Modifying the Contract (Ch 5)

[General]

Mike awoke several hours later as Nikki pulled his car into a busy gas station. He blinked several times and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he cranked the seat up and looked around. “Where are we?”

“We’re at a gas station,” Nikki replied flatly. “We are running low on fuel.”

“I can see that,” Mike grumbled as he cracked his neck. “Do you know anything this town or where it is?”

Nikki was silent for a moment as she pulled the car next to an available pump and shut down the engine. “We are inside the boundaries of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania. It is located at 39.793471 degrees North latitude and -76.731520 degrees West longitude. According to the last census it has a population of 2,152; 93.5% of which are white, 3% African America…”

“Whoh,” Mike said holding up his hand, “Glen Rock or even just southeast PA would have been good enough. It sounded like you were reading Wikipedia.”

“I was,” Nikki admitted, “I accessed our position from the GPS and then searched online for information about this area.” She paused for a second as she looked up at the pump. “Be sure to pay with cash only, your credit cards are most likely being traced.” She turned to get out of the car and Mike quickly put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hold on,” Mike said, “You can go outside like that.” He looked down and gestured at the weapons still attached to her webbing and holsters. “They’ll think you’re going to rob the place. And it doesn’t help that you’re still wearing your ninja suit.”

“Would you prefer I was naked?” Nikki asked with a scowl.

“As nice as that would be for me, I think it would attract more attention than we’re looking for,” Mike looked over his shoulder at the gas station office and mini-mart. “Just stay here. I’ll be back.”

Mike stepped out of the car and walked into the mini-mart. The smell of coffee and fresh donuts hit him as the door opened. His eyes half closed as he let out a low moan and licked his lips, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. He grabbed a handful of fresh donuts along with a large cup of coffee. He paused for a second, wondering if Nikki needed anything. Technically as an android she shouldn’t need to eat, but he did remember from last night that she was…wet….for lack of a better term. That moisture had to come from somewhere and be replenished. Thinking it was worth a shot, he grabbed a few bottles of water and made his way to the checkout.

Mike returned to the car a few minutes later, and opened the door. “I’ll get the gas in a second, let me just set down a few things,” he said as he laid the bag of food in front of his seat and carefully set the coffee in a nearby cup holder. After pumping the gas he slipped back into the passenger seat as Nikki quietly pulled the car back onto the country highway. “I wasn’t sure if you needed anything so I got you a few bottles of water. You don’t eat right?”

“While I am capable of eating and drinking to maintain the illusion of a human, I do not require food,” Nikki explained. “I do need water and a small supply of certain proteins to maintain by biofunctions, but those supplies do not need frequent replenishment.” She paused for a second as she looked over at Mike with a bottle of water in hand extended to her. Her internal moisture levels were still within tolerances, so technically she didn’t need the water. However, she was surprised he would think about her needs when she hadn’t asked for anything. At first she was going to refuse the water, but then thought about the social implications of it. “I could use some water,” she said cautiously as she reached out and took the bottle, “thank you for thinking of me.”

“You’re welcome,” Mike replied with a little smile as he sipped his coffee and stuffed a jelly donut into his mouth. He licked his lips, savoring the fried, sweet goodness as his hunger subsided. “You know, we should look into getting you some normal clothes,” he said; his mouth half full of food. “It will arouse a lot less suspicion if you appear like a normal human woman.”

Nikki frowned again. She liked her tactical combat suit; it provided freedom of movement will providing protection from slow speed projectiles and moderate abrasions. The idea of going to cotton or some other less protective material wasn’t appealing, but Mike did have a point about blending in. “Very well, where would you suggest we go to obtain clothing?”

“Well, we’ll probably need you in the store to pick out the clothes,” Mike mused as he worked on his food. “I’m horrible with judging women’s sizes. But we need a store where your current attire won’t draw stand out too much.” He paused as he thought about a possible venue while looking around the road. Just then he saw a billboard. “That’s it. Your suit kind of looks like biker gear. There’s a Harley store a few towns over. You’ll blend in there, and we can pick up some more normal-ish looking clothes there.”

