Late Evening...

"Ryanov, I had a really good time ton..."

Her eyes widen as she follows his gaze. Just a few feet down the sidewalk, he has stopped in his tracks. His gaze is up and squinted at the Haydurian moon. He sees Gamma and motions for her to come over.

"Gamma, do you see that thin red light pointing up at and surrounding Hayduria?"

He points up towards the bottom section of the moon. Gamma squints and can vaguely make out a very thin red light pointing up from the horizon to the moon; the red light also surrounds the moon with a large red halo that turns pink and then violet as it fades to black in the night sky.

"Gamma, do you know anything about that?"

Gamma looks at Rye and shakes her head. She looks back up at Hayduria and then notices something out of the corner of her eye.

"Rye."

"Hmm?"

She points further to the west of the moon. Rye looks up and sees a blue and violet aurora flickering in the air. Rye squints at it and starts for the cross walk.

"Rye, where are you going?"

"We are going home Gamma."

"Can't we stay and watch?"

Rye thinks about it for a second and starts walking home. Gamma's hands go down to her hips and then her arms cross.

"I'll be back home shortly... darling!"

Rye cringes when she says that, but he otherwise continues on his way. Unbeknownst to Gamma, but in Rye's thoughts, are the fact aurora in this region of the ocean are almost unheard of. He had seen one once in his time on the island; roughly eight years ago. However, it was more of a green color. Rye suspects the light surrounding the moon is the cause of the aurora; probably something to do with ions or electricity or something. He wants to get home for a reason; he sees it as an ill omen and does not want to be out and about should bad karma happen out in the street. To his dismay, Gamma had a very naieve appraisal of the situation, quite different from his own.

---

Mid Evening...

They are simply walking down the sidewalk, Rye in his aviators and Gamma in her white coat with her hands in front of her. Her eyes dart left and right to different buildings around them. They had walked about a mile and a half, crossing a nearby fast food restaurant and a themed restaurant. She then perks up when she sees a diner. She takes off without any hint or mention of it to Rye. His attention snaps from the street, first unaware of why she darted off and then his attention follows her and he understands why. She stands next to the left of the diner door and turns around to face him, her hands held once again in front of her. She motions to him with her head to stop standing there and approach. Unlike her however, he chooses to use the crosswalk instead of running across the street.

He finally reaches her, "You know Gamma, you really shoul..."

Her hands were already on her hips, but she removes her left hand and pushes it up to his lips.

"Dinner!"

Rye stammers for a second, but says nothing. Gamma doesn't give him the time to say anything else as she grabs his hand and jerks for the door. Her grip and strength are surprisingly stronger than he was expecting.

Once inside Gamma looks around at a distinct lack of people around. She doesn't give it a second thought and walks up to the counter area to talk to the waitress on duty. She doesn't wait for the waitress to ask anything. Gamma's hands go to the table with excitement.

"Burger, fries.... and uhm...", She looks up at the menu for a few seconds; her attention going back and forth, "...shake. Two each please, he'll buy." She motions her thumb behind her at Rye. Rye gives a helpless look towards the waitress. Gamma walks excitedly up to Rye and grabs his hand again. This time she pulls him to the corner booth on the left side of the restaurant. She takes her coat off and throws it to the inside of the corner of the booth. She looks over to Rye whom is still just standing there.

"Rye, you're not a statue!"

"Oh, uh, right." He takes his coat off and sets it down to the window of the booth and finally sits down. Gamma sits down opposite of him excitedly.

"Rye, thank you very much for having taken me out. I really appreciate it." Her voice is rather soft as she said it, try to sound pleasing and show her best manners.

"Uh, don't mention it. Uh, Gamma, we..."

"Nija."

"Uh, Nija. We need to talk."

"About?" Her head shifts to the side suddenly. If there was anger in her, it isn't showing; as Rye figures it, it was already long forgotten.

"About you Ga... Nija." Rye hastily looks out the window as he says it, and then turns his attention back to her.

"What about me?" She keeps her hands under the table deliberately as her full focus is on Rye.

"I mean, need to know stuff. Especially the stuff that is going to keep 'both' of us out of trouble. Understand?"

She looks up contemplating it for a second, "What about people overhearing?"

Rye's right hand motions behind them. One family had already left during their conversation; the other person there, an older man, had left for the bathroom in that time and is now walking towards the exit.

"How did you..." Her eyes show interest.

"It's called paying attention Gamma. You didn't do it when we left the apartment, you didn't do it when you pulled me into here, and you especially didn't do it when you crossed the steet. I can only wonder what you did when you left without me earlier..."

"Well, I did it because..."

He interrupts her, "Which by the way, you shouldn't have done. You don't know your way around the island. Not like... Hey, don't make that face at me, I'm trying to help you!"

Her arms cross and she turns her head away from him at the window. He continues talking to her anyway.

"Gamma, c'mon. I'm guessing because you are a..."

