Alex squirmed as Laura smoothed the last patch of skin back over, the ear looking perfectly normal as she nodded, "There. It may take a bit to calibrate, feel slightly odd... But you will get used to it."

Reaching up to rub at the ear, Alex jumped whn Laura slapped at the hand, "Hey! I said not touching! You still need to leave the new graft to settle first."

Laughing, Dr Elune hopped up, "You remind me of Judith, acting like that."

Laura rolled here yes, as LAlex grumbled and slid their suit back over their shoudler, "Yes, well... You try looking after a patient.  See how patient you are." Sighing, Laura patted Alex on the back, "That said, thank you for looking after Hope. Your replacement eyes should be ready soon."

Nodding, Alex wobbled slightly, "No problem... And I think I will be more careful from now on. Getting my ears replaced was, well... Not fun."

"Oh? You look slightly unsteady there. Seems your balance is off while you are calbirating."

Alex nodded again, groaning as they froze, "Yes, yes it is. I think I shall... Recalibrate in the bedroom, switch the other unit to active duty."

Dr Elune smiled gently, "Sure. Just don't let Jolana notice, right? She still doesn't know, remember."

Shrugging, Alex nodded aver so faintly to show they would, before tottering off in a wobbling line to the room. Laura furrowed her brow, looking after Alex, "Maybe we should help..."

"Hmm? Alex could just turn off the balance, right? Go off sight? They are just trying to find the right settings. We would be intterupting."

Thinking on it, Laura nodded, "I suppose so. I forget Alex can do that... Can just turn things off. Heck, I helped build the units..."

Dr Elune laughed, "Such good handiwork, you fooled yourself! Just remember, Alex isn't actually human."

Laura frowned, cleaning up her tools, "From what I remember, you approached us on that exact subject. That is what started this whole mess."

Dr Elune sighed, "Yes and no. Alex now has feelings, thoughts... Alex is a person. That does not make Alex human." Frowning as well, Dr Elune leant back, "I should have planned better."

Looking up as she finished, Laura raised an eyebrow, "What, having second thoughts?"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Dr Elune nodded, making Laura blink in surprise, "Yes, I am. Think... Alex will never grow old. Infirm. Ill. What does this mean?"

Laura rolled her eyes, "We have a super soldier who wouldn't hurt a fly?"

Laughing, the doctor shook theit head, "Wrong. Well, on what I was getting at, anyway... Alex is pretty peaceful." Taking a deep breath, Dr Elune looked at Laura, speaking quietly, "What will happen 200 years from now?"

Laura tilted her head, "Never gave it any thought. You and I will be long gone, after all..." Pausing, Luara thought about it, then her face fell slightly as it dawned on her, "... We will be long gone. And Alex might still be running."

Dr Elune nodded, "Like I said... Alex is not human. That is not something I can forget. Even if we all died in that firing range, Alex would have survived back on the shuttle, and would have been lost as to what to do."

Shaking it off, Laura grinned, "Eh, let's not think about that. We both plan on living long lives, even if we lose a few limbs on the way. The answers will come to us in time."

Nodding, Dr Elune wandered to the door, "Yeah, I guess you are right. For now, I have a meeting to to leave for in a few minutes, to try and answer one of those questions before we are forced to."

"Oh? Not just another interview?"

Dr Elune shook their head, "Nope. Me and Ren are headed out to visit Mr Williamson, show him some of the AHOR tech. He will be prety excited, so we may even spend the night from all the talking."

"Sounds fun! Especially if he knows what he is talking about."

Dr Elune grinned, "Well, maybe... As long as I don't have a tour of interviews for AHOR as well. The HPS is enough of a nightmare."

Laura giggled, "Leave the patent to someone else, then. Ren, or Judith. You just wanted Alex's units, right?"

Nodding, Dr Elune smiled, "I have thought about it. Might even leave the patent to you."

"Oh, yes. You want ot leave me in a room full of reporters. Let me bring up the diagram of an atrificial behind, as the opening shot."

Snorting, Dr Elune shook thier head, grinning wide as they laughed, "Complete with realistic cushiony softness? They will be speechless, for sure." Waving as they left, the doctor hummed to themself, trying to get the image out of their head before they got to the meeting.