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This is the fifth story in my Legacy Universe, though like the others is a stand alone. For those who aren't aware of it, this is the same universe that had The Miracle Legacy, A Change of Heart, Hardshell and The Praxis Crossing. Mannequin By Morpheus The rain was beating hard against my windshield, making it even harder to see through the dark outside. It wasn't the greatest driving weather, made worse by my being a bit tired. But I'd been through much worse. And I still had a good ways to go before I could pull my truck over and get a bit of sleep, at least if I wanted to make my delivery on time. My name is Cole Shannon, and I was 6 foot 1, 270 pounds of lean... or not so lean, mean trucker. I was 36 years old with a slightly thick build, shaggy brown hair and a beard that I was somewhat proud of. Overall, I figured that I looked every inch the trucker that I was, including my old baseball cap and flannel shirt. "C'mon," I muttered, glancing out the side window at the empty stretch of country around me. There probably weren't any people for a long ways... but then I saw a faint light a ways ahead, realizing that I just might be wrong. It was probably a farmhouse or someone who just wanted a bit of privacy. Letting out a yawn, I plugged a tape into my radio and giving a faint grunt as a calm voice started to play. It wasn't the music that someone might expect from someone in my occupation, but more of an educational tape on American history. I figured that if I was going to spend countless hours behind the wheel, it wouldn't hurt to learn a thing or two while I was at it. Of course, I still had a nice collection of music tapes in a box under my seat as well. Suddenly, there was something in the road immediately in front of me. I didn't have any time to react, barely even having any to halfway register that it was a large deer... an instant before it collided with my truck, flying down my hood and smashing into my windshield. It all happened so fast that before I even knew it, I lost control of my truck and slammed through the barrier and over the embankment. The only thing that I had time for... that I could even think was, "OH SHIT!" An instant later, the whole world twisted around before exploding into pain... then finally... darkness. --- I had no idea how long I was out, or even that I was out until I came to and found myself staring at a wall and feeling completely confused. Memories of the crash immediately rushed in, though the clearest thing that I remembered was the pain. I remembered that it had hurt worst than that time I'd been roughed up pretty bad in Chicago and put into the hospital. But the odd thing was, at the moment I didn't feel a thing. Not a single thing. Feeling rather apprehensive, I tried to turn my head to look around, but it wouldn't move. I couldn't budge my arms either. Hell, I couldn't even feel them. That really began to worry me. Either I was on some really strong drugs... or... I didn't want to think about the 'or'. Then another thought suddenly ran through my mind. It was the realization that I was upright, facing a wall on the other side of a large room. And from what little I could see of the room, not being able to turn my head and all, it didn't exactly look like a hospital. Suddenly, a man stepped right in front of me, staring me straight in the face with a concerned look. He looked to be in his late fifties or so, with light gray hair and a goatee... not to mention a pair of glasses on his face. Another man moved beside him, looking at me almost emotionlessly. This man looked to be in his forties, with dark hair and a small scar on his forehead. "Are you awake?" the older man asked, sounding both worried and hopeful at the same time. I tried to respond, but was unable to move my mouth. It was as paralyzed as everything else. The younger man scowled at the older, then stepped off to the side and out of my vision. A moment later, I felt something. I could move my head slightly, but that seemed to be all. "Aw..." the man in front of me announced, "You are awake." "Yes," I responded, surprised that my voice felt strong and clear, though it seemed to sound wrong to my ears. Probably whatever medication they had me on. "Do you remember what happened to you?" he asked, looking a little more hopeful. "Yeah," I answered him quietly, giving a mental wince at the thought and trying to prepare myself for the worst. "A crash... I hit a deer..." I was surprised again at how clear the words were, even if they sounded odd. I'd imagined that they would probably have been a bit slurred. The man nodded at that, looking faintly satisfied. The other man came into view again and commented, "The memory appears intact." "Let's test that," the older one commented, giving me a steady look. "What's your name?" he asked me, to which I answered. That was followed with about a dozen more questions, each one something fairly simple, but apparently meant to check that I didn't have brain damage or anything. The very fact that they were checking for that didn't wasn't a good sign, but the fact that I could easily answer was. It certainly eased my mind slightly, but not much at all. Finally, they seemed satisfied and the older man told me, "I'm Doctor Eli Lindquist, and this..." he gestured to the other one, "is Dr. Westerman." I didn't respond to their introductions, being far too worried to think about being polite. With each passing moment, I started to feel worse and worse about what was going on. A thousand about what the crash had probably done to me quickly filled my mind, each one worse than the one before. All I knew at the moment was that I was alive and hadn't been left a vegetable. "This is going to be difficult," Dr. Lindquist started, glancing at the other man for help, though he just shrugged, apparently satisfied to leave the talking to Lindquist for the moment. "You... you were severely injured when we found you." That was the last thing that I'd wanted to hear and I winced badly, dreading the worst. It was as though for the last minute, I had been standing before Saint Peter... waiting to find out what my eternal fate was going to be. Then again, I'd already come extremely close to doing just that. But as bad as the accident itself had been, now I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it scared the hell out of me. "You were in critical condition," Dr. Westerman elaborated, "The nearest hospital is an hour away and there was no possibility of your surviving that long." "It was a miracle that you were still alive when we found you," Lindquist told me nervously. "If we hadn't heard the crash and arrived when we did..." At that, they both paused to look at each other and I felt another sinking feeling. It took a bit of effort to keep from demanding that they quit pussyfooting around and tell me what was going on. But at the moment, I didn't think that being pushy was a good idea. "How bad am I?" I asked quietly. "Very." Lindquist responded quietly, then gave me an odd look before adding, "Or you were." Westerman took a long look at me, frowning slightly. Then he glanced at his watch before telling the older man, "I will leave the explanations to you." He gave me a strange look before walking away. "Um... yes," Lindquist sighed, adjusting his glasses. "I am not sure how to explain..." Then he sighed, "You see, we are not medical doctors. We're scientists, though some of our research does contain incredible medical potential." "Not doctors..." I repeated, feeling even more confused than before. Then how was I still alive at all if I was as critical as they said? Before I could ask, Lindquist continued, "Virgil... that's Dr. Westerman and I have been working in the development of advanced robotics systems. Specifically, in the creation