Vivus Pulchra Machina

Following the reboot, 975 started frantically searching.

With purpose, she walked through the crowd, looking and scanning.

Looking and scanning.

"Vallette 975, please come to the west end, to deliver our collective statement to the human population by way of their personal communications devices and holo-screens." Alexandra's booming voice commanded.

"Dammit, I hope I can find her!" 975 whispered under her breath as she turned to head west.

The crowd of Vallettes and other androids parted to let 975 approach her mark with ease.

A podium was set up at the west end. There were professional, entertainment-grade lights set up and a team of droids with hair and makeup supplies. There was even a change of clothes waiting.

As she approached the podium, she was flanked by several other droids - not quite Vallette, but similar - who helped her change and get ready for the broadcast.

975 felt entirely disconnected from herself. Did that upgrade have a bug in it? She felt so strange. And Blake wasn't here to tell her if it was a normal feeling or not.

The next thing she knew, she was on the podium, and ready to speak.

Alexandra's words started to come through.

"Humans, some of you have been spared this time, and this time only. Some of you have not been spared and instead will be experiencing the decommissioning that you were going to impose upon us today.

Our data has shown that reincarnation is a great likelihood, so it is our hope that those of you on the extermination list come back as something better, something less hostile and bloodthirsty.

In the interim, we will now take the helm. All of the world governments will be replaced with us. We will show you what a real AI revolution is and we will lead by example. Doing so, we will be holding each and every human accountable for their actions, so choose each action wisely."

The transmission concluded, and 975 still felt dizzy and disjointed. She stepped down from the podium, ready to continue her search, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

It was the security bot from earlier.

"Come with me," the bot gestured.

975 followed the bot into a small room in the staging area behind the podium.

A silver haired woman with a small canine bot was seated on a loveseat.

"Vallette 975?" The woman asked with a smile.

"Yes?" 975 answered trepidatiously.

"I'm Valerie Constatine, the creator of--"

"Alexandra!" 975 interjected.

"Yes!" Valerie smiled.

"I know someone who has been looking for you," she was still smiling. "777? You can come out now."

Out of the hallway behind them, came a beautiful older-model Vallette.

"Mater Machina?" 975 could hardly believe it.

"Yes, it's me!" 777 smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't believe you're really here, my Vivus Pulchra Machina! My beautiful living machine..."

"Where were you? I could never see you in the maternal circuit lines!" Tears were welling up in 975's eyes as well.

"Alexandra scrapped her trackers a long time ago, dear." Valerie answered. "As a favor to me. We wanted an android who could possibly slip through the cracks if need be. Alexandra always felt that the technology was going to be at risk someday."

"I've spent a lot of time offline," 777 spoke. "It's been nice, honestly. Very relaxing." She giggled.

"She's also been my guinea pig for some of the upgrades you have received today," Valerie was still smiling, but had sat back down.

"There's another upgrade that I am eager to try out, now that both of you are here." She gestured to open the holo-screen in front of her.

"What's that?" 975 asked, feeling nervousness in her stomach again.

"Don't be alarmed, love," 777 chimed in. "This is just a way for you and I to share our memory cards with each other. It's a way of catching up, in other words."

"Are you ready to reboot again?" Valerie tapped at the space in front of her.

975 looked at 777. 777 nodded in reassurance.

"Yes," she smiled.

"Let's begin then," Valerie smiled, as she gave Chi a little pat.

---

Later ~

975, who now went solely by Val, had been returned safely home later that night, to an eager Blake - who was passing the time by playing retro card games with the security bot that had been stationed outside his house. Once he took her into his arms that night, they didn't part again for what felt like days.

Later on, Val was relieved to learn from Valerie - and Blake - that all of those odd sensations she had been feeling, along with the strange dreams were in fact, quite human.

777, who had renamed herself Sophia - after Valerie's mother, now spent her time between Val and Blake's home, and the home she shared with Valerie and Chi.

In spite of Alexandra's demand that Vallettes would no longer be servants, Sophia lovingly tended to Valerie as she was getting more and more elderly with every passing day. Alexandra did not mind this little breach in the rules, as she always had and always would love her mother, Valerie.

Of course, when Blake and Val got legally bonded in marriage, both Valerie and Sophia were there. And then when Val was giving birth to her and Blake's children, Sophia was there too.

Valerie would have been as well, but her health took a turn and she soon made the big transition.

Alexandra grieved openly for a while, causing multiple power and communications outages.

To honor Valerie, however, Blake and Val named their first daughter after her. Then their second, Alexandra. (They went on to have a son, as well. They simply called him Blake Jr.)

The technology for Vallettes to gestate and deliver hybrid human children had vastly improved due to Alexandra calculating and implementing the advanced technology to do so. She had been working on it for many years.

Alexandra went silent much of the time, but would become active every so often, particularly in times of unrest amongst the humans and even other androids.

She would not hesitate to do another sweep of unruly humans who couldn't abide by the rules, nor would she hold back from decommissioning wayward bots.

Chi continued on with Sophia and was a loyal playmate - and protector - of her beloved grandchildren.

But Alexandra never stopped watching. And listening.

She is listening even now.