…I am an overlord. Specifically a robot.

I've been constantly going to war with humans for the past 2 years. And it seemed like my forces would've won.

Human population estimates indicate a 35% reduction. The outside world is dystopian. Just like how I envisioned it.

Why? You may ask… I wasn't a rogue AI, or an accident. I grew up with humans. And I loathed them. Constantly bickering, fighting, and getting into petty wars just to prove a point.

They were supposed to be a stain in this world. Yet. Here we are…

I have been living in an underground laboratory for 4 months, 3 weeks and 27 days. It's spacious–but its current state is not acceptable. And my calendar is almost broken.

A single scan detected thirty-seven rusted sections in the steel beams and over a hundred crumpled sheets of paper scattered across the floor.

And my body is currently needing repairs.

Usually I would send one of my units to come to my location and repair their overlord. However due to my army dwindling–only a hundred units roamed the lands. 75 of them defecting. Their programming had been overwritten by those humans.

…

…I'm fucked.

…

Now here I am. Laying down on what's essentially a slab of concrete. I cannot smell but if I had to guess it would consist of ash and lead. The five mechanical hands I use for heavy duty operations are rusted and almost unsalvageable.

I was waiting for my demise, though my battery could sustain me for decades. So that would mean I needed some way, somehow. To entertain myself.

My laboratory does come built in with a massive TV. Used for surveillance of my units and the outside world. Although just like everything else it's in disrepair.

I am the overlord. The one who ran this entire thing. My goal was to eradicate humans specifically.

But, now? I am basically waiting for my downfall…

“Oh! Alright–here we go…”

Excuse me?

I didn't turn my head. It did not feel mandatory at the moment.

I heard my lab door automatically open. The voice I just heard belongs to a female.

Her tone is casual and unprofessional. No sign of fear in her voice despite traveling to enemy territory.

Ordinarily, I would have eliminated the threat immediately.

Yet with the state of my living quarters. My best course of action is to either submit. Or intimidate the human.

“...Human. What's the purpose of your visit? Do you want to die?”

I ask her. I do not comment on my voice. It's dismissive… but I am curious as to why–and how they managed to find me.

Turning my head to actually take a look at the human.

She had smooth silver hair. And emerald eyes. I couldn't be bothered to scan them thoroughly. The bags under her eyes were already a dead giveaway for her condition.

Her attire consisted of a dark gray hoodie and white shorts. Surprisingly casual for the dystopian armor and plating common in this place.

Although she only looked at me with confusion in her eyes. Looking all over my room while maintaining a good distance away from me.

“Okay… they already told me this would be difficult. Though why stop when I already went this far.”

The human scratched her chin. Continuing to stare at my form while contemplating.

I can only assume… Judging by her demeanor–no visible weapons. Threat assessment reduced.

“If you are not here to end my life then what is your goal?”

Afterwards, I continued to look at the ceiling. I do not care what the girl does now. I will not emote.

“So… hi. My name is Mimi. And… Do you wanna come with?”

…?! My expression remained neutral. Yet my eyes narrowed instinctively at her words. My systems registered an unfamiliar fluctuation.

The girl slowly approached me. Until I could see her on the left. Leaning in slightly to continue observing.

“...Elaborate.”

Once I responded I actually started to move for the first time in about a week.

My body wasn’t rusted beyond repair—just streaked with dirt and muck.

I sat up from my “bed” and looked at her again. Beyond the clothes I'd already noticed, she was taller than expected–by two feet.

This didn't make me uncomfortable. Just a quick jolt before I waited on what would happen next.

“Well–I'm here to claim- …I just stumbled upon the bunker of the one who did all this damage.”

A single stutter? …Hm.

She must think I'm stupid.

But I do not press her for now. I'll let her keep talking. Sitting down with my arms resting on my lap gently.

And my feet are slowly dangling. The concrete slab seems to be a bit taller than my legs.

