Three of Five, Ch. 51

[melo_annechen]

Chapter Fifty-one

Arsène kept a running commentary from the android wireless, until the shocking news of “925 is offline” was announced. Lupin could swear Sela made the car leap airborne as she accelerated. It still wasn’t fast enough to suit him. He was worried enough to not protest about her reckless driving when she swerved to miss the small smoking crater in the street that ran beside her building. Was that on the same side of the building as Charlotte‘s loft? He had no idea.

The only reason they were not the first ones on the scene was there had been others who had been closer. 2875, already on the property at his job, had ditched his bartender's apron to organize a group to search the premises in an inbound spiral, and had found and deactivated the squad that were to target Lupin as the car entered the garage. Lovelace had jumped out of the car at the corner and headed up to the roof on the fire escape, in an attempt to catch any stragglers.

Tw'eight and the others had somehow fallen into the habit of reporting to Sela for security issues, as they had contacted Arsène for scientific questions and Lovelace for scheduling. As such, the coordination of the thirty or so androids to secure the perimeter was taxing her system, but she managed. She had to.

The Mark II androids and their maker converged at the intern's door, which was covered by 2875. There was no answer to their first knock, as was expected, but Lupin had been hoping that Charlotte, or Natasha, whoever, would answer and invite them in to help clean up. Madblood regretted leaving the lab unarmed, as Sela and Arsène placed themselves in front of the group and Lovelace took him out of the direct line of fire from the door. Sela palmed the lock and pulsed the code, opening the door to survey the wreckage of what had been a rather comfortable space. Broken glass from the table, a dented and leaking fire extinguisher, a smoking taser, a machete dripping with a red, viscous fluid and the pieces of what had been 925 were littered about the main room of the loft. Tasha was curled up in a corner, shivering - she had not acknowledged their presence, or that anyone had entered the room.

Lupin surprised the silicates by the order of his delegation - “Sela, could you and Arsène please help 2875 organize a cleaning crew after the area is secured? I have to take care of - Natasha.” He picked his way across the floor, trying not to slip in the detritus. When he got to the far corner of the loft, he was gratified to find what he had been afraid was blood to be hydraulic fluid. He took off his jacket, and wrapped it around her shoulders, and began to clean her face of the hydraulic fluid and carbon smudges with his handkerchief. Her pupils were contracted to pinpoints, and her blink rate was very slow. “Charlotte - ah, Natasha - are you going to be all right?” Lupin slowly reached out to stroke a strand of her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I don't know what to say” he murmured. “There are a number of statements that come to mind, but they all start with ‘I want’. I am ashamed to say I haven't the first idea what you want, other than to die. I don't think I can help you there; selfish of me, I know. Anything else I can do I won't hesitate, anything -” He awkwardly put his arm around her shoulders, “All you have to do is tell me…”

The intern's eyes started tracking, and her pupils slowly dilated from the pinpoints. “S-sir? I'm sorry.”

“Whatever for, koishii?” Lupin murmured, and the tone, more than anything, was what probably broke the barrier.

Charlotte/Tasha shuddered into a smaller ball. “I-I tried to follow through with it-” She was breathing in gulps, apparently trying to gain control of the emotions that were threatening to break through. “B-but when he threat - threatened -” and she lost control, turning her face into his shoulder, shivering uncontrollably.

Lupin turned his head to find the androids had cleared the wreckage and cleaned the site of the battle. 8887 entered with another fire extinguisher, and momentarily looked as if he was contemplating beating Madblood about the head and shoulders with it until Sela took it from him and said, “It's not his fault, she's having a delayed stress reaction, don't worry.” She put the extinguisher in the rack in the kitchen, and got a large plastic tumbler from the cabinet. She filled the glass as she asked, “Anything else, sir?”

“Oh, right, hrm…” Lupin addressed the assembled androids - “2875, thank you for your assistance in the protection of my - friend.” Still not the right term, but he hadn’t asked her for even that, yet. “This may take a while; Lovelace, we will need to secure the rebellious ones, please see to it. If you would, 8887, help your sister and check for who will need repairs after this - incident. Sela, Arsène, would you please take the pieces of 925 -” here the intern choked back a sob, “back to the lab? I will call you if we need anything else. I don’t think -” How had she signed her name? Ah, yes - “Tasha - should be left alone, and I need to speak with her.”

2875 and 8887 paused as if they were about to argue, but Sela took over. “Of course, sir; and the other project?” she asked.

“Ah. Well, put that program on hold for the time being. This is going to take precedence.” Lupin turned back to the woman whose name was not familiar, but was the center of his worries now.

