Corrupted, Chapter 30 - Together Again

[gynoneko]

The last Chapter. There will be a epilogue. Enjoy!

Chapter 1. Previous Chapter. Next Chapter.
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Corrupted
Chapter 30 - Together Again
By Gynoneko


I wheeled Matrix through the train station on a wheel chair, dressed in the same medical-gown from before. Even though it was a cold night, I decided not to cover her up more than that, considering she was already in danger of overheating. I did have to strap her in place to keep her from falling out of the chair if she had another episode, but so far she remained unconscious. Matrix was losing the battle against her body and just didn't have the energy to resist.

It was already late, around midnight, by the time I got there, and there were very few passengers. On the platform ahead I saw Proxy standing with May, Laura, Raster, Vector, and Lulu. Proxy waved to me first, alerting the others I was there. However, they gave me quizzical stares, which turned darker when they saw what I was transporting.

"What is this all about?" May asked. "And why did you want me to arrange passage to Maya so abruptly?" She was clearly cross.

"And who is that?" Raster added.

"Those are all good questions, but trust me when I say time is of the essence; we need to get on board. I'll tell you on there." I promised.

"I don't think so" May interjected. "No one is boarding that train on my dime without a full explanation first."

"I can't tell you outside. It's... sensitive. Please, trust me."

"Isn't that the copy-girl?" Lulu observed. "She doesn't look too hot."

"Oh yes. The one from the basement" Raster remembered. "What's wrong with her?"

"Yes, it is, well it was. She was. And she's actually too hot. I can explain her problems, but inside. Look, I don't want to talk out here. Please?"

Vector narrowed his eyes at her. "She looks like Matrix, almost."

May shook her head. "Listen, son. I have done a lot for your sake: looking after you, helping you on your little quest. The least you owe me right now is an explanation."

I opened my mouth to talk but Matrix started to groan. I quickly got to her side, but it was too late, she escalated into a full-fledged scream!

"Jimmy! Aargh! It hurts!! Where...?" She started to panic. I brought my face in close to hers so she could look at me, it helped a little. Her eyes jerked around as she held her head and pulled at her hair, but she managed to calm down a little and focus when she saw me.

"It's ok, Matrix, we're going home to get you help."

"Help... Please..." She sobbed as she clenched her teeth and exhaled.

"Matrix?" May shouted. Everyone stood there stunned.

"Yes. It's true." I answered. "I wanted to make this a better surprise, but... Tada!"

Proxy came over. "We recovered her memories and a rebuilt this body, only..."

"You revived Matrix?" Raster wondered.

"You... lied to me" Laura interjected. "You said she was going to be their sister."

I lowered my head. "I... I did lie, but only partially. Because I wasn't sure it would even get this far. I wanted her to be a surprise. And if it didn't work, she WOULD have been reprogrammed as their sister." I struggled to keep my emotions buried.

"What's going on? You told me Matrix was dead" Vector asked turning to Raster. "Why would we want to revive such a violent-?"

Raster put her finger to his lips, hushing him, and then looking at us. She looked embarrassed and turned him away, walking a few feet and talking with him in private.

"And how does this explain our need for a train?" May inquired.

"That's the exciting part!" Proxy answered.

"Like having Matrix back isn't exciting enough?" Lulu murmured, kneeling down to look at her closer. Matrix looked over at Lulu but struggled to keep breathing.

"We may have a way to bring Ellie back as well" I explained.

Just then my dad showed up rolling a large capsule covered in a gray tarp. It was roughly the size of a small coffin, although too short.

"Ellie?" May questioned.

"Yes, we're both here" my dad called out.

"Is that-?" Lulu wondered, looking at the crate.

"Wait- you can save Ellie too?" Laura questioned.

"I don't know about this..." May replied.

"We need to get going" my dad insisted.

"How could she have changed that much?" Vector's voice echoed as he talked with Raster.

"Shh..." She hushed him. "I'll tell you on the train."

"I don't want to get on the same train as that lunatic!" Vector barked.

"Why are we leaving town?" Lulu asked me. "Why is she shaking like that?"

"Darling, please. A lot happened." Raster consoled.

Everyone was talking over each other, while Matrix started screaming in pain and confusion, covering her ears and crying. I had had enough.

"STOP!" I yelled, turning heads and quieting the others. Matrix slouched forward in her chair, losing consciousness again. Lulu put her hand to Matrix's cheek looking closely at her.

I took in a deep breath. "Fine! I tricked Proxy into helping me rebuild Matrix from that surviving clone. I kept it a secret because it was unlikely to even work and I didn't want to get everyone's hopes up. Especially mine. I lied to protect Matrix so no one would stop me from rebuilding her or try to hurt her. My dad restored her memories, but when we turned her on, this happened. Now we can't turn her off and she's in pain constantly and will overheat by morning if we don't fix her. I remembered I made a backup of Ellie in my home in Maya. Not only can we use that to restore Ellie, but fix the corrupted drivers that are hurting Matrix and save her. That is why we are going!"

I recited the entire thing in a single breath, and sat there panting and frustrated afterward.

"Please. Let me save them." I pleaded. "I just wanted give everyone the chance to be there for them."

"S2" May answered after a tense moment of silence.

"What?"

"I reserved car S2. It's an executive car in the back." The train whistle blew. "And I suggest you move."

"Thank you."

May shook her head at me and turned to the others. "Move out" she called out and everyone got into action. Laura helped my dad move the large metal container while Lulu took Matrix's hand and help it, standing up.

Proxy turned to me briefly. "I'll check the car" she said before darting off ahead to make sure everything was safe, while calling out for them to hold the train.

"Darling, trust me. She won't hurt you or anyone. I'll explain everything" Raster ensured her fiancée.

He looked upset, but agreed. "Alright. But if anything happens-"

"It will be fine" she ensured him. "Let's get on board and I'll explain."

I rolled Matrix toward the back of the train, and looked for the large numbers on the side of each car, searching for ours.

"Is it... Is it really her? Did you really bring Matrix back?" Lulu asked in a hushed tone.

I nodded my head. Lulu was pensive for a moment, looking down at the hand she was holding while walking beside us. She looked confused.

Proxy waved to us from a train door up ahead, the last car. It looked just like all the other cars from the outside. I lifted Matrix from the chair and carried her in my arms up into the car, navigating my way to a curtained area where Proxy was waiting. She held the curtain to one of the lounge beds open for us, and Lulu, who was following close behind, entered close behind. It was very nice inside, with blue carpeting and velvet drapes, tele-screens, an unmanned bar, tables, 3 curtained lounging beds, and seats along the wall. The back was a giant curved window letting us get a good view out of the train when it was above ground.

I gently laid Matrix down on the bedding. Lulu sat next to her wearing an expression full of concern.

"I'll stay here and watch over her" she insisted. "If that's alright."

I nodded. "Of course." Proxy closed the curtain, leaving them there, before we turned back to the entrance. May was standing at the door looking on, but not boarding. "Aren't you coming?"

