~ Cybotic Love ~
by Ri

This is dedicated to my Dad who taught me to love Science Fiction and to The great writers Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury for inventing Robotics and Brent Spiner for his lovely portrait of Data on Star Trek Next Generation. You all inspired me.

Cybotic Love
By Ri


Anna walked into her mentors Andrea's home to find it occupied by several Cybots. It appeared to be a class in human living. Anna found herself mesmerized by they're android teacher. A tall striking android with long raven hair and cool sky blue eyes. Those eyes suddenly locked onto Anna and she stopped in mid- speech. She smiled at Anna and politely asked, " May I help you, young lady?"

"My name is Anna Green, this is still Andrea Liaz's home, isn't it?"

Hilda smiled and nodded, "Yes, Andrea is an old friend of mine and she lets me teach here every semester. She should be here any minute, why don't you have a seat?"

"Thank you." Said Anna quietly as she took a seat in the back of the class and watched with fascination as the Cybot went on explaining everything in the home that made a human's life comfortable.

After the class was dismissed Anna enjoyed fielding questions from the curious class of Cybots. Anna felt the blue eyes on her but she knew it would embarrass the beautiful Cybot if she returned the gaze in front of her class.

* * * * * *

Hilda 123 was in the middle of teaching her class on "Humans and They're Lifestyle" to her fellow androids when the most beautiful human female she had ever seen entered the room. She was a petite 5'4 with shoulder length blonde hair and wide innocent sea green eyes.

After a polite exchange she found she just couldn't keep her eyes off the beautiful and friendly woman. She was fascinated by many things one was her beauty of course because as an android she is programmed to appreciate beauty. Her sweetness and kindness was intoxicating, but most of all it was her lack of fear of the Cybots that surrounded her. Other then her friend Andrea she had never seen this trait displayed by other humans before. Also there was a difference in her own reaction to this human then to her friend Andrea. This is what really confused her.

Hilda was relieved when she saw the owner of the home finally march through the door. Hilda captured her attention and immediately asked her; "Who is that girl, Andy?" Andrea looked over at Anna and smiled, "Oh? She is working as my research assistant this semester. She is majoring in Literature and minoring in Cyber Robotics. She wants to teach Literature to Cybots next semester. She's very bright...and sweet. Don't you think so, Old girl?"

Hilda nodded her head, "It is strange, Andy. I...I can't seem to stop staring at her. I mean...I uh....I see beautiful humans everyday so it can't be that. So why?"

"Why what?"

An elegant eyebrow rose on Hilda's face, "You know perfectly well what I'm asking, Andy."

"Well Hil I'd say you're attracted to her."

"Andy that's...Its impossible. It goes against my programming..."

"No, It isn't. It's always been a part of it. You know your father created you with the ability to love. He loved you. You loved him. Why not the ability to form a deeper kind of love? He'd would want that for you, you know?" Asked Andrea with sweet smile and a supportive hand on her friends shoulder.

"Yes, he would. I do know that. But how in the Galaxy do I handle this, Andy? I mean he's not here."

"But you are."

"I....can't." Hilda actually quaked at the thought.

* * * * * *

Anna was determined to get to her friend and the beautiful Cybot by her side. She had never in her life been so attracted to another sentient being as she was with the lovely Cybot with the hypnotic blue eyes. She was going to at least meet this beauty.

"Hi," She said casually to both women.

"Hey Anny, How are you?" "I'm fine you fink. Why didn't you tell me I'd be walking right into the Professor's class?" She smiled up at Hilda, which turned the android's insides to pure mush, "I'm really sorry, Ma'am."

"Hilda, please," replied Hilda returning the smile. "It was most definitely not your fault. Was it Andrea?"

Andrea had a wicked gleam in her eye as she said innocently, "I don't know what either of you mean. I do suppose introductions are in order, Hilda 123 this is my teaching assistant Anna Green. Anna Green this Professor Hilda 123. She is a Professor of Human Behavior." Anna and Hilda's eyes locked once more and it was as if time stood still. Anna managed to put her hand out to shake hands with the android. When their hands met Hilda thought she might of just short circuited. It was such a powerful electric current that flowed between them. It actually scared her. Hilda mumbled an apology and ran to join her class outside the front door.

"Did I say something wrong, Andy?"

"No, you did nothing wrong. Everything will be fine, Little one." Well time will tell, thought Andrea.

"Then why did she run like that?"

"It's a period of adjustment. I assure you Anny, she will be back."

* * * * * *

Anna had finished the tutorial she had given late and was just walking the short distance to Andrea's house instead of the long trek to her dormroom. Though this trip was short she had to go through a dark and scary block to get to the nice neighborhood Andrea lived in. On this block was a gang of Cyber-punks, as they called themselves, who broke their programming and had a private war with any and all humans.

As she silently crept across the street two Cyber-punks stopped her. "Oh Looky what we have here. A pretty little human female all alone."

"Excuse me," She muttered trying to get around the tall menacing android.

The mean red faced Cybot who called himself Leonard said, "I don't think so, Babe. I like having a little fun with Humans like you."

As Anna struggled to get free she heard a very familiar voice though she had only heard it once, "Hey Boys! Why don't you play with someone your own size.?" Anna's eyes looked up to see Hilda standing on a wall with her hands on her hips looking amused. The blue eyes met the scared green and they visibly softened to reassure the frightened human.