Nikki paused for a second as she raced over the internet to find the store and directions. “We’ll be there in 10 minutes,” she said as she took the next right and accelerated away.

Almost exactly 10 minutes later, the car came to a stop in front of a large Harley Davidson outlet store. Mike got Nikki to leave the obvious guns in the car, but she insisted on keeping the boot pistol as they entered the store. Fortunately his hunch paid off as almost everyone else in the store had leather or other biker apparel. If anyone stood out it was Mike in his plain jeans, sneakers and tshirt.

“How many outfits should I get?” Nikki asked quietly as she scanned the wide assortment of clothing on racks and shelves.

“I’d go with four or five,” Mike shrugged as he tried to think how long they might be on the run, or how long it might be before they’d get a chance to do laundry. When he thought about his ‘go bag’, he only had a few changes of clothes. He looked around and while most of the biker attire didn’t mesh with his sense of fashion (or lack there of), he did find a few more tshirts and jeans.

Nikki nodded and wandered around the store for a few minutes, picking out an assortment of tops and bottoms. She factored in price, durability, flexibility, and some limited fashion sense she downloaded from a public android app offered through Cosmo online. “I am ready to purchase these and leave,” she said plainly once she found Mike again.

“Are you sure they fit? Maybe you should try them on,” Mike suggested as he browsed through her selections.

“I am quite certain of my body’s dimensions,” Nikki explained. “These garments will fit according to their design.”

“Umm,” Mike hesitated as he tried to phrase it correctly, “you forgot certain…undergarments,” he said quietly so no one else would hear.

“I do not require undergarments,” Nikki replied proudly.

“In your current outfit, maybe not. But in these things, you’ll need the coverage,” Mike explained as he lifted up a black leather vest. “Remember, we’re looking to blend in.”

Nikki nodded and wandered off to the limited underwear section. She returned a few minutes later with a few bras and panties; some in black leather. Mike swallowed, “Yea those should do.” The duo made their way to the checkout and paid with a pile of cash he recovered from his bag. They still had plenty more to go, but he did wonder how long it would have to last.

Mike and Nikki loaded their bags into the back of the car when she frowned and ran her finger along a few bullet holes from last night’s encounter. “We should get another car,” she said plainly.

“Oh sure,” Mike laughed as he got into the car with Nikki. “Why don’t we pick up a boat while we’re at it.”

“A boat is unnecessary,” Nikki explained as she drove off. “However, the bullet holes in your car will attract attention. The same sort of attention you wanted to avoid with my ‘ninja suit’.”

“Alright you have a point,” Mike grumbled. “I just like this car. It’s been through a lot with me.”

“You can always buy it back once this is all over,” Nikki explained as she pulled onto a more commercial roadway. “Plus with a different car and license we don’t have to worry about traffic cams as much.”

“OK let’s see what we can find,” Mike consented as he kept his eyes open for dealerships. Nikki passed quite few new car lots, much to his disappointment, but she explained that new purchases or even buying a used car at a major lot would require a lot of paperwork. All of that would attract attention and defeat the purpose of getting a new ride. Plus a legit dealer would definitely ask about or report the bullet holes.

At one point, Nikki stopped at a rest area and ducked into the bathroom to change. Mike made use of the facilities and was getting himself a soda when he saw her walk out into the lobby. She was wearing a pair of tight, black leather pants and a red leather halter top. He could see from the back that she disregarded his advice about foundation garments, but he wondered if she capitulated on the panties. He swallowed deeply and nodded. “You look very nice,” he said while trying to conceal his growing arousal.

“Thank you,” Nikki replied with a little smile as she lead Mike back to the car.

As they walked back, Mike noticed something strange on Nikki’s right shoulder. It was a black smudge with something loose, as if she had a burnt leaf stuck on her arm. As they reached the car, he gently grasped the warm flesh of her arm, “Hold on. What’s that on your shoulder?” he asked as he carefully examined her now bare shoulder.

