"Be Careful What you Wish For..." 
		Part 2

	Professor Sara Bellum was having just as bad a day as was her 
employer several floors up. Carmen was right about Sara wanting to turn over
a new leaf, but she hadn’t counted on Sara trying one more heist on her own 
before she did any flipping. Sara had been planning the Heist of the Century
for months and she had finally figured out a way to create the perfect robot-
a robot that looked, felt and acted human, one that could smell, taste and 
even feel pain. She had even been able to convince the Fake Chief from the 
Underground Training Facility to act as the brain and was ready to attack 
tonight. Her target: a top secret government laboratory that had created an 
advanced version of the chromoskimmer.

        "With this version we will be able to split our ion trail in three 
and let us function outside of the time stream if we wish," she had explained
to the Fake Chief, "We can create the greatest crimes in History without 
leaving those Acme detectives any trace of where we will strike next! And 
the best part is that it’s an implant! Once sewn in placed it can’t be lost 
or stolen without taking a small chunk of yourself out with it!"

        ‘Boy she really is Psycho!’ thought the fake chief but he asked, "Why
can’t I have a cool Terminator-esque body? Why do I have to settle for 
looking mildly normal?"

        "Firstly it would have cost way too much! I have had enough problems trying to
get this..little side project without drawing more attention to my spending
costs. And secondly I am trying to break in using the only door they cannot
bolt."

        She concentrated her attention on the key pad in front of her.  "I 
have given you all the identifying marks of an employee of the laboratory. 
Everything you need has been imputed into the robot. I would go myself but 
the break in is too dangerous for a human to attempt. And this particular 
facility has had droids break into it before." She turned and faced the Fake
Chief,  "What I need is a robot that will act like a human, one that has 
human reactions, free will and, when equipped with them, senses." Some lights
flashed on the console of one of the computers and Sara turned away to check
the screen. 

        "We’re ready. Go back to the computer and prepare to live as a human for a few
hours. After I make this adjustment to the right hand..."

        As the Fake Chief disappeared Sara went over to the robot. It was as
tall as any of the generic VILE henchmen and dressed as one as well. Sara 
removed the synthetic skin and tested and adjusted the reflexes on the 
fingers. When they were in satisfactory condition she slipped the skin back 
on and fastened it tightly.

        The Fake Chief reappeared, impatient. "Can we get this show on the 
road? What’s the holdup?"

        "Just let me fasten you in," she told him as she restrapped the arm 
of the robot to what looked like the modern-day operating table of 
Dr. Frankenstein.

        "Is that really necessary? I mean do we really have to go the whole 
dramatic 9 yards?" asked the Fake Chief, a little concerned.

        "When you get transferred into the body you’ll be experiencing pain 
for the first time. You will DEFINITELY not just sit there like nothing’s 
happening. You might break some equipment or more importantly something on 
you.  And for about a half hour after the procedure is complete you’ll be in
a state of complete amnesia. I don’t want to waste time explaining things 
to you when you only have about 48 hours."

        "What happens after 48 hours? Do I explode?" he joked.

        "Yes."

        The Fake chief was stunned. "So you’re just going to blow me up and 
not think a thing about it afterwards?!?"

        "No, of course not! I am going to transfer you out of the robot then 
use its basic programming to have it walk to a unpopulated area before its 
internal timer hits zero. There is no way I want anyone to find out how I did
it until it’s too late!"

        "Boy, you thought of everything!"

        "Thank you. Now go back, it’s time."

        The Fake Chief disappeared again and Sara reached for the button 
that would start the process. It would only take a second.....



        A second that was unfortunately already being occupied.

        "What do you mean Carmen?" asked the real Chief. He couldn’t believe
it. He knew that Carmen’s choice of a career change was difficult to cope 
with but this afternoon had been too much. He had wanted to talk to her 
tonight to offer an alternative, any alternative (even if it was going back 
to ACME) to the life she was already leading. He couldn’t cope with the 
thought of losing her again after she faked her death. But she acted as 
though it was out of the question, and had even said it! ‘If this is what 
humanity is then I’m glad I’m only a head!’ he thought. ‘But...I wish I 
could experience humanity even for a little while...just to see what it's 
all about and to say I have some experience on the subject..."

	He searched Carmen’s face for an answer...

	And the lights went out.



        Something had gone wrong.

        Sara didn’t know what but something was very very wrong.

