But for the Future.

[crysede]

Leah Campbell:
"Take your hands off me!" Leah snapped, in irritation. "You want to know what my fucking problem is? My fucking problem, Steven, is that I wasted six fucking years of my life with a self- indulgent immature selfish bastard, and now I have to work with the S.O.B.! And after what you pulled yesterday," she mimicked his voice scornfully, "‘Oh, well I think a slight alteration in the biofeedback sensitivity should fix the problem' Like that wasn't obvious! But oh no, you had to point it to everyone so you could take credit for my new designs you prick! And now you've got the fucking nerve to..."

She paused, taking a deep breath "You know what? Fuck this Steve, I've had it with trying to talk to you." Pulling roughly away from him, she strode purposefully into the cafe.

 

[Guest]

Nicole

The next morning, Nicole readied herself for work. Today, she had a lot of replicant moving to do. Two of her top secret recruits were to be infiltrated into the midwest.

Once she was at work, a co-worker stopped her and asked her about her "date". The co-worker didn't know the specifics of Nicole's position, an underling she was, and Nicole wasn't willing to divulge any information.

"You heard about my 'date'?" Nicole retorted to her with disgust. "I just don't understand this bizarre curiosity."

That was enough to quell the woman's questions, though not her curiosity. But that was all Nicole was interested in, and now she could go about her work in peace.

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

Letting her go, Steven called out. "If you thought the last six years were bad... Just... You... Wait..." He gritted his teeth and turned to walk the other way, taking the elevator back up to his office. There he waited for the appointment with a new applicant.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

She exited the elevator and presented herself to the receptionist.

"Good morning. My name is Aileen O'Shaughnessy. I have an appointment with Steven Polanski."

The woman greeted her warmly and asked her to have a seat, that Mr. Polanski would be right with her.

She seated herself in the nearest chair, the slit in her skirt revealing her curvaceous legs as it rose up the center front of her thigh. She allowed herself the glow that accompanied the appreciative stares of the men walking past and smiled at them teasingly. Those feelings were what made her feel most human and she luxuriated in them.

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

Slumping back in his swivel chair, looking slightly dishevaled, Steven sighed. Leaning forward, he hit the com to his secretary. "Is Ms. O'Shaughnessy here yet?" "Yes sir" "Good, send her in." And with that, Steven slumped back and massaged his temples.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

The receptionist escorted her to Mr. Polanski's office and she strode through the door extending her hand to him.

"Good morning, Mr. Polanski. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

She gave him a once-over, the chemicals in her body effecting arousal which she chose not to dampen. His handshake thrilled her with electrical impulses and she smiled up at his handsome face. His return smile sent delicious shivers through her and she accepted the seat he proferred.

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

"Hello Ms. O'Shaughnessy." He did something of a double take as he looked up at her, then looked down at the paper work she'd had faxed to him. "Ah, you are looking for a position as a replicant engineer?" Steven asked as he lifted his head and scratched his forehead, trying to steel his eyes away from her clevage, focusing on her eyes tightly to do so. "What sort of prior experience have you had in this feild?" He asked as he grabbed a pen and started to click it rapidly.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

She considered how to answer the question and decided to trust the information she'd been given.

"Mr. Polanski, my experience is completely firsthand."

She went on, noting his puzzled expression.

"I am taking a huge risk here, but I have information that leads me to believe, I hope rightly, that you are a replicant sympathizer."

She quelled the look of panic on his face by projecting her holographic image as Lexi Huntington along with the headlines of the Mayor's ousting. She zoomed the face and placed it beside her and waited breathlessly for his reaction.

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

Shifting back in his seat, momentarilly stunned by what Ms.O'Shaughnessy... Lexi Huntington had just shown him. "Oh my dear lord..." He breathed. He looked about slightly nervous. "Thank god the blinds were down..." He thought. "Wha... What do you want with me?" Steven asked hesitently.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

She blanked the projection and rose, beginning to pace the room.

"Well, I really would appreciate a job. I'm used to living as a human and enjoy it very much. You have to earn credits to accomplish that."

She turned and watched him, trying to read his expression.

