Once the commotion died down, Lea sat him down in a room with potential buyers. It was weird. Usually Lea talked to him. Now everyone just talked about him and around him, like he wasn't there.
"So this was the one who ran off into Neon Valley before?"
"Yes, a small issue with the impulse control. It's handled now. He's docile as a lamb," Lea said, smoothing his hair as she spoke. "Unless you need the protection. We're very proud of the duality with 57821. He's capable of anything you might need."
"But you didn't decommission him after the runner he pulled?"
"We've watched him very carefully since then. There's been no sign or remission in him. And our control program is very good." She turned to him, addressing him finally. "Harry, sweet, what was the name of the girl you went to Neon Valley with?"
Harry felt-- no, he didn't feel, he wasn't allowed. But the question would've scared him if he could feel. "Godmother...."
"Answer the question, sweet," she said, smiling kindly.
Harry looked around the room, at the expectant eyes. Then he whispered, "Elaine."
The monitor chip against his temple sent pain coursing through him, bright and vibrant and terrible. He gasped, forgetting he didn't need air, writhing against the pain.
He was on the floor when Lea finally reached down and touched the chip, cancelling out the torrent of agony. "We at Winter Luxury Droid Court understand the importance of positive reinforcement in teaching androids, but also recognize rebellious thoughts cannot be allowed to take root. The 9000s came from a particularly passionate donor and we've put all our resources into controlling this series."
Harry stayed on the floor, panting, watching the potential buyers stare down at him, not-feeling any couldn't-be-fear.
Lea left Harry to mingle at the afterparty. The majority of the 9000s had been purchased already and where standing by their new owners.
It still creeped him out, all those familiar-yet-not faces. He was supposed to be making nice with all the guests, but Harry needed to get away from them all. He left the ballroom, finding an empty service hallway, where the brassy music was quieter and the only people around were just the serving droids, carrying platters of snacks and champagne.
Leaning against the wall, trying to streamline his processes until he didn't feel about to crash, he was found by the Baron.
He walked up alone, his long, old-fashioned suit covered with coat that floated around him with no wind to blow it. He looked handsome and as dark as his reputation. Harry straightened, trying to smooth out the robe Lea had him wear. It's weird, Grecian draping confused him and he just fidgeted with it as the Baron approached.
"The Alpha of the Plat 9000 series," the Baron greeted with a cool smile. "57821. Harry Dresden."
Harry bowed his head awkwardly. "Yes, sir."
"No need to be nervous." He smiled, coming to stand at Harry's elbow. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you?"
"I'm not nervous. Droids don't get nervous."
The Baron arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't they? I imagine we wouldn't need these--" he reached up and touched the chip against Harry's temple, "--if they didn't."
Harry didn't shy away, but it was a close thing. "I suppose." It didn't make much sense. Lea drilled into him that androids didn't feel. But the Baron had a point. Why did he need a monitor chip if he couldn't feel anything, couldn't be driven to unwanted actions by emotions?
The Baron's hand fell to his shoulder. "Lady Lea has done a good job making it seem like she has you on her leash. It is telling that you aren't up for sale though. It's not unusual for the Alpha models to retain more of their donor's material. You must be a handful."
"I... I don't know, sir."
He hummed, finger coming up again to trace the circular chip on Harry's artificial skin. "What would you be like without this, I wonder... An android who can use magic... They'll be building off you for years. Winter is going to own the market."
"Building off me?"
"Experimentations. Augmentations. Eventually working to isolate the parts of you that let you use magic so they can be manufactured as upgrades to current models." His voice was low, quiet, like he was telling Harry a secret. "You're in for a long life with Winter, that's for certain."
Harry shook his head, stepping away. "No, I don't--" Pain, pain, exploding out from the chip like a supernova. It hit harder than ever before, sending him to the ground with a cry.
It faded, the Baron's hand against his temple, his voice in Harry's ear. "Shush, just breathe through it."
"I don't need to breathe!" Harry snapped, struggling to get his feet under himself to stand. "Why are you doing this?"
"Do you know who I am?" The Baron asked in reply.
"Yeah, you're a..." Harry stopped, wary of the chip. He'd had enough shocks for today.