"No. This is not my time to be there. If this works, they'll want to be with the ones they love, not me. Besides, I've got too many duties here, I can't abandon them for this."

"Really? I'm sure they would be happy to see you support them."

"They will when the time is right. Good luck. Here, give this to Matrix.” May handed me a small pendant of a two arrows crossing each other in the shape of an X, made out of a beautiful blue stone. "It represents the coming together of people, a friendship. It's made from a rare stone called Lapis Lazuli. I would have had one made for Ellie but I didn't realize you were fixing her too."

"Thank you" I grinned looking down at the beautiful carving attached to a necklace. "Wait a second... You knew?"

She nodded. "I knew you were working on fixing Matrix."

"How?"

"I knew your dad accessed the backup archives from the palace, and that the enemy gynoid had vanished just as you started spending more time working on some secret project, locked up all day. And after you repaired the android... Vector was it? I figured you had been working on more than just him. I just put things together."

I slapped my forehead. Apparently I wasn't as sneaky as I thought. And yet... "Why didn't you say anything? Why did you make me explain it to you if you knew?"

"I wanted to know your intentions. And see your honesty. I have had too many close friends and family lost thanks to that little girl. But I am convinced neither of you pose a threat. Not anymore. Plus she owes us."

"Hasn't she earned your trust yet? Haven't I? Why change your mind now about us?"

"When you talked about saving those two girls, I... I saw the love in your eyes for them. The concern. And even after all this time you are still trying to save them. To save them from death, from themselves, from their enemies. It reminds me of myself. Don't let me down." She turned away but paused in her tracks. "I'll have one sent to Ellie if all goes well. Good luck." Without another word, she turned and left.

"Thomas!" A voice a recognized called out behind me, and I turned just in time to see Alice running up holding a case in one hand and a document in the other.

"What are you doing here, Alice?" My dad asked.

She caught up to him and stopped to catch her breath. I noticed she was wearing a white dress lined with a red and green pattern, and a red shawl. The case she held was actually a portable computer.

"Is that?" My dad asked.

"You left it in the office" she explained. "You were in such a rush, you must have overlooked it."

"Ellie's files!" He exclaimed. "What in the world would I do without you?"

"Get all the way to Maya and have to return for this" she answered.

"Yeah, and screw up the entire operation and lose Matrix in the process." He slapped his head. "Could you be a dear and bring those aboard?"

"Of course. You didn't think you were really going to leave me here now did you?" Alice smiled and gave my dad a peck on the cheek. Her gaze into his eyes was intense and could melt wax. She turned toward the train and climbed aboard. It was then that I noticed she had been outfitted with a brand new pair of rather attractive legs, matching the artificial skin of her face and torso. I'm sure I did a double take. I must have been giving Alice and my dad a hard stare, because my dad glanced at me before averting his eyes.

"And what was that?" I interrogated, after she was on board.

"Nothing. What? She was helping me with my files."

"She kissed you. And those are new legs! Are... Are you two seeing each other?"

He turned his gaze toward me with a sheepish grin. "It sort of just happened. Hey, it's been a long time. A-and she came onto me first."

I gave him an unbelieving stare, forgetting to close my mouth. He turned his attention toward Ellie's crate.

"If she gives me the chance to be happy," he began, "shouldn't I take it?"

I closed my eyes to think for a second. "No, you're right. You should happy. I'm glad you found someone. It just kind of took me by surprise."

"It did for me too" he added. "But we can talk about it later, let's get Ellie on board. This is for her, not us."

"Fine. But I am NOT calling her 'mom'."

It took four of us, but we somehow managed to load Ellie's capsule onto the train car. It was a tight fit, and scraped the wall a few times, but we got her inside. We set her outside one of the lounges, next to the curtain, and my dad started instantly typing away at a lit panel on the side of the crate, which appeared to control the temperate and environment within. Proxy took a seat at the very back and plugged herself in to an available socket to recharge while she looked out the window.

The train started to move almost as soon as we closed the door behind us. I sat down on one of the chairs lining the wall next to Laura, and exhaled. It would probably take a few hours, but this was happening. We were going to save Matrix, and Ellie. If all went well.

"Jimmy" Laura began. "Why couldn't you trust me?"

"I do... with my life" I answered, turning toward her.

"Then why didn't you tell me about her?"

I closed my eyes. "Because... I didn't want to admit it myself. That there was a chance we could bring her back. Not until it was certain. I'm still not certain we can save either of them. If I was wrong... I would have upset everyone. That would have devastated me. I couldn't risk that for anyone. I mean, I didn't even tell Proxy until earlier tonight."

She looked down, more sad than anything else. "You still love them, don't you?" she asked.

"Of course I do! Even after all this time, I can't stop thinking about what could have been, what should have been."

"What about me? About us?"

I leaned forward and held my head. "I don't know. I love you too!" I gripped at my hair. "But if it wasn't for Ellie, we never would have even met. I don't want to lose anyone, especially not you. You've been so amazing; I'm just not all that great. I'd understand if you want to break it off with me..."

"I'm glad to hear you say it" she said.

"Say what?" Was she about to break up with me after all? I got the sinking feeling she wanted to call it all off between us.

"That you love me. That I can do better." She smiled and scrunched up her nose. "You're not as bad as you think you are." I was relieved to hear her answer.

"Then... What about us?" I wondered.

"Jimmy... My career makes a stable relationship kind of difficult. I have a lot of responsibilities, a lot of stress, I'm busy all the time, I'll probably travel a lot in the near future, and I put myself in danger almost every day. I don't have the luxury of a regular relationship. Not anymore. It would be unfair and mean of me to force you to be exclusive to me in a relationship when I can't be there for you and give you what you need. What we have right now works for me, as long as it works for you."

"What do you mean? You want to be sex friends?" I wondered.

She laughed at me. "No. I want to be more than that. Although the sex is pretty great" she mumbled. "You are incredibly important to me, Jimmy. More than you'll ever know. You will always be my number one guy. But it would be selfish of me to keep you all to myself when what I really want is for you to be happy."

"So..."

"I guess what I'm saying is I do love you, and I do want to live together, but I don't want a closed relationship. I want the chance to live the life I was denied until now. I want to explore the world, and myself. I want you in my life. And I want to be in yours."

"Sooo... You want an open relationship?"

"Well when you put it so bluntly... But yeah..." She admitted. "If that's... not a problem with you."

I thought deeply about what she was saying. Part of me genuinely wanted to be exclusive with her. If I couldn't bring Ellie and Matrix back, I had no one else to turn to. Another part of me was jealous of her and upset that I wouldn't be the only man in her life. But the more I thought about it, the more I agreed with her. I couldn't give up on her, but I couldn't be exclusive to her either. Everything she wanted in life I wished to help her with, but I knew I couldn't be there for everything and she was going to be away a lot. And if this did work with Ellie and Matrix, things would get complicated.

"Laura... You're right, again. I can't let you go, nor can I chain you to me. You deserve to be free. So as long as you're alright with Ellie and Matrix, assuming this works, than... Yeah. I think I can live with that."