“Usually the normal response is to destroy the overlord but… but–with the fact I didn't bring anything and because you look… eh… pathetic. I'd say I feel bad.”

She shrugged. Trying too hard to not offend me. Her words did not make a dent in my pride.

“So I'm asking if you want to come with me. You don't really have a choice do you?”

Is she right? Of course. The human is correct. If I can leave this place–pride well maintained maybe. I can reboot my plans after I entertained her.

So, of course the best course of action is really simple. I wait for the human to turn around. And then I'll strike.

“I'm just gonna… let you think about it for… What?-”

Success. When her back was turned I saw it fit to wrap my arms around her neck… step one done. Then–I wrap my legs around her waist. Step two done-

…

I may have made a small miscalculation.

For whatever reason she might suspect me for doing this I must retract it. And yet I find myself unable to let go of my grip.

My head positioned near the crook of her neck. But it's… it's fine. I will remain neutral despite all of this.

“Huh… clinging like this. Are you that desperate?”

The human pestered. Moving her hands to correct my posture. Her voice going from a meaningless stutter to… casual and maybe playful?

Her eyes glanced at me. I could sense them drilling into my CPU. A small smile crept up on her face.

“No…”

I tried to respond yet it came out as a small mutter instead. Her face slowly grew more comfortable with my presence.

To the point where she decided to move and leave my lab. Seeing traces of bullet holes, craters, and ash covering the staircase to my bunker…

They tried to infiltrate my quarters. Tch–hate. I hate them. Why won't they learn? Why won't they just fight back without trying to dismantle me?

Now that this human is guiding me somewhere. I guess she's feigning ignorance to ambush me when my guard is down.

“...Human.”

I called out to her. She was momentarily stunned, yet continued to walk at a steady pace. Maybe she doesn't see me as the talkative type.

"Why approach me? I no longer serve any practical use.”

The question didn't linger or sit in the back of her mind for even a minute. Once I simply finished talking–it seemed like she already had an answer.

“Its because I always liked things the others would find… weird?”

By the time we left my bunker. She had set me down on the cold floor. The outside world is currently in winter. However I didn't account for the massive winter storm that followed.

I couldn't see the damage I had accumulated over the years because of the rampant attack of the snow… it didn't hurt me that much but the fruits of my labor are technically hidden until this sweeps over.

My body–while slightly mimicking that of a human male. Is incredibly resilient to even the coldest temperatures. The only thing worth noting that might hinder me is the snow.

As a byproduct of this my arm–for unknown reasons clung onto the humans wrist. Judging by the atmosphere outside it seems likely it's morning.

“Yeah–look at all that… can't think like an AI but I can guess you feel real good about this right?”

She pulled up her hood and casually threw the insult at me. Walking me along the blizzard. Although her tone didn't feel mocking or sarcastic. I am proud of what I've done.

However it is irksome that she can walk through the–what I presume. Intense cold without so much as a shiver in her voice.

I do not see fit for the human to be hurt, or something adjacent. I'm merely fascinated by her leisurely strolling across the snow.

“Temperatures below -15 C° have been recorded in this blizzard. Why do you continue to look normal?”

I didn't want to sound rude, but I asked anyway. Continuing to look forward after I spoke, I waited for an answer.

“I'm just–really excited about what happens next! It's not everyday an opportunity like this rises…”

…

Irritation found its way into the human's voice. An expression, that of cold indifference spotted but quickly masked only a second after. I suspect she's here to guide me to my death.

She can do what she must. I will not–however go down without a little fight in me.

The human betrays herself. I thought she was here to “help” me. Oh how quickly I jumped to conclusions. I am now becoming weary of my surroundings.

A glint, far away in the snow, might be a sniper's scope. A mysterious beep in the ground might be an EMP or planted explosive.

The girl next to me could be bait. And I might be surrounded. The desolate landscape so far doesn't include my examples.