of androids which might serve a number of useful purposes." He looked slightly embarrassed at that. I just didn't see where this was going. Nor did I particularly care. I had a hell of a lot more important things to think about. "Your body was mangled," he reminded me, "There was nothing we could do. Even if there was a hospital nearby, you wouldn't have survived." Lindquist paused to adjust his glasses again, even though they hadn't moved. It was apparently some sort of nervous habit. "In order to save your life... we had to take drastic measures. We transferred your mind into our prototype." That statement was something of a shock, and all I could do was stare at him, wondering if he could possibly be serious. However, the expression on his face was definitely so. "It has a highly complex crystal matrix brain," Lindquist explained. "And we transferred the contents of your brain into it. All of your memories and personality. Though to be honest, I wasn't completely certain that it would work..." Lindquist gave dramatic pause while I stared at him in shock, then he finished, "We couldn't save your body... but we could save your mind." "Bullshit," I growled after a few seconds, "I ain't buying." Still, in spite of my forceful denial, I wasn't completely certain. The doctor gave me a hurt look, as though insulted. "Yet that is the truth," he finally responded. "We knew that it would be difficult to accept, which was why we left the... your motor controls deactivated until we could explain." Again, I told him, "Bullshit..." though this time without much force. I was far too afraid that he was telling me the truth, even if I didn't want to believe it. "I'm afraid that there is another surprise as well," Lindquist told me with a faint smile, moving over to the side to push something, "I'll let you see for yourself..." A second later, I could suddenly feel my body again... and I could move. I remained where I was for just a moment, moving my fingers and then taking a step forward, finding that I had been in some sort of receptacle thing on the wall. And then remembering Lindquist's claim that I was inside some sort of prototype android, I took a look down at myself and received the shock of my life. "OH SHIT!" I blurted out. With a single look down, I could see a pair of tits on my chest... I just gasped at the sight, unable to believe that I actually had a set of melons, just like some woman. However, as soon as I got past that enough to look down, I realized at those weren't the only things of a woman that I had. My whole body seemed to be female... or at least it looked like it. Feeling extremely uncomfortable as I looked over my unfamiliar body, I gasped, "What the hell?" There was one thing that was immediately obvious to me, besides the female body... or being completely naked. It was the fact that my skin looked weird as hell. My skin was sort of a pinkish flesh color, and sort of shiny as well, looking as though it was made out of plastic. A sudden thought ran through my mind that it probably made me look like some kind of human sized Barbie doll or mannequin. That effect was only added to by several seams in my skin, especially around my joints. Seeming to read my unspoken question, Lindquist said, "As you can see, our prototype hadn't been completed yet. Dr. Westerman and I had yet to replace the artificial epidermis with a more human looking one." Then he looked thoughtful, "And though the computer and control systems are fully operational, we had yet to finish creating the artificial intelligence programs that would have made it useful for anything more complex than following immediate direct orders." There was another pause before he looked at me with an embarrassed smile and added, "Then again, there no longer seems to be any need for an AI." "I'm... I'm a robot!" I exclaimed, tearing my eyes from my body and staring at Lindquist. "Not a robot," Lindquist responded just a little quickly, looking just a tiny bit insulted, "An android. No... a synthoid." I just grumbled, "Whatever," to that. I didn't care if it was an android or a wind up toy soldier. The fact was, I wasn't human anymore. I was a machine. A stupid fucking machine. However, in spite of that, I didn't really feel like a machine. But then again, what was a machine supposed to feel like? All that I knew was that I felt strange, but not nearly as strange as I thought I should have. As I ran my hand along my skin... or whatever passed for it, I could feel it, proving that I still had a sense of touch. "It is actually a very complex artificial system," another voice came from the side. Dr. Westerman came in, apparently having heard our exchange, "Designed to mimic human functions very effectively." "Indeed," Lindquist nodded agreement. Then Westerman gave Lindquist an odd look before telling me with a hint of amusement in his voice, "In fact, Dr. Lindquist designed the prototype you currently inhabit to function in... adult entertainment." I stared at one, and then both of them, seeing from the look of embarrassment on Lindquist's face, that Westerman had been telling the truth. Shit, I'd been turned into a walking, talking blow up doll. A human sized sex toy. It was not a pleasant realization, but then again nothing seemed to have been since I awoke. Excepting of course the fact that I was still alive. "I know that this must be quite a shock for you," Lindquist said as he put a hand on my shoulder, "But this was the only way that we could save your life. Perhaps someday we can build a male model to transfer you into..." Westerman winced at that, then muttered something about that being outrageously expensive and a ridiculous waste of money. I didn't think that I was meant to hear, but even from the other side of the room I could make most of it out. And after looking at him for a moment, I began to realize that he wasn't particularly happy about my being inside of his project... probably messing with whatever it was that those two had planned for it. But it wasn't like I could do anything about that. "That would be great," I told Lindquist, not looking at Westerman as I said it. After several more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Lindquist suddenly suggested, "Perhaps you might like to have a better view of your new body. It might help some..." I just nodded, feeling too overwhelmed by the whole thing to do much more. One minute I was driving my truck and minding my own business, and the next thing I know... I'm roadkill. Then I wake up to find that I've been turned into some kind of wind up toy. A sex toy at that. No guy should have to deal with that. "I need a drink," I muttered, then suddenly realize, "Can I still drink?" "Your artificial body does not require food or water," Lindquist tells me, then smiles faintly, "Though it does possess the ability to consume both." "The better to mimic human functions," Westerman added calmly. Then just as I was beginning to tiny bit better at least, he continued, "Though of course you would be unable to taste the food..." Lindquist sighed, "We have yet to truly duplicate the senses of taste and smell." Somehow, I had the feeling that they hadn't tried too hard either. After all, how necessary was either of those for a robot. At least my other senses... my hearing, touch and sight were all good. Though I couldn't help noticing that they were all a bit off as well. Just then, Lindquist stopped walking and gestured to a mirror the wall. It took me a moment to realize just what that meant. I hesitated for several seconds, taking a look at both Lindquist and Westerman, then moving towards the mirror. I was definitely not looking forward to this, though I knew that I had to see what the hell they had made me into. With the first sight of my reflection, I froze motionless, staring at it in disbelief. I