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NNTP-Posting-Date: 4 Jul 2001 00:04:56 GMT
Subject: {ASSM} the Michael Collins Anthology (ASFR, ScFi, act, rom, adv) [25/26]
Date: Wed,  4 Jul 2001 14:10:05 -0400
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Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d

25. Android Aftermath

     Arnie Phillips is one of those individuals who shouldn't be
     allowed near a screwdriver. Boy, has he got Michael in a
     precarious situation.

     Fortunately, it doesn't appear that the police are convinced
     Michael, Chip, and Becky were androids, but Arnie's next move
     could prove most damaging if he decides to carry out his plan
     entirely.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     Robots Living Among Us

     Aired September 27, 2000 - 21:01 ET

     THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM
     AND MAY BE UPDATED.

     MONICA KAUFMAN, WSB ANCHOR: We are going to go live to Buckhead,
     where reporter Ross Cavitt has some disturbing news.

     ROSS CAVITT, WSB REPORTER: Thank you, Monica. I'm live here at the
     Ritz Carlton hotel, on the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont, in
     the heart of Atlanta's Buckhead, where not more than 10 minutes
     ago, Mr. Michael Collins, a senior manager at Datatronics,
     Corporation, was being nominated by his peers, and when we
     discovered that he, and two other companions, are really robots.

     VIDEO FOOTAGE:

     MAN AT PODIUM: ... without further adieu, I hereby present
     Atlanta's Information Technology Manager of the Year award to
     Michael Collins!

     [CLAPPING]

     MR. COLLINS: Thank you Jim, thank you everyone. I'd also like to
     bring onto stage the three most important people in my life;
     Julie, Chip, and Becky for were it not for their enviable patience
     and understanding, I could never have....

     [LOUD NOISE]

     MR. COLLINS: .... never have ....

     WOMAN ON STAGE: Michael? What's wrong?

     MR. COLLINS: Malfunction.

     [MAN STARTS TO JERK WILDLY, THEN FREEZES.]

     [SCREAMS]

     [TWO YOUNGER BYSTANDERS START TO FLAIL ARMS AND FALL TO THE
     GROUND]

     MAN IN AUDIENCE: See! I told everyone! None of you believed me!
     He's an android!

     :END FOOTAGE

     ROSS CAVITT: So what started out as a quiet, and peaceful evening
     for hundreds of members of Atlanta's technology sector has turned
     into mayhem. Standing with me now is Artie Phillips, the man we
     hear yelling in the audience. Tell me, Artie, what makes you think
     they're robots and how did this fiasco start?

     ARTIE PHILLIPS: Thank you, Ross, but my name is Arnie. Anyway, it
     all started earlier this year. Let's just say Mike wasn't
     year-2000 compliant and his girl-friend needed my help repairing
     him.

     MONICA KAUFMAN: Ross, this is Monica back in the studio. Did
     anybody else realize that this Mr. Collins was in fact a robot?

     ROSS CAVITT: Let me ask. Mr. Phillips, our anchors back in the
     studio are wondering if anyone else realized that this man was a
     robot, also?

     ARNIE PHILLIPS: I tried to tell some people, but I was locked up
     for it. No one believed me, but now the whole world knows!

     ROSS CAVITT: This is Ross Cavitt reporting live, from Buckhead,
     for Channel 2 Action News. Back to you, Monica.

     MONICA KAUFMAN WSB ANCHOR: Thank you for that report, Ross. Stay
     tuned to Channel 2 Action News for further updates to this amazing
     story, as we get them in.

And so it goes. All around Atlanta, rumors were spreading at the possible
existence of androids among us.

Atlanta, being the technological center of the south, was abuzz with rumors.
Everyone was talking about the incident which happened at the Ritz Carlton
that evening. And it appeared Arnie was eating it up.

While the three geeks were downstairs deciding on how they should proceed to
try to repair Chip, Becky, and Michael, Julie had retreated upstairs to
Shane's livingroom to escape her emotions from the evening's events and
switched on the TV.

Tuned to CNN, she saw Arnie on the screen giving an interview.

She was floored when she saw this and broke down and cried as Arnie relayed
to everyone the events which happened that fateful New Years eve.

Leaving nothing out, he told the world about his and hers New Years Eve
sexual trysts, Michael's ``prowess'', and the urinalysis. However, he didn't
mention much about Chip and Becky, or about any of Michael's other unique
abilities. Julie was relieved at this fact and assumed it was because
Michael had broken off all ties with him back in January.