Arsène handed over the glass of water Sela had filled and another handkerchief, and said “Don’t let her get dehydrated, sir. We will await your call,” as he herded the rest of the silicates out the door and closed it behind them.

Tasha had calmed down, which was a good thing for Lupin’s emotional reaction - it had made him want to tear into the shards that were left of 925 for causing her current state, but that wouldn’t have helped her. Lupin used Arsène’s handkerchief to dry her face, before he realized he hadn’t been given permission to be this intimate. He paused, and then thought I’ll ask forgiveness later, and she can snap me like a twig if she takes offense. “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked as he gave her the glass.

She drank the water before she began. “I - don’t remember much. That’s what is the scary part, I haven't lost control in years - 925 was gloating about being able to -” she gulped, “to make you suffer as much as possible before you were - were killed, a-and I j-just kind of - blacked out.” She sniffed again. “The next thing I remember was -” she shivered again and Lupin repositioned himself to give her more support, when she suddenly stood. “Sir, why are you here?” Tasha seemed very unsure of herself, and scared.

He stood slowly, and awkwardly tried to lead her to a chair. “You were in a hazardous situation, due to your involvement with the lab.”

“I resigned; I had violated the ethical intent of the internship contract. You were no longer required to oversee my safety.” Tasha went to her desk, muttering, “You’re not armed, but I think I can get the taser working again, and if I boost it to house current, you won’t have to use the machete…”

“No, Ch- Natasha, stop,” Lupin took her tool kit out of her hands and said, “I’m not here to kill you.”

Tasha sat on the edge of her desk, and asked, “Then why are you here? I’m not your responsibility anymore.” She was trying to regain her mask of serene regard, and ruining it by sniffling.

Lupin allowed her to regain her composure by maintaining the business-like tone she was attempting to set. “Your resignation was not accepted by management, as it was issued during a time when you did not have access to all pertinent information. Further negotiations for retention of your talents for the lab are pending.”

Tasha sighed and hung her head, still drained from her earlier emotional storm. “I involved you in a psychological experiment without your knowledge or consent, and you still want me in the lab?”

“It is so difficult to find competent research personnel, and you fit so well with the current staff. I see no problems caused by your independent research, as it has not interfered with the lab projects, and your input over the last year has been invaluable.” Lupin was having trouble maintaining this line of conversation, as he wanted to ask her for more, and wasn’t sure how.

“I knew from the beginning you didn't want anyone in the lab, but I forced my way in. You were happy not having to deal with people, and I tried to show you another way. All I managed to do was mangle my ethics, involve my personal issues where they did not belong, lose my objectivity, and embarrass you with my unprofessional behavior. I'm trying to make amends, and I apparently can't even get that right.” She was now in classic engineer mode, and talking to her feet.

Lupin could not help but smile. “Ah, I see the problem, now. You have a coding error in some of the variables of the program, and that is skewing your results.” He stepped into the space between her feet, and lifted her chin until she looked him in the eye. “While I was reluctant to interact with organics, you did not force your way into the lab. You made me an offer, which I did consider refusing - I am glad now that I did not. Let the record show I am not embarrassed by your ‘unprofessional behavior’ as you call it. Quite the contrary - actually, I would prefer to, ah, encourage more of the same.” Lupin’s color was redder by the minute, even as he slid his hand along her jaw, allowing his fingertips to lightly brush the nape of her neck. “That is, if I haven't input some coding errors myself.”

Tasha was shaking, and her color matched Lupin's. “I - I don't think so. Do your results involve, erm, interpersonal physical contact?”

“Rather intensely, with a high frequency of repetition, continuing for the next several decades.” Lupin murmured.

“No errors detected, run program.” Tasha said as she wrapped herself around her professor.

>>>>

Alvin scanned the wall of Tasha's apartment - “Heat signatures indicate one - no, two - humanoids inside, three meters down the right wall.”

“Right,” Helen said as she readied the tangle field while Dave knelt at the door to pick the lock and Marilyn shouldered the plasma rifle.

“Um, Dad, wait, I don't think…” Alvin began as Dave unlocked and threw open the door. The three at the door were frozen by the sight that greeted them. From behind the group, Alvin said - “As I was about to say, I don't think they're fighting,” as he palmed his face.

Tasha pulled her handgun's line of fire away from the door, “Crap, doesn't anybody knock anymore?” She reached beyond Lupin’s head and tucked the Ruger back into the pocket at the end of the futon.

“Natasha Davida Davenport, what in the names of Watson and Crick do you think you are doing, young lady?”

Tasha propped her chin on her hands, with her elbows resting on either side of Lupin's head. “Mom, you're a biologist - I didn't think I would have to explain it to you.”

Dave had fallen back from the door, landing with a thump on his rear. “What are you doing with my daughter, Madblood?”

