He entered Yianni’s.  A solitary fat man was the only patron and his fried cheese looked a little too crispy.

The Greek owner stood by the bar counting bills.  His white smock had stains left over from last year.  “You’re late!”  He pointed at Shane to drive this fact home.

“Sorry, boss.  My alarm clock..”

“Get to work!”

Shane made his way to the kitchen.  He was greeted by the schizophrenic cook, “Hey, Shane.”

“Hey.”

Shane stood before the sink.  A pile of dishes lay next to it.  He took off his trench coat and hung it on the wall.

“There’s some dishes there.”

“Yeah.  I’m on it.”  He put on his apron.

Shane grabbed a dish and flipped on the high-powered hydro washer.  The hydraulics whirred to life and Shane grabbed the faucet which hung from the ceiling.  He aimed it at the dish and squeezed the lever.

The owner walked in.  “Hey, Shane!”

Shane couldn’t hear him over the roar of rushing water against porcelain, so the owner came up behind Shane and tapped him roughly on the shoulder.  The water stopped.  Shane turned.

“Take out the trash.”  He pointed at two large cans in the corner.  “Now!”

Shane carried two large trash bags out into the alley.  An old bum with one dead eye and a teenage boy smoking a cigarette sat by the dumpster.

The bum looked at Shane.  He said to the teenager.  “I remember when it was Mexicans and Chinks... now, with aliens- and worst of all, robots!”  He took a swig from a bottle.  “The world’s gone to shit!”

The teenager took a drag, chuckling.

Shane lifted the bags up over the side of the dumpster and dropped them.  A hollow thud emitted.

Shane stood, facing the brick wall.  This was it.  His life.

“Hey!”  The bum cackled.  He struggled to his feet.  Stood swaying.  He stumbled across the alley and got into Shane’s face.  “What gives you the right to take away a good paying job from a real person, robot?”  The bum’s words slurred into incoherence and Shane’s air quality sensor picked up unhealthy levels of C2H5OH.

“Settle down old man.”  Shane tried to ameliorate him.

“Fuck you, robot!”  The man exploded.  “You think you’re better ‘n me!”  The man stuttered, then continued, “You’ll never know what its like to be alive!  You’re just a stupid machine!”

Shane’s jaw tightened.  His anger chip activated.  “You know what?”, he said, untying his apron.  “You’re right!”  He threw the apron at the bum.  It settled over his head and the bum tried unsuccessfully to remove it.  The teenager laughed.

Shane went back inside the kitchen.  As he retrieved his trench coat the cook watched him.  Shane looked over, telling the cook, “I quit.”  He walked out.

“See ya’, Shane.”

He walked away with a purpose.  His true self feeling fulfilled, he walked out of the alley and onto the street.  He kept going, not knowing where he was headed.  After a few blocks his anger chip had returned to nominal levels and a realization suddenly occurred to him.  He didn’t have a job.

Shane wandered the streets as if something would just present itself.  Some opportunity.  Something.  Then, as he passed a city park, a billboard called out to him.  The words moved over the billboard, dancing like a seductress.  They read: ‘Ever wonder?’

Shane stopped beneath the billboard.  Looked up.  The words moved.  ‘Ever desire?’

Shane was hooked.  He wanted to know.  The words read: ‘To know what Love is?’

The billboard blared: ‘Coming soon from Gadgetro Inc...‘  Is this it?, thought Shane excitedly.

‘The Love chip!’  The words blazed in glory over Shane’s head.

Shane turned.  Across the street was a Gadgetro store, its window display shining with multi-colored luminescence.

He entered.  Two rows of displays showed the latest in android peripheral technology.  He wandered the emotion chip aisle.  Joy.  Contentedness.  The new version of pleasure and pain chips were being released next month.

The salesman came up behind Shane.  “Can I help you?”

Shane turned to see an alien with two eyes on the ends of tentacles protruding from his forehead.  He had slimy peach-colored skin which seeped through his white collared shirt.

“Do you have the new Love chip?”

“It comes out next week.  Its going to be very cool.  Would you like to reserve one?”

Shane covered his pockets with his hands.  “No.  That’s okay.”

Another customer entered the store.  “If you’ll excuse me,” the salesman went over.

Shane’s optics picked up the bargain bin in the back of the store.  He went over to it.  Sadness.  Anger.  Confusion.  All for 9.99.  His eyes locked onto the lust chip.  He needed it.  He had to have it.  He carried it to the checkout.

#

Outside the store Shane’s visual readout displayed: ‘Activating lust chip...’  Shane observed his cpu loading the software.  The buzz.  The whirr.  His midsection convulsed, thrusting forward.  It was active.  An older lady passing by in a pink floral dress stopped, regarding him suspiciously, then moved on quickly.

Shane let out a loud whoop.  “This feels good!”

He wandered aimlessly towards downtown Omaha until he found himself in the red light district.  Women dressed in gaudy clothes lurked in doorways and patrolled the block.  They called out to him as he went by, “Hey, baby.”