She let out a breath she had been holding in during my silent cognition. "Hoo that's a relief. Of course I'm ok with them. And I'm sure you can save them."

"You aren't already seeing someone else, are you?"

She chuckled. "No. You're it right now. And I promise I won't hide anything from you."

"Whew. Same here. I was just afraid you were going to break up with me" I noted.

"Never" she said as she stood up and stretched her arms over her head. "Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to get some shut eye. If I can, trains are so noisy I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep much. Don't stay up too late" she insisted as she leaned closer to me with a satisfied grin.

I returned the smile and playfully tapped her nose. "I'll join you if I can. But I have to make sure Matrix doesn't overheat, and if there is anything I can do to help with Ellie."

"Alright, playboy" she teased. "I'll be waiting."

She walked with a hop in her step and her hands behind her head toward vacant lounge bed and looked back with a smile as she entered.

I sat a moment longer thinking about our relationship and what exactly this meant. But my mind wandered back toward the issues at hand, toward Ellie and Matrix. My dad was monitoring the capsule Ellie was in, so I decided to see if he needed any help.

"How is she?" I wondered.

"Hmm? Oh, she's fine. She's still frozen so I have to thaw her carefully." He explained.

"Frozen?"

"What did you think cold storage meant? She's been partially dismantled and frozen to protect her systems from decay."

I looked closer at the monitor. It had a slew of conditions it was monitoring such as humidity, temperature, and pressure. From what I saw, it was very cold and dry inside. Well below freezing.

"How long is this going to take?"

He bit his lip. "Normally it takes about 72 hours to properly thaw a subject. But I am going to try to get it done in about 4. Some of her more delicate systems, like digestion, might be affected, so we're going to monitor everything to reduce any side effects from the rapid thaw. Once she gets to a decent temperature, I'm going to have to reconstruct her..."

"Reconstruct her?!"

"Actually you can help with that part. This was such a last minute plan, I didn't have the time to compile her memories or anything. I need to go through her files still and set everything up to make it easier to integrate into her backup. It's going to take me all night. Alice will have to monitor her condition here, if you can take over when the thaw is complete."

"Wait, I have to rebuild Ellie too?!"

"It's not that bad" he reassured me. "Here, take a look."

He pulled the tarp off of the crate and revealed the fully metal capsule which contained Ellie. It was white and gray with blue trim and a window on top. Peering through the extremely thick glass, I saw Ellie's face peacefully sleeping. She was completely frozen, making her skin look white, but otherwise she looked normal. Until I peered in father.

Ellie was laying in pieces inside the capsule, which explained why it seemed too small to contain her entire body. Her arms and legs were resting next to her, and her lower torso was separated from her chest, neck, and head, which were still in one piece. Pipes with some sort of light blue fluid were running into her body in various places, probably maintaining the temperature internally.

"It shouldn't take more than an hour or two" he claimed. "Trust me, Matrix was a much bigger protect. Ellie is pretty much all ready to go, once she's thawed. You just have to reattach her limbs and reconnect her torso."

I rubbed my eyes. This was going to be a long night. "So what do you need me to do right now?" I asked.

"I can't think of anything right here, but maybe check on Matrix. And get some rest so you'll be good to go when we are ready for you."

I nodded, "Sure.". I took one last look at Ellie before turning back to check on Lulu and Matrix. As I entered the room, Lulu sat there with Matrix's head in her lap, lightly brushing her hair.

"Her hair's so short now" she noted. Matrix's new hair looked like a pixie cut.

"It was the only black hair I could find" I explained. Honestly, even though that was true, I thought it kind of fit her personality.

"I like it. I know she'll never love me like I love her, but she was my first, and I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy. You promise to take care of her?"

"We both will. How is she doing?"

"Still sleeping. I think she's having nightmares or something because she groans every now and then."

"I don't know. I fear she's getting weaker. If she starts to get too hot or wakes up, call for me."

She nodded. I left them in peace and turned toward the last curtained lounge.

I entered the lounge where Laura was waiting. She was laying in the small bed with a blanket over her. Her jacket and shirt were hanging nearby. Looking up, she gave me a smile and opened the blanket for me, revealing her fully undressed torso. She was down to her panties, but the last thing I wanted to think about that night was sex. And I think she understood that.

I pulled off my shirt, leaving my pants on, and climbed in with her. She pressed herself against me and snuggled in, closing the blanket around us. God, she felt so good. My body naturally reacted to her soft body and small but perky breasts, but my mind ignored the call of the wild.

"Just rest now" she whispered. "It's going to be ok."

I shut my eyes and... Struggled for the next 3 hours to sleep. Her warm body against me helped, and I drifted off several times, but the excitement and nervousness of the situation, combined with the noise and motion of the train, kept me from fully falling asleep.

At last when I started to have a strange dream about the girls, I was awakened by the sound of a scream. It was coming from the lounge next to us. Lulu was calling out but it wasn't her voice that awoke me. We both got up. Laura quickly put on her top sans bra, while I ran out of the lounge without my shirt.

Lulu was panicking as Matrix sat up, shaking, and pulling at her hair. She was screaming again, this time in sort bursts.

"Please captain! Matrix! It's me, Lulu. Calm down!" Lulu was trying to rub her back and console her, but nothing seemed to be working.

I dashed to her side and put my hands on Matrix's cheeks, turning her head toward me. I looked her in the eyes until she clenched her teeth and tried to breathe in and out slower.

"Matrix, listen to me. We're on our way to fix you up. The pain will be gone soon. Just try to hold on."

She shook her head and crying. "Ow ow ow ow ow" she complained. "I can't take it... Please... Kill me!"

"No!" Lulu barked. "We'll fix this and then make it up to you."

"Lulu?" Matrix asked looking toward her, trying to ease the grip on her head.

Matrix lurched forward and grabbed at her sides, shaking violently. She let out a deep guttural heave as though she was going to throw up, even though she had no food in her body at all. She grabbed at me and tried her best to hold on. She finally inhaled but her grip was weakening.

"I can't..." she whispered. "I want... to..."

"We are not giving up on you Matrix!" Lulu promised. "Don't give up on us". She wrapped her arms around Matrix.

Matrix managed to hold on a little bit longer. Her breathing was getting ragged and she couldn't focus her eyes anymore. Instead she closed her eyes tight and nodded.

"Ok" she conceded. "Hurry" she begged just before she lost consciousness. We laid her back down.

Lulu was shaking, but managed to calm herself down. "That was intense."

I felt Matrix's head and noted she was hot to the touch. I rushed out of the curtain, passed Laura who had been watching in only her shirt and panties, and made my way to my dad. He was still typing away furiously at his portable computer but paused when the commotion had started.

"She's getting worse" I panted. "We need to do something, she's hot to the touch."

He nodded. He walked over to Alice and checked in with her. After a short hushed discussion, he opened the main hatch on Ellie's capsule and reached in. I walked over to check out what he was doing. Before I could get a clear look, he pulled a long tube out, and stretched it as far put as he could. It was clearly cold as it let off wisps of vapor in his hands.

Alice closed the top again, leaving it open only a tad for the tube, before shoving her shawl in the remaining gap. He handed me the tube and explained the idea, before returning to his work. Quickly I pulled the tube as far as I could into the lounge with Matrix and Lulu.

"Here" I said as I wrapped as much of the tube as I could around Matrix. "This should help." It wasn't long enough to completely cover her, but I managed to get enough of it around her that I was satisfied it would cool her down and give us more time.

It was still too early to start working on Ellie but I was not going to get back to sleep again, so I decided to get some coffee and keep Alice some company. After I got my shirt back on. Laura returned to the bed, unable to help any right now, but unsure she'd get much sleep herself.

Alice and I chatted for a good while. She was very intelligent, even though she was a little slow to respond to my questions art times. Evidently, it was an artifact of her age. Her mind was advanced and had been upgraded many times, but she was still 150 years old and probably in need of another upgrade. She had been learning and growing, and every seven years or so needed to expand her capabilities. She was well overdue for another upgrade with all that had happened with Tsion.

Her memories were still somewhat fragmented, but my dad had been working with her and planned a series of upgrades for her. It was during her upgrades that she started to notice she had feelings for him. She had emotional attachments before, but a romantic interest had never happened to her before.

We refocused on Ellie. The rapid thawing was going well, but was still taking too long. We only had a few hours until we were in Maya, and her body still needed to be reassembled. Unfortunately, we couldn't speed up the thawing process anymore; I'd have to just work faster when it was my turn.

For a short while, I took a seat to gather my thoughts. Raster and Vector were sitting nearby talking, and decided to join me. Raster was more worried than I had ever seen her; her hands were shaking. For her, Matrix was a big part of her life. Raster always looked up to Matrix, despite her violent nature. When she met Ellie, she realized there was good still in Matrix. Curing them of the violent virus was a game-changer for her.

Vector, on the other hand, didn't trust Matrix and saw her as a violent sociopath. Ellie was a complete stranger to him. Raster tried her best to explain to him what had happened in the months he was gone, but he needed to see it to believe it. He thought it was ironic that she was the one suffering now.

Proxy was very quiet, deep in thought and hopeful. She wasn't on the mood to talk but assured me she was fine. I think it was a lot for her, and saving her sisters helped her cope with what she did.

A short while later, Alice came over and put her hand on my shoulder. "It's time."

I gave her a nod and followed her to the capsule and peered inside. Ellie was naked and I could see the entirety of her parts now with the top open. She still looked cold, but the tubes and pipes had all been removed and the lid stood wide open. She looked more like a corpse than I expected.

Gently I reached in and lifted her head and torso out of the capsule. She was very cold to the touch, but her skin was soft and her body limp. I had to support her head from dangling as I lifted her out. Her metallic spine dangled from her torso as I moved her. I entered the last of the lounges, and carefully placed her on the bed. I then brought over her arms, legs, and lower torso, laying them next to her. Alice produced a small toolkit with everything I would need to piece her back together.

I wasted no more time and dived into my work. It was still hard to believe that I was working on Ellie after all this time. It had been months but it felt like years.

Carefully, I prepped her exposed section below her rib cage, preparing to reconnect her upper and lower body. The actual process was easy, it just took time to make sure I did it right. I connected all the various tubes for food, waste, blood, and more, before attaching all her electronic and mechanical components. It took almost an hour, but finally I was connecting her spine in place, and closing the gap.

She wasn't designed with a modular system, so reconnecting her parts was more complicated than a point and click system, like Lulu's arm. I carefully closed each layer of muscle until finally, her skin closed up around the segment automatically and the seam all but disappeared. The subtle lines along the contours of her body were the only hint that she wasn't human, but you would have to look very closer at her to even notice them.

Without skipping a beat, I picked up one of her arms, and started reattaching it. This was much easier. A few connections, reconnecting the composite metal bones of her shoulder, and within 10 minutes, she had a fully attached functional arm. I hoped my dad was doing as well on his end, otherwise this would all be for naught and we'd have to disassemble her again, this time to donate her parts.

I shook that thought from my head and began on her second arm. It took less time to assemble than the first, but I could tell we were running out of time before we got to Maya. We had already stopped at the outpost just outside of town and I hadn't even begun working on her legs yet.

Alice worked with me to make sure she had feet when we got there. Her legs were more complicated than her arms, being larger and stronger, but I could afford to take short cuts. I just buckled down and worked.

My brain blanked out exactly what I was doing after a while, namely putting legs on my 'dead' girlfriend's body, that and trying to ignore the fact that I was staring at her naked body the whole time. I had to ignore my base instincts and just work.

Finally, we connected the last of the components and finished attaching her legs. Before my eyes, what was just an android that needed to be fixed was now Ellie. She was complete, and power was running through her systems, even though she was idle. I lifted her up in my arms, feeling the cold of her body pressed against me, as Alice pulled the sheets down. I tucked her under the sheets and blanket of the bed as if she were only sleeping. God I hoped this would work.

"I'll watch her for now, if you'd like" Alice suggested. I nodded with a yawn and turned to leave the small lounge.

Pulling back the curtain, the morning sun hit me right in the eyes. We were almost there. I needed to check on Matrix. Lulu was ever-vigilant watching over her. Matrix was still breathing, and it appeared the tubes of coolant were doing their job. She had remained asleep, but was still warm to the touch.

I was going to go over and check in on my dad, but he was still furiously typing away and concentrating on his task at hand. I decided it was best to let him finish as I turned toward the lounge that Laura slept in. She was fast asleep, or good at faking it. Without so much as taking off my shirt or shoes, I crawled into bed beside her.

But my rest only lasted a few moments. Before I even settled in with my eyes closed, the train slowed and the whistle blew. We were there.

I yawned again and stumbled out of the curtain as Laura got up. Who knows of she actually fell asleep? I shuffled over to where Raster and Vector were sitting and looked around for a coffee. Proxy showed up moments later holding a cup of the warm brew. Where did she get that?

"I'm nervous. Are you ready?" She asked.

"No" I admitted. "But it's now or never."

My dad stood up and stretched. "Finally! Finished, and just in time." He turned toward me. "It's compiling now. Did you finish with her...?"

I nodded, stifling yet another yawn. It had been a little while since I pulled a stressful all-nighter like this. "She's all ready. Alice is with her now."

"Good. Then we better get ourselves ready."

"There's food a few cards up" Proxy told me, "I'll grab you a plate."

As soon as she returned, I devoured a plate of eggs and a coffee. I realized I hadn't had dinner or anything else to eat since lunch. Despite that, one plate was all I needed at the time. I was too excited, or nervous. Butterflies were in my stomach.

As soon as the train stopped and the does opened, I was greeted by a familiar face. Genesis stood there smiling with Kaylee next to him. I figured May probably called him.

"Jim! Welcome home!"

"Thanks, but this is only a visit" I assured him. He gave me a big tight handshake and pulled me into a half hug, patting my back.

