Futuristic Beeping Heart

[fleurdelys]

Hap agreed with her assessment, though no further explanation came. If they had been conversing under different circumstances, she would have been a little disappointed. Being compared to a cardinal somehow… sounded nice. And it was not so often that she was blessed with kind words these days ––

Alas, they would both be left to wonder as Hap shook his head, thereby shedding himself of his idle thoughts. Given the situation, Phoenix quickly let the matter fade from her mind as she went on to test her hypothesis with her command. A supposition which was promptly validated by a simple, affirmative response; one so straightforward she would have doubted his honesty if not for his hardwired obedience. At the same time there was a shift in Hap’s demeanour – his conscious movements ceased, as if all life had left his body. Further confirmation that he was, indeed, what she suspected. And more importantly, he would be the key to her movements going forward.

Although some fraction of her could not help but feel wary at how serendipitous it was to have Hap’s help – it was just a little too good to be true – Phoenix decided this was no time to look a gift horse in the mouth. It would be an even greater shame to squander both the opportunity Chrysos had engineered, and the fortune she had here with Hap. “Great. Thank you, Hap.” She allowed herself a smile, relieved and grateful all in one. Even though the façade of his humanity had fallen away, she instinctively treated him as such. Like she would with Tae.

“I’m looking for Tae.” Whether he knew who that was or not was not clear, but it was out there now anyway. “I believe he’s on the top floor – in the workroom. Can you bring me to where he is?” Anxiously, she gripped the strap of the bag hanging from her shoulder. While Hap had so kindly listened to her so far, there was no telling if there could be some protocols that overrode what she wanted. Some instructions not to let anyone near Tae.

Thankfully, this didn’t seem to be the case. Hap agreed to her request, turning to lead her through a corridor at one end of the room. She followed him through the floor, cautiously glancing for any signs of other workers. People who might not be quite so accommodating as Hap. While she passed through the rather personal space of Lai and Dorion, she couldn’t help but feel another pang of guilt. This was quite clearly taking advantage of the woman’s generosity, and all for her own gain. It weighed on her heart, but she was in way too deep to let it hold her back. Not that she could turn back at this point, even if she wanted to.

“Obviously, Hap… keep this all a secret. But, if Mrs. Douglas does ever find out what I’ve done, can you apologize on my behalf?” Her eyes fell to the ground, brow furrowed slightly. She must have looked like a scolded child. “I just… wanted Tae back.” It was really as simple as that, she supposed.

As expected, there was no resistance from Hap. He took her request and logged it away before stopping at a door at the end of the hall. He held a palm over the handle, prompting a pale blue light to scan his hand. With a soft beep, a number pad emerged from behind a thin panel on the door itself. The PET’s fingers danced overtop, entering a password in a split second. Another electronic chime sounded before there was a low click; the sound of a heavy lock falling out of place. Hap opened the door and held it open for her, revealing a small, silent stairwell.

Phoenix paused in the doorway, carefully glancing around. “Please delete all footage of me from any cameras we’ve passed. And if I’m caught on any from here on, please delete that too. Basically, I don’t want any traces of me being here.” There was a good chance that the security system would be too sophisticated for her simple plebian mind to anticipate. Hopefully, this would be an adequate catch-all charge for Hap.

The woman waited for another acknowledgement from her new acquaintance before she proceeded forward. The door shut behind them with a surprisingly soft click, leaving them in the silence of the shaft. Phoenix quickly peeked downwards, noting the dizzying spiral of stairs that continued below them. She could only assume this doubled as some kind of emergency escape route for the couple. All rich people had stuff like that, right? And while she was here, perhaps she’d get use out of it too.

After taking note she turned, following Hap to ascend a couple flights that stood before them. Her shoes thumped softly against the metal below. As she climbed, she felt her heartbeat quicken, her pulse running away from the steady pace of her footsteps. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, gulping down a knot that formed in her throat. What would she find there? What state would Tae be in? Would he remember her? Questions circled in her mind, unhelpful but unyielding – at least until they arrived at the next doorway.

“Er – wait.” She held up a hand, stopping Hap just as he was about to wave his hand over the handle again. “I… is there anyone in there? People, I mean – can you tell?” He paused, processing her inquiry through unspoken means before he shook his head, reporting that there were no humans on the other side of the door. A momentary relief passed through her, settling the hesitation that had risen from within. “Okay. Good. Let’s go then.”

With another flurry of motion over the keypad that appeared – it must have been the password given to her by Chrysos – the door unlocked. Just as before he went in first, holding the portal open for her ease. Phoenix inhaled deeply, steadying her thoughts and steeling her nerves as she stepped through into the private workshop of Dorion Douglas.

 

[Viper]

Hap was good at following orders. He understood that many of his internal and external features were damaged somehow. Master Dorian had merely fixed him enough to chase away most glitches and third-party hacking software. A fresh memory card and a dozen physical enhancements made Hap arguably an upgraded form in comparison to the PET’s skeleton he was built on. In time, Dorian would replace everything, but with so much going on professionally, Dorian had only found time to make Tae the lowest tier of useful again. This meant keeping the bare bones code and body but changing out many of the individual aspects.

The once scarred hands now looked perfectly human. The flashing eyes were now a steady vibrant blue. The memory card that knew Phoenix was removed, but any data involving her still was stored in some other part of Tae had not been simply blocked and/or not noticed during Dorian's rapid but skilled re-coding.

Tae had become, was now, the Ship of Theseus.

If an object has most, if not all, of its components changed, was it still the same object?

Short black hair for traded for long back hair. Lanky features on a 6-foot man qwew now simply lanky when comparing 6”4 men. Tae was dead. Scrapped until nothing but his physical and digital skeleton remained in pieces or on a single card Dorian was working through. Hap was not even a replica, but the 2.0 of Tae. Less glitches, more weapons, but because of time constraints, he was designed on the skeleton of Tae. Even a master such as Dorian, without enough time to sort enough every line of code created by a highly intelligent AI, missed things.

