[LSDF] Tropical Paradise - The First Slice of Life

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3

Officer Quarters

Schhhhshhh

It was a subtle sound, the inattentive would pay no mind to it as a background to the sound of metal seams separating. It was the sound of atmosphere being drawn into the interior of a vacuum stabilized metallic container. It was a mingling of sounds that came about thrice within the space of Ei’ika’s quarters, as a trio of small containers had their contents bared to the world their interior had never seen before. Last the contents had met with light and atmosphere was on Lor, in a canning facility that had been in service for over two hundred years, following the same processes and recipes that had been used for another two-hundred years prior to that, and were inspired by recipes from five thousand years prior.

Despite breaking the seals, Ei’ika did not fully peel away their lids, instead, she slipped one container at a time into the small countertop heating unit which used a combination of projected infrared and heating coil elements to heat the metallic container and the contents within to a safe range intended to eliminate any lingering biological organisms that had laid dormant for the months between packaging and use. With heat came the mixed aromas of the contents of each container.

First, there was a distinctively rich and oily scent of an oil bathed preserved cut of fish. Oils kept the meat from heating to a critical point which would have made the scent transition from rich to pungent. Within the oil mixture was an assortment of seasonings, which mingled with the meat anew as heat was applied. Once heated, Ei’ika’s silicone gloved hand pulled the container from the heating unit, peeling away the lid fully, revealing a full half of a hand-sized fish, skin, fin, eye, and all.

What accompanied the fish was in a container which Ei’ika set upon the top of the heating unit, upon a heating coil which caused the container to hiss and gurgle as the contents within were heated to a simmer. Learned in the basics of cooking, Ei’ika let the contents bubble and hiss for longer than the time it took for the fish to cook. After about eight minutes at a simmer, Ei’ika took the container off the heating element, let it cool down for a moment, before she removed the lid and poured the contents into a mess tray. What came out of the metallic container were oblate spheroids, beige in color, smooth in exterior appearance but also matte in their reflection of light. Testing her efforts, Ei’ika picked up one of the bits of food between her fingers, applying a gentle pressure before it yielded in a semi-fibrous glob as the exterior starch layer broke with the pressure of her touch, drawing an approving nod from the Occhestian.

Lastly, another container went into the heating unit, briefly, as rich zesty citrus aroma mixed with hearty warmth of bread came to fill the air, as Ei’ika removed the container, peeled back the lid, and inverted the container over the mess tray, depositing a cylindrical loaf of a dark brown bread, dotted with translucent chunks of fruit.

Es’irrati trout and oh’ran kernels, traditional Lorath fare, but the third item was a newer commercial product Toppen Kekken Fruitasmiagoria, something humie-compatible, as far as Ei’ika was concerned, but the sweetness was something she craved as a counterpoint to the hearty tones of the rest of her meal, a meal which was set out upon the mess tray set upon the counter top. It was not an aesthetically appealing meal, but it was enough to bring a simple comforting thought to Ei’ika as her hands went nowhere near her eating utensils.

”Holy beloved Mother.” Ei’ika started, her tongue rolling in the way of her mother, her grandmother, and her mother before, for centuries had done in somber reverence. ”I thank you for your love, and offer my love in return. I thank you for your guidance, and offer my trust in return. I thank you for your charity, and offer my vow to act in kind. I thank you for this life, and all things in it, for what was, is, and will be to the decay of flesh, and the ascension of soul. Mother willing. A soft inhale of breath steadied her mind, reflecting on the words she spoke, words she spoke thousands of times prior, before she delicately grasped her utensils and began to consume her meal.



One Lor Quarter-Hour Later

Precision narrow wavelength lasers danced upon the surface of the mess tray as it was slid into a sterilization rack, particles and morsels were rendered into an ashen waste, cycled away by a precisely controlled rinse system designed to sweep away excess while not wasting water. Much of the same process was what Ei’ika started, sans lasers, as she quickly scrubbed the interstellar trip from her body after her meal. Drying after her shower, arranging her hair with not a single strand astray, and spreading a thin layer of light diffusing cream upon her pale flesh and a thin white-blue layer of pigment upon her lips was punctuated by changing uniforms and placing her traveled-in set into a pick up slot, a space meant for the grasping hands of those which quietly made the conveniences of Lorath society.


Soon the sound of boot steps announced Ei’ika’s exit from her quarters, as she made the long trek in the direction that her true assignment was… quartered? Stored? It was a choice between the two terms which left Ei’ika thinking for a moment on the matter, knowing full well that how her interaction with them went, it would determine just how she would think of her project patient, the door of which she stood before, allowing a touch of a door panel to announce her presence.