Shane kept going.  It was going to be his first experience with this software.  He wanted just the right one.  Then he came across a pimp in a large hat.  He was talking with two ladies and Shane stopped before the three of them.

The pimp stopped what he was saying, regarding Shane.  A sneer formed across his face.  “What you want?”

“Sorry to bother you.  I just got this new lust chip.. but my phallic unit is low on fluid.  Its driving me crazy.”

The pimp turned to one of the ladies, chuckling.  “Low on fluid?”  He pointed at Shane with his thumb, “You believe this guy?”  He looked at Shane, saying  “Get lost, loser,” and turned back to his ladies.

Dejected, Shane retreated back the way he had come.  A woman called out to him in a hushed voice, “Hey!  You!”

Shane raised his head to see a woman standing in a doorway.  She was black and her purple dress clung tightly to her skin barely covering her over-sized breasts.

She came over to him.  “How much you got?”

Shane felt through his pockets, taking out some bills and some coins.  He counted as the woman stood by.  “Eight bucks and twenty two cents.”

The woman reached up and revealed her breasts.  “You wanna feel these?”

Shane’s mid-section convulsed.  

“Whoa, baby.”  She smiled, “You wanna’ feel these bad.”

He reached out a trembling hand, touching her breast with a single finger.  “They’re real!?”

She put them back into her dress.  “You got a problem with that?”

A drop of fluid emitted from Shane’s unit.  “No.  They’re great!  My phallic unit is fixed.”

“Wonderful.  My name’s Poko.  You wanna’ date?”

He did.  But he couldn’t.  “I’m a little low on cash.”

“You can go to a cash machine.  Come on.”  She took his hand and led him away, down the block.

#

Night was falling as Shane inserted his card and entered his code.  Poko stood by.  The machine’s readout displayed: ‘You have -9.98’.

“It says I’m broke.”

“Can’t you do something?  You two are practically related.”

“That would be illegal.”

She bared her breasts.  Shane convulsed.  “Okay.  Let me see.”

A screwdriver protruded from Shane’s index finger.  He unscrewed the panel at the bottom of the machine and removed it.

“That’s it.  Come on, baby.”  She kept her eye out for trouble.

An electronic interface extended from his middle finger, connected to him by a cord.  He inserted it into the motherboard of the cash machine.  He shut his eyes in concentration.

The machine came to life.  “Almost got it.”  The machine flashed and beeped.  “Here it comes,” he said expectantly.  A single twenty dollar bill emitted from the cash machine with a whirr.

“That’s it?  You can do better than that.”

“Let me feel those again.”

She bared her breasts.  Shane grabbed one with his free hand.  The cash machine began to whirr loudly.

“Yeah, baby.”

Shane lifted her by the legs, pinning her against the wall.  The cash machine’s screen flashed wildly.  Shane’s phallic unit went operational and bills flew out of the machine, wafting above the sidewalk and settling into a pile.

Two gutter punks came walking up.  They stopped and pointed at them.  “Oi!  What you up to?”

“Shut up!  Grab the money.”

They kneeled down, grabbing fistfuls of cash as Poko clawed at Shane’s back.

Shane thrust into her thighs, convulsing as the flow of money came to a stop.

Poko let out a breath.  “That was the best fuck I ever had.”

“You know it, baby.”  Shane straightened himself.

“Grab the cash.  Let’s get out of here.”

#

Mounds of cash were stuffed into Poko’s dress as they walked through downtown, crumpled bills scratching her skin.  Every pocket in Shane’s outfit bulged with money.

Poko’s pimp saw them walking together.  He stepped out in front of Shane.  “Hey!  What you doing with my bitch?  Poko, get over here and take your beating like a ho!”

Shane pointed angrily.  “You will refer to the lady with respect!”

Poko’s pimp showed Shane his switchblade.  The blade snapped forth.  “I will cut your wires, sucka.”

Shane got ready to fight.  Poko’s pimp handled the knife, waving it around.  The pimp feinted.  Shane did not flinch.

Shane swung his fist and the pimp stepped in, sticking the knife into Shane’s abdomen.

Shane grabbed the pimp’s head with both hands.  He squeezed.  The pimp twisted the blade in Shane’s belly.

Shane’s rage chip went active.  He squeezed with everything he had until the pimp’s skull began to crack.

Poko stood by.  “Don’t let go, baby.  He’ll come after you.”

Shane squeezed, exerting his hydraulics beyond maximum capacity.  The pimp cried out as his skull caved between Shane’s hands.  His body dropped to the pavement.

Shane stood, the blade still sticking out of his belly.  He looked down at the pimp’s body, then took the knife and pulled it out.  “Now what do we do?”

Poko pointed to an alley.  “Put him in there.”

Shane dragged the body into the alley, hiding it behind a cardboard box.  He didn’t see the bum with one eye behind the dumpster trying to stay quiet.

#

Shane and Poko went to the indoor swap meet to spend some cash.