“Daddy, in case you haven’t noticed, I believe you have reversed the subject and the object in that construction,” Marilyn said as she reached in and grasped the doorknob. “We'll meet you at the restaurant downstairs,” she said before closing the door.

Lupin let out the breath he had been holding. “Well, that could have been worse…”

Tasha giggled. “Yeah, live fire would have really killed the mood.” She kissed the tip of his nose.

He chuckled, “and what did I say about protecting me at your expense?”

She touched her forehead to his, and responded “It was a marginal risk, and admit it - you enjoyed it once you figured out they weren’t going to shoot.” She stretched to illustrate her point, making Lupin growl. She murmured, “I’ll warn Madame to get the civs under cover.” She dismounted, then bounced off the couch and sorted through the discarded clothing for her cell phone, hitting the speed dial for the World Tour. When the line connected Tasha recognized the voice. “Oh, good, Madame Shan? My family has dropped in, and I need a favor. Could you seat them in the courtyard with a full afternoon tea set-up? Yes, all the bells and whistles; I'm introducing them to my fiancée, and…” Tasha was picking up her clothes, and did not notice Lupin's eyebrows shoot up at that point. “Yes, thank you. Anyway, they might not take the news well, so don't feel you have to use the good service… How badly, well, could you make sure the routes to the exits are clear? Um, well, Mom can get a bit - emphatic - with her arguments… Oh, no, Madame, thank you, but you don't need to put yourself in harm's... Yes, Madame, we will be down in a few. Takk.” Tasha rang off and headed for the shower, “C'mon, sooner we get them settled, the sooner we can get back to this.”

Lupin had been rummaging in his clothes for his cell phone. “I’ll be there in a moment.” As Tasha entered the shower, he dialed a number which was immediately connected. He said only “Run program,” before he disconnected and joined Tasha in the shower. She was just turning on the water when he entered, and a thought struck him. “Erm, Charlotte? I realize I should have asked this before, but - are you, that is… we didn‘t use-”

Tasha pulled him into the shower, giggling, “Are you perhaps attempting to inquire as to the need for precautions, Professor?”

“Ah. Well, *ahem* - yes” Lupin said, not quite sure where he should look.

“Not to worry, it would take three lines of code and two weeks for me to be fertile again.” She grabbed the soap and started working on the professor’s back.

“Oh.” His mind was relieved, but his body was provoked in another manner. Now there’s an unexpected reaction, Lupin thought as he turned to face her. “You can reverse it?” he asked hopefully.

“Why, Professor! I didn’t know you wanted any more-” Then Tasha’s grin faltered, “children.”

“Charlotte, Tasha - look at me -” He cupped her face in his hands and spoke to her eyes. “What happened with 723 and 925 is no one’s fault but mine. I need to correct a great deal of the programming, if I want to avoid any errors like that ever again. I hope you will stay and help.”

Tasha’s expression slowly cleared - “Yes, I will stay.” She slid her arms around his flanks, “we might need to restructure the contract, though,” she murmured in his ear as she traced his trigger points along his spine.

“Hmm, I think that could be arranged,” Lupin dragged a washcloth across the curve of her hip. “Shall we open negotiations?”

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Comments

[blueeyedtigress.livejournal.com]

*chuckle* The only place which I thought risque was the use of the word "dismounted". Other than that, it's amazingly clean, innocent, and cute for a prolonged sex scene .... especially one interrupted by a participant's parents. ;]

[annechen-melo.livejournal.com]

Well, I was hoping it would be less obvious than a salmon to the temple.

[cerrberus.livejournal.com]

It's always important to appease the salmon ghod.

[annechen-melo.livejournal.com]

Hey, I can roll it, but keeping the salmon lit is a b17ch.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

*applause* Oooooh, I am really looking forward to next week!

[annechen-melo.livejournal.com]

Thank you, not long now.

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

twice in a day I have felt the need for an "applause" icon...

well done, madam!!

[annechen-melo.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

So a year later, rereading for the *second* time, I have 2 suggestions: one in the first paragraph where the crater in the parkinglot is mentioned? it would be clearer to say "Charlotte or Tasha's building" instead of "her building"...

and the second, was Madblood more upset by the psychological testing or by the nanobots in his bloodstream? I have the sense that the robots were more upsetting, though they probably saved his life and will prolong it in future. Did he come to terms with that? I didn't feel that he did... but just my $.02.

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you added 'Tasha pulled her handgun's line of fire away from the door...'. I got it, but I can see where the clarification might have been helpful for others.

[annechen-melo.livejournal.com]

I had to be careful with the blocking on that one, since the wardrobe didn't allow for mistakes. *^_^*