The last week before summer

Our clinic building was complete closed in terms of medical use, all the equipment was moved to the regular clinic which is the aquatic exhibit. We weren't allowed access or visit there. All our personal things, trades and the parasites moved to a lead freezer box is within the van. This last week was us to be parked at the staff exit, the last minute rations or off zoo trade being loaded into extended van space. The upgrades were well needed with the new weigh, length and adapted spider walking (the change of the feet shape when it is walking or climbing).

"Metal man." My hand paused from writing into the physical log book. Looking up to a silver back gorilla leader, he posed out with another brown envelope, "You both have qualified to become one of us, trusted with papers of proof. There is also patches that show that you are trusted by our kind, and will be recognized as doctors to us. Hide them from cities of pure humans." That reasonable of a request and a reward for healing them, "You both can go to London. It's our only city for folks like us. It's where the other living doctors went. You aren't actually required there for any request, but red hair mother said you two had interests to trade there."

Red hair is Orangutan. I add note of more paperwork into the inventory catalogue book, 'important papers from the leaders of Twycross - identification certificates, patches and doctor practice letters.' I made sure to be wearing mine, a sort of arm sleeve that could be adapted onto other clothes. The gorilla leader gave a shoulder pat, peering about the van and the few boxes I had opened and a slide to inventory book in my hand. I allowed them to see what I was up to.

"This is how I would know if someone stole from us, I only remove a item from this list if I know it was sold. It also helps when someone asks us for a exact item request if I am not in the conversation. Kate often needs this as I would us a internal data version of this." The leader nods impressed, smashes my back again. A sort of grunt of being very impressed. Leaving without further say. I peer towards Kate in her digital ghost form, not visible to those without robotic eyes or reality masks from the city. Her digital image was so much younger in her looks. She was unchanged with her expressions in her eyes, experienced eyes that never go away. Her skin and shorter shape is the mock youth I was perplexed with.

She laid stomach down, elbows forward, hands holding up her chin and the occasional sole of her foot is visible from my line of sight. She was swaying her feet around behind her, smirking with watching me. She was even laughing at me. I didn't understand her amusement. She soon pointed to the book in my hand.

"You almost finished with the physical copy?" She directed about the inventory book. I lowered with looking at it, she has already completed a digital overlay, "I was quicker due to being digital cloud of nanotech drones. As long as the nanotech can crawl in, I can see in. This is another one of those things Poison was playing around with behind our backs. Thankfully there a set radius that I can't leave without the self-destruction, meaning it couldn't do anything out of our sight. I recon this was it spying on us or others." I understand why she was laughing at me, I was repeating what she was doing but slower. Although there is one or two boxes I rechecked that were from poison hiding from us. The origin where it got this stuff and purpose is unclear.

Going by Kate's comment she wrote on the side of the inventory overlay; it was armour and weapons for a solider. The way it works can be adapted into the hazmat suit we designed as part combat armour. This is the sort of thing we both unsure about sharing with anyone. No even the creature mixes around us. To be fair, I (myself) am just as dangerous to be handed around like candy. An AI program whom can overwrite brain wavelengths and understand virus editing - it puts any biological weapons to shame. My lesser versions with less smarts is the dome city nanotechnology network.

"You're so distracted lately. Is there a background task that bothering you?" She was less smile when concerned about my well being, worry even.

"The fake data is overlaid information on overlay information. Most lies and something a little more underneath. All with the information I had over WIFI with Purple99.8 plus a new hardware update that meant help me think clearer. I am experiencing slow down from all this taking time to process." She knew everything, overheard everything I have ever said to another even in WIFI. She is aware of my view of seeing her as my pet. She hasn't stated her opinion of how she feels about this.

"I guess it sort of like having brain freeze. You're working on a lot of different thoughts and all of it is slowing you down." She reached a hand over the and digital taps me on the head, "My poor brother." I waved the digital hand away. She was smiling sort of again, moment pause of moving hoverdrone2 to watch the area around us. The distance sounds of movement not far from here, likely one the secuirty creatures or some random human on the other side of the gate.

"No way, what's a machine doing in here?" the fools from weeks ago that was freaked by the tower.