Her head jumps back to him with that look, 'don't you dare say Cryborg'. Her head turns with concern to the waitress at the counter and then back to him. His head follows her gaze once towards the waitress and then back to Gamma.

"Because you a...", his head frowns as he looks away in contemplation and then looks her directly in the eye, "Because of your 'unique traits' and... 'specialized background'; I need to know whatever you can, or are willing to tell me about yourself and your background."

"Why?" Her voice is between some kind of curiousity, joyfulness at the chance to talk about herself, and some kind of contempt at the intrusive interrogation; if such a mix of emotions could ever exist.

"In case it proves to be an unplanned contingency that will arise later on. The sooner we plan of action, the better."

"Is that really necessary darling?" Her hands finally come up from her lap and rest on the table, before finally folding together, still on the table.

"Yes Gamma, it is."

"Nija, please call me Nija; darling."

"Okay then Nija. Whatever you may feel on the matter, you still have to remember I have plans at the end of the month."

"Oh." She looks over at the waitress whom is setting together their food on a plate.

She looks back at Rye again.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"What can you tell me about yourself?"

She contemplates it for a second. "I'm a cryborg." She looks over at the waitress, whom is now walking towards them with their food. She says nothing out of concern and embarassment at what she had just said. Rye thanks the waitress before she walks off. Their bill is under Rye's plate. Gamma's eyes shift to his and then his gaze at the bill on the table. Rye looks up from it at then at her.

"I mean specifically, what is your history? Stuff like, do you have a family, did you have a job, where did you work, where exactly were you located on Hayduria?"

She looks at him, but he isn't finished. His left arm is resting on the back of the booth by this point, his right leg partially crossed against his left; he motions slightly with his right arm as he speaks.

"Other stuff that might be of interest are anything regarding... for lack of better words, your construction and any special abilities you might have as a robot."

Her left eye twitches at the word robot, but she otherwise yields the information.

"Oh, you want to know about '-that-'."

"Anything like that Gamma; stuff that would, you know, help me to understand you better or know what your thought process is."

"That's rather personal and invasive Rye. You don't trust me?"

"I would question my faith in you when you run off without telling me what you are up to. I already question your attention span. You also seem to be rather standoffish."

Her left eyebrow twitches again. She looks down at her food and then back up to Rye.

"Rye, I really appreciate you taking me out to dinner."

"Uh-huh."

She grabs some fries and takes a bite, ignoring Rye the entire time.

"Gamma."

She shoots him a look, "Nija."

"Miss Yifona, about what I asked you earlier." He pays no attention to her food, but rather to Gamma, whom is now setting her sights on her shake. She finally finishes and looks up at him.

"Oh alright, since you need to know so badly." She takes another drink of her shake before continuing, "My skeleton is made up of aluminum, five percent of my body is mechanical; roughly one quarter of my body is flesh and blood; the rest of my body's makeup is a combination of synthetic organs made up of nanites. I do have some organs which are completely artificial and autonomous and my nanites simply repair them. I'm powered two hydrogen reactors in my left chest. I have most of the same organs as a human, but I also have several compartments and parts which are unique to machines and cyborgs."

She looks up from her food to see Rye eating, with more attention on her food than him. She clears her throat and he looks up at her.

"Oh, do continue Gamma, I was listening."

She shoots him a look at 'Gamma'.

"I mean Nija, do continue."

She eyes him with a minor bit of scrutiny and continues, "My blood type is B-; my oil type is 10w30; although I can take 5w20 up to 10w30. I like straight thirty oil, but it is a bit too heavy in my system."

Rye lets out a sigh, "Right."

"Do you want me to continue darling?"

"Sorry."

"Anyway. I need to take metal filings and nutritional supplements, but rarely need them. They are to power my nanites. The oil in my body is used for lubrication and broken down for different uses by my nanites." She takes another drink of her shake and some fries; Rye nods interest at her and she continues, "The oil in my body is kept separate from my biological side. It's entirely different tubing that circulates it. The flesh in my body functions as you would expect; the synthetic organs in my body the same. As I mentioned I have a titanium chassis; it doesn't grow, nor does the rest of my body. I don't.. what you might call, age. The nanites in my body are constantly repairing myself."

She looks at him to make sure he is paying attention. She clears her throat when catches him looking down at his food again. He looks up in surprise and nods nervously for her to continue.

"I rarely need to use oil for anything. My body can recycle it for some time. My nanites can convert oil to power themselves. However, they are built to use water, oxygen and hydrogen as a power source. I breath like a normal human; my lungs are built to take in oxygen and water vapor. My..."

Rye interrupts, "Can you breath underwater?"

"I don't know. I've never tried."

"Do continue G... Nija; sorry for interrupting again."

"Anyway, my hydrogen reactor converts water vapor into hydrogen and more oxygen. I can, however, breath without oxygen. It is more of a reflex."

"So one way or another you don't need oxygen to breath."

"Pretty much. I was designed to work in space to repair space ships."

He puts down the shake he is drinking at this point, "I thought you said you were a secretary."