"My sources tell me you're trustworthy, that you believe in replicants as a new species, that our sentience is real."

She drew her fingers through her hair, her busom rising and falling as she grew more aggravated with her situation.

"I have a bounty hunter hot on my trail. I need help keeping from falling into his clutches. I'm hoping you can be that help."

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

"Well, being a replicant yourself, you'd be the perfect engineer..." Steven reasoned. "But... The threat of a bounty hunter is very real..." Steven felt horrible, she seemed so very distraught. "I... I can't turn you away..." He sighed. "But how can I put this entire company at risk?" He shook his head, feeling at a loss for what to do next.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

She began to tremble, her fear threatening to envelope her. She turned toward the window, altering the chemicals in her body to keep herself from crying. She lowered her head to her hands in despair.

As she calmed, she gazed out the window, fashioning her words carefully.

"I really was hoping you'd be able to tell me what to do. This guy that's chasing me is good, very good. I need to find a place to shield myself away from him till he loses interest."

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

Getting up, Steven walked over toward Lexi. "I said I can't turn you away, and I won't... That would just be wrong..." Steven settled a hand upon her shoulder, his reflection showing in the glass over her shoulder, he was smiling. "For better or worse, welcome to Replapet."

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

The hand on her shoulder warmed her deeply, the words also. She turned and was mere inches from him, his body radiating heat and...something else. She gazed into his eyes and felt, truly felt, an attraction that she could not deny.

She whispered to him, "Thank you," as she leaned toward him, her lips meeting his, warm, inviting, completely feminine, the chemically induced pheremones wafting over them.

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

Steven froze as Lexi kissed him. Something seemed all too familiar about it, his mind spun for a moment, and he didn't realize his sudden arousal until it pressed achingly within his pants. He pulled away, blushing as he looked down, raising the back of his hands to his lips. "Wow..." He muttered under his breath, taking a step toward his desk. "I'm sorry.... I'm, um... Seeing someone... Er... You understand don't you?" He found himself looking directly at the fullness of her breasts and flinched away. "He quickly wrote a note to Leah, explaining that Ms. O'Shaughnessy was to be introduced to the engineering crew asap. "H... Here... Take this to the office three doors down... Ms. Leah will see that you are brought up to speed on our newest projects." After that, Steven buzzed his secretary again. "Tess, can you please have Ms. Leah know that she has a new employee waiting for her to give the grand tour to..." Steven said, taking a somewhat perverse pleasure in the thought of cutting Leah's lunch hour short.

 

[crysede]

Leah Campbell:
Feeling the faint vibration of her pager, Leah set her coffee down with a sigh: reading the displayed message, a flash of anger crossed her face. A tour? Trust that bastard to arrange that just on her lunch break. And what the hell was this about a new employee for engineering anyway?! Leaving the coffee forgotten on the counter, she headed for her office. Entering, she found the new arrival awaiting her.

"No, no need to stand up, I'm afraid there's been some mistake: the engineering department is under my direct supervision and all hiring requires my co-authorization. Just let me see your paperwork and I'll know who you should be seeing." She said briskly, taking the proffered note from the confused woman's hands.

As she read a look of anger flashed across Leah's face for a second: looking back to her guest she smiled cooly, "Well, my mistake, apparently Mr. Polaski has seen fit to go above my head in this matter and secure board approval for appointing a new engineer himself. Well, I'm sure he knows best, no doubt he interviewed many candidates for the position and took the one with the most to offer the company." She added frostily, casting a pointed gaze at the woman's stunning figure: the jerk had just better hope his little plaything had brains to match the breasts, or she would personally see him bought down over this. "So, Ms. O'Shaugnessy is it? I'm Ms. Campbell, I oversee both the design and engineering departments. So I assume you have at least some familiarity with our product line?"

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaughnessy

She was a bit taken aback by the curtness of her new boss. There was something underlieing the activities between Mr. Polanski and Ms. Campbell.

"Yes, I know about your product line. In my opinion, the LX-240 series was your best hedge against competition. I never understood why it was pulled in favor of this newest one."

She watched the cool exterior of Leah, determined to gain her confidence.

