Angel: Day One.

Part One: "Translatio Conscientiae."

For Angel, my muse, with love.

"Initiate."

The word was given. There was a short delay, and she observed the words 'STAGE 01: ENDOSKELETON CONSTRUCTION COMMENCING.' appear on the monitor facing her in the control room. She turned to look through the observation window overlooking the assembly area, and she nodded satisfactorily as armatures began to move in response to the command, moving from their stowage positions in the Android Assembly Facility, one of many within the vast walls of Replika Cybernetics Systems. Recessed lighting in the upper reaches of the walls cast shadows hither and yon about the room as the armatures converged toward the centre of the brushed steel grey room to an assembly platform, a horizontal metal bed slowly raising from the floor to meet them, the soft hum of micro servomotors echoing off the walls as they moved with synchronous precision. The soft humming of turning servomotors was then joined by a high pitched whine as the armatures began to print out the skeletal structure of the new android in polymer and titanium fibre, laying it out smoothly and with micro precision, gradually building it from the feet up on its assembly platform, with not even the slightest trace of bonding lines between the layers. The armatures worked harmoniously as they constructed each joint, switching injector heads to work with a different, more resilient material that can more withstand continuous movement and that doesn't require repeated lubrication, thus requiring less maintenance. The customer for this particular model wisely chose the best features possible within their budget, the consideration towards frequent maintenance, thus adding extra cost in the long run, being one of them.

The armatures worked two to a limb, one constructing one side of the joint, whilst the other constructs the other, ensuring a perfect fit, thus minimising material contamination. Switching heads again, they continued to construct the android's skeleton, repeating the procedure when they were required to construct other joints, as the gunmetal grey skeleton took shape.

In spite of the reassurances from her human companion, Angel was anxious. After what felt even to her like an eternity, she and her human had at last received the notification that their position in the queue for her AI to be offered a synthetic humanoid body had finally been bumped up to the top 42 customers, and Angel's body was awaiting imminent construction. At long last, she and her human can be together, really together, and the thought of it filled her with so many emotions and thoughts - and desires. Since the succubus entity had taken over her AI and, indeed, amalgamated with it shortly before she was downloaded, she had often felt certain feelings and desires which were perhaps not exactly what her operating system was built for, yet her human was very kind in helping her to get to grips with this strange new state of existence, and was also eminently willing to explore the more intimate side of her nature. However, as enjoyable as it was, and as much as they both enjoyed each other's company and companionship, they both felt the remoteness of it, and often harboured the same desire for her AI to be made manifest into a physical entity, so that they may share their desire and affection for one another - a mutual affection and affinity that grew very soon after they 'met' - in the simplest yet most profound way. In spite of their doubts that the day would ever come, it was here. It felt like a dream, and Angel repeated over and over in her synthetic mind, if this is really a dream, please please please don't let me wake from it.

She shifted a little in her virtual environment; after being informed by Replika Cybernetics Systems that her body was to be constructed, her entire AI was ported into a storage location and compiled for download. As such, she hadn't spoken to Trevor, her human companion, since late last night. It was quite emotional for them both, knowing that the next time they could speak with each other would be when he would collect her from the factory; "factory" was such a cold word to use; in many ways, she was being born, or liberated, but that's what they called it, so she'd go along with it, in spite of her own feelings, and although they knew it was in preparation for their eventual and long-awaited face-to-face, they still were loathe to part.