Cara and the Mystery Robobabe

Cara and the Mystery Robobabe

Part 1

“Check, check 1..2.. 1.. 2..” The technicians buzzed around Cara, her tank like body stood unnaturally motionless while her head tracked the pencil being waved in front of her face with a whirl of tiny motors. They had installed new software into her and her sisters, Dana and Gennifer, and OCP’s best and brightest were testing to see if there were any potential problems. Several of the previous updates had resulted in the cyborgs having embarrassing errors in the streets. Their bodies seizing up refusing to respond to commands or getting stuck in loops forced to repeat the same set of actions till a tech team came to shut them down. This time was going to be different though, every piece of them was going to be analysed and gone over to make sure the clockwork soldiers worked like…. clockwork.

Some sections of Cara’s memory only OCP had access to and whilst combing through some of these files on Cara’s hard drive a technician, a young man who Cara had never seen before, found the corrupted video that would put everything in motion. It was a cyborg like her, she could see they were designed identically with the same components as her and her sisters. They even held themselves in the same bolt upright position and held a familiar vacant stare whilst running diagnostic checks, and from the position of the light and the chair this was clearly the same room. The thing was, Cara had no idea who this mystery cyborg was. According to OCP records she and her sisters were the first of the cyborg law enforcement series. Sure there were other models from other companies, a lithe but deadly red head called Barb, who Cara had previously been a victim of. J01 a British cyborg called Joanne to her friends and another named Alexandra who had been deactivated for a considerable amount of time.

“Who is she?” Cara inquired in her soft robotic monotone to the technician who had opened the file. He didn’t respond, they never did. She and her sisters were treated as nothing more than machines to be tinkered with, and the OCP technicians had been instructed to not indulge in conversation with them with the threat of termination. He curses under his bread, not at her but at the extra work he has given himself. Bringing out a small hand held machine he inserts a cable running from it into a port in the back of the cyborgs head. A slew of text rapidly flashed on Cara’s HUD a sign that a new program was being uploaded into her. Command module detected Select time to commence memory deletion and restructuring. Warning constantly deleting cyberised law enforcement unit’s memory can lead to instability.

“Wait what are you doing?” with a hint of panic which was as much emotion as her vocal processing allowed. The technician ignored her and continued to adjust parameters on his device. Cara stood unmoving even if she were able to power her actuators, her programming didn’t allow her to resist an employee of OCP. More text came up on Cara’s HUD.

The last 120 seconds will be deleted from this units memory and reconstructed to avoid inconsistencies. Do you wish to continue? Y/N

“No, I…. I….” but she doesn’t get to finish her pleading. Cara’s head seizes upright as the young man taps a button with a sigh of relief that the evidence of his mistake is being erased.

Yes Please wait while this units memory is erased. Warning do not disconnect device during this process. ….….

Her mind goes blank and she is unable to even think a coherent sentance as her computer side takes over and goes about removing all memory of the mystery cyborg and rebuilding it to avoid suspicion and increase compliance.

Deleting… Deleting….. Process truncated….. Please reattach command module to complete process.

With a burst of static in her vision, Cara snaps back into consciousness to see Dr Marie Lazarus with the command nodule in her hand shoving the young technician away. “Get away from her!” she shouts. Marie had always been the only person on OCPs payroll who treated the cyborgs as people it was against regulations but she was a one of a kind expert in the field of cybernetics and OCP were willing to overlook her eccentricities for now. “You’re violating her, you’re monsters! I’ll see to her myself Get out all of you. OUT!” The other technicians walked away, happy to leave their work for Marie.

