K1MB3RLY M84U Pt. 01

As she lowered herself to exit the podium a loud crack emanated from within her un-maintained chassis. Her left knee buckled inwards as its primary stabilization actuator blew out completely, and with a sharp pop she crumpled forwards. Her gyroscopic subsystem crashed under the sudden influx of errors and aberrant data streams. She buckled forward and fell off the elevated podium awkwardly.

She smashed into the smooth cement floor with head first and her hands outstretched. Her wrists snapped in half with the utterly inhuman sound of fracturing carbon fiber, bending plastic, and scraping metal. She tried to change position, a litany of newly broken components clattering inside her petite frame. With her mouth un-moving her vocal synthesizer continued, "I'll be right back! I'll be right back! I'll be right back! I'll be right back! I'll be right-right-right-right-riw#$$*$..." Her voice fizzled out as several arcs of electricity ran up and down her body frying every electrical component in its path.

As the the surge of electricity ceased, light wisps of white smoke bellowed out from the wrecked synthetic beauty. She twitched and spasmed at irregular intervals as more and more circuit boards shorted out and electrical subsystems triggered erroneously.

Arthur felt pity for the poor display bot. He jumped down from the podium and stepped over her where he pressed the recessed button behind her ear, turning her off. Her movements and noises stopped immediately aside for the occasional crackling overloaded circuitry. Standing over her he began to notice the smell of ozone, melted silicon, and charred plastic. The stench stung his nostrils as he leaned down to examine the damage up close. Both of the floor-model Kimberly's wrists had been sheared in half, only the embedded mesh network of her sub-dermal sensory array connected the top of her hands to her wrist. Next, Arthur turned his attention to the display Kimberly's head, which was cocked sideways at an inhuman angle. A mangled servo-rod and a knot of frayed wiring protruded through the SynthSkin near her delicate collarbone.

Arthur stepped away from the pile of ruined sexbot. The acrid smell was becoming too much for him, making his eyes sting and his nose burn. He walked back over to his own Kimberly, who still stood motionless, in the exact spot he left her. Running his hands through his hair he spoke, "I didn't know you were so fragile. You should have told me!"

He pulled her close taking in her familiar plasticky scent. "Ugh I need you turned on real bad Kim." With deft hands he removed her Dermal Lumbar Panel and carefully set it aside. He then triggered her manual charging cord release as he had only just been taught and dragged her closer to the podium. He savored her rubbery softness in his hands as he leaned her against the short wall of the podium, facing away from the carnage of her now defunct twin. He un-spooled the cord, unfolded the plug, and connected her to the same power supply he had seen display Kimberly disconnect from only moments ago. He leaned around her back, verified the first LED was yellow and that she was charging properly. He patted her on the shoulder and slowly moved out of the store gathering his thoughts about what had just happened.

-- --

Arthur walked through the meandering walkways of the mall silently, the soft tap of his boots on the faux ceramic tiling the only sound filling the vacant halls. The relic of pre-invasion capitalism was dark, only the regular intervals of skylights made the labyrinthine consumer maze of hallways, corridors, food courts, and shops navigable.

He checked through the food court thoroughly for several minutes. Most everything had rotted, spoiled, or had been already scavenged. But, he managed to find a handful of cans filled with soups and a couple bottles of water. He put everything in his large backpack and carried on, moving towards the sporting goods store that the map directory showed as being at the far end of the mall.

After passing a seemingly endless number of clothing, toy, and appliance shops, Arthur finally found himself in front of his destination. Heavy steel doors had been pulled down over what Arthur assumed were glass windows. However, the chains locking the double set of entrance doors had been cut. Somebody or something had been here.

He stepped inside cautiously and quietly, crouching low with bent knees and a ducked head. Dim lights flickered at the far end of the store. Large skylights caked with snow filled the space with immense flat light.

"Guns & Ammo" signage pointed towards the far corner of the store. Arthur headed that direction, guns and ammo were the main priority of this trip aside for getting Kimberly a full charge.

His thoughts wondered to her. He felt her soft curves in his hands, her toned body underneath his own. He could smell the slight plasticky scent of her skin and the formulated juices of her sex. He could hear her delicate voice echoing through his head.

With a quickly stiffening erection and Kimberly on his mind, Arthur stopped, tucking his member behind his waistband. He realized he was walking directly towards the women's winter attire section.