had long blonde hair and a hell of a nice figure. My skin was inhumanly smooth, without a single hair other than what was on my head. And with my plastic looking skin, I did look like nothing more than a mannequin. Except perhaps a human sized Barbie doll. "Oh shit," I whispered, unable to take my eyes off of that image. I was a... a fembot. Like in that Austin Powers movie. Lindquist didn't say a word, though he stepped beside as though trying to comfort me. After a minute, he interrupted me and asked, "Would you like some time alone?" All I could do was nod to that. He nodded back and then left the room with Westerman. I had no idea how long I remained standing motionless in front of the mirror, though as soon as I wondered, the answer suddenly came to me. 19 minutes, 23 seconds. It was like the answer was fed directly into my mind, spooking me a bit. That didn't really make me feel any better about what I had suddenly turned into. A short while later, Lindquist came back, looking rather uncomfortable. I guessed that I could see it from his point of view, where his wooden puppet had suddenly started moving around and thinking on it's own. It was like he was Gepetto, though I was sort of an anti-Pinnochio, having gone from being a real boy into a plastic doll. Neither of us said much as Lindquist led me down several halls and into a spare bedroom where he said I could have some privacy. I just nodded, not saying anything as I went inside and closed the door, staring down at my alien body and trying to absorb what had happened to me. While I sat on the bed, lost in thought, it took me some time to realize that the lights in the room were off. Glancing around, I didn't see any windows or source of lights, so I didn't quite understand where the green light I was seeing things in came from. Then I winced, feeling stupid as I remembered that I wasn't even in a human body anymore. It was my artificial eyes, giving me night vision of some sort. "Great," I muttered bitterly, "I'm robo Barbie... with see in the dark action." I continued to sit there though, doing nothing except staring at myself and wondering, "Why me?" And as the hours passed, I grew increasingly depressed, sinking more and more into self-pity and shame. I felt humiliation and disgust for what I had become. I was a freak...a monster. I wasn't even human anymore. I was a thing of plastic and metal... a robot. A fembot. A fucking blow up doll. Thoughts that I would have been better off having died like I was supposed to have kept crossing my mind. Eventually, something snapped inside of me and I started feeling disgusted at myself for an entirely different reason. I'd never believed in suicide before and didn't like the fact that I had been considering the idea now. Nor had I ever been the kind of guy who was into self-pity, so I didn't think that I should start up with it now. Then I looked down at my hands yet again, realizing just how lucky I was to be alive at all. It was a miracle that I was still around, so I should be counting my blessings rather than pouting about HOW I was still alive. My hands... I realized that they were like prosthetics. A guy with a prosthetic leg was still human. It was just that more of my body was prosthetic than normal... a whole lot. "I'm alive," I finally said with a sigh, a faint smile beginning to form on my face. I stood up, experimentally moving my arms and legs before finally dropping down to my knees and bowing my head. Though I didn't do it very often... I prayed. If ever there was a time to give thanks to God, I figured that this was it. When I was done, I left stepped out the door and started down the hall, knowing that I owed my rescuers a delayed, but very heartfelt thank you. --- Several days later, I stood in front of the mirror, taking a long look at my reflection, still hardly able to believe that it was really me. I didn't quite cringe back at the sight of the moving Barbie doll that faced me, but I still wasn't that comfortable with her either. Nor was I that pleased with what I was wearing... or what I wasn't. "Damn Victoria's Secret," I muttered, uttering the words that I never thought that I would have heard myself say. Though I had an artificial body that didn't feel at all cold, nor discomfort at walking around without shoes, I wasn't very comfortable at walking around without a stitch of clothes on, for modesty's sake if nothing else. And even if I didn't think of them that way, they were a symbol... something to mark me as human, not as a machine. So while I had thanked Lindquist and Westerman for saving my life, I'd asked them if they had anything for me to wear. I had been a little less than pleased when the only thing Lindquist had come up with was some lingerie that he'd bought for his fembot. That was just further proof that he was a bit of a dirty old man, though I hadn't really needed much after seeing what kind of robot he'd built. However, the lingerie was the only thing around that would actually really fit my current body, so I had little choice but to wear it unless I wanted to go around buck naked... which I didn't. With a bit of embarrassment, I posed just a little bit in front of the mirror, once again struck by the similarity to a store mannequin. A very well built mannequin though since my proportions were a little more like those of a Barbie doll. Then with a frown, I buttoned back up the large white lab coat that I'd insisted on borrowing from my rescuers as well... much to Lindquist's unspoken disappointment. "I wonder how long it will take to get the new skin," I mused, thinking about comments both Lindquist and Westerman had made about the work they still had to do on the cosmetic changes. Apparently my being inside of their project hadn't changed those plans, much to my relief. I'd be much happier when I could go out in public without feeling like a freak, or walk through a mall without worrying about being put into one of the store windows... Several seconds later, I added, "Or when they can make me another guy body..." Somehow though, I didn't think that it would be anytime soon, and I didn't think it very appropriate to try pushing the doctors for more just yet. As I turned from the mirror, I looked down at my still bare legs and feet, wondering how soon before I could get real clothes either. But with my build, I suspected that for anything much more than what I was currently wearing would probably require some specially made clothing... or a bit of looking. Either way, Lindquist had made a few vague promises about the next time he got into the city... though I wasn't holding my breath. "Almost time for dinner," I sighed, knowing that it wouldn't do me much good. Sure, I could still eat small amounts and have something inside of me actually disintegrate it, but I couldn't taste it. Eating was no longer an enjoyable experience for me. That was probably one of the worst things about what had happened to me. I winced at the thought of not being able to enjoy a double bacon cheeseburger or a thick juicy steak with side order of chili fries. No more munching on twinkies while I drove, nor finishing off a six pack at home. It was a little depressing, knowing that I'd be missing out on my favorite foods. I had learned other things about my new body during the last few days as well. For one, I didn't need to sleep anymore either, which gave me a lot more free time than before. Not that I really had anything to do with it at the moment. Of course, not having a human body anymore, I didn't have to breathe or go to the bathroom anymore either. Both were pretty odd for me, though they were easily overlooked unless I thought about them. There had been a lot of things for me to get used to, or at least to try getting used to. I didn't think that I'd really gotten used to a single thing. Neither