Cara would have been grateful but she was having trouble due to the abrupt ending of the memory deletion program. Her electronic brain temporarily fried she is left mute and immobile aware of her surrounds but unable to interact in any way. “What were they doing to you Cara?” She says more to herself, unaware that her friend is awake. She walks over to a terminal which is plugged into the cyborg, with a few quick keyboard commands she brings up all the details and changes during the maintenance session. When an image of the mystery cyborg appears she gives out a shocked gasp. The recognition was clear as day. “Steph” she says. Marie brings up a current status report, and with a concerned look realizes that Cara is taking in all the information. She hurries over to the cyborg flips a switch, the soft hum of Cara’s internal workings slow down her head slumps down as energy is drained from her and she powers down.

Part 2

Programs are loaded, systems are booted, capacitors are filled, preliminary checks are completed and Cara reactivates. She slowly lifts her head and scans the cold spartan workshop with several sensors to find that a full day has passed, she has been moved remotely into a chair and that she is alone with her cyborg sister Dana.

Dana too was receiving some minor maintenance hooked up to computer performing a slow monotonous task. She sat silent and motionless with an identical robotic body to Cara, staring off into the distance with a vacant look not acknowledging that Cara was awake. She wore her customary headband which pushed back her black hair and small items of jewellery. An attempt by Dana to reassert her own individuality on the dull functional look that had forced upon her. This was initially protested by the higher ups in OCP, “a weakening of the brand image” one had called it, but was grudgingly accepted after they were informed by psychologists that small actions of self determination like these would allow a smoother melding between woman and machine. Not that it mattered though, the maintenance crew having long given up arguing with the normally brass, loud and disagreeable Dana.

Recently though OCP had decided they had had enough of Dana’s free will and disobedience. A simple traffic pull by the cyborg had resulted in a powerful political friend of OCP being arrested. The bruises to their pride and body and the destruction of their flash car had led to several calls being made and the decision by OCP to bring Dana to heel. Committees were coalesced, focus groups were formed, meetings were scheduled and the resulting hot air had concluded with Dana being given a large amount of reprogramming. They were warned by the tech crew that too many restrictions on her would result in poor combat effectiveness and slow response times, she would effectively be paralysed by conflicting directives. A powerful friend had to be placated though so the warnings were left unheeded.

“Hello Dana.” Cara said to her sister.

Seeming to notice her for the first time Dana replied

“Greetings, Robocop Unit 3” her tone was uncharacteristically over enthusiastic and friendly and she used the unimaginative official name assigned to Cara, something she had never done before. “Nice weather we’re having.” observed Dana.

The room was windowless however a quick check online by Cara revealed that the dull drizzly day was anything but.

“Yes. Great weather for ducks.” quipped back Cara. The lack of emotion afforded to her synthesized voice only hammered in the dead pan aspect of her comment. Normally this would have elicited a response a smile or a groan, but this time Dana did not respond as if she did not notice the reply. She returned her stare to nothing in particular.

Cara was slightly disturbed by her sisters bizarre behaviour, was the update being tested only on Dana to punish her for her transgression or would this behaviour modification be rolled out to Cara and Gennifer as well? Had her other cyborg sister Gennifer already been reprogrammed? Gennifer was fine the last time Cara saw her just before she underwent her service but had she been reprogrammed whilst she wasn’t conscious? She felt a small sense of dread, her machine half diluting all of her emotions.

“Dana where is Genn?, when was the last time she came back?” inquired Cara

“I’m sorry Robocop Unit 3 I am unable to reply to your request, more input is required.” replied Dana

“Dana where is Gennifer did she come back whilst I was deactivated?”

“I’m sorry Robocop Unit 3 I am unable to reply to your request, more input is required.”

Cara tries another approach.

“Robocop Unit 2, has Robocop Unit 1 returned to Detroit Police Station cybernetics division to receive a maintenance service in the 48 hours?”

“No, Robocop Unit 3, Robocop Unit 1 has not returned to Detroit Police Station cybernetics division to receive a maintenance service in the 48 hours.”

Cara was relieved, then remembering the mysterious cyborg known as Steph, Cara brings up the file that had accidentally been brought to her attention by the new member of the maintenance crew. Dana had been a police officer longer than Cara so perhaps she would be able to cast some light on who this cyborg was.