“It is minor cosmetic damage,” Nikki explained. “I was grazed during the firefight last night.”

“Shit,” Mike mumbled as he examined the wound. He could see her skin was burned away and blackened by friction. Small tears in the flesh revealed the deep purple synthetic muscle tissue underneath. “Can we fix you?”

“Yes, I have a repair kit and I am capable of self repair,” Nikki explained, “it is not affecting my mission so the repair was put on a low priority task queue.”

“Well now that the wound is visible, we should get it fixed,” Mike reasoned. “Otherwise you won’t be able to pass for human.”

“Why do I need to pass for human?” Nikki asked as she slipped back into the car. “Androids are common enough that seeing one wouldn’t alarm anyone.”

“True,” Mike replied as he closed the car door behind him. “But I’ve never seen androids walking around damaged. And hiding your true nature would give us a tactical advantage in the event of an attack.”

“You make a convincing point,” Nikki admitted. “I can make the repair now if you wish.” Mike nodded and she reached back and recovered her small tactical backpack from the back seat. Noticing that they were in a highly visible area, she started the car and drove to a far corner of the rest area. She opened her bag and removed a small, plain black plastic case. Inside sat a wide assortment of tools, compactly packed in a precise arrangement.

Mike watched silently as Nikki removed a delicate scalpel. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

“Yes, hold this,” Nikki says as she pulls a small mirror out of the bag. Mike holds it in his hand as Nikki carefully adjusts it to give her a good view of her shoulder. She then uses the knife to slowly carve a perfectly regular rectangle of flesh out of her arm. She lifted the damaged skin away, and laid it on her lap. As she worked to cut an equally sized piece from a roll of spare skin, he watched the synthetic muscle fibers flex under her skin.

“Does it hurt?” He asked as he watched Nikki work the flesh with the knife edge.

“I detect the injury and I guess you could call it pain,” Nikki explained as she worked. “but it doesn’t hamper my productivity.” She raised the skin back up and set it perfectly back in the newly created empty spot in her shoulder. She adjusted the mirror and nodded slightly. She applied an oily cream to the seam and it seemed to disappear into the rest of her skin. “Does it look ok?”

Mike reached out and gently dragged the tips of his fingers over Nikki’s newly repaired shoulder. “It’s like it never happened,” he said with a smile. Nikki nodded, packed up her kit and started up the car.

After almost a half an hour cruising down various highways and byways, Nikki pulled into a crowded lot arranged around an old barn. “Wow you picked a winner here,” Mike grumbled as he looked over the disappointing selection.

“This dealership had several promising candidates online,” Nikki explained as she found an empty spot for Mike’s car. “Plus several comments alluded that the owner is less than reputable, which could work to our advantage.”

It didn’t take long for Nikki to attract the attention of every guy in the lot, and in less than two minutes the salesman was on them. “What can I do for you this morning?” he asked as he straightened his cheap tie on his dingy shirt.

Mike was about to respond that they were just looking when Nikki cut him off, “Do you still have the 2007 Mustang?” she asked quickly.

“Yes it’s over here,” the salesman said with a wide smile as he lead Nikki and Mike over to a grey two door sports car. Nikki looked it over for a moment, then dropped down to the ground to peer underneath. “Can I help you with something miss?”

Nikki stood back up and brushed off her hands. “This car has a bent frame and is leaking transmission fluid,” she said sharply. The salesman was caught off guard, and could only mumble in reply.

“Umm, how about this late model Jeep,” the salesman started before Nikki cut him off.

“No, show me the 2015 Camaro,” Nikki snapped. The salesman nodded and led them through the lot to another old car.

“Nikki what are you doing?” Mike asked. “These old cars are crap.”

“We need a vehicle with a combination of speed, acceleration, durability, handling and storage,” Nikki explained. “Current model cars are too concerned with efficiency and luxury to meet our needs.”