 

Kay'lana got what she needed from the information kiosk and leisurely strolled through the halls, with her long pace she reached the showers quite quickly and ducked through the door into the bathroom. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the sandy blonde hair of Danny standing in front of her as she entered, taking her back slightly as she straightened through the door.

"Oh my, Danny! You should have said if you wanted to join me!" she said with a small laugh of surprise.

Giggling a little to herself at the situation, she casually took a towel from the shelf and walked over towards the synthetic baskets. She ruffled a hand through her short hair a little to get it nice and breezy for the shower before starting on the buttons of her jacket. Stretching out of the heavy fabric that promoted sharp lines and easing into a more natural state. She sat to peel off the long boots that coated her legs, sighing as her feet were freed from the long sleeves of black leather. Her belts followed, and her shirt and pants soon went in the basket with the rest of them.

She stretched, and crossing her arms over carefully rolled off the sports bra over her chest, neck, and finally getting it over her head with a small heave. She sighed and put it with the rest of her clothes, fortunately her panties were much less arduous, and all too soon she spread a towel around herself and folded it over her bust. Hmming in satisfaction as she frolicked towards the shower stalls, turning to spare Danny a little glance and a smile before she closed the door behind her, towel flopping over wall, and delightful steam and water cascaded onto her.

 

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3, Block 47, Room 21

From within the mind's eye, nestled between layers of polymer structures, encased within a micro-crystalline lattice infused alloy shell, wrapped with flesh and blood, a peering gaze looked upon the world which was presented through lenses and frames of data sewn into a tapestry of information. Found within the slew of information was a chronometer, precise in its measurement which was derived from a singular 1PHz transistor with a singular function; switching at variable speeds to correspond with observable sampling. For day-to-day purposes, Ei'ika kept processing cycles down by keeping the transistor clock-speed in the realm of one gigahertz, suitable for measuring a nanosecond. Five billion nanoseconds passed between the time which she announced her arrival, and the initial opening of the door mechanism. There was a desire to dismiss the time as coincidental, but Ei'ika knew better as she looked upon the diminutive collection of components that were more advanced than a fleet-grade ARIA, and were assembled into a simulacrum of a living being.

A response came in Ly'thir, casual as the moment called for; "Blessed day, Specialist Paar'enil. It is a pleasure to meet with you, but of course we both peeked at our respective documentation, so we may forego the formalities of introductions." Despite the words, and how cold they may have seemed to most observers, a gentle nod of Ei'ika's head was offered. Ei'ika's nod was not out of respect of rank, nor even the fact that the machine-person before her was considered a hero of the Matriarchy. No, Ei'ika's respect came purely from the fact that she was stood at the doorstep of the synthetic being, she was the momentary guest of the tiny technological treasure. When Paar'enil spoke her greeting, and presented her mannerisms, there was much more to the moment for Ei'ika, it was the first impression set by an equipment package which was her job to look after. Even so, the behavior was precise, somewhat rigid, but warm in a sterile sense that Ei'ika knew well enough to recognize as practiced. It was all a precise display, one that was driven by an elaborate weave of code that created the being she was speaking to, not a soul, not something that Ei'ika could feel either, but enough of a being to stand out and allow the creature before her not to slip into the depths of the uncanny valley.

"I would indeed like to come in, as I'd like to talk to you about, well, you. Since I will be working on you, I felt it would be ideal to make introductions beyond merely our respective documentation, to provide you the courtesy of letting you know a little more about the person who has been assigned to document and observe you, while also working to correct, repair, and enhance you as we share time in service to our Matriarchy." Ei'ika stated, as she waited to be escorted into the living space.

 

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3, Block 47, Room 21

A word was spoken by Ei'ika, in sound it rolled from the tongue, "D'er zi'syk ay'oh nyli." What it would be translated to most closely came out to "Thank you for welcoming me into your home". It was a formal statement, one meant to acknowledge the space as one belonging to the host and only the host, the connotation was firm in the traditional meaning. It was spoken by Ei'ika to make it clear to Paar'enil that the visit was one which was meant to be outside of the realm of their roles as an Ensign of the Lorath Self Defense Force and a 'Procurement Specialist'. Even as Ei'ika spoke her thanks, she eyed the Specialist, studying her at a glance, drawing in the initial instinctive response first. Aesthetics were forefront in the mind of an organic creature, then came social and ideological opinions, but for Ei'ika the larger portion of thought was invested to what came after the reflexive. Ei'ika's focus was mainly on the analytical, the extended study, as voice and movement came together to evoke a thought of a clockwork doll, movements waiting for cogwheels and springs to perform their functions to contribute to the whole. Overall, the functionality was present, capable, and serviceable, but it was still movement that in an organic creature would have been indicative of a neurological or muscular disorder.

