the examples of the women you initially touched, those who have worked to bring your influence to others in this nation, and those who have populated this chapter these 38 years. However, her life is currently in danger, and she needs your assistance so that her influence will benefit many others for years to come."

She was about to continue the prayer when a light came down from heaven and enveloped Diane. She felt a warmth pass through her that soon changed from a warm energy to an electric sensation. She didn't understand this feeling, but just accepted it, and soon it passed

When the light faded, Diane didn't notice anything extraordinarily different. But she did feel like something was missing, although she had no idea what it was. She looked at the reflection on the sword of the shrine, and saw that she had much more life in her face, which she attributed to the removal of the cancer, although it seemed much smoother and plainer, even more than a normal person.

She smiled at Claire and said, "She did it. I'm healed."

Claire smiled and responded, "Congratulations, Diane. You're the first successful realistic biomechanical lifeform."

Her expression changing from joy to pure, unadulterated surprise, Diane said, "You mean...I'm..."

Claire finished her sentence, "...an android."

"But how is that possible? I don't feel a thing?"

"Nothing?"

"Well, there is some strange feeling, but I can't pinpoint it or explain it."

"That's the lack of body heat you feel. Your new brain is acclimating itself to processing electrical signals, which still generate some heat, but with a different sensation, instead of natural biological warmth."

"Has anything else changed?"

"Take a look at your eyes."

Diane looked at her reflection once again and saw the same blue pigment that had been there before. But nothing else unusual. "I don't see anything."

"Notice the irises. Does anything seem different about them?"

She looked even closer, and then she realized the real difference. "There aren't any muscle lines! It looks like they were just painted on!"

"That's just the backing that holds your outer lens in place. But what it means is that your eyes don't need to acclimate to different light levels anymore. Your computerized eyes can adjust to any light level. And if it gets too bright, they'll just shut down temporarily to protect themselves.

"Your ears process sound the same way that human ears do. Sound waves are received on a membrane and transmitted through a receiver to your brain. Basically the same mechanism as a microphone.

"And in the same way, you have an artificial sound generator where most people have vocal chords. And with your mouth constructed the same way a human mouth is, it will articulate that sound in the same way. As for everything else, the connection between the human model and your body was quite simple."

Diane protested, "But what about who I am? Certainly that's not simple. How did that happen?"

"Well, the 'official' story states that they don't know how that happened, and the fact that you developed a personality surpassed their highest expectations. Of course, we know the real reason."

"Yeah, us and the rest of the chapter."

Claire corrected her, saying, "Actually, no. Dia decided that only you and I should know about your transformation. As far as anyone else knows, you were built and programmed, and then placed into high school to interact like a normal girl."

"You mean they created me over eight years ago? There is no way that they could have had this sort of technology back then."

"Is there any way they could have this technology now? With Dia, nothing is impossible. Advancements have been made in sensory programming and control so that you could be in existence. And ever since August of 1990, you have lived just like nothing had changed. And, yes, you and Ben are still happy together and engaged to be married this June."

"Ben? And he doesn't know?"

"Oh, he knows. And he loves you just the way you are."

Suddenly, the joy rushed back into Diane's face. Sure, she had changed. But, with the help of Dia, the one who she had committed her life to emulating, everything had returned to normal.

For now.

FIN

==

Mistress Christine Stephanie Charlemagne-the sister of night

"Hey sister, come for me, embrace me, assure me. Hey sister, I feel it too."

Look very deeply into my lovely eyes. Feel the changes in your body. You are becoming a beautiful woman. You are now my slave.