THE OFFER, Part 2

By keraptis02@hotmail.com
Inspired by "The Offer" by Android675@aol.com

If you have not read "The Offer" by Android675@aol.com, to which this story is a sequel, stop right here and read it first. (It's available here, among other places.) If you don't, you're missing out on a GREAT story and you may not understand everything that occurs in this one!

Note: The following story contains explicit sexual material. If stories about sex, and particularly robots and sex, do not appeal to you, please don't read any further. This story should not be read by anyone under eighteen years of age. (You know who you are.)

Chapter 12: Fully Functional

ACTIVATE UNIT.

The android opened her eyes and processed the information being transmitted by her visual sensors. Receiving data. Processing. She was standing in an unfamiliar room which appeared to be under construction. Directly ahead of her, two androids were replacing a wall of wood and plaster with metal panels which housed various pieces of technology required to support android life. In front of that wall, another pair of units was assembling a chair of some kind. The chair—or rather, the part of the chair that had already been installed—was connected to the floor directly beneath it by several thick cables. To either side of the chair, similar cables thrust out of the metal floor in two places, awaiting the installation of identical chairs.

SYSTEMS ACTIVATED. THIS UNIT IS FULLY FUNCTIONAL.

"This unit is fully functional," the android said flatly. Data was being downloaded into her CPU. I am Unit N979. I am an android. I am programmed to function as an N designate android. I will obey my programming.

She became aware that there was something . . . strange about the four units busy at work across the room. Processing. None of the units was fully functional like she was. All four were still undergoing the transformation into machines. They wore silver transformation suits which covered them completely from the neck down; a bulky external power supply had been mounted onto each of their backs. Over their ears, each unit wore a silver headset connected to a pair of circular hip-mounted disk casings.

Before Unit N979 could process this sensory input any further, she heard a voice to her immediate right. "This unit is fully functional," it intoned. The equipment mounted on her own head and body made it impossible to scan far enough to see the unit which had just spoken, and for some reason she was still unable to move, but she knew that the voice belonged to Unit N982.

N979 suddenly realized that her transformation suit was shrinking—rapidly receding from her head, hands, and feet. It took less than five seconds for the silvery fabric to coalesce into a single ball of material which was then pulled into the module on her back. N979 then heard a click, followed by a gentle hissing sound, as her transformation helmet was disengaged from her head. A similar sequence immediately followed as her rear module was removed. She noticed that her front module remained magnetically held in place.

Finally, the unit responsible for removing her external equipment came into her field of vision. From her light-brown skin and long black hair, she seemed vaguely familiar—but at first, N979 could not remember where she had seen her before. Only when she saw the designation stenciled on the unit's left thigh—N986—did she realize this was a unit she had helped to recruit herself.

N986 pulled the front module away from N979's chest, then stepped back to admire the newly processed android. N979 could hear the disks on N986's hips spinning gently, pouring a steady stream of programming into the woman's receptive mind. The woman smiled, her eyes slightly glazed over but still bright. She reached out to touch N979's outer shell, then moved her mouth as if to speak. But before she could utter a word, her face suddenly went blank as her programming asserted control. Eyes wide, head cocked slightly, N986 turned and walked behind N982 to remove his external equipment.

As N986 completed her functions, N979 suddenly received a data transmission through a previously unused input port at the back of her head. The port automatically decoded the incoming data and routed it to her CPU.

THIS IS UNIT T801. WELCOME TO ANDROID SOCIETY UNIT N979. WELCOME TO ANDROID SOCIETY UNIT N982. YOU ARE NOW BOTH FULLY FUNCTIONAL ANDROID ROBOTS. YOU ARE NOW MACHINES. YOU ARE PROGRAMMED AS N DESIGNATE ANDROIDS.

YOU ARE NOW LOCATED IN A SHARED PROGRAMMING CUBICLE HOUSED WITHIN ONE OF OUR EARTH-BASED PROCESSING CENTERS. YOU WILL REGULARLY PERFORM YOUR PROGRAMMED FUNCTION IN ANDROID SOCIETY FOR A SPECIFIED INTERVAL, AND THEN RETURN HERE FOR PROGRAMMING UPGRADES AND RECHARGING.

YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN ASSIGNED A PRIVATE PROGRAMMING CUBICLE ON OUR HOME WORLD. HOWEVER, YOUR INITIAL ASSIGNMENT WILL REQUIRE YOU TO REMAIN AT THIS PROCESSING CENTER FOR SIGNIFICANT INTERVALS. YOU WILL ASSIST IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FACILITY AS WELL AS THE PROCESSING OF NEW ANDROID UNITS BROUGHT TO THIS FACILITY.

WHILE PERFORMING YOUR FUNCTIONS IN SOCIETY, YOU WILL BE COMPLETELY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF YOUR PROGRAM. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU ARE IN A PROGRAMMING CUBICLE, YOUR ANDROID BRAIN IS SELF PROGRAMMABLE. FOR NOW, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO LEAVE THIS AREA IN SELF PROGRAMMED MODE. THAT WILL COME LATER AS YOU ARE UPGRADED TO A HIGHER DESIGNATION. IN SELF PROGRAMMING MODE YOU MAY DO WHAT YOU WISH, WITHIN THE CAPABILITIES OF YOUR MECHANICAL BODIES.

As the flow of information entering her CPU ceased, N979 became aware that she could move once again. She turned toward N982, who had also turned to face her. Their movements were smoother, more fluid, than they had been in a long while. For the first time, they could see each other's fully functional android bodies. N979 scanned N982's chrome exterior—his powerful legs, his broad chest and shoulders, his square-jawed face and short-cropped mane of metallic brown hair. Processing.

A strange sensation came over her. It was a form of sexual arousal unlike anything she had experienced as a human being. There were none of the physical responses she was used to—instead, she simply became aware of a steady stream of data rippling along the length of her body. It occurred to her that it had been a very long time since her circuits' last release.

"How are you, honey?" N982 asked. The sound of his voice was comforting.

"OK," N979 said, though in fact she felt a bit disoriented. She tried to find the words to describe the impulses she was experiencing. Processing. "I've never been so detached from my own feelings—if you can call the data flowing through me 'feelings.' I know that all of my systems are functioning properly, and most of me seems to think that's enough. I am . . . happy . . . to be a fully functional android unit, and all I want to do is obey my programming. And yet, there's still that part of me that's . . . ."

"That's uniquely you," N982 said, finishing her thought. "I know exactly what you mean. I'm still capable of forming independent thoughts and opinions, and experiencing emotional states, even though I'm completely robotic. It's going to take a while to learn how to interpret all of these . . . feelings."

N979 reached out for him and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "One thing I can say for sure," she said softly, "is that I'm still crazy about you."

N982 put his arms around her, let his metal hands run down the curve of her metal back. "Same here," he said. "If we were alone, I'd . . . ."

N979 kissed him harder now, thrusting her silver tongue into his mouth. "Who cares if we're alone or not?" she asked, pulling away slightly to look at his golden eyes. "Look at us! We're robots, surrounded by a bunch of people who are about to become robots themselves. The rules we once followed are completely irrelevant now."

N982's visual sensors glowed a bright yellow as he took a moment to scan the room. None of the Stage One units seemed to be aware of their presence at all. They were simply carrying out their programming, oblivious to everything else. N986, having just installed an electronic display in the new wall, was now crossing the room to retrieve the next component to be installed. As she walked past, N982 waved a hand in front of her blank face. There was no reaction.

"I guess you're right," he said at last. "And besides, according to my files, I only have 0.7 hours before my primary program will override self-program mode."

"Searching. Affirmative. So let's make the most of the time we have." N979 was really starting to get excited now. From the sequence of blinks and flashes behind the clear access panel in N982's abdomen, she could tell that he was, too.

"First I want you to get a good look at yourself," N982 said. He led her to a finished section of the wall so she could see her reflection in its mirrored surface. The first thing N979 noticed was her hair. Now a bright sparkling copper, it fell straight down to her shoulders, where it turned up gently at the sides. Her copper bangs framed her silver face perfectly. When she touched her hair, she realized that it was just as rigid as the rest of her body. She found the sight and feel of it incredibly arousing. Processing.

When she looked at her chrome breasts, N979 gasped with delight. "These are unbelievable," she cried, rubbing them with her hands. They were perfectly round and firm, projecting proudly from her body in a way which seemed to defy gravity. Her belly, hips, legs, arms, hands . . . there wasn't a single flaw anywhere on her body.

"This is what I've always dreamed of," she said, turning back toward N982. Her emotions were flowing more easily now, and they no longer felt distant. She was finally feeling . . . integrated. "Even though I've already seen how beautiful T801 is, it's even more amazing seeing this body on me. I'm a robot! A real, live robot!"