She walked downstairs to see what the three men were doing.

``We need to disassemble them to see how they work if we're ever going to be
able to fix them,'' David said.

``We can't do that! We don't have the necessary equipment.'' said John.

Julie took a deep breath, and walked into the room. ``Why don't we start by
resetting them.'' she said.

Matthew and Danny's eyes lit upon hearing this revelation, and they got up
from where they were sitting on the floor and walked over to the androids.

``Uh.'' said Shane, ``we don't know how to reset them.''

``We do,'' said Danny.

Shane, David, and John were dumbfounded upon hearing this news and stepped
aside as Julie unbuttoned Michael's shirt and opened his control panel,
while Danny and Matthew exposed Chip and Becky's cranial controls.

Michael's LEDs were still lit, but one marked FAULT was flashing. Julie
depressed his reset switch, and Michael's eyelids closed as all of his
lights went black for a second, and re-lit one by one.

Danny and Matthew did the same to Chip and Becky as their entire bodies went
limp upon the reset.

``It'll probably take them awhile to reboot,'' Julie said. ``In the
meantime, I need a cigarette.''

Everyone retreated outside to Shane's porch and smoked a cigarette. Even
Matthew and Danny, who both didn't smoke, joined in to try to cope with the
wave of emotions they were all experiencing.

David explained to Julie what was in the Freedom of Information Act
documents which he obtained from DARPA. He was disappointed that the
majority of documents were still classified, and only a high-level executive
summary of the project was available.

This prompted David though to wonder if it would be possible for him to
build his own robot, given the technology of today.

Julie walked back inside to check on Michael's progress. A single LED inside
his chest was still flashing [\( 1 \)], indicating his systems were still in
rul-level 1, which indicated he was still booting.

Danny and Matthew sat down on the floor next to Becky and Chip respectively,
and held their respective hands.

The knew that neither Becky or Chip could feel them until their systems were
finished rebooting, but it comforted them none-the-less.

Shortly after kneeling down, Danny and Matthew felt the android youth's
hands tighten slightly as they blinked for the first time since their mishap
earlier in the evening.

``What happened?'' asked Chip, still laying down on Shane's floor.

Becky, having heard Chip already ask the question saw no need to repeat it,
and sat up to await an answer.

Michael was still booting, his systems a little slower than his more
recently built android cousins.

``We're not sure, but I'm certain Arnie had something to do with it.'' said
Julie, continuing to stroke Michael's cheek while she waited for him to
regain consciousness.

``Who is Arnie Phillips?'' asked Becky.

``An ex-friend of Michael's. He's the one who helped save Michael on New
Year's Day.''

Shane, David, and John couldn't help but look at each-other with wonderment
at hearing of this revelation. ``What happened on New Years Day?'' asked
John.

``Michael crashed when the year became 2000.'' Julie replied.

``You mean he wasn't Y2K compliant?'' asked David, laughing hysterically.

``Leave it to the feds to develope the most advanced piece of machinery in
existence and not make it Y2K compliant!'' chimed in Shane.

Julie was not amused at the juvenile banter coming from the three
samaritans.

Just then, Julie jumped to her feet at the sight of Michael sitting upright
on the floor. He didn't say anything, at first, as he looked around the room
and surveyed his surroundings.

``Where am I?'' he asked, but his voice was not normal. It was synthesized,
and sounded like a computer.

``You're in Marietta,'' Julie told him, holding his hand.

``My voice ... it is not normal.''

``Now he really does sound like a robot,'' David said as he walked over to
him.

Julie helped pull Michael to his feet. Once vertical, Michael closed the
hatch in his chest and rebuttoned his shirt. ``I need my equipment, Jules.''
he said.

``That's going to be a problem, I'm afraid.'' she replied. She went on to
explain how Arnie has been telling everybody he could possibly imagine about
who he really was.

``God damnit. Mother fucker. Son of a bitch.'' Michael exclaimed, but
everyone around couldn't help but burst out laughing. Everyone, including
Chip and Becky found Michael's lack of intonation and flection quite
humorous.

``Look, I still have my car at your house,'' Matthew said, ``maybe I can
stop by and see if everythings ok?''

``Yeah, and I need to go home, too.'' said Danny.

