Clacking at a few keys on his dataslate, the stagehand approached the two men in their labcoats and the female who followed them in her jumpsuit. "Well, gentlemen. You're up."

"Thank you. Are you ready then, Alise?" The taller gentleman set his hand on the girl's shoulder, brushing a tuft of her curly red hair out of her eyes.

"Battery charge at 92%, motor functions are optimal, Dr. Jackson. Your heart rate is currently at 97 beats per minute, and steadily rising. Shall I initiate a medical subroutine for you?" she replied, her monotone voice cheery and methodical.

"No, no, that's fine. It's just jitters is all. I just feel a little out of my element here. I mean, there's guys out there who do work on black holes, experimental energy, faster than light travel. A roboticist seems just... quaint."

"Relax, Zeke!" his partner, shorter of the two added. "Alise here is one of a kind. She's a real bombshell, these eggheads are gonna take one look at her and they're gonna see that THIS-" He took a moment to slap Alise on the behind. "Is what the future is all about."

"Nick, you know how much I hate it when you treat her like that. It's bad enough I left you in charge of the synthskin."

"Oh, come on. That whole bit... was an ACCIDENT. You left me alone in the lab, I was kinda bored, I TOTALLY didn't mean to attach all of those... naughty bits to little Alise here. You don't mind them, do you Alise?"

"I do not mind the vagina that you've installed, Dr. Gars."

"See? She likes it. Oh, don't give me that look, Zeke, I didn't FUCK her. Alise, did I have sexual relations with you?"

Her eyes briefly flashed. "No, Dr. Gars has not had sexual relations with me."

"Has your memory been tampered with in the past seventy two hours?" Jackson asked, glaring at his partner.

"No, my memory has not been tampered with, Dr. Jackson." she replied curtly.

"Oh, come on! You ACTUALLY think I'd rape the poor thing? Yes, I make fleshlights and fake vaginas and VR sex simulations, but I'm not THAT desperate. Alise is an investment. I wouldn't damage the goods."

Jackson narrowed his eyes, and shook his head, running a hand through his bouncy hair. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."


The three of them walked onstage, a display of several boxes, stairs, and other things set up behind them, but a simple podium set up front. There were about two hundred men from fields all over the spectrum of science. Teachers, professors, students, masters of their craft and apprentices still learning. Military contractors, private subsidiaries, presidents of entire conglomerates littered the crowd. It was a lot to take in. Gars nodded to his partner, standing near Alise, urging Jackson to take center stage.

"You know, I'd start with a joke here about the mass of an object in a black hole... but I'm afraid you wouldn't get it." This was met with a few awkward coughs and even a chuckle or two from some of the less stuffy attendees. "Well, now that I've made a fool of myself, we can begin."

"We've all been gathered here today to see the latest that the scientific world has to offer. But what are we REALLY here for? To show off how smart we are? To discuss theoretical physics? To trade stories of nights spent in labs reading charts upon charts to only have a vague idea of what we're doing? Many would argue that we play God in an age without Him. And what better way to play God than to create in our own image? I have no illusions of such grandeur. If anything, I feel humbled to stand before you with my life's work. Today... today, I give you the next step in humanity. We're no strangers to robotics assistants, even ones that mimic humans. But this girl here is special. Meet the first ever Augmented Lifelike Integration Station Equipment. Come upstage, say hello, Alise."

She walked forward, her arms wrapped around Gars' arm, bowing deeply to the crowd. Gars then took this time to speak, allowing his partner some much needed respite from public display.

"Alise here is designed for much more than just raw physical power and hull repair. She's a luxury car, horsepower under the hood, but a sleek and sexy exterior. Lots of us realize that there's deep mining operations in place, the brand new gold age among us isn't unheard of. And yeah, one of the biggest problems in space is madness, your average joe who doesn't have extensive training in handling zero-G environments, or even knows the first thing about how to handle depressurization. But you've got to have folks like that aboard these stations. Meals don't cook themselves, spills don't clean themselves, and hell, someone's got to fix the stuff that does break. Alise here is designed not just to be able to push, pull, and carry, she isn't JUST designed to work in the vacuum of space, she isn't JUST designed to be one hell of a woman. She's nurturing. Caring. Soft."

He then, with surgical precision and practiced hands, proceeded to unzip down, letting the jumpsuit clothing her fall down and her breasts to spill out and her body to be shown, the muscle bandings and lifting equipment accenting her now naked body. The absence of nipples on her breasts would probably be the least jarring thing about her. Large metallic discs took up most of her palms, with lines clearly being drawn onto her fingers. The same discs and wires were visible on the soles of her feet, which Gars deliberately pointed towards the crowd to show them off. She was a size 9 in women's shoes, much to his own chagrin, since he liked the cute, smaller feet, but the charging discs needed to be that large for her work.


