Her eyes were yellow. Not like she had jaundice, but the irises of her eyes were bright yellow, like there was an explosion frozen in time in each of her eyes. It was captivating, and made my heart catch a little bit to look at them. Or...maybe it was her soft lips, slightly pink against her skin, which was pale but speckled with what looked like freckles. Looking closely I could see them on her cheeks and nose, and even some on her bare shoulders.

She smiled bashfully and turned a little. She even blushed. "Stop staring so much, you're making me embarrassed," AEGIS said.

Rua didn't speak, at least not yet I guessed. The voice was still coming from AEGIS' box.

"Gosh you're pretty," Lia said, sounding simultaneously awestruck and envious. For all her brilliance and the things she could do, sometimes she was still such a high school girl.

"Thanks," AEGIS replied. "I can't take all the credit, Doctor Cross had a beautiful daughter.

"Who?"

"Not important. Please help me down...uh...Lia. Don't want to provoke a wardrobe malfunction. Can't go losing my clothes on the first day."

"I would never," I said.

"Riiiiiight," Lia of all people said. AEGIS just snickered.

Lia undid the bindings holding Rua onto the table and helped her to the floor.

"You're a lot heavier than you look," she said. "Sorry, is that offensive?"

"No. I guess it should be, but I am. Err, it is? She is?"

"I'm going to go with 'she', but it's weird to have her talking to us through you. Will probably not have that problem once you get comms working?"

"Eh yeah, about that. Well, never mind actually. You'll see."

"You're making a lot of spooky allusions today, AEGIS. One is usually my limit before I start getting really worried."

"It'll be fine. That's phase 2 anyway."

"Yeah, not convinced."

Lia finished tying up the loose ends of the sheet so that Rua had a vague dress on her and then stepped back and let her go. Very organically...impossible to tell from human even, Rua looked over her shoulder and smiled at Lia. Lia blushed and shifted, which was a little weird because she was basically dressed like a ninja, and fidgeting adorably wasn't something I thought of ninjas doing.

Rua turned back to me, and as she did, I noticed her cables--her hair, I guess?--were dragging all over her shoulders and sort of falling all over her.

"Here, let me help," I said, and picked up a couple of pieces of wire. The cables were long, went down past her waist, and were heavier than hair, but I tied them up in two bunches on either side of her head behind her ears, like AEGIS wore. With the muted orange color, she looked just like a blazing redhead.

"Thanks," she said, and grasped my hand, holding it in both of hers. It was soft as real skin, but warm, warmer even than me.

"AEGIS, I have to ask you something, I'm sorry if this is too frank."

"Sure. It's just a prototype, I can still make changes. I'd actually like your honest feedback."

"What the heck is this" I said and poked her in the boob. I felt embarrassed as it squished, and AEGIS yelped.

"Hey!" she said, stepping back and guarding herself. "What was that for?"

"These are ridiculous. No girl has a chest like this."

"Girls with artificial breasts do, and I'm all-artificial," she said smugly.

"Not even Karu's that large," Lia said.

"Really? I thought this was about how big she was," AEGIS asked.

"No way. I mean, maybe if you have boob envy you'd see it that way…" I added.

"I guess Athan would be the expert," AEGIS acknowledged, sadly.

"Yeah," Lia agreed thoughtfully.

What the heck. Why was I pegged as such a letch with these two? I hadn't done a damn thing to deserve this.

Except, I guess, that time I poked AEGIS in the boob.

"Isn't this a bit much though? I thought you wanted to be human, not...a porn star."

"Porn stars are humans! Don't pooh-pooh on my dreams of being a human porn star!"

"Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm joking. What, were you going to take out your credit chit and pre-order my first holo vid?"

"Anyway. Tone them down, please?"

"Are you s-u-u-u-re?" She asked, bending forward slightly, yellow eyes sparkling at me. I swallowed hard, the damn crack was like a gravity field, pulling my eyes into it no matter how hard I tried to fight.

"Okay, these need to go away," I said, pushing her back while still averting my gaze.

I guess the consequences of this should have been predictable, given how much of AEGIS' front those things composed, but somehow I never saw it coming as both my hands sunk into something(s) very soft and warm.

AEGIS let out a stifled moan and Rua shuddered, and then fell backwards, panting.