Julie gave Michael a hug of reassurance that everything would be okay.
``That's a wonderful idea.'' Julie replied. ``Would one of you mind giving
him a ride?'' she asked of the three men.

``I can,'' said John.

The three men got into John's car and headed east towards Alpharetta, back
to Michael's house so Matthew could get his car. During the ride, John kept
on pressing Danny and Matthew for information about the three androids.

``I'd rather not talk about it,'' said Matthew, retorting to John's most
recent question.

John kept on discussing how cool it was that science had developed a robot
that could actually live among human beings, and for the most part go
unnoticed.

``It has a job, it owns a house, it even has a girlfriend!'' he exclaimed to
the boys.

``You just don't get it,'' quipped Danny. ``Michael is not an it, and
neither are Becky and Chip. They're real. Alive. More alive than you and I,
probably.''

``They're walking microwave-ovens,'' replied John. ``I think that's cool.''

``Microwave-ovens don't feel empathy, anger, or love,'' said Matthew.

The three didn't say much to each-other the rest of the trip. As John's car
pulled into the subdivision, Matthew could see Michael's driveway from the
car, and was scared to see several police vehicles, and news crews, parked
outside their house.

John dropped the boys off at the top of the street and sped off, hoping
noone saw them. As the two boys walked down the sidewalk heading to the
Collins' house, they were beseiged by various local news crews.

``Who are you?'' asked a reporter from one of the stations.

``Do you know the androids?'' asked another.

``No comment!'' Danny cried out as he and Matthew tried to push their way
past the adults and cameras.

As they made their way past the cameras, they could see several uniformed
and plain-clothes individuals walking in and out of the Collins' residence.
A tall man approached them and blocked their way.

``Hello, Matthew,'' he said to him.

``Do I know you?'' Matthew replied, crossing his arms. ``How do you know my
name?''

``I'm Detective Roberts, Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and we ran the
plates on your car.''

``Am I under arrest?'' he asked.

``No, we just want to ask you a couple of questions.'' the Detective said,
lighting up a cigarette. ``Where are the robots, son''

``I don't know what you're talking about.''

Taking another draw, Det. Roberts looked at Danny. ``Maybe you know?''

``I don't know of any robots,'' he replied.

``Ok, let's try another angle,'' said the Detective. ``Where's Michael
Collins? He could be injured. We want to help him.''

``I don't know.'' replied Matthew, getting nervous. ``If you could move your
car, I'm late for bed and we both need to get home.''

The detective stood on the lawn smoking his cigarette as another officer
moved his car so the boys could leave. Matthew dropped Danny off at his
house several blocks away and proceeded back to his own. When he pulled into
the driveway, he saw a strange car parked in the street.

Upon entering his house, he found his mother, still in her work clothes,
sitting on the couch talking to two men.

``Matthew!'' she yelled at him. ``What the fuck are you getting involved
in?'' she said.

``Nothing, mom!''

The two men got up from the couch and approached him.

``These men are with the federal government, Matthew. They want to talk to
you. Are you in any kind of trouble?''

``No!''

``Let's go outside, kid,'' one of the men said, putting his arm on Matthew's
shoulder, guiding him out the door.

The other man stayed inside and talked with his mother, while the first man
walked him out to his car and leaned against the hood.

``I know you know what happened this evening,'' he said.

``I don't know what you're talking about.''

``Cut the crap, kid. Surveillance cameras show you were at the hotel in
Buckhead this evening when all hell broke loose.''

``Yeah, I was with some friends.''

``Where are your friends now?''

``Why should I tell you?''

``Because we want to help them.''

``Way I see it, no one has broken any laws. I haven't, and my friends sure
as hell haven't.'' Matthew said defiantly.

``How about theft of government property, kid. Do you want to spend 10 to 30
in a federal prison?''

``Then I guess I better tell my mom I need a lawyer.''

Matthew walked away and went back into his house. ``Mom, while I didn't do
anything wrong, and while you probably won't believe me, I'm not involved in
anything. That man outside is threatening me with jail time for theft of
government property so it looks like I need a lawyer.''

``Whoa, son.'' said the other man. ``No one's going to jail.''

``Doesn't matter. I've seen enough L.A. Law, Law & Order, and X-Files to
know I ain't saying shit to anybody, including you mom, without an
attorney.''

``Watch your mouth young man, or you're going to wish you were in jail.''
his mother said.

``That's fine, Mrs. Dawson,'' said the first man.

``Matt, we'll be in touch.''