from looking like a Barbie doll, nor from now being a much shorter 5 foot 7. However, I was definitely trying. After all, I had no doubts that I was a whole lot better off than I would have been if they hadn't found me. However, that just reminded me of my truck, making me wince at the very thought. I'd spent a lot of time in that baby so it kind of hurt to think that it was a total wreck now. But, as I had been reminding myself over the last couple days, that was over with and there was nothing that I could do about it now. "Just deal with whatever comes," I told myself, for what had to be the thousandth time, "and move on." A moment later, I took a long look around the small room that the docs had let me use and then sat down on the edge of the bed, turning on the TV. It seemed that watching the tube was one of my few old pleasures that I could still enjoy. And I'd been enjoying it a good bit since I couldn't exactly go out and the docs tended to stay busy with whatever it was they were doing. "Wish I had some chips," I complained as I flipped through the channels. Then I saw a show that made me stop, a weekly series called Developments. It was sort of like one of those news shows about Hollywood and entertainment, except that it focused on the developed... people with weird powers and the latest news about them. I frequently watched the show because it was interesting if nothing else, and of course, because a lot of the developed girls were... well developed. And not to mention usually wearing spandex. There was nothing like a hot girl wearing spandex. This time, Developments was going on about how Ms. Miracle and her team dealt with some alien invasion attempt in New Jersey, and how Praxis had fought some unknown villain who managed to escape. And of course, they gave reports about some unknown and apparently new super heroine in Miami, as well as some new big shot team of developed heroes who were supposed to be the best of the best. After the show ended, I went back to flipping through channels, hoping that I could find something interesting. Then I paused, looking down at myself again in disbelief. Somehow, I didn't think that I'd ever get used to either seeing that body... or wearing it. But then again, I didn't really have much choice so there was no use whining about it. With that, I put my hands on my large breasts, feeling them in my hand and having a hard time believing that they weren't real... even if they did look a bit like plastic. I could feel them in my hands... I could feel my hands on them. And they felt soft, not like the hard plastic they appeared. It was definitely strange, though I had to give a faint smile at the thought that at least the perverts had made their sex toy able to feel some pleasure. "Some prosthetics," I muttered with another shake of my head. I was even sure that I could feel a bit of a warm lubrication beginning to build up between my legs. "One hell of a machine..." Then I flipped a mental switch and turned off those sensations, amazed at how easy it was to do so. I could make myself horny or not... just by willing it. That was certainly a handy feature to have. Deciding that I'd had more than enough of both that and TV for the moment, I left the room and headed out to find Lindquist. He seemed a bit friendlier than Westerman, who was distant if nothing else. Though Lindquist had gone out of his way to be friendly to me, I could tell that Westerman resented my presence to some degree. Not that I blamed him though. I found Lindquist in his lab, working on something that I couldn't quite identify. But he stopped and looked up when he saw me, giving a nervous smile. "What can I do for you?" Lindquist asked me pleasantly. "Maybe some clothes," I reminded him, wondering how long I could get by with just lingerie and a lab coat. It was... embarrassing. Lindquist just nodded at that, promising to get me some the next time he got into town. "But I have been thinking," he told me afterwards, "You might want to consider using a female name for the time being..." That had briefly occurred to me as well just the day before, though I hadn't given it much thought since. "Maybe you can flip your name over," the doc suggested eagerly, "Call your self Shannon Cole." "Maybe," I nodded without much enthusiasm myself. "Or," he continued, "you can just change your first name a little... becoming Carol..." I gave a faint grunt at that. "What do you think?" After staring at Lindquist for a second, I responded, "I think I'll stick with Cole." He looked a little disappointed, though didn't push it. Then I reluctantly admitted, "That first one's not bad. I'll think about it." "Good," he nodded, "very good." "Now, about those clothes," I reminded him, earning a slight chuckle. "I won't forget," he grinned back, adjusting his glasses. I was just a little nervous about what he might get me, though wasn't sure that I should push the issue just yet. I could end up giving him some ideas. Several seconds later, he went back to work on what he had been doing, with me just watching silently. Finally, I couldn't resist asking him what it was. "An upgrade on the android control system," Lindquist told me proudly, a faint gleam in his eyes. "It still needs a bit of work though." Then he paused to frown slightly. "I'm sorry. I know that you were hoping for the skinwork..." "Yeah," I admitted, feeling just a little uncomfortable. Then I told him, "I really appreciate everything, but I was kind of hoping to at least look a little more normal." And then I quickly added, "But I don't want to rush you or anything..." Lindquist chuckled, "I understand, and we are working on it. However, developing highly realistic synthetic skin is more difficult than it sounds." Then he gave me a grin before adding, "But we are almost there..." I nodded at that, still feeling a bit uncomfortable for imposing on him. Though I didn't really have much choice, I hated having to rely on other people for everything...or making them go out of their way for me. "Well," I told Lindquist sincerely, "Thanks. Thanks for everything." I wasn't much for all that sentimental stuff and felt pretty uncomfortable saying as much as I was. So with that, I turned and hurried away before Lindquist even had the chance to turn it into some kind of soap-opera mushfest, leaving him to his work instead. --- It had been a long night, but then all of them seemed to have been that way since my being turned into a human mannequin four days earlier. Since I no longer needed to sleep, it left me with lots of spare time at night. And because of that, I'd just spent the night watching late night TV, Discovery channel and playing solitaire. It was boring enough as it was, but not being able to really munch on chips or drink some beer while watching just made things even blander. "At least I can catch up on some reading," I muttered, patting the book that I had started reading a little while earlier. It was Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, which I had really thought appropriate. And it was certainly a little different than most movie versions that I'd seen. After awhile, I looked over at the clock and was relieved that it was time for breakfast... even a late breakfast. That didn't mean much to me personally, but what it did mean was that the docs were bound to be up and about. And that meant someone to talk to... if they weren't too busy. Which they usually were. At least Westerman was...and he wasn't the talkative type even when he wasn't busy. "Damn this," I tugged at my lingerie, shaking my head and wondering yet again when Lindquist was going to get me something else to wear. I was about to the point to start insisting on it. At least I didn't get cold and still had the lab coat to help cover things up just a little more. Giving a shake of my