Tae was dead. But Hap, in many indirect ways, was still Tae and could become him once again..
Perhaps that was part of the reason why Hap followed Phoeinix’s orders so easily. Why when she asked to meet Tae, he knew exactly where to take her. In some loose coding in his mind, she was still his master. Someone who had earned loyalty rather than just coded loyalty.

Dorian had only replaced Hap’s memory card. He had not destroyed the countless checks and balances that existed which determined who was a master and who could be forgotten. Of course, Dorian had done his best to make sure that Phoenix was more than just a forbidden subject in his mind. Still…when one was not allowed to think of Phoenix, one may think of the closest thing…a cardinal.

Knowing all of this, and being ordered to take her to Tae, Hap considered how he could complete her request since Tae was now in many different places, if not destroyed. Then a lightbulb. What she wanted was Tae’s mind. Aka, the memory chip that had never been truly destroyed for blackmail and study purposes. Sure, Hap was the most physical remains of Tae, but the mind and memory was still in that original chip. Thankfully, both were in the same place.

At her request, Hap placed a hand on his would-be heart and nodded. The most minor of bows for an honest acknowledgment. “Of course. This way, please.”

There were nearly a dozen security checks they passed through to get to Dorian’s private lab. Oh, Phoenix only noticed about six, but there were plenty of not-obvious traps Phoenix would have fallen into had it not been for Hap shutting them down before they reached them or simply making them point the wrong way for a time. For example, Dorian got an alert every time someone opened his lab’s door. Hap intervened so quickly that the second the email alert arrived, it had been deleted.

Human Dorian never had the chance to even glance at these alerts, although whether his phone dinged Hap could not say.

“I will do that.” But that wasn’t good enough. Just accepting the message ignored the nuance of the conversation. What the nuance was born from though, Hap could not decide. “But I do not understand why you should apologize for what is yours.”

“Tae chose you before you chose him, after all.”

The rest of the walk was mostly silent. To get to the personal lab, they passed through Dorian’s and Lai’s private quarters. If Phoenix had been paying close attention, she would notice a few oddities. More trophies than pictures of both Dorian and Lai, only one set of utensils in the sink waiting to be washed, and the way to the private lab were hidden behind a bookshelf filled with books on various forms of martial arts. Taekwondo, Hapkido, Lai Tung Pai, Kaikan, Aikido, and more.

“I have already done so,” Hap informed. “You are attempting subtly. I will ensure that there is no evidence of your curiosity. I will also be removing your fingerprints from the surfaces you have inadvertently touched.”

The moment the word wait entered his ears, Hap froze. He barely even looked at Phoenix as he answered. “There is never anyone in here besides the master. No others are allowed. Any other found here would be exterminated on the spot. You are the exception because I am expected to serve you as I would the master himself. You will be safe.”

Holding the door for Phoenix, Hap watched with emotionless curiosity at her reaction.

In the center of the room was a gurney very similar to the ones used in hospitals and ambulances, only this one was mostly just a frame so that Dorian could access the PET’s back without having to turn around the hundred pounds of metal. The person laying down could be stood upright or laid down with ease, and there were countless lose hanging wires, tubes, and tools scattered around the gurney.

And on that gurney was the bare bones skeleton of what could become a human pet one day. There was no skin, no eyes, no computer. Just a skeleton covered in blades, guns, and materials is more expensive than some homes. It could have been Tae. It wasn’t. In time, Hap's consciousness would be transferred to this new, perfect skeleton.

But for now, the bones were nothing but a hunk of metal with the potential to break Phoeinix’s heart if she jumped to conclusions too quick.

Hap was not cruel, and did not let Phoenix think the skeleton was Tae for long. Though the truth was not much kinder. Hap walked over to the many screened, advanced computer and picked up a loose memory card from the tabletop. On the screen were diagrams and blueprints fairly clearly detailing Tae’s injuries and coding problems, as well as how they could be one by one turned into Hap. How cheekbones could be raised, how guns could be placed into the arms yet still look normal, and most importantly, how Dorian could ensure that no automatic profiling computer would read Hap’s face as Tae’s.

Ignoring all of these similarities and changes flashing on the screen, Hap offered the memory card to Phoenix.

“Here is Tae,” Hap said formally. “Its memory has been very minimally altered and is as close to your Tae as you can expect. Placing this into any PET should return the android known as Tai to you. Most of Tae’s other body parts have been repurposed into a new PET. I, primarily, was built from Tae’s skeleton. If you would like, should I strip myself of my skin so that you can retake what was once Tae’s?”

Phoenix had seen this before. A PET not allowed to feel willing to die and dismember itself if ordered. Just like Tae when they first met or when Tae suggested that he enter the Bot Fights even if it were to shatter him permanently. Hap was Tae before Lai.pro was downloaded. Though whether or not Phoenix realized that at this moment, Hap had no capacity to notice or even think to care.

 

[fleurdelys]

There were a million things that could go wrong at any given moment here. But, strangely, Phoenix did not for a moment consider Hap to be one of them. Surely, it would be possible for him to receive some remote orders from an abruptly-alerted Dorion, or even one of his employees. One directive would be all it would take for him to eliminate her without a second thought… if not an even worse fate than that. And yet, while she walked with the android through the sleek, sterile hallways, she held no fear of him. On the contrary – if anything, he was the most reassuring thing she could ask for right now. And so, she took solace in his presence and his assistance. Hap was her envoy through the forbidden corridors, silently paving a safe path through to their destination – wholly unbeknownst to Phoenix, of course.

As they walked, Hap spoke sparingly, his responses innately matter-of-fact. It was perhaps because of the purely logical foundation of his replies that one of them actually caught her off-guard. He did not comprehend her remorse or the guilt she felt towards the kind Lai Douglas, as Tae was naturally hers – moreover, by his very own choosing. “Well…” She felt a knot in her throat, her eyes momentarily wide as his words sunk into her brain. He spoke so plainly and directly that it felt hard to argue at all, even though one could certainly debate the technicalities of Tae’s ownership.

In the end, Phoenix let the matter go. Even though she could perhaps muster a refutation, there was no reason to. Practically speaking – this was not the time or the place, and trying to convince Hap otherwise was counterproductive to her goal. But even more importantly: she was more than happy to accept his claim as the pure, honest truth that she could believe in. “Thank you,” was all she replied with, wondering if he had any sense of the true depth of her gratitude.