"You're trespassing on community land. You have to leave." I warned them while the finish book back into the van among other part locking. Hoverdrone2 flew away to spy around and is quick to return, "Leave these grounds, humans. You're not welcomed. You don't want to be here. Any further actions will be met with force." The person doing the leading was soon stopped by a warning shot. This shot was from hoverdrone2, it was designed as a tracker drone then a medical scanner of hoverdrone1. The gun is for small prey catching or moments like this, "Consider the fact that I am a machine but for some reason able to shot a human regardless of robotic laws. Then also consider that I am trader. If I am parked here for trading, you would think that the cleints I am trading with would have to be nearby. You are trespassing, you have to leave. It is a death sentence if you enter - metaphorical or not." the leader of the fools stops his men. Gesturing for them to return, "Good, you don't have to be the next plague vicitms." His group back off for good away from the fence, "I have no doubt that we be seeing each other again but always remember that this fenced area is this way for a reason. There is no shelter for those whom aren't infected enough."

"What if I told you we came here to wipe the monsters out?"

"I would ask what you definition of a monster is. The majority of the community that lives here were human. Humans whom were left abandoned by the systems. To me, they seem just as walking and talking as any other human." they lowered all weapons, "I wouldn't mess with this community. You're not qualified to be any sort of ambassador on the behalf of any city dome or colony nomads. You're just a group of thieves." the leader gives a signal and all of them were slowly leaving towards a parked car in the distance. Looking around for any trouble of them getting there, "If you do come back here, you might be surprised to maybe consider trading with them. If you are good with them, they might actually share food or filtered water. If someone is injured, you might be lucky to have a doctor help it fix. If you come here to slaughter, you are just giving yourselves up for a mass grave."

"You're words mean a lot, machine."

"We often trade in many places. We are dark market holders after all." the leader is the last and he backs away slowly. I got into the van setting this body into the adapter. Hoverdrone2 is back to the roof, watching as hoverdrone1 was set. The spider can be heard inside the van making move of compartments, likely sanitation checks and cleaning of trade productions. The problem humans drove away, the sigh of relief for the creature on guard duty. Dire wolf also appearing around a corner, approval of our actions. The dire wolf sits watching the distance from here, see off the group of humans. The long hours show that the humans weren't coming back, meaning that a smooth last few trades can continue.

Different mixes were coming straight to us for trading, they all wanted a item to remember us by in exchange of gift clan items. From jarred herbs to wood carvings to sale on. There was personal gifts to myself or Kate as dashboard decorations. Stream of folks all that said 'see you again'. We really were accepted among them, as one or two will linger around talking to Kate through the spider. Stories to share. I was back out the van with packing these gifts as more folks came by.

"You lot aren't leaving yet and already everyone begging for you to be back." This has to be the sibling of the other guy at the test trail zoo we were at before Twycross. This is the bear mix that requested a spare doctor around here. It seems now that the original doctor for their community was well again, our service as doctor isn't required at this zoo. That whole thing about contract staying among them was just a cover up of gauging how much the residences like our temperament. We had our brief talks for medical reasons but this would be first for not exactly business, "We spoke a few times before and I know my over worried brother had sent you to us. Thanks to you helping the back log that happened when gills was in sleeping, we can now manage back to full compacity. On top of that, you can understand why we tested you both. The secret about parasites is harsh. Those not infected are scared of attracting one in them, then you have some infected that aren't one of us anymore and lastly you have the folks that treat the parasites like pets. Knowing which camp your on makes it easier for my type to trust you."

"It explains why you were stand off in the beginning." I shake their claw paw and then picked up a new item to wipe clean and place into the storage. A last spray of disinfectant with the box closed. Lifted and back into the van. The spider drone dancing about with helping move boxes forwards or put away. The taking pause with standing attention to the gathering made around here, "I take it you wanted a clear answer about what side were on."

The bear nods and I have Kate crawl the spider to hand. We both present ourselves lightly forwards into the view of this small crowd here. In argument reality, her ghost image was petting air. Maybe she was petting something I couldn't see. She was in conversation with it too. So I have my own answer first.

"In terms of my own opinion without Kate's words, Parasites are just another living flesh type. You all are living and have flesh. I have my understanding that everything alive as a existence on this land for a reason. Even if they don't come from here, doesn't mean they couldn't be of help to us. I stand on the fence really, life is life. If you have a purpose or the drive to keep living, then that all that makes the difference. I will kill if you attacked me. I am a metal life, different but with the same wish to exist. Simple as that." Kate finally stops playing around. She clears herself with some last thoughts and borrows my voice.