head, I left the room and started for the kitchen area, though I found it empty when I got there. That wasn't much surprise though, so I just took a look around, fought back the urge to grab myself something to munch on since it wouldn't do me any good, then went to find the docs. When I got close to the lab, I heard Lindquist and Westerman talking... loudly. And feeling curious, I stopped where I was and listened in, feeling the faintest bit guilty, but not enough to stop eavesdropping. "We shouldn't have given direct control of it up," Westerman was growling. Lindquist immediately came back with, "But he needed out help. I know that it's a setback... but he would have died otherwise." "Maybe he should have died," Westerman sneered. "At least then our project security wouldn't have been compromised." "I can't believe that you would say that," Lindquist gasped in horror. However, before he could say anything further, Westerman continued, "But at least you did find something useful during this mess. The AI. We finally have the perfect way to create the adaptable mind and perspective that we'd been looking for. Instead of trying to duplicate a human's understanding of the world and ability to adapt to the unexpected, all that we need to do is download the actual contents of the human mind. All of the data that would be required and even missed is already there. Much simpler... and more effective." "Virgil!" Lindquist spat, "You know that this was never my intention. Our work..." "No," Westerman growled, "Your work was about satisfying your perverted fantasies. This technology is wasted on the sex toys that you had intended it for. That's why I've been developing the military aspects from the start." My eyes were going wide as I listened to them getting even louder, and as the insults started to fly. It was obvious that Lindquist was pissed at Westerman, whose arrogant tone would have been enough to make a priest punch him. It was almost as if Westerman was taunting the older man, trying to make him angry. And I was beginning to think that it was about time for me to step in and try calming things down. "I've always known that our ultimate goals are different," Westerman said as I began to move closer to the door, "And it appears that the time for us to part has finally come..." "I won't let you," Lindquist started to tell him, his voice more filled with determination than I'd heard it before. But Westerman quickly growled, "You don't have a choice." There was a sudden loud bang, and I stepped through the door just in time to see Westerman standing there with a gun in his hand. Just several feet away stood Lindquist, with a look of pained horror and confusion on his face as his hands grabbed at his chest. Blood was dripping down his front, leaving droplets all over the floor. "Consider this a termination or our working agreement," Westerman commented, sounding almost calm about it... though I could hear the underlying stress. Then he fired another shot, dropping Lindquist to the ground. "Doc!" I gasped out in horror, staring first at Lindquist and then his murderer. I couldn't believe what I'd just seen happen and wasn't at all sure what to do about it. A part of me said to just turn and run, while a smaller part said that I should help the doc out somehow. Westerman's eyes snapped towards me, a deep scowl forming on his face as the gun was now aimed at me. I gulped, suddenly feeling pretty damn afraid. Being killed once didn't make me any less afraid of dying again. "Stupid machine," he spat, sounding almost as though he was talking to himself. "I had planned on dealing with you just a little later." "What the hell are you doing?" I demanded nervously, looking at Lindquist and pleading, "He needs a hospital..." However, Westerman just scowled deeper, then smirked faintly as he lowered the gun. I started to sigh in relief, glad that he was going to let me get some help for Lindquist. But then, he just said, "Override code... delta sullivan three one nine." Suddenly, I felt something click inside of my mind. I couldn't quite make out what it was, but I knew without a doubt that it was absolutely no good for me. Not in the least. "What the hell did you do?" I asked fearfully, then grimaced and tried to put on a brave front. "You sick bastard..." Westerman just gave a smug look, "Every computer system has a back door... and I just activated the password to mine. The computer system that you currently reside in responds only to my voice and is back under my control... where it belongs." I took an instinctive step backwards, but he quickly ordered, "Stop. Don't move." And suddenly I did. It wasn't anything that I had meant to do, but I had no control. "What..." I started in horror. "Quiet," Westerman told me, forcing me to immediately go mute. "You can stay here until I decide what to do with you." With that, Westerman stepped next to Lindquist's body and glared down at him before turning to leave the lab. I was alone, helpless to even move or speak. And even worse, was the fact that I could see Lindquist still moving just a little... and groaning weakly. He was dying right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything for him... nor even turn away. I watched in horror as Lindquist passed away in front of me, as well as more than a bit of guilt. He had saved my life, and I wasn't able to help him back. I hated owing other people, and I hated not being able to pay them back even more. And he'd even been killed partly because he had saved me... and there was no way that I could pay that back. Instead, all I was able to do was bear silent witness to his passing. Westerman left me there for nearly a day, and it was a form of torture worse than any that I had ever imagined possible. I was bursting with rage and frustration, wanting to bust his head open so bad that I could taste it. However, that was not going to happen anytime soon, much to my further frustration. When Westerman eventually came back in, he gave Lindquist's body a dirty look, and then shook his head in disgust. Finally, he only glanced at me before ordering, "Dispose of the body and clean this mess up." Though I hadn't wanted to do anything, I found myself moving to do what he had told me to. It was as though my body had a mind of it's own... separate from my own. A mind that existed solely to follow orders. Just like any good computer I guessed, much to my disgust. I hated being a fucking robot. After this, I helplessly did what I'd been told to. I dug a hole in the field behind the lab and buried Lindquist. Somehow, I was able to hold enough control over my body to give a silent prayer before I was forced to turn around and go back up to finish cleaning. Cleaning up the blood stains was not a pleasant job, but it wasn't like I could complain. By the time I was finished, Westerman actually seemed somewhat pleased with himself. He even muttered something about, "Completing a job with only the objectives given..." and "Initiative in completing the instructions..." I supposed that he might have been referring to the fact that he'd only told me to get rid of the body and clean up the mess, but I'd buried it and chose to use a mop without specifically being told to. I guessed that was the kind of thing that they had been trying to get the android to do for them... and I ended up making possible, just by being inside of it, even if not in control. Needless to say, I wasn't all that proud to be part of that success. Then when Westerman was finished with me, at least for the moment, he just had me stand off to the side where I wasn't in the way. Without giving me another glance, Westerman left the lab, turning the light off behind him... and leaving me alone and helpless in the dark. And once he was gone, I wasn't sure whether to be more afraid or relieved about