"So you finally joined the club" he says, tapping his metallic arm, making it cling.

"Yeah" I chuckled as I pulled up the sleeve to show it off. He gave me an impressed whistle as he studied it.

"That looks better than mine" he noted.

"My dad built it for me," I explained. "He's the one that build all these girls."

"You don't say... Remind me to have a chat with him later." He eyed Proxy as she got off the train to take a look around. "So what is the occasion? Why was I called out here at such an ungodly hour to pick up your ugly ass?"

"A resurrection" I explained.

I gave him a wink and returned to the car to help with Ellie. I realized that without a second wheelchair, I'd probably have to carry her.

Alice helped me tie the blanket from the train around her so she would be completely exposed, and I lifted her up in my arms. Meanwhile, Lulu and Raster helped get Matrix of the train and in her chair.

"Isn't that...?" Genesis questioned once he saw the two girls. "A resurrection, huh?"

As we all got off the train, I realized something. There were 10 of us and Genesis probably only brought his truck. It would take maybe 5 or 6 but we couldn't all fit in one vehicle.

"No worries," Genesis smiled, noticing my conundrum. "I taught Kaylee how to drive." Sure enough, as we left the platform, there waited his truck next to my hover truck.

"How did you find it?" I asked.

"When I heard your whole story, I decided there was no point in letting a good truck just sit out I the woods rusting and followed your path as best as I could. Took a day or two but, voila!"

"It took three days" Kaylee corrected him. Her voice was much more realistic sounding than last I heard her, but I figured I could probably give her a few upgrades if he wanted me to as thanks. "And I found it."

"Thanks Kaylee."

Everyone piled into the two trucks. We loaded Ellie and Matrix into the flatbed of mine, with Proxy, my dad, and myself watching after them, while Lulu took the passenger seat and Kaylee drove. Kaylee looked very excited, she had probably never seen this many gynoids all in one place before, especially ones this advanced.

The others all climbed into Genesis's car. Laura took the front, while Alice, Raster, and Vector squeezed in back. It was almost comical to see us all fit in the trucks.

"Where too?" Kaylee asked. The sun was still only peeking out through the trees surrounding the town, but I couldn't wait for it to get any brighter.

"My house, or what remains of it."

Kaylee and Lulu talked almost the entire way there, although I got the impression from the tone of her voice that Lulu didn't want to talk. Matrix woke up half way through the trip. Without the tubes of coolant coiled around her, her temperature had started to spike again. It took all three of us to calm her down and keep her from falling out of the truck.

"Aaaaahh! Ha! Haa! Argh! Too much!" She squealed. The best I could do was sit next to her and hold her body and head against my chest. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, pressing herself against me, although she was still shaking.

"Ellie?" She noted upon seeing her sister laying next to her. "Did she die too?"

I didn't want to answer that. For all I knew this wasn't going to work. Instead I rocked her back and forth with my hand on her head keeping her calm and diverting her gaze.

We arrived there a short time later, before the sun had risen above the tree line fully, casting long dark shadows on the already blackened ruins. Lulu hopped out of the truck first and climbed in back.

"Let me take over" she insisted as she got into the truck bed next to me. Matrix was still holding on but she was very weak and tired at this point. It wouldn't be long before she fainted again, possibly for the last time. Lulu took my place and consoled Matrix as she sobbed while I stretched my legs and looked around.

No one had been there as far as I could tell since it burned down. Everything was gone. I had lived these last few months without any of it, so I knew I didn't need it, but seeing it all again made me long for the past. I looked in the toolkit I kept in the back of my truck, and pulled out a flashlight.

Proxy cleared her throat and stood next to me. Two panels on the top of her head flipped open, giving her what looked like animal ears, except they lit up, casting a bright white light onto the burned wreckage. I shrugged as she giggled a little, shifting them a little showing her control and keeping them out of my eyes.

Everyone got out and gathered around, waiting for some kind of command. I turned toward them, but didn't feel like giving a speech.

"The hatch to the smuggle space is round and concrete and should blend in with the floor. It was in the corner of the garage, which should be in this area" I explained as I waved my flashlight around over a small portion of the building. "Be careful in there."

The building was mostly burned down except for tall sections of the wall which still remained standing and leaning over at odd angles. Debris and rubble scattered everywhere and wildlife had scavenged through it already. However no one even hesitated to start looking.

I donned pair of gloves and started rummaging through the dirt and burned wood, tossing large pieces into a pile out of the way. I feared this would take forever; too long. Luckily, we uncovered enough that I recognized where we were digging. My guess was right on, we weren't far from the hidden hatch.

"How's she doing?" I called out to Lulu, worried about Matrix.

"She's still holding on" she called back. Matrix hadn't resisted the pain this long before. I knew her time as limited. She must have known that too. Maybe it's why she struggled to stay with us through the pain that long. She knew this might be it.

Laura let out an excited yell a few feet ahead of me. She pulled at a large plank of burned wood and noticed a circular shape in the ground beneath. I rushed over and helped her move the wood to the side while Raster and Proxy brushed the dirt from the concrete and Genesis and May cleared away the surrounding debris, giving us a clear view.

I only hoped the built-in power was still working. It was designed to work even in a blackout, but after months of just sitting there exposed to the elements, who knew what would happen?

I found the dark stain that marked the 'keyhole'. I was relieved my right arm was still in-tact as I took off my glove and placed my right hand against the stain. I closed my eyes and listened for any sign that it still worked.

After a lifetime, I felt a rumble from deep inside the ground. The motors were slow and jerky, but much to my relief, the concrete door opened up and revealed the narrow deep circular smuggle space. It was dusty, and a thin layer of black covered the top row of items, but otherwise it was untouched!

I lowered myself down and looked for the array of drives I used to back Ellie up with. Proxy's lights lit up the area well, making everything metallic glint in the light.

"Holy shit" Genesis cussed.

"Woah" Laura responded reaching down and pulling up a small heavy object. "Is this... gold?"

"Yeah... Well... I've been saving up." I admitted while a rummaged around.

"You didn't tell me you were rich!" Laura added, as she studied the bar in her hand.

"Eh. I never wanted to be rich. I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with- Ah! Here it is!"

I pulled up the array of drives, their cables and cords dangling. I climbed out of the hole and grabbed the gold from Laura, tossing it back down. "We can clear that out later."

"Right. Sorry" she blushed and gave me a hand with the drives.

"These need power" I noted. "Is there an outlet in your truck Genesis?"

Before he could answer, Proxy sat cross-legged and pulled up her shirt, revealing her midriff. A panel on her back clicked open to reveal a regular outlet.

"I just charged on the train so I have lots of juice" she admitted as she flipped off the lights on her head and closed them.

Placing the drives on the remnants of a table, I plugged the drives into Proxy's back and flipped them on. They whirred to life. My dad quickly jogged over through the debris, and set up his portable computer next to them, plugging them in.

"Here we are..." He commented as he studied the screen. "Looks good, no corruption on the disks." He typed a little and gave a big grin, “It's all here! A full back up! How- never mind, just get Matrix. We'll fix her first."