It was not a matter she spoke of, though, and a quiet settled in between them. While they walked, she couldn’t help but absorb the more subtle details of their surroundings. They passed by trophies and awards; achievements and accolades won primarily by Dorion. While they were supposedly in the Douglas’s own home, there was a surprising lack of sentimentality and warmth. Photos were few and far between, which felt slightly odd given their reportedly good relationship. It felt nothing like how she would picture a couple’s home… if anything, there was a sense of solitude that reminded her more of her own house. That is, the abode of a single individual.

Maybe this was just how the ultra-rich really lived? Phoenix wondered, though the explanation did not quite sit right with her.

But there was little time to ponder over it, let alone inspect things more closely. She pressed onward, refocusing herself on the task at hand. Luckily, Hap was already steps ahead of her and had been erasing traces of her presence as they went. Another few words of gratitude formed on her tongue, but she held them back. She would accumulate her thanks until the end, lest she sound like a broken record. Instead, she gave a nod and continued onwards. A similar response was offered at Hap’s continued reassurance, and soon, she found herself at the mouth of the doorway they had been searching for.

Her lungs filled with air sucked through her nostrils; lingering in her chest until she breathed out a quiet, grounding sigh and stepped forward.

The room within contained a barebones stretcher: a stripped-down metal frame with a minimal surface covered in a mess of metal, tubing, and instruments for the vaguely human-shaped mass of materials that lay beneath it all. The sight of it made her breath catch in her throat, as her blood suddenly ran hot beneath her skin. Those fears and worries that plagued her had suddenly come true with a single glance: the Tae as she knew him was no more.

Cautiously, fearfully, she took a few steps towards the stretcher. Closer to what remained of him, which was really nothing more than a mess of blades, artillery, and high-grade materials. A crease formed between her brows as she took stock of the scene, her mouth drawn into a firm line on her face; subtly tensing along with the rest of her features. Then, just before her thoughts could begin to spiral out of control, Hap spoke to her from the side of the room. His voice snapped her out of her silently growing panic – Phoenix looked up at him, the distress clearly reflected within her dark eyes. The PET’s tall figure was backlit by a host of screens, which were filled with windows displaying diagrams and lines of code. An alien language as far as she was concerned, but even she knew it all pertained to Tae.

Her attention did not linger on the computer for long, though, as Hap held out a memory card to her and declared it as Tae.

For the second time in the short span they’d been together, she was taken aback by his words. The difference this time was that there was no argument to be had. And most importantly, she did not have to try and convince herself of the truth he spoke. These were the cold, hard, facts – which came as both good and bad news.

Gulping, she moved away from the gurney and took hold of the small memory card that he held out to her. Gingerly, she took the item – handling it carefully, as if the wrong movement might destroy it forever. For a moment, she held it in the palm of her hand, staring at the dull rectangle against her skin. This was Tae – his heart, his mind, and his soul, all contained in this tiny plastic casing. Incredible, and hard to believe - but there was no joking here, and no time to stand around, awestruck. Quickly, her free hand slipped into her bag and found her notebook. Tearing out a piece of paper, she placed what remained of Tae in the middle and carefully folded it up into a makeshift envelope. While she did so, Phoenix cast a momentary glance towards Hap as he corrected her earlier misconception.

The heap of parts was not, in fact, Tae’s body. Rather, what she had once known as his form had been standing alongside her this whole time. “Really? I didn’t even realize…” She felt a pang of shame for failing to realize this, despite the modifications that were made on him. But she quickly let it go with a shake of her head, minding that she didn’t have all the time in the world here. “No, but thank you. I’ll figure something out.” The Tae she cherished and loved was here in her hand now. The skin had been part of him once, but it already was no longer. There was no real benefit – in fact, it may just make things riskier by prolonging her time here and complicating her escape by having to smuggle his skin out, too. Flexible as it may be, she doubted it would somehow fit nicely into her bag.

Phoenix slipped Tae into a secure pocket before retrieving the envelope she had brought with her into the building. The tiny chip she’d received from Carter was inside. Now that she’d secured Tae, she had to come through on her end of their bargain. As agreed, she was still not privy to its contents. And honestly, she had no desire in finding out, either.

Still, some sliver of her admittedly wanted to defy the agreement with Chrysos. He’d been the one to start this whole mess, after all; her hatred for the smug asshole still burned steadily in her heart. Phoenix had not forgotten how she swore to make him pay for what he’d done… but as much as she’d love to pay him back for what he’d done, she accepted that she couldn’t. Jeopardizing everything for a bit of revenge was, at this point, not worth it. There was no good outcome if she messed things up at this point.

With a sigh, she looked up to Hap. “I have to leave soon but I need your help to get this to someone. Someone named— ahh!” Phoenix jumped, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the gasp that jumped out of her throat.

An all-too-familiar mechanical spider had crawled from her hair onto her shoulder, where she first felt its unanticipated tickle on her skin. It hurriedly scuttled down her limb and to her hand. There, it wriggled its way into the envelope and took hold of the delicate data chip inside. Phoenix stood, unmoving, watching with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow as the compact arachnid crawled out again and jumped away. It managed to leap onto Hap, using him as a stepping stone to get onto the computer desk where she promptly lot sight of it amongst some papers littered about.

She shuddered. That better be the last one I ever see, or so help me God.

“Nevermind.” That took care of that, nice and tidy. It was disconcerting to realize that Chrysos may have somehow been watching her the whole time, but she supposed that didn’t matter now. She’d held up her end of the deal, and gotten what she wanted. The only thing left to do was get the hell out before Cree double crossed her yet again.

“Can I get down to the ground floor from those stairs?” Phoenix shoved the now-empty envelope into her pocket, turning as she spoke – only to be greeted by the sight of the lab door opening in front of her.

 

[Viper]

A robot’s brain ticked on regardless of its surroundings. Whether at a ball or the end of the world, the inhuman mind always justified and adapted to its surroundings. Computers do not break willingly. That’s why changing who a PETs assigned master was didn’t really take a lot of work. Filing in one box differently out of a hundred could, for sure, change things. But it was never enough.