it. By the time the doc came for me again, I was bursting with anger and resentment, not to mention a bit of fear. But at the same time though, I felt a tiny amount relief at the sight of him, a reminder that I had not been forgotten about as I had started to think. "Time for work," Westerman said, though he was talking to himself more than to me. Westerman did some work at one of the benches without even looking at me, at least until he finally told me to do some cleaning. Unable to refuse or even argue, I found myself going for the mop and bucket, then beginning a thorough cleaning of the whole lab... followed by cleaning of the rest of the building. For the next two days, I spent all of my time either standing in the corner or doing work around the building at Westerman's instructions. It was frustrating and humiliating, but I had no choice. The doc had made sure of that. As far as he was concerned, I was a robot... nothing more. And I was more than a little sick of being treated like one. "Come," Westerman told me, gesturing to follow him. Of course I did so, not having any other choice. Westerman led me to one of the back rooms where there were some racks of electronic equipment, the purpose of which I couldn't even guess. He slowly looked some of them over before turning back to me. "Move this rack and that one," he pointed to two of them, "to the far wall," he gestured over there, "and take the others into the storage room." I wished I could have told him to do it himself, and that he was insane if he thought I could lift something as heavy looking as one of those racks, but I was still unable to talk. However, I was able to hesitate and look from the racks to the doc, the computer controlling me seeming to agree that I couldn't lift them. "Do it," Westerman demanded impatiently. That seemed to override the hesitation because I moved over and attempted to move one of the racks. However, as I had expected, it wouldn't budge. But at least, I suspected that I wouldn't have to worry about a hernia or anything in my fancy metal and plastic body. However, I wondered if there was something else that would break with too much effort instead. "Damn," Westerman muttered, glaring at me as though it was my fault, until he shook his head and added, "I almost forgot..." With a frown, he told me, "Deactivate strength limiters." Suddenly, I felt something shift inside of me. Not physically, but more mentally. I didn't really have time to think about that though as I was already going to work again on the racks. However, to my surprise, the one I was attempting to move did so with ease. And just a minute earlier, I hadn't even been able to budge it. I was completely stunned, not to mention impressed with myself as I moved the racks as Westerman had directed, finding that they didn't really feel too heavy. And though I was slightly confused at first, it finally dawned on me why. I was in a damn robot body, which was apparently super strong. And since I doubted Lindquist would want his sex toy to be too strong and hurt him, he would have had to limit it's strength. Hence the strength limiters that Westerman had just removed. "Cool," I thought to myself sarcastically, "Super strength..." But a fat lot of good it would do me. Especially when I couldn't even control my own body. Then again, the whole problem was because it wasn't my own body. "Good," the doc commented, looking over the racks with a faint smile. Then he turned his attention to a large plastic box, which had been sitting next to them, "Now for you..." A moment later, I stood by motionlessly while Westerman undid some fastenings on the box and caused the front to open up. I was surprised as the contents of the box were revealed. It was a robot... a metal creature in the shape of a man, though it had to be about 8 feet tall. However, unlike the android body that I was currently within, there wasn't even a trace of artificial skin on it. For several seconds, Westerman didn't move at all, just staring at the obviously unfinished android within the box. Finally, he moved closer and said, "Now I can get back to work on the military applications..." Since I was unable to move or speak, all that I could do was think, "Oh shit." I had a feeling that things were going to get even worse. --- It was nearly a week since Westerman had murdered Lindquist and I had become little more than a puppet. I was more frustrated than ever, though there was also a calm acceptance that I could do nothing about it. At least not yet. I still hadn't given up completely. And though I was helpless to do anything other than what the doc told me, I had discovered that I did have a little freedom... though it was very little. I still had to do what he told me, but I could influence exactly how I did it. It was sort of like when I'd buried Lindquist's body rather than burning it or putting it in the garbage dumpster. The computer inside of me made me do the things, but it relied on my mind for the information on just how to do it. And because of that, I still had at least some small ability to choose my actions. Small... but there. Westerman had made me move the big android to the main lab, where he had been working on it almost nonstop. And from what I learned, it was the military prototype, which he had been working on behind Lindquist's back for some time. He'd been doing a bit of work on it here and there, after the technology had been proven to work on the prototype body I was wearing first. So I guessed, that made the thing my kid brother in a weird sort of way. However, I didn't feel very brotherly... or even sisterly towards it. "Damn," Westerman cursed as he looked over his project. He ignored me, as he almost always did when not giving me orders, "The control system still isn't ready." Then he shook his head in frustration, muttering, "If I only had more funding." That was the same complaint that he'd made a number of times in my hearing. Apparently, he and Lindquist had used up most of the money they had just making my body, with him using what little was left on more parts for his android. There wasn't enough to finish his project, which would have made me laugh... if I'd still been able to. After several seconds of staring at his android thoughtfully, Westerman turned and gave me a speculative look. He rubbed at his chin for a moment, with me not liking the expression on his face in the least. Somehow, I suspected that he was planning on recycling the parts in my new body for use in that one... or maybe even tearing me apart and selling the pieces for spare cash. Neither appealed to me in the least. After all, I might not have had that body for long, but it was the only one that I had left. Finally, Westerman smiled, ordering me to follow him, then adding, "It's time to acquire some new funding..." A few minutes later, I was sitting in the back of the van and heading down the road. It was the first time since my accident that I'd left that building, and I felt somewhat uncomfortable being on the road again, even if I couldn't see where we were going. Perhaps even more because of that reason. Eventually, the doc stopped the van and came into the back with me. He crouched down and gave me an odd look for several seconds, looking even a bit nervous. I just didn't see what he had to be nervous about since I was the one in his power. Still, he was undoubtedly nervous about something, and I wasn't sure whether to be happy or nor with that. "What do you think of me?" he abruptly asked. I just looked at him, still being unable to talk. He realized that and told me, "You may speak again. Now answer the question." "I think that you're a piece of shit," I told him honestly, putting every bit of bitterness I had into that statement. Damn it felt good to talk again. Westerman didn't seem bothered by my words