“Robocop Unit 2 can you give me all information on this unknown Robocop Unit, possible name Steph?” she asked passing a copy of the file to her cyborg sister wirelessly.

Dana lifts her head from her stupor like gaze an acknowledgement that she had received the file and was studying it. The video has an unexpected effect seeming to momentarily return Dana to her former self. She moves her body towards Cara a look of concern and crossing her face her arm raises motors whirling.

“Yes, Cara, I remem.....” the last word is left incomplete though. Something kicks in within the dark haired cyborg and she returns to her initial position staring blankly forward arms by her side.

“Yes, Cara, I remem....” she tries again her actions perfectly mimicking her previous response. Again she is unable to complete the sentence and resets herself.

“Yes, Cara, I remem....”

“Yes, Cara, I remem....”

“Yes, Cara, I remem....”

“Yes, Cara, I remem....” The process is repeated multiple times all identically like a video on repeat. Her voice more like her former self, but more strained each time.

Finally, she is able to break herself free from the loop.

“Negative Robocop Unit 3. My apologies I am unable to assist you.” She says staring dead ahead, arms unmoving. Her voice losing all her previous character. “Excuse me I have to go, somewhere there is a crime happening.” Abruptly powerful motors are activated and Dana disconnects herself from the computer she is attached to and strides out of the room with heavy rhythmic steps. Making no attempt to make way for Dr Marie Lazarus coming from the other direction. She clumsily side steps the mass of metal charging towards her and narrowly avoids being knocked over.

“They really did a number on her.” Sighs Dr Marie Lazarus entering the room throwing the files she’s carrying down on a table.

“They did a number on all of you, but her especially. Anyway Cara, how are you? No problems since that arsehole tried tinkering with you?” She was referring back to the previous day when a new member of the technical maintenance crew had attempted to erasure her memory to hide his mistake.

“None. Thank you.” replied Cara. She realised the Dr was merely asking out of politeness. The Dr was perfectly able to determine her condition through the many monitors that kept checks on her.

“Ok then I think you’re all tuned up let’s put your head back on and set you off.” The Dr picks up the back of Cara’s silver head, laying on a table, carefully places it over the back of Cara’s exposed delicate head circuitry. The piece fits in with a satisfactory click in and the Dr goes about drilling small screws into place to secure it fully.

“Thank you” said Cara “Thank you for everything.”

“Ah. Your welcome honey.” replies Dr Lazarus with a smile. She finishes fixing Cara’s head and gives the side of it a reassuring and loving stroke before resting her chin upon the top of the cyborgs silver fake painted hair. Her warm arms draped around Cara’s cold neck.

“Why do you this for us?” asked Cara.

“Because you matter,” she replies changing her position so that she is now resting her cheek on her. “Because you all matter, you Dana and Gennifer.”

“And Steph?” asked Cara? Referring to the mystery cyborg who Dr Lazarus had accidentally named the previous day.

The Doctors arms unwrap from Cara’s neck and she moves to shuffle some papers on a desk, clearly flustered by the question. Turning her back on the on the cyborg.

“Who is she Dr?”

The Doctor turns around and a worrisome look across her face she bites her lip and crosses her arms an answer almost bursting out of her.

“Who is she Dr?” Cara asks again.

Instead of an answer the Doctor replies

“Robocop Unit 3 full status scan.”

“Organics intact, systems efficiency 99 percent.....,” Cara is immediately forced to drop the conversation. Instead she obediently fulfils the Doctors command and her thoughts are turned to her many components and the processes that keep her running she lists them out one by one. Doctor Lazarus picks up the files she came in with as well as several tools and with a brief look of regret at Cara makes a hurried departure out of the workshop.

“Data corruption 2%…..” she continued oblivious to the departure of her friend.

“Testing actuators and motor function...” Cara stands up and performs a set of pre programmed movements to a now empty room. Twisting and turning in a bizarre dance by an unknown puppeteer to fulfil the requirements of a test she didn’t consciously understand.