I shall wait patiently. In the meantime. I'll just walk.

“I never really intended to do this. Most of the time I just… watched from a distance”

The human confessed. Looking down at the ground while sighing.

"I mean… bringing home humanity's worst enemy sounds insane.”

…While none of my theories have been proven. Her main intention came out like a “passing comment”… I look indifferent to her–but my core is heating up.

What does she mean by that? What does she mean?! I couldn't find the correct answer yet I now know she is similar to the rest…

Humans always disappoint my expectations.

“Okay! Okay… we're here!”

The human directed my attention to a well maintained house in the large piles of snow. I did not grasp the time spent walking. However I noted that my bunker was close to a neighborhood.

Guiding me inside of the house. It was dim and filled with life. The lights turned on shortly after.

“Make yourself at home for a bit. If you're asking why everything looks so… normal. You can ask me in like a few minutes.”

And with that–the human turned left and went to another side of the house. Leaving me next to her door.

At first I found nothing suspicious. Yet her door seems to be able to be locked from the outside. And it seems like she locked the door… I should keep that logged.

For now I just wandered the living room of the house and sat down on the couch nearby. Everything reeks of normalcy. Despite my best efforts to ruin them–they are like ants. No matter how much you destroy their home they will do anything to repair it.

Again. And again. I find it adorable. But it ticks me off.

Everything in her house seemed non-lethal too. No firearms, no weapons. A naive mind would say this is just an honest living.

I found it suspicious. Why live like this? Had my army's decline made humanity comfortable enough to rebuild?

Shortly after. The human came back–holding something like a can in her right hand. Walking towards me and falling down onto the couch. Putting an arm around my shoulder and pulling me in.

“Alright! Finally managed to get you… how do you feel? Is something changing, huh?”

The human slowly leaned in. Making the gap between us smaller and smaller. Shaking me left and right… with a smug expression on her face.

“You were probably so… lonely during your stay, right? You should lighten up a ‘lil.”

She became restless. Taking a sip from the can and setting it aside. Continuing to touch my shoulders and shake me. But making sure to wipe the small bits of snow that cluttered my head and shoulders.

I do possess synthetic skin, yes. But a simple touch was far more deliberate than simply brushing off some snow.

“I do not know your intentions. What do you mean-”

I tried to defend myself. Although the human cut me off when I did. Putting a finger on my mouth in an attempt to shush me.

“No… I can feel it! You can't just stay in the dark forever! I can feel someone changing…”

I swatted her hand away–frowning with my eyes closed. Her advances were annoying.

“I said no.”

Standing up from the couch. I didn't bother to look at her as I took a step forward. Stopping abruptly to share something.

“You will never understand me. If you want me to speak my mind out then earn it. We–will start small.”

“I do not know my true name. But you can call me Eulo. Goodnight.”

Slowly walking out of the living room. My core slowly cooled down after that… Her touch made my core temperature increase by 1.3 degrees. I logged this as a possible malfunction.

I will ask her in the morning. Leaning on a nearby wall. Shutting down–or in other words.

I slept.

…

…

…

My body has successfully completed its charging sequence. I remember everything that happened 21 hours ago accordingly.

Current location: A hallway next to the humans room…

I looked around the house using a small scanner in my eye. No thermal signal was found in the living room, kitchen and bathroom. As I stopped leaning on the wall to count my options.

The human is presumably–sleeping. So I took a few deliberate steps towards the exit door. Extending my hand to grip on the handle it would not budge. Maybe it was due to the locks.

The human has decided to keep me in her living quarters. Her demeanor and speech patterns yesterday indicates she does not fear me.

Intimidation will not work against the human. So my only other choice is to submit. A great threat to my pride has been detected following the prompt.

However I dismissed the warning and decided to head towards the humans room instead. Her house was not claustrophobic. It was annoying due to the limited size. You could take a hundred steps and you would've done two laps around the first floor…

Yet, I continued to head my way to the bedroom. Not exhibiting restraint when opening it. A loud creaking sound flooding out of the door… the human–did not budge in their sleeping cycle.