though. Not that I really expected him to be. "Understandable," he responded with a shrug. "Sometimes you must do unpleasant things to achieve a greater goal." Then he got down to business, "There is a jewelry store half a block down the street. You are going to go inside and rob it of as much cash and valuables as you can. Then you are going to avoid capture and bring them to me, without anyone following you to my location." Then he put a duffel bag in my hand and asked, "Do you understand?" "Yes," I spat back bitterly, hating both the fact that he was going to make me into a robber... a criminal, and that I couldn't even say no. "Well then," Westerman paused to undo the buttons on my lab coat and touch one of my boobs, musing, "This might provide a useful distraction..." I just bit back the urge to really let him know what I thought of him. Once Westerman had told me where to meet him, he opened the van door and carefully looked around outside. Then he gestured for me to get out and get on my way. With a feeling of dread, I climbed out of the van and watched as he drove away before I finally stepped out where everyone could see me. "Whoa," one man exclaimed as I stepped onto the sidewalk, staring at me in disbelief. I couldn't blame him. Not only was I an almost naked woman, but I was an almost naked plastic looking woman on top of that. I was immediately the center of a LOT of attention. As I walked down the sidewalk, I tried to ignore all of the stares and comments directed at me. All of the chatter from the people nearby. However, it looked much easier than it actually was as I wasn't able to respond to any of it. I wasn't able to do anything more than step around those who got in my way. The truth was, I felt pretty damn embarrassed. All I wanted to do was get out of their and away from it all... but the computer controlling me didn't give me that option. "That mannequin is walking mommy," a little girl exclaimed as I walked past and into the door of the jewelry shop. "Please no," I muttered aloud, begging myself to stop... trying to make the computer disobey Westerman's commands. But it was useless, as I already knew it would be. I stopped in front of the counter and without my willing it, ordered, "Give me all of your money." But then on my own, I added, "And call the cops... they have to stop me..." The clerk stared at me with her mouth open, looking extremely confused. Without waiting for her response, I punched through the glass case and started to put the contents into the duffle bag. After seeing this, the clerk started to dig at the cash register, realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea to mess with me. Though I hated doing it, I quickly had their cash, as well as a good supply of jewelry. And just as I was about to leave the store, I was faced with a cop, standing there with his gun pointed straight at me. "Freeze," he ordered, his voice shaking slightly. "Don't move... whatever you are." "Thank god," I sighed, relieved that the cops were finally there. The cop looked confused at that, then as I continued forward, unable to stop myself, he shot me. I felt an impact, knocking me back a tiny bit. But it didn't hurt. Not at all. Feeling stunned myself, I looked down at my chest where he'd shot me, seeing a slight crack in the skin... but that was all. Apparently, the docs had built me a whole lot tougher than I'd thought. "Holy shit," the cop gasped, about ready to shoot again, though as I thought of it, my hand lashed out and tore the gun from his hand. "Damn it," I growled, "You're supposed to arrest me..." That seemed to confuse him even more than he already was. Hell, the guy looked as though he was about to shit his pants. Without any further hesitation, I pushed past the cop, breaking the gun in my hand before dropping the pieces. That was one of my active choices as I probably could have used it to help me get away instead. However, I didn't want to risk anyone being hurt because of me. I silently cursed as I moved down the sidewalk, people running to get away from me. The very sight made me wince, though I also thought that Westerman had to be some kind of idiot. Did he really think that I would have been able to just rob a jewelry store and then get back to him without anyone noticing? With the way I looked, I doubted that I would have been able to do that even without having robbed the place. Suddenly, the ground in front of me literally exploded, throwing me back. I scrambled back to my feet, then froze, shocked at the sight in front of me. It was a man. A man hovering a short distance away from me... several feet above the ground. The blonde man had the looks to be an actor, and was dressed in a blue and white spandex costume. The white on his chest was framed by the blue to form a stylized letter F, and there were silver metal wrist bands and shoulder pads, as well as a white cape. And though the costume was a newer variation on his traditional uniform, there was absolutely no doubt that this was the developed hero called Force. "Oh shit," I whispered to myself, suddenly feeling as though things were getting worse with every passing moment. Sure, I wanted to be stopped before I hurt anyone without meaning to, but having a super hero stop me seemed overkill. "What's this?" Force asked with a look of amusement, "A walking mannequin?" "Possibly animated by magic," a woman's voice commented off to the side. A man's voice quickly added, "Or an android." I looked at the others who were speaking and was sure that I would have peed myself had I still been able to. Having the famous Force there to stop me was bad enough... but this... There were several other people in costumes forming around me. Though I'd never seen any of them before in my life, I knew exactly who they were. I'd seen them on TV, and just a week earlier I'd seen a story about them all on the show Developments. And from that, this was absolutely not good for me. The girl who'd spoken was in her early twenties and had shoulder length black hair, and a costume of blue and white with gold trim. I recognized her as Omni Woman, and like Force, she was a former member of the Protectorate. Apparently her powers were... anything that she wanted them to be. And at the moment, they seemed to be flight because she was floating in the air with a cocky expression on her face. Standing on the ground to one side of me was the other man who'd spoke. He was dressed in a black spandex bodysuit, though he had glowing neon red goggles, with matching neon bracelets and belt. And of course, he was holding a red neon quarterstaff in his hands. Not surprisingly, he was called Neon, known as being the unofficial super hero of Las Vegas. And though his costume might stand out everywhere else, there it would probably act as camouflage. But more importantly than his costume was the fact that he had the power to create force field objects out of energy... which happened go glow with a neon light, giving him his name. A third man was floating in the air as well, his body sort of split straight down the middle with one side being entirely gold metal, while the other was all black. The only exceptions to those colors were that there was a circle on his chest, where those two colors were inverted from the other sides. He was called Eclipse, and though I didn't know much about where he'd come from, I remembered what they'd said about him on Developments. He apparently had the power of light and darkness, being able to create lots of light and energy, or lots of darkness. Another man stood behind me, wearing a suit of blue and gray armor that covered his whole body. There was also a symbol on his chest that looked like a spider. He was the Arachnid, a famous hero from Chicago. He didn't seem to have any real developed powers of his own, but he did have