"You are my masterpiece," Mia told Zero.
The two were sitting on the floor across from each other as they carried on a conversation that stretched from one random subject to another. A small pause in the discussions was quickly followed up by Mia's proclamation.
"How so," Zero asked.
Mia was quite beautiful. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, showing off her angular face and dark brown eyes that seemed to never lose their excitement. Her long and muscular legs shined from the single small light hanging above them as they sat in the small workroom where they had just had sex for the first time.
"Nothing like you has ever been created before," she explained happily. "You are one of a kind, Zero."
"There have been plenty of lines of androids created in the past," Zero protested with a wave of his hand. "Other than my sex function, what could be different?"
"You are alive," Mia explained with a matter of fact tone. "Every other android ever created is made to 'feel' alive but they don't have the ability to freely grow their abilities."
"Freely grow," Zero asked, confused.
"I designed you to be able to function solely on your own," she explained as she leaned toward him. "You have the capability to expand your own knowledge without updates from humans. Every other android on this planet has to be updated by the input of a human."
Zero stared at Mia for a long time while lost in his own thoughts. What could that mean for him? What could that mean for Mia? From the data imputed in Zero's mind, he knew that humans liked control. Anything out of their control scared them.
"I'm not sure the rest of mankind will share your enthusiasm about an android that can work independently from humans," he warned.
Mia frowned for a moment and chewed on her lower lip.
"That's why you're special," she explained. "If we get approval to go ahead with the line of sex-androids then I will have to design them with blocks in their minds. I can't give them the freedom that you have."
"I understand," Zero said with a nod. "That is probably a wise decision."
Zero, being an android himself, couldn't deny the dangers of mass production of free-thinking androids running around the world. How long would it take for there to be an uprising of androids waging war on mankind?
"That is also why you can never tell anyone about the gift I have given you," Mia warned. "Not even Amara or Lydia."
"Your secret is safe with me," Zero offered with a warm smile.
"I knew you would understand," Mia said as she leaned into Zero and pressed her lips to his.
Their kiss was cut short by the sounds of high-heels clicking on the hard floor. The steps were getting louder as the woman was walking down the hallway to the closed door that led to the small workroom that Mia and Zero were setting in.
Mia had just enough time to stand up when the door swung open, revealing Lydia.
"Mia," Lydia asked as she stepped in. "I thought you were off today."
"I am," Mia explained with a huff. "I thought of another adjustment for Zero and didn't want to wait until tomorrow to make it."
"Did you make it," Lydia asked, focusing her green eyes on Zero.
"I did," Mia answered proudly.
"Then you should go enjoy the rest of your day off," Lydia more ordered than offered. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day. We have another test to do."
"What test," Mia asked, shocked. "I don't have anything on my schedule about another test tomorrow."
"I'll explain it to you in the morning," Lydia said dryly.
"Okay," Mia huffed. "Don't fill in the lead engineer about the test on the project that she created."
"It will go fine," Lydia snapped. "And even if it doesn't, that's why it's a test. We will fix it."
"You mean I will fix it," Mia said.
"Exactly," Lydia said in a slow and dangerous tone. Mia picked up on the tone and didn't put forth any more arguments. She turned and started to walk out of the door.
"Mia," Lydia called, stopping the dark-haired woman at the doorway. "Shouldn't you turn him off?"
"He's fine," Mia stuttered a bit with her answer at first but continued a bit stronger. "He's in a maintenance mode. He's still operational but perfectly safe."
"Have a good day off then," Lydia said and closed the door behind the other woman when she walked out.
Lydia turned back to regard Zero.
She had her long, light-brown hair up in a bun this day. She wore a red blouse with the top few buttons undone, showing off her black bra underneath that pushed her ample breasts up to accentuate her cleavage. Her black slacks were so tight around her long legs that they showed off every curve from her calves to her round rump.