He started working on setting up the transfer, probably isolating the exact parts he would need from the backup, while I darted back toward the trucks and Lulu.

"Give her here" I gestured as I reached up. Lulu handed Matrix down to me. She was shaking and barely breathing anymore. Her eyes were wandering aimlessly but she recognized me when I held her.

"Jim...mmy" she whispered slowly. "Sorry... I can't... any longer..."

"We're there Matrix! Just hang on one more minute."

She closed her eyes as she weakly grabbed my shirt. I didn't wait to see if she was still alright, I darted back as far as possible, trying not to trip, and finally laid her down on the wood plank we moved earlier. She shook weakly as I lowered her; her grip on me too feeble to hold on.

"Ready?" I asked my dad as I fumbled with a loose data cord leading from his computer.

"Almost..." He warned typing as fast as he could. Tense minutes passed as he furiously typed. Sweat was dripping down his face but he didn't take the time to wipe it off. "Aaand... Now!"

I attached the cable to the back of Matrix's head, and waited. Everyone gathered around. Lulu came running up behind me and leaned in the closest. Matrix looked like she was on her deathbed. Her skin was pale, she was sweaty, and she wasn't moving much except to shiver weakly. Even her ragged breathing was shallow. Her body was showing signs that, despite our best efforts, her heat crash was happening.

"Dad?" I asked as he typed a few commands and hit enter.

He looked down. "Give her a moment."

We leaned in closer. Seconds ticked away without any change in her behavior. The stress was killing me!

Suddenly her eyes shot open, and a dozen panels on her body opened up. A loud rush of air filled our ears as her body expelled all the heat that had been building up inside her, creating cloud of soot in the air. She sat up abruptly, almost head butting Lulu and me in the process.

"Ah! Hah! Ahh!!!!" She screamed. "Ah... Huh?"

She looked around at everyone and blinked. Her eyes stopped at mine. "Jimmy? What's going on?"

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, except for Lulu who gave out a squeal and hugged her tightly. The panels on Matrix's body had begun to close one by one.

"Matrix! Are you alright?" I asked.

She looked around, before abruptly inhaling and grabbing at her head. "Ahhh!! It hurts! The pain!"

[gynoneko]

Everyone held their breath, but I wasn't buying it. She was a terrible actress. I lightly hit the back of her head.

"Kidding" she joked, rubbing the back of her head. Laura slapped her forehead while everyone else groaned. "What?"

"Seriously Matrix. How are you feeling? What do you remember?"

She closed her eyes and fell back onto the wood plank. "Ow..." She complained realizing it wasn't a soft bed. "I feel... Perfect! Better than ever!" She smiled and let out a laugh. "I feel amazing!"

"And your memories?" My dad asked. She looked up at him, realizing she was still connected to his computer, and pulled it out of the back of her neck.

"I can remember everything. The pain, the confusion... Even before I was me again... You bathed me, Jim." I blushed, but let out a laugh as well. "I died..." She added, and my laugh faded all with her smile. "I put the virus in my head... And died... I must have. My arm... Ellie! Wait! I'm inside Ellie again?" She looked at her body, feeling her face and hair. "What body... Is this Ellie?"

"We gave you a new body" Proxy explained.

"Based on one of the clones we fought" Raster added.

Matrix looked around at them and then turned to me, “What's going on Jimmy!?"

"Proxy, my dad, and I built you a new body," I explained, "and recovered your memories from a backup. He also added in parts of Ellie's memories from the day you... From the day you died."

She was shocked. "I did die... But you brought me back?! I-" she began to tear up. "I sacrificed myself to save you and... Ellie! Ellie was infected! She knew she was- where's Ellie? If I'm not in her, then where is she?"

Everyone was silent for a moment but Raster decided to speak up on our behalf. "Ellie died as well. The virus corrupted her mind. And without a backup..."

"She's dead? Then everything..." She tried hard not to cry but she wasn't strong enough anymore. Tears defied her efforts and escaped her eyes, rolling down her cheek, but she pretended they just weren't there. "I failed her. She wasn't supposed to get infected! I did this!"

"It's not your fault. You saved my life, so the least I could do was return the favor. Can you stand?" I asked holding out my hand to her.

She looked through her tears and took my hand. I pulled her up right into a big hug. She bawled for a little while, holding onto me. "You saved me but you didn't save her?"

I patted her head and shushed her. "Everything will be fine. Don’t cry. It's not over yet."

She sniffed and looked up at me, wiping her eye. "What's not over?"

"She certainly doesn't act like she used to" Vector commented to himself. Matrix turned to face him, confusion in her face.

"Vector?! What... How?" Matrix was trying to take in a lot of information quickly and it was making her emotional. "Lulu... Your hair is black! Proxy? What happened to yours? Wait... Where are we?"

"We're in Maya. Recovering Ellie's backup. We used it to fix you" I explained.

"Maya? Ellie's backup? So she does have a backup? Does that mean you're going to- YOUR ARM!"

She pulled at my shirt and stretched the collar to get a better look. She noticed my arm wasn't the same, and it must have been a big shock to her. She unbuttoned a few buttons before I could stop her and pulled the shirt aside until she could see clearly my artificial shoulder.

"Jimmy!" She yelled, mortified.

"It's fine, now. That battle... The stab wound. Let's just say I had to get an upgrade."

"Oh Jim! I-" she shook her head.

I held her into another close hug until she calmed down and stopped overloading herself with information. "I've missed you so much!" I swore. "We all have. We finally got you back! Who cares about some arm! You two are what I care about."

"How long was I gone?" She asked.

"A few months" my dad answered. "Your internal clock is accurate."

"Damn..." She cussed as I released my embrace, holding onto her shoulders. "You all did this for me?"

"And Ellie" Laura added.

"Wait... Ellie was with me... in the truck!"

"We're bringing her back too, if we can" I answered.

"Ellie! Jimmy, you have to! She's-"

"We will, right now." I explained. "I'll be right back." Matrix nodded but fell backward as soon as I let go of her, landing on her butt. She barely caught herself. Her mind was just too overwhelmed with everything happening. That and she wasn't used to her new body yet.

Lulu was next to her in a heartbeat.

"Capt- Matrix... Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

"Your hair is black!" Matrix repeated. "It suits you. I just need to sit..." She explained, rubbing her hand through her hair and trying to put everything together in her head. "My hair! It's so short!"

I ran back to the truck where Kaylee was watching over Ellie. She was less cold than earlier but still idle and lacking any warmth. I carried her over and placed her down on the same plank, right next to Matrix.

"They look like sisters" Genesis commented.

"In a way, they are. But they've never looked this alike while separated before" Raster explained.

Sure enough, side by side, they looked like twins, except one was now slightly more lean than the other, and her hair was black and in a pixie cut. I connected the cable to the back of Ellie's head, and waited.

Matrix looked down at Ellie with a renewed worry. "Ellie..." I realized she was probably still in shock, but Matrix was more concerned for her sister than herself.