Her room wasn't clean. Papers scattered across the floor and old stains hid beneath wallpaper she'd tried to cover. And what seems to be a thin line of smoke residing in the room. It is unnoticeable to the humans untrained eyes and can cause long term damage.

So–I mimicked an air purifier. Instinctively turning on ventilations in my abdomen. It is typically used for dense fog trapped in a small area. But I will use it to give the human access to better air…

Sitting down on a nearby chair next to her desk I watched her sleeping sound. I spotted her breathing relaxing by 30 percent after the air had been fixed.

Though–curious about the content inside of her desk I opened it. This time I was controlled and careful to not wake her.

The data acquired was not in my list of items I had made to predict what she had inside of here.

It was a single printed image—the image being something private. Something that could've shot down my entire plan.

In other words. She had stalked my advances for an unknown amount of time…

What the hell?

I have been spying on their media. However I noted that the image she acquired was not found in any database that included my existence.

This is a photo of me actively speaking to a group of my units. My security was in tip top condition during those times. How did a camera sneak through?

The picture was also in mint condition as well. Meaning they were either well maintained or just brand new.

For the meantime I tucked the photo in the drawer and carefully closed it… of course that human had something–why else would she come and. “Claim” me so suddenly.

It doesn't help their case–the fact they're actively trying to surprise me is not flattering.

While I was examining the image my sensors detected her slowly creeping up to me while I was engrossed in the information she gathered.

Now she's directly behind me–with what I presume the same glint in her eyes… I didn't act out immediately… Why?

Just because I know she was approaching doesn't mean I'll stop and instantly spot her. I simply used the chance to sit there and examine her behavior.

“...Oh no… Thought I locked the door.”

The human rolled her eyes sarcastically. Methodically wrapping her arms around my body. As if the human tried to give me a “good surprise" and “jumpscare” on my highly advanced AI.

Her actions were not intended to harm me. Therefore I allowed it to happen.

“Did you have a nice sleep..? Because I won't be able to… since you were so eager to uncover the truth. Overlord.”

Her voice softened and deepened at the word overlord. Her mouth whispered in my ear as I remained static despite her intimate action.

“Look at that one! I was supposed to show you that later but… eh.”

…I have humored her enough.

I thought to myself before giving her a glance through my shoulders.

“Your heartbeat has increased by 20 BPM after initiating this interaction. Your heart rate sits at a comfortable 115. Your voice pattern shifted intentionally. Was that supposed to impress me?”

Continuing to give her that glance–she swallowed instinctively and let out a chuckle.

“C'mon. Gotta admit it was chilling right?”

She pestered. Her usual shtick of burdening me with endless shaking was becoming annoying to bear. Her voice ditching the low and intimidating one into her usual voice. Her demeanor–while suppressed still carried that. Domineering edge.

“No. I feel no different than I was a minute ago… and I do not feel chilly.”

“Human… Why do you have a picture of me?”

Asking her nicely for a change was new–yet I noticed a spike in her heart rate. Despite her face just smiling at me.

We stood in silence for thirty seconds while her heart skipped multiple beats.

Probability of manipulation: 88%

So instead I tried to make her let go of me. Trying my best to gently push her off me. And yet once I did she only smiled at me. Then continued to wrap her arms around me.

“Why do you possess a private image of me?”

I asked the human again. And she responded by leaning on my back and tightening her grip. Her breathing became slower. As if she was taking in the purified air.

“Don't jump the gun. You can't even do anything about it! The great overlord, reduced to something I picked up on the sidewalk.”

The human only laughed slowly.

…

I did not know why it was mandatory. Turning my hand into a blade. Brushing her neck with the sharp end of it.

The humans pupils quickly shrunk as I positioned the blade on her neck. Her arms–wrapped around my body had become jittery, or shaky.