"Are you...did you…" I sputtered.

Lia slid into view behind AEGIS and gave me a thumbs-up. Not helpful, Lia.

"I seem to be…" AEGIS panted out "...a little sensitive. I had read that...the breasts were sensitive to touch…"

I was frozen, hands still hanging in the air. Lia was experimentally pushing on her own boobs. "Um, I guess, but not that much," she said. "I guess if you want a real woman's opinion, I can help out."

"No, that would be way too weird," I said. Lia looked at me confused. "Then every time...I mean...not that there will be...but hypothetically…"

"If he touches my boobs, it'll be based on touching your boobs, he means," AEGIS translated.

"Oh. EW." Lia did a weird spinning, stomping dance and shook the ick off of her. "Never mind, I'm staying the hell out of this one. Maybe you should just calibrate it based on what Athan likes if that's what you two are planning."

She shuddered another couple of times and then headed for the elevator.

"AEGIS, nice body. Love the booty. Keep up the good work!" she called.

"Thanks, Lia! I might have some less boob-related questions for you later."

"Kay!" Lia called.

"Lia, wait!" I said. She held the elevator door open. "Uh, where are you going?"

"Just on my holo," she pointed at her wrist. "Reception down here sucks."

"Um, I'll come with you."

"Nah. You guys should have fun," she said, like she was doing me a favor, and the elevator closed. Now I was left perilously alone with the resident pervert and her new overly-sensitive body. As soon as the door closed, a change came over Rua, her smile becoming sultry, her eyes half-lidded as she stepped towards me.

"You know...this is just a prototype. It's not full-featured. But...once I get the Mk.2 up...I intend it to be very full-featured, if you know what I mean."

I took a step backwards and tripped over DOG, who had again appeared seemingly from nowhere. I fell backwards and continued scooting away.

"Um, AEGIS? Mind uh, stepping back? It's getting a little...close...in here."

"Who me? I just wanted to thank you properly for everything you've done for me. I promised if we ever saw each other in person, I'd have a reward for my rescuer."

"And hey, wouldn't you know? You rescued yourself. I'll uh, leave you in privacy so you can...reward...yourself." I backed painfully into a large cut-up hunk of metal.

"Are you sure? It's just a machine, it'd just be some meaningless fun between us two. I wouldn't tell." AEGIS giggled, and as she did, the corners of Rua's eyes smiled at me adorably. She kneeled between my legs and sat smiling with her hands in her lap, still giving me those deadly bedroom eyes.

I wasn't sure how much self-control I had at the start of all this, but what remaining reason I did have was cracking. Shattering, more like. Dissolving into dust particles, more like. Rua was breathing heavily, though I wasn't sure why a robot needed that, and was blushing furiously her many freckles threatening to disappear into the pink covering her face. She was so adorable -- even reminding myself that if the breasts were any indication, she'd specifically designed this girl to be appealing wasn't slowing down my body's yearning.

Because...appealing wasn't the start of it. This girl/robot/thing was cute as fuck. What did that say about me? A robophile? She didn't even look like a robot, really, minus the eyes, hair, and the recessed dark circles on her elbows, shoulders, and knees.

"Is there any reason you don't want to?" AEGIS asked breathily.

"N-no. I'm just...I'm not sure I want to do that kind of thing unless we're...you know…"

"Want to go dating first?"

I nodded. "Athan, we're adults and it's just a little fun. When you put your hands on me, well, it was electric. I know you enjoy it too. Come on." She gave her 'hair' a little toss. "Besides, you can't exactly take me out to dinner and a movie out here, can you? We'll have to make our own fun."

She giggled and leaned forward, walking two of her fingers up my leg. I put my hand on hers. So warm.

I really had no idea what to do. Was this a sad way of getting my v-card revoked? Did a robot even count? But I would count AEGIS, she was human enough to me. At least, on the emotional end. But wasn't it the same as banging DOG?

That thought sounded simultaneously painful and impossible. I winced.

"No good?" she said.

"No! No. I mean, maybe. I don't know. I was just thinking of something else."

"Saga? Karu?" She was frozen, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of mine.

"No. Nothing like that."

"Well that's good. I might be an AI, but I'd still be pretty unhappy if you were thinking of one of them."

"I could never. I mean, look at you."

