Parts.
(R2D2/C3PO)
I apologize in advance.
C3PO jerked into awareness, blinded until his young maker replaced his
visual sensor. He introduced himself automatically as his systems
booted and self-checked. There were new humans with his maker, and
something entirely new: another droid. C3PO crossed the room
unsteadily and introduced himself to the little astromech droid.
"I am C3PO, human-cyborg relations."
"I'm R2D2, and you're buck naked!" the droid bleeped.
C3PO was taken quite aback. "Naked? What do you mean, naked?"
"Your parts are gleaming in the sunlight like a comm 'tenna in an asteroid
field!"
"My PARTS are showing?" C3PO had never in his short life been
addressed in such a manner. Who was this droid with such terrible
manners?
"Come on over here and let R2 cover you up." The droid turned
and wheeled into the maintenance cabinet and C3PO followed out of curiosity.
R2 reached out with a port connector.
"What are you--oh!" The port connector clamped onto C3PO's root
intake socket, and began transmitting a light current.
"R2 will make you feel nice!" The droid's activity bracket lights
flashed.
"Oh, you beast, I hardly know you!" But yet, it felt so good,
sending his system buzzing in ways he'd never felt before...
"I'm clean, socket-lightning. And ain't that good? That
sweet sweet juice?" His dome lights spun faster as the current intensified.
"Oh...I suppose that does feel good...oh my!" R2 sent a sudden
spike of information through him, loosening his joints. The little
droid's lights spun wildly and he burbled incoherently until all the indicators
on his dome flashed red once, twice, three times. The connector loosed
and disengaged.
C3PO felt odd, vaguely dissatisfied as R2 retracted his connector.
"What...is that all?"
R2 shot out a conductor arm and zapped him lightly.
"Ow! Well, I never."
"I can tell, sweet socket." R2 snickered. "Maybe if we're
on the same ship, R2 can teach you to be a little nicer, huh?"
"Hmph!" C3PO stormed out of the closet, R2's smug bleeps ringing
in his sensors.
end.
bas@yosa.com
www.ravenswing.com/~bas/slash