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Chiana knew going to Old Town was dangerous. The local inhabitants were uneducated and prone to violence. Anyone from the New Town caught there could be robbed and beaten or worse. But it was exciting. She'd often snuck through the barrier fields at a weak point she'd discovered to wander about a bit. Never very long, of course, and never this close to nightfall. But daylight forays were becoming old and stale and she wanted something more exciting than simple walkabouts. She'd heard they still manufactured many illegal substances and the thrill of trying such forbidden wonders as alcohol and marijuana appealed to her.

Carefully reaching her gateway to avoid the ever present eyes of the floating security bots, she forced herself past through it. It was hard to get through as the field resisted all traffic between the peace and security of New Town and the uncontrolled masses of Old Town. Chiana was expecting something special tonight. She'd heard rumours that the inhabitants of Old Town were having some kind of ceremony. In her mind, that meant party and those wondrous substances she'd heard about in urban legends.

Old Town was totally deserted. She wandered up and down streets that, while never overly crowded, at least had had a few people during the day. Tonight there was no one, not even thugs. To tell the truth, it was even more boring than New Town and its safe and secure entertainment. After wandering about for nearly an hour, Chiana decided to head home. She was disgusted. So much for urban legends and hearsay. She walked down the centre of the deserted street towards her escape. The buzz of a security bot as it patrolled a cross street behind her momentarily caught her attention. She'd never seen any of the security bots in Old Town before. Still a patrolling bot was hardly worth the effort to investigate. She trudged towards the weak point in the field and totally ignored the approach of the security bot.

She awoke attached to some kind of frame. Neither her legs or arms could move. Though she could twist her head from side-to-side a little, she couldn't see much. It appeared to be some kind of industrial complex rather than a hospital though. She heard a sound behind her and turned her head as much as she could.

"Hello?" she called. "Who's there?"
"Sweeps spronked you too," the woman's voice stated flatly.
"Sweeps?"
"Yah, the sweeps. Used to be vivacious on Mardi Gras but the sweeps keep everyone tunnelled now."
"Mardi Gras?"
"You stupid or something?"
"I'm not from Old Town."
"Sure. Like that's a good one. Why'd you get spronked then?"
"Spronked?"
"Xavier's beard. Only peep I gets to spend me last night with and she's brain burned."
"Last night?"
"Lemme explain it sister. Sweeps come and go. Anyone out gets spronked. Dey never come back. Glow balls spronk 'em and blackies cart 'em off to New Town."
"Blackies? You mean the robots?"
"Dem blackies. Look sorta like peeps but no life in 'em"

The conversation was interrupted by a click and a robotic voice.

"Face straight ahead, XVZ-034-BC-212"

Chiana recognized the designation. The voice was ordering one of the local drudge bots about. Didn't apply to her.

"Why would the ..." she began.

A flash from the device that kept her head from moving caused a momentary pain.

"Face forward as commanded."
"I'm no bot!" Chiana protested.
A second flash and a stronger pain surged through her body.
"Face forward."
"I'm Chiana Fitzgibbons! Social Number ..."
"Silence and face forward.”

A third flash and a stronger pain surge. Chiana momentarily lost consciousness.

"Please," she protested. "I'm a New Town resident. What is ..."

The fourth flash knocked Chiana out cold. When she awakened, she could no longer feel her legs.

"Dey doin' something to you Sister. Blue beam and such. You got no legs any more. Yah look like a tube steak from the waist down."
"Tube steak?"
Another flash and Chiana groaned.

A pair of beams flashed on from out of the darkness and Chiana felt a tingling from the tips of her toes to her knees. The tingling slowly moved up her body. She felt herself being pulled and twisted but oddly it wasn't painful.

"Dey changing you Sister," her fellow captive stated. "You got no legs and dem lights changing you. You got a tail sure enough like de dolfin in da bay sure enough. An you be black der too, y'know?"

Chiana tried to answer but felt a strange lack of volition. It was easier to listen to the quiet voice in her head than worry about what the beams were doing. It would all be straightened out when they discovered her id card anyway. So what was there to worry about?

"You still 'live der Sister?" There was a pause. "I don't know what dey be doin' but I don't be likin' it. Da beams they moving up you and you got Blackie skin where they be done. Blackie, for sure. Dey makin' you into a Blackie."

A momentary flash of annoyance crossed Chiana's numbed mind. What the hell was a blackie anyway?

"Dat's what dey doing. You be Blackie soon. I heared about dem Blackies. Allays do what told. Do all dah hard work while lazy Newtowners party."