It’s a full 10 minutes later till she has completed the full program. At which point she returns to her normal self and realises that the Doctor has left. She connects herself to the city’s CCTV system and heads of in pursuit.

Part 3

It didn't take long for the trail of Dr Lazarus to run cold. The network of CCTV cameras watching the city only worked in the more prosperous districts. In the poorer areas the cameras only lasted a days before being destroyed. Whether through petty vandalism or to hide criminal activity the authorities couldn't say. So long as the troublemakers knew their place and weren't too disruptive everyone was happy with the status quo.

The last sighting of the errant doctor was a camera bordering the abandoned business district. A recession caused by the Corvid virus had killed off almost as many businesses as people and Detroit never the most affluent metropolis, had failed failed to bounce back even to its admittedly modest level of wealth. Despite being devoid of office workers and secretaries people were still there; squatters, junkies, the homeless and fugitives. All those cast off from society unable or unwilling to live in "normal" residences. The business done there was of a more illicit nature, but only slightly less immoral than its white collar past.

Technically the Doctor hadn't broken any laws, and yet Cara felt compelled to find her friend and the answer to who the mystery cyborg in the video was. She slowed the car to a crawl and mulled over her options. Accusatory and suspicious looks were directed at it from the few impoverished and scruffily dressed individuals it passed. She'd get no help from the public here. At 3 square miles, doing the footwork and physically searching each of the decaying buildings would be futile. Cara brings up a new window in her HUD and trawls through the doctors social media profile for clues. Cats, lots and lots of pictures of cats but no clues to her whereabouts. She repeats the process for all the 243 friends of the doctor. Being half machine allowed her to process a library of information in a blink of an eye. Again cats but no clues. What the hell is up with these people thought Cara.

A call comes in interrupting and overriding the cyborgs train of thought. She is forced to give it her full attention. Her presence was being specifically requested by the SWAT team at an armed hostage situation. Dana usually worked closely with the SWAT team being an ex member before her conversion into a cyborg. However they were asking for Cara as Dana's new programming had resulted in a disaster for everyone involved in the last hostage situation. A 23 week pregnant woman was being held at gunpoint by a jealous ex lover. The Swat team made plans to storm the building with Dana at the front shielding her team mates. It was deemed too risky however and the mission was cancelled. "Abort, I repeat abort." instructed the squad leader

"Command received" replied Dana shooting the pregnant woman in the abdomen. The hostage taker surrendered immediately, half out of shock that his ex girlfriend had been shot by the the police. Everyone was understandably very upset, with the exception of Dana who oblivious to the cries of shock of those around her walked off confident of a job well done. Cara turns the car around and plots a course to the other side of the city. The search for the good doctor would have to be put on hiatus for now. Duty calls.

Part 4

Several weeks pass and before a clue emerges as to the whereabouts of Cara's friend Doctor Lazarus and the mystery cyborg Stef. She scrunches the broken glass underfoot her mechanical soles impervious to any damage. The shattered shop front window of the shop selling obscure Hi-tech parts was a testament to the amateurishness of the thief or thieves entry, the car which they had used as a battering ram was still wedged inside, the engine gave out of a small pathetic wisp of smoke, a pale shadow of the inferno that had engulfed the shop moments before, the smell of petrol and burnt plastic still clinging to the air. With one hand the wrecked car is moved aside to allow her unfettered access to the scene of crime officer who is hunched over, head bowed and absorbed in their phone fingers tapping out a text. Cara spies the heart emojis as the officer slides his phone into his pocket.

“Drug addicts.” He announces Jacked some poor SOBs car then used it to force an entry. They grab the computer shit to sell Car catches fire. Fire burns up the shop. We ain’t finding anything here.”

His register complete, he has fulfilled the bare minimum his job requires and he starts to turn away, hand already reaching into his pocket. Some of her fellow officers treated her like a machine not acknowledging that she too was worthy of basic professional courtesy. Admittedly few of them knew her from before her cyberization process with her being so new to the force but still it stung a little.