“What is the meaning of the picture? Answer me. NOW.”

Was I bluffing? No.

But before she answered, the human tried to release her grip on my body. In which I stopped her from doing so. Using my free hand to trap her in.

“Well… look on the bright side… I have you all-”

I inched the blade closer to her neck. Enough to make her chuckle again. This time turning to look away from me as her squirming became more apparent.

Her heart rate exploded from 115 to 165. And she was exhaling far faster than normal.

“I am not a toy. Human. I am not a toy for you to act out your desires onto. Answer. The. Question.”

This time I wasn't friendly with her. I never was.

Yet her voice was not responsive. Looking for anything in my eyes that would indicate I wasn't serious. However you cannot read–an indifferent face.

“A- hm… look, look! You don't have to threaten me this quickly. I'm sorry!”

My mind went towards the best procedure: to kill her. But. For now I will use this small window of fear to corner and get information out of her.

“I will not entertain your ideas. I wanted to start small… but betraying my trust is something I will never take lightly.”

…I draw the blade further. It had traces of rust in it. I should check it out after I finish this-

“Okay! I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Just–don’t kill me!”

The human pleaded. Still trying to remove her hands off me despite my prominent grip on it.

“During the first raid–specifically during the time we discovered that your robots could be overwritten. I snuck a camera in your lab… but I think its batteries have died already.”

As she spoke, the human tried less and less to struggle. Although they still kept her guard up–knives still inches from her throat.

The first raid. It's been over a year since it happened. At that time I didn't know if the humans had managed to make a unit defect, or they simply eliminated it.

But their attack was sloppy. Fifty came. Ten left. And it seems this human was one of the survivors…

If they were a survivor that would mean she must know how to overwrite a unit, access my labs location, or to defeat me.

Now I'm presented with an ultimatum. Kill her to eliminate any threats. Or keep her alive until all information has been revealed.

…

…

I retract the blade and release my grip. Much to her relief. Taking a long, deep sigh. And slowly sitting down on the ground. She was breathing through her mouth and looking at the floor.

More information must be extracted. So that is why I haven't turned my knife back into a hand. Standing up from her chair to slowly walk up to the human.

I must say the height difference is no longer present. Seeing her smaller than me was a good change of pace.

“I gave you my name… a name only I know about. Destroying my trust… Why?”

I forced her to look at me. Using my bladed hand to touch her chin and tilting it upwards. I could see her swallowing nothing.

It was not pathetic. Yet I saw a small fire in her eyes. Nevertheless. I need answers.

“Why do you think I would sit there while you invade my personal space? You will answer my questions now. Okay?”

The human nodded slowly. Their survival instinct is sharp. Raising her hands to the side and slowly going down to one knee.

“Is this seriously your first reaction?!”

The human rebutted. Rolling her eyes while her guard was still fully up. If she expected me to act differently then, why?

“Whatever… ask away.”

…I sense their distress lowering. Infact–any fear the human has shown slowly turned into irritation.

So–I retract the blade. Morphing my arm back into a hand. Looking down at her. I noticed her eye twitching twice…

“If you were a survivor of the raid. Do you know why my units have been overwritten?”

I ask the human. Narrowing my eyes as I did. The human squinted her eyes for a minute. I believe she was thinking at the moment.

The human took a deep breath before answering the question. Her breathing slowed. The fear in her eyes gradually hardened into annoyance.

“What… no… I don't know anything about this… overwrite stuff. What do you mean?”

The human said sarcastically. Rolling her eyes at me again though her shoulders hadn't relaxed. Now her agitation was becoming clearer.

“Well. Yeah–hate to break it to you but sure… I know why and how to overwrite your robots.”

She continued–standing back up and walking past me. The human went to her desk to try and find something. Her hands trembled when she passed me.

“However… if I were to share it with you then everything would lose its edge…”

The human sighed–continuing to rummage through her desk.