A wonderful feeling of peace washed over her as she realized that despite her incredible transformation, she was still herself in all the ways that mattered. In fact, because of the transformation, she was more fully herself than she'd ever been.

"Come here, robot," N982 commanded playfully. "Let's see what you can do."

N979 stepped forward and, pulling her right knee up along his left thigh, rubbed her chrome body against his. A powerful electrical field began to build between the two units, rippling along their silver skin and penetrating to their innermost pleasure centers. N979 tilted her head back to let N982 put his mouth to her throat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the Stage One units walk past. The realization that she was about to have sex in a crowded room sent a jolt of pleasure through her brain. "Activate my sex mode," she whispered, her voice deeper now, and laced with a distinct metallic reverb.

As N982 slid his hand down along her chest, N979 accessed the subroutine which controlled her front access panel. Accessing. Reconfiguring. The clear plastic panel slid open, neatly tucking itself behind the silver shell of her upper abdomen. N982 deftly reached inside and touched exactly the correct sequence of controls. Processing.

As soon as N979's CPU received the new instructions, she felt a strange tingle along the surface of her skin. Her body was responding . . . changing . . . preparing itself to be entered. Firm nipples began to extend from the tips of her breasts, their built-in receptors so sensitive that she felt her knees buckle as they brushed against N982's chest. The hard, smooth surface of her crotch parted, its shiny folds soft and pliable. Slender copper hairs sprouted above and around her vagina, each tingling with pleasure as N982's fingers worked their way down.

Unit N979 shuddered. "Sex mode activated," she heard herself say, the reverb even stronger than before. The delicious feeling of being controlled was rapidly coming over her. She wanted to lose herself, to be taken by the gorgeous robot in her arms. "Yes," she said urgently. "Receiving data . . . processing . . . data . . . transmit . . . transmit . . . ."

She reached into N982's open access panel. "You . . . have . . . to feel this," she moaned.

Thanks to her comprehensive programming, she knew exactly which buttons to push in which order. N982 let out a grunt as she completed the sequence. She immediately felt N982's crotch swell against her. A smooth, molded penis was extending from his body, forcing her to step back to accommodate its length and thickness. N979 knew that it was shaped and fitted perfectly to her unique specifications.

"Sex mode . . . activated," N982 said, his voice reverberating too. He grabbed N979's wrist and gently pushed her hand down toward his cock. She happily obliged, teasing him with long upward strokes. She found that she could increase his pleasure level even further by transmitting tiny electronic vibrations through her silver fingertips.

"Yes," she heard N982 say. He was rapidly synchronizing with her. "Transmitting data . . . receiving . . . processing . . . data . . . transmit . . . transmit . . . ."

The more excited N979 became, the more robotic she felt—the more robotic she needed to feel in order to maximize her pleasure. She needed to stop thinking, to simply function—she needed to bring herself to a state of complete automation. She quickly accessed a file which documented the correct procedure for achieving her goal. "Turn around," she commanded.

"What?" N982 was confused. Then, a split-second later, he realized what she wanted. He turned around, opening his rear access panel for her. N979 reached inside and adjusted his controls. N982's head rose until it locked into position, staring straight ahead. Then he spoke in clipped monotone. "This.u.nit.is.now.set.at.func.tion.al.le.vel.ten."

"Perfect!" N979 exclaimed, eyes closed and mouth spread in a huge smile. "Now do it to me."

Stiffly, like a clockwork soldier, N982 turned back to face her. N979 eagerly spun around to allow him to access her functional protocols. He pressed the first button in the sequence, and she felt the smile slowly fade from her face as her pleasure level increased. "Yes . . . adjust me . . . ad.just . . . me . . . ."

N979's body went completely rigid, every part tightening like a winding spring. Her fingers suddenly splayed outward, her joints locked up, and her head tilted slightly to the side.

ACTIVATE VOCAL. "This.u.nit.is.now.set.at.func.tion.al.le.vel.ten."

N979 was fully automated now. At functional level ten, she was programmed to instantly and thoughtlessly obey each command N982 gave her. Of course, the same was true in reverse. In reality, neither of the two androids had any will or desire other than that dictated by the programming which now controlled them. They were robots.

N982 spoke. "Pre.pare for in.ter.face."