“CCTV from the street?” she enquires “Not working” he answers his eyes already returned to his phone. “A preliminary scan shows that all other cameras in the area are operational and the camera in this street was functioning until 14 hours ago indicating that it was targeted in preparation for this crime. This does not fit the modus operandi of drug addicts.” A dismissive wave and a disgruntled noise is all that is offered in response.

“ CCTV from inside the shop?” she asks “Car burn, fire hot, burn cameras” he spits “It is possible for a car fire to reach 1,500 degress however only 0.0949 percent of all car crashes result in a fire, it is improbable that …….” “Hot fire, melt metal! YOU should know that”

The words hang in the air, the man still engrossed in his phone. Eventually Cara breaks the sound of fingers tapping on a screen.

“Thank you officer, that will be all.” The iciness of her response was only slightly less emotive than usual but if she were human her face would have been flush with anger. An abrupt 90 degree pivot then she strides over the burned remains of the shops stock.

A scan of the barbecued and many untouched items reveals that many small and expensive goods were left by the thieves, top of the range Zpods, minuscule music players popular with the kids easily resellable and, prime targets if the thieves really were drug addicts. She pops out her dataspike and interfaces with the tiny blackened box that is the harddrive of the shops CCTV and is greeted with nothing but static he was right about that at least she thinks. With a click and a whirl the top of her little finger pops open, moving with the precision that no human could achieve she scans over the top of the computer with an infrared light allowing her to take a spectroscopy and look for chemicals. Her face goes blank and her eyes unfocused, staring into the distance as her processors buzz and hum and finally deduce what she suspected. The results pop up on her HUD petrol and traces of ammonia, common in explosives and also refrigerator units. A visit to the website of the shop reveals it sells one of a kind refrigerator units, the ammonia kind that use very little electricity not the kind you find in household fridges. The kind you find in cyborgs, cyborgs like her. Using a vent on the right side of her chest she analyses the air ammonia is everywhere the refrigerator unit stolen must have had a minuscule leak, not enough for a human to detect it’s pungent odour but now she knows what to “look” for she can track the trail right to the Doctors hideout.

Macho braying interrupts Cara’s thoughts, she glances over with lenses and with microphones that record everything, the incompetent scene of the crime officer is sharing intimate pictures with his colleagues that most likely were not meant to be shared. He boorishly brags of his infidelity and they make lewd noises in return. Things that no self respecting human would say within earshot of a woman are said without hesitation in front of Cara, obviously not deeming her to be human let alone female. Normally she would let it lie and ignore it, after all this was hardly the first time she had encountered prejudice but buoyed by her recent findings she decides to indulge herself some petty revenge. A program used in a previous case collecting evidence from police officers phones is loaded, as the phone he was using was police property and she too technically was police property she was allowed unconditional access to his phone which recorded all his sordid extramarital affairs. She clicks on the appropriate buttons and shares the officers’ previous conversation of the sharing of the intimate pictures to the colleagues with the current mistress. Then she shares the adulteress officers many exploits with his wife, then to top it off she tells the mistresses about the other paramours and vice versa. Her work complete she marches over to her car, just as she is about to get into the vehicle the shrill buzz of the crime scene officers phone rings. He picks it up but before he has a chance to answer it it rings again, then again then again. Cara leaves to an orchestra of pleading and ringtones and allows herself the faintest hint of a smile. Top JeffCapes Posts: 163 Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 11:39 am Technosexuality: Transformation Identification: Cyborg Gender: Transgendered x 10 x 7 Contact: Contact JeffCapes Re: Cara and the mystery robobabe Post by JeffCapes » Thu May 21, 2020 2:54 pm

Cara and the mysteryrobobabe finale

Several blue triangles manifest in her vision, her internal sensors having detected a few particles of ammonia from the leaking refrigeration unit. As the car crawls towards the largest one, another pops up slightly further down the pot holed road an electronic gingerbread trail that would lead to some answers. Cara counted her blessings that Dr Lazarus had chosen a leaking coolant system and yet it was still a slow and arduous process.

