Mechanical Girl Blues
The woman strode through the upper floor of the house, reaching the elevator in a few moments. A card swiped through the reader opened the door and she pressed the button for the sub-basement level as she wondered what her research partner ad friend might want. She emerged into the lab with a spring in her step only to slow to a stop, gazing at what awaited her.
It hung there in the web of cables and conduits, the steel alloy skeleton of what might one day become a human being. From a distance it looked just like a human skeleton, it was only as you drew closer that you saw the shades of metal alloy and mechanical joints, the segments fused together to make the familiar shapes.
"You know, I almost can't believe you're doing this," Heather said in awe, her golden hair falling over she shoulders and down to the top of her breasts. She wore simple clothes, a plain black skirt and top, but carried them off with style.
"Love, I've been working for this on paper for years," Nina softly answered. She pushed her wheelchair forward a bit, easily weaving her way through the lab equipment over to her partner's side. Her glasses shone in the light, almost as much as the glossy sheen of her brown hair, and her white shirt and pants were still spotless.
Heather blushed faintly at the endearment. Nina had been calling her things like that for almost as long as she knew her, and she was never that sure how to take them. "I didn't know you were any where near physical reality, though," she commented, circling the skeleton thoughtfully, "How will it move?"
"She," Nina corrected. She continued calmly, "I have a hybrid approach in mind, using artificially grown tissue accompanied by miniature mechanical motors."
"You're going for a human appearance?" Heather raised a eyebrow as she cautioned, "You know the scientific community won't like that."
"The scientific community," Nina said frankly, "can go hang."
Heather chuckled softly, "I love the way you tell it like it is."
Nina shrugged slightly as she waved, "There's not a lot they can do to me, really. I'm already considered something of an outcast for my thoughts on post-humanism."
"True enough," Heather looked down at her thoughtfully, considering how best to ask the next question. "You told me about your doctor's visit," she started, "is that why...?"
Nina rolled forward a bit more, reaching out to touch the smooth metal. "Yes, my doctor has confirmed that I can't have children," she acknowledged the fact calmly, "both my parents are dead and my younger brother is gone, too." A soft sigh, "Yeah, I think part of it is just wanting something of me to... carry on."
"As long as you know that's part of why you're doing it," Heather smiled.
"Always the psychologist," Nina grumped.
"I have to use my college minor for something," Heather shrugged. She gave Nina a smile, "So what can I do to help?"
Nina's face lit up with a relieved smile, and Heather again was struck by how beautiful the other woman could be. "Thank you," she said, turning her chair to look up at Heather with twinkling eyes, "I was hoping you'd say that."
Heather chuckled, "I don't know about that look on your face...."
"Oh don't worry," Nina lead the way over to the work benches around the outside of the room, "when have I led you wrong?"
"I seem to recall a night in jail," Heather replied dryly.
"That was a special circumstance," Nina defended herself, "and we were both drunk when I talked you into flashing that police officer."
"True enough," Heather acknowledged, sitting down on her chair even as Nina smoothly slid into place beside her.
"You've had some experience in visual design and engineering," Nina said as she used a monitor to call up schematics, "I need help in figuring out how to get the sort of look I want for her using the systems I've already designed."
Heather felt a stab of pleasure as they bent over the console, Nina's face lit by the eagerness of a scientist happily at work. "I think I can see how I can help," she agreed, reaching out to highlight the face and how the artificial muscles were configured.
Nina was reaching for the controls, too, and their hands brushed together. A faint blush colored her cheeks but Nina was calm as she watched Heather reconfigure the layout to allow realistic expressions. "You really are good," she agreed.
"Thank you." Heather was also blushing.
They worked together for many hours, losing track of time as Heather and Nina went over the designs, layering simulated flesh over projected musculature to crate a body that would look as close as possible to a natural human.
Nina yawned softly, peering at the time on the corner of her computer screen. "You aren't going to believe the time," she said sheepishly.
Heather stretched, likely unaware of how it pulled her shirt tightly across her breasts. "I think I can guess," she rubbed the back of her neck, "from the crick I'm getting if nothing else." She got up, wincing at the feel of her knees, "So how badly stocked is your fridge?"
"Huh?" Nina blinked, diverted from what she had been thinking about.
Heather gave her a fond smile to say, "Well, it's that or order take out." After saving their work she went behind Nina's chair and began to push her to push her towards the elevator, "Do you want to cook or I?"
"I take it you're staying over?" Nina asked impishly as they went into the lift, rising to the house above them.
Heather chuckled, "I'm inviting myself."
"Good," Nina said with another of those flashing grins, "then you get to cook."
"Are you still living on TV dinners and takeout?" Heather asked as she gently pushed her out onto the living room floor.
"I do cook occasionally," Nina protested with as much dignity as she could muster. Which wasn't much, considering how often Heather had been over here and seen the inside of her fridge.
"Yeah," Heather laughed, "when you're trying to impress a date." She opened the freezer first, pulling out the burgers, then retrieved onions and tomatoes from the bottom. "How did things work out with the last girl you had over?" she asked.
Nina blushed brightly, remembering how Heather had innocently used her key to enter and walked in on her and a pretty young thing making out on the couch. More exactly the lady had been performing oral sex on Nina, while she had gaped in surprise at the equally stunned Heather. "We're not seeing each other any more," Nina admitted.
"I don't think I've ever seen you blush that way," Heather remarked, a blush on her cheek s she put the heat on the stove and dropped two burgers in.
Nina rolled over to where Heather stood by the counter, chopping onion and tomato, "I'm sorry you had to see that." She smiled up at her hesitantly as she reached out to rest her hand on Heather's once she stopped, "I hope it didn't make you too uncomfortable?"
"I knew that you were into girls before," Heather pointed out to her, meeting Nina's warm eyes with her own.
"That doesn't mean you weren't uncomfortable," Nina said gently.
"No, it didn't bother me," Heather said, her voice soft. A faint smile, "If I'm going to be honest, I think it was the first time I saw you as a sexual being."
Nina rolled her eyes at that. "I thought I was pretty sexy," she sighed.
Heather shifted her grip, squeezing Nina's hand, "It's not that, it's just that you're...."
"Disabled?" Nina asked a bit coldly.
"No," Heather shook her head, "detached. When we're working I think of how intelligent you are not... your body."
"Gee, thanks," Nina sighed, but she was still smiling. She looked over at Heather impishly, "You mean you never noticed me?"
"I think I'm just digging myself deeper here," Heather sighed. Changing the subject she asked, "Have you decided on a name for her?"
"Terri," Nina said thoughtfully, "I was thinking about Terri."
"I like that," Heather said thoughtfully, setting the burgers on a plate and carrying them over to the table with buns, condiments and toppings.
"Good," Nina rolled over beside her. She batted her eyes, "You really didn't notice me?"
"Nina!"
"What?" Nina tried to look innocent.
End
Notes: If you've read my story "Passing" in Yuri Monogatari II from ALC publications, you'll know who Terri is. I wanted to look into her background a bit, as well as trying to write a disabled character. Not sure if I was quite successful....
Deviant Hearts Archive | Back to main index