Nikki repeated her inspection and then turned to Mike, “Are you capable of operating a manual transmission?”

“A what?” Mike asked.

“Nevermind,” Nikki grumbled as she turned back to the salesman. “How about the 2010 Challenger?”

“This way,” the stunned salesman replied. Mike just followed along, a little shocked but happy that Nikki had taken the lead. He didn’t do well with high pressure sales and in these old cars he was definitely out of his element.

Nikki looked over the latest car, a two door, painted all black with two red racing stripes. She checked underneath the car, then popped the hood and trunk. She pulled out the dipstick and smelled the oil as she carefully inspected the engine. Satisfied she slammed the hood and brushed off her hands. “How much?”

“Well the sticker price is $17k, but for you I’m willing to come down to sixteen-five,” the salesman attempted to sling as much charm as he could.

“Unacceptable,” Nikki snapped. “Local comps list this vehicle at twelve point seven, no more.”

“Well I could maybe come down to fifteen,” the salesman countered.

“What if we trade in the car we came in on?” Nikki adjusted. “It’s going market price is almost thirty.”

The salesman’s eyes perked up and he followed Nikki to Mike’s car. “Oh very nice…are those bullet holes?”

“The damage is non-structural,” Nikki replied.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?” he asked.

“Replace the trunk, patch the holes, whatever you want,” Nikki replied. “With a little work you can turn this around and sell it for twenty seven to twenty eight easy.”

“This isn’t hot is it?” he asked.

“No,” Nikki snapped.

“How did it get the holes then?” he replied.

“It was shot…by a gun,” Nikki explained to the still confused salesman. “Do you want the trade or not?”

“I don’t know,” the salesman hesitated. Nikki leaned over and whispered something into his year that Mike couldn’t hear. “Umm ok. I’ll meet you in the office inside to draw up the paperwork.” He turned and left as Nikki turned back towards Mike.

“I think I’ve secured the trade,” Nikki explained. “You’ll need to sign over the title so I can bring it with me to the office.”

Mike was about to object, after all she had just sold his car without even asking him. But he realized it was the best decision. The car could be tracked to him and it obviously couldn’t outrun any possible pursuers. He just shrugged and fished the title out of the glovebox, signed it, and handed it to Nikki.

“Great, go ahead and pull this car around to the Challenger,” Nikki planned. “Try to get everything loaded up in the new car while I negotiate the final price.” Mike nodded and drove the car around as Nikki walked into the old office.

Twenty minutes later Mike had everything out of his old car and into the new one. He scoured the vehicle for receipts or any other paperwork that might tie him to the car once they left. He slammed the bullet riddled trunk when he saw Nikki walked back towards him with a set of keys, “Leave your keys in the car. Are you ready to go?” she asked.

“Yea I’m ready,” Mike replied as he looked her over. “How did the negotiations go?”

“Very well,” Nikki replied. “He took your car in trade in, gave us two thousand in cash, and will wait a few days to file the title transfer.”

“Wow, how did you pull that one off?” Mike asked as he slipped into the large passenger seat of the older car.

“I gave him a blowjob,” Nikki replied as if she had offered him a piece of gum.

“You what?!?” Mike shouted as Nikki started the engine.

“I orally stimulated his penis until he ejaculated,” Nikki explained slowly. “I calculated he was attracted to me sexually and he hesitated to comply with our request due to the bullet damage. The sexual favor changed his mind and got us a better deal.” She paused for a second to assess his expression. “Are you upset? I thought you would be happy that I secured a better deal.”

“I’m happy about the deal,” Mike sighed, “but I didn’t want you to have to compromise yourself like that.”

“I am programmed to use by body to accomplish my mission,” Nikki said softly, “If that means exchanging sexual favors then so be it.”

“OK I just didn’t want you to have to do that,” Mike said as he shook his head.

“You said,” Nikki suddenly shifted from her own voice into a dead on impression of Mike’s “I do want your input and for your to exercise some initiative. Just as long as that doesn’t include killing people.” She waited a moment for it to sink in before she returned to her normal voice.

