Plain Jane Ch. 13

The bullet when it hit slammed into her and Jane was knocked back and fell to the ground. "Fuck me..." she moaned. "How bad," she gasped. She knew the bullet blew through the vest like it was tissue paper and into her before stopping. Sitting up and holding her middle she waved at Kim, "I'm okay Kimmy... just winded." She got up slowly and staggered forward and worried that the voice in her head was not replying to her mental questions. Getting close enough to talk in normal tones she said, "I need to add padding before we continue."

Reaching the edge of the patio she said, "Someone fix up some lunch and the rest of you ravish Kevin." As they started going in Jane added, "Stay back a bit Joanna and Kimmy." She made it to one of the chairs and sat heavily, one arm holding onto her chest. "Kimmy, I want you design a half inch thick Non-Newtonian fluid padding with the nanites. Perhaps instead of the cloth weave it would give both padding and armor. See what you can come up with."

Once she was alone with Joanna, Jane looked at the girl who was kneeling with her head lowered. "Little bit, why are you so angry?"

"I don't know Mistress," Joanna replied not looking up.

"Joanna, I have one rule that matters to me. No lies." She paused and then added, "Before I go... I want to understand and help you past your rage."

"Go?" Joanna asked looking up. That's when she saw the ragged hole in the armor and silver liquid covering Jane's hand and down her front. "You're hurt," she gasped.

"I'm dying. So talk fast pet. I don't want to be forced into editing your memories. Tell me Joanna, one woman to another." Jane said. Mentally she added, "Keep me alive long enough to help her."

"Mistress, jail was not fun... I was thrown in it without a trial on trumped up charges. I was raped repeatedly, lived on bread and water... without toilet paper or a way to clean up." Joanna said softly looking down.

"Just because some men were bad, does not make all bad. All four that I consider my own are good men. Tommy, fought for me after meeting me for half an hour. Rachel was a damn good friend as a male back in college. Carol became my best male friend in Miami. Kevin, though a fed, fought to free you on my behalf. So dear you see they are all good people." She paused a long moment and added, "I know it doesn't make up for what happened to you. I'm sorry."

"Mistress..." Joanna said looking up. "Will you edit my memories? Wipe them away so I can be happy once more? I feel so unclean."

Signing Jane said, "Yes pet." She paused, "Access unit memories."

"Unit ready," came Joanna's voice in a monotone.

"Search for all time spent in jail and set emotional impact to one." Jane paused and then added, "Joanna, I refuse to remove them from you. They are what makes you who you are."

"search completed... one hundred and forty-seven entries... emotional impact set at one... Unit understands mother. Unit begs mother not to die and leave her alone." Joanna's eyes cleared and she said, "Please let me help you mother." Without waiting she reached out and gripped Jane's leg and began the transfer of her nanites to her mother / Mistress.

"We are here to help," Jane heard a moment later in her mind. "Mother, system is corrupted and must be rebooted for complete healing."

"No," Jane replied mentally and a moment later added aloud. "Joanna, help me off with this armor." The girl helped it off her and Jane saw the wound now mostly closed in her lower chest. "Go get Susan and Lisa have them report to me. Then take the vest to Kimmy, she will need it to design the next version."

"As you command Mistress," Joanna said softly. She stood with the torn vest in her hand looking at the ragged hole for a long moment, "Mistress, may your girl speak plainly?"

"Yes Joanna. I always want you and your sisters to speak your mind. I may not listen but I will hear your voice."

"Mother, this unit knows you need to shut down to do a full repair. Why do you refuse?"

"Because if I shut down, when I return I will have lost the humanity that remains in me. I can't let that happen. Repairs will take much longer to complete but that which is Jane will remain." Jane replied simply.

"I disagree mother but bow to your wishes," Joanna replied. She hurried inside.

"Mother I can't repair you unless you allow me to. You will not disappear as your memories are not corrupted." The voice said in her mind.

"Do what you can. My decision stands." Jane commanded mentally. She saw Susan followed closely by Lisa come out. At the door she saw the other girls and Kevin gather to look at her with worry. "I see Joanna has a wagging tongue," she said under her breath.

"Mistress... You're hurt!" Susan said rushing up. It was worse than Joanna had said. She looked on in horror and worry at Jane's oozing wound and slick silver blood covering her black latex looking side.

"You think?" Jane replied. She pointed to the ground before her, stopping the pair from transferring nanites to her. She looked at Lisa, "Your figures for kinetic energy imparted at impact was off. That bullet went through the armor like it was not there. Find the error and give Kimmy the correct numbers for a point blank impact. I just as soon as not be gut shot three more times."