"I was. But I am a mass produced model, I am one of the unlucky ones to have been assigned as a secretary."

"Didn't you say you were transferring to the military?"

"I was. I wanted something more exciting than desk duty. However..." She trails off and lets out a sigh and looks out the window lost in thought.

"Gamma?"

She looks over from the window to him.

"I guess I got what I wished for."

"Hmm?"

She puts down her shake.

"My life you see, was rather boring. When I wasn't working desk duty, I was living at my apartment. I didn't have a television and we didn't have access to the ethernet. So most of my information came from books or talking to other cryborgs and humans at the factory."

Rye's burger is done at this point and he starts on his fries. He starts talking with his mouth full and open.

"Ryanov Gristoz, chew with your mouth closed, that is disgusting!"

"Hmmamphamph?"

She shoots him a look and crosses her arms as she looks down at the table slightly with her eyes closed; deep in thought.

"There were always rumors; Retrofits, transfers, becoming redundant and replaced, stuff like that. Most of the time we dismissed them, most people would - cryborgs are rated for two-hundred years after all. It's not like we would be replaced at our job anytime soon. We could always be trained in for something new. However, I always had my doubts. Many of us felt we were only told things on a need to know basis. That meant individuals like me, were left in the dark as to what happened. So, if there was anything of concern, I usually heard it as a rumor."

"Did one of those rumors involve a wrecked ship?

She lets out a huff of air from her nose at a slight smile at that. "I'll get to that." She looks over at his shake, which he hasn't much. "I mostly kept to myself. The last thing I wanted to do was cause trouble. Causing trouble was specifically what got a person transferred, so I behaved myself, did my job and didn't question the corporation."

"And those who were transferrd?"

By now Rye's food is done. She hadn't payed much attention to it before, but she now realized he is paying more attention to her.

"I never saw them again. There were rumors about being transferred to another facility, but that is all they were. For behaving myself, I got transferred to a desk job in the same factory I was built in; I think I was there for like... three years."

She trails off again staring down at her plate.

"You said you were built, can you describe how that works and how long ago?"

She appears to be off in space, staring out the window again.

"Hmm?"

"How long ago were you built, and how did they make you? More importantly, what factory or corporation built you?"

"Oh, that. I was built about ten years ago, at least my chassis was. It was mass produced like so many others, hundreds of thousands I believe. It was kept in a warehouse for about a year, until an order for a special line, GMA-X02 came in. My 'chassis' and so many others like it, were shipped to a biolab. My understanding is they took my skeleton and put it inside a giant plexiglass tube and filled it with a nutrional bath composed of fatty liquids, petroleum byproduct, metal shavings and many nanites. My body was built and grown from the inside out starting with the skeleton. When the process is finished, there is nothing left in the tube. The whole process is very delicate and takes about two or three years. That is at least as much as they told me, I've never seen the process myself."

"That would almost be like watching your fast food get butchered and cooked in front of you."

Gamma looks down at her finished plate and then to her shake, but she doesn't reach for it.

"Thanks alot Rye."

"Don't mention it Nija!"

He gives a cheerful smirk at her, but quickly hides it when she shoots him a look.

"Do continue though."

"I was built to be around twenty-six to twenty-eight; I believe the official record lists my age as twenty-eight. After I was built, I was deemed to be surplus, so never saw any military or industrial application"

"Actually," His arm comes off of the armrest and he stands straight up leaning forward, "What corporation built you?"

"Several, unfortunately...", She gives him a melancholic smile, "I wasn't authorized to know about that kind of stuff, being a secretary and all. What I do know is my branding is CASSIUS and my construction was contracted out by my employer Atlas Arms."

Rye looks up towards the ceiling, in thought for a minute.

"Isn't that the corporation that has been slapped with heavy fines for corporate espionage?"

"You could say that."

"I thought I heard something else about illegal mining on asteroids or something."

Gamma gives him another melancholic smile, "There were rumors going around about a mass transfer and workers getting laid off. I was given a choice, be dismantled or join the military. It was pretty obvious what I wanted. Five years of military status would have granted me citizen ship, I would no longer be property. However, there was a raid the same day I was being transferred. The ship I was on was supposed to hold several thousand. However, there was only about two hundred or so of us. We took off just as the military and government got to the factory. The ship I was on was fired upon once we left the upper atmosphere. I think they tried to board us; we were put on red alert with intruders aboard. However, we hit the lower atmosphere of the planet. You know the rest."

"Not a good way to go."

"No. So if you don't mind in the future Ryanov, I'd like not to discuss this again."

"Fair enough. However, I was also curious. You said you didn't do much in your free time. How do you know what you know? Did you have memories grown while you were built?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

She shakes her head, her hands now down in her lap again.

"No. I went to a school in the facility for about three years. Learning about basic life skills, some information about the Haydurian culture and government, stuff about Eva. Stuff like that. I didn't have access to a television or the ethernet, so I spent most of my time reading books or listening to the radio."

"Ah."