“My first plan was to kill the salesman and rob him of all the cash he had on hand,” Nikki explained. “However your last order countermanded that. I explored my programming and came up with a different option. I agree that it is much better than my original idea. Now he is happy and a possible future source of help. And we still got everything we wanted.”

“Yea I guess,” Mike grumbled. “Alright let’s get out of here before he thinks he can get beyond third base.” Nikki nodded and started the car. The vehicle shook slightly as the large engine roared to life and she pulled onto the road. He nodded and the frown slowly melted away as he started to enjoy the new, old car. “Hey before we get back on our way, let’s stop for lunch quickly. Once we leave this town there isn’t much for another few hours.”

“Very well,” Nikki nodded, happy that Mike seemed pleased with her choice of cars. She began scanning the road ahead and quickly spotted a burger shack with a free wireless net connection. It would be a lot faster than using her normal connection and she wanted to investigate possible routes. She hadn’t considered his biological needs in her original navigation calculations, but for some reason she felt his needs were important. “Will this establishment do?”

“Sure this will work,” Mike said as Nikki pulled the car to a stop. Ten minutes later they sat at a table, a burger, onion rings and a Coke in front of Mike, with a large iced tea for Nikki. “You chose well again,” he chuckled as he wiped his mouth, “this burger is great.”

Nikki nodded and slowly sipped from her drink as she scoured the network for various routes. She didn’t technically need the beverage, but she sitting silently while Mike ate would draw more attention than they wanted. Another fifteen minutes passed in near silence; he was too busy stuffing his face and most of her consciousness was occupied in her searches.

Finished with is burger, Mike wiped his greasy fingers and took a drink from his soda. He looked around the packed restaurant and focused on two people who just walked through the front door. One was a very large man, at least two meters tall, wearing a long overcoat. The other was an attractive blonde woman wearing tight jeans, a tank top and a leather bolero jacket. At first Mike was visually drawn to the woman but he found himself staring at the man. He was huge and his movements were strangely stiff as he panned his head back and forth across the crowded room.

“Nikki,” Mike whispered but she didn’t respond right away. He frowned and kicked her in her shin. Brought back into reality she scowled at him as he gestured towards the door. She turned around and suddenly a look of fear washed over her face. She knew the two people at the doorway, and knew they were trouble. The woman was Erica, one of Allied’s newest acquisitions and the large man was Irvin, an experienced tactical unit. They hadn’t spotted them yet, but she knew they only had a few seconds at best.

“They’ve found us. Use the door behind you. Cut through the kitchen and try to get to the car,” Nikki whispered as she slid the keys across the table.

“What about you?” Mike asked as he slipped the keys into his pocket and eyed the door in question.

“I’ll hold them off. Just go!” Nikki said as she turned back and surveyed the tactical situation. Erica and Irvin had the main entrance blocked, and besides the kitchen route there was no other accessible exit. She didn’t have her more powerful weapons, thanks to her much less tactical clothing. Her only weapons were the compact 45 in one boot and her dagger in the other. Fortunately a large ceramic planter sat nearby and would provide some limited cover.

Mike quickly slipped through the back door to the kitchen as Nikki drew her pistol and took cover behind the planter. The click of her safety snapped Irvin’s head directly towards her. “Secondary target acquired,” he grumbled as he reached inside his jacket.

Nikki didn’t wait to see what was inside the jacket, and opened fire. Screams and panic accompanied the rapid pop pop pop of her weapon. The first two shots landed in Irvin’s shoulder in an attempt to disable his weapon arm. Sensing minimal effect, she shifted her aim and fired the remaining four shots in her weapon at his head. Two struck his forehead and tore away some synthflesh without penetrating his re-enforced skull. The third shot hit him in the cheek, tearing more flesh away to expose his left molars. The final shot struck him in the left eye, causing him to shutter and spark.

