18
Milo’s golem lay on a stone slab table looking mostly complete.
He pressed a small silicon wafer into a slot inside the construct’s chest. It was the last of fifteen, which formed a small ladder of gleaming silver.
The last thing to do would be to insert the Machine Core which would power the golem. Everything else seemed to be in place. Still, he checked the plans again, to be certain everything was where it should be.
The only thing he hadn’t built was the golem’s shell. He wanted to spend a little time with the Customization options first.
But since these were mostly cosmetic, he figured it was more important to get the golem working before toying with its appearance.
It had taken almost four days of constant work, and he’d slept very little.
Other than returning to Spragg’s shop to deliver the core for him to sell or to slide back to his cubicle for sleep, Milo hadn’t left the Workshop.
Running his hands through his greasy hair, he realized he needed a bath.
But that could wait.
He had to see if the golem would power on.
Feeling nervous for the first time, he reached for the Machine Core and twirled it in his fingers.
It would slot into the chest, too.
Right where a human heart would be. That seemed fitting.
Click was poised on top of the workbench, the little golem’s legs twitching as though it also felt the tension coursing through Milo’s nerves.
It let out a brief whir of gears and Milo nodded. “I guess we’ll find out.”
He slid the core in place, feeling the dull click as it settled in the slot.
Nothing happened.
He was about to speak when the construct’s jaw opened.
Closed.
Then a metallic voice spoke calmly. “Initiating power sequence.”
Milo clapped his hands and let out a whoop. “It works!”
“Power sequence complete. Initiating Machine Intelligence Matrix. Matrix detected. Compatibility confirmed. Adjusting parameters.”
Rubbing his hands, Milo grinned at his golem.
It looked like a messy shell. Its dwarven frame was bare and he could see every gear, wire, and strut. As he watched, gears began to whir and the wires shivered as the skeleton twitched.
“Beginning System check.”
Then the golem started clattering as everything started moving at once. It rattled violently, arching its spine and kicking its limbs.
Then it froze.
“System check complete. Tuning required. Activating Machine Intelligence Matrix.”
Milo gulped.
He had no clue what was happening. Or what half of what it was saying meant. He could guess, of course. The construct was simply testing its construction. Checking everything worked.
So far it seemed fine.
Suddenly it sat up.
Its skull turned left.
Turned right.
Then it saw Milo.
It looked him up and down slowly.
Then nodded to itself before looking down at its own body.
Then back to Milo.
Before letting out a long piercing scream which was so sharp that he had to clamp his hands against his ears.
The scream lasted a few seconds before the construct leapt off the table and ducked down behind it, hiding from him. He wasn’t sure, but by the way it was trembling, he had a feeling it was afraid.
“It’s alright,” he called, reaching out a hand. “Everything’s alright.”
“Alright?” The construct’s voice was mechanical but also definitely female. “What are you talking about? It’s not alright!”
“It’s not?” He frowned, trying to imagine where he’d gone wrong.
He was sure he’d assembled it - her - properly.
“No, you ridiculous buffoon!” She poked the top of her skull up over the table. “I’m naked!”
“Naked?” He blinked at her. She was a golem. Why would she be worried about clothes?
“Yes! You can see my… You can see everything!”
“Everything?” Confused, he took a step back. “I’m sorry… It’s my first time making a golem.”
“Ah, blast,” she growled, hunkering down. “Your first time? Just my luck to be built by a virgin.”
“Look, umm…” He shook his head, overwhelmed. “I haven’t actually finished building your shell yet… So, I might actually need you to get back on the table…”
“What?” She ducked back down further. “Don’t you dare, you pervert! You just want to look at my core!”
“But I’ve already seen it,” he told her. “I mean, I had to slot it in…”
“Eep!” She let out a squeak. “You mean you touched my core? But we’re not even married!”
Milo blinked. “Fed, what’s going on? Is this… normal behavior?”
Affirmative, Milo. All 11-B models are designated for personal use.
“Personal… use?”
“Aww, blast it!” She let out a moan from behind the table. “I’m an 11-B? I’ve been assembled and assaulted by a creep! This can’t be happening…”
Milo creased his brow. “I thought she was a scouting golem.”
Affirmative, Milo. Construct model 11-B is suitable for scouting, assassination, and infiltration.
“So why is she also for… personal… whatever?”
All combat-designated constructs are restricted.
“But she is a combat model.”
Negative, Milo. 11-B is designated for Personal Use only.
“But she can fight?”
“Of course I can fight, buster!” The golem shouted from behind the table. “Come try getting a look at my core again and I’ll show you just how good at it I am, too!”
