Static Crush {M/M} ✔

Chapter #8

A video pops up. In the window, a woman whose face is all sharp, hard edges sits in a high-backed, neon purple swivel chair. She has a wild mane of dark hair with bright violet and blue streaks through it, shaved on one side. Neon green eyeliner rims her dark eyes, and the hint of a colourful tattoo on her neck peaks out of the collar of her khaki jacket. She also has a gap-tooth, a relative rarity in an era of light genetic modification. Around her, Hale can make out a clutter of silver and iron. Her workshop.

"Rayner. Sup." she says. The last bit hardly sounds like a question.

"All right, Theo. Hanging in there?"

"Nothing better to do. And you're Hale?"

Hale nods. "Nice to meet you."

She raises an eyebrow. "How long you been on for?"

Hale feels a rush of heat to his face. This time, instead of running diagnostics, he compares it to the sensations experienced in humans. Embarrassment, he realizes. The same feeling from the awkward night Rayner caught him and Melissa in the act. "Five days and six hours," he admits.

"Ah, you're only new. Rayner tells me there's a problem with your hand."

Hale nods and holds it up to the camera so she can see the bandages. "Should I unwrap it?"

"Yeah, let's see it," she says.

"Let me help." Rayner rolls closer and takes Hale's hand, unwinding the bandage he'd wrapped himself. When he gets to the bottom layer, he pulls it away slowly. Some of the melted flesh of Hale's hand sticks between the fibres. Rayner reaches over to the tools on the drafting table and grabs a pair of scissors. "I'm glad this doesn't hurt," he says as he cuts away the bandage.

Underneath, the burnt grill marks cut across Hale's palm. Some of the flesh and silicone has hardened around the steel skeletal structure and, unfortunately, some of the wiring.

Theo lets out a low whistle. "How'd it happen?"

"Accident on the barbecue," Rayner says.

Theo raises an eyebrow. "Nobody did that on purpose, I hope."

"No," Hale assures her. "I malfunctioned. I believe I overloaded my processes and failed to maintain awareness of my hand's proximity to the barbecue. I leaned on it."

Theo narrows her eyes. "Mm. Never heard of that before."

Hale feels a sinking stone settle in his stomach, and Rayner shoots her a look through the camera.

"But hey! I haven't met every android out there. You're complex machines. Lots of different factors at play. Doesn't matter now. Okay, first, you're going to need to clear out any of the melted bits. Might need to cut a few wires and re-attach them the way I told you, Rayner."

"Gotcha." Rayner picks up a small pair of needle-nose pliers and starts applying them to the solidified skin and silicone. It peels off fairly easily in places, but in others it's adhered too close. Here, Rayner applies the use of scissors or a small razor blade to shave it away.

"Have you ever done this before?" Hale asks.

"Not to make you any more nervous," Rayner says, "but no. Theo assures me it's not dangerous."

"Not a bit," Theo confirms. "All your most important bits are in your head and your core. Can't do any worse damage than you've done already. This is mostly clean-up. Not much of a repair job, else I'd have you come to me."

"Just the wires now," Rayner says. He picks up the miniature wire cutters.

"Ah, that might be a bit weird for you, Hale. You might lose the ability to move a finger or two. Don't worry, it's temporary."