Crown Of Thorns [ Michael Langdon ]

18 - the omen - 18

{Chapter Eighteen - The Omen}

~ As the hours pass, I will let you know, That I need to ask, before I'm alone, How it feels to rest, on your patient lips,To eternal bliss, I'm so glad to know ~

- After Dark

A few days later, Michael and Elora went back to the robotics place to see what Jeff and Mutt had made. They made their way down the familiar hallway, and entered. Ms Venable was sitting at her desk as they entered, typing at her computer intently.

"Hi Ms Venable." Elora called, smiling at the red-haired woman. Ms Venable looked up from her computer, and smiled shyly.

"Good morning, Miss Goode." Came her response, before continuing to furiously type on her computer with a flushed face. Michael slid his hand protectively around her waist and rolled his eyes as he realised what Elora was doing. 

"What?" Elora smiled innocently up at Michael, as he led her into the same room as the other day.

"Michael, Elora!" Jeff called, sliding his safety glasses to the top of his head. "Great to see you again."

"Have you finished?" Michael refused to beat around the bush, "Is she done?"

"Right this way, big man." Jeff gestured to a table that sat in the middle of the room. On it, lay what appeared to be a robotic version of Ms Mead. Michael walked up to the table, his eyes gazing curiously over the robot.

"240 terabytes of memory, over 11,000 processor cores. She could crush Watson at Jeopardy! and kick the asses of every roided actor in the Expendables franchise." Mutt explained, as a smile crept onto Michael's face.

"She's amazing." He murmured, before taking the robot's hand. "Why is she so cold?"

"Oh, that'll change with the flip of her 'on' switch. She's got a nanowire-based lithium ion battery. Basically the Energizer Bunny's wet dream. We fire her up, she goes on forever." Jeff explained proudly, and Elora approached the table in wonder. It was amazing how accurate the robot looked.

"Just don't tell her she's a biomechanical humanoid." Mutt said quickly, "At least not at first. It'll send her into the mother of all existential crises. She could end up killing herself, maybe others. Seriously, I've seen it happen. Not worth the headache." Jeff and Mutt chuckled to themselves.

"And now... Kineros Robotics proudly presents..." Jeff wandered over to his computer, and typed in a code. "The Battle-Ax... Miriam Mead 2.0."

"Now, don't expect her to be her old self right away." Mutt said, as the robot's eyes eerily opened, and looked around. "It's gonna take her time. She needs to learn from you. Build a rapport. Like any relationship." The new Ms Mead sat up, and got off the table. Michael took a step back, his eyes wide with awe. Ms Mead looked up at Michael, and took a moment to study his face, as if she was trying to recognise him,

"How I've missed you, Michael." The robot said, eerily, smiling up at Michael.

✧

"We don't have to do this." Michael followed Elora with his eyes as she paced the room. They were back at Ms Mead's house in Los Angeles. Michael sat on his old bed, leaning over with his elbows resting on his knees.