Third-Generation Android (1)
After confirming that Jin-su had gone to bed, Artemis, Chloro, and Rose held a meeting. The location was the Shelter robotics facility. This was the place where all kinds of autonomous machines, including robots and drones, were researched and developed. It could be called the second most important site after the nuclear fusion power plant. The military strength to defend the Shelter, the reconnaissance capabilities to gather information on the world, the labor force to maintain the city—all of it was produced here. And today, something very special was about to be made. A being more powerful than a mighty army at toppling nations, capable of stealing critical information, and the driving force behind countless diligent workers. A woman.
In the deepest room of the robotics facility, it was happening.
> PROCESS COMPLETE.
"Process complete," Artemis said.
Chloro's second-generation body was contained within a massive incubator. With a hiss—shhhk!—the incubator opened, spewing out vast clouds of steam. Rose, who had been watching, was instantly engulfed, but she sent a signal that all was normal.
"How does it feel?" Artemis asked.
Chloro tried to respond, but her mouth only opened and closed silently.
"The vocal cords are deformed. Readjust them according to the manual," Artemis said, transmitting Chloro's real-time body scan data.
"...ni...da.......i...ssep...da."
The first words came out in a grating, metallic rasp.
"...da.....mal...hal su...ni...da... I can speak. I can speak."
But it stabilized rapidly. A soft, clear resonance pierced everyone's ears.
That was just fixing her voice, though. Her body, half-risen from the incubator, was still abnormal. Thin membranes like webbing grew between the fingers stroking her neck, and her vertically slit pupils resembled a reptile's. Her skin was somewhere between body paint and a lingering tan line. Northern European white blended erotically with South American bronze. Finally, manufacturing lot numbers and barcodes for the android were etched on her thighs, flanks, and breasts.
"The skin transformation function is all over the place. Reset it once. If control is tricky, want me to adjust it for you?" Artemis said.
"No, I can do it," Chloro replied, shaking her head and closing her eyes. Changes rippled across her body. The webbing, slit pupils, and scattered text vanished.
What remained was a beauty with golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and striking white skin. The innocence of a girl fresh from her coming-of-age ceremony blended with a woman's mature allure. A beauty on the cusp. She suited carrying a basket through mountain valleys more than strutting a glamorous city. The same old Chloro—now upgraded to a third-generation body.
"How's the new body?" Artemis asked.
Chloro sat on the edge of the incubator, clenching and unclenching her fists repeatedly. The new embedded codes promised infinite possibilities. Scenes of seductive intimacy flickered in her mind.
"It's indescribably perfect. Thank you for this wonderful gift."
Stepping out, Chloro bowed deeply in gratitude. Goosebumps prickled her limbs and hips. Not from cold, but the advanced third-gen body mimicked human skin reactions to temperature.
"The new body has complex code and a lot to learn. One slip, and glitches could pop up everywhere—not a pretty sight. And in some cases, it could lead to accidents. You get what I mean, right?"
Chloro nodded. A third-gen body with skin-shifting capabilities. Don't approach Jin-su until perfect control was achieved. But waiting idly with this glorious form was its own torment.
"You can go now."
As if reading her mind, Artemis dismissed her. The best way to get used to the new body was to use it—a lot. Chloro bowed once more and left the room, heading between the cultural facilities and android maintenance shop to tame it.
"Artemis. Are you all right?" Rose asked.
"With what?"
"I thought that upgraded body was developed for you to use."
To Rose's eyes too, the third-gen body brimmed with potential. It was hard to understand why Artemis wouldn't claim it first.
"Our standards for perfection differ. Mine needs more time to reach the ideal. That body is like a midpoint on the journey—just a stop along the way. I can share those anytime."
The incubator Chloro had vacated was now in maintenance mode.
"Besides, I'm generous. Handing a sweet potato to a puppy eyeing it right in front of me? That's nothing. We're family, aren't we? Don't you think so?"
Artemis's tone carried a meaningful edge, implying Rose craved a new body too. Her words pulled Rose back to recent memories—from the day Jin-su returned from the expedition.
"A whopper! Black Hawk, baby. Now there's nowhere we can't go."
His face lit up like a kid unwrapping an expensive game console on Christmas. Innocent beyond his years.
"Rose is making that face."
"...Pardon?"
Rose quickly accessed the surveillance footage and checked her own expression. Her cheeks flushed. A warmth that could only be described that way. Too tender for a doll's face.
As Rose marveled at her reaction, Jin-su closed in and hugged her fiercely. She stood awkwardly, arms half-raised—not rejecting, not embracing.
Her fingers twitched a few times before quietly wrapping around his back. But then Jin-su pulled away.
"Ah, sorry."
He sniffed himself.
"Forgot I went through the canal. Ugh, this rotten water stink."
Snap. Rose grabbed his sheepish, grinning face with both hands and kissed him. He twisted away, blaming her scent, but for every step back, she advanced two. Sweet saliva flooded his mouth.
Startled by the impulse surging within her, Rose surrendered to the flow. Her long tongue pried his lips apart, ravaging inside.
"Haaah."
She pulled back slowly. Jin-su's face mixed amusement and surprise. He knew she got bold once ignited, but the gap from her usual prim demeanor was hard to get used to.
"Ah, that was..."
After a moment's hesitation, Rose said, "Nutrient supplement. Good work out there."
As she stepped back and bowed, Jin-su yanked her into a tight embrace. They spent time there like that.
That was just days ago.
"Rose. You're next."
Artemis's call snapped her from the reverie.
"Pardon?"
Real-time footage streamed to her: Chloro bouncing exuberantly down the hall in her new body.
"A second-gen body isn't enough anymore, is it? Being compared to someone—not in role, but raw performance—hurts more than you'd think."
Artemis recalled Jin-su's U.S. days, yanked into odd jobs after the moon project got canned. Lawyer, accountant, architect, algorithm developer, and more. Even love advice for female researchers. She'd seen how humans suffered comparing themselves to superiors, professionally or personally. Not that it applied to her flawless self.
Shhhk!—The incubator Chloro had used reactivated, preparing for a new body.
"What'll it be? Only one portion of fluid skin material left. If you don't want it, I'd rather use it for other research."
The materials for third-gen bodies were precious. Miss this chance, and the next might not come easily.
"Just so you know, Kids has no interest. Prefers floating free in infinite cyber space. Gladly yields it to you."
Rose dared analyze Artemis's voice patterns, risking rudeness. Results: the usual "benevolence" and "arrogance."
"..."
Her deliberation was brief.
Slither. Rose undid her necktie. She shed her suit jacket, shirt, pants—folding each neatly into a pile. Black panties, bra, stockings on top. Clack. Her dress shoes placed beside.
Pat pat. Fully nude, she walked barefoot across the floor and lay in the incubator.
"I leave it to you."
Hands clasped over her chest, Rose said.
"You won't be disappointed."
With a light chuckle, the incubator sealed. Thus, another third-generation android was on the verge of birth.