Steel Rising

Chapter 28: Options

"... So, will you do it?..." Percival asked Tina with a pleading expression, or as pleading as a skull could look. "... Will you build me a body? Even a small one would be great!"

"No!" the genius six-year-old.

"Oh, come on, pretty please!..." the silver skull desperately pleaded as he slid over the wood of Tina's bedside table using just his jaw. "... I might be just an AI program stuck  inside a decapitated robot's skull, but I still have rights!"

"No!" Tina refused, humored by the skull's relentless insistence.

"PLEASE! I'll do anything for a body, no matter its condition!..." Percival continued to beg. "... I can be your pet, your slave, or even your bodyguard... Just please give me a body!"

"Hm..." Tina murmured suddenly, deep in thought, as the silver skull suddenly looked like a big-headed puppy to her from a certain angle. "... How about I turn you into a cute puppy?"

"I said pet, but I don't think that I would like being a dog..." the silver skull grumbled as he retreated, sliding away from the little girl. "... Mommy... at least  make me a wolf!"

"Hihihi..." The little genius cackled evilly, already coming up with half a dozen ways to turn the skull into a big-headed puppy. "... "Come to Mommy, little puppy!"

"Puppy?! NO!" Percival screamed, mortified as Tina grabbed him off her bedside table and stuffed him inside her pink backpack.

Hearing his muffled shouts from inside of it, the little girl gave him a kick to shut him up, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out of her room.

Entering the bridge, she heard snippets of a conversation between Tellius and some lawyer named Uncle Henry as she snuck over to the bridge's blast door.

(Tellius) "So, what you mean is that I need the authority to force them to make the deal?"

(Henry) "Yes, exactly! I have made a name for myself in certain circles, but that doesn't mean that I can negotiate with a second-tier company backed by one of the Big Five like Cerberus."

(Tellius) "That makes sense, I guess... But what if I had an inside man to facilitate the purchase?"

(Henry) "That might work... But only if that insider is trustworthy."

*Swish!* The blast door opened just as Tina got close to it.

Rushing through it, she was relieved to discover that the cyborg hadn't noticed her, as she had technically stolen Percival. Yet, as she approached the central elevator, she noticed it was already coming up.

*Swish!* The elevator door opened, and out stepped Sarah, accompanied by three gruff-looking short men.

"Ah, hi, Tina! I guess you're already acquainted with the mechanics from Grand Gear Chief Clanker, Ham, and Main..." Sarah greeted the little hacker before revealing to her, "... They'll be renovating this floor and the ones above and below it."

"Sounds good..." Tina replied as she squeezed past them all and into the elevator. Inside, she waved cutely and pressed the buttons to her secret hideout. "... Bye!"

*Swish!* The elevator doors closed, and in the silence, a certain skull spoke up.

"Renovations?! Sounds good!..." Persivale mimicked Tina's voice to mock her. "... Smooth little one, very smooth!"

Opening her backpack, the little girl threatened. "Shut up, or I'll turn you into a toaster!"

"Hey! Even toasters have feelings (if they are AI controlled)!" Complained the AI-controlled skull.