Irvin was largely undeterred by Nikki’s weak attacks. As the last bullet struck his eye he had withdrawn and readied his Vector compact submachine gun. He registered the damage to his left optical sensor, it reduced his depth perception and targeting accuracy, but he could still accomplish his mission with his one remaining eye. He leveled his weapon at his attacker and unleashed a loud roar of fire.

Nikki pulled herself behind the planter as a stream of heavy bullets blew apart the tree and most of the planter. Dirt spilled over her as she reloaded her pistol with one of her two remaining clips. As she worked she counted the bullets as they were fired, waiting for him to expend his ammo. After the 30th shot she prepared to pop up when suddenly she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She was lifted up over what remained of the planter and thrown across the room. She crashed through an ice machine and landed on the tile floor along with thousands of frozen cubes.

“Track primary, I’ll take care of her,” Erica snapped as she advanced on Nikki to follow up her attack.

“Acknowledged,” Irvin growled as he reloaded his weapon and advanced into the restaurant. At this point, most of the other customers had fled, but there were still a few stragglers.

Mike had ducked into the kitchen just before the shooting started. He was stopped immediately by one of the cooks, who immediately hit the deck as the first shots were fired. Mike scrambled through the compact, and serpentine kitchen as he desperately tried to find a way out. He peaked over his shoulder just in time to see Irvin standing in front of the main counter. He dove to the floor as the large android raised his weapon and let loose another wild spray of bullets.

Mike quickly scrambled on his hands and knees as it seemed like everything in the kitchen exploded and leaked at the same time. He slipped on and slid across the floor as Irvin reloaded then deftly vaulted the front counter and advanced slowly into the kitchen.

Mike finally spotted a back door but realized he’d have little chance of using it without getting shot in the process. He watched the android slowly walk into the kitchen scanning for his target. Mike’s head darted back and forth as he tried to find a weapon or a way out when he spotted a small fire extinguisher attached to the side of a table. He quietly popped it loose and prepared to spray it in his attacker’s face. It wasn’t a great plan but it was all he had.

Just then, Mike noticed an intact and rapidly bubbling deep fryer between him and his attacker. He waited a few seconds, then lofted the pressurized bottle into the boiling oil. His plan was rewarded with another burst of bullets as he scrambled towards the door. The timing was perfect, either due to skill or more likely luck, as the android was right next to the fryer when the pressurized and now superheated cylinder exploded.

Instantly, six gallons of boiling oil was thrown into the air, coating the ceiling, the walls, the floor and one large android in 400 degree oil. Irvin’s first programmed reaction was to open fire. He waved the roaring weapon around in a wide arc, hoping to catch his target with a lucky shot. Fortunately for Mike, he was able to slip out the back door uninjured and undetected. Unfortunately for Irvin, the hot falling brass and muzzle flash caused the oil to burst into flames. He dropped his weapon and protected his one remaining eye with his hand as he was quickly engulfed in flames. Several seconds later, before the blaze could get too far the automatic fire suppressors kicked in.

Meanwhile Nikki picked herself up and charged Erica. The two fembots met in the middle of a cluster of tables and were quickly an almost unwatchable blur of fists, feet and hair. They traded blows as each one tried to get an advantage on the other. They tried to land a significant enough blow to stun their opponent long enough to draw a more lethal weapon; Nikki her dagger, and Erica her pistol. The dual was furious, but caused little damage as chairs flew and tables splintered. Then suddenly Nikki slipped on a spilt milkshake and stumbled to her knees. It was all the opportunity Erica needed as she drew her pistol and prepared to fire.

At that same moment, the kitchen exploded in a ball of fire. Erica turned her back to Nikki to ascertain the cause of the explosion and determine if it was a threat. Nikki smiled as she took advantage of the momentary opening. She drew her dagger and lunged precisely at the other fembot. Nikki turned the blade sideways as it slipped between Erica’s forth and fifth ribs. Instantly Erica’s limbs spasmed as the blade penetrated her power distribution module. Nikki swept her blade from left to right, separating the primary power conduits from her main energy cell. An electrical surge swept through Erica’s systems resulting in a fatal shutdown. Her body jerked violently then fell forward with a rough thud on the tiled floor.