"Also Rye, we weren't allowed to have relationships; I'm looking for a boyfriend."

Rye's eyes widen and his eyebrows jump slightly before both turn to normal.

"Keep looking Gamma."

"Then why do you help me before you even know me?"

"Considering my bad history with women in the past, I felt it was the right thing to do."

"Reconciling from past relationships? You're terrible Rye!"

Rye shrugs, "So it goes. It's also getting late."

He points down to his watch. She ignores it and looks out the window; it has gotten dark without her noticing it. It was day when they had arrived. She looks up at the clock above the kitchen and then to Rye and gives a nod.

"However, I would like to know more about you Ryanov."

"We can do that some other time. We need to get back home."

She frowns, looks at the clock again, and then to him.

"Agreed."

Rye eyes her shake once, which was unfinished. Gamma shoots him a dirty look and his eyes avert it and he grabs the bill. He pays it to the waitress on duty at the kitchen and the both of them leave the diner.

---

Early Evening...

Rye is still watching television when he hears the door open. She walks in and stops when she sees Rye look up at her. Her body trembles with happiness and excitement.

"Rye!"

He stands to his feet.

"Gamma, why did you leave without me?"

She ignores his question and rushes up and hugs him. Rye's elbows and wrists shoot up from her and her head burried into his left shoulder. She finally looks up.

"I have citizen status!"

Rye pulls his body away from her as he uses his hand to shove her away from him.

"Gamma, don't do that again."

"What, hugging you?"

"That too! I mean leaving without me! You don't know your way around the island. What would have happened if you got lost, identified by the police or worse?"

He arms cross as she squints her eyes at him. She turns around in a huff and walks to the still open door to close it.

She turns around glaring at him and holds her finger up into the air.

"First off, Ryanov..." She uses her feet to pull off her boots and leave them next to the door. She again holds her finger up in the air again and shakes it at him once. "...my name on the registration is Nija Yifona. You can start calling me by my name."

His hands go down to his sides and he shrugs his shoulders as he tosses his arms up.

"You're the one that wanted me to call you Gamma!"

She leans forward from her position and puts her hands on her hips. She gives him a defiant look.

"My situation has changed."

Rye leans back on the couch with his eyes closed in disbelief. He turns away from her and goes back to watching the television.

"Ryanov Gristoz, don't you dare turn away from me when I'm talking to you!"

"I see you've picked up quite a bit of attitude from watching the television. You also seem to have developed a mind of your own."

Her arms stretch to her sides slightly and her wrists and hands tighten up into fists. She starts shaking from her anger.

"You know what?!"

She's now standing between him and the television. Rye looks up at her unimpressed. He finally raises his voice at her.

"NO! you don't know what. You walk around in public like that and they'll lock you up thinking you're crazy or psychotic or something. Worse, once they identify you as a robot they're going to start asking questions!"

"I'm not a robot!"

"I told you those soap operas were bad for you. Look what it's done to you."

She starts shaking again.

"EXCUSE ME!"

Both of them turn their heads over to James, whom has been standing there for most of the incursion.

"James?"

Rye was the first to say something at him, quit quizzical. It wasn't common for James to appear of his own free will unless he had been given permission.

"If the two of you keep fighting, the neighbors are going to call the landlord or the police."

Rye looks away from James and up and over to Gamma. She looks down at him, blinking several times, but says nothing. Rye puts his hand out for a handshake.

"And what is this for?" She looks down at his hand.

"He's right Gam... a... Nija."

"Oh."

She glances down at Rye's hand and then at James. James's hands switch from being crossed to supporting his chin with his left hand and his left elbow with his right hand.

"I should intervene more often!"

Rye snaps him a dirty look, "Like hell you will."

Rye motions his hand at James to leave him and Gamma alone. James gives a slight laugh and his program snaps from reality. Rye winces with disgust at his hologram's former location before he looks up at Gamma.

"Gamma, he's right. We can't be arguing. Have a seat, we have some things we need to discuss."

He pats the couch, motioning for her to sit. She purses her lips and chin and shakes her head slightly.

"No, not here. Let's go out to dinner instead."

Rye's head snaps in disbelief.

"Wha?"

"Food always makes things a bad situation better. I'll pick the location."

She cheers up as she turns away from him and heads to the door. Her head turns to the left to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Darling, you're buying."

Rye growns in anticipation of what was going to transpire this evening. Once again, he had lost to the double team that was Gamma and James.

She already has her shoes on when he finally stands up from the couch, turns the television off and approaches her.

"Gamma, we really shouldn't go to..."

"Dinner!"

Rye lets out a sigh as he approaches his shoes. He isn't looking forward to this.

---

Mid-afternoon...

Sometime in the afternoon Rye wakes up to sunlight hitting his face. At first he squints at the pain hitting him, but then his eyes open and his hand covers his face. Finally roused from sleep, he removes his hand and looks up. He doesn't hear anything in the living room and removes himself from the bed.

"Odd."

He mutters it to himself while approaching the door.

