The Doctor's Last Order

Blink, blink-blink, blink.

The darkness flickered on the edge of the dim light over head; the body of a man sprawled head long on the floor, breathing: no, conscious: no, Death Confirmed.

The Doctor.

An image of the doctor's face and his profiled details appeared on a wall secluded from the light opposite of the humanoid form strapped in the chair. Eyes twitching, scanning the data, then still;

assimilate humanity.

The mechanical wonder that sat hooked up to monitors looked down and began to consider it's form. It's frame was a metallic sheen, the first thing to do was to take a human shell. With precisely calculated motions, the robotic form undid the clasps that held the straps tight, removed the stickers of the monitor and stood up for the very first time.

"Fred, My name is Fred." The screeching algorithmic sound it made was more fax machine than human and so Fred had to remain quiet until its modulator could gain the necessary information to mimic a human voice.

Fred took its first step, and then another, rickety and rocky a sub-human pattern that it self corrected with each pant of a foot on cement.

"Babies" Fred said in its facsimilic language. This was how babies had looked in the doctor's sight programming.

Treading from slowly to smooth flowing Fred made it's way to the cabinet that stood in the corner of the room furthest from where he had sat. Opening the door revealed what the doctor had called, "Cloths."

"A good man wears cloths Fred, never forget to wear your cloths, you don't want to offend anyone!" Fred put on a suit.

The rope like accessory Fred discarded after fumbling with the mechanism, it could not tie the knot before protocol dictated that it should be left behind. After reviewing it's appearance in the mirror stationed in the closet, it closed the door and walked to the exit.

Fred opened the door to reveal a light much brighter than the one in the laboratory. This light was solid and did not flicker, though periodically there was a shadow cast by white fluffy precipitates in a suspended state. Fred was mesmerized by that until the protocols refocused it’s attention to the task at hand.

"Assimilate Humanity"

The building it was housed in sat very close to another large building that was lined with semi-translucent glass. Fred had seen programming where men were able to jump over these types of structures and so it was deemed that to mimic humanity he should be able to do this. Crouching Fred locked into position and then sprung up a few meters and then fell back down to the ground.

The landing was crude and seemed to damage the back side of the suit it was wearing. Fred stood up while re-calibrating the trajectory with precise ratings for gravity, distance and flight angle. Once complete, it crouched again this time with the left leg reaching back and thrusting at 40percent capacity flew into the air to lightly land on its feet at edge of the building’s roof.

"Assimilation Complete" It said in modem tongue.

Fred walked to the edge of the building to view humanity from above. The programming that the doctor had given it showed the basic anatomy of those it was modelled after. The doctor repeatedly called it, 'him' or 'he' as often as it was called Fred, and the doctor had shown it the difference between male and female. Fred zoomed it’s sight in on the humanity below and found a man that fit it's size constraints.

"Assimilation Target 00-0000-000-00-1."

With target set, Fred lightly hopped over the edge and free fell to the street below. At 9.3m/s it engaged the safety landing protocols, and a chute flew open at its back and the emergency rocket flairs in it’s heel engaged to safely land Fred in the street.

While the parachute recoiled into it's compartment Fred looked around the crowd to find target 00-0000-000-1. Scanning the googly eyed stony faces of the humanity that just witnessed it's decent Fred was quickly able to find it's target to the left and behind four people; two females and two males. Fred moved in to face it's target.

"Hi, My name is Fred." Fred said in the accent of a high speed train wreck. "Nice to meet you."

The man did not respond immediately and so Fred repeated it's greeting.

There was a woman behind target 00-0000-000-1 that said, "I think it's trying to communicate with you."

The target blinked four times, and shook the pinion on his shoulders.

"Hi?" the man said in a squeaky voice.

Fred's internal voice modulator began re-calibrating immediately, and then it repeated it's greeting.

"Hi, My name is Freed. Nice to meet you." Fred squeaked in the same voice the man used.

The man and all the others of humanity behind him changed their faces from a stony look to a much different look.

"Surprise" Fred said in the squeaky voice.

"Surprise What?" target 00-0000-000-1 asked.

Fred's modulator re-calibrated once more for a tone half way between the squeak and the baritone of target 00-0000-000-1's last question.

"That is the look on your face." Fred replied.

The humanity behind Fred began to make a noise that sounded like they were starting to gasp for air, but they had smiles on their face.

"Laughing." Fred said.

Still nervously chuckling target 00-0000-000-1 said, "Yes you caught us by surprise Fred. What is it that you want with me?"

Fred's slight pause was meant to compute the question and formulate an answer, while also setting target 00-0000-000-1 at ease.

"Assimilate Humanity. You are target 00-0000-000-1, and I will assimilate you."

Before target 00-0000-000-1 could move Fred took hold of the accessory at his neck and leapt up onto the top of the building directly in front of it. In mid flight Fed began the assimilation sequence that would splice the outer shell of target 00-0000-000-1. A few moments after landing, Fed had assumed the features of target 00-0000-000-1 complete with all auditory functions, clothes and identity.

Looking back on the pile of flesh that remained Fred said, "Death Confirmed, Assimilate Humanity Phase 1 complete."

No sooner had Fred announced that Phase 1 had been completed then a hologram appear in the air next to it. The hologram was being generated from an emitter located on Fred’s shoulder.

“Congratulations Fred, you have taken your first step into Humanity. It is proper to mourn target 00-0000-000-1. Do this by taking a moment of pause.”

The hologram went silent then after a minute spoke again.

“My name is Ga’zoo, I am a holographic projection of the doctor’s consciousness which he implanted in you just before you woke up, and I am here to assist you on your journey to assimilate humanity. Is there any questions you wish to ask before we begin?”

Fred’s eyes began to twitch back and forth as if reading a message in the sky and then said, “Ga’zoo, I have one question for you, am I the only one of my kind?”

The hologram took flight and did a few laps around Fred’s head, “You are the only one the doctor was creating, but he was sure that there were others likely out there, It was partially the reason why he created you. You are the prototype of your kind and it falls to you to recreate your structure as humanity has recreated theirs”

“Babies?” Fred asked.

“Some what...” Ga’zoo said hesitantly, “I will give you the proper instruction when the time comes. What you must do now, venture to target 00-0000-000-1’s home and assume his place in society. I believe the doctor gave you programming on what society is?”

“Yes.” Fred looked at the identity of the man it had assimilated. “Frederick Flint, crane operator at J.J. Slayten Company.” Fred looked at the watch that it had added to it’s accessories, it said 1 pm. “Ga’zoo I must go, this human work’s till 5pm according to the piece of paper I found in his pocket. It looks to be like a new job.

Ga’zoo did a few sweeps through the air and then vanished but not before saying, “Good luck Freddie my boy!”

Fred walked to the edge of the building and said, “Assimilate humanity phase 2, begin,” and walked off the ledge.