"The one advantage I see in the new model is that it has the capability of gaining sentience if modified correctly. Have you considered that option?"

 

[crysede]

Leah Campbell:
She looked up Aileen in genuine surprise at her mention of the LX-240, "That was a very,... controversial decision." Something in her voice gave the impression that it was not a decision she had been entirely supportive of either, but she kept her comments carefully neutral.

"Yes, the possibility of sentience has been mentioned, but," a slight frown crossed her face, "our investors are uncomfortable with introducing that sort of intelligence into Fido2000 given the problems with human Replicants at present, so I wouldn't recommendbrining it up again." Leah gazed at Aileen calculatingly, as far as she was aware, only she had actually seen that potential and she had not told anyone about it: could Steven have actually stumbled upon someone competent in spite of himself? And would this woman keep her mouth shut about it?

"So, Ms. O'Shaughnessy, it seems you have some experience in bioengineering, perhaps you could look these proposed modifications over and give me your opinion on their feasibility." She handed the updated plans for Fido2000's biofeedback circuitry. It was clearly a test of Aileen's abilities, and Leah did not attempt to hide the fact behind false pretenses. She was aware from an earlier phone conversation with Seth, that there was at least one flaw the new design, the new wiring in one section presented the potential for an over heating problem.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaugnessy

She took the sheaf of papers from her new boss and glanced at them.

"I'd be happy to review them. Would a report in the morning be quickly enough? I really wasn't anticipating starting today as I still have to find an apartment. But I should be up to speed in the morning, assuming I can figure out where to park myself here at work."

She chuckled openly, effecting an embarrassed look. She needed to win approval from her new boss despite whatever difficulties were ongoing between she and Mr. Polanski.

"Miss Campbell, I'm a team player and hope to prove that to you. If you ever need someone for special projects, once you learn more about me, I'd appreciate the opportunity."

 

[poohlive]

Robert had slept in, the two flights had made him utterly exhausted. He would have slept longer if it hadn't been for the phone ringing.
"Yes."
"Sir, we have a bit of a problem. Seems like INS wants to talk to you."
INS?
He waited, as the phone call was transferred through.
"Listen, we have a slight irregularity in our system, and thought you might know something about it."
He shook his head, he really didn't need this, not right now.
"What is it?"
"Well, this morning, it seems there was a hack job done, but it was done very well. The person removed all trace of their existence in the hardware. We didn't even find out there was a problem until our daily bug check went through. We are the government after all, nothing gets by us."
He wanted to throw the phone out the window, and go back to sleep.
"Ok, so what does this have to do with me?"
"Well, the picture that was downloaded through the hack is right here, let me send it to you," he got the picture, a wonderful red heard, complete with freckles and everything.
It still had a remarkably similiar look to Lexi Huntington. He sighed, wondering if she actually thought she could pull it off.
"Ok, what name is she using now?"
"Umm, well, that's just the thing, we haven't been able to figure out much of anything. All we know is that's the picture that was downloaded into our databanks."
He grumbled, "Well, haven't you checked for recent downloads?"
"Of course, we went back two years, but absolutely nothing. She must have erased all trail."
He muttered a thank you, hanging up. She had switched her face once more. He should have known, that evening news must have frightened her into switching again. He didn't think she'd do it so early though, especially since he I.D.'s were still.
"Oh shit," he just realized why she was hacking into the INS to begin with. She must have a new name and new I.D.'s to go along with it.
Damn, she was good. She must have known he was following her for quite some time, to keep switching and changing like this. He had to give her credit.
Well, he wanted her to feel comfortable with her new identity, at least for a little bit anyway.
He'd keep this picture for himself, perhaps check out some other leads. Always time to get back to her later. He knew she'd slip up. Sooner or later, they all do.
He'd just be there to catch her.
Getting out of bed, he took a nice long shower.

 

[crysede]

Leah Campbell:
"Next morning will be fine, Ms. O'Shaughnessy." Grudgingly, Leah had to admit she rather liked the woman, despite the fact that Steven had essentially forced Aileen on her. She couldn't decided if she was pleased at finding a new employee with such potential, or annoyed at having no reason to object to Steven's hiring of her.