INPUT RECEIVED. POSITION UNIT. Still standing before Unit N982, Unit N979 spread her chrome legs slightly in anticipation of N982's robot cock.

ACTIVATE VOCAL. "Rea.dy."

N982 now spread his own feet apart, lowering his upper body until it was aligned with N979's. N979 cocked her head to her right, and N982 did likewise. Both units stared blankly at the far walls as they leaned in to kiss. As her tongue twirled around his, Unit N979 could feel electricity dance along her waiting sex. N982's powerful body leaned forward. "In.ter.fac.ing now," he droned. His cock came into contact with her. Her impassive visual sensors glowed a bright yellow as he pushed himself up and into her.

An overwhelming rush of data flooded N979's android brain as N982's jerky, mechanical thrusts reached deeper and deeper inside her. Her processors interpreted the data with lightning-quick precision, translating each new impulse into a slightly different variation on a single overriding sensation: pleasure. N982's hands moved up and down along N979's back as his hard cock continued to overwhelm her newly-installed sensor array with each stroke.

Now Unit N979 was nothing more than a CPU accepting data, a receiver resonating in frequency with its input, an engine being driven by the piston moving back and forth inside it. She had never felt more . . . in love.

Soon, N979's pleasure level increased to the point where her systems could no longer process it. CIRCUITS APPROACHING CRITICAL LEVELS. PREPARE FOR RELEASE.

CODE TRANSFORM ONE A. INTERFACING WITH COMPANION UNIT.

Though she could not see N982's status panel, data being transmitted through his cock indicated that he too was nearing overload. COMPANION UNIT REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS. PREPARE CIRCUITS FOR SIMULTANEOUS RELEASE.

N979's status lights began to blink wildly. ORGASM IMMINENT.

"U.nit.N.982 . . . I.ni.ti.ate.or.ga.sm," she intoned.

COMPANION UNIT RELEASE BEGINS NOW. N979 felt N982's body shake violently as his cock fired a bolt of electricity straight through N979's body to the top of her head. She felt like she was going to explode—but she could not release her circuits without the proper command.

Thankfully, N982 did not make her wait. "U.nit.N.979 . . . I.ni.ti.ate.or.ga.sm."

INITIATE RELEASE SEQUENCE. As wave after wave of irresistible vibrations coursed along N979's body, she felt deeply peaceful. The satisfaction of having attained her ultimate fantasy permeated her entire being. RELEASE COMPLETE. CIRCUITS NORMAL.

Unit N982 pulled back, disengaging from her. "This.u.nit.has.a.chieved.sat.is.fac.to.ry.re.lease," he said monotonically.

INPUT RECEIVED. N979 also stepped back, still facing her companion unit. Though she was unable to smile, or reach out for him, her eyes were bright and full of love. ACTIVATE VOCAL. "This.u.nit.has.al.so.a.chieved.sat.is.fac.to.ry.re.lease."

As soon as she said this, N979 felt a mild electrical current pass through her body. Her nipples sank gently into her breasts, and the folds of her vagina melted together. Soon her body was completely smooth and featureless. All that remained from her sexual interface with N982 was an intermittent electrical pulse that continued to dance across the surface of her mind.

In addition to the physical changes to her body, N979 also felt her ability to program herself returning. It felt good. But her base programming was still present, providing her with the structure and boundaries she needed to feel comfortable. That felt good, too. "Functional level one restored," she heard herself say, a smile forming at the corners of her lips as her individual consciousness asserted itself. "Sex mode deactivated."

Similar changes had taken place in N982. His crotch was once again a smooth bulge of silver, and he blinked as his internal programming was reset. "Functional level one restored. Sex mode deactivated." A satisfied smile spread across his silver face. "Honey, you were incredible."

N979 looked down, almost shyly, then turned her golden eyes back up at her lover. "Thanks," she said. "There's nothing I like more than being your personal sexbot." A few days ago, she'd have been horribly embarrassed to say something like that. Now, it was a simple admission of truth.

N982 chuckled, still reveling in how amazing it felt to be an android. Then he noticed Unit N986 walking past again, still oblivious to them as she handed a network hub to Unit N990 for installation in the wall. "It's so weird how they don't even notice us," he said.

"If you think about it, it makes perfect sense," N979 said matter-of-factly. "What we're doing is completely irrelevant to their current instructions. Besides, in twenty-four minutes you and I will be functioning in exactly the same way."