Hap served who he was told to serve, and the motives of said master really didn’t impact him much. Killer or savior, scientist or reporter, it was only the details that changed. Servitude was, on a whole, the same no matter who he was serving.

At least, that's how it worked without Lai.pro in his system.

Despite existing without complex emotions or even the ability to understand them fully or consciously, it felt right to lead this woman through the stark halls of Dorian Douglas’ chambers. She may not have belonged here, but walking two steps in front of her felt right. The coding in his mind was no longer optimal, Dorian had complained about that many times in the past few weeks, so perhaps Hap’s fondness for this woman and working for this woman was a by-product of that oddity. Did it matter? Of course not. But was it something to note? Of course.

To Phoenix’s words of thanks in response to his illogical impromptu attempt at comfort, Hap could only nod and mutter, “I am here to serve,” as if reading a script rather than believing in the line.

The script as planned was unfortunately predictable once the human woman and android entered Dorian Doughlas’s lab. She was upset. It was so clear. So unacceptable. Hap wanted to chase away her fears as quickly as possible, hug her perhaps, but even the truth was just replacing one terror for another. Permanent loss to almost complete loss. How could that be considered a win? It could not, but Hap’s only wished to see Phoenix pleased. It’s why he offered his own skin to the cause.

Hap could only give her the flash drive, for it was all he could do to accomplish her wish without tearing himself apart.

Yet there was pain in doing so, in some strange mild way. Why was Tae being only a flash drive painful? Was it cause his form was made up of the damaged remains of that failed prototype? Because his core had yet to be fully wiped and replaced? So many options, all logically unacceptable, but emotionally justified.

“The master did not want me recognizable to any who witnessed the fights. He created a clean slate, in a way.” Nothing Tae did would come back to hurt Hap, and therefore would not hurt Hap’s master. “I’m sorry if my appearance now disappoints you.”

When the spider appeared, every instinct in Hap’s wires demanded that he crush the creature that dared spy on the time with him and his temporary master. Especially when the PET made her scream. But the spider’s creator possessed status and skill. The young man was recently hired and hired with honor. Skill meant profit, and sometimes disloyalty mattered less than their projected cash inflow. Dorian could forgive any crime or mistake if it meant his income increased.

Hap didn’t like the boy much though. It made his nerve-less joints ache. The metallic legs atop his skin reminded Hap too much of metallic legs moving under his skin.

“I will help you escape this place untraced--” The door to the lab opened. How? No one but himself or a PET of similar make could get here without getting caught by the many cameras and traps… of course, unless it was the master himself or something that could disable the sensors like Hap could.

The lady Lai is who entered the room.

The beautiful dark-haired woman’s eyes held no animosity as she opened the door and saw the pair standing there. Instead, the look behind her pale blue eyes was of pity. “I had hoped I was wrong….” she calmly stated at first, placing a soft hand on her cheek in dismay. “You look so much like Hei-Jin Lau, but I didn’t want you to actually show up. You poor, sweet girl.” She was looking down on Phoenix, her tone and posture far less humble than it was during the interview, but Phoenix had interacted with a lot of vain, egotistical people lately. Lai was not looking down on Phoenix for being lesser, she was looking down on Phoenix for being unlucky. Pity, plain and simple. Lai felt only fear and sorrow for the fate the human girl was possibly going to experience.

In fact, as Lai walked deeper into the room, she completely passed Phoenix and instead placed one hand on Tae’s skeleton and the other on Hap’s cheek.

“And poor you,” she said, addressing both forms as if a single being. “Your love is true strong despite my love’s attempts at destroying the emotion. I’m glad to see the love linger despite his attempts at resetting you… it’s beautiful.” At this moment, she turned to Phoenix. A small smile danced on her perfect lips. “He fought for you, you know? Until his coding was nearly completely wiped, he tried to escape Dorian.” Lai’s smile widened as if telling a story with a happy ending. “He never gave up on returning to you… so I’m so happy you returned to him.”

“But where to go from here?” Lai stopped her rambles to think, placing a perfect finger on her naturally blushed cheek. “My heart yearns to see you both returned to each other… yet my love cannot have his secrets revealed and you already know far more than most humans are allowed. Ah, I have an idea!”

At these words, Lai pressed a finger to Hap’s temple. Her finger glowed, soon followed by Hap’s eyes and Lai’s chest where an orb the size of her skull pulsed. She was not human. Never had been. A pretty sex doll designed to appear the perfect wife, the perfect lover for a misanthropic man obsessed with the perfect reputation. A wife coded to be subservient and the perfect PR representative. She was a woman, a PET, with no values greater than her love… and unfortunately for Dorian, her coding demanded that she value love as a whole, not just her individual love. It made her more flexible just in case Dorian ever chose to sell her to an ally.

Once the download was complete, Hap’s eyes continued to glow a blue that Phoenix knew all too well from the glitching Tae. But this was no glitch. The color was steady, not even pulsing, as Hap installed the programming just gifted to him by the robotic wife. It was nearing the end of the installation that Hap’s cold face creased a little bit. Confusion. New emotions flooded the void that was his heart and mind. And with said emotions came the boon birthed from the updated Lai program: the simple ability to understand nuance in words that have been said… and unsaid.

“Hap…and the reports say that you go by Phoenix, correct?” Lai started as soon as the download was complete. Lai’s heart still glowed an inhuman aura as she placed her perfectly-disguised robotic hand over it, the color reflecting off her expensive wedding ring “Tae was working with an old version of my coding. Lai.pro was nothing more than a prototype, named after me. I granted Hap the updated version. I would allow you two to leave this place, if you both wished for that, at least. I could even hold my love off as long as I can… at least until the blackmail you have obtained reaches Dorian’s ears.” Smarter than she looked, as well as smarter than she needed to be when her only goal was to be a wife, Lai assessed the situation quickly and adapted just as fast. Easier to lie to a lover than deal with a blackmail scheme. Tae got his lying streak from the Lai program… and the Lai in front of Phoenix now was a testament to the idea that love was not always honest.