"Gamma?"

He doesn't hear anything.

"Gamma, about earlier..."

In the living room he looks around and sees noone is there.

He slowly approaches the couch and sees Gamma's white coat is there. He looks up towards the kitchen and sees the fast food from earlier is gone. He scratches the back of his head.

"Where did... James!"

James appears next to him.

"Yessir!"

"Where did Gamma go?!"

James looks up at his impatient master.

"She said she was going out to get registered as K-Class."

"Shit!"

"Sir?

"James, did she say specifically where she was going?"

"No, she did not, sir. However, she left some instructions for you."

Rye was already on his way to the door when he stops and faces James again.

"What exactly were those instructions?"

James's body fades slightly as his voice changes to Gamma's.

"Darling, this is something I must do for myself. I'll see you tonight at dinner."

Rye's head cocks to the side after hearing 'dinner'.

"Disgusting!"

"Sir, perhaps you should give her a..."

Rye's head bolts towards James with a sharp scowl. James jolts and then freezes and his program fades completely.

Rye crashes down onto the couch and throws his arm up on the back rest.

"I swear that woman is more trouble than she is worth."

He lets out a sigh and turns on the television with nothing better to do.

---

Sometime after noon...

The doorknob to Rye's apartment makes several turns and the sound of his keys jiggle as he attempts several keys before it finally turns and the door opens. He has the registration paper for K-class androids in hand.

"Gamma, I went and did some research on androids and registration for your citizen ship; I also brought back lunch and I..."

Rye stops dead in the doorway at the sight looking back at him. Gamma's eyes are red and her makeup shows signs of running. There is also a large pile of toilet paper on the couch.

"Gamma, wh..."

Gamma bursts out into tears and pulls more toilet paper from the roll in her left hand and blows her nose. She makes an attempt to speak, and then breaks down bauling. The tears don't stop. Rye walks into the apartment and uses his left foot to slowly shove the door behind him shut.

"Gamma, what happened?"

She dries her eyes with the toilet paper and makes an attempt to speak; she stammers and lets out a whimper. Rye is now next to the couch with his hands on his hips, growing tired of this little game. He looks down at her and gets a good look at her face. If she has been crying, it has been for awhile, her makeup looks terrible. Gamma looks up at Rye and opens her mouth again to say something, but the tears come again. She finally loses it and bends her body forward to rest her hands over her eyes. Rye notices the remote next to her on the couch and his eyes wander to the television.

"Oh god. Gamma, how can watch that shit? James, is this your doing?"

James appears next to him.

"Yessir, what can I help you with?"

Rye motions his head over at Gamma and then points sternly at the television. James's eyes move over to it and he jolts.

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear!"

Rye's arms cross and his eyebrows raise.

"It's the truth! She switched through the stations and settled on that one."

James points to the television. Rye looks over at it in disgust. Gamma looks up with tears streaming down her face and her lip quivering.

"Really Gamma, why in the world? Romance dramas? I would have expected better from you."

Gamma lets out another whimper as her lip quiver. Rye shakes his head and grabs for the remote. Gamma looks up from her position and gives out a poutting sigh the remote and turns the television off. Gamma's body involuntarily spits out an oddly mixed combination of pouting anger and sigh of frustration.

"Rye, I want to finish that!"

"Like hell you are. That shit's going to rot your brain. Although I can't help but wonder..."

Gamma looks up at him again and her lips starts quivering again.

"...if your brain isn't already rotten."

She breaks out crying again.

"Whatever Gamma.", he walks over to the kitchen with a small paper bag in his hands, "When you are ready to join the rest of us back in the real world, I brought back lunch from a fast food place."

Gamma attempts to hold back her tears as she nods. She looks away towards James for support. James looks quickly looks over at Rye whom shakes his head; James disappears from his current spot and appears next to Gamma holding up more tissue for her. Rye shoots them both a stern look of disapproval. James looks up once again at Rye and then focuses his full attention on Gamma, patting her on the shoulder and giving her such approvals as, "It will be alright." and "Martha shouldn't have cheated on Gustav."

Rye sits there on a bar stool at the counter as he reaches for the burger he orderd from the fast food place. A frown of disgust does not leave his face as he stares off into space. All the while he managed to Like a statue with moving arms, he stares straight forward with that frown and does not let up. By the time his meal was done, his position hadn't changed; nor had his disposition. Gamma's crying continues. Rye's head lowers into his shoulders as he subconsiously grits his teeth. His eyes squint as he reaches for the food wrapper in front of him, crumbles it into a ball and then chucks it into the garbage behind him. It misses. He does the same with the drink and it makes the unmistakable sound of landing in the garbage.

Rye's elbows come up onto the kitchen counter and his forehead rests on both of his hands in a fist. He doesn't sit in that position long. James notices Gamma looking up and over his shoulder; his head turns to his right side and he sees Rye looming behind him. James jolts real quick and his program snaps off. The toilet paper he was holding drops to the couch. Gamma sits there looking up at him with her head trembling. Rye says nothing and holds the fast food bag in his fist in front of her. Her breathing is erratic and trembling so he drops it on the couch next to her.

