As Klein reached for the android it suddenly lit up. Its face a screen displaying a smiley face. "Hello!" the android greeted.
Startled Klein jumped back with a shout "Oh shit! You work?"
"That I do! L3N4 at your service, you can just call me Lena. Pilot and protector droid, though I can't do much in my current condition." She explained.
"Is that right? Well Lena, I have to say I'm surprised your conscience is intact considering your body's state" Klein replied.
"Running diagnostics" Lena said in a robotic voice. "It seems my body is wrecked beyond repair. By the way where exactly am I?" She added.
"We're in a landfill. Can't you see the hills of trash all around us?" Klein questioned.
"My visual sensors seem to be broken as well so currently I'm blind" Lena explained with a calmness that gave away the fact that she was a computer.
"Oh, I see. Well we have a problem" He said as he stood."I need a powerful processor you see, and your brain would be perfect for what I have in mind"
"I see..." Lena paused. "You can kill me I guess" She stated coldly.
"You don't want to live? I could spare you." Klein replied.
"Listen as an android my individual life really isn't that important. It's the line that matters. As long as I'm not the keeper of souls I'd be fine dying" Lena said, her smiley face changing to a frown.
"Keeper of souls? What is that?"
"That's just the name for the last in a line of androids. Each line shares one soul and if you are the last you are the keeper. If you die your line dies" She said, her expression saddening further.
"I see, I didn't know androids were philosophical like that."
"Although we are computers we are still sentient creatures. We live and experience the world the same way anyone does"
"You're right. I've never thought about it like that." Klein said. "Now I feel bad. I can't just kill you after hearing all this. Keeper of souls or not."
_________________________________________
Back in Kleins house.
Lena's head sat on Kleins worktable as he tinkered.
"So what exactly is your goal here Klein?" She asked.
Klein had taken her head from the landfill. He felt bad just ending her life but he still needed the chip to hijack the ship. His solution was to just take her head along and try and find a way to use the chip without killing her.
"At this point I'm honestly not sure. I know that I need that processor but I don't want to just kill you either since we're friends now" He explained.
"You consider me a friend?"
"What else would we be? Anyway I'm done." Klein said as he lifted her head and brought it closer. Tinckering with something in his hand he brought them closer to her face.
"How is it? Can you see now?"He asked, distanting himself from the head.
"Yeah, thanks for the help Klein!" She said, her smiley face beaming.
"No problem. Anyway now onto the main problem. What do I need to do to use the chip without hurting you?"
"I do have one idea. You could, instead of using of my processor directly, use me as a intermediary."
"Interesting idea.. I can probably make that work if I'm given some time to set up the code." Klein grabbed his beat up screen-pad and started his work right away. His fingers moving with a dwarf's dexterity as he typed.
"Also, one question. Am I gonna stay a head? I'd love a body if you wouldn't mind making one whenever possible." Lena pled.
"I definitely can but it's gonna have to wait. I have pressing matters to attend to after all." He said not even looking up. "Plus I have no materials for that. As you can see I'm dead broke. No worries tho because We're making it big once we leave this planet!" He smiled.
"I see.. Can't argue with that reasoning."
_________________________________________
The next night.
Klein was prepping a bag before leaving for the warehouse. Double checking his makeshift baster and putting Lena in a bag.
"Get cozy alright. You might be in here for a minute" He said as closed the bag.
"No problem!" Lena's muffled voice came from inside the bag.
"Finally it's time!!" Klein pumped himself up as he left the house. He walked in the dead of night through the slums of Utopium-042. As Klein went further he saw the miserable state of others in the slums. Chidren crowded around trash cans looking for food. Men sitting on the floor, their expressions completely blank as if they had no soul. This was why he hated this planet. Not the unfortunate people temselves but the fact that they never acted to change their circumstances. All people in the slums seemed to give up on their dreams and lives, but not Klein. 'I have to leave' He thought 'The galaxy has too much to offer for me to be stuck here'
Around 20 minutes of walking and contemplation later Klein reached his destination. There in the shadows waited Bjorn. His imposing frame somewhat towering over Klein.
Walking up Klein waved. "Hey buddy! You ready? Tonight is the night" He said excitedly.
"Let's just go Klein. The longer we take the more dangerous this becomes" Bjorn said.
"No question. It's time" Klein said, this time his voice cold and rational.
Bjorn then took the lead, guiding Klein to the warehouse. They cut through the alleys of the slums. Both disappeared into shadows, the city scape around them brightly lit with neon lights and advertisements. What they didn't see however was the tail attached to Bjorn. Far enough away to where he could barely see them was an agent of the Free Trade Planet Association. The man wore regular street clothes but had a comms device planted in his ear.
"This is Officer Brown, it seems Bjorn and the rat were working together after all. They seem to be headed to warehouse-109 in the slums district. Their goal is unconfirmed"
Static came frim the device and then a gruff voice responded. "Keep following at a distance. I'm sending adfitional back up your way. Nothing crazy but they should help you deal with this situation. Bring both of them into custody, use whatever force necessary but bring Bjorn back alive."
"Understood, Colonel"