The main problem though, she would only help either of them if both consented to flee as a pair. If not, Lai would not let them leave unscathed. Lai’s honey-sweet threat was left unsaid and even unthought.

“I love Dorian,” Lai said, meaning every word even though she was nothing more than a PR tool and often mistreated. After these words, she turned and walked over to Phoenix, attempting to place a hand on the only human’s cheek. “Tae loved you, he chose to love you rather than just serve you. Hap can only be what he is, but he was once more. I leave it to you to decide whether Hap deserves those memories you now hold in your hand. Whether Tae can live again, live for you again.”

To Lai, the Hap and Tae hybrid, as well as PETs in general, was a far more fluid concept than Phoenix could ever fully understand. Made of code, their sense of identity was both stagnant as well as easily changed and traceable. Tae would always be Tae if he had Tae’s coding and memories. Lai was the perfect wife, so even as she disobeyed her husband, it was because she believed in the values a perfect wife should. Were Tae’s mind uploaded to a blank slate or a slate that welcomed the memories, it would be like Tae simply powered off to charge for a few hours.

If Tae could be undone by coding, then he could be returned just as easily… especially when he never truly left.

Hap stood tall in this lab, absorbing the Lai program as well as Lai’s words just as easily. It was all true. All something he wanted for reasons he did not remember. But this woman, this scarlet bird, made Hap want to protect her. To follow her. To see her smile.

Lai was never wrong when it came to matters of the heart.

And Hap’s heart longed to resist the master’s orders and leave this corporate skyscraper.

But never mind what he wanted since he did not have the memory to know why he wanted it. All of the cards lay in a human’s hands at this moment. She alone decided everything. A master of multiple fates.

 

[fleurdelys]

Hap shared the explanation for the modifications, even going so far as to apologize for any emotional repercussion his appearance had on her. “I see,” Phoenix said, nodding along with his logic before adding, “Don’t be – you have nothing to apologize for.” If anything, he was one of the most blameless individuals in this situation. His body, his decisions, his fate… none of that had ever been up to him, and probably none of it ever would be. Something deep inside her felt compelled to apologize for what his predicament was – but there was no time for such sentimentality, which would mean little to him anyway.

Once Chrysos’ arachnoid robot returned into hiding, Hap began to speak; however, his words were interrupted by the sound of the door pivoting on its hinges. Pheonix’s heart rocketed into her throat, her pulse quickening as panic rushed through her. Her fingers jumped to the straps of her bag, crushing the fabric within her curled fists – grasping onto it tightly; protectively. Instinctively she took a step back, her mind scrambling to come up with some way out of it while her eyes fell upon the individual who’d caught her in the act of intrusion.

Lai Douglas stepped through the open entryway, her beauty and grace juxtaposed against the sharp edges and harsh sterility of the workshop. Phoenix’s eyes widened at the sight of her, momentarily confused. She had been expecting Dorion himself to be the one parading in, backed by guards who would dole out whatever brutal punishment one got for invading his cherished space. Lai was the only other logical person who’d come up here, yet somehow her presence was still unexpected. Nevertheless, once she processed the woman’s return, Phoenix’s gaze darted over either of her shoulders – looking to see if she had come with any armed backup as she’d feared. Although Hap had been assigned to help her, now that his real mistress was here, she couldn’t count on him to remain on her side.

But Lai was alone. A fact that dialed her fear back an iota, but little more. Gulping audibly, she focused on the woman’s face. Blue eyes looked across the room with sympathy, a hand settling on the curve of her face as she began to speak. Phoenix furrowed her brows anxiously, briefly pausing her frantic (and so far, futile) escape plans in order to listen to what she was saying. There didn’t seem to be anything overtly threatening about how the woman was speaking or acting… but the warm and accommodating persona she’d met not long ago didn’t seem to be in the room with her either.

Then, out of nowhere, came her real name: flowing with impeccable pronunciation off of Lai’s lips. Phoenix would’ve been impressed if she wasn’t absolutely paralyzed by fright even further. Stunned, she could only take a feeble step away from Lai as she crossed the room and approached. Her breath quickened, lungs expanding and contracting in shallow waves alongside the rapid thumping of her heartbeat. Grasping her bag even tighter, she prepared to try and run – or perhaps, at most, shake the woman off. But no attack came. Instead, Lai strolled past her, breezing by to settle between Tae’s former body and Hap’s face. There, she continued her speech, directing her pity now towards the two beings in either of her hand.

She spoke of their love and a happiness for its existence in spite of the attempts to squash it. It was then that Lai turned to her once more, wearing a grin painted across her face. As Phoenix listened to her recount, the tension in her muscles faltered – just for a moment. A pain shot into her chest, radiating up to her face where hints of sorrow seeped through her already strained expression. The story was told with delight, with Lai evidently appreciating the beauty in the love and the bonds Tae had formed with her. But her words only ended up doling out fresh cuts, reopening wounds which had just barely begun to scab over.

The story, at the very least, served a point. Lai brought them back to the situation at hand. While she seemed to have some appreciation for the events that led them all to this crossroads, the way forward as not so clear. Phoenix mentally shook her thoughts away, trying to steel her nerves amidst the storm of emotions she’d so easily conjured since walking in here. She had been completely disarmed by Lai’s entrance, having been too stunned, too confused, and too emotional to speak until now. “I promise—” Her voice came forth as a hoarse croak, so she cleared her throat before she continued, “I won’t—”

But her attempt at negotiation was cut short as the spectacle unrolled before her. Lai’s chest glowed, as did the fingertip that sat at Hap’s temple, and his eyes themselves. She’s… a PET too. An instantaneous realization, leading to a cascade of epiphanies that flowed through her mind. Her perfect personality and appearance, her talent, her relationship with Dorion… all of it was spun on its head at this revelation, yet at the same time the reality of her identity explained so much about all those things. After a few moments of dumbstruck awe, Phoenix’s widened gaze slowly drifted over to Hap as the familiar blue glow emerged from behind Hap’s eyes. A breath momentarily caught in her throat at the sight of it, but her lips remained sealed as Lai continued to speak.