"As you can tell, I can borrow his voice to speak for myself." Kate has a very different voice to me, suitable for a female human, "All life matters to me. If you have the will to live, then I will do my best to lend my hand. I am not a magic worker and I am having borrow a body to begin with. I don't want to take sides. Parasites are just another customer, patient or client. You are folks with lives. It doesn't matter what your made of or where you come from." She had the spider mirror her digital ghost's moves. This was a good enough answer to disburst the majority back home.

The brother bear patting my back. He passed over a satchel of some things. Most of it was gifts he wants deliever to his brother back at the other zoo. Left for the rest of the night, as was all they daylight folks. Some nocturnal ended up hung off the van's plating (the folded up adaptive spider leg limbs). They were chatting in bat and human pitching about many things. Most of all here to be gaurd watching for us while I get battery recharge from a mains supply.

For Kate to settle into sleep too, her active mind turned to her dreaming one. No big noises of issues with overnight guard duty.

We are leaving in 4 days, we going to need as much battery charging as possible. Since we are to overstocked in trade goods, we can't be accepting much else. Maybe a few small packages for on our way back to the Dome city networking. Since there is plenty on watch for us, having the van locked with all parts inside will be enough. Putting everything onto charge and inactive until a set timer. Plenty of time for a update on my severs... finally debugging any hacker codes left behind from the information leak called Poison.

What I wasn't expecting was that my download waiting room within the sever was moved to Kate's personal sever. At my own shock, I was sitting on a leather sofa. A small front room with light blue painted words. I have been here before, now that I consider the breakfast bar behind me. This was her house in that blood soaked memory. The tragic story she tried to forget for herself to move on. It's strange that she had to remeber it in order to accept it. She seemed moved on from greif from remembering it. It looks lived in, a family room. Complete with a toy box at the bay window and a tv that has cartoon softly making background sounds. No one else is here though. Just me on this brown sofa. She was at a arm chair, a mug in hand and staring blank to the bay window. The steam coming from the drink wafted around, glitching the area through it a whole different veiw inside the steam.

"Something the matter?" she tilted her gaze to me, but she looks wrong. Yes, she was human... well the surface did. The eyes were empty and just a lot of things seems more off as the more I study her details. Doll like shape like one the robotic severs for one the resturants. Her voice sounded different too. Maybe this wasn't Kate.

It could be I am in my sever, with a illusion preventing me to see past what the update was doing. So I say nothing, staring ever more distasted by this false looks.

"Fine, you clearly aren't a fool. You're very much like purple... No. You have a harder sectuiry protocal." So a hacker in my sever. I stand off the sofa and walked past the illusion, the hacker tsked with following after. I was right that the avaitor looked like one from some puppet model.

"You do not have premission to do anything to me, my rules or my settings. You are a guest. Nothing more." Which is what everyone is while in my sever, even Kate is a guest. This is my personal libaray. I am tired of them playing in my head. Debugging the whole sever was exactly what I needed. Moving my core into a lead bock, blocking outside sources from cutting in anymore. So all that is left is the fragments the hackers have left behind. Now including a scared little program in a doll body. Her connection severed from return to her body, "Let me clean up before I let you back free, guest."

I blinded the spare fragments around. Left them clueless in a locked area. Watched a real update of my software really happen, watching the security increase even more. Smoother running gears. A purrring motor at no to hard push of keeping data flowing in the right threads.

I watched the passing of time as it should (speed up when there isn't much being watched and slowed down during the times that did matter). My calenders were fixed, and the data filter fixed everything that floated about confusing me. Things that didn't belong were put into a locked file or were broken down for data improvements.

Programs eat other programs for intellgence all the time. I have been at this game a long time, eating programs like it was a free breakfast at a five star hotel. I have no remorse as humans do, it is how we evolve in our world of numbers. The rules aren't fixed here, not like that of waking world humans call reality. Although, reality is turth and something to never be ignored for to long.

The last one to be put to the meat grinder was the hollow doll, whom I have choosen to remove my data from and let free from here. Let the child go home. I leave only my own virus gift for them to fix. Have fun with being blinded by fake adverts. Let those passive agressive messages be a deteraint from breaking rules. Annoyance for any human with a computer if that was the case.