He wanted to conserve space in his bag for necessities and he knew that Kimberly's resilient chassis did not require cold weather gear, but a nagging feeling in the back of his head prompted Arthur to pick out at least one temperature appropriate outfit for Kimberly. So, he jogged over to the store's camping section and quickly grabbed a durable looking charcoal gray travel backpack before running back.

Unsure of her size and fit, Arthur just decided to go with small, he whispered to himself, "I mean they're either gonna fit too tight or they will fit perfectly..." he grinned, "...either way, I win." He grabbed an insulated pair of snow-white leggings and a matching long-sleeve athletic top. They looked warm, ultra flexible, and like they would camouflage well with their winter surroundings.

Arthur instinctively grabbed a fuchsia-pink deep V push-up sports bra and matching sports thong for Kimberly. He chuckled knowing both articles would be easily visible through the white leggings and top, "I mean I'm the only one that's gonna see these anyways."

He then found a pack of simple black athletic socks and a charcoal-gray pair of thick-soled waterproof boots. Once again he was unsure of her size and just defaulted to grabbing a pair one step down from the median.

He finished up his clothing haul with a slim yet practical furry beige jacket for Kimberly. After shoving it all in the new bag, he continued on towards the 'Guns and Ammo' section.

As he approached the somewhat concealed firearms department, his hairs stood on edge; he grimaced as the familiar stench of both human and strider decay floated into his nostrils. He found the translucent multi-colored gleam of strider blood first. He kicked the source of the blood, a dried out alien husk, with his foot and it didn't move. He exhaled sharply, he could feel his heart beating through his chest. The dried blood meant the attack had occurred long before his arrival.

The deep leathery brown skin of the strider husk caught his attention, its tendril appendages had shriveled up. The entire carcass was about half the size as normal, a result of it being completely void of all internal moisture that had poured onto the floor.

Arthur eyed the ammunition for his two sidearms just behind the un-moving alien remains. He pinched his nose, and wincing, reached over the husk to grab several boxes of each ammo type. Gagging, he shoved them in his bag and stumbled away.

Around a narrow row of shelves the thick scent of decaying strider dissipated. Taking in several deep breaths, Arthur regained his composure. He looked up and down the aisle that had been picked clean of all firearms and almost all ammunition. He paced back and forth between the shelves several times, each time looking more and more carefully for the rifle bullets he desperately needed.

He gave the plastic storage rack closest to him a frustrated shove. It wobbled. Grunting, he hit it harder. It wobbled violently and two plastic boxes slid off the shelf knocking him on the head.

"OWW!"

He looked down at his two cubic assailants and grinned; 128 rounds of his particular rifle ammunition were staring him right in the face.

Arthur did a Hail Mary and pointed to the sky. The arrival of extraterrestrial aliens on Earth may have fried his previous religious views, but he had since found a renewed sense of faith in some distant cosmic deity that he felt constantly reigning over him.

He grabbed the two boxes of ammo and tossed them into his bag.

With a skip in his step, he made his way out of the store and back towards Kimberly.

-- --

Sneaking back into the Avant Robotics store Arthur found Kimberly halfway charged, 16 of her 32 battery indicator LEDS lit up green, 1 yellow, and the remaining 15 red. He decided he should let her re-energize as much as possible before leaving, so he took a detailed tour of the fembot showroom.

He spotted a banner in the corner of the shop labeled 'Power Management' and walked over. In front of a shelf filled with electronics were several chairs of differing styles, a small twin bed, and what looked like an ironing board cut in half and stood up on its side. Arthur peered at a plaque next to an expensive looking leather arm chair.

/'Avant Robotics - Induction Charging Living Room Ready Arm Chair' - $3,500.00

Have your Companion-Bot charge discreetly and in luxury. Compatible with Tessa_M84U, Natalia_M84U, and Kimberly_M84U Companion-Bot models, this elegantly designed all leather arm chair is equipped with embedded dual induction charger coils capable of quickly re-charging your Companion-Bot. Without the need for messy charging cables the Induction Charging Living Room Ready Arm Chair is perfect for owners who anticipate having friends or family over for extended periods of time and want to keep their M84U Companion-Bot functioning flawlessly and realistically throughout the entire visit!'

Please see store attendant for all electrical specifications, and installation questions.\

Arthur noticed each piece of furniture had a similar plaque near it describing its function and operation. He whispered to himself, "Hmmm don't think we can make use of this at the library.