My dad typed away at the computer, compiling the work he did on her memories in the train with the backup. It was actually very simple, and didn't take long. The sun was finally overhead, spreading light down onto us, and lighting up Ellie's face. It was warming us up, although the day was still chilly. Matrix didn't seem to mind the cold, or she hadn't noticed it yet.

"Restoring... Now" my dad announced a minute or two later as he entered the final command. "Relax, this might take a while."

And we waited. Not only were the files large, but he had to initialize her system first to clear away the corruption. I decided to spend my time waiting sitting next to Matrix. She had grown on me, and I really did miss her.

She leaned against me when I sat down. I watched her study everyone, noticing the changes in her friends.

"Matrix, do you need anything? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm hungry" she noted. "And cold. You need to tell me what I missed. Why do I remember pain? What happened to me?"

I wrapped my arm around her to warm her, but I didn't have any food. She'd have to wait. "That's a long story."

"We got time, right?" She asked as she cuddled closer to me, probably for warmth.

"Yeah. Finally."

"Ellie was always the best part of me. The innocent side. I'd be nothing without her."

Ellie gasped, making everyone jump! She began to breathe but the transfer continued. Something was working right. But it wasn't done yet.

Laura and the others had taken it upon themselves to go through my hidden goods. The gold and valuables astounded them. I figured I could donate it to the lab or maybe get a bigger house we could all live in. I hadn't decided yet.

One thing I knew, I wanted to use it on my friends; I didn't want to spend it on me. I also had an assortment of other items from around the world that I kept hidden there. A few of them I could never identify, but I felt it was best to keep them secret and safe. Laura and Genesis neatly stacked everything and loaded them onto my truck.

After a while, I got up to look around the ruins, looking to see if there was anything else left. Only a few items like a fork or a cup, or a random book, managed to survive. But nothing I valued. Meanwhile Matrix walked with me, as I helped her keep her balance and get used to her new body.

"Is that your dad?" Laura called out, giggling. I turned around to see them looking at a photo I left in the hidden space. "He's so young. And you're adorable!"

Sure enough, they found that old photograph I kept of my dad from my youth. It was the only memento I had of my parents which I cherished, before I knew my dad was still alive. I still don't remember my mother, but at least I now knew why my dad didn't leave me with any pictures of her. Her white hair would have given her away in a heartbeat.

My dad got a kick out of the old photo. He forgot all about it. "I'd like to hold onto this, if you don't mind" he asked me. I let him. As long as he kept it safe, I didn't need it anymore.

"Hey, the transfer just finished" he alerted, pocketing the photograph, “it shouldn't be too much longer. Then we'll know if this worked or not."

We gather around Ellie again, looking anxiously for any signed of life. Since she had her original body, the initialization and startup shouldn't take too long.

Ellie opened her eyes. However, she remained motionless and unresponsive. I waved my hand in front on her.

"Ellie?" Nothing. Minutes went by but she never changed.

"Damn" my dad cursed. "I'm getting an error. She's got millions of lines of code, I must have missed something."

"Can you fix her?" Matrix asked.

"I don't know. I didn't exactly program her. And even if I did, I used an advanced A.I. to program all of my robots, it would take me months without that program to fix this."

"Could we take her back to the lab?" Laura wondered.

"Again, it would take months at best. I lost that program in the fire at the palace. I've been hand-coding everything since then. This could be anything from a major section of missing code to a tiny syntax error." He balled his hand into fists and hit a section of broken wall, sending dust and dirt floating down onto him. There was a beep on his computer and he looked down frustrated. "Now what? I lost signal?"

I glanced down at Ellie hoping she was awake, but instead I saw Matrix pulling the cord out of the computer and into herself.

"Matrix?! What are you doing?" I panicked.

"Trying something."

"You just woke up, you can't even stand..."

"I just need calibrating; my mind works fine" she protested.

"She's going to look for the problem" my dad explained. "She is an A.I. It might work. But be careful!"

"Ha! Careful is my middle-" she paused, still as a statue. Even her breathing stopped.

"Matrix? Matrix!" I called out kneeling down about to pull out the cable.

"Yeah?" She answered the moment before I was about to disconnect her.

"Yeah?" Ellie said echoing Matrix perfectly.

"Woah" Matrix exclaimed blinking.

"Woah" Ellie copied in almost real-time.

"Doc?" Lulu called out, clearly as confused as the rest of us.

"Don't touch them" he warned. "It could break something inside them. They're synced!"

"Synced?" Lulu asked.

"They're sharing data" he explained but before he could elaborate, Matrix and Ellie interrupted him.

"It's fine" they said in stereo. "Freaky, but fine. She's copying some data from me, but I think I found something."

"Are you alright?" I wondered, placing my hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah... Everything's fine. I just... have to concentrate."

"Is this really a good idea?" Raster inquired of my dad.

He simply shrugged his shoulders. "I've never done anything like this before."

"There!" Matrix and Ellie announced together. "Some missing... Woah... Hey now..."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's... copying... too... much..." She explained slowing down. I can't... keep..."

She froze again in mid-sentence. Staying calm was no longer an option for me.

"What's happening? I can't lose Matrix again! We just got her back!"

"Don't touch them" my dad warned again. "Ellie is self-repairing. I don't think she'll harm Matrix."

We waited for one of them to move. It was eerie how still Matrix was. I kneeled between them and kept a close eye on them both. Laura sat behind me, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"... up! Fuck!" Matrix exclaimed panting. She fell backward and pulled the cable from her neck. "Holy shit!"

"Matrix, are you ok?" I asked.

"Yeah" she replied. "But damn... She completely overloaded my system copying stuff! I think she took too much!"

Suddenly Ellie gasped and looked around in a panic. She cowered away from everyone, scrambling on all fours on her back in a frantic attempt to distance herself, pulling at the poorly tied blanket on her and crawling out of it, unaware.

She backed herself against a jutting section of wall, now completely naked and exposed, and looked around between us. Her eyes met mine, and she quickly went from panicked to confused.

"Ellie?"

She opened her mouth but then held her head in pain. Not her too.

"Matrix?" I growled looking at her crossly with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Ellie replied, despite the headache.

"Oh no... What happened to Ellie?" I wondered, ready to scream.

"I'm right here..." Ellie replied. "No... I'm..."

"Oookay" I seethed. "What's going on here?"

Ellie looked straight at me, her gaze unwavering. "You. I remember you... I..." She winced and held her forehead with one hand. "Fuck!"

"Matrix?" I asked, looking at Ellie.

"Yeah?" Matrix answered.

"Ow... What?" Ellie said crossly.

"Ellie?"

"Yes?" Ellie replied.

"What the Fuck?" Matrix wondered confused.

"Daaaaad?" I beckoned.

He looked at me scratching his head. "I think she's somehow copied enough of Matrix that she has two personality profiles ruining at the same time."

"But she didn't copy my personality." Matrix protested.

"She didn't have to, it was already there" he explained.

Ellie closed her eyes and started to control her breathing. She was concentrating hard on something, but I dared not approach her.