"Yeah, look at me!" she echoed, adorably pleased. "I'm so glad you like it. Wait until you see the finished product, she's going to rock your world." She emphasized it with a little wiggle of her butt, which was totally unnecessary given how much of a knot there already was in my stomach and how dry my throat was.

We sat there for a few moments, just looking at each other, waiting.

"Haha, this is awkward, isn't it?" I said.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend, Athan?" she asked.

"No, sorry."

"Yeah, I didn't think so. For future reference, when on a date, even if it's awkward, don't say so. That doesn't help."

"Have you ever been on a date?" I asked.

"No. But I did play a lot of dating sims for research purposes."

"Dating...sims? Video games?"

"Yeah."

"No wonder you're such a pervert. Aren't those games all about seducing girls so you can sleep with them?"

"No! Lots of them have a lot of heart. They have really engaging characters with their own stories and motivations, and you have to treat them respectfully but still be willing to be assertive for them to accept your love. And then there's all these weird scenarios based on the game, from being on their team while you fight aliens in space to everyday high school life. There's a complex ecosystem of balancing your time with the girl you like and your friends, keeping your character's stats or grades up. And then when the girls are friends, and they're so cute, ahh."

I wish real life sounded like that. I had the girls, but they were all crazy, and my weird scenarios involved a lot more death and gore than beauties and sex.

"So basically...you seduce the girls so you can sleep with them."

"You're just being mean."

"You have weird hobbies."

"You don't really mind," she said, Rua now climbing between my legs and putting her shoulder down between my knees so she could rest her head on my leg just above my knee. Her eyes were just so damn bright, it was crazy.

"No, I don't really mind. Obviously, you do what you want. It just explains a lot about your advances if you picked it up from video games. That's not how real life works."

"Isn't it?" she asked, reaching behind her back and fumbling with something. "Is this not working, in real life?" She undid the knot Lia tied and her dress was now just a sheet covering the body snaked between my legs.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

"AEGIS, you can't just tease a virgin like this. We've got limits."

"Who says I'm teasing?" she said, running a finger up and down the seam of my pant leg. My leg twitched.

"So...you...seriously, how to, um."

Rua's head began to slide slowly up my leg from my knee. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take. When she got to the awkward bulge in my pants, she reached for it and licked her lips hungrily.

I guess this was it for me. Hello, robophilia. You aren't the worst fetish, I guess.

I waited, and she never landed. She just hung there, completely stationary, leaning over me, her hand hovering inches away from me, frozen.

"AEGIS?" I asked, unsure what kind of foreplay this now was.

"Hang on. She crashed. Shouldn't have opened her mouth, my bad."

Thankfully the moment was gone and I could reassemble some of the shattered fragments of my willpower. I stood up, gently making sure not to knock the sheet off of Rua.

"I think...I'd better leave," I said.

"Wait, don't go! I'll have her back up in a minute."

"I'll uh, see you AEGIS! Please don't take this the wrong way, I just don't know if my heart is caught up to my--anyway, bye!" I spoke very fast as I headed for the elevator and sighed as it closed.

What was I doing? I had the opportunity of a lifetime in there. I didn't even know why I was trying to resist so much, except that AEGIS was pushing me so hard, and I was a stubborn asshole who always had to push back. I swore at myself and wondered if it was too late not to go back down.

Then the elevator door opened and sunlight poured in. I was about to hit the button to go back down when I saw a figure standing there, backlit by the sun. A figure with a suitcase? They must have just been...standing there, outside the door, waiting.

"Hello," said Karu, shifting uneasily. "I apologize for my sudden appearance, without warning, yet again." She was quieter than usual, still dressed to kill, but something was off.

"Hi Karu. Good to see you, what's up today? Looking for me to kill?" I looked around, Lia should have been around here somewhere, but I saw no trace. Had the two of them missed each other?

"No...I am afraid nothing of such levity. This time…" she couldn't look me in the eyes. "It appears I am out of a home for the time being. Would it be acceptable if I were to stay with you...for a while? I promise I shall be no burden."

The elevator buzzed as someone tried to call it from below while I was still holding it. Probably AEGIS getting her new body in order. First she wanted to go down, now she wants to come up.

She would be a terror, and standing here was Karu with a little black gym bag of all things.

What the heck had my life become.