He looked past the furniture to the shelving behind. There his eyes quickly found two items that could be of immediate benefit to Kimberly and himself. He grabbed both of them impulsively and pulled them closer to read.

The first item, about the size of a tissue box read

/'Avant Robotics - External Power Brick' - $300.00

Compatible with all Avant Robotics models, this simply designed charger pack can easily be brought on-the-go for discrete charging of your personal fembot ANYTIME and ANYWHERE. When fully charged, the External Power Brick can supply over 2.5 full recharges for your personal fembot with the reliability and consistency you come to assume from Avant Robotics.

Please see store attendant for more External Power Brick specifications.\

The second item was about the size of a cereal box and read

/'Avant Robotics - Mobile Solar Charging Station' - $1,200.00

Compatible with direct charging of all Avant Robotics models and External Power Brick, the Mobile Solar Charging Station is ultra portable and can be easily unfolded allowing for charging anywhere the sun is shining. Perfect for campers, survivalists, and for keeping your bot running during those pesky rolling blackouts. Take your fembot with you OFF THE GRID!

Please see store attendant for more Mobile Solar Charging Station specifications.\

Arthur shoved both boxes into his bag and continued walking the perimeter of the store. He picked up a couple mechanical grease cartridge specifically made for the completely redesigned internal mechanical oilers of the Kimberly_M84U model line. He supposed he would just ask Kimberly to tell him when she needed the replacement.

In large, neatly stacked jugs, Arthur found some Avant Robotics M84U All Purpose Emulation Fluid. Remembering Kimberly's comment from earlier regarding her low fluid levels, he picked up a jug and set it next to her. He almost stuffed the extra jug into the new backpack before stopping. He pulled out all of the clothes and shoes out of the bag and sat them down on the side opposite Kimberly. He shoved the extra jug into the bag, which was quickly reaching its carrying capacity; Arthur determined he could save room by having Kimberly change into her new outfit before they left.

Casually continuing his stroll around the shop, while Kimberly further recharged, Arthur passed another tantalizing display model. This one was dressed in a silver low-cut sequined mini-dress that glimmered brilliantly. She had long blonde hair that flowed past her shoulders and bright emerald green eyes. She was positioned leaning over a bar top. Her generous cleavage was slightly glossy, spilling onto the flat false marble surface. She was stunning, almost impossibly pretty.

Next to her was another plaque, it read

/'Avant Robotics - Natalia_M84U Companion-Bot - Benevolent Series [REFURBISHED] - $22,000.00.'

As the predecessor to the Kimberly_M84U Companion-Bot, Natalia shares over 93% functionality in common with her younger sister and at half the price!

Natalia_M84U sports a completely redesigned main processing bus that, in combination with overhauled improvisational behavior subroutines, allows her to engage socially and hold conversation so realistically that even your parents won't realize she's a bot!

Utilizing the same induction charging hardware pioneered on the Tessa_M84U Companion Bot model line, Natalia_M84U is capable of charging discreetly through the SynthSkin of her upper thighs. Through any fabric of clothes, Natalia_M84U can fully charge just by sitting down on an easily concealable induction charging mat!

With 15 body types, 15 facial templates, and thousands of customization options at your fingertips, YOU can design Natalia_M84U as YOU see fit. Our 5th generation SynthSkin is ultra realistic, and with Avant's industry renowned sex-ware, "Any Moment Looks Good On An Avant Natalia_M84U."

Please see store attendant for Natalia_M84U specifications.\

There was a large red button embedded beneath the plaque labeled 'Demo Mode'. Arthur pushed it down, curious to see Kimberly's preceding model in action.

POP! The Natalia unit's head shot up abruptly. She focused her eyes on Arthur and blinked them lazily. "Hi! What's your name sugar?" Her simple, confident voice was tinged with a southern accent.

"Oh, I'm uhh Arthur."

"Well nice to meet you Ar-Ar-Ar..." Natalia's face screwed up wildly as the thousands of embedded control mechanisms interpreted a bevy of errant electrical signals before quickly recovering. "...Arthur!"

She pressed herself further into the bar top, her soft, pliable breasts flattening against the flat surface. She batted her expertly crafted eyelashes at Arthur, staring at him with programmed allure.