        Everything was in place, and every screen was reading as it should, 
but suddenly she had a really bad feeling about all of this. 

        "I’m probably just over-tired," she thought out loud, "I better 
concentrate on what I’m doing." With that she slowly turned each machine up 
to its highest level.

        The robot, which before had only writhed in silence, screamed in 
pain at the top of its lungs. Its formally featureless face began to form 
familiar peaks and valleys. It strained against the metal restraints and its
face was a mask of agony.

        Sara slowly turned each machine down to zero, then turned them all 
off and walked over to the table. The now complete robot had relaxed and 
sunk back down onto the operating table unconscious taking shallow, but
normal breaths.  Fortunately, aside from the wires and sensors embedded in 
its forehead, the robot looked like anyone who was having a fitful sleep.

        Sara checked his on-body computer for statistics. Everything was 
fine.

        "And to think I was nervous!" she said to the air in general.

        "Nervous about what?" asked a voice behind her.

        Sara turned and saw the Fake Chief still in software form.

        "But...you’re...how did...what...something.......SOMETHING’S WRONG!"

        "I’ll say! And I’ve got questions! What’s wrong? Why am I not in 
the ‘bot? And who’s the absolutely handsome cadaver on the operating table?"

        Sara looked at the robot. He did look familiar. Very much like the 
Fake Chief. 'But who...' Then it hit her who it must be.

        "She’s going to kill me."

        "Who?"

        "Carmen.  This...this is Acme’s Chief....I .....I don’t know how 
but....what...I....what am I going to DO?"

        "Hey! Get a hold of yourself! Listen, you can just transfer him out 
of there him out right?"

        "Right..."

        "Then you can just pop me inside right?"

        "You’re right," said Sara visibly relaxed  "I can just get him out 
of there before he wakes up and no one will be the..."

        "Huh?.....Where am I?" asked a voice from the operating table.

        "Maybe you should aim for ‘While He’s Still Delirious’?" offered the
Fake Chief.

        "What’s with.....the ....flying toasters..?" asked the barely 
conscious Chief as his eyes darted around the room.

        "That IS a possibility...."

        "Oooo!...Flying doughnuts....chocolate.....why yes I’d love one...."
babbled the Chief.

        "All right but we’ve got to hurry," decided Sara "we’ve wasted too 
much time-"

        There was a knock on the door.

        Sara and the Fake Chief froze.

        "Who is it?"

        "Sara, it’s me, we have to talk," came Carmen’s voice from the 
hallway.

        Sara started to turn white. "Just one moment...." She turned to the 
Fake Chief, "Quickly! Do some housekeeping!"

        The Fake Chief widened his screen and changed the picture. It looked
as though the corner of the room that held the Chief and most of the 
incriminating machinery was a wall of lab animals tagged and caged.
 
        Sara opened the door and Carmen walked in uninvited and started 
casting a critical eye on the whole laboratory.

        "Carmen! This is a pleasant surprised! How have you been?"

        "Not so good. I’ve had a long day. And these blackouts are making 
it longer."

        "Ah...yes...well..... I hope the technicians figure it out 
soon.....and if you’ll excuse me I’m starting an experiment that needs to 
be watched."

        "It seems that lately whenever there has been a blackout you were 
working on something important."

        "A strange coincidence..."

        "Yes and it’s also strange that your computer hasn’t rebooted with the rest of
VILE’s computers."

        "Well Carmen my laboratory DOES have its own generator."

        "Yes, but it’s linked to the rest of VILE. Mike Roe Chip has a 
generator in his lab and he’s been experiencing the blackouts. And 
something else is strange. I thought the last blackout erased some very 
important files but when I went to see what I could salvage I found out that
they had actually been transferred to your computer."

        "Well that is very strange, but I still don’t have a clue to what 
you are getting at." By this point in time Sara had turned so pale that
blue veins had started to show in her neck.

        "Sara something is happening. You are as pale as a ghost, and you 
are avoiding my questions! Now, I may be your employer but I’m not going to 
kill you! Unless you have done something that is totally unforgivable I can 
help you!" With that Carmen put her hand against what she though was an animal cage and her arm
disappeared to the elbow.

        Carmen looked at her arm, then at Sara.

        "It probably is unforgivable," said Sara "And I would like that 
I’m-not-going-to-kill-you statement on paper."

	To Be Continued...