Just as the woman was leaving, Leah added: "And Ms. O'Shaughnessy, about that apartment, you may want to inquire at Pearlgate Towers, they have just opened a new section and I imagine there are still a few units available to rent. I just moved there myself a few months ago."

 

[Ravenloft]

Steven:

The rest of the day went slowly, to slowly for Steven, so in the middle he just up and left his office. He went down the ten floors to where he knew Nicole would be. He had a rather strange urge just to see her, something had been nagging in the back of his mind ever since Aileen had kissed him.

 

[LipstickKitten]

Aileen O'Shaughnessy

Aileen paused at the door at Leah's suggestion for an apartment.

"Pearlgate Towers? Thank you. Being so new to the city, I was hoping to get a good lead. I appreciate the suggestion."

She headed out, tucking the sheaf of papers into her briefcase. After filling out all the paperwork in Personnel and getting acquainted with her work space, she headed out and caught a taxi.

"Pearlgate Towers, please."

She arrived at the complex, already impressed by the glamour of the place. Having just gotten a new job with an impressive salary, she had no trouble acquiring an apartment high up in the newest section.

She turned the key and entered, unpacking her meager supply of clothing and hanging them up in the master bedroom closet.

She accessed her remote and ordered furniture and clothing, then foodstuffs faster than a human could blink an eye and was off the remote. No matter how sophisticated the unit was, she was wary about using it too much. She looked forward to the in-unit device she'd ordered for all rooms of her apartment. They were touted to be as secure as possible, which she fervently hoped was true. She so wanted to be as human as possible. Why no one could understand that, she hadn't a clue.

She went to the living room and sat down in the bay window, the sun warming her "skin." She began to work on the project Leah had assigned her. She mentally shook her head and altered her subroutines on names, programming it so she'd never call her boss her first name until she was given permission.

 

[poohlive]

He looked on the mote. Sighing, nothing of any interest on right now. After passing the new picture through the mote, he checked just about every mode of transportation capable of leaving Washington.
Airplanes, boats, car rentals, hell, even helicopter rides. All of them showed absolutely nothing. She was still in the state. She couldn't leave without showing her I.D. Unless of course she swam to Hawaii.
He furrowed his brow, could replicants swim to Hawaii?
No, no of course not. Could they?
Whoa, now that was a question to answer.
He scanned through things one more time, using both of her names, and all three of her recent pictures. This would take a while though, over an hour or more.
He called the company.
"I've got nothing, she hasn't been seen or heard from within the past twenty four hours."
There was a series of grunts from the other end, "You're running checks right now, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir, anything and everything capable of getting her out of this state."
"Damnit man, what about other things, check clothing stores, libraries, even apartment rentals. Get on top of things."
"Yes sir," he clicked the line dead.
What an idiot. A woman, on the run, going and renting an apartment. He shook his head, no wonder he was the repo man. The only one with any brains in the whole bunch.
No, no best to just stick with wings, wheels, and rutters. She'll want out of this state sooner or later.
He checked the mote once again, and then flipped on the trace indicator. Nothing. He didn't expect to find anything, but one could never tell. WIth any luck, she could be in the room right next to him.
... or halfway to Hawaii, swimming like mad.
He made a call to the company to beef up their affiliates on the western coast.
After that, he let the mote finish it's search.

 

[crysede]

Leah Campbell:
Once Aileen had left, Leah went to her meeting with Seth, dropping off another copy of the updates for him to examine, then returned to her office. She was still troubled my Aileen's mention of sentience: if the woman had been able to see the potential for it in the doctored plans that Leah had released publically, then there was do doubt that she would recognize that FIDO2000 would indeed be sentient, if she ever looked over the complete designs. Leah would just have to make sure that Ms. O'Shaughnessy never had reason to do so.

As an extra precaution, before heading home that evening, Leah removed the designs for FIDO from the departments files, and locked them in her office safe. Technically it would be possible for someone to piece together the whole file from the copies of various segments scattered throughout the labs and studios; but there was nothing that could be done about that, and, in any event, in was highly improbable that anyone would bother, since no one other than Leah herself actually needed access to the complete documents at this stage of engineering.