On being welcomed to sit, the courtesy was not overlooked, it was a consideration of the organic. Recognition of the functions of tissues and the organic life form's way of providing pleasant accommodations to those tissues. Ei'ika took a seat, crossing one leg over the other, meeting at the knee, as she folded her hands in her lap and looked upon the living machine before her, listening to the isolated modesty of the mechanical creature. "It is a pleasure to acquaint myself with you, and to enjoy your more than satisfactory hospitality, since after all, you are a hero among our people, trailblazer." It was an exchange of pleasantries, between a technician and technology, a sort of handshake to say just how formal or informal the pair were. What was granted by their exchange would be the importance of deliberate speech and action, as they both were extreme in their self-awareness.

"At your request, I will be direct. Paar'enil, I see that your motor functions are suffering delays, some portions of your motor functions are reduced in functionality. You need work done. I've only looked at you externally, and know not your detailed requirements. Due to not having performed a full diagnostic as of yet, I would like to open with the most direct line of questioning; what work do you think you need to have done and want to have done, and what are the limits you would like to set upon me for working on you? As I am sure you are aware, I have been assigned to you for documentation and optimization of you and your technology. For the purposes of this assignment, I am your administrator, technician, designer, tester, doctor, surgeon, and rehabilitation provider. My job, as assigned, is to make you whole, improve on the whole, and once we part ways the expectation is that you will be leaving my care far better off than as you are now."

"You may also ask questions of me, if it will make you feel more comfortable to make this an exchange of information." Ei'ika invited, before she reached into her blouse pocket, producing a small metal case and an arc lighter. "Mind terribly if I make myself comfortable while we discuss this however? It has been a long journey." Most notably, with asking, Ei'ika did not just carry on with her intent; she genuinely waited for a response despite being the machine's senior in every measurable way.

 

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3, Block 47, Room 21

A snap, a subtle creak, those were sounds that came from the case perched in Ei'ika's hands as she unclasped a minuscule latch which kept the case shut. Once opened, the interior of the case was made apparent as she set it down, as open as a book parted down the middle, baring the contents within. A quartet of reddish-brown lengths of tightly rolled and bound broad leafed herbs sat gently nestled beneath a flexible metal bar that held them down against the padded side of the case. In the terms of the humans who traveled with the Matriarchy from elsewhere, they would have a vitola comparable to that of a cigarillo, closer to a cheroot in their styling as both ends of the rolled length of herb were open. It was a narrow length, the foreigners would have measured it as a twenty-two ring gauge. Along with the quartet of the hand-rolled equivalent to a Lorath miniature cigar were thin foil-wrapped strips of refined and processed plant latex, gum, from Lor. two small nearly opaque blackened bottles of some sort of powder, and two metal cylinders, one of which was a hollow tube, which was securely held in place beside a pristine gleaming platinum mirror which was in fact the interior of the metallic case. Delicately Ei'ika's fingers seized upon the thicker of the metal cylinders, and one of the rolled lengths of herbs. Semi-dried and earthy in scent and flavor, it perched between her lips as a narrow stream of ignited hot gasses lanced out from the metallic cylinder, as she gently applied the flame, soon producing a glowing ember, and shortly after it a plume of smoke which rolled from her lips as she listened to the account of Paar'enil's condition.

Rich, heavy, fragrant, those were easily some of the words that could have been associated with the plume, and Ei'ika drank in the very meaning of those words, using the flavor and aroma as a point of calmed concentration and focus that was complimented by the alkaloid compounds which transitioned from her pulmonary organs into her bloodstream, as well as through subcutaneous absorption through the thin tissues beneath the tongue. It all passed through what would ordinarily be heavily regulated and filtered ports on her cybernetic braincase, but at her own will, the filters were disabled and her brain bathed in the chemical medley while she took a brief moment to measure the weight of the words spoken by the synthetic being, and the words had a weight far greater than the smoke that hung heavy about Ei'ika. It was apparent why she had been pulled from her duties elsewhere, it was unable to be denied, the condition of the mechanical person was on the brink of becoming critical. In a layman's terms, it was kin to an internal combustion engine driven vehicle developing a sudden shudder, and a metallic grit to its otherwise gentle purr. Ei'ika was left questioning the matter as well, wondering just why the Matriarchy would send such a critical case to an outpost station to be worked on, it was another clue that there was more to things than she could put her finger on.

