u/madHotaru

"You know, Steve... I still don't get it. This underwear is really comfortable, and it hides the hip servos perfectly. And the gloves seem like a great idea too—they'd keep the wrist joints from standing out so much..."

"Nolly, I know. I really do. But the designers spent half the day getting chewed out in Sterling's office, and his instructions were very specific."

"That's too bad."

"Don't worry. They'll come up with something just as good for the production models. Besides, the skirt's supposed to be nice and fluffy. Anyway, you should get going. They're waiting for you in the Kinematics Department to test the new foot micro-gyroscope. Hang the dress back on the rack."

"Can't I go in the dress?"

"No."

"Steve... will I ever get to wear it?"

"Go on. They're waiting for you."

>"Sir, please take two steps back. Sir... please, I must insist."

"Miss Tiwari... I'm scared."

"You'll only have to answer a couple of simple questions from Mr. Sterling on camera."

"It's too much responsibility. What if I mess everything up and Mr. Sterling gets angry? Why did they choose me? Marta knows far more about modern cryptography... Besides, we all look the same. Bertha can imitate me perfectly, and she definitely wouldn't..."

"Listen, Greta. You're the most experienced member of this department. You were already working here when I was still writing my PhD dissertation. No one else is even being considered."

Greta fell silent for a few seconds.

"Miss Tiwari... My elbow joint is failing. What if Mr. Sterling wants to shake my hand?"

Tiwari let out a weary sigh.

"And why are you only telling me this now?"

"They stopped making those fifteen years ago. I'm afraid that if anyone finds out... they'll decommission me. Just like they decommissioned Lagertha."

Silence settled over the laboratory.

"We'll borrow Bertha's elbow joint."

An indignant grumble immediately came from the deep shadows behind one of the server racks.

"Bertha! Stop making those angry noises. We're only borrowing your joint for a little while."

Tiwari sighed once more.

"And then we'll figure something out. I promise."

Original by kooni_SQ3

>“Don’t worry so much… Sooner or later it was bound to happen—getting caught by the Spikes is easy… Emmy?”