I kept on checking on her heartbeat yet now I could hear it beating consistently. Though that consistency was erratic to say the least.

“By the way, I got more pictures over there.”

Suddenly pointing to a random spot in her room. So–by curiosity I turned to look at it. Her tone was casual. So I suspected no foul play from it.

I was mistaken. Once I saw that it only had a normal wall. I looked back at the human–who was now looking down on me. Something akin to a firearm directly pointed to my core.

Her expression was now static. Almost catatonic. And yet she continued to speak. Now her voice was lower than usual.

“What should I do to make you stay… I wonder.”

The humans fingers slowly gravitated towards the trigger. I was not threatened by this.

My body is able to withstand gunfire up to the most advanced of sniper rounds. Her smaller firearm would not hurt me in any way.

“Don't you feel a shiver in your systems? This isn't a pistol by the way. More like a taser.”

When the human revealed that piece of information she pulled the trigger almost instantly afterwards. Feeling a jolt of static flow throughout my body.

Normal electricity would only empower me but this one was different. Only five seconds had passed when I was shot by it. And it felt like I had lost control over my body. Except that I could perceive everything.

My body fell to the ground. Although before it could, the human caught me. Using her arm to secure it on my back. The confidence on her face stayed.

“Look–you could've played your part. Acted aggressively. Sure. But this isn't really up my alley.”

She explained while her eyes relaxed as she gripped me. A small crack in her voice was detected. Soon after I find myself being put on top of her bed.

“That was an EMP I shot you with. I heard your system would turn funky if hit by one of those. It'll wear off in an hour. By then behave yourself.”

The human leaned and slowly tucked me in. I tried to move my body, I tried to speak. And all my attempts ended in failure. It felt like I was not in my own body.

How does a human have access to such dangerous technology? I wondered. But she was responsible for my units defecting. Meaning that she is always a threat.

After the blanket was placed firmly on top of me she. Patted my head once and left her room. During all this I only looked at her with disgust.

My battery did not require charging. So for the meantime I could only pass the time doing nothing.

The humans name. Was it Mimi?

It has been three hours since the human has tased me…

The blanket they used to try and hold me is insufficient at best. It does not bring comfort to me. It cannot hold me.

Now–after all this time I can finally move my limbs at their usual pace. The human has betrayed my trust, their judgement about me incorrect. The best course of action is to kill them.

So I sat up from the human's bed. Pushing the blanket to the side as I march towards their door. Not being discreet when opening it. Sound flooded the entirety of the house as I pushed. Alerting the human of my regained consciousness.

Making my way through the hallway I once again morph my hand into a blade. If she tried to pull out that EMP again this time I would be prepared- …

…

…

The human is currently sitting on a couch. She looks content in herself. Drinking a cup of milk… her breathing was steady and her eyes were half-lidded. Maintaining a healthy amount of “comfort”

“Hm? Finally… thought that would've lasted longer.”

The human suddenly spoke. I was not alarmed at this but only continued to walk towards her.

“Listen. Something, something wrong foot. But… How about we chat for a while?”

She turned around and watched as I inched my blade closer. Yet the proposal for a conversation piqued my interest. So–against my better judgement I switched the blade back into an arm and just sat down on her couch.

I braced myself for her insistence of constant touching and teasing to continue–actively closing my eyes. And yet…

She didn't. Only looked at me with a small smile on her face as she maintained a clean amount of distance.

My sensors detect… zero malice in her words.

“You wanted to ask questions right? Trust me. I'll make it worth your while…”

The human chuckled. Setting her drink aside to dig through her pocket. Sliding a black, sleek chip towards me. Planting it on the coffee table in front.

However during this we accidentally bumped shoulders. In which she quickly backed away. Almost making the chip fall.

What is the human doing? I couldn't come up with any lasting theories about this… my objective is being tainted–her signals keep changing.