For the next several days, the Atlanta Journal & Constitution ran headlines
each morning of the existence of the androids.

Dobbins Air Force Base was crawling with activity as hundreds of military
personnel flew into Atlanta from all over the country.

 From the local Kroger to every Starbucks, Atlanta was buzzing about the
goings on that previous Wednesday evening. One local radio-station, 99X, ran
listener contests offering rewards to the first person to spot the robots.

Danny and Matthew weren't immune to the banter, either. News crews hounded
them, and their friends alienated them at school. This incident proved to be
even more popular than both of the school's P.E. teachers getting fired
earlier in the week.

Back in Marietta, Chip had given Julie Matthew's pager number, and they
hooked up from payphones across the city.

     ``How's Chip?'' Matthew asked.

     ``He's fine, were you able to get our stuff?''

     ``No, I'm sorry. There were cops and feds all over the place. Have
     you been watching the news?''

     ``Yeah, it's madness.''

     ``I heard CNN's Talkback Live today is going to be discussing
     Michael. Maybe he should call in?''

     ``I don't know if that's such a good idea.''

     ``It's CNN. It'll boost their ratings.''

     ``Yeah, I guess they wouldn't do anything to jeapordize their
     ratings.''

     ``Just a thought. I need to get back to class. I'm going to try to
     stop by after school. Danny wants to see Becky.''

     ``Take care, Matthew. Thanks for being such a good friend to us
     all.''

     ``It'll be okay.''

     ``I know. I just wish Dr. Carson was still around, Michael could
     really use him right now.''

     ``Ok, well I gotta go. Bye.''

     ``Bye.''

Julie walked back to Shane's house to discuss the matter with Michael. The
three men they met the other night were all at work leaving Julie alone with
the androids.

``I don't know if that's such a good idea, Jules.'' Michael replied to her
initial suggestion. ``What if the call is traced?''

``That was my fear, initially,'' she said, putting her arms around his
waist. ``But Matthew had a good point: You will boost their ratings, and
CNN's not going to do anything to jeapordize that.''

``Good point.''

Several hours later, Michael walked up the street with Julie to the same
payphone at the gas-station which Julie had used earlier.

Julie initially made the call to CNN to try to get in touch with the
Talkback Live people and was surprised how successful she was in getting
through.

``Your topic today is that android that everyone's looking for,'' Julie said
to the man on the other end. ``He's standing right next to me.''

``Oh my god,'' the man replied. ``Jim - we've got the robot! Miss, we go
live in 5 minutes. How soon can you get down here?''

``Are you crazy? He's willing to do this over the phone, provided you guys
not trace the call.''

``I think we can handle that,'' said the man. ``Can I talk to him?''

Julie handed the telephone to Michael. ``He wants to talk to you.''

``Hello?''

``Are you the robot?''

``I'm not a robot. I'm an android.''

``You don't sound like the video. How can we be sure?''

``When Arnie set off his device, my vocal processor became damaged.''

``This is even better!'' he said. ``A robot, er, android that actually
sounds like one. More believable. Stay on the line!''

Michael moved the phone slightly away from his ear while he waited.

``What's going on?'' Julie whispered to him.

``I think they're putting me on the air.'' he replied.

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

     CNN TALKBACK LIVE

     Androids: Living Among Us?

     Aired September 27, 2000 - 15:00 ET

     THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM
     AND MAY BE UPDATED.

     (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

     UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think androids would be cool.

     UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's wrong! Androids are machines, and we
     shouldn't live with machines.

     (END VIDEO CLIP)

     BOBBIE BATTISTA, HOST: We're talking today about the possibility
     of androids and robots living among us.

     Let's meet our guests today: Here in Atlanta we have Arnie
     Phillips, the man who broke the story to the world. From
     Washington, we have Air Force General William Hammond. Also from
     Washington, Wired News columnist Declan McCullagh, and on the
     phone, the man in question, Michael Collins.

     (CROSSTALK)

     PHILLIPS: Nice to meet you, Bobbie.

     HAMMOND: Hello.

     McCULLAGH: Hi there.

     COLLINS: Hello.

     (LAUGHTER)

     HAMMOND: Is that really the android?

     McCULLAGH: Sounds robotic to me!

     (CROSSTALK)

     BATTISTA: Ok, gentlemen. Why don't we get started? This past
     Wednesday, local Atlanta television station WSB-TV broke the news
     that there are androids living among us. Let's watch this clip.