"Well if aint the Cybot professor! What the hell do you want? Are you going to try to teach us how to love these ingrates?"

"Nope, too late to teach you idiots anything." Hilda replied as she gracefully jumped off the tall wall and landed protectively in front of Anna.

"Leonard, she's incredibly strong..." "Are you afraid of a female?" He asked scoffing at his friend's fear.

"Her, you bet! I watched her demonstrate her skills on campus. I'm out of here. You're on your own." The short punk ran as fast as he could.

"Well it seems your all alone, little boy," taunted Hilda.

"No problem," He replied as he rushed her. She swept out of his way and then with a lightning fast hand movement to his neck he crumbled to the ground. "Well that's that." Hilda said as she brushed her hands together obviously through with the punk. Then she smiled at Anna sweetly thinking, God, she is so beautiful. She then gestured for Anna to start walking toward Andrea's.

"What did you do to him?"

"You know about sense points on humans?" Anna nodded, "Well the one I hit on a Cybot knocks them out for hours, it freezes their circuits. Don't worry he will be found, collected and reprogrammed to be a positive addition to our society." She said as she tried to gently reassure the young woman with a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Oh good, I don't want to be responsible for stopping his existence."

"You are not and would not be. I'm the one who fought him, you didn't."

"But Hilda, you did that to protect me."

"Yes."

"So I am responsible."

"No, I am. It was my decision, you weren't consulted. Do not take on the guilt of the galaxy, Little one. It is way too much of a burden."

Anna looked at Hilda with such understanding and love that the android felt like she would cease to function at any moment due to overload. "Only Andy calls me that. I really like it when you do too..."

"Thank you, I like it too. It suits you." They walked to Andrea's in silence for some time but Anna was a talker and she really needed the answers to two important questions.

"Hilda?"

"Hmm?" The android was deep with in her own mind. She was very confused. She taught human behavior to Cybots and here she was not understanding her own behavior at all.

"Would you mind answering a couple of questions?"

"Of course not." Answered Hilda with a bright smile. She was pretty sure the human would ask her the shy curious questions most humans did. They wanted to know about her creation and circuits. Hilda was always happy to supply answers to these questions. She felt it promoted understanding between Cybots and Humans. She was wrong and her face reflected the shock she felt after Anna asked her first question.

"What did I do to hurt your feelings?"

"What? Anna, you did nothing wrong. May I remind you I have no feelings." "Yeah right, I am Andrea's research assistant, remember? Your creator gave you feelings Hilda. He named you after his mother and loved you like a father. I know all about you. Andrea talks about you all the time. I really wanted to meet you, but not like that. Not walking in and interrupting your class like that. I think Andrea did that on purpose she told me to come at that exact time."

"Did she?" Hilda's eyebrows rose, "I wouldn't put it past her. Well since you told me all that, I'll return the favor by telling you that Andrea told me all about you too. Her kind, smart and talented research assistant. She also told me that she was most impressed by your lack of prejudice against androids or anything. I really wanted to meet you too, Little one." Hilda finished with a shy smile.

"I like it when you call me that a lot."

"Do you? Ok, I'll call you that from now on. Why did you think I was upset with you?"

"Well you have been avoiding me for three weeks," answered the smaller woman with a teasing accusing tone in her sweet voice.

"Oh, I have not."

"Three assemblies you sat on the other side of the lecture hall when you usually sit next to Andrea."

"I...Um...got there late..."

Green eyes narrowed and Anna waited.

Hilda laughed; it was a beautiful musical laugh that you could tell was created for the android with love. "Ok, ok. But you must understand, Little one, I'm a professor of Human Behavior to Cybots and I can't even understand what I'm feeling for you...well...It scares me."

"Why?"

"Because it goes against what I was taught." "Which was?"

"We are persistent, Little one, aren't we?" She asked the young woman with a sweet smile. "I was taught that love was contrary to my programming."

"Not according to Andrea..."

"Oh Shit! What did Andy say about that?"

"She said, "Hil is as capable of love as any other sentient being." You are sentient, aren't you?"

An ironic grin formed on Hilda's lips as they reached Andrea's doorway. She leaned against it and replied, "You know I am."

"How do you feel when your with me?"

There was several minutes of silence as Hilda studied her shoes and then a muttered, "Complete."

"Uh, Excuse me?" Asked Anna with a grin, She heard the word quite clearly.

Blue eyes met green twinkling ones and the cool blue visibly warmed for the human, "I feel complete. Is that clear enough, Little one?"

"Oh yeah, Cause I feel the same way, Tall and beautiful."

Hilda's eyebrows shot up into her bangs at both the description and the words of affection, "You do? Um, did you say beautiful?"

"Yes and very. What are you scared of Hil?"

"You getting hurt."

"But how can I get hurt?"

"Human's and Cybots together? I know we'll run into a lot of hate and prejudice." "So?"

"I don't want you to get hurt." Hilda repeated softly.

Anna slowly walked up to Hilda and put her arms around the tall android's neck, "I won't."

"But..." There was a tiny pull from small hands and then soft lips met Hilda's. She forgot her worries and sunk into the sensation of, Joy...yes Joy...Oh my. All thoughts stopped and she allowed herself to float in the sensation that Human's called bliss.

From the window Andrea watched with a huge smile on her face. "Got ya!"



The End


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