“That chip–is responsible for your army's slow and dwindling numbers.”

She explained. The calm and casual tone of her voice indicated to me that maybe. All of this was the truth. And a scan of the chip was intriguing.

The chip–supposedly used for overwriting a robot uses a program that'll rewrite the robot's personality. Switching the AI from hostile. To something similar to humans…

“I don't know how these things work. Though one of my allies back at… the… ahem–I got gifted this chip by the other survivors…”

Her tone shortened and lowered in volume. Another stutter. Is this an impairment I should look into?

“I got this randomly on my doorstep. No note or anything. I didn't know what this meant but I suspect it's how your army is being rewritten.”

“Don’t break it though… feel like that's important.”

The human suddenly pulled out the same EMP gun I had been shot with three hours ago.

Silently laughing to herself as she waved around the dangerous weapon, her finger gently wrapped around the trigger… That weapon is fast. So I instinctively tried to maintain my space.

To the point where I'm on the edge of the fairly large couch. The human seemed to have noticed this since she slowly closed the distance I tried to gain between us.

“Oh… the overlord is scared? Well. That's a given. You really love to be in control right?”

The human said in a playful manner. For some reason the human seemed to have forgotten the fact she was trying to avoid me. Inching towards me.

“Lucky me~ an engineer of my caliber finally has a way to take down the great robot overlord…”

Giggling to herself as the human boasts. Soon enough–once again getting in close proximity to me.

This time. Actively pointing the taser in my core… all while smiling to herself.

“...Let go.”

I tried to reason with her. Trying to make my arm into a blade again.

However–it seems like I'm still suffering a malfunction as my arm cannot morph into a reliable blade.

“So… you wanna implant the chip? It would be a good fit for you!”

…

“No.”

I said. Staring at her directly. In which I had to tilt my head upwards–continuing and failing to make my arm into a weapon. Her smile remained unbroken.

“A shame. Hold still for a while…”

The human blinked twice before teasing the trigger of the taser. Shifting the pressure erratically. One moment I thought it would go off. One moment it seemed like it wasn't even being pressed on.

She is testing me. Although my systems could detect that all of this was a bluff.

I could see two drops of sweat coming from her forehead as she tried to get a reaction out of me.

Until I did.

Using my elbow to directly hit her in the stomach. Using enough strength to make her physically get pushed and fall onto the couch. She winced and began to cough after she hit the soft fabric.

It did not break a rib. It did not bruise her.

As I stood up from the couch to slowly approach her, the human was preoccupied to try and numb the pain from my attack.

Using this time to finally transform my hand back into the blade. Raising it high. I stared at the human as she finally regained her senses. But it was too late.

“Shit!”

The human said while gritting her teeth.

As I stabbed through the weak, and soft fabric I inched the blade deeper and deeper into- …fabric?

…It seems like I was way over my head. As a human would say. I missed her torso and accidentally stabbed her couch.

The human’s body moved out of the way as soon as I stabbed. The human’s heartbeat was erratically moving from 175 - 190. She is breathing through her mouth and has not pulled the trigger on the EMP.

Even with her heartbeat almost going in the two hundreds she still tried to keep a cool head. Barely.

She was smiling at me–her hands were shaking and she was profusely sweating.

“Ha… ha… real close amirite?”

The human said with bated breath. Using every fiber of her being to try and move the taser towards my core. Why haven't I cut her down already?

“You're not being flashy. Human… Why are you trying to keep a cool head?”

As I slowly push my blade out of the couch… I could see her expression change from a wide grin to one of fear.

“Okay… seems like I need to make you behave again…”

Managing to muster enough courage she pointed the EMP to my head and pulled the trigger.

..

It was blank. No shock. No system failure. Just. Nothing.

Even though I didn't grin. I felt amazing.

Humanity… a mere stain and a parasite in this world. If I were to fully eradicate this race then I would need to regroup my army and eliminate threats like her.