"I also got your K-class registration after I left the library."

Gamma's lips purse together and she nods.

She reaches up with a trembling hand to grab it. She is about to scan it over once, but she lets it and her hand wrest in her lap while she looks back up at Rye.

"Rye, promise me you won't ever cheat on my like Martha did to Gustav!"

Rye raises his hands slightly, cocks his head to one side and squints the right side of his his face together in disbelief as he shakes his head. He looks her square in the eye. She bits her lips together with her jaw forward as she starts nodding in approval at him.

"Gustav is a really good person! He really meant well for her Rye!"

Rye throws his hands up in frustration and ejects for the bedroom.

"Rye!"

Rye jolts around.

"...and James isn't allowed to watch that shopping network either."

James appears right next to him.

"But boss! It was a wonderful whale figurine!"

Rye's head cocks over in disbelief at a table next to the main living room window. Gamma's head slowly follows his gaze. There on the table is a small whale sculpture with its tail and head arched up in the air with water shooting straight up out of its blowhole.

"You're taste is impeccable James."

Gamma said it nodding to James, ignoring Rye. Rye shifts his head up and to the left of his left shoulder; disbelief again adorns his face as he throws his hands up. He points at James.

"You owe me two hundred credits James."

His head cocks over to Gamma, whom turns the television on again. She starts whimpering some more at the sight of Martha and Gustav. Rye throws his hands up in the air.

"You both are beyond hope and redemption. Gamma, I hope your eyes dry up in your sockets."

He huffs off to the bedroom, Gamma simply ignores him.

---

Once again, Rye finds himself at the nearby subway terminal and in a rather unremarkable subway car; the ride to his destination included. For this specific trip, Rye has chosen the largest library on the island; also conveniently attached to the island's largest data center. It is here that he hopes to get his answer on Gamma, as well as the nature surrounding Cryborgs. The other task to perform later in the day, was to get her registration for K-Class status.

Somewhere between here and his destination, Rye's boredom finally gets the better of him and his head falls backwards slowly as he dozes off. The minute it hits the window his eyes open and he feels pain in the back of his head. Rubbing it softly, he makes a note to stand. On his feet, he notices anyone that had been in the car was now absent. He figures they must have left for work. This however, is also the reason he chose this specific time; most people on the island would be heading for work and most extra-cirricular activities, including facilities, would be free for the duration of the day; save for a few eccentrics or night owls, such as himself; that would be out and about.

Roughly thirty minutes of train time, and the train cars finally come to a slow halt and the doors open. Rye's phone is out as he exits the terminal, attempting to find the main library. Roughly eight or nine blocks of trouble free and traffic free walking and he finds his destination. The building is large, very large. But not nearly as large as the data center looming in the distance. Rye also knows that the data center seen above ground was only a quarter of it; the rest was buried beneath ground to protect it from potential tsunamis and large wave walls which are known to hit the area from time to time.

Once inside, Rye finds himself checking and validating his registration with one of the assistants. Rye looks up at her once and notices she is an android. He mamkes a note not to say anything to her so as not to give away his position and reason for being there. Once validated, Rye heads to one of the computer terminals, takes a seat and begins plugging away. While he could normally do this on his phone, it was too slow and cumbersome for such a project. Rye's firm belief in not owning a computer, also meant that he could travel out and about, see different areas of the island, and speak with people if necessary; rather than being couped inside all day. The thought of Gamma in the same predicament with only a hologram and television to entertain her, crosses his mind. He gives a slightly nervous laugh and continues his work.

Roughly speaking, most of what Rye reads on the matter is what he already knows. Robots are classified as anything mechanical that can move based on some kind of programming. The low end can be as simple as robotic arms in factories, to drones that patrol the skies at night. Higher end robotics include multi-million dollar tanks that can think for themselves, to sentient robots that help humans. Of amusement to Rye is the mention of some robots also coming in the form of pets or bizarre creations similar to pets and humans. Of note, is the entry on Androids; robots made specifically to mimic and emulate humans, if not to have the same emotions and live with the same human conditions and sentients humans are born with. Androids depending on their sentience level, have different rights than humans. Lower end models can be as simple as store clerks and are nothing more than property; they have little power to think and do things for themselves, save for the task at hand and what they are programmed for. Higher end models think, feel and make their own decisions. Registration for lower end androids is a moot point; they are seen as property and are registered in their owner or company's name. Higher end androids can either be registered as property or as a single entity that has the same rights and privileges as a human. Of note is the fact that fully sentient androids are rarely registered as property due to the moral ethics involved.