It was time to acknowledge her words, their importance, and their sentiment. Admittedly the sentimental part was somewhat on the fringe of Ei'ika's capacity to appreciate directly when it came to her work, but, she also recognized it as something she did need to work on, after all, it was part of what she would need for her ambitions, her wants, her goals... which just so happened to be the direction their conversation went. First and foremost though, was the assignment; "To alter or modify outside of intended function or specification is not fixing nor repairing, it is another form of breaking someone or something. My task is to repair you, and to bring you within the parameters of a set of specifications that I am sure you will provide. That is our goal, and the only way we can accomplish that is through..." There was a pause, an inhale was drawn deep, before being exhaled with a roll of smoke; "Cooperation and trust". With that addressed, Ei'ika was then put into a position of being the focus of the moment, as she had no reason to obfuscate anything about herself, she found it easy to bring her words to the matter at hand.

"What I wish for us, officially, is an opportunity to preserve a unique life. Personally? I want to learn and study as I work on you. I am an equipment engineer and technician, I have been transitioning into the fields of cybernetics, robotics, and medicine. You are effectively an embodiment of the overlap of each of these fields. Ideally, when I am done with my tour of duty, I will transition into a research and development role. I would like to focus my efforts on developing new heavy-chassis remote-interface bodies, androids, and cybernetic bodies... All within the will of the Goddess, of course." She was quick to add that last part, with a touch of importance in her tone that made it clear it was not merely an afterthought, but an important obligation. "Those are, at least, my professional aspirations." A momentary pause again, punctuated by burning embers. "My personal wants, well, they're not of great import, they are the kinds of matters that preoccupy most humanoid type life forms, I would think." There was a chortle of breath, mingled with another plume.

"I do hope this all meets to your approval, I know how patients can have their opinion of their care provider shaped by personal perception." There was that professional distance set, making it clear, despite sharing about herself she was still there for the job, even as the golden yellow of her eyes was filled by the black of her irises, and the whites of her eyes became glassy pink like a drop of blood lost in a glass of milk.

 

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3, 2nd Quarter Personnel Baths

Kay'lana couldn't help a sigh pass her lips as the hot water and steam worked their way into the little joints and creaks in her frame, her heartrate rising as heat suffused her body with therapeutic effect. She happily brushed her fingers through her hair as she let suds and flowing water do their work as her back arched to let more of the heat cover her pale body. A little moan erupted from her as she stretched out an annoying little strain that had been in her back since going into her cramped bedroom, she would have to do something about that. She felt a small temptation to further her ambitions towards officer status, but that would take some time. Perhaps there was an easier way.

In the meantime, she also had to look after Danny, like everything in the universe seemed to be conspiring to make her sure she did. It seemed Glee's order had gone further than she ever expected, or maybe it was from above the old battle axe. Maybe it was from a higher power? Was this meant to be her purpose in life? Was she meant to take a hero of the Matriarchy into her nest and provide him with comfort for the rest of his days? No, not so far ahead. Despite laying next to each other for two years, the two of them had barely gotten close for two days.

Besides, she had this party to worry about right now, and finding out what her duties would be on this small outpost. But maybe, when things settled down, she'd revaluate her time with Danny. She couldn't help the giggle that flowed out of the shower stall like honey. So caught up in her thoughts was she, she completely forgot to head out to the baths.

 

Kay'lana stopped running her hands through her hair as she heard the conversation outside, she couldn't understand all the words, but the tone did not sound conversational. She forced herself to smile and think of a way to preempt any sort of trouble, there was only one thing that came to mind. She opened the door to the stall, forcing herself to smile.

"Danny?" She said sweetly, leaning out to peer at the main bathing area, a pale breast swinging into view. "Could you please help me wash my wings? It's hard to reach.~"

Strands of wet white hair fell over her amber eyes as she looked at him, the smile was sweet but the eyes were intense, focused upon him, not even flicking down his body yet.

This was rather forward for her chosen strategy, and she struggled not to admit to herself that she didn't mind this at all, but her foremost thought was stopping Danny getting involved in a scene. It was rather an undeserved reward, but she wasn't sure he'd see it that way. She'd explain herself when they got out of the showers.