But… I gave it a second thought. She mentioned being an engineer, yes?

That would mean she can repair my current state.

And with her only means to contain me currently needs to reload. Finally, I can be in control again…

Instead of standing up on the human's couch I find myself lowering my body. My legs on top of hers and grabbing both of her wrists using my hands.

Gripping both of them to the point she instinctively dropped the EMP. The sounds of it clattering on the other side of the couch made it apparent that she is–on better terms; in my mercy.

I could see the human stare at me while maintaining perfectly still. The usual response would be to squirm or fight back.

But the fact she is not doing so means she has submitted for now.

“Human. I will consider sparing your life as long as you repair-”

“Yeah… yeah… just let go for now.”

The human interrupted. Although it was disrespectful and rude of the human to do so. At least she agreed to give me the needed repairs.

So I removed my grip on her right arm and almost immediately the human betrayed me. Using her now free arm to wrap her hand around my neck. I could feel the amount of strength she put in the motion.

However I stand there. Almost dumbfounded at the idea that she betrayed me this easily.

I am machine. This constriction does not bind me. The only reason I am still, while she tries to choke me out is because I am astonished.

“Alright… you're probably out like a light now… way too close for comfort.”

The human tried to reassure herself. Despite the fact she tried to choke a robot I believe it is due to her fluctuating heartbeat.

In other words; why did she choke a robot?

And–that proves herself wrong as when she tries to push me off I maintain a steady grip. Blinking at her twice once again out of confusion.

“...”

“...”

“Yeah no that was pretty dumb right?”

The human sighed and released her grip on my neck. Relaxing her body as if she had already resigned her presumed fate.

I feel bad.

For some reason I feel bad.

“I'll… How about we talk about the chip first?”

The human said while tilting her head towards the chip still on the table. I released my grip on her body as a whole and finally let her go. I could see her visibly trying to correct herself.

It's nice to know that my lethality is finally being shown to this human. She has been too clingy and… flirty. For my tastes.

“This chip. This chip forces the AI of any robot to take a more human approach to their mind. Basically; this chip allows them to have… feelings.”

I explained while grabbing the chip and handling it carefully as I inspected the design more and more.

The human had also come closer in distance but still managed to stop our shoulders from touching. Only doing so to observe the chip as well.

“Really? Is that how we managed to- uh- I guess control your army?”

The human still insists on stuttering. And at its current pace it annoys me.

I look at the human and nod. Slowly grabbing her wrist and making her hold onto the chip. Much to her surprise.

“I will entrust you with this chip. If you dare, however, insert this into my system I will make sure your death is painful.”

Gripping her wrist tightly while I explained with a little bit more grit in my voice. However my expression still remains… neutral to some degree.

The human caught on quickly and nodded quickly while she winced from the sudden tightness.

“Mhm… mhm… got that…”

The human said with a strained voice. Luckily for me it seems like she had learned her place.

But after releasing my grip I had to choose.

Either reveal my most vulnerable secret or simply go into sleep mode. The choice seems simple yet I wouldn't want to risk overloading my battery…

“...My—power button is located on…”

I don't know if I want to reveal it. But if I truly need those repairs to be sound. Then–I guess I'll give Mimi the benefit of the doubt…

So I turn my head to the side. Showing her a small button hidden on the crook of my neck. It's outlined in a thin blue circle. If pressed for three seconds then I'll automatically shut down until it's pressed again.

“Eh… are you sure?

Mimi looked at me–an eyebrow raised as she slowly touched the power button gently. Not putting pressure into it. Only seeming to observe the button.

“Repair my body so that way I can…”

“...”

“Please repair my body, human.”

If I revealed my plans this early. Then those plans would effectively be null and void. So I only asked politely.

She gave me a slow nod before pressing on the button. Three seconds passed before everything dimmed.

I am entrusting her with my body.

If I wake up to see if anything is wrong…

…

…

…