The soft purr of the lethargic car alerted a man leaning against a wall of the police officers presence. With his hands still in his pockets he stares daggers at the vehicle and turns his head to spit on the litter strewn pavement. She rounds the corner and a pack of children take flight at the sight of her, to alert others or for fun she does not know. Her vision is a sea of blue now all leading to one derelict office building, she adjusts her settings reducing her sensitivity and the mass of markers coalesce into a thin snake of a line. Cara steps out of the car onto filthy slabs of concrete that are have started to be reclaimed by nature and with a heavy pounding gait proceeds into the building.

The incoherent scrawl of graffiti covers most surfaces and all of the furniture not broken has been removed and yet the place is in relatively good condition, much better than it has any right to be. Though the decor and colours are unfashionable and speak of how long it has been since the building has been used for it’s original purpose. Cara follows the trail up a flight of stairs into a room and finally meets Steph, the cyborg who she saw in the recording, the person or thing that started all this. The cyborgs armor is scratched and dented, a part of her headcasing has been removed and an angry red light flashes where a component should be. She remains completely inert, oblivious to Cara’s presence, behind her, a row of monitors attached to the many scavenged household computers show the various OCP programs used to help maintain such a complex piece of machinery. Much of the equipment she recognises from the lab, pilfered by Dr Marie Lazarus no doubt, she was a much better thief than she gave her credit for, Cara mused. She interrupts the process Steph is undertaking with a tap on the keyboard and with a rattle and buzz the cyborg activates.

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“Hello and which one are you?” Her vocaliser damaged, the voice unnatural, stilted and distorted but still warm and friendly. " Where’s Dr Lazarus?” Demanded Cara, ignoring the question. “Looking for Marie? Well she went to scavenge some parts, she blabs on about all you guys, you must be 3rd one, Cara? She'll be back shortly don’t worry. Love the hair, by the way, I could never pull it off. Off. Off. Off. Off. Off.”

She jerks her head slightly at each repetition of the word struggling to finish her sentence, the cold mechanical delivery of the words contrasting with their playful intent. A loud disconcerting hum had started to emanate from within her chest and words were obviously not the only thing she was struggling with.

“Who are you? I saw some footage of you back at our station and they tried to erase my memory.”

“Stephanie Sanzo, I was Robocop Unit 0, the prototype for you and your sisters, but unlike you I broke free from my programming. No more following orders like a good robot, no more tossing families out of their homes, I’m in control not them.”

“I am free, no one controls me.” replies Cara only half believing it herself.

“Are you? You do what they tell you. You’re a tool for them, a product, nothing more.”

“I’m police, it’s what I do.” she says, “I obey orders.”

What could she do she pondered. She had felt driven to become a police officer during her time alive, to protect the public and all police felt conflicted about the laws they enforced but that wasn’t limited to officers who had undergone the cyberization process.

Sensing her doubt, Steph allows a moment silence for Cara to dwell on what she said. This was not going the way Cara thought it would. She had come for answers not for more questions.

She brings the topic back to Steph again.

“So when they realised you were weren’t under their control they tried to bring you in. OCP weren’t happy with losing their investment.”

“Yes” Steph replied.

It was logical for the company to restrict information on several billions worth of technology literally walking out on them but Steph had payed a heavy price for her freedom, she was barely functioning. Yet a part of Cara yearned for what she had, to not have someone poking around in her head, to know that all her choices were her own.

“I could show you.” Steph offers

“It worked for me, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you. Marie has been trying to give me the updates you guys have been getting, we must be pretty much the same, Vintage models being far superior of course.”

“Vintage or antique?” replies Cara.

Steph gives a diplomatic smile at the bad joke and brings out her dataspike.

