Chapter 2

After coming home with his brand new cybernoid model - a girl to be exact, Ken started carrying all the boxes in to his room without his mother noticing anything, he started opening the first box. It was the one with the head, and the head module. She sure was pretty, but that's not the only reason for Ken buying this cybernoid, or Replicant as some people called them. The name came from some early models made by freaked-out genetic designers back in year 2020, which constantly malfunctioned and caused harm and death to humans. They were taken out of production and nowadays one had to have a license to manufacture them. And all models had to go through certain goverment inspections. This of course added a lot to the price.

Ken took the head out of the box and sat down to have a real good look at it. Suddenly he heard someone outside his door and he quickly dropped the head back in the box. Before he could close it, his mother yelled

What on earth are you doing !? And what's that ???

Ehrm... Ken was in a bit of a situation now.

He had promised his mother that he would use his saved-up money for a new aero-bike and not for a cybernoid model!

Hi mom. This is Tanisha. Roger's new cybernoid. She's really funny. Do you want to hear her speak ?

Ken knew that his mother hated everything that had to do with cybernoids, and the box with the head was right in front of her, so this was the best way to get her to leave the room - she once had a date with one and she didn't notice that he was a Replicant before it was too late.

NO! his mother yelled, seeing the head with the cables sticking out of the neck, and she slammed the door behind her.

I'm going over to Sally. Don't stay up to late Ken his mother shouted from the kitchen.

Great! Ken was alone.

He removed the transportation brackets and began to open the other boxes with legs, arms and the main body. The battery was in a box of its own and after opening it he had the complete cybernoid in parts spread across the floor of his room. Ken didn't need an assembly manual - he had watched the techincians for hours at the computer shop, and now it was time to assemble his own. All the connectors fitted snuggly into their slots and in just a couple of hours the cybernoid was assembled. Without noticing it Ken had been fumbling around with a naked body. Very human like and very perfect in every way. Ken had never seen a completely naked girl before, except for all the dirty video disks they used to watch over at Collin's place. He was amazed that this body was even more pretty than the sex-model they used in dirty videos.

Ken snapped out of his trance and rushed over to his mothers bedroom to find something she could wear. If his mother saw a butt naked girl lying on his bed she would really freak out for sure. He brought back what he thought would fit. He put the clothes beside the cybernoid on the bed and left the room with the remote control. He closed the door behind him and pressed the power switch. All he heard was the small beep from the remote control, but he decided to wait a bit longer. Shit. Something must have gone wrong. The guys at the computer shop had probably ripped him off and sold him a bad model. He reached for the door handle and turned it. Just as the door opened he could hear someone moving on his water bed. He quickly shut the door again and tip-toed over to the chair by the kitchen tabel.

Hello? a smooth voice sounded from behind his door and Ken didn't know if he was dreaming or not. He had never actually been so close to a droid that just had woken up before so he studdered a bit. Eh..Eh..Ye-Yeah?

Would someone mind coming in here and help me a bit? the smooth voice sounded again.

Ehrm..well, ok.. Ken didn't imagine it to be so hard to speak to a droid.

This was just like trying to ask a girl at school out for a date... maybe even harder... Ken slowly opened the door and looked accross the room over to his bed. The clothes were still lying on the bed, but the droid had moved to under the sheets. All he could see was her head above the sheets. She had a perfect tan and her skin was much more human now that the bio-mechanisms had started.

Hi. she said Who are you?

I-I'm Ken. I just bought you

Oh, well. she said

Let's get started with transfering my software. I'm feeling a bit empty-headed

She pulled out a small optical cable from her purse which came with the model and connected it to the back of her head under the long, slightly curled black hair. Ken reached out for the cable and their hands touched. Her hands were warm, just like a human being...She stopped. She knew Ken didn't have the greatest experience with Replicants. If this wasn't romantic, nothing was.. Ken pulled the cable over to the EISDN slot in the wall and plugged it in. The droid slowly put its head back on the pillow and closed its eyes. What happened now ? Ken hadn't seen this before, and he picked up the manual from one of the boxes to see what she was doing.

"The basic software will be transfered free of charge blah-blah-.. Do not interrupt software transfer blah-blah..." There! "While transfering the basic software, the PX-1600 will close all life functions. Please stand by while the transfer is progressing. The complete transfer, depending on the amount you have ordered will take approx. 1-2 minutes."

Well, that wasn't such a long time. Ken was glad he wasn't paying for the transfer. Optical hi-speed transfers on the EISDN network wasn't exactly cheap, all though Roger probably could fix a Red Box for him so that he could transfer software free of charge. Suddenly her eyes opened and she turned to him and smiled.

That's it. She removed the cable and put it back in her purse.

Ken didn't exactly know what kind of software he had ordered with the droid, but it was probably the standard package - 5 languages, household utilities, diagnostics and so on..

You must be about 16 years old so I guess you should turn your head the other way while I dress she said.

While Ken was looking the other way she quickly dressed and after jsut a minute or so she was finished.

It's ok now. You can look. Well, what do you think? Just like you wanted? she smiled again.

Eh..aw.. Sure. Yepp. Just like I expected Ken studdered.

Awf. It's quite painful to be closed down and switched on again like this. All though I don't have the pain sensors of a human beeing I do have the ability to feel some forms of pain. By the way, what's your name ? She stood up and walked towards him.

I'm Ken. Ken Miller. It's really Kevin, but all my friends call me Ken. He felt it was a bit easier to speak to her now.

So Ken. I have received a lot of information about you from the central informations system so I know most things about you already, but I would like to add something to my records. Like what kind of food you like, what you do for fun, and so on.. Tell me about yourself.

She sat down on the chair beside him and took his hand. Ken told her all about himself. They must have been sitting like this for at least 4 hours when Ken heard the front door open.

Sssshh. It's my mother. Be quiet. She thinks I'm sleeping

Ken! are you still up? his mother yelled.

She must have seen the light from under the door.

Well, I was just going to bed

Is Rogers droid still here? his mother asked.

Tanisha looked at Ken. She realized that Ken hadn't told his mother that he had bought a complete cybernoid model. Many grown-ups had one or more cybernoids, but it was rather seldom that a 16 year old kid had one. Tanisha stood up and opened the door. Ken's mother was on the edge of brain close-down. In front of her stood a girl, or rather a female cybernoid who was wearing her clothes and coming out of her own sons room. Ken knew that this had to be the end. His mother would surely have him terminated tomorrow morning. Tanisha closed the door behind her and left Ken sitting in his room by himself. She pulled out a chair and helped Ken's mother on to it. Ken could hear them talk., but not exactly what they were talking about, but it had to be about him.. Every now and then he could hear his mother screaming I don't want a Replicant in my house!

The time had passed 04:00 when Tanisha opened the door and when she and Ken's mother came in to his room. They sat down on the bed.

You could have told me that you were going to buy a Replicant, Ken. But we have come to an agreement, Tanisha and I. She's going to do some of the household things around here, so that I can start working again.

Hey, that's great mom!

Tanisha better sleep in the guest room I think. Come Tanisha, let's get that spare bed out of the storage room for you.

Replicants didn't actually sleep like a human did, but they closed down their life funtions and recharged their backup batteries during sleep. All though the cybernoids didn't run on electricity, the central nerve computer system had a battery backup unit just in case. Their bodies consumed food like any normal human beeing, and got energy from that. Ken wanted to stay up and talk about him self all night but Tanisha followed his mother out the door.

Good night Kevin. Sleep well. Dream sweet dream and come up with a name for me. Tanisha is just my model name..

Good night ....Tanisha See you in the morning....