 

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3, Block 47, Room 21

Amber in smoke, that was the gaze that was set upon the compact machine creature. Amber eyes watched each movement of the mechanical body as Ei'ika also listened to each word. Their meaning was taken and acknowledged, but the actual process, the pitch and tone of each word, the mechanics of the mouth as it moved. With great care she was attentive to Paar'enil's every movement, every action until suddenly... she was not. Ei'ika's focus returned to the actual dialog, not just what it was carried upon. She had her fill almost immediately of the observable component diagnostic. She was not about to watch the mechanical woman as if she were about to fly apart at the seams right then and there. There were better ways to observe and document, accurate ways which were not fooled by the follies of the organic senses which Ei'ika still possessed. First off, for the moment, there was the most attainable and readily available of diagnostic tools; questions and dialog.

"I will likely create a list of questions after reviewing your documentation which you will supply. I will read what you provide first, as to avoid redundancy in information which would simply waste moments between us." Ei'ika started, before she took in a long smoke-laced breath which soon poured from her lips, falling quickly through the air after the smoke had cooled in her mouth, and she spoke as the smoke left her; "I do have a few questions for now however, they will not demand too much of the time which we have, but they will help me begin to form a hypothesis of your condition." Explained the Occhestian as she set down her ember-tipped roll of Lor-grown herbs, and reached into her uniform blouse pocket before producing a honest-to-goddess paper filled notepad, and a .075mm needle-tipped pen with a metal guide supported stonethread polymer nib, both of which were brought to the ready, as the steady sound of scratching ink upon paper came from the two meeting as Ei'ika jotted down a header for her notes. "I will be direct with these questions, being delicate is reserved for those who can't face the facts of a situation."

"What language do your thoughts arrange themselves in, what words are the first to come to mind before you speak? Have you felt any abnormal compulsions, any desire to perform actions which you have no point of reference as to the reason for the urge? Does your body feel 'foreign' to you in any degree, as if it is something you are wearing and are not actually part of? Can you split your consciousness to operate outside of your physical humie-shape chassis, or create a functional duplicate for preservation purposes and when doing so do your cognitive errors persist? Lastly; would you be open to being placed in a temporary chassis until your primary chassis is fully restored, and are you willing to have the 'sum of your being' in regard to your thoughts and memories stored while your operating system is worked upon?" It was a hybrid of questions from Ei'ika, walking a line between some form of technical diagnostic psychiatry, memory checks, awareness checks, boundaries for future work to be respected, and the needed input to create an initial plan of action.

"I will be honest with you, and state now that an organic equivalent to your issue has been documented in our population, but the organic mind and body has a greater capacity to recover from such a condition it appears. Some equipment has also displayed similar errors, such as those observed on the Herald during the initial crossing. We have some clues, but so early into this, acting on any of those clues can be an assumption. For this reason, I am happy you are offering your own account of your situation, to eliminate a substantial portion of 'guess work' which goes into trying to start fresh with a new technical problem.

Ei'ika's pen was poised, ready, waiting, for any insight to be provided by the machine.

 

Kay'lana smiled at the man she thought she knew as he came over to her, sparing only a glance for the dissident before dutifully following Danny and sitting upon her ankles as primly as she could baring her nakedness. She looked over her shoulder at Danny as her black, diminutive wings stretched themselves out for him.

Even like this Danny would have to reach up a little to lay hands on the small back feathers on the back of her shoulders, her form, though bigger than his, proportionally seemed almost slim, despite the muscles that rippled under the pale, perfect skin of her back. Her hips breaking out of a slim waist to make a complete ass of themselves. Her normally almost porcelain skin had a tinge of pink to it, it wasn't from looking at her, it was just the showers she determined.

"It's both, but the neck is a special place. So be careful with those wings, mister." She smiled, but the feathered flesh couldn't help but twitch a little when Danny started working, making her bite her lip as she turned to look ahead again.

"Why do you sound so different when you talk your human speech? Did he say anything really nasty?" She asked, her tone tinged with concern.

 

Research Facility "Tropical Paradise", Residential Sub-Basement 3, Block 47, Room 21

Soft scratches of a pigment ink-soaked polymer point sliding against hardened pressed bleached wood pulp sounded in the background behind the words which came from Isthmau. Key words, points of focus, items of interest, they were transcribed from spoken word to written notation. Verbiage mingled with observation as Ei’ika collected the raw data and formed it into information which she would use to progress forward wit her assignment. It was not just an engineer’s curiosity which guided Ei’ika’s hand, but a commitment to duty, obligation to the interests of her people. Each written word could have an importance which could shape the progress of her people. Much relied on such a mundane task, but Ei’ika’s commitment to her work reflected the understanding of the possibilities which could unfold from her labor.

