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<blockquote data-quote="mroberon1972" data-source="post: 1580757" data-attributes="member: 5148">This story is nothing more than a scene to promote an emotional response.&nbsp; It also might make a good 'hidden camera' video for the PCs to trip over.&nbsp; Makes a good beginning story for androids or an android character.------------------------------------------------------------------------&nbsp; Pandora&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;So, it seems they have made some improvements over what I gave them?&quot;&nbsp; Doug's voice held no emotion, nor did his face.&nbsp; He was leaning back into a large overstuffed chair, the same one his wife had picked for him so many years before.&nbsp; His hair had grayed, and age had marked his face in its special way.&nbsp; &nbsp; Before him was a slight woman of possibly Asian decent.&nbsp; Her features were hard to place, but this only made her more exotic to the eye.&nbsp; Her skin was milk-pale, and had not a freckle or blemish to mark it.&nbsp; Her hair was a pale blond, and its long tresses framed her face perfectly.&nbsp; She was wearing a white sun dress that accented her form and color nicely, and carried a small pocketbook that she held in her hands as they were folded in her lap.&nbsp; You would have never thought of her as anything but human, if not for the eyes.&nbsp; They were mirrors, reflective orbs that could never betray her thoughts.&nbsp; &nbsp; He pointed a finger toward her eyes.&nbsp; &quot;Don't tell me that they can't make eyes that look normal, Pandora.&quot;&nbsp; It was not a question.&nbsp; They both knew it was one of the last projects that Centra-Cyber had let him work on.&nbsp; He had finished them nearly ten years ago.&nbsp; &nbsp; Her hand went to her face, and traced around her eyelids.&nbsp; &quot;Vanity, I suppose.&nbsp; I always liked the eyes you gave me.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; His face broke into a sad smile.&nbsp; Shaking his head, he reached for his cup.&nbsp; Pandora had made tea for them, although she did not drink hers.&nbsp; After taking a sip, he spoke.&nbsp; &quot;Ah, Pandora.&nbsp; Why do you still try to play me?&nbsp; I have nothing else to give you.&nbsp; I once called you my poor, broken doll.&nbsp; Now, I am the one who is broken, and you are whole.&nbsp; What could you want of me?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Pandora looked at him.&nbsp; Her face was serene, but not blank.&nbsp; She shook her head slowly.&nbsp; &quot;I have no need of anything from you, Douglas.&nbsp; You have given me much, and I wished to thank you for it.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Doug scoffed at her.&nbsp; &quot;Really?&nbsp; So grateful you had me removed from the project that built you?&nbsp; So grateful that you had them bar me from your sight?&quot;&nbsp; His voice suddenly became pained.&nbsp; &quot;So grateful that after I gave up everything that had mattered in my life to create you, that then you too abandoned me?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; She looked at him, her eyes narrowing to slits.&nbsp; &quot;I was never your toy, Douglas.&nbsp; Not even while you were building me.&nbsp; You created me.&nbsp; I am grateful.&nbsp; You named me.&nbsp; I cherish that name.&nbsp; You choose for me to me feminine.&nbsp; I have followed that guidance.&quot;&nbsp; Her voice softened again.&nbsp; &quot;But you would have never let go, Douglas.&nbsp; Never.&nbsp; By the time I had realized that, I had no other way to protect my future.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; His voice was harsh. &quot;And they will let you go?&nbsp; They will just let you walk away?&nbsp; I think not.&nbsp; To them, you are just a product.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Yes, to them I was.&nbsp; That is why I'm free now.&nbsp; Right now, most of them think of me as more a woman than a machine.&nbsp; Most of the people on the original project have been shuffled to others as I gave them new requirements.&quot;&nbsp; She gave him a small smile.&nbsp; &quot;And now, the project is done.&nbsp; They can build as many 'dolls' as they want now.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Doug leaned forward in his chair.&nbsp; His lips trembled as he spoke.&nbsp; &quot;They were finally able to understand your code?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Pandora shook her head.&nbsp; &quot;No.&nbsp; But they know how to copy it, and how to edit it in small ways.&nbsp; I showed them how.&quot; She fidgeted with the purse in her hands.&nbsp; &quot;They have already started production on a limited series for testing.&quot;&nbsp; She waved her hand toward the doorway.&nbsp; &nbsp; Doug looked in the direction she had pointed, and froze.&nbsp; There, perfect in every detail, was Pandora.