The crowd began to make varied noises, some now clearly interested, and some slightly disgusted. "Oh, don't be such prudes, some of you out there might not be used to seeing naked ladies, then again, some of you out there might be. First of all, Alise's body is made of a synthetic blend of kevlar, silicon, and a couple of other trade secrets. This baby can take temperatures ranging from absolute zero to up to 3500 degrees. She can handle the heat, don't you worry. The discs here on her hands and feet have multiple purposes; foremost, they're charging ports so that at the end of a long day saving lives and rescuing people, she can charge in a standard cyborg charging docks. No need for a special charger with this gal, she's ready to go. On her feet, you may notice that the discs are larger. With but a though, she can activate an electromagnetic charge that acts VERY similar to magboots that engineers use to work in space with, though given her frame, they won't be quite as strong. But don't you worry, they'll keep this little bombshell in place as she cheerily adjusts satellite antennae, unsticks a pneumatic docking arm, or even just catches some rays outside when calibrating solar panels. And of course, I know that you're all wondering about THESE." He stood behind her, shaking her breasts back and forth with his hands, squishing them a few times for good measure. "And believe it or not, they actually ARE necessary, as I've overheard Ms. Carte's colorful inquiry from the front row. It's a polykinetic gel, not just designed to make the 'lifelike' part of her name mean more than just words, it actually generates a slight electric charge for her to operate on, assisting her battery life before she needs to take a breather. Not that she NEEDS to breathe, but she does indeed have lungs. Outfitted with air purifiers AND radiation detectors, she can actually taste a carbon monoxide leak. Now then, tell us how you're feeling Alise!"

"I'm feeling like you're enjoying this more than I am." she replied, cold and calculated.

"Just like we rehearsed. Now, Alise here is equipped with extremely advanced intelligence. Notice the absence of 'artificial' there. Not QUITE an organic brain, there's more ones and zeros that go into that, but damn close. Tell them, Alise."

"I am capable of making independent thoughts and reactions to specific situations, adapting and improvising as each problem arises. My primary goals are to assist crewmembers and protect their lives to the best of my ability."

He continued undressing her, which she allowed. "Are you embarassed to be seen naked in front of all these people, Alise?" He bit his lip in anticipation, since he knew the answer, but wanted her to give it to the crowd.

She paused, closing her eyes for a moment and... thinking? "I'm embarassed on behalf of my other creator, Dr. Ezekiel Jackson, who does not wish for me to be seen as, and I quote, "a tarted up sex doll with heavy duty equipment, she's much more than something to enact your fetishes on". Please allow me in covering my private areas so that I may continue with the original demonstration that you've grossly deviated from, Dr. Gars."

This caused a great silence and hush to befall the crowd. Those were some controversial things that she just said, coming from an android.

"Oh! And my misbehavior was found out. Yes, that's right, Alise here is indeed aware of her self. Go on, sweetie, get dressed. I've brough you some clothes to change into. We can't have you lifting in that stuffy little jumpsuit, we need flexibility and freedom of movement. Jackson is giving me daggers for eyes, so I'm going to set up for the next spot once Alise here is dressed for it.

He scurried off, handing Alise her clothing. She dressed onstage as Jackson came over to try and keep everything as professional as he could, with his creation now dressed in a pair of black spats that hugged her thighs and a black and red sports bra that held her enormous breasts in place, and at least matched her hair color.

"Beyond having advanced intelligence, she's also capable of feats of extreme strength. In null environments, this is a moot point, but so frequently do crewmembers working in space forget sudden shifts in gravity, especially artificial gravity. Many injuries aboard space stations are from crewmembers forgetting this, and getting caught under crates, refridgerators, or other debris. Not only can Alise lift and haul these things with ease, but she is outfitted with minor medical equipment. Nothing so advanced as a full on medical droid, but it's like having a walking and talking first aid kit, with standard health analyzers. She can even see problems before they begin."

He motioned to her, indicating her to switch modules. Her eyes flickered to a sterile blue color, scanning certain members of the crowd in the front row.

"All subjects in good health. Recommending routine maintenance on your bionic arm, sir, your muscles are showing signs of deterioration and will need service soon. Ma'am, your heart is beating abnormally fast, suggested treatment is two aspirin. In you, doctor, you have returned to a stable heartrate, but I do not recommend physical labor exceeding fifty pounds, as your leg may not be able to bear the weight."

A small applause came from the crowd, seeing her snap diagnoses. She smiled and bowed, letting her eyes revert back to their default mode. By now, Gars had set up boxes, all with large white numbers along the side of them, in kilograms.

"Well then, Alise. Show them just how strong you are! Not just a pretty little face, though she is certainly that, am I right, fellas?"

She nodded, and walked towards the display, easily bending down and lifting up the 10kg box with no strain, hauling it from one side of the stage to the other.

"Oh, Alise, no need to be modest. Go on, show them what you can REALLY do!" Gars added, cheerfully trying to get the crowd excited.

She nodded and lifted the 50kg box, straining only slightly. The banding around her arms and legs tightened, and her muscles began to show. She carried this box, again, from one side to the other.