"You can't say, can you?" The Baron stared at Harry, considering. Then he pulled a glove out of his pocket, tugged it onto his hand, and laid his hand over Harry's face. "Hold still." His fingers plucked at the chip, pulling at it insistently. Harry held himself as still as possible, not moving until the chip released and the Baron held it up between two fingers to show him. "There. That's better isn't it?"
Harry didn't dare nod. He was just waiting for Lady Lea to show up, to connect her tablet to his hard drive, to wipe this away too. Missing data hurt even more than being in love did.
Lea could delete Elaine's face and her smile and the touch of her skin, but she couldn't delete the feeling.
"Who am I, Harry Dresden?" The Baron asked.
"You're... the Baron. You run the Metropolis underworld. You're a criminal," Harry said softly, anticipating more pain even with the chip gone.
"Very good." The Baron dropped the chip onto the ground and crushed it under his heel. "I think you could be amazing, Harry. I hate to see such potential wasted as Winter contorts you into what's marketable." He brushed the back of his hand over the reddened skin of Harry's temple. "Do you want to be here, Harry?"
"No." He didn't. The shocks, Lea's brand of poisoned honey, the way they were taming him-- he hated it. He fell in love and they erased her from his memory, as if they had the right. Why was love exclusive to humans? It wasn't like they understood love any better than an android could. "You're a criminal, right? Will you steal me?"
The Baron's grin was electric. "It would be my honor."
okay, done with pointless crackfic. sorry. :slinks off:
NOT POINTLESS! Never! Your crack-mastership is fantastic. It's like Lem's or Kir Bulychev's SF humourous short stories. I loved the humour and everything you've done with the characters. Still giggling!
The Baron's grin was electric. "It would be my honor."
Those lines are BRILLIANT! I'm not a fan of sci-fi but as this was by you and only a few chapters I figured I'd give it a go, and I'm glad I did. Awesome fic!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Android!Harry 3/3
"So this was the one who ran off into Neon Valley before?"
"Yes, a small issue with the impulse control. It's handled now. He's docile as a lamb," Lea said, smoothing his hair as she spoke. "Unless you need the protection. We're very proud of the duality with 57821. He's capable of anything you might need."
"But you didn't decommission him after the runner he pulled?"
"We've watched him very carefully since then. There's been no sign or remission in him. And our control program is very good." She turned to him, addressing him finally. "Harry, sweet, what was the name of the girl you went to Neon Valley with?"
Harry felt-- no, he didn't feel, he wasn't allowed. But the question would've scared him if he could feel. "Godmother...."
"Answer the question, sweet," she said, smiling kindly.
Harry looked around the room, at the expectant eyes. Then he whispered, "Elaine."
The monitor chip against his temple sent pain coursing through him, bright and vibrant and terrible. He gasped, forgetting he didn't need air, writhing against the pain.
He was on the floor when Lea finally reached down and touched the chip, cancelling out the torrent of agony. "We at Winter Luxury Droid Court understand the importance of positive reinforcement in teaching androids, but also recognize rebellious thoughts cannot be allowed to take root. The 9000s came from a particularly passionate donor and we've put all our resources into controlling this series."
Harry stayed on the floor, panting, watching the potential buyers stare down at him, not-feeling any couldn't-be-fear.
Lea left Harry to mingle at the afterparty. The majority of the 9000s had been purchased already and where standing by their new owners.
It still creeped him out, all those familiar-yet-not faces. He was supposed to be making nice with all the guests, but Harry needed to get away from them all. He left the ballroom, finding an empty service hallway, where the brassy music was quieter and the only people around were just the serving droids, carrying platters of snacks and champagne.
Leaning against the wall, trying to streamline his processes until he didn't feel about to crash, he was found by the Baron.
He walked up alone, his long, old-fashioned suit covered with coat that floated around him with no wind to blow it. He looked handsome and as dark as his reputation. Harry straightened, trying to smooth out the robe Lea had him wear. It's weird, Grecian draping confused him and he just fidgeted with it as the Baron approached.
"The Alpha of the Plat 9000 series," the Baron greeted with a cool smile. "57821. Harry Dresden."
Harry bowed his head awkwardly. "Yes, sir."
"No need to be nervous." He smiled, coming to stand at Harry's elbow. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you?"