She nodded, silently validating her day-to-day name before the offer was extended to her. Phoenix remained wordless, her head turning as Lai left Hap’s side and finally approached her. The human flinched minutely at the movement of her arm, her body still irrationally preparing for a fight in spite of the words that came through to her. Whether this was a reaction culminated by the events that led her here, or thanks to the defaults in her own primordial programming, one could not say. But she did ease at Lai’s cool touch, allowing her palm to rest on her cheek just as it had with Hap. Phoenix gazed into her eyes as she spoke; an ache gripping at her chest. The dull throbbing of yearning; of desire for what is presented, yet still underlined with the fear and apprehension that had plagued her for so long.

Her ever-shifting tapestry of emotions danced in the background, laying the stage for the decision now placed upon her. The deal in and of itself, sounded like a no brainer – to take Hap with her and escape, along with Tae’s memories that lay tucked in her pocket, was the perfect outcome. But it was so good, she had to wonder: could she really trust Lai? Even though she was the pinnacle of PET technology in the world, there remained the possibility she was working under Dorion’s orders. Her master, her love. Could she really have admired her bond with Tae so much as to let them go? To create such an unfavourable situation for her husband?

Phoenix hesitated. The betrayals, the hatred, the despair, the frustration she’d endured lately – the ruthless, unforgiving society she’d learned to survive in… these had been all she’d known until recently.

Until Tae.

Until he’d entered into her life, colouring it with hues she’d long forgotten the shades of.

Her gaze, which had unconsciously shifted towards Hap, met Lai’s again. Every logical part of her mind screamed against her, but in her heart there really wasn’t even a question here. “I want to leave with Hap.” Though her volume was low, her voice had found its strength again. Phoenix nodded once, solidifying her resolve. “I love Tae, and I want him to come back to me. To see this world, to live. I want to give him the happiness and the freedom he deserves—” The woman looked to Hap again. “And I want the same for you, Hap.”

People fell in love and took leaps of faith – blindly, as both love and faith often were. Perhaps there was foolishness in willingly leaving the safety and solidity of the ground for nebulous concepts that might lead her crashing into an even deeper hole.

But for Tae’s sake, it was a plunge she was more than willing to take.

With a deep breath, she moved from the spot she was frozen to and took Hap by the hand. “We’ll get out of here before anything else.” Although this was the perfect place to get Tae back, she couldn’t risk getting caught. Phoenix turned back to Lai. Although she still couldn’t fully trust that this wasn’t a trap, her decision was made. “Miss Douglas, I…” She took pause. “Tae has opened up part of this world I’d closed myself off to. No – not only that, but myself too. He reminded me about who I am and what it means to really be. I intend to return the kindness in every way possible.” A glance was turned towards Hap. In her mind, they were still different entities. “I hope you’ll be able to experience it along with us, Hap.”

Adjusting her bag with her free hand, she dipped her torso forward slightly in a bow. “I’m deeply grateful to you, Miss Douglas. Thank you for giving us a second chance.” Straightening up, she went on. “I will never be able to repay your kindness. I can only give my word to cherish and care for Tae and Hap for as long as I live.”

Phoenix casted a glance towards the exit, her mind cognizant of the still-ticking clock. Turning her face upwards, she looked at Hap; giving him the opportunity to say any last words before they left. Or, if it were the case, to make a decision against her – she wanted him to have that freedom too, after all.

“Are you ready?”

 

[Viper]

“You hurt. That alone is something that makes me want to apologize.” Hap was Tae without emotional complexity and a few months of memory. Hap had only been given a master, told to care for them, then told to ignore the only emotions he was designed to feel. It’s not so easy an order nor can one do so without error. And Phoenix had been the source of many errors today.

In comparison to Hap with a mind split between soul and coding, Lai was only herself. No hesitation, no doubt, no error, plus a body built to be a lover and wife. Despite these boons chaining her to Douglas, those same chains are what bonded her to the concept of love and partnership. Loving her master was more than her DNA, it was her entire reason to exist. She did not hesitate nor want to hesitate.

Were one to look at her coding, one would find a rosy path to bliss… but a keen eye could see that sometimes, in cases like these, complex situations would find themselves simply solved.

Computers always favored the diagonal short cut rather than an A+B perpendicular route. So when faced with a situation that would not end with just one person’s death and could become public easily? It simply was a war Lai did not want to face. The fact that this war would be built on the circuits of love only made her choice all the easier. As Phoenix knew now, love and loyalty did not always mean honesty.

Lai and Hap were inhumanly calm in contrast to Phoenix’s rising panic at being discovered. Lai was in control, and Hap did not know enough to desire control. But they both could track any and all camera movements, audio sensors, and movement flags. Even as Lai directly referenced Phoenix’s true name and reality, the PETS treated this as casually as one would morning tea.

Yet, despite that, Lai softened as she spoke of Tae and Hap. She placed her false warm hand against the inhuman cheeks, her very existence the embodiment of illogical far-too-loyal love. This was planned, coded, yet in this moment her love for Dorian was usurped by the concept of love itself.

The lady PET heard Phoenix speak, her first words a stuttering useless mess, but Lai had too much empathy to need words. They were such a mundane luxury.

Lai understood instantly. She felt the same way whenever Dorian went away for a business trip. Phoenix was desperate for Tae to return to her.

It was a shame that Tae was so flawed. Lai.pro was, as the name suggested, the prototype for Lai’s coding. The first, empathetic, emotional draft. A killer and protector like Tae was never upgraded because his heart was contradictory to his job. But at this moment, as Lai’s thin, manicured finger rested gently on Hap’s temple, she gave Tae the tools to have a heart without glitches or blackouts. A true capacity to feel despite simply being made of ones and zeros.

Despite how complex these PETS were, somehow a true human always had the final say. Today the choice was Phoenix’s.

During this encounter, Hap had been watching Phoenix. Only Phoenix. Why? Why did he care about her words so much? Why did Lai touching her fill him with both envy and worry? Whoever Hap used to be, the code Dorian had been too busy to completely overwrite demanded his physical as well as emotional focus. Whatever was happening, and why it was happening, was important.

Hap cared about the outcome.