"Well? Think she can do a hundred?" Gars asked the crowd, with varied reactions. She stood near it, looking to Jackson, who nodded to her. She bent down on one knee, lifting the box up and holding it to her body. Her muscles now bulged a little more, showing off a transluscent blue beneath her porcelain skin.

"Ah! Dim the lights, and look. See how her body transmits an electric charge to parts where she needs them? Look how tight that frame is, how perfect her form. And these are just small boxes, something that doesn't require a whole lot of manual dexterity. Though she's certainly good with her fingers, aren't you, Alise?"

"Yes, Dr. Gars, I am." she replied, emotionless.

"Go on, sweetie. Pick up the 250."

She knelt down, and to the gasp of the onlookers, easily hauled it up. Her bare feet were heard thudding against the stage as she took careful steps towards her goal, gently setting the box down on top of the others and walking back over to the last one, with a big '500' painted on the side.

"Alise... how many stone does that weigh?" Gars asked coyly.

With a slight heave, she pulled the box to her, holding it in her arms like it didn't strain her in the slightest. She closed her eyes and measured it for a moment, the muscles in her forearms and legs now absolutely bulging.

"Approximately 76.4 stone, one thousand and seventy pounds. So the number on the box is slightly inaccurate. My apologies, esteemed guests, for any perceived notion in dishonesty."

With a few careful, heaving steps she brought this final crate over to the others, bending down low to gingerly set it next to the others. Once finished, she turned towards the crowd and bowed, met with a much larger applause, even a standing ovation. Gars and Jackson stood to both sides of her, bowing in turn as well.

"Thank you all for your time and patience in watching me perform just a few of my duties. If you have any further questions, please speak to my creators after the other patrons have shown off their creations. I will also be available for interview as well, after I change into something much more formal than gym shorts and a sports bra."

The procession continued, but she had obviously stolen the show. Jackson gave an apologetic look to the man coming behind them, who was discussing something about harnessing black holes as an energy source and potential time travel, but nobody seemed to care, as a few corporate suits and military types were already waiting backstage to speak to the doctors and their little gal who was already causing quite a stir.


In the end, it was decided that much more testing needed to be done on Alise to confirm her viability as a real entity aboard a space station. She was loaned to NanoTrasen, the leaders of deep space mining, to take part in an advance experiment, seeing how she actually behaved in a real world environment. Once all the paperwork was signed and lawyers contacted and details hammered out, it was decided that she would be considered, albeit with heavy restrictions, that she would be a regular member of the crew, with her own cabin and ID number. As Gars and Jackson stood in the departure bay, waiting for her shuttle to bring her to the NSS Persephone, there was an air of something grand beginning.

"It's like I'm sending my daughter away for college." Jackson said, hugging Alise tightly.

"Don't anthropomorphize the machines. They hate that." Gars added with a chuckle.

"I've poured blood, sweat, and tears into you, Alise, I'll treat you how I god damn please.

"I can do none of those things, Dr. Jackson." she replied, with a smile.

He laughed. "A sense of humor! God DAMN, you're gonna knock 'em dead, kid."

"I would, quite literally, be nothing without either of you. Thank you both."

"The lab's going to be lonely without a cutie like you around, Alise."

"I'm sure you'll come up with that VR-holographic French maid once you work out the language programs, Dr. Gars. In the meantime, however..." she closed her eyes, and opened them with an absolutely flawless accent, cheery and peppy, topped with a wink, a kiss, and a kick of her legs, "Essayez de ne pas faire l'amour à vos outils!"

"Ah, a woman after my own heart!" he said to her, as Jackson doubled over laughing.

"Go on, show them what you can do, and do as best as you can, Alise. I love you."

"I love you too, Dr. Jackson. You and Dr. Gars are like fathers to me, and would be a wonderful and also terrible case for same sex parenting." She hugged them both before turning, her heels clicking against the polished metal flooring.

"You know that sense of humor might get her into trouble, Zeke." Gars said, waving to her. "What did she say to me?"

"Learn French before working on that French maid, I'll tell you when I think it's the funniest. I hope, beyond hope, that she gets in enough trouble to show off her good nature, her strengths, her compassion, and her assets."

"You know that corporations are the law and order out there, and she's going to be at the mercy of them. Subversive elements, outright war. It's unknown waters we're sending her into."

He turned away, lighting up a cigarette in blatant disregard for the NO SMOKING sign just five feet from him, watching through the window as the shuttle containing his pride and joy was finalizing their countdown.

"World's a rough place out there. Pollution, destruction. Machinery that gives abundance leaves us in want. For all our hovering cars and digital pizza and virtual simulations, there's a certain need for real humanity. Alise is going to show them that. She's going to show them all just how human she can really be. I believe in her, and that's all that matters. I didn't just create an android... I created..."

"A daughter?" he scoffed. "I don't like thinking about her like that."

"I created hope."