The Story of Candy Apple - Android
Page 14

   Rob hoped Candy, April, and the others could keep everyone distracted long enough to get the Angel model out of the building. He just hoped Candy’s new friends could handle their end. Rob prayed the truck was already waiting for him. He was surprised by the military types that swarmed onto the warehouse loading dock floor at 2 AM in the morning the moment he opened the door. “One special early edition custom-made Angel personal companion model on ice, serial number 000-000001, as ordered,” he said.
   “One custom-made Angel on ice received,” the soldier acknowledged as Rob handed him a receipt for the android.
   “Where are you taking her?” Rob asked.
   “She has a first-class ticket into space on a private shuttle waiting on a launch pad as we speak,” the soldier replied. “Are you sure this is an android? She looks more like a cyborg to me.”
   “Trust me, she is pure android,” Rob replied. “It’s the synthetic skin we use now that makes them so lifelike. The Angel model’s skin is molded in large pieces. She’s not the patchwork quilt that made up the skin of the Sugar and Honey models. Only the major joints and a few maintenance access ports remain exposed. The only reason why the joints are exposed is that the synthetic skin tends to tear with extreme motion. The access ports are covered with clear skin and lack the sensitivity of synthetic skin. Unlike Candy, Sugar, or Honey models, Angels can ingest water and other liquids and must do so from time to time as it is part of the new self-regenerating fuel cells that make up their power source. Any unsuitable liquids are excreted from the body in the normal fashion.”
   “You mean she can pee,” the soldier said a bit amazed.
   “In a manner of speaking, yes she can,” Rob said. “However, she could hold about a gallon before she would need to go to the bathroom. Water would be processed completely, and any excess gas vented into the atmosphere.”
   “Why does she need to be kept cold?” the soldier asked.
   “It’s the synthetic skin,” Rob replied. “The nanotechnology used makes it behave a lot like real skin. Small cuts or punctures can heal themselves, that sort of thing. We have to keep her on ice to keep the skin inactive.”
   The handoff of Candy's new body went smoother than Rob had envisioned. On the computer, it was just a rush order for a favorite client who couldn't wait a week for the official roll-out of the new Angel model. His head had barely hit the pillow when his cell phone went off. It was his office calling him in to work on a special project that had just come up.