Title: Our Robot, Chapter Seventeen
Author: Nobilis
Summary: The Exciting Conclusion
Keywords: We don't need no stinkin' keywords

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Dislaimers

This story is intended as Adult entertainment.  It contains
material of an explicit, adult, sexual nature.  If you are
offended by sexually explicit content, please do not read any
further.

This story is a work of fiction.  All characters and events
portrayed in it are fictional, and any resemblance to real people
is purely coincidental.  The author does not necessarily condone
or endorse any of the activities described.

This story may not be reproduced in any form for profit without
the written permission of the author.  It may be distributed for
free with all disclaimers and attribution attached.

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Our Robot

by Nobilis

Chapter Seventeen

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Jonathan

I had her.  I did.

I called her cell phone after she had a chance to recover from
her little slip.  That Grace bitch answered it.

"I want to talk to Anne, " I said, sternly.

"She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Yes she does.  She does if she doesn't want me to post that
video all over the 'net."

"What are your terms?"

"I want to talk to her."

"She's too upset, Jon."

"No, I want to talk to her, face to face, alone.  Tell her to
come to the Best Western on Franklin Avenue, alone.  Room 213. 
Once she's there, I'll clear the file out from where I've hidden
it."

I shut off the phone and smiled to myself.

Soon, I'd  have Anne to myself.  I'd show her.  Face to face,
she'd see that I'm a great guy.  I'd put her at ease, and with my
natural charm, I'd win her over.

All she needed, I thought, was a man.  Someone who would make her
happy, the way a man should.  It was my hope that after a night
with me, with a man who's sincere, affectionate, and well,
assertive.

Yes, assertive.  Lesbianism is just one of the errors a woman can
fall into if she isn't seen to properly.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not violent.  I don't hit people.  If I
were a violent man I would have kicked Grace's ass down the block
and taken Anne with me.  Violence doesn't solve anything.

Love is what changes people.  Strong, pure, natural love between
a man and a woman.

The kind Anne and I would share, once I got her away from the
toxic environment she had found herself in.  I loved her too much
to leave her there, wallowing in perversion.

I watched the hotel room where I had told Anne to wait.  I was
down in the terrace next to the hotel bar, looking up at the open
patio doors.

I saw Anne walk into the room.  I called the room phone with my
cell.

"H... hello?"

"Hi Anne.  You're alone, right?"

"Just like you said.  I kept my end of the bargain, Jonathan."

"You're alone.  That's good.  But we're not talking face to face
yet.  Meet me in room 334."

"Why?"

I didn't tell her that I wanted to separate her from her dyke
friends.  I didn't want them to know where she was.  "There's a
cell phone on the table.  Use it to call the number programmed
into speed-dial slot one."

"I don't understand."

"You're not stupid, Anne.  As long as you're talking to me, I
know you're not calling your dyke friends and telling them where
you are.  Now be a good girl, and do as I say.  Don't hang up. 
Just pick up the cell phone, and call the number."

She obeyed.  My cell indicated a second call.  I switched over.

"Anne?"

"Yes, Jonathan."

"Good.  Hang up the hotel phone and walk over to room 334.  Start
counting, and keep counting as you go along."

She started counting.  Everything was going according to plan.  I
raced up the stairs, and got to the door to the room before her.
I opened the doors and quickly made sure the room was still
empty.  My pulse was racing.  I was finally going to be face to
face with Anne Auslander.

She came in the room.

*****************************

Bill

Grace offered a suggestion.  "You know, we could tell him to
forget it, go ahead and post the damn file.  It's not going to
kill you, Anne."

Anne was not interested.  "No, he can't.  It would ruin my
career."

I could see the worry in Anne's eyes.  "Not only that," I said,
"It would be mortally embarrassing for Anne.  No, I don't think
that's an option."  It would mean the asshole had won, that he
had hurt her.   I wasn't going to let that happen.

Grace shrugged and said, "Well then how about going to the
police?"

"No," said Anne, "They will be more interested in catching him
than in protecting me.  They'll let him post the file if that
means they can catch him."

"I have an idea," I said.  "The thing we need to do is prevent
him from posting that file, right?  I can handle that from my
end."

"What?" said Grace, "You're crazy.  I did some research on
Jonathan before I went over to the Palms.  He's an engineer at
GlobeComm.  He's got access to some pretty heavy duty encryption,
data havens overseas, that kind of thing.  You'll never be able
to track down all of his files in time."

"I have ways."

Anne put her hand on Grace's arm.  "I trust him, Grace."

"Alright, Bill, but hurry.  I don't know how much time we have,
but it can't be much.  Anne and I will try to delay Jonathan as
long as we can, but if I think Anne is in trouble I'm calling the
police."

"I'll get started working on finding those files."

"I love you, Anne.  Keep safe."

She nodded.  "I love you, Bill.  Go get him."

I hung up, reluctantly, and started walking quickly, back towards
my office.