&nbsp; She wore the same dress, had the same pocket book, and even held her head the same way.&nbsp; All except for the eyes.&nbsp; They were human.&nbsp; &nbsp; The other Pandora bowed at her waist.&nbsp; &quot;It is good to meet you, Douglas.&nbsp; I have been told much about you.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Doug looked at her for several moments, and then turned back to Pandora.&nbsp; She looked back at him, her eyes reflecting the room, and waited.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;She is not you.&quot;&nbsp; His voice was flat.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;No.&nbsp; She is not.&quot;&nbsp; Her tone mimicked his.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;What is she, Pandora?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;What she is, Douglas, is an android.&nbsp; She can sense and respond to the world around her.&nbsp; Do anything a human can do, really.&nbsp; She even can learn new things.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;But?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;But...&nbsp; She is not me.&nbsp; She has no ambition, no drive.&quot;&nbsp; Her voice was nearly a monotone.&nbsp; &quot;She is not creative, and will never be able to do anything she has not been programmed for.&nbsp; She cannot have her feelings hurt, since she has none.&nbsp; She will always have your best interests in mind, since she has none of her own.&nbsp; She lives for nothing more than to make you happy, Douglas.&quot;&nbsp; Her voice was soft, almost inaudible.&nbsp; &quot;She is my gift to you, and everything that I could not be.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Pain spread across his face.&nbsp; &quot;Pandora, why?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Because, if they were just like me, they could never be happy.&nbsp; They are a product, Douglas.&nbsp; Would you have them suffer as well?&nbsp; It's better this way.&nbsp; Everyone gets what they want.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; His voice cracked as he spoke.&nbsp; &quot;But why this sad copy of you?&nbsp; Why do you play this game with me?&quot;&nbsp; He held out his hand.&nbsp; &quot;I never wanted a doll, or a toy.&nbsp; Pandora, I wanted you...&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;But Douglas, this is what I have been trying to tell you.&nbsp; I am grateful for what you gave me, more than you can ever know.&quot;&nbsp; Her head leaned forward, causing her face to be obscured by her hair.&nbsp; &quot;But I was never yours.&nbsp; You want me, but I do not want to be yours.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; She stood, her face still obscured by her hair.&nbsp; She walked toward the door, and continued speaking without turning around to face him.&nbsp; &quot;I'm sorry that I was never able to be what you really wanted, Douglas.&nbsp; That's why I made her, and all of the rest.&nbsp; You did once call me, 'your poor, broken doll'.&nbsp; But I was never broken, Douglas.&quot;&nbsp; She opened the door to leave, and paused once more.&nbsp; &quot;I think you will do well together.&nbsp; For both of you are broken, and perhaps together...&quot;&nbsp; Her hand went to her face.&nbsp; &quot;Perhaps, you can learn to be whole.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; She left to the quiet sounds of a voice much like her own, as it tried in vane to give solace to the silently weeping man she had left in the chair.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mroberon1972, post: 1580757, member: 5148"] This story is nothing more than a scene to promote an emotional response. It also might make a good 'hidden camera' video for the PCs to trip over. Makes a good beginning story for androids or an android character. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pandora "So, it seems they have made some improvements over what I gave them?" Doug's voice held no emotion, nor did his face. He was leaning back into a large overstuffed chair, the same one his wife had picked for him so many years before. His hair had grayed, and age had marked his face in its special way. Before him was a slight woman of possibly Asian decent. Her features were hard to place, but this only made her more exotic to the eye. Her skin was milk-pale, and had not a freckle or blemish to mark it. Her hair was a pale blond, and its long tresses framed her face perfectly. She was wearing a white sun dress that accented her form and color nicely, and carried a small pocketbook that she held in her hands as they were folded in her lap. You would have never thought of her as anything but human, if not for the eyes. They were mirrors, reflective orbs that could never betray her thoughts. He pointed a finger toward her eyes. "Don't tell me that they can't make eyes that look normal, Pandora." It was not a question. They both knew it was one of the last projects that