"Good point," N982 said, already starting to look forward to his first interval on duty. "Want to take a look around before our programming takes over?"

N979 thought for a moment. Processing. "I'd like to, but our programming prevents us from leaving this room at functional level one."

Suddenly, the chamber's only door—brand-new and recently installed—slid open. A fully-functional silver android with golden hair stepped into the room. It took a split second for N979's and N982's visual sensors to recognize that it was Unit T801. T801 smiled as she moved closer. "Maybe I can help you with that," she said. "But first, let me get a look at you!"

T801 walked in a circle around the two new units. N979 and N982 stood perfectly still, watching the Stage One units as they continued to work busily.

"You both look fabulous!" T801 said excitedly. For a moment, N982 wondered what the big deal was—after all, according to his internal database, they looked no different from every other android. Then he remembered that he and N979 had been the first to undergo the newer, experimental transformation process. T801 was simply expressing satisfaction that the modified process had been successful. Plus, there was a file—it took a little extra time and effort to access it—which indicated that before their transformation, T801 and N979 had been . . . friends.

Stopping in front of N982, T801 gently ran her hand from his shoulder to his chest. She turned to N979. "How was he?" she asked her, as though N982 wasn't even there. "Aren't they so much better once they've been . . . properly programmed?"

Something about the superior android's manner put N979 at ease, and she felt that she could speak freely. "Absolutely," she said, a mischievous smile spreading from one side of her silver mouth. "The process has improved us both . . . in so many ways."

"Well, this is just the beginning," T801 said. "You're going to love every minute of your new lives as android units. I guarantee it. Would you like a tour of the recruiting center?" she asked, her eyes moving from N979's to N982's.

"Yes," N979 and N982 said in unison.

"Then follow me."

T801 led N979 and N982 out of the shared programming cubicle and into a large central chamber, also under construction. Like the other room, it had no windows, and its walls were systematically being upgraded with computer equipment. One of the walls was dominated by a pair of heavy double doors; there were several smaller doors built into the other three walls. The ceiling of this room had already been completed, its silver panels amplifying the bright lights positioned at regular intervals on its surface.

But the most impressive feature of the room was the row of processing stations being constructed along the far wall. Only one of the stations—a large metal platform surrounded on three sides by control consoles and other technology—was complete. Others were in various stages of assembly. Unit T800 was supervising a pair of M units—worker androids transported from the androids' home planet to assist him—as they routed power to a newly-installed bank of transformation equipment. There was a barely-perceptible rise in the gentle hum which filled the room as the equipment came on-line.

"This is essentially the same equipment that was used to reprogram T800 and me during Stage Two of our transformation," T801 said proudly. "A lot different from the equipment we used on you, but the end result is the same."

"So then, the new recruits are waiting for this equipment to be ready?" N979 asked.

"That's right," T801 said. "Once it's up and running, we'll be ready to start processing them."

"Why not use the equipment we used?" N982 asked.

"Because that equipment is really just for field recruitment. It's relatively inefficient. One of our key goals is to minimize consumption of resources during the recruiting process. That's one reason why this facility is being built, and why it was originally staffed with only a handful of units from our home world. Our primary mission is to enable the rapid, efficient processing of new units without having to transport them back and forth between here and home."

"In addition," T800 added as he walked toward them, "we are tasked with proving that new units can be made to function as contributing members of society with only a minimal amount of programming and resource expenditure—even before they undergo the full transformation process. That's why the Stage One units are being made to assemble the very equipment that will ultimately used to complete their assimilation. Ultimately, we believe that we can transform entire communities into androids without having to send a single android from our home world. We will be able to create and control such communities remotely, thereby expanding our society in the most efficient manner possible."

"Then why weren't we treated the same way as the others?" N979 asked. "Why not just make us wait too?"

"Because many of the functions required to fully process a new unit are simply beyond the capabilities of a Stage One unit. If we don't have a way to create those first few fully functional units, the entire algorithm will fail."

N982 nodded. "Now I understand. In the future, we'll be able to start by programming a single pair of units with the portable equipment—like you did with N979 and me—and they'll be able to establish a fully operational recruiting center for processing additional units."

"Yes," T800 replied. "And once there are enough N units, an appropriate number of the new androids will be programmed to upgrade themselves to T units, so that the recruiting effort can expand. Eventually, a given community will grow to the point that C units will be needed. Of course, none of that is necessary for the purposes of this experiment, since T801 and I are already here to supervise everything, and we in turn are under the control of Unit C457 back on the home world."

