Dr Elune grinned triumphantly as they picked up their finished project, after many more weeks of hard work on the minute details to get it working as intended. Strapping it onto the manniquin in the middle of the room, the doctor got everythign plugged in carefully before stepping away.

"Good to go Alex, try it out. Hopefully it doesn't freeze up like last week."

"Yes, doctor." Spurring the device to life, the prosthetic arm twitched slightly as Alex refined the new interfacing controls, and then it raised up to the mannniquin's head, fingers trailing over the blank plastic face.

"So, Alex. Tell me about how it feels. How is the feedback?"

"The pressure sensors are... Odd. I may just not be used to them. They are also a little... I don't know, tingly?"

"That may just be a calibration thing, we shall test it out. Good to know it works, though. Temperature?"

"The room feels rather pleasant, it is a calming feel. I shall try the test mediums now." Reaching for a nearby table, the arm stroked across first a thin sheet of ice, then a heated plate. As the arm touched the plate, it jerked away, and flexed it's fingers cautiously.

"Hah, even the reaction came out right. I can't tell if that was deliberate, though..."

"No, doctor. The ice was... Unpleasant, but manageable. Slightly sticky, if I left the fingers there too long. The plate however, I felt an overwhelming jolt of... Warning. Displeasure. I now know why humans particularly dislike pain."

"Yeah, you should keep it in mind. The plate would have hurt a lot, admittedly... But we can replace your dermal layer pretty easily upon damage. For a human, we can now, but not always."

"Yes, doctor. Mobility test, I presume?"

"Go ahead. Make sure to speak up if there is anything odd, by the way."

Giving a thumbs up, the arm began stretching in various positions, testing it's range of movement. It had been designed around a rather flexible human's arm, but not outside of reason.

"I do not detect any irregularities, doctor. When I reach the limits of movement, it feels tighter... And then uncomfortable. Except the shoulder, oddly."

"Understandable. Those reactions are right on the mark, and the shoulder isn't properly attached to a body. So, tugging at chest muscles... Can't really happen. I think that is all, so for now just keep it going, do some flexabiulity routines and, I dunno, play chess or something. Keep the arm busy to see the wear and tear."

Giving another thumbs up, a service drone began wandering around to grab things for Alex. Sitting down at the computer, the doctor sent out a call to Judith, face beaming as the line rang for a moment.

"Odd for you to call me. Normally you just message the requests. What is it, Sam?"

"Oh, just wanted to run an idea by you, that's all. Now, this is only the middle-road prototype... But you will want to see this." Clicking on a few commands, a feed of the lab began to stream over the connection, showing the manniquin doing a precision test as it toyed with a simple metal puzzle. And completed it rather quickly, at that.

"Is that... What kind of capabilities does it have? I'm assuming this is what has been occupying you on and off for the last year, correct?"

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Spot on, doctor. It has a fully functioning nervous system, feeding both ways. Rigid cores for support, but it is supported via synthetic musculature like a real arm would be. As for power, we are using a complex hydrolics system, and there is even a subsystem being worked on to use the gel as a delivery mechanism for repair supplies."

"... Impressive. To get this straight, it has nerves, muscles, bones and blood?"

"Yup. Well, I have gotten the first three working. The 'blood' still barely powers it, and I have a secondary power supply keeping it running. The nutrients factor is nowhere close. and this is only the middle route."

"Care to explain?"

"This will be split into two main projects from here on. The full cybernetic integration, which will be a seemless fusion so exact the user will not even tell it's a robotic arm. And an enhanced line, without flexability constraints, removability for utility and safety, and anhanced strength. Before you say anything, I will be extremely careful on those parameters... And the buyers for them."

".. Good. Escpecially if you outfit Alex in a full body. Having an illegal AI in a superhuman unstoppable body will go poorly, don't you think?"

"Sadly. Alex is a sweety: proving that androids are now a thing will rock the world though. So, what do you think?"

"I think it is great. Having more options than waiting on a regrowth program will benifit the medical world immensely, and that program takes a lot of funding too. Speaking of... I am assuming this device will be made more refined and cost effecitve?"

"Not by me, but yes. I... Can't exactly hand it to Laura though. Biomechanics is not her field of expertise. In fact, it is goign to be a nightmare getting an expert at all."

"I now a small facility that will go mad over this. They will need you oversight though, as the original creator. On site."

"That will be fine, call them over."

"... And they may love biomechanics, but they may not love Alex."

"... Oh. Crud, hadn't thought on that. Most people on the station might not know Alex's potential... But they know enough to paint the picture, if asked."

"Shall I still make the call?"

"... We need this. Not just us, but humanity. Make the call."

"Yes, Doctor."

Sighing as the screen blinked off, Dr Elune slumped in their chair. Alex flicked on the projection, looking concerned, "What did Judith mean, illegal?"

"Oh, that. In that meeting a while ago, the board agreed you broke the Edmund protocols. We are fine with that... But interplanetary law still holds."

"... Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would do something stupid. The protocol was made for a different reason, so the laws will change over time. Until then... You are this station's little secret."

"... Yes, doctor."

"Good. Just in case, I am ordering you: Do not tell anyone about your classification in terms of AI. Do not try to 'Resolve the situation'. This is the stations problem... All you did was meet my expectations nice and early. And... Do not get caught. Worst case scenario, let a board member know. We will handle how to proceed."

"Understood."

"Now... About that arm. Let's discuss modifications, shall we?" The doctor grinned once more, already abuzz with ideas.