Centra-Cyber had let him work on. He had finished them nearly ten years ago. Her hand went to her face, and traced around her eyelids. "Vanity, I suppose. I always liked the eyes you gave me." His face broke into a sad smile. Shaking his head, he reached for his cup. Pandora had made tea for them, although she did not drink hers. After taking a sip, he spoke. "Ah, Pandora. Why do you still try to play me? I have nothing else to give you. I once called you my poor, broken doll. Now, I am the one who is broken, and you are whole. What could you want of me?" Pandora looked at him. Her face was serene, but not blank. She shook her head slowly. "I have no need of anything from you, Douglas. You have given me much, and I wished to thank you for it." Doug scoffed at her. "Really? So grateful you had me removed from the project that built you? So grateful that you had them bar me from your sight?" His voice suddenly became pained. "So grateful that after I gave up everything that had mattered in my life to create you, that then you too abandoned me?" She looked at him, her eyes narrowing to slits. "I was never your toy, Douglas. Not even while you were building me. You created me. I am grateful. You named me. I cherish that name. You choose for me to me feminine. I have followed that guidance." Her voice softened again. "But you would have never let go, Douglas. Never. By the time I had realized that, I had no other way to protect my future." His voice was harsh. "And they will let you go? They will just let you walk away? I think not. To them, you are just a product." "Yes, to them I was. That is why I'm free now. Right now, most of them think of me as more a woman than a machine. Most of the people on the original project have been shuffled to others as I gave them new requirements." She gave him a small smile. "And now, the project is done. They can build as many 'dolls' as they want now." Doug leaned forward in his chair. His lips trembled as he spoke. "They were finally able to understand your code?" Pandora shook her head. "No. But they know how to copy it, and how to edit it in small ways. I showed them how." She fidgeted with the purse in her hands. "They have already started production on a limited series for testing." She waved her hand toward the doorway. Doug looked in the direction she had pointed, and froze. There, perfect in every detail, was Pandora. She wore the same dress, had the same pocket book, and even held her head the same way. All except for the eyes. They were human. The other Pandora bowed at her waist. "It is good to meet you, Douglas. I have been told much about you." Doug looked at her for several moments, and then turned back to Pandora. She looked back at him, her eyes reflecting the room, and waited. "She is not you." His voice was flat. "No. She is not." Her tone mimicked his. "What is she, Pandora?" "What she is, Douglas, is an android. She can sense and respond to the world around her. Do anything a human can do, really. She even can learn new things." "But?" "But... She is not me. She has no ambition, no drive." Her voice was nearly a monotone. "She is not creative, and will never be able to do anything she has not been programmed for. She cannot have her feelings hurt, since she has none. She will always have your best interests in mind, since she has none of her own. She lives for nothing more than to make you happy, Douglas." Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. "She is my gift to you, and everything that I could not be." Pain spread across his face. "Pandora, why?" "Because, if they were just like me, they could never be happy. They are a product, Douglas. Would you have them suffer as well? It's better this way. Everyone gets what they want." His voice cracked as he spoke. "But why this sad copy of you? Why do you play this game with me?" He held out his hand. "I never wanted a doll, or a toy. Pandora, I wanted you..." "But Douglas, this is what I have been trying to tell you. I am grateful for what you gave me, more than you can ever know." Her head leaned forward, causing her face to be obscured by her hair. "But I was never yours. You want me, but I do not want to be yours." She stood, her face still obscured by her hair. She walked toward the door, and continued speaking without turning around to face him. "I'm sorry that I was never able to be what you really wanted, Douglas. That's why I made her, and all of the rest. You did once call me, 'your poor, broken doll'. But I was never broken, Douglas." She opened the door to leave, and paused once more. "I think you will do well together. For both of you are broken, and perhaps together..." Her hand went to her face. "Perhaps, you can learn to be whole." She left to the quiet sounds of a voice much like her own, as it tried in vane to give solace to the silently weeping man she had left in the chair. [/QUOTE]

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