Affirmative, Milo. Construct model 11-B is equipped with close-range and medium-range weaponry. Martial combat maneuvers are included in their Machine Intelligence Matrix. Their combat efficiency is highly regarded.
“See?” She lifted the top of her skull to glare at him. At least, he thought she was glaring. Without a face, it was hard to tell. “I’ll fight you to pieces, creep!”
“I’m not a creep,” he groaned. “Fed, am I right in thinking that she’s a legal loophole? That in dwarven society, they weren’t allowed to have combat models. So, they called them personal use, and then built them for combat anyway?”
Affirmative, Milo.
“Blast it,” he growled.
“That’s what I said!”
“Look…” He winced at the top of her head. “This is a little troublesome for us both, but I really need to finish working on you. If I don’t, you’re going to be running around, umm, naked forever.”
“I bet you’d like that, too, wouldn’t you?”
“Actually, I’d prefer to complete you.”
“Complete me? Eep!” She ducked down fast. “Now he wants to stick his thing into my thing!”
“My thing?” He rolled his eyes. “All I’m going to be using is a screwdriver.”
“Creep!”
“Please,” he called, trying to stay calm. “I swear to you, I just want to finish your shell. Then we can talk about it like… Well. Like an engineer and his golem.”
Her head lifted a little. The small crystal orbs which made up her eyes glimmered softly. “I’m your golem?”
“Well, I did sort of build you.”
“Hmm.” She suddenly stood up straight, turning her body slightly away and holding her hands over her exposed ribs to hide her core. “Why didn’t you say that to start with?”
“I did tell you.”
“No, you just said you were playing with my… with my core.” She shivered. “You didn’t say I was yours before. You could have been any creepy old engineer. How was I to know I was yours?”
“Because I’m the only one here?”
“Maybe everyone else was on their break and you tried to steal me from the engineer who owned me.” She thrust out her chin defiantly. “It could happen!”
“Not likely. I’m the only engineer here.”
“What?” Her gears whirred softly. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“Well, it’s the truth.” He pointed at the table. “Now, would you mind laying down again? Please?”
“Hmph.” She slid onto the table and lay back down again, using her hands to hide her core from him. “I still don’t want you looking at it, though. And you can’t turn me off! I don’t want you… touching it again…”
“Can I ask why not? It’s just your core.”
Her skull twisted to stare up at him. He imagined with horror. “What kind of engineer are you? How many cores have you touched?”
He tried to remember how many he’d pulled out of the box.
How many he’d fumbled with.
Put into the recharging stations.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“Eep!” She turned her head away. “I really have been assembled by a pervert. I hope you at least wore gloves…”
He glanced down at his bare hands and decided not to answer that question.
“Alright.” He sighed, reaching for his Workpad. “Let’s have a look at what we can do with your shell.”
“What? You’re not even going to let me choose?” She shuddered, her gears clicking sorrowfully. “Am I truly just a machine to you?”
Milo stared at the skeletal golem laying in front of him.
In all his dreams of what a golem might be like if he could talk to one, this wasn’t in any of them.
Well.
Not any since he was fifteen.
He shook his head and blew air through his cheeks. Then leaned over her so she could see the screen. “Alright,” he said. “Here’s your options.”
“I want green eyes,” she said. “And a little nose. I don’t want a big fat nose. And perky nipples. I want perky nipples.”
He winced again. “I don’t know where the nipple slider is…”
“Ugh.” She sighed. “Why do I get the virgin? Here.”
She snatched the screen from him and started sliding her metallic fingertips along the glass. Pushing sliders and selecting from dropdowns with effortless speed.
“Ooh!” She exclaimed, sliding the breast slider up and down. “It’s hard to choose. Do I want big or massive? What do you think?”
“Won’t it be hard to fight with them that big?”
“I’ll be fighting?”
“Well, I made you to help me complete dungeons.”
“Dungeons?”
“Yeah. They’re magical scenarios where we have to kill monsters.”
“Oh.” She nodded. “War games. Yeah, I guess that’ll be fun. Maybe you’re right in that case. Massive boobs might mess with my balance.”
“Woah.” He gulped as she found the sliders for more intimate parts of her body. He looked away, his face turning red.
“What?” She glanced at him. “Why are you turning that color? Are you sick?”
“No. It’s just… I think I’ll let you select your private parts on your own.”
“Private parts?” She cocked her head. “Are you some kinda prude?”
“Weren’t you the one who was shouting at me for looking at your core?”
“That’s different.” She grunted. “A golem shouldn’t be showing off her core to just anyone before marriage. Especially not some creep who switched her on while she was naked.”
“Alright, alright.” He dragged himself onto a stool and yawned. It had already been a long enough day. “Just tell me when you’re done.”
“Okay.” Then, after a pause. “How tight should I make it?”