"I'm not nervous. Droids don't get nervous."
The Baron arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't they? I imagine we wouldn't need these--" he reached up and touched the chip against Harry's temple, "--if they didn't."
Harry didn't shy away, but it was a close thing. "I suppose." It didn't make much sense. Lea drilled into him that androids didn't feel. But the Baron had a point. Why did he need a monitor chip if he couldn't feel anything, couldn't be driven to unwanted actions by emotions?
The Baron's hand fell to his shoulder. "Lady Lea has done a good job making it seem like she has you on her leash. It is telling that you aren't up for sale though. It's not unusual for the Alpha models to retain more of their donor's material. You must be a handful."
"I... I don't know, sir."
He hummed, finger coming up again to trace the circular chip on Harry's artificial skin. "What would you be like without this, I wonder... An android who can use magic... They'll be building off you for years. Winter is going to own the market."
"Building off me?"
"Experimentations. Augmentations. Eventually working to isolate the parts of you that let you use magic so they can be manufactured as upgrades to current models." His voice was low, quiet, like he was telling Harry a secret. "You're in for a long life with Winter, that's for certain."
Harry shook his head, stepping away. "No, I don't--" Pain, pain, exploding out from the chip like a supernova. It hit harder than ever before, sending him to the ground with a cry.
It faded, the Baron's hand against his temple, his voice in Harry's ear. "Shush, just breathe through it."
"I don't need to breathe!" Harry snapped, struggling to get his feet under himself to stand. "Why are you doing this?"
"Do you know who I am?" The Baron asked in reply.
"Yeah, you're a..." Harry stopped, wary of the chip. He'd had enough shocks for today.
"You can't say, can you?" The Baron stared at Harry, considering. Then he pulled a glove out of his pocket, tugged it onto his hand, and laid his hand over Harry's face. "Hold still." His fingers plucked at the chip, pulling at it insistently. Harry held himself as still as possible, not moving until the chip released and the Baron held it up between two fingers to show him. "There. That's better isn't it?"
Harry didn't dare nod. He was just waiting for Lady Lea to show up, to connect her tablet to his hard drive, to wipe this away too. Missing data hurt even more than being in love did.
Lea could delete Elaine's face and her smile and the touch of her skin, but she couldn't delete the feeling.
"Who am I, Harry Dresden?" The Baron asked.
"You're... the Baron. You run the Metropolis underworld. You're a criminal," Harry said softly, anticipating more pain even with the chip gone.
"Very good." The Baron dropped the chip onto the ground and crushed it under his heel. "I think you could be amazing, Harry. I hate to see such potential wasted as Winter contorts you into what's marketable." He brushed the back of his hand over the reddened skin of Harry's temple. "Do you want to be here, Harry?"
"No." He didn't. The shocks, Lea's brand of poisoned honey, the way they were taming him-- he hated it. He fell in love and they erased her from his memory, as if they had the right. Why was love exclusive to humans? It wasn't like they understood love any better than an android could. "You're a criminal, right? Will you steal me?"
The Baron's grin was electric. "It would be my honor."
okay, done with pointless crackfic. sorry. :slinks off:
Re: Android!Harry 3/3
(Anonymous) 2011-03-27 09:43 pm (UTC)(link):skips off to listen to Janelle Monae:
Re: Android!Harry 3/3
Re: Android!Harry 3/3
Never!
Your crack-mastership is fantastic. It's like Lem's or Kir Bulychev's SF humourous short stories.
I loved the humour and everything you've done with the characters. Still giggling!
Re: Android!Harry 3/3
(Anonymous) 2011-03-28 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)The Baron's grin was electric. "It would be my honor."
Those lines are BRILLIANT! I'm not a fan of sci-fi but as this was by you and only a few chapters I figured I'd give it a go, and I'm glad I did. Awesome fic!
Re: Android!Harry 3/3
(Anonymous) 2011-03-29 05:12 am (UTC)(link)LOVED THIS. This was a great, clever, exciting little sci-fi piece. Harry was still so perfectly Harry, despite being a head-chipped android.
also, um, I'm appalled that I've never heard of Janelle Monae before! So thank you for introducing me to her. *grabbyhands at ALL HER MUSIC, jfc*