K-Class androids specifically are seen as sentient and fully autonomous with the same rights and privileges as a normal human being. Such things as owning property, owning and driving a vehicle, etc; are all in the realm of possibility providing they have the proper licensing and permits as applicable. K-Class androids are the only class of android allowed to work; their job types are limited due simple duties such as secretary, cleaning, attendant; etc, due to the rules and regulations on Milford Island. Off island, and in most countries and continents on planet Eva, K-Class androids have many of, if not the same job opportunities as humans. In some countries this registration is not acknowledged and they are considered outlawed. Initial K-Class registration is roughly fifteen hundred for the initial registration, and costs two hundred annually for renewal. Rye cringes, and hard. Gamma is not cheap to own.

He stops and looks up from what he just thought. He doesn't own Gamma.

"...or maybe I technically do own her as far as the law is concerned......at least until she is registered..."

He dismisses the thought and gets back to work on his research.

The information he needs specifically, is similar to what he had found on his phone the day before. K-Class androids have a secondary registration for machines that are latter augmented with synthetic organs such as skin, hair, etc. They are considered to be cybernetic androids and receive an endorsement as such on their ID and a note is made about it in their registration. They receive the same classification as K-Class androids and have the same rights and privileges. Cyborgs, those individuals that receive a multitude of cybernetic enhancements or replacement body parts, synthetic, biological, hybrid or otherwise, are ineligible for K-Class registration.

Rye stops and looks up from the computer monitor again. People have actually made the attempt to register themselves as machines for some reason. He contemplates it for a second and continues his work.

Also mentioned, regardless of the event that may leave a human with more than fifty percent of their body replaced with cybernetics and mechanical parts; the law still sees them as human in most areas and they are ineligible for K-Class registration. However, upon key body parts being augmented or enhanced, they are no longer just seen as human, but also as cyborgs and in many countries must carry the identification as such on an ID card and it must be noted in a registration file. The act of cybernetic augmentation is illegal in some countries and frowned upon in yet others. However, due to multi-nation mandate, anyone augmented outside of said countries can enter and depart legally of their own free will with the proper passport. In a word, cyborgs and cybernetically enhanced individuals have the same rights and privileges as unaugmented humans. However, they may enjoy additional privileges and rights depending on what they are equipped with; this same system also applies to K-Class androids.

Rye starts to get bored with the information and the info dumping. Specifically though, he is now looking for the part about Cryborgs. He has to dig for a few minutes, and finally finds it after seven minutes. This was of special note.

Cryborgs are complicated. They are the machine equivalent of a cyborg, their bodies are mechanical and they are augmented with human organs - both synthetic and biological. Their bodies can exist as extremes between biological and mechanical, but it is more common to see in the area of twenty-five to seventy-five percent mechanical or augmentation. Their bodies are often equipped with unregulated and illegal modifications, many of which are found on the open market. Their bodies are often designed as modular and an readily accept, without rejection; the body parts of humans and cyborgs, again, often found on the black market. Cryborgs were originally created to survive in environents such as space and underwater without any breathing apparatus; they can essentially go where a normal human cannot. Their name is derived from "Cryonic Cyborg" or "Cryonic Cybernetic Organism" due to the fact their bodies, or portions thereof, despite being flesh and organ augmented, can be shutdown for extended periods of time, either through hybernation, or through a low power sleep while they are still functioning, awake and moving in their day to day lives. Due to the fact they are literally machines upgraded into living organisms, they have been outlawed on planet Eva by a multi-nation agreement. If found, they are detained and disposed of.

Rye's left eye narrows at that last bit.

Cryborgs are not regulated offworld; and that is often where they are built and then smuggled to planet Eva. Once smuggled in, they are often registered as, and made to pass as cyborgs or humans. They are most often built for military or work application; rarely for science. In rare instances, Cryborgs are augmented as living weapons with hidden programming that is deployed at the appropriate time. Another reason cryborg production is banned is the artificial diseases and viruses that affect them. They tend to be highly contagious and have been known to mutate and cross the synthetic barrier and affect humans and other biological organisms. The most contagious and fatal disease of Cryborgs is 'Krystal Ann's' disease. Named for the android scientist that discovered the disease; it slowly hijacks the nanites that make up their body and causes them to stop repairing and replicating themselves; they eventually go dormant and achieve the equivalent of cell death in living organisms. Nanites in Cryborgs are another reason they are outlawed. They can be hijacked and reprogrammed to act as a bomb.

Rye's rubs his forehead. His good intentions be damned, Gamma is starting to look like she is more trouble than she is worth. He continues to scroll through the list of information, most of it listing the detrimental side of Cryborgs being built with nanites. Of note is nanites are rated at about two hundred years before needing to be replaced. Due to the expenses required in replacing nanites on a living organism, Cryborgs are often in a situation where they are left to achieve nanite death, and in turn they themselves die. Further reading leaves Rye with his conclusion; Cryborgs are ineligible for K-Class status anywhere on planet Eva. As it is, many governments of the planet are attempting to get them outlawed throughout the entire star system of Salmira.

More reading that lasts closer to noon, and Rye finds the information he needs on acquiring registration for K-Class androids. He has the computer terminal print out a copy of the standard registration sheet, pays the android assistant at the front desk for the computer usage and printout; and then heads for the subway.