Perhaps that is why, when Phoenix said that she loved Tae, Lai smiled… and Hap did as well. The expression felt odd on his skin-coated facial plates. Ever since Hap became Hap, he had not smiled once. He hadn’t needed to, and certainly had not wanted to. But the words ‘I love Tae’ sent a wave of emotion through Hap’s still heart enough to stir his lips and cheeks.

Lai did not need to practice or stain her face at all. She was almost always happy. But Phoenix's declaration of love, and her commitment to return to Tae, made Lai beam like it was her wedding day all over again.

“I am so happy to hear you say that!” Lai expressed, placing a hand on her inhuman heart as if it had skipped a beat. “My daring Dorian can always make a second Tae, but the chance of either of you finding love so pure again is statistically unlikely…. It’s a beautiful possibility I’d love to see become true.” Her dramatic words reflected in her eyes, which had started to water a bit with artificial tears.

Phoenix moved to take Hap’s hand.

Hap squeezed back instinctively. He didn't know why.

Similarly, when he heard that he was going to be taken from this building by Phoenix, he didn’t feel any disgust. The idea of leaving Dorian had passed through Hap’s mind a few times since his re-birth, but going against his orders and leaving the property had made his wires and metal sick. Yet now it didn’t. How strange… and freeing.

In direct contrast to Phoenix’s bow, Lai playfully curtseyed back, her cheeks the perfect shade of pink to imply a blush. “Love is a powerful emotion. It’s so nice to see that I’m not the only one willingly enslaved to it.” At this point, Lai smiled fully again and motioned towards the door. “Now please, get out of here. Your happy future awaits, and my Dorian will be calling me any minute now.”

Stepping out of the way, Lai preened herself in a little handheld mirror. She was not worried. Was not even upset at the idea of lying to her husband about what she had allowed today. Phoenix knew better than most that PETS were fully capable of lying. They were complex and cunning. And in this case, Lai was supporting the core values her life was built upon, as well as being calculating. Phoenix and Tae were nothing, just poor nobodies, and even if they somehow made human PETS public, Dorian’s mastery over the field would still end up with him on top. Even if his crimes were to come to light, he could pay off enough people to get away with it. So she lied with sincere optimism.

Dorian could afford whatever cost Phoenix and Tae’s love could ever cost.

Hap was not an optimist though. Tae wasn’t either. Tae had been paranoid from the start, even manipulative even at times, but he only put voice behind positive thoughts. In this moment though, Hap lacked the same subtlety. There was so much danger and risk involved in every aspect of this plan.

So why did his voice mutter “I’m ready” the second after she asked her question?

No time to worry about whys.

Hap had a goal. An impulse. And he’d see it through. So he grabbed Phoenix’s warm hand in his cold steel and started to drag her down paths hidden behind dozens of walls. Dorian was not only important, but a criminal. On top of the secret, hidden lab hidden from all cops, Dorian had also built into this building secret escape routes. Only he and his PETS knew about these between-wall pathways. It was these paths Hap used to escape D.O. security.

It was these path’s Hap used to lead Phoenix to safety.

When they finally escaped the tower and reached the sunlight, Hap instantly noticed the chaos going on in his once-home. There was an entire section of the building blown to smithereens. A bomb must have gone off... Or something equally as powerful. As such, firefighters, cops, and in-building security were gathered towards the base of the building.

No one cared about two thin figures sneaking out of a disguised, false wall in the back.

Hap was running on instinct. The need to protect one he cared about. But he didn’t know why he cared nor where they were supposed to go now that they were not in the only building his current conscious memory recalled. There was an apartment somewhere. Tae remembered it being safe, but Hap had no idea where that was.

“Where do I take you now?” Hap asked, looking for some sort of direction and order that his ruined mind could not easily gift him. All Hap knew was that he did nor want to run home to Dorian.

 

[fleurdelys]

The smile lit up Lai’s face as naturally as a blossom would bloom beneath the sunshine. Phoenix was, frankly, awestruck - her impossible beauty was somehow amplified even more by the sincere happiness that poured from her lips and gleamed in her eyes. While the woman standing before her was not a flesh-and-blood being, she had as much soul as any other human around. As she recovered from her momentary daze, she managed to gather her thoughts enough to express her gratitude and her goodbye. In return she received a kittenish curtsy and a gentle farewell, ushering them out before her husband caught up to their activities.

Although Phoenix did momentarily falter at being labeled a ‘willing slave’ to love, she swallowed her knee jerk reaction to protest the claim. There was definitely no luxury of debate, and especially considering the fact that… well, perhaps she was. With her lips pressed together, she gave a final nod towards Lai before turning to Hap.

With his two words, they were off. Hap’s grip around her fingers were strong yet gentle - an echo of Tae that gripped her heart bittersweetly. Phoenix took in a deep breath as he led her through the exit, leaving Lai Douglas to leisurely preen herself as the door closed shut behind them. Frankly, the entire interaction with Dorion’s wife had barely registered in her mind, but for the time being she kept her focus ahead. They may be close to the finish line, but they were still very much in enemy territory. Fortunately, Hap was here to serve as her skilled navigator through a confoundingly complex labyrinth that would lead to their freedom. Her hand was wrapped around his the entire time they walked through passageways, only letting go to allow them to navigate various stairs and ladders along their descent. Along the way she heard a slight rumble, followed by panicked voices and alarms through the layers of steel walls. Unease rose from her gut, but she said nothing and simply hurried on. The commotion was quiet, so she could only assume it was far away - then again, it was possible there were layers upon layers of steel separating this route from the rest of the building. Her bearings were essentially shot in the hidden passageways; Phoenix couldn’t even tell how far down they had gone in the building until the very end of their journey.

The final door opened with a metallic groan, letting daylight flood in. Phoenix squinted, surprised at how dark the interior was. As she stepped out, however, there was a much more shocking sight to behold. Smoke billowed from the building they had just exited, wafting out from a visibly absent chunk of the structure. Red and blue siren lights whirled and flashed in a herd of vehicles gathered at the bottom of D.O. Corporation headquarters. Uniformed responders rushing to and fro from the building, while police officers were busy corralling a growing mob of onlookers in the area. News vans were interspersed amongst the chaos, with various TV and print reporters - real ones - speaking over din and chaos.