Relief however was the most prominent feeling which Ei’ika had come upon her. It was a feeling born from the gain of a margin of error which could be acceptable, not relied upon, but acceptable as losses could be cut and options could be explored as the matter of consciousness and what could be done with it was spoken. Contingencies came about in a flourish in Ei’ika’s mind, ways to mitigate loss, and reduce the potential of failure. When venturing into an unknown, the ability to keep known values intact was a treasure of great importance, able to shape the very approach which would be taken to the task.

“Paar'enil.” Ei’ika started: “I would think our first order of business would be to create a facsimile of your current ‘self’, to be preserved and imprinted upon a body which can be used for the purpose of allowing you to actively participate in your own treatment. It can also provide a test opportunity if you wish to explore the integration of any new components into your chassis going forward on an experimental basis on the temporary unit. Once our work is complete, we would be able to integrate the copy and original into a singular ‘self’ again, so there would be no gap in personal experience, and your unique individuality would be preserved.” Explained the engineer, as she referred to some common-practice techniques used within Lorath medical and cybernetic practices to provide the most opportunity to preserve life when performing a high-risk procedure. Ei’ika’s own cybernetic augmentations were an extension of the concept, as her brain was kept safe within a casing which could easily be removed from her body in the event she ever sustained crippling and life-threatening damage or illness.

“On this thought, I also want to make it clear in regard to intent.” A deep draw of air was pulled through the roll of Lor-native herbs, before she felt a sudden concern. “A moment please, ah… ashtray?” Ei’ika asked, as she gestured with the long length of ash which was perched upon the length of her vice. After the pause and request for a place to politely discard her ashes, Ei’ika continued in her speech. “While we would provide a temporary body, it in no way will reduce our commitment to preserving, repairing, and optimizing your original body. A form of insurance is not a form of replacement.” She expressed, and smiled lightly to go with her words, as there was some good news in the mixture of insurance and procedure.

“It also is of importance to indicate, this step in our process would also allow us to identify if the issue which you are experiencing with your functional capacity reduction is associated with your consciousness, or if it is purely hardware related. As it would become apparent that it is a ‘software’ issue if the problems persist when your ‘self’ is imprinted upon the temporary body. If the problems cease, then it becomes clear that your issue is hardware related, or a combination of hardware and software interaction, in which that gives us our avenue of support and repair.” It was a mouthful, but it was the kind of body and soul which made up the whole of Ei’ika’s profession.

“Even so, with our experience in relation to existing similar problems, and our ‘insurance’ options with this process, I am going to approach your treatment on a case-specific basis, using quantified information gathered by the work we will do, not attempts to make your personal situation fit to something else observed elsewhere. Preconception is a limitation and a death to innovative thought and creative solutions.” Ei’ika hopefully assured the synthetic life form, as she alternated between smoking and note-taking, before setting down both occupations for her hands.

“That is about as much as we can do now, without engaging in our work directly. It leaves me to ask; how quickly would you like to begin, and…” Ei’ika loathed to bring up the topic, but, it was a responsibility as an officer: “Will you be going to the festivities which our local ‘TP’ has so ‘graciously’ invited us to? As I would be interested in us attending as an associated pair, it would provide me an opportunity to observe your function in a complex stimuli saturated environment.” Ei’ika found the only way to make the imposed festivities tolerable; to make it into work.

 

"Be gentler. It's sensitive, you know." She chided lightly before her back arched and she gasped loudly as she was caught by surprise sponging.

She forced her hands to rest on her lap as she tried to return to concentrating on holding still, sighing and suppressing the urge to shift and fidget, suddenly wishing she still had her choker on to cover her neck. She looked over in the mirror to see how Danny was reacting to the touch of her body. He didn't seem disgusted, which made her feel a little better.

"I guess humans do fight a lot more than us." She mused, thinking about Danny's conversation. "It just seemed like you were a whole different person almost, but you can't just go starting a fight on your first day. Especially not when I'm meant to be looking after you! So don't go thinking letting you wash my wings was a reward, alright?" Her tone shifting from bemusement to chiding the more she thought about it.

Possibly a little reckless while her wings were still playable like a fiddle between the mans fingers.