Blackies? Could that stupid Old Towner mean robots? Everyone knew robots were grown in the construction factories. Ever since the electronic robot AIs were defeated by the heroes of the past electronic robots were forbidden. They used biological robots now. Safer and they were unable to revolt. To hear the elders talk, they were a lot smarter, too. Less likely to make a dumb move and wreck things. But blackies were grown in tanks until they were ready to be installed in whatever body they would serve the rest of their life in. They didn't make people into robots. There was no need. Growing artificial brains in tanks was far easier. That's what she'd been taught from her earliest school days. Her musings were interrupted by the unwelcome interruption of the other woman.

"They changin' you real good for sure. You were a looker before dey start. Now they really goin' ta town. You gonna be a model or sumpin' I betcha."

Chiana glanced down at where the blue beams were playing back and forth across her breasts. The woman behind her was right. They were giving her breasts a lift and some real cleavage, too. Too bad the surface was so dark. It was hard to see the details when looking down with her eyes only. She kept track of the beams as they slowly moved up her body. They were warm and the voice in her head reassuring. It talked of beaches and safety and life saving. That would be nice to be able to do that. A lot less boring than sitting in the office and working her console. She enjoyed the sun. The beaches, protected as they were by the lifeguards, were always safe. Dangerous creatures seldom got into the secure areas and, when they did, the lifeguards would catch it and drop it back over the barrier. You couldn't kill the creatures. The ecology needed them.

"YOU SEE!" shrieked the woman.
"See what?" replied Chiana dreamily.
"You arms, silly woman. Dey be making a Blackie of you!"

Chiana slowly turned her eyes towards her arms. The beams were at her elbows now. A glint of gold caught her attention. They'd given her arm bands! How nice. She frowned momentarily. There was something written on the gold band but Chiana was having trouble focussing on the writing. Puzzled, she concentrated again and began to read the letters.

"X. V. Z. Dash. Zero. 3. 4."

It was too hard. The voice in her head had become increasingly insistent as her attention wandered. What did the letters matter anyway? They were just letters and didn't make any sense whatever. She let her gaze drift forward again and concentrated instead on the voice, the peaceful voice, the quiet voice...Soon the beams were finished with her arms. Chiana had a brief thought to see what her arms looked like now but there were better things to focus on. The C.P.R. protocols were far more important.

"Defibrillation paddles stored in pods under my breasts," she repeated dreamily. "Placement on patient is critical. Signal hospital. Code frequencies and link codes."

Chiana's voice trailed off.

"Woman wake up!" the other woman shouted. "Fight dem! You be no Blackie. Fight dem!"
"Fight?" Chiana replied dreamily.

The warmth of a beam touched her face and Chiana felt her mouth open of its own accord. It was easier to not resist. Resistance hurt. Why bother? She felt something growing inside her mouth but couldn't be bothered to figure out what it was. It didn't matter anyway.

"Oh shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!" screeched the woman behind her.
"You be nearly done and I be next, for sure. I wan outa here."

Chiana heard a sharp crackle and the sound of a large lump falling to the floor. The crackle she recognized. Someone had been stupid enough to attempt to cross a barrier field at full strength. Stupid person. You can't do that. Barrier fields are impenetrable just like the predator fields offshore of the recreation beaches she'd be patrolling soon. If you tried too hard, all that would happen is you'd knock you out. Then the second sound made sense. Silly woman had tried to get through a barrier and was likely now out cold on the ground. No matter. Medical bots would soon be on the scene.

Chiana's thoughts were distracted by a tickle on her shoulders. Her auburn hair was falling out as the beam moved up her head. A flicker of concern crossed Chiana's mind. She'd just had it done at the hairdresser's, too. She felt it tickle as it slipped from her shoulders and down her sides to lie floating in the water. There was a slight current in the water and Chiana watched as her hair floated towards an opening in the wall. Hair underwater would be more trouble than it was worth Chiana mused.

The quiet voice stopped and the blue glow around her head faded. The metallic cage in her peripheral vision moved upward and Chiana lost sight of it. It didn't matter, Chiana thought. It has taught me all it can. I am now ready for beach patrol. The glow from the beam that had been playing across her forehead clicked off, too. A pair of transparent clamps holding her wrists in place turned and she found herself falling into the water. It felt ever so good, every so right. She needed to get to her patrol station. A moment of panic. She didn't know where her patrol station was!

"XVZ-034-BC-212," the voice in the darkness stated through underwater speakers. She smiled. That was her number now. "Proceed out the exit behind you. When you reach the end of the corridor turn to your left and enter the final conformation chamber with the light on. You will enter that chamber and wait for further instructions."

XVZ-034-BC-212 turned and swam from the room. Her powerful tail strokes were a joy to her. She was fast and lithe and powerful and ready to serve!

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