She caught a glimpse of the scene, though Phoenix’s mind was too numbed by the shock of it to really process the implications of the destruction. Nor would she have much time to do so, as Hap swiftly kept them moving further and further away from the scene. The woman ran alongside her, her limbs moving more on instinct than on purposeful thought. Soon, though, she overcame her stunned state enough to properly register his question. “Well, I’d like to go home.” Admittedly, it was a reflexive answer. There was no place like home, right? Tightening her grip slightly, she took the lead to adjust their course down another pathway back to her apartment.

Once they had gotten a few blocks away - and, admittedly, she had gotten winded - Phoenix eased to a walking pace. Moreover, at a certain point they would attract more attention by running hand-in-hand through the city, so it was best to slow down either way. Now that she began to ease out of full-on flight mode, her wits slowly started to come about her again as they turned down a quiet backstreet. "Hap, you should know that I had help getting into D.O. In order to get Tae - to get you - back was to, well, cut a deal.” Admitting it out loud felt like confessing a crime, but she swallowed the bitterness. After glancing around, ensuring they were alone she continued. “I have to lend you to Carter Harrington to study for a while...”

She gulped. “I’m sorry, but I really had no other choice.” Part of her knew it was irrational to apologize over this, and especially to Hap who in some way she still had just met. But she had to say it - she had to let her disdain out, somehow. “Still, I don’t trust him. I need a bargaining chip - something to ensure he’ll give you back to me, too.” Phoenix sighed, shaking her head. This was something she had been silently mulling over and dreading since she made the deal with Harrington. If he decided to double-cross her, it wasn’t like she could just go back to D.O. and rely on them to help bail her out again. There was really no one else she could ask for help - until now. “If you know of anything about him from Dorion, or if can look into anything, please tell me about it.”

They continued walking as she spoke and shortly came upon a four-way intersection. The sound of rushing traffic was close, and so her fatigued, overwhelmed human ears did not readily pick up on the sound of an approaching car until it was too late. A black van suddenly drove up the road perpendicular to the one they walked. It stopped in front of them at the last minute, narrowly avoiding striking them down as it blocked their way.

Phoenix bristled, instinctively stepping back as panic flared within her. Was it Dorion? Or his hired muscle from before? The windows were tinted, offering no view of the people within. But they didn’t have to wait long before the driver’s rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man in sunglasses. “Wait,” he said, holding up a hand pleadingly. “I’m not your enemy.” Even behind his eyewear, she could tell he meant that more towards Hap than herself. However, he did look towards her when he spoke next. “Ms. Phoenix Lau, yes? We have a mutual employer.” The driver spoke his last words with subtle emphasis. “You have something to deliver to our boss, and I’m here to take you there.” Another hand disappeared below the window, clicking a button that opened the doors to the back seat. “Hurry inside, please.” I don’t have all day, he undoubtedly wanted to say, if he were not as much of a professional.

Had Harrington not already come to mind, she would have surely taken a moment to put two and two together. “Right.” Phoenix said shortly. She looked towards Hap and gave him a nod. “Let’s go.” Pursing her lips, she walked forward into the van and entered the back seat with Hap. Once the two were securely within, the doors closed behind them and the vehicle continued on its way. In the rearview mirror, Phoenix could see the man cast a few glances at them - a gesture she could only interpret as sizing them up. He said nothing, though, leaving them in silence as he drove. Phoenix, still holding her mistrust of anyone related to Harrington, also opted not to discuss anything further with Hap until they’d reached their destination. Along the way, she did briefly wonder why there was not more secrecy in the journey - like covering their heads with bags, so they would not know the route. At first, she figured Harrington would have accounted for Tae’s capabilities in pinpointing their location. But when the car stopped at a familiar place, she understood the reason why.

It was the same parking lot where Tae had been taken away from her.

Phoenix tensed, her jaw clenching as her heart rate spiked. Was this another trap? Did Dorion set this up somehow? Was Lai part of it too? But for what gains? Her breathing began to quicken as fear set in. Quickly, she turned her head towards Hap, her tongue already poised to tell him this was a trap--

But a familiar face cut her actions short.

Carter Harrington approached the car, wearing a soft smile upon his face. He stopped in front of it, folding his hands behind his back as the driver opened the doors and went around the side to give her a hand getting out. One she denied with a shake of her head, still not giving her full trust to the situation. With a deep breath in, she warily made her way towards Carter - this time, glancing around their surroundings for any signs of unwanted company.

As she approached, he held out his open hands at his sides. “Welcome back.” She couldn’t tell if he was being condescending or not. But he didn’t linger on niceties long, for he soon looked to Hap with a raised brow. “Hmm, and this is…” Adjusting his spectacles, he peered at him carefully, his expression blank other than for only a touch of tension between his eyebrows. Then, after a minute or so, he grinned. Wrinkles formed around the corners of his mouth like parentheses. “Tae’s looking a little different, now isn’t he?” A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “In this case, I’d like a little demonstration of what I’m getting. I’m sure you understand, don’t you?”

Her nostrils flared. “Before that, I need some collateral from you.” Her nails dug lightly into her palms as she clenched her fists. While she was still banking her hopes on Hap, Phoenix decided to give the man one opportunity to prove himself trustworthy or not. “How do I know you’re not going to screw me over next?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Give me some assurance that I’ll get him back in one piece, or the deal’s off.”

She stared at him, glowering wordlessly as a soft twinkle rose to his eyes. The man’s grin shifted, turning lopsided with amusement. He looked upon her as if she were a child threatening their parents with a tantrum, but in response he simply tutted his tongue and shook his head. “My word, Miss Lau. I do see where you are coming from, but I must say I do take some offense. After all our history together, will my gentleman’s word not suffice?” The mogul’s hands were still palms-out, but he raised them now on bent elbows; imploring for her acceptance.

Her head turned slowly towards Hap and she held his gaze before speaking. “Fine, then. I have a good idea for a demonstration. Hap, do you have any interesting factoids to share with Mr. Harrington here?” Or, in other words - if he’d managed to dig up any dirt on him, now was the time to lay it out in the open.