Nikki quickly stowed her blade and recovered Erica’s fallen pistol. She looked it over, a Glock 52, and made it ready for use. She hoped Mike made it out and was speeding away in the car as she rose to her feet and looked around the devastated burger joint. The kitchen was smoking but no longer on fire, and so far the building appeared devoid of human life. Her vision caught some movement, and she turned just in time to see a heavily damaged Irvin marching towards her.

Irvin had lost most of his synthskin on his hands and head. A metal skull covered in charred polymers snapped to lock onto Nikki. Both androids raised their weapons but Nikki got a few shots off first. The small bullets made plinking noises as they struck his re-enforced armor. She leapt for cover as his gun roared to life again; spraying a wide cone of bullets at her.

Nikki was hit twice before she reached cover. The first bullet struck her shoulder and jammed her left arm joint. The second embedded itself in her right thigh and caused a momentary surge on her motor control line. The surge wasn’t itself fatal, but was enough to cause her leg to collapse under her weight, sending her sprawling across the floor on her back. She instantly tried to get to her feet, but the combination of her damaged leg and arm, and slippery floor fought against her. She slipped and fell striking her head on the hard floor tiles. She looked up just in time to see Irvin come to a stop in front of her as he leveled his weapon at her head.

Suddenly there was a loud CRACK that thundered through the confined building. Nikki flinched but didn’t detect any injury. CRACK CRACK CRACK. She opened her eyes to see Irvin stumble and turn towards the main door. Her eyes scanned over to see Mike standing in front of the doorway with the FN FAL to his shoulder. CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK. Pieces flew off Irvin as the heavy rifle rounds punched through his armor and impacted his critical systems. The android’s submachine gun fell to the ground with a clatter as Mike took another step forward. CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK….CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK.

Irvin stumbled backwards and fell to the ground with a loud crunch. His body twitched violently as he tried in vain to get up and continue the fight. Mike slowly and carefully took aim and fired. CRACK….CRACK….CRACK. The last shots punched through the armored skull and split it open like ripe melon. Circuits, wires, and a shower of sparks spread out over the floor.

“Fucking A,” Mike mumbled as he pulled the empty magazine out of the weapon and tucked it in his back pocket. He slipped a new magazine in and slid the bolt forward with a click. “Nikki?” he shouted as he scanned the scene of destruction. His heart skipped a beat as he saw a woman sprawled out on the ground, face down, but sighed as he recognized the blonde hair of the other android assassin.

“Mike, I’m over here,” Nikki cried out as she tried once more to get to her feet. She slipped and fell but Mike quickly took a knee beside her.

“Are you alright?” Mike asked as he looked over Nikki’s body.

“I’ve sustained moderate damage,” Nikki explained, “but repairs are possible. Please help me up.” With the rifle still in his right hand, he used his left to steady her enough to get on her feet. “I thought I told you to run.”

‘You’re welcome,” Mike snapped as he gave the shack one last look over. “Now let’s get the hell out of here before the cops get here.”

“Agreed,” Nikki said as she slowly walked after Mike. Just then she stopped in her tracks. “Wait, get her,” she said nodding towards the deactivated blonde.

“Why?” he asked as he looked down at the unmoving android.

“She’s only disabled,” Nikki explained. “I can repair her and maybe figure out how they found us.” She paused long enough for Mike to nod in acknowledgement. “You’ll have to carry her. Hand me the rifle,” she said as she tucked her pistol into her waistband and recovered her lost pistol from the floor. She returned it to her boot and then accepted the large battle rifle as Mike handed it over.

Mike struggled with the limp android for a few seconds before he tossed her over his shoulder. He groaned as he stood up and staggered with his heavy load as he and Nikki shuffled as fast as they could towards the car. He threw her into the back seat as he slipped behind the wheel. The engine thundered to life as Nikki collapsed into the passenger seat. “Drive,” she said as she nervously looked around the lot.