"You're not going to continue testing on yourself?" Lisa asked horrified.

"Kimmy still has one more shot and Margaret has two," Jane replied.

"Let me take the shots then Mistress," Susan said. "I'm replaceable, you're not."

"I'm already dead Susan." Jane said. "Before I go I need to make sure I get this done so you girls will be safe." She looked at Lisa, "Go get the numbers and get them to Kimmy. Tell her I want a good girl solution in six hours."

Lisa looking worried left unspeaking. Susan waited until it was just the two of them outside before speaking. "Jane will you allow me to do a shut down and reboot so I can show you that you will not lose what you think is important."

"Access unit." Jane commanded. "Daughter, I will not lose what you think is unimportant. Would you have me lose Jane?"

"Mother," Susan replied tonelessly. "Without you, we would shut down and dissemble."

"And if I order you not to?" Jane asked.

"We would still dissemble and since you are not around it would go unpunished." Susan paused and then added, "The person you know as Susan is only programmed memory and emotional responses. How can you lose what is already gone?"

"If what you say is true then I have already lost that which I cherish most of all and death is a blessing instead of a curse." Jane said. "Leave me Susan..." She stood and walked over to the table where the weapons sat waiting. Picking up the nine millimeter pistol she walked out into the desert. After a bit she sat cross-legged with her back to the house. She could feel their worry and fear but did not react other than look at the pistol.

After a while she heard someone come up behind her and knew it was a human male by his breath and heavy footsteps. "I figured there was something different about you Jane. I just didn't think it was that you were an android. Who made you?" Major Johns asked.

"Remember when I was shot? I used nanites with a simple line saying fix me on myself." Jane gave a short bark of laughter. "So I made myself and now due to a design flaw in my vest, I am dying. That is if I don't take the fast way out first."

"If you're dying then you can't be an android can you?"

"If you want it in simple terms my systems are corrupted and failing. In the end the system will reboot and I will lose my humanity." Jane looked down at the pistol. "That is all that is keeping me here. According to the others, what I call humanity is nothing more than programmed responses taken from memory banks and not important."

"Ouch..." he replied. "I'm sorry Jane."

"So am I..." Jane said sadly. "I hoped that by making a lighter and better vest I could salvage the mess I made. Instead I managed to kill Jane." She sobbed, "Fuck me..."

"Shut down Jane. I will help you find your humanity when you return." He said sitting behind her and wrapping his arms around her in a tender hug.

"Goodbye Little Bear... you're a good man." Jane said finally giving in. Her world went black as her higher functions shut down.

As he held her, Jane's functions shut down and she became a silver amorphous robotic form. After a minute a toneless robotic voice said, "Primary unit online, memory corrupted. Delete memory?"

"No!" he replied quickly. "Jane I know you're in there... come back please." When there was no sign that she heard him, he prayed, "Goddess, I know you don't listen to our plea's but this once help Jane, she is an android and lost her humanity in repairing herself. Please goddess, I'll pay any price you set. Just help Jane find her way back."

When after a few minutes there was no answer Major Johns held onto the silver body and rocked back and forth as he cried on the death of the woman he admired.

A young girl, no older than 20, wearing a pink latex school girl's outfit appeared before him and said, "The goddess is coming. She will make it right." On her heels were a pair of women both beautiful wearing trench coats over suits and fedoras. Next was an oriental woman wearing a kimono who had the most captivating green eyes and long black hair. Finally, a man and woman appeared together. They were both nude and drop dead gorgeous.

"Goddess?" Jack asked looking at the nude woman. "Please help Jane, she lost her way."

The woman's laughter was like music to his ears, "I'm not the one you seek young man. I am an interested party."

"Samantha's the goddess," the oriental woman said.

Continued in Sam Spade 19: Case of the Hidden Agenda... I plan on writing Jane's side of the same story but it is not ready to be published

And now for my disclaimers which were inspired by JimBob44 and acup. Thanks for the inspiration.

Yes, I never met a comma or ellipse I didn't like.

Yes, it jumps around too much.

Yes, it's in the wrong category.

Yes, it's too long.

Yes, it's too short.

Yes, this is stupid shit.

If you want a perfect story go find one written by Mr. Data.

And, yes, I suck.

Go have yourself a warm and fuzzy day.

BTW, you only get to comment on spelling and grammar if you are volunteering to be an editor. Those comments and rants will be deleted, you've been warned.

AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!