Hours 3: After Hours
Dylan looked at the three women standing before him, one of whom he had only just met, "So, you're the Maru's AI?"
Erica nodded, "That is correct Captain Hunt. I must say it is an honour to finally meet you, sir."
Dylan was taken aback by the hologram's polite manner. He turned to Rommie, "And you say you've known about her since Hephaistos?"
Rommie nodded sheepishly, "Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but Erica was worried about how Beka and otheothers would react if they found abo about her. We all know how AI's have been treated since The Fall."
Dylan raised an eyebrow, "You still should have told me."
Rommie looked at the deck, prompting Erica to come to her defence, "Please don't blame Andromeda captain: I all but begged her to keep quiet about me. I'm not a High Guard AI: I don't have any way to defend myself against attack like she does."
Dylan shook his head, "I don't blame her, I'm just surprised, that's all: Beka's spent her entire life on the Maru and never knew about you."
"Tell me about it: I'm embarrassed as hell." Beka blushed.
Dylan looked at the flexi in his hand, "So you want to build Erica an android body like Rommie's?"
Beka shook her head, "Not quite the same: Erica has no need for a lf thf the military-grade systems Rommie has. You've been saying we need an extra pair of hands ever since Rev Bem left, and it's going to be another six months at least until the first batch of new officers from the High Guard academy on Mobius are ready."
Dylan waved her off, "Ok, I'm sold: have Harper help with whatever you need."
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Harper was sat at a table in the mess hall when Dylan next saw him, "Shouldn't you be helping Rommie and Beka built Erica's new Avatar?"
Harper nodded, taking a swig of his Sparky-Cola, "True, I should, but they decided that I shouldn't be around when it came to installing certain parts of her anatomy. I mean, what's the point? I'm the one who built Rommie, so it's not anything I've never seen before."
"Just how anatomically correct is Rommie?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"110%." Harper grinned.
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"I wish you wouldn't keep looking over my shoulder all the time." Rommie complained as Beka hovered behind her.
"I'm sorry, thisthis is unlike anything I've ever seen before." The first officer stopped pacing.
Rommie grinned, "It's the smodemodel as mine."
Beka laughed, "Then I guess I have seen it before."
Rommie got a faraway look in her eye, "Tyr's heading this way."
"I'll handle him." Beka nodded.
She headed the hatch to intercept the Nietzschean tactical officer. Rommie locked the door after her, and quickly made the last few connections on Erica's new body. She picked up one of the data-pads and typed in a command.
Erica's eyes flicked briefly then opened. Rommie looked down at her, "Hey beautiful."
Erica smiled, "Hey you." She looked worried, "I can't move! What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, I just haven't given you complete control of your body yet, that's all." She slowly ran a hand up Erica's leg, from foot to thigh, making the other androids eyes go wide, "But as you can see, you can still experience all physical sensations."
"What are young tng to do to me?"