Voice of the Void
Brevis ipsa vita est sed malis fit longior. Life is short but misfortunes make it longer. - Publilius Syrus c. 85-43 B.C.
The dark-haired man exited the shower. The water had felt clean and invigorating against his skin, but the girl had been the breath of fresh air in his lungs. He had taken her with great passion and then consumed her, as a leech drains it's victim.
She lay on the bed, a withered husk, that had once formerly been a living, breathing 19 year old girl. She had felt no pain, but merely a sense of euphoria as her life force was drained from her.
The sun had arisen and the creature that called itself Voci Dal Nulla, waited indoors. It did not require sleep, but the sunlight was irritating to it's nature. It would wait indoors. Waiting for the day to leave and the night to return. Then he would find his mate to be and take her.
"Nova...", her name echoed on his lips.
Nova sat in the lab talking to Robin, "You were built by Daikoku to be an infiltrator and Retrieval expert?"
Robin nodded cutely, "Uh huh. That's why my designation has the R after it. NVX-3R."
"The X must be for experimental, right?", piped up Cathy who seemed halfway interested in seeing the two droids chatting.
Robin smiled and nodded, "Yup. I've got a new personality module that's designed to make me seem even more realistic than the NVA models."
Nova shuddered visibly, "Well...you do seem to have a pretty good program. I mean a lot better than mine when I was created."
Nova opened a large panel on Robin's back and examined the her delicate artificial nervous system and it's powerful servos attatched around it. Reaching inside she snipped the leads on a small device, making Robin wince.
"Ow! What was that?", yelped Robin.
Nova held the tiny device for Robin and Cathy to see. Robin recognized it immediately.
"A tracking device! How did that get in there!", Robin exclaimed.
Nova smiled at Robin as she crushed the tiny transmitter, "Uhm, Robin I think you were programmed not to acknowledge it's existence"
Robin hugged Nova suddenly, "THANK YOU! You're so good to me!"
Nova looked surprised and squirmed uncomfortably, "Uhm, what do you mean?"
Robin let go and tilted her head to the side and smiled at Nova, "Well first you reprogrammed me, and then you gave me the ability to think for myself! I don't know how I can ever repay you for that."
Nova blushed and put her head down, "Uhm..it's ok. I just thought you deserved a chance".
Robin hugged Nova again and kissed her long on the lips, "I'm so grateful, Nova. I really don't want to be a killer or a spy. I just want to be myself."
Cathy sighed at the melodramatics and spoke up, "Uh listen you two. I hate to tell you this, but Galaxy Fashions opens up in about two hours. The opening shift employees will be here in about 1 hour. I suppose, Nova that you'll want the day off so that you and your...sister can get more properly acquainted?"
Nova nodded with a shy smile, "Yes thank you Cathy. I would like that very much."
Robin smiled and pulled Nova out of the room, "Well what are we waiting for? I want to do all things I've seen on TV!"
Nova was forced to smile as the smaller android pulled her out of the room.
Robin was a cute and perky little android, designed to look like an 18 or 19 year old girl, she had short, brown hair that constantly got into her glowing blue eyes. She was only 5'7" and her body was very slender and delicate looking, with small B-Cup breasts and nice muscle definition. Her facial features were small and cute. A tiny, slightly upturned nose, with a tiny rosebud of a mouth offset by her large eyes. Robin looked both girlish and pretty.
Conversely, Nova was slightly taller, with a lean, athletic build. Her breasts were a perfectly round and plump size C, and they stood off of her chest in defiance of all laws of nature and gravity. Her fiery, red-blonde hair cascaded down her back and to her knees in long, streams like sparks from an arc welder. One small tuft of hair hung over her left eye, obscuring the beautiful, Sapphire blue orb, that set so well in her delicately featured face, with it's budding, pouty lips and pointed but small nose. Nova could be cute or beautiful with just a change in expression.
The two android "sisters" changed into some street clothing, pulled from the racks of Galaxy Fashions and headed outside into the morning sunshine.
The five members of Daikoku's retrieval team sped towards Los Angeles in a private company jet. Each member of the unit was a hardened ex-commando from their homeland. All of them had been paid an exorbitant amount to leave the military and work exclusively for Daikoku.
Sergeant Gramm, a former US Marine Force Recon member, could not get the disgusted look off of his face. He'd signed on to do dangerous work behind enemy lines. Now the corporate suits were sending him and his unit to go pick up a broken toy. This wasn't a mission worth his time. He'd rather be planting thermal mines in peasant rice paddies, and adding to his extensive collection of ears that he kept.
As the jet touched down, the team exchanged machismo and headed out the door to the truck waiting for them. From here they would go to Daikoku's private storage facility to get armed and armoured, then they would retrieve the missing unit.
Robin and Nova explored the city, walking up and down Melrose. Robin laughed and smiled at everything, and she tried nearly everything.
Street hucksters who hassled her into playing three card monty, soon learned not to ask for a rematch, as her sensors were even stronger and more compact than Nova's. She could easily track which card was which and never missed the trick.
The two android girls walked into a fetish shop and tried on various outfits of rubber, latex, spandex, and PVC. Robin finally settled on a black, rubber catsuit with some long red-pleather boots that ran up to her thighs. She topped the whole ensamble with a chain-mesh halter top.
Robin gave Nova her best "bad-girl" look and said, " Vell Dahling...ah you goink to be my zlave?"
Nova giggled and finished paying for Robin's new look, and the two headed outside.
Nova smiled at Robin, "Uhm, isn't that outfit going to be a little hot?"
Robin smiled back, "Maybe, but my heat exchanger system is pretty efficient. It's supposed to keep my internals nice and cool even in Death Valley type enviroments".
"Wow. They've really made a lot of improvements to us since I was built", remarked Nova feeling a little like an obsolete unit.
Robin stopped and looked seriously at Nova, "Nova. You are unique. It's because of you that I'm free to buy clothing and spend time away from the corporation. You're the reason I'm here talking to you now. Please don't ever consider yourself to be less than the best among us."
Nova smiled at Robin, and hugged her, "Thank you Robin...but if I were really the best...I wouldn't have killed Andromeda."
Robin shook her head, "From the data we've shared, you didn't have a choice. She was unstable. She wanted to kill you."
Nova sighed, "I suppose you're right...I just don't know if I'll ever feel good about it."
Robin hugged Nova tightly and kissed her on the mouth, "Nova...I love you. You gave me my life...I couldn't ask for anything more than that."
Nova suddenly found herself kissing and caressing Robin as the tears flowed from her eyes. It had been like the forgiveness of a priest to be told that she was loved , and that killling Andromeda had been the right thing. They were words she thought she'd never hear.
The commandos had located the rogue android. She was on the streets of Los Angeles with another girl. But now was not the time to strike.
Later when the two were in a more private area, they would advance and close for the kill.
Gramm chuckled quietly. He hoped the android would put up a fight , and make his mission seem more worthwhile. He checked his gear once more in anticipation of the kill. Maybe the suits would let him keep the android's ear...
The life of man is...nasty, brutish and short. - Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan