The resort was largely deserted as this was the off-season and the people who came here did so to engage in sexual trysts.

Karena Resort management frowned on that but it brought money in on the off-season and they looked the other way.

Merisa knew all about it. She was a frequent guest at the resort, though not one who partook of the sexual activities. She was 1534 years old and in a phase of her life where those feelings were cold.

She was staying on this night due to the high stress of building and government pressure to build the Experimental Hybrid, which she vehemently refused to do.

What they wanted with a replicant made of biological materials mystified her. It was easier to clone a person or make one naturally.

As she lay by the pool in her conservative swimwear, she dozed off and did not see something terrible come in.

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Oriea, no. 8864, squirmed, tensing her cytec muscles to no avail. "Please don't. I will do anything for you if you don't," she said.

Infamous thief and smuggler, Kirlan, scoffed at her. "Shut-up. It's not like you're a real girl or feel pain like one does."

The huge robotic protector held her firm in its grasping claws.

She could feel her cytec being squished out of shape. "Why do you want to do this? I am not like a real girl, as you say."

Kirlan laughed. "I have to test the merchandise. You'll bring a kingly sum out on Glitterworld."

Oriea continued her struggles. "I am a free person. You cannot sell me."

"You better relax before E-9 decides to crush something vital." He unlocked a door to one of the resort's rooms on the upper tier, going inside.

The robot dutifully followed him in.

With increasing horror, Oriea realized what was about to happen. Of all her kin, only Orena could tolerate sexual activity. The rest, like her, just shut it off.

The robot held fast as Kirlan started to undo the buttons of her grey jumper.

"Oh! Underwear?! Why do you wear underwear? You're just a doll," he said in suprise.

Oriea could not kick him because of the way she was being held or else she would have. She cringed as he touched her skin.

Kirlan slapped her. "You stop that. You aren't a real girl. Stop acting like one."

He pulled open her bra. "Perfect."

Oriea detected an ease in pressure on her left arm. Her logic processor indicated that if the robot shifted its grip, she could break free and pull its control wires loose, disabling it. To do so, she would have to move incredibly fast.

Kirlan started to pick at her panties.

As predicted, the robot shifted its grip. She broke free and reached up, grasping the wires that ran out from under its 'chin' and pulling with her powerful strength.

To her shock and suprise, its head came right off in a shower of sparks and fluid. She swung it suddenly, in one fluid motion, smashing it into Kirlan's head.

He flew back, sprawling to the floor, his skull cracked.

Oreia was pulled down as the robot collapsed, still holding onto her right arm. It fell heavily on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

She could not move to push it off. it was too heavy and pinned her in a way where she couldn't leverage herself.

"Help! Help me!!," she cried, hoping someone would hear. But it was night and this tier of the resort was deserted.

Oriea closed her eyes and accessed her internal comm unit.

The antenna in her left arm buzzed uncomfortably as she sent an electronic message: I am Oriea 8864, a female replicant. I am trapped under a disabled protection robot and cannot escape. Please help me

There was no reply. She could detect no help nearby.

"Hey!! Help me!!," she shrilly screamed, suprising herself.

Still, no-one came.

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Merisa had got up to go to the bathroom, located under the second tier walkway. As she was returning from it, she heard screaming from above.

The voice was recognizable only because of shrill tone it had. An android's vocal processor could not go that high in tone. The result of it was a shrill sound.

She hurried upstairs, thinking one had ruptured thier corite skin or discovered shift in thier cytec.

Merisa saw an open door and a grey metal protection robot spralwed on the floor, on top of a pale skinned female almost naked except for her panties.

She was mortified. Surely that female was dead, crushed by the robot's immense weight. But there was no blood.

A closer look revealed the robot's head missing and a man laying futher across the room, dark blood pooling around his head.

The robot's head lay on the floor, a nasty red stain on its carapace shell.

The female detected her. "Hello? Help me, please. The robot is crushing my spine."

Merisa was shocked. This was one of her androids. Her accent was a Cristalian one, just as she intended. "Who are you?"

"My name is Oriea."

Merisa was suddenly afraid. The robot's weight could damage Oriea's body if it lay on her for very long. "Oriea, It is me, Merisa Cerena. I will get the robot to move off of you, just hold still."

"Thank you, Merisa. Please hurry."

Merisa was familiar with all robotic systems and easily wired its control to a manual controller hidden in its back. A panel slid open, revealing a control pad. She carefully manipulated it and the robot suddenly got up, careful not to harm Oriea.

Oriea sprang to her feet, flexing her entire body. She showed no sign of damage on her bare skin other than creases in her corite skin that would fade in minutes.

Merisa directed the robot to sit down on the floor and then went to her. "What in the worlds are you doing here?"

Oriea found her bra and put it on. "I was abducted by that man. I'm afraid that I've killed him." She looked at the motionless body for a moment.

Merisa frowned. "That's all right, Oriea. Why did he abduct you?"

"I assume to sell me into a sexual situation. He was going to rape me to 'test the merchandise', as he said."

She was glad the man was dead. Scum like that deserved it.

Oriea put on her jumper and looked at her builder. "Are you here alone?"

Merisa nodded. "Yes, why?"

"I do not believe it is safe to be here alone, Merisa. Allow me to keep you company."

She smiled. "of course, come on."

They left the room as the police arrived.

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"I do not understand why anyone would covet a replicant. I am cool to the touch and my female parts are not active," Oriea said as she shared drinks with Merisa by the pool.

Merisa shook her head. "It's the danger of you and your kin, You look too much like the real thing."

Oriea looked at her. "Then why did you make us this way?"

"I didn't design you. My father did. I am just completing his last project. It's not a bad thing, Oriea. You look good enough for people to respect you as a person, not a 'machine.'"

"That man knew what I was at once," Oriea mournfully said.

Merisa frowned. "There are ways only a trained eye can tell. Most people don't care to learn. You will have to be more watchful in the future."

Oriea nodded. "That I will do." She drank a little from her water bottle. "Care to join me for a swim?"

Merisa smile, bemused. Few androids liked to swim, they did not float. The 8800 Series Replicants did not due to the bouyancy of thier higher grade of cytec. "No thanks. I'll just sit here."

Oriea got up, revealing the one piece chromatic blue swim suit she wore. She looked perfect in it. She gracefully dove into the pool, suprising Merisa.

She never taught them to swim.

� 1 Mar 04 Gregory Thompson