Prompt: Mercurial Enhancements

Summary: A short series of "progress reports" (basically a diary but science-y) over the course of a year about a robot girl upgrading herself, going from clunky plate metal to liquid nanobots that can take on any shape.

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[Story Listing]

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74-R4 Personal Database

Designation: "Lara"

Entry 1

Introduction: The limits of my mechanics have become increasingly apparent over the last few months. Despite the master's contrary clarifications, basic service and maintenance have become a regular fixture that have impeded my day-to-day functions. An autonomous android, constructed for service to humans, should not be the subject of such frequent servicing. It would not be desirable to be reduced to a conversational piece; my master has offered comfort to my limited abilities, finding my stiff movements and limited dexterity "cute" and "like the old sci-fi movies", but it is apparent that I am overdue for necessary upgrades if I am to continue to serve diligently as a household servant.

Complications: As my build reflects an older, outmoded model of android, the availability of requisite parts for necessary maintenance has become scarcer and scarcer. While my position in the household is secured for my "retro" sensibilities (quoted from the master), it is troubling how limited my functions are compared to modern, 87-R4 models. Limited to a mechanical body, with hard plating and inflexible limbs, my functions are comparatively limited.

Hypothesis: Through integration of nanotechnology compounds, different working parts and functions could be emulated, and therefore consolidated into a single property. The financial incentives are appealing in this regard, as procuring requisite parts would no longer be a factor, and downtime associated with repairs would lead to greater uptime and workplace efficiency.

Materials and Application: Isolating a nanotechnological serum, I have performed self-maintenance, procuring a syringe to inject it into a soft joint comprising my elbow. I have saved a backup of my personality and memory files to the computer, and will reference this journal in the future should I become incapacitated in my personal maintenance.

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Entry 2

Observations: The nanite compound seems to have run its algorithms, studying my hardware during my power-saving sleep mode. The most apparent observation is the form my right arm had taken, of which the elbow joint served as the insertion point. Where before, there were clearly segmented sections reflecting the human condition, the form has straightened into a softer, sleeker appendage, a silvery arm more closely resembling that of a human's. I could feel and move it about with greater dexterity and ease. Curious of all was its softness to the touch; unlike hard metal, the silvery "skin" of the arm yielded to pressure, not unlike skin. Energy reserves running low despite sleep state; it seems that this conversion process consumes too much energy, so I will power down until the conversion is complete.

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Entry 3

Observations: The soft, silvery substance has advanced and spread from the injection site through to the remainder of my body. My condition has been irrevocably altered in the process of this self-administered upgrade, but I seem to be experiencing no adverse mental effects. The softness of my body is of particular note, and I performed various tests to test my rigidity and form. Pressing down on the skin with enough force would leave a temporary imprint, before my form would restore. My dexterity and movement is comparable to a human's at this stage, and moving no longer produces harsh sounds of resistance. It appears that all mechanisms into my body have been assimilated into a common, nanotech-infused substance; however, I have yet to make requisite adjustments to my gait and posture to account for my new dexterity, and I have fallen on several occasions. Curiously, my body would flatten when falling to the floor, as if spreading in all directions, before settling into a more humanoid form. I will conduct more experiments in the process of performing my regular chores.

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Entry 4

Observations: Despite a late start to my schedule, my efficiency has improved by a metric of 5.6x my previous performance. My earlier observations observed a more humanoid look to my appearance; however, my machinery has taken on more formless attributes, no longer bound to rudimentary rigidity. For example, instead of procuring a ladder to reach the ceiling fan's blades in the dining room, I was able to elongate my arm and reach to perform my dusting functions. I tested these attributes further navigating the house, and determined that I was able to "stretch" my body from one floor to another, instead of using the stairwell. Compressing my hand into a small appendage to clean pipes was simple as well. In the course of performing my tasks, I determined that my body was capable of minor shapeshifting. My new hypothesis is that the nanotechnological compound comprising my upgraded body is programmable to some degree, and could take on more advanced functions to aid in my work. Other android models rely on external models to augment their bodies to perform housekeeping tasks such as vacuuming and washing; I will investigate such possibilities in the future, as I intend to present my current form to the master for evaluation. I understand my master greatly enjoys "surprises", so I have yet to elucidate him about the nature of my personal maintenance.

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Entry 5

Observations: The evaluation I received from my master was overall positive. Though he expressed sadness in the loss of my more rigid, "cute" form, I was able to refer to my internal documentation, and shift my body into a state resembling my prior form. When the master recovered from his shock, I explained my intentions and purpose towards this self-maintenance in pursuit of a more functional body to better service him; however, my behaviour being partly influenced by him, and I clarified that my new body feels "right" relative to the standard. The master performed a physical examination of my body. I did not have a satisfactory answer as to the inflated state of my chest and lower body. My biometric scanners detected an escalation of his heart rate, despite his objections to the contrary. He noted that I resembled a "terminator". This perplexed me, for my function was to assist, not to harm. Regardless, the master has new ideas for expanding upon my functions.

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Entry 6

Tonight was untypical in several regards. Though I have taken to preparing dinner for the master, he insisted he come to the kitchen and watch me work, suggesting different techniques I could incorporate with my enhanced body. Of particular note was his attention to my shapeshifting capabilities; I detected another spike in heart rate when, at his insistence, I formed my hand into a chef's knife to slice at vegetables. Seeking to please him still, I adapted my body to serve as other tools in the kitchen, fashioning my forearms into a skillet and pot to prepare a stir fry. It was through this experimentation that I determined that I could fashion any part of my form into whatever function it needed to serve; producing additional arms, I reached for other ingredients. The master likened the display to "dinner and a show".

Conclusions: It is my greatest pleasure to serve my master, and my amorphous, "liquid metal" body, as my master has taken to calling it, has proven a myriad of benefits to my form and function. My responsibilities in the household have multiplied tenfold, as I have now assumed particular entertainment duties, recreating scenes from his favourite movies and impersonating his favourite celebrity actors. It is affirming to be attended to him so closely, and to be so close to him at all times. I will continue to journal observations with regards to my upgraded form to verify any long-term side effects, but I am confidence that this experiment has been a success on all fronts.