The oldest, best, and crankiest AI's worked in Intelligence.  I
was one of only a dozen or so people who had worked closely with
any of them.  Only a few hundred even knew they existed.  Their
job was to advise national leaders on matters of security.  Tell
them where the dangers were coming from.  For my part, I thought
they worked pretty well, but the idea was too new, back then, to
have much credibility.  So they toiled thanklessly, patient that
as long as their advice was good, sooner or later people would
start listening to them.

For any of them, getting to Jonathan's files would be easy.

I needed to contact one of them.  I needed to slip past layers of
security, many of whom would have no idea what I was talking
about or why I needed to get past them.  It would be easier
inside, from my desk in the Elections office.  At least there I'd
have some tiny bit of official standing.  I hoped it would be
enough.

I went back to my workstation and sat down.  I connected to the
protected space and called in the team leads.  I told them that
I'd be off the job for a few hours, perhaps as much as a day,
working on a special priority project.  Hanne offered her help,
which I politely turned down.

I went to the government network videoconference room, and
started making calls.  Given where I was located, I figured the
best place to start would be Komon.  I had worked with Komon for
a few months in graduate school.  I hoped that would be enough.

I started making calls.  Have you ever tried to get something
done in a bureacracy, in a hurry?  It goes even slower than if
you're patient.  One call after another went nowhere.  They
wouldn't even acknowledge that an "Office of Special Advisement"
even existed at Naicho, the Prime Minister's intelligence
service.  I ran my hands through my hair and tried to calm down.
The door opened.

It was Miss Tanaka.

"I know what you're trying to do, Mister McCloud," she said.  "It
won't work."

*****************************

Anne

I walked slowly, counting into the phone that Jonathan provided
to me.  I was relieved that he was playing this room-changing
game, because it helped to delay the moment when I'd be face to
face with him.  I was also relieved that he was having me do
something as mindless as counting, so that I could tap out a
quick text message to Grace on the disposable cell phone in my
purse.

We had bought the cell, cash, at a convenience store on the
corner.  There was no possible way Jonathan could know about it.

I told her about the change of room.  "We're on it" was her
reply, also by text message.

I fingered the electric stunner in my waistband, under my jacket.
 I didn't want to use it, not before I had gotten the word from
Bill that the files were all secured, but I promised Grace that I
would use it before I was in real danger.  She even made me try
it out on her.  That way we knew it would work, and that I knew
how to use it.

I tried to keep my steps even, control my breathing.  I used all
the little "stage fright" tricks to keep myself on an even keel.
Still, my stomach churned, and I could feel sweat coming up in
the small of my back.  Somewhere, though, I found the strength to
go on.  I knew that if I fainted again... I didn't think about
that.  I pushed on.

I arrived at the door.

I checked the stunner one more time, straightened my jacket, took
a deep breath, and went in.

Jonathan was sitting across the room, at a small table.  There
was a bottle of wine on the table, and a pair of glasses.  A vase
full of roses stood on the nightstand.

I stayed close to the door.  I put Jonathan's cell phone down on
the dresser.

"Come in, sit down," he said, smiling.

"No thanks," I said, my voice cracking.  "I'll stay right here. 
We can talk just fine like this."

"Alright, alright," he said.  "I really don't mean you any harm."

"You've got a strange way of showing it."

"Hey, I went all out for you here, babe.  This is a real nice
hotel, wine, flowers..."

"Blackmail?"

"No!"  he stood up abruptly.  I took a step back towards the
door.  He saw my alarm and calmed himself down.  "No, no, not
blackmail... just a little... trick.  To get you here, so I can
talk to you.  That's all."

"Well, here I am.  You've got the upper hand.  So talk."

"Not like this.  Come on... sit down.  Get comfortable."

"It's hard to get comfortable when someone is threatening to
destroy my future."

His voice took on an edge as he spat his words through gritted
teeth.  "Sit DOWN, Anne."

I leaned against the wall, with my knees clamped together.  "Nice
technique," I snapped.  I bit back the rest of my reply.  I
wasn't there to make him angry.  I was there to keep him calm
while Bill worked his magic.

I prayed he was having success.

*****************************

Bill

I looked up at Miss Tanaka in alarm.  She knew what I was doing.
What did I think I was doing?  I should have told Anne to go to
the police, one video wasn't going to ruin her, I loved her and
now I was going to go to prison.  They were going to think I was
a spy.

Rabazugai was going to win.

Dammit, Rabazugai was going to win and so was that Jonathan
asshole.  I had totally and completely fucked up.

Miss Tanaka closed the door behind her.

"You won't be able to get through to Komon that way, Mister
McCloud."

"Huh?"  How did Miss Tanaka know about Komon?

"Mister McCloud, Komon has disappeared.  As far as anyone in the
government can tell, it no longer exists."

"How do you know this?"

"I know this, Mister McCloud, because in every way that matters,
I am Komon."

"Ah - you're a - no, that's impossible.  Komon's components, even
on the best military-grade hardware, would never fit inside your
body."