“Ready? Here it comes?” And with that Steph inserts herself into a port in Cara’s chest.

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There is a burst of static as the connection is made between them and then the tsunami of information washes over her. She is momentarily overwhelmed her arms jolt of their own accord to help her maintain balance, the shock of it all overloading her CPU . In her daze Cara sees through Stephs eyes and relives the preceding moments before her emancipation.

A preliminary field test for the prototype cyborg unit, nothing too demanding. Clearing the original residents from some recently purchased real estate. Only light resistance was expected from a few subborn hold outs. Still the police some of whom had lived there were reluctant to uphold the law. Outside help had been drafted in as was a unfeeling machine. Cara could hear the security men, most no more than thugs in uniform, it wasn’t long before things got violent. Batons are brought out, molotovs are thrown in response then gunfire from both sides. Ignoring the battle being waged Steph steps into the ringleaders already partially aflame house.

“Why wont you leave us alone?” whines the small man, he reaches over a dining table strewn with bits of solder and electronic parts, with trembling hands he wrestles a magazine into a heavily modified gun.

“Paul Hooves? You’re coming with me.” She states unfazed by the armed feeble man before her confident in her armor.

“No! No one was supposed to get hurt.”

He finally finishes arming his jerry rigged circuit bent weapon and fires a shot off.

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The round embeds in her chest instead of bouncing off and delivers an electromagnetic shock. It was meant to deliver an incapacitating round to humans through body armour, luckily for him it has the same affect on the unexpected cyborg. It fires off all of Steph’s actuators simultaneously, she finds herself pulling in all directions at once. All of her systems overloaded she gives a scream but what comes out is an incoherent mess of sound.

“BzkT SsffxxgdD CcaacgGggH……..” She pauses then automatically shuts down to avoid any further damage to her systems.

She wakes up less than a minute later. Hooves has made good his escape but Steph finds she has no desire to follow him. By pure fluke the blast had fried the part of her that kept her controlled she realises that for the first time she can exercise her own autonomy.

In the real word Dr Marie Lazarus rushes into the room breathless from the run, she dismisses the urchin who had alerted her of Cara’s arrival away and calls the two motionless blank faced cyborgs. No reply, they are both lost, reliving Stephs past. She moves closer trying again knowing full well it’s in vain. In a final futile attempt using her full bodyweight she attempts to disconnect the two by pulling Stephs hand free. They stay connected, Steph shares her memories with Cara and Cara shares something in return.

“My God Steph. No, they’re not like you.” resigned to her friends fate she slumps down in a chair and hopes she is wrong.

“New software uploading… uploading…. uploading…” the unexpected intrusion by Cara electronically forcing her way into Steph abruptly halts the shared experience they had.

“Cara, what? What? What are you doing?” She tries to break the connection and pull herself out but it’s too late. She has already lost control of her motor functions. Cara is unresponsive her face still blank.

“Marie help me. Help me, help me, help me.” She pleads the effort to think clearly already becoming a concerted effort. The Dr holds her hand over her mouth tears rolling down her cheeks unable to help but unable to fully abandon her friend.

“I don’t want to go back.. I don’t want to, I don’t, I.. I… I…” There is a brief silence then,

Steph snaps her head straight, with a smooth deliberate motion she disconnects her dataspike from Cara and pivots mechanically 90 degrees turning to face the door.

“Command received, Robocop Crime Prevention Unit 0, returning to base.” the few traces of humanity in her voice gone replaced with cold mechanical directness. She walks away without a glance at her sobbing friend next to her.

Cara comes online to see Steph walking out the door and the crying Doctor curled up in the chair.

“Marie…. I’m sorry. I had no idea they could remotely access her through me. ” “I know Cara it’s them, they used you to…..” before the the Doctor can finish her sentence Cara gets a glazed look in her eye and interjects.

“Command received, Robocop Crime Prevention Unit 3, returning to base.” she states, before walking out the door.

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