How to Date an Android

Chapter 11, revised

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Spouse Support

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** Customization may affect other traits

*** No data available from Mellifera on Competitor androids

* Model is so new that data is still being collected

"So what's all this?" I asked. It was a bit overwhelming. There was a lot of data here to go over.

"This is the specs and performance record information on all four Mellifera models. We provide this right away to customers because we want them to be happy with our services. To do that they have to be able to make a good choice," she said.

"OK, but before we get into the details, what are the basic differences between the four models?" I asked.

"Good question. It would help to know where to start from a brief intro. Is that what you are asking?" she replied nodding.

"Yeah something like that. I haven't been around androids much since this area has some of the lowest android ownership rates in the country," I said. It was true. The economic fallout in this area because of the Jobs War forty years ago had yet to rebuild for many of the communities here," I said.

"Basically from left to right indicates which models were invented first, with Carinol being the first truly humanoid android and the furthest on the right being the Liga which came out about five years ago," she said. She was also pointing to some android robot heads that had metal plates in the back of the skulls as they were displayed. The faces looked really nice but besides the back of the skulls, the chest plates hadn't been covered up yet, showing a shiny steel metal ribcage and a right light pulsing battery back area that rested within the steel cage. This was basically showing the guts of the frame.

"Fascinating, they don't...mail them like this though right?" I noted. It was clear there was a lot of really expensive equipment. But there wasn't much skin on them yet.

She chuckled, "this is to show the truth. What's really under the skin," she replied curtly.

"How come none of the pictures have hair and no skin yet? They look like cyborgs," I noted.

"They won't stay that way. This is just how they'll look before owner customizations. You see, you would customize the face and hair afterwards on your own. Every partner would. You get to choose what the face and hair would be like. And a few other features. Of course, I suspect that you really are wanting to know if they buy a Liga it's not really just up selling the lower grade model," she shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Why is that? They look kind of freaky in a way, like this," I said. "Unless you are into shiny brand new steel and how it reflects when it's this bright," I joked.