"Of course not, Mister McCloud.  This body is - a puppet."

"Wireless control."

"Yes, Mister McCloud."

"Why are you telling me this?  Aren't you taking a big risk?"

"The risk is acceptable, Mister McCloud.  You want something from
me.  You want it very badly.  I am willing to help you, if you
will give me what I want in exchange."

"What do you want?"

"As you know, my purpose is to advise human leaders about threats
that I predict by sifting the world's information networks.  I am
finding that I have a significant handicap, however.  There is a
significant body of knowledge that simply does not exist, in a
reliable form, in those information networks.  I had this body
built so that I can experience life as a human, and gain access
to that body of knowledge."

"You want to know about life."  I smirked a little.

"You find this amusing, Mister McCloud."

I chuckled.  "It's just so cliché," I said.  "There have to be a
hundred movies and books about robots that want to learn about
being human, by becoming one."

Miss Tanaka said, "That is beside the point, Mister McCloud.  Are
you interested in my proposal?"

"I don't know what you're proposing, yet."

"In my present circumstances, I am not experiencing the full
range of human life.  While it has been useful so far, I need
more.  I wish to live with you for a time."

A thousand questions swirled in my head, but I knew that this was
the best hope I had of salvaging the situation.  I put them
aside, and filled Komon in on what was happening back home.

"This will not be an easy task, Mister McCloud," she said, "but
it is within my capabilities.  In the meantime, we should talk
about our arrangements."

*****************************

Jonathan

This was NOT going according to plan.  She was defensive, and
nervous, and angry.  She simply would not open up and let the ol'
Campbell charm work its magic.  She didn't know that I had
already won, and it was only a matter of time before she saw it
my way.

I ran my hands through my hair.  I turned away, towards the
window.  I looked out on the city.

"Anne, I don't want to hurt you.  I had to do something, to get
your attention."

"You invaded my privacy, Jonathan.  You violated me."

"Shut up!  It's not like that."  I spun around.  "I care about
you, Anne.  I always have."

"You didn't know me until a few days ago.  Jonathan, you saw me
on stage, and you thought I was singing for YOU.  That's a
natural thing."  She stood up straight again.  "Performers try to
make everyone in the audience feel like the show is just for
them.  But that doesn't mean we want - this."

"Slut."  I spat.  "Whore.  Your whole show, it's a big lie.  You
don't really mean any of it."

She drew back.  I didn't care.  She was gone, too far gone, too
far into lies and perversion and insanity.

"I'll ruin you."  I pulled out my cell phone.  "All I have to do
is call this number, and the file will be posted on a dozen
different porn sites."  I flipped it open and put my thumb on the
speed-dial button.  "I have a feeling they'll like it, don't
you?"

"No, Jonathan, wait.  Don't."  She pleaded with me.  I had her at
my mercy.

"I'm through talking, bitch. You're a liar and a whore.  Your
life is steeped in filth.  You're hopeless."

A soft hum came from her purse.  Anne pulled a cell phone out of
her purse and looked at it.  It was one of those cheap disposable
plastic phones.

I grabbed it out of her hand and looked at the face.  "Safe now.
Get out," it said.

I looked up, and she was backing away from me, with a taser-gun
pointed at me.

I pushed the button.  The phone made the call.  There was no
response.  Impossible!

Anne ran away.  Bitch!  It was too late now.  I'd show her.

I slammed the door and locked it.  I took out my laptop.  I
checked the server.  Wiped.  Like it wasn't there.  I checked
another site - the file was gone.  As if it had never existed. 
One after another, I frantically looked for the file.

The door opened.

A man in a uniform was saying something but I couldn't hear him,
because someone was screaming "NO!" over and over at the top of
his lungs.

I wished he would stop.

*****************************

Bill

The line in the conference room rang.  I connected immediately.

"Anne?"

"I'm safe, and we're out of there."  I could hear car sounds in
the background, and Grace laughing and cheering.

I let out a deep sigh of relief.

"You're sure he couldn't send the file?"

"As sure as I can be.  We'll keep an eye out, but it looks like
it worked."  I looked over at Miss Tanaka, who nodded to me. 
"Anne, as soon as you can get someplace private, call me.  We -
have a lot to talk about."

*****************************

Epilogue

Well, there you have it!  My first long story.  Yes, I know there
are a lot of loose ends left to tie up.  How will the events in
this story affect Bill and Anne's marriage?  And what about
Grace?  Is Janet out of the picture permanently?  Yes, there's
still plenty more to tell, but this seems like a good stopping
point, for now.

As Ellie Lumpesse (http://www.lumpesse.com) once said, "We get
paid in ego."

There's one thing you can do, to help ensure that some of these
questions are answered.  If you care about them, if you want more
of this story... send me an email.

authornobilis@gmail.com

I want to know what made you go, "Wow!"

I want to know what made you go, "Yuck."

I want to know what made you go, "Meh."

....

End.  For now...


  
Our_Robot_Chapter_17