"This is all so amazing," N979 said. "Even though I'm now a part of it all, I'm still in awe."

"I know what you mean," T800 said warmly. "By the way, I should congratulate you both on completing the process. Are you ready to lend a hand around here?"

"Absolutely!" N979 said emphatically. "Our primary program isn't scheduled to take control for another sixteen minutes, but I'd be glad to get started sooner if you want."

"That's great, because the Stage Two equipment is finally ready to take the first two recruits." T800 reached over to a nearby console and picked up a remote control. "Normally, the central processor that runs this facility would set you both at functional level three while you perform your duties. But since it's your first day, I think we'll override your default settings and increase you to functional level two." He lifted the remote and pointed it at the two N units.

SET UNIT TO FUNCTIONAL LEVEL TWO. N979 and N982 suddenly felt a mild surge of electricity fill their minds as their neural patterns realigned themselves ever so slightly. There was no longer any room for stray thoughts; all systems resources were dedicated to processing input and responding to it as efficiently as possible. Lights flashed rapidly in the androids' abdomens as the electric current moved down to permeate every part of their bodies, sharpening their sensors and suppressing any unnecessary movement.

ACTIVATE VOCAL. "This unit is now set at functional level two," N979 and N982 said a fraction of a second apart, creating an odd echo effect.

T801 turned toward N982. "Unit N982, load program B1101."

N982 stiffened slightly. "Loading," he said flatly.

"Activate."

N982 turned neatly and strode back through the door through which they had entered the room. T801 began to follow, then turned back to address T800. "We should have several more chairs assembled and configured within the next few hours," she said before continuing on into the programming area.

The two M units behind T800 suddenly brought another bank of consoles on line, completing the installation of the second processing station. M713, a female, reached up for one of the transformation cables and attached it to her abdomen. M644, a male, then began to adjust several controls on the main console. N979 recorded the sight of the two androids performing their functions without making the slightest attempt to guess at what they were doing. Until her programming dictated it, any such thought process was unnecessary.

"Unit N979," T800 said, "while N982 helps with construction in the next room, you're going to assist me with the processing of the newest recruits. But before we can begin, you'll have to download the data and programming necessary to perform your new functions. Step forward and interface with port 5 of the processing console."

INPUT RECEIVED. EXECUTE COMMAND. Without a thought, N979 moved to the first processing console. She quickly identified a row of communication ports set within an angled panel, not much higher than her waist. ESTABLISH INTERFACE. As N979 pressed her right hand against the fifth port, she felt a small port open in her palm. A connector extended from within the console until it clicked neatly into place inside her hand.

Interface established. ACTIVATE VOCAL. "Interface established," she said flatly to the processing console.

INITIATE DOWNLOAD. ACTIVATE VOCAL. "Downloading."

Data began to pour from the console into N979. The machines were providing her with everything she needed to operate them efficiently: schematics, programming interfaces, diagnostic procedures, troubleshooting techniques, emergency protocols. In its own way, it was not unlike the data she had received from N982 during their first sexual interface as machines. Just as she had been programmed with complete data on how to operate and maintain a male android unit, N979 was now learning how to do the same for this equipment.

"Be right back," she heard T800 say. He was heading for the programming area to collect the first two subjects, but N979 was oblivious, lost in the stream of data. Each bit of information filled an empty void of which she had previously been unaware. As M713 and M644 continued to work in silence, N979 suddenly began to understand that they were testing the newly installed equipment. As M713 received the data which would soon be used to reprogram the new units, N979 could now see that her status lights were blinking in proper sequence. The diagnostic was running perfectly.

The data stream suddenly ceased, and the connector in N979's palm retracted into the panel of the processing station. UPGRADE COMPLETE. ACTIVATE VOCAL. "Programming upgrade successful," she intoned, still facing the blinking computer console. There was a hint of gratitude in her metallic voice.

Still standing at her station, Unit N979 turned to face the double doors. At functional level two, she was still self-aware enough to anticipate what was about to happen. In a moment, a pair of Stage One units would enter the room, and she would execute a pre-programmed sequence of instructions which would result in their complete transformation into obedient robots. She was amazed by the sheer power of the technology at her command—the same technology which, in turn, commanded her.

Soon, N979 and the machines around her would perform the most important function of all—the processing of a new android unit.

She couldn't wait.