“How are we going to ask him?” Serena moaned for the twentieth time since they woke up the next Saturday. “We’re supposed to be mindless robots. Robots don’t ask for children!”
   “We have to make him think it was all his idea.” Although he didn’t want to show it for Serena’s sake, he was as nervous as she was. If this went wrong…
   “Tecno 53! Tecno 54!” Von Richter’s voice boomed from behind the curtain covering his portrait.
   “It’s time,” Cyprus whispered to Serena. She nodded, then moved to her appropriate place. He opened the curtains, then stood at attention in front of their “master.”
   “Sir! What are your new instructions for us?” Trying to appear calm, inside Cyprus was sweating, trying to think of a way to do this. They both wanted the baby more than anything, but if it would mean having to give it up to Von Richter…They would rather abort it now than make it go through what they had.
   “None for the time being. Continue with your previous assignments. Any problems with your positions?” Van Richter asked offhandedly, as though he was thinking about something else while he talked to Cyprus. Which wasn’t unusual; their weekly “meetings” were more a formality than anything else.
   This was going to be the best chance they were going to get. “Actually, sir, there appears to have been some…questions raised about us in Upper Society.”
   “Questions? What is wrong? What have you done?” Von Richter’s attention was brought instantly to them. They were his best operatives; if anything were to happen to compromise their position, they would be difficult to replace…
   “It does not seem to be what we have done, sir, but rather what we have not done. The people of Upper Society seem obsessed with the notion of continuing bloodlines, and having heirs to continue family businesses and fortunes. People have begun to talk about how we do not have any children to pass on our wealth and positions to.” Again, the truth, from a slight angle to benefit them most.
   “Is that all? I can develop a child Tecno for you…” As always, he believed he could solve any problem with the merest command. Unfortunately, up until now he had been proven right.
   “I am afraid that would probably raise more questions than answers, sir. We have already made it known we are unable to have children, in an attempt to stop the problem. To suddenly have one, so soon, would surely be suspect,” Cyprus improvised. That had been a problem they had not foreseen.
   “You have told them you are unable to have children?” Von Richter, true to form, picked up on the one piece of information that could work against them.
   “Our original assignments were as a married, childless couple. I took that to be the most appropriate interpretation. I did not predict that it would cause a problem. I was merely attempting to follow instructions, sir.” This was not working well; instead of moving him to adoption, he was making Von Richter suspicious.
   “Very well, I did not anticipate such a turn of events.” Cyprus almost couldn’t believe his ears. Was Von Richter admitting he could have been wrong? “People are so illogical. You are barren, and yet they still reprimand you for being childless.” No, it was others who were wrong, not him. Of course, this was the attitude that made him want to take over the world, since he obviously deserved it.
   “Actually, sir, several others have already commented on that. Some of them have suggested… adoption.” This just might work after all.
   “Adoption?” Had it been any other circumstance, Cyprus would have revealed in Von Richter’s confusion.
“Yes, sir. It appears to be perfectly acceptable to adopt a child through legal channels and use it as an heir.” He tried to stress the legal, in case Von Richter began thinking about the Tecno child again.
   “Very well, if this will ensure your position, that would appear to be the best course of action. Begin whatever proceedings are required for the adoption of an appropriate heir.” Von Richter leaned back to consider the repercussions of an adopted, human child. It would give him easy access to unmodified DNA, if he required it, for one thing. He could also use it to examine how a normal human would respond to his various projects; recruiting young humans could prove to be better for his plans than creating Tecnos for every circumstance. Yes, this would prove most beneficial.
   “Is there anything else you require of us, sir?” Cyprus couldn’t believe how well Von Richter was taking this. From the way he was acting, he had almost assuredly already convinced himself that his had all been his idea in the first place.
   “No, Tecno 53, that will be all. Good-bye.” With that, he ceased communications.
   Serena and Cyprus stood stunned for a minute. Never in their wildest dreams could they have hoped Von Richter would have gone along with the idea so readily. He seemed so pleased with it, he had unthinkingly treated them as humans by actually saying “Good-bye” to them!
   When the shock wore off, then ran to each other, and the next few minutes where a blur of hugging, spinning and kissing.
   “We did it, we did it!” they murmured to each other endlessly. “We’re going to have a baby!”