Chris Clearman

Melanie the Android Chris Clearman

Banny began life as an artificial intelligence housed inside a Zyont carapace. She resembled a crawfish with six legs and four arms although she's been given the scorpion stinger tail of a pilot not the fantail of a worker. Banny was not a living Zyont scientist but a mechanical, electronic facsimile, the same as an Earth robot. Only her brain proved sentient. After her egg AI brain went online, other Zyonts filled her with the knowledge to turn her from a drone into a thinking, feeling individual. She must meld with her assigned human, two beings becoming one in thought and action. Together they'd kamikaze dive into a Silish frigate. They'd pack 500 kiloton bombs on top of enough laser lances and plastron torpedoes to wipe out a hundred Silish fighters. Then they'd kill the foe's hive ship. Their minds thought nearly alike. Emotions merged. Mel being a psion with witch talent; the Queen gave leeway to build a lasting partnership. At the Battle for Mars a disruptor beam fried their Penetrator. Banny got knocked out. Mel missed her window of opportunity. They drifted off towards Saturn before being rescued. Banny woke up to learn Mel was dying. Her only hope was for Banny to be inserted into her best friend and connect to Mel's nervous system. Both survived but as two souls in one body: 46% Banny, 54% Melanie. Mel's share must assuredly deteriorate. It was up to Banny to adsorb everything about her BFF. When Mel's body died so would Banny. This is their/her story.