Unused to the power, Mike squealed the tires as she accelerated out of the lot and down the highway. He made several rapid turns and ducked off the main road just as half dozen police cars zipped by. He kept driving and eventually found a country highway heading mostly west.

“Why didn’t you run?” Nikki asked as she folded the stock of the battle rifle and tucked it out of sight.

“I was about to,” Mike explained; his eyes never leaving the road. “But something made me come back.” It was the truth that he was almost ready to leave. It was only at the last minute that he remembered the weapons in the trunk and thought that he’d rather take his chances fighting than try to run alone.

“That was very stupid,” Nikki scolded. “You could have easily been killed.” She paused for a second and looked over at Mike. “But thank you. Thank you for not leaving me.”

“You’re welcome,” Mike said with a nod as the car sped off down the road.

[NukuNookee]

Very nice! Looks like Mike has some more companionship to reprogram... hope he can keep up with two of them.

[kareld]

Excellent story, looking forward to the next chapter(s). I remember the FAL as a beast of a gun from my army days, would punch holes in terminators giving proper AP ammo. However did you consider something like the swiss sturmgewehr 57, even more penetration and reliability , swiss GP11 round is king.

Best regards

[liliwinnt6]

WoW

[xBOT]

WoW

Wow indeed.

[General]

I hope those wow's are a good thing and not "wow I can't believe I wasted my time reading that crap."

After reading through again today I apologize for the spelling mistakes. I finished it up late last night and I was eager to post.

Kareld I have to admit that I am not too familiar with the Strumgewehr 57. Most of my military knowledge is limited to NATO arms with a little Warsaw Pact thrown in. The 57 does sound like a better option but I wonder how easy it would be to obtain GP11's in a commercial market (in rural America).

For those curious, here are some photos of the weapons in question from today:

FN FAL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ModernparaFAL.JPG

TDI Vector: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TDI_Kriss

[Brytestar]

Now if only Erica can get reprogrammed to assist Nikki to love, protect and serve the hero of the tale.

[Sthurmovik]

Another superb chapter. Only nit pick is that pressurized fire extinguishers probably wouldn't explode that way, at least not in that amount of time. You might consider something as simple as a water bottle. Water + hot oil = steam explosion = oil everywhere.

As much as I love the accurate descriptions of weapons effects I do think they can tend to interfere with the story flow a bit. If you ever take this to another audience you might consider streamlining them or include in text links to Wikipedia.

Talk to me if you need any interesting settings for them to go to. I'm pretty up to date with cool places one can lay low in PA.

[xBOT]

I hope those wow's are a good thing and not "wow I can't believe I wasted my time reading that crap."

Definitely a "wow this is great and I check the forums every morning on the way to work just to see if the next chapter is out" kinda wow. Waiting for some more steamy scenes... Keep it up

[liliwinnt6]

I hope those wow's are a good thing and not "wow I can't believe I wasted my time reading that crap."

After reading through again today I apologize for the spelling mistakes. I finished it up late last night and I was eager to post.

Kareld I have to admit that I am not too familiar with the Strumgewehr 57. Most of my military knowledge is limited to NATO arms with a little Warsaw Pact thrown in. The 57 does sound like a better option but I wonder how easy it would be to obtain GP11's in a commercial market (in rural America).

For those curious, here are some photos of the weapons in question from today:

FN FAL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ModernparaFAL.JPG

TDI Vector: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TDI_Kriss

Hey, that's no crap, you know it, we know it too.

And um... do we need MG-42 to deal with those ass-bots with some kinda armor?

[kareld]

Hi general, just forget about my remark, you write stories in a way that I can lively imagine the characters and the scenes. Just to mention : my native language is not english, I think that says something about your stories !

Best regards

[DollSpace]

Awesome! Now if I can get my part done, I hope you'll really enjoy that, too!