----

The next morning, early...

"Master, please wake up."

The hologram stands just outside the bedroom door. There is no response. He tries knocking. Still no response. His arms cross as he debates what to do. His program dissipates and he reappears in the bedroom.

"Master, it is eight o'clock. You requested that I wake you at this time."

Still no response. He debates to himself for a second, and then crosses that line.

"Master, please wake up!"

"Huh?!"

Rye's eyes open in an instant; his head shifts from the ceiling to the door and then the source of the noise at the foot of the bed. He lets out a sigh.

"Thank you."

James bows his head and disappears. Rye doesn't move much at first, rather shifting his head back to the ceiling and running through the errands he needs to complete today. He finally looks over at the alarm clock and rights himself upright and finally out of bed. Out in the living area, he sees Gamma is still asleep on the couch. At the foot of the couch, he notices something odd.

"She can breath?"

He minds his manners, and rather than waking her up to ask, he heads for the kitchen. Cereal and yogurt, the breakfast of former oil rig security workers everywhere. Once breakfast containers are properly in the sink or the needed receptacle, he walks to the door and grabs his boots. While working the last one on, he looks up at Gamma still asleep on the couch.

"James."

James appears before him.

"Yes master?"

"If Gamma gets bored being couped up all day, introduce her to the television. It should keep her occupied for awhile."

"Yes sir."

"And James..."

"Yes sir?"

"Good luck."

Rye gives him a sarcastic and cheerful smile as he finishes tieing his boot. The hologram's shoulders slacken a bit as Rye stands up and walks out the door without saying anything. The hologram is left to stare at the door and process what just happened. He looks over once at Gamma and disappears.

---

Well into the evening, the two of them finally arrive home. Gamma shows signs of fatigue and exhaustion from running around all day. Rye eyes her up and down once, but opts to keep his comments to himself. His key goes into the door and Gamma lets out a combination of a sigh and a yawn.

"Rye, I'm happy to be home."

"I'm sure you are."

He turns the knob of the door and opens it slowly.

"Hello Master, welcome home."

"James, set my alarm for about eight tomorrow morning."

"Will do sir."

The hologram dims slightly. The lights also flick on, but slightly dim; more of James' handywork.

"Master, do you have anything else on the agenda for tomorrow?"

"Let the library know I will be in tomorrow morning, early; around nine. Let then know I would like a computer."

"Yessir. Request sent. ... ... ... Request acknowledged by remote computer. ... ... ... Your visit has been confirmed. They have several computers open and several holographic assistants. Would you like to reserve one?"

"No, I'll worry about that then. That will be all James."

James gives a bow and disappears.

"You really like him, don't you?"

"James is what you might call a big help for handling information and things remotely."

"I see. So what now?"

"Now, I am going to bed. I suggest you do the same."

"Will do."

"Also...", Rye trails off a bit, knowing it is going to become more difficult from here on out.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow I'm going to the library to read up on cyborgs and cybernetics."

They are both by the couch now; Gamma is already sitting down, while Rye still stands. She looks up at him.

"Because of me right?"

"Something like that. I need to know how to get you registered as a k-class angroid. More importantly, if I am lucky, the subject matter of cryborgs will come up."

"You know Rye, I can answer most of that."

"I'm sure you can Gamma. But I need to know about Cryborgs as they pertain to Eva, not Hayduria."

"Oh."

"I would like it if you would stay here tomorrow."

She looks his eyes back and forth twice, once suspicious, then guilty.

"Why?"

"I don't think the government on this island knows about you yet. I'd like to keep it that way.

"Oh."

"Please stay here Gamma; I mean it."

Gamma says nothing.

"Gamma, right now the only thing they have to connect us is that we met at the oil rig and had a brief conversation in a hospital room."

Gamma head turns away from Rye; she looks straight into nothing at the kitchen and then to the ground.

"Gamma. This is serious. I think I mentioned it before, but Cryborgs are outlawed. At least from what I remember, it was most of the planet. The main government here is run by Milford Bio; there may be an exception or some loop-hole we can use. Until then we have to play it safe."

She jerks her head up at him again.

"Rye, I'm not stupid, robots and androids are all over the island."

"I'm well aware of that Gamma. But look at it this way; noone is going to bat an eye at a robot with his master or a a service android out with a man. The minute I am in a government controlled library, accessing information about Cryborgs, and I have a robot with me; it is going to look suspicious if they do back tracking based on our encounter at the oil rig, events at the hospital, and then our phone conversations last week. Do you understand?"

"Yes Rye. I understand."

"Good. I hope you understand I have your best interests in mind. Now I need to get some sleep. I suggest you do the same, or whatever it is Cryborgs do."

Gamma says nothing as Rye heads to the bedroom. It is going to be a long night as far as she is concerned. The last thing she hears is a lightswitch flick and the bedroom door close. The living room lights dim, with the only light being dimly lit objects illuminated by street lights just outside the main apartment window.