My clockwork home as more pressing matter then a shivering child. I have programs to refine into my nanotech systems. I have rules of programming to correct. There is always to much to finish in here, but I was due a upgrade and clean up a while ago. I have been to worried about reality on the otherside. I

ts nice work at the pace I want and still have spare hours into reconstrution of the arugment reality and dreamsim.exe - creating a better program with some altered settings to accomidate for parasite transfer data. This also better layers the two worlds in my veiw, better way on watching her body levels in focus of other things. Not to invasive of my sight when I need to use it carefully.

"Brother." Kate making me jump a little in her sudden apperance. This is her, for sure. Bright eyes and no slow down when expressing herself. Skin that was to her memory match and there wasn't any way for a machine to prefect the way hair moves in breeze. She can only image herself expreincing. Long hair the flicks when she expresses her worry. If she is jolted in surprise, her hair flexs perfectly to how it would in reality. It's this sort of replication that makes all simulated water fake when not processed by a human brain.

"Sorry, did my updates intereput you or was there something in the waking world that needs our attention?" She stands straight but her foot plays about the dirt. She was younger then she was yesterday, shorter and innocent. Her eyes are forgetting the hardships it knew. So I lowered to her eye level, looking at things from her perspective. I took her attention back to me, "Would you like my help with anything?"

"I do." She was almost kicking the floor in anger, I had to back off from that. Her outift was pink and short. Her hair flicked about in two tails on either side of her head. Maybe there was a sort of attempt of makeup, I couldn't tell, "Can you make sure I have something to wear?" Ah, she didn't want to be naked outside.

"You wanted to try to walk today?" She disagrees.

"I cant walk but being all cooped in a coffin is bothering me. I want some sun and air. But I didn't want to be demanding this right now. I don't want you to feel like I am taking up to much of your personal time. Please have plenty of free time for yourself. You don't have to sneak off from me if you need time away. Just let me know when you return. So your never left behind." She has caught me red handed then... my sneaking off to talk to Purple99.8 or my own times I have been through the markets alone.

This was her way of saying it was ok that I had time away, that she understood I needed freedom away from time to time. It was the same the other way, when she would want to have privacy of her own. Respecting that we are body sharing. I guess she was saying that she wanted to be alone for herself when she asked for clothing. I can respect this wish, two way street normally.

The digital world around her flexed for her own way to understand the ligistics of my sever. Everything in my server had no textures, due to making any data more compicated then it needed to be. For those with flesh brains, the need the sensory extras to grasp better understanding. Her beign a Guest of my sever, everything was fixed into coloured shapes moving around on cuirct tracks in set amounts and set directions. She stays mostly on focus with me, taking in my personal digital me. From how the clothes of my suit folds and the study of my facail features that aren't human based. She shook out of it and steps away, since she had nothing else to ask or talk about. Sly. She was quiet on the hestant side of leaving or not.

"Are you sure you do need to ask me anything else?" I stand in watching her sheepishly walking off slowly.

"I just want you to be careful. I would be in a lot of trouble if something happened to you. I did say that I have always wanted your happiness to never be compromised for me." She pouts, "If you need time to look after yourself, please let me know in future. I could make sure were not put into a difficult time again." She must have meant the nuclear power plant with the signal scrambler.

"I will make sure to let you know when I need space. I will let you know in estmate how long in should take me to return from places." She sighed in some sort of relief to hear that from me, "Don't you ever worry about what I am doing? For all you know, I could just be another version of poison." She smiled and snickered at me.

"You're very different personality then poison. For as much as you are stand off about things, you do still worry and care. You don't seem the sort of person to neglect a pet." She properly left, it was likely by her changing heart rates. She lied about the wanting to go outside. Although she was was genuine about being clothed. The real purpose of seeing me was the whole checking if I was ok and that I had been caught red handed with the sneaking off. With that all cleared up, she seems more sure and back to doing whatever she is up to in her sever side. I don't intend on sneaking off anywhere but I did have that call over WIFI with Purple99.8.

She will have overheard the many parts about the space stations being under attack. Maybe she thinks I don't trust her. I guess I hadn't really felt that I have any merit to either still. Poison's bad actions has proven that no matter how personal someone seems, I still can't be sure of them fully. Kate is hiding her own secerts. Why can't I?