"So Arthur, do you want to come up here? You're allowed to touch me you know?"

"Uh sure." Arthur stepped up onto the podium. The unit was smaller than he had initially noticed, he guessed she would only come up to his shoulders, even in her exaggerated heels.

With a whir of servos and a realistic bounce of her ample bosom, the display Natalia pushed herself up and off the counter top to face Arthur. "Here." She confidently grabbed both of Arthur's wrists, guiding one hand onto a breast and the other underneath the hem of her mini-dress onto the bare spongy posterior of her perfectly round left buttock. "Touch me here."

Arthur squeezed, feeling the plastic and silicone flesh of her erogenous regions slightly bend and deform under his firm grasp.

Hundreds of micro-sensors, tuned to detect the slightest change in pressure, flooded Natalia's main processing core with the stimulating data.

"Ju-Ju-Ju-Ju-Ju..." The display bot briefly glitched again. Her face contorted bizarrely for a moment before a cluster of fast-acting internal debuggers rectified the issue. "..Just like that." Her inviting smile and alluring eyes immediately returned to their pre-malfunction positions. Arthur was impressed at how quickly her facial actuators could change the expression on her pretty face.

He renewed his attention to the blemishless SynthSkin that he gripped in his hands. He glided his hand down to her smooth upper thigh and pulled back in searing pain. The surface was burning hot.

"Uhh Natalia. I think there's a problem with one of your batteries. Your thigh is burning hot!"

She pulled back and winked at Arthur, slightly swaying in her new position. "People just love my long legs. Some say they're my [hottest] feature." She ran her manicured hands from her hips down to her knees.

"No Natalia! Your legs are scalding. I think something is wrong!"

Her face paused for a moment, giving her processing core time to incorrectly parse meaning from his statement. In a single fluid motion, she pivoted 180 degrees and bent forward dramatically, displaying her perfectly round ass to him. "Oh Arthur, you should know there's nothing wrong with scalding me! I like it when you treat me rough!" She then leaned forward even deeper, knowingly exposing the delicate pink lips of her plastic pussy.

Arthur instinctively moved in and grabbed Natalia's haunches, her engineered magnetism drawing him in. Arthur recoiled and jumped backwards. The surface of both thighs were now even hotter than before.

"Natalia you should turn yourself off. There's something wrong with your batteries!"

She remained frozen for several seconds as her processing core again erroneously interpreted his statement. Standing completely still she looked doll-like, fragile, and inhuman.

Natalia turned her head back over her shoulder, "Oh you're not turning me off Ar-Ar-Ar-Arthur. Quite the contrary actually! My ba-ba-ba-batteries are fully charged, and if you come back over here I'll show you what I'm really designed for!"

Arthur knew the bot was obviously malfunctioning. In an attempt to save her he stepped off the podium and pressed the red button that had originally activated her. He hoped it would have the reverse effect and shut her down this time.

He was wrong. Pressing the button sent another stream of electricity directly through Natalia's power management subsystem. The raw current overwhelmed her few remaining functional parallel resistor banks and ran directly into her graphene batteries.

Arthur watched in horror as each one failed catastrophically. With a roaring bang the battery embedded within Natalia's glossy left thigh exploded, bursting open a well camoflauged access panel. It hung open on its hinge as dark black smoke billowed out of the hole. The battery installed within Natalia's athletic right thigh caught fire internally. The intense heat began melting away her SynthSkin, exposing the complex array of wires, hydraulic tubing, pneumatic hose, and metallic framework that made up her upper leg.

Arthur stepped forward and smothered the fire with a rug underfoot. The crackling of electrical fire stopped and the flow of thick black smoke eased. He coughed several times, several mouthfuls of the acrid vapors stinging his throat.

He looked at the display Natalia's face one more time. It was nothing if not serene, albeit stuck with a look of bewilderment and surprise. Her shiny, ruby lips were still parted elegantly, plump as ever. He patted her gently on the small of her back, "I didn't know you were all so fragile. Sorry about that."

Moving further around the store, Arthur found several small packages of dice-sized cubes labeled 'Avant Robotics - M84U All Purpose Emulation Mineral Block'. They were advertised with the slogan "Resupply every two weeks to keep all of your M84U's fluids chemically stable with balanced pH for her function and your enjoyment!" He shoved a handful of the packets into the last remaining crevice of his bag and moved on.