"Ellie, are you alright?"

"Ellie..." Ellie whispered to herself. "Is that me? No... Aren't I Matrix? No, I'm not."

"Let her concentrate" my dad suggested. "I think I understand, but now she has to figure herself out."

"So what's going on?" Laura asked.

"This backup was from before we split Matrix and Ellie. I think a good part of Matrix was still in there, fragmented. Ellie was designed to adapt, and that's what she's doing. When Matrix attached to her, she pulled in the files she needed to fix herself. And I think that means fixing the broken Matrix files as well."

"So she's-" I began.

"Does she have the virus?" Raster interrupted.

"No" he shook his head. "I removed that for sure. She still has the anti-virus in her. But now her mind is struggling for dominance."

Ellie looked up at me abruptly and blinked. "James Amano... Jimmy." She recognized me at least. "You were my registered master user... Ellie's boyfriend... Matrix's lover... My friend."

"Aren't I still?" I wondered.

Her face lightened as she came to an important realization. She leaned forward and pushed herself up, standing. Her naked body was now covered in soot and dirt but she didn't bother too brush it off.

Instead she stood with her legs together, squared her shoulders toward me, and bowed.

"I am EFU-25LE. I am pleased to meet you. Would you do me the honor of registering as my master user?"

"Wh- What's going on?" I stammered.

"Ah!" My dad slapped his forehead. "Ellie died. She was deregistered upon death."

"I am no longer Ellie" she explained. "Nor am I Matrix."

"Then who are you?" I asked taking a step closer.

She stood up straight again and smiled at me like Ellie used to do. No... It was different, it had more life to it, more energy.

"I have no name. Yet. I was hoping you'd give me one."

"I wanted Ellie back" I complained.

"She is here." She explained. "As is Matrix. They are both here."

"But I thought you said you weren't-"

"I apologize. I am neither one of them. I am both of them. Matrix and Ellie."

"I see" my dad deduced. "She is... Oh the irony!" He started to laugh heartily and had to calm himself.

"Care to explain?" Lulu asked for us.

"When I built Ellie originally, she was a radical experiment, a gynoid with a subconscious and morals. Her personality was Matrix, before she was changed by Tsion. Her subconscious became Ellie, later adapting to her situation and taking over her body.

"What we have here" he continued, leaning down to help Matrix stand up, "is a new Matrix with a modified subconscious based on Ellie. And what you have before you is a modified Ellie with a subconscious borrowed from Matrix."

"What?"

"They're like twins... Except one is the mirror of the other."

"But she said she wasn't Ellie." I noted.

"Not exactly. Ellie had been reset and repaired herself with fragments of both. Both Matrix and Ellie as we knew them are gone, but these two are built on their memories and personalities."

"I have all the memories and experiences of Ellie, and some from Matrix as well. Their memories are my own." EFU-35LE explained. "But also all their emotions. Ellie loved you very much... She still does. I still do, if you'd let me."

I cleared my throat. There were a dozen people around me, and this was getting awkward.

"Say yes already" Laura teased, pushing me a little.

"Can I call you Ellie?" I asked her.

She smiled radiantly, bright enough to blot out the sun. "I would like nothing better" she beamed.

"Of course I'll register you to me."

She started to cry while still smiling. "Acknowledged. Please to meet you, Jimmy. My name is Ellie."

She took a small bow before bolting from her corner and running headfirst into my arms. "Jimmy!" She sobbed out as she buried her face into my chest. "Jimmy! Was so scared! I love you!” She reached up and pulled me into a long deep kiss. At first I was embarrassed, but soon her passion overcame my reason and I lifted her off her feet and kissed her again and again.

"Ellie! I love you too!" I lowered her to the ground as she laughed and smiled. "You're freezing!"

She looked up at me, wiping her eyes and smiling in her familiar way. It really was her. Only better; complete. "Warm me, please."

Matrix leaned into us and gave us a big hug as well. "Sis!"

"Matrix? You look like me!"

"Well we are sisters."

The three of us hugged for a good long while. Before Ellie finally spoke up.

"Jimmy? Do you have a blanket? Still cold." She was speaking in a way similar to how she used to. It made me cry to hear her voice as I remembered it. My dad wrapped the blanket she dropped around her, and she held it tight, thanking him.

"We had to thaw you out from cold storage" he explained. "It's been a few months. I'll make sure there aren't any complications with you later."

"It's freezing" Matrix complained. "Got one for me too?"

I didn't, so instead I wrapped my arm around her tighter. Lulu pressed herself up against her back.

"Does this help?" Lulu asked.

"Yeah... But now I can't breathe" Matrix wheezed.

Something poked my leg inside my pocket while I was squeezing her. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the pendant Aunt May gave me.

"Well it's not a blanket but I have this for you" I explained, handing it to her. "May wanted to give it to you. It's a symbol of friendship I think."

Matrix looked at it in both her hands, to keep from dropping it. "Friendship? It's pretty." She handed it back to me and turned around, moving her hair off her neck with her hand only to realize her hair was much shorter than that now. I unclasped the necklace it was attached to and put it around her neck. She turned around again, looking down at it with a smile and pressing herself against me.

"Come on," Genesis yelled out. "Madame Suto's just reopened, we can celebrate and warm up there."

"NO!" the two twins barked.

I couldn't help but laugh, even though I was the only one that understood.

"Right. Then... I know this other place..." He went on prattling while I blocked him out, concentrating on the two girls. I didn't want to let them go, and it was clear both of them were attached to me. However, Lulu pulled Matrix away.

As we walked back to the trucks and put everything away, Matrix was surrounded by her former unit turned family who were all glad to see the new her, and were doing their best to keep her warm. Ellie chose to stay with me, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

"Jimmy?" She asked. "Sorry not the same anymore. I know how much you loved the old me. Hope I live up to your expectations."

"Ellie, you've already surpassed them. Don't try to change yourself, just be who you are and I'm sure I will still love you."

"How can you be so sure?" She wondered.

"Because it's you. I didn't just fall in love with a personality, I fell in love with a person."

She hugged me tighter. "You're making me fall in love at first sight all over again."

Returning her affection, I squeezed her tighter. She mewed at my gesture, and pinched my butt. I let out a small yelp and squeezed hers in response. Same old Ellie.

"Umm... Jimmy?" She asked looking confused. "What's with your arm?"

============
Next Chapter.

[liliwinnt6]

Good ending, now shall we let Ellie to fill up the memories gap?

[DollSpace]

A great ending to a great piece of work. I really enjoyed this whole story, even if it was confusing at first, everything did end up making sense in the end, I think... Hope the epilogue is posted soon!

[gynoneko]

Thanks. If there is anything confusing, I'll gladly explain or fix it. Just let me know. I hope to get that epilogue finished soon but it is taking a little longer to figure out than i expected. I have been toying with a few ideas and i think i am going to have to turn one of them into a short side story. Also, we have to get back together and go over Lost but Found. I need to pick that one up again next. Been really wanting to continue it.