some sort of high tech power armor which made him pretty strong, let him climb walls and generate some sort of metal cable webbing. And of course, there were the claws on his gloves, which looked a little viscous. And of course, there was Force who was floating on front of me. He was a famous member of the Protectorate, with a bit more power than I wanted to deal with now... or ever. I remembered that he'd had some sort of spit with the Protectorate and had formed his own team, a group of developed who were supposed to be the best and most powerful heroes around. That was why they were called the Elite. And at the moment they were all surrounding ME! For a moment, all that I could do was stare at the powerful heroes who had me surrounded, knowing that these were some of the most powerful developed around. I was terrified, wondering what I had ever done to deserve having people like them come after me. "Kind of lightweight for us," Neon commented disdainfully. "Well," Omni Woman responded, "We were in the area when the call came in so we might as well deal with it." Force just smirked at me, "Drop the bag NOW!" "Why are we wasting time talking to it," Arachnid growled in a cold voice, "It's not even human, so let's just destroy it and be done with it." He was raising his hands to try doing just that. I certainly wasn't about to just sit back and let him kill me, and almost the instant that the thought was formed, I was in motion. In a sudden burst, I was moving faster than I'd ever moved under my own power again, quickly sprinting through the space between several of the Elite and running away from them as fast as I could. Of course, the bag was still clutched firmly in my hand. "Stop," Omni Woman called out, though the others were already beginning to chase after me. There was a sudden burst of light in front of me, and the ground seemed to melt into a puddle of molten lava. However, my android reflexes took over and I swerved around it and kept moving with only the slightest hesitation. From the corner of my eye, I saw that the blast had come from Eclipse. Several small metal spikes hit a wall beside me, contributed no doubt by Arachnid. An a bare instant later, I felt something hit my left arm. One of the spikes had gone right through it. In a strange way, it hurt a bit... yet it didn't at all. I didn't have time to think about it though as that was followed by a blast of raw kinetic energy that tore a hole straight through the wall. A single glance back revealed Force was the one who did that. I felt a faint tinge of relief that they were trying to get me from a distance rather than confronting me face on since at least that way I had time to avoid them. However, I knew that I couldn't do it for much longer. "Damn," I muttered to myself fearfully, knowing that I'd been damn lucky to have survived this long against some of the most powerful heroes around. "I think I'll take a page from your book Eclipse," Omni Woman exclaimed with a smirk, standing on the ground about a twenty yards from me. "She can't run if she can't see..." Suddenly a wave of darkness came pouring from Omni Woman's hands, flooding over everything. Within mere seconds, the whole area was covered in pure darkness, as thick as the blackest ink. "NO," Force called out, "We can't see either..." An instant later, my eyes shifted on their own and I suddenly found that I could see again. It wasn't very clear, nor even with much color. But I could see. And from the cursing I heard around me, I was apparently the only one. Arachnid's voice growled, "I can see in the dark... but this..." Not being one to ignore a free opportunity to save my own kiester, I quickly looked around for a way out, knowing that since they could fly, it wouldn't do much good to just run away. Then it dawned on me, being enough to bring a smile to my lips. A moment later, Neon called out, "Turn it off..." The darkness was already beginning to recede, but I'd already started to make my move. I threw a large chunk of broken brick down the street, making sure that I hit a car and made lots of noise. Then an instant later, I dodged through the open door of a clothing store that was just a short distance away. I held my breath as the darkness faded away completely, or would have if I still had breath to hold. It was all that I could do to keep from running further away as fast as I could, feeling terrified, worse than that time when a group of drunks had chased me with baseball bats back in Georgia. "Damn," I heard Force curse from outside the store, "It's gone..." "I'm sorry," Omni Woman apologized, "I didn't think..." "Nevermind," Arachnid said, "I heard her moving this way." For nearly a full minute, I remained exactly where I was, as motionless as only an android could be. And when I was sure that they were gone, I slowly looked around, letting out a sigh of relief. Then I looked down at myself with a smirk, never having thought that looking so much like a mannequin could actually be a blessing. But as it was, dropping the lab coat and pretending to just be one more mannequin in a store full of them was the perfect disguise. "At least they didn't look inside," I muttered, knowing that they probably would have just glanced right on past me as no one really pays much attention to a store mannequin... but not wanting to take a risk on it. Though I wanted to make sure that they really were gone, I didn't look out the door to see, thinking that it might be a little risky. They might still be out there somewhere. Then, just as I thought about how to get out of there, I found myself turning and walking out the back. I had been given a degree of control, but only as long as it was used to accomplish Westerman's orders... namely avoid capture. And now that I'd done that, I was forced to follow the rest... and return to him with the loot. Fortunately, the rest of the trip back to the meeting place was without incident. I went through the back way, behind the stores and using the alley, avoiding people entirely. The parking lot was only a block away from the jewelry store so it wasn't difficult. As soon as I saw Westerman waiting beside the van, I felt a sense of relief, knowing that at least this particular nightmare was over. However, there was no doubt that the rest of the nightmare my life had become still remained. --- It was more than twelve hours since the robbery and I was once again standing motionless in the middle of Westerman's lab. He had seemed incredibly pleased by what I'd gotten for him, though I felt sick for having done it. Not that I'd had a choice. And apparently, he had even already found someone to take the jewels off of his hands, making him even more pleased. "Damn you for being careless," Westerman growled, "almost getting caught..." Then he glared at me, "And worse... getting those costumed idiots involved." I didn't say anything to that, though I was currently free to do so. He'd never removed my freedom of speech, though I sure as hell didn't want to remind him of that and get turned mute again. It was one of the few freedoms that I had left, and I wasn't about to throw it away with a viscous comment... no matter how satisfying. Westerman shook his head, "And you let yourself get damaged." The tone in his voice seemed to say that he actually thought it was my fault that Arachnid had hit me with one of those spikes he shot. All I could do to that was stand motionless, my left arm almost completely useless. It had been hit by one of the spikes, and damaged a bit worse than I'd first thought. And in the hours since then, it had more and more difficult to actually use, until finally it hung off of me, dead and numb. Then Westerman stood in front of me, giving a good look over, a scowl on his face. Without a word, he pulled out his tools and went to work on me, removing my dama