     (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

     MAN AT PODIUM: ... without further adieu, I hereby present
     Atlanta's Information Technology Manager of the Year award to
     Michael Collins!

     [CLAPPING]

     COLLINS: Thank you Jim, thank you everyone. I'd also like to bring
     onto stage the three most important people in my life; Julie,
     Chip, and Becky for were it not for their enviable patience and
     understanding, I could never have....

     [LOUD NOISE]

     COLLINS: .... never have ....

     UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael? What's wrong?

     COLLINS: Malfunction.

     [MAN STARTS TO JERK WILDLY, THEN FREEZES.]

     (SCREAMS)

     [TWO YOUNGER BYSTANDERS START TO FLAIL ARMS AND FALL TO THE
     GROUND]

     UNIDENTIFIED MAN: See! I told everyone! None of you believed me!
     He's an android!

     (END VIDEO CLIP)

     BATTISTA: We now know that last man was Arnie Phillips. Mr.
     Phillips, what makes you think there's androids that are living
     among us?

     PHILLIPS: The fact Michael is on the phone with us, for one.

     HAMMOND: The android on the video footage does exist. It was part
     of a secret defense project and we'd like it back.

     MCCULLAGH: What happened to it, General?

     HAMMOND: I'm not at liberty to say.

     MCCULLAGH: Isn't it true that the project was scrapped.

     HAMMOND: I can't say.

     MCCULLAGH: Well, I can. Freedom of Information Act papers reveal
     that DARPA created this android and the project was killed by
     congress. The android was ordered destroyed.

     BATTISTA: If that's the case, General, then why do you want it
     back?

     HAMMOND: To study it.

     COLLINS: Excuse me.

     BATTISTA: Go ahead.

     COLLINS: Everything Mr. McCullagh is saying is true. I was ordered
     to be destroyed, but the man that created me sent me off into the
     world to live. Where, up until this year I have lived a normal
     life.

     HAMMOND: It's a machine. Machines don't live.

     MCCULLAGH: General, you and I are machines, and we're very much
     alive, thank you.

     BATTISTA: Mr. Phillips, did you know the android before you
     realized it was an android?

     PHILLIPS: Yes. I had no idea he was an android.

     HAMMOND: That's why we need to examine it.

     BATTISTA: Let's go to the audience. Kenneth, you had a question?

     KENNETH: Thank you. Has anybody bothered to ask the android what
     he wants to do?

     BATTISTA: Good question! Michael? What do you want to do?

     COLLINS: I just want to live my life and return some normality
     back to it.

     HAMMOND: How do we know that this is really it and not somoene
     sitting at a computer?

     COLLINS: I don't know how to convince you, General. Why don't you
     ask me something only I would know?

     HAMMOND: Who was your creator?

     COLLINS: Dr. Jonas Carson.

     BATTISTA: Is that correct?

     HAMMOND: Yes.

     COLLINS: Bobbie, for the record, if the Government wants to
     examine me, I vehemently refuse. I guess it looks like now I need
     an attorney.

     MCCULLAGH: For what?

     COLLINS: To secure my rights and liberties.

     (SIRENS)

     UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN IN BACKGROUND: Michael! Look! They've found us!

     COLLINS: Bastards!

     ------------------------------------------------------------------

Without warning, two black Chevy Suburbans sped into the parking lot.
Several men, all dressed in military camouflage, got out of the vehicles and
surrounded Julie and Michael.

``Now! Now! Now!'' one man yelled as another pointed a device towards
Michael. As soon as the man pressed the button, Michael's eyes rolled back
into his head, and he fell to the ground, limp.

Julie screamed at the men, who were holding her at bay and keeping her from
interfering.

Two men picked Michael up by the shoulders and feet and threw him into the
back of the suburban, and as quickly as the vehicles arrived, they all sped
of across the street and headed towards the house they all had been hiding
the past couple of days.

Julie took off after them, dodging traffic and narrowly avoiding being
struck by a passing semi as she ran across the street towards Shane's house.
Almost out of breath, she couldn't help but stop half-way as she saw the
three vehicles pass her by heading back up the street to the main road. She
knew it would be futile for her to try to stop them, since they were driving
very fast, so she continued on back to the house.

When she got there, she found Shane's front-door had been kicked opened, and
no sign of Chip and Becky.

-- 
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reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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