“I think we can upscale you from a cheap ho to a classy call-girl.”

“You really think so?”

“Sure.  Stick with me and we’ll be on easy street, baby.”

They came up to a stand selling purses.  Poko browsed as Shane disinterestedly examined a pink one.

The stand attendant, a well-dressed white lady, came up to Poko.  “Are you going to pay for that?”  Her tone dripped with condescension.

“That’s my bitch.  You will show her some respect.”

“She’s blocking customers.”

Poko glared at the attendant.  “What’s the most expensive one you got?”, she asked.

“That pink one.”

“I’ll take it.”

#

Late that night Shane and Poko stood in an alley outfitted with the flashiest get-ups they could buy.  Shane’s hat had a peacock feather.  He counted what was left of the cash.  Poko’s tights were leopard print.

Poko put her hand next to her face.  “How do I look?”

“Not bad.”  Shane counted the bills.

“Not bad?”

“Baby, you made me lose count.”

“You mechanical asshole.  When a lady gets dolled up you’re supposed to tell her something nice.”

Shane took hold of her arm.  “I paid for you to get dolled up like that so show some respect.”

Poko wiggled out of his grip.  “Alright!”  She rubbed her arm.  “I should hit the streets, right?.”

Shane wanted to say sorry.  He said, “Yeah.”

Poko noticed the sadness in his voice.  She held his face.  “What’s wrong, baby?  You know I do it for you.”

“Yeah.”

Poko walked out onto the street.  Shane followed, hiding in the shadow at the end of the alley.  He watched as she stood on the sidewalk, his hand gripping the bricks of the corner of the wall.

A car pulled up to her.  Poko leaned in the window.  “Hey, baby.  Wanna’ fell these lips on your dick?”

“How much?”

“One hundred.”

“Are you kidding?”  The driver laughed and pulled away.

Poko stood as a drizzle began to fall.  She looked to see a limo slowly pull up to her, stopping.  The window rolled down and Poko leaned down to say, “Hey, baby.  Wanna’ date?”

The driver replied, “My employer would care to partake of your services, ma’am.”  He got out, stepped around the limo and opened the rear door for her.  “Madam,” he tipped his hat.

“Oh, this is nice.”  Poko got in.  The driver shut the door for her and got in the driver’s seat.  They pulled away.

#

The limo drove through an iron gate and pulled into the driveway of a great mansion.  

“This place is fancy.”  Poko looked around.

The driver parked by the front door and got out to open the door for Poko.  “This way, Miss.”

Poko got out and followed the driver into the foyer.  He led her to an office with a large oak desk and red curtains.  He shoved her inside and left her there, closing the door behind him.

“Hey!  What is this?”  Poko stood.

From behind a large velvet chair which faced away from her, towards the window, came a voice.  “What is your name?”  The chair turned, revealing a well dressed handsome man.

“Poko.”

The man considered this.  “Poko.  It sounds... dirty.”

“Who are you?”

“I ask the questions, bitch!  My name is Hannibal.  Word has reached me that a robot posing as a pimp has taken over from one of my guys.”

“Hannibal...”

“Shut your face you filthy creature!  Now you go back to that disease infested place you call home and tell the robot that he owes me half of everything he’s got.  If he doesn’t like it you know what happens.”

Poko stood stunned and hurt.

“Get out of my sight.”

The door opened and Poko left.

#

Poko sat across from Shane at a booth in Lenny’s diner.  She ate her second stack of pancakes with strawberries.

“Baby, you need to tell me what’s going on before you develop diabetes.”

“Let me finish this stack first.”

“That’s what you said after the last stack.  Tell me or I’m going to have to slap you around a little.”

Poko finished off her chocolate milkshake with a slurp.  “Okay.  We’re being leaned on by a big dog named Hannibal.  He wants half of everything.”

“What!? I’m going to have a talk with this guy.”

“You can’t.  He doesn’t talk to robots.”

“He tell you that?  I’m going to kill this mother fucker.”

Poko put down her fork.  “He’s too big, baby.”

“Fuck.  What should we do?”

Poko took Shane’s hand in hers.  “We’ll think of something.”

#

Shane stood in the rain outside Hannibal’s mansion looking through the window into the office.  It was night and the lights were out throughout the house.

Above him he saw a light go on in a room upstairs, stay on for a few seconds, then go out again.  He took his pistol and smashed the window.  Alarms blared as he climbed through.

Shane stalked through the dark house.  He switched to infra-red vision.  He saw someone approaching from down a hallway.  He stepped into a side room and waited.

The man crept along.  Shane saw an arm holding a gun as the man moved in front of the door.  It was the chauffeur.  When the man had gone past Shane came up behind him and grabbed him, holding him in a lock around the neck.  He pointed his pistol at his head.  “Drop your gun.”

He dropped it onto the floor.

“Take me to your boss.”

“He’s not here.”

The gun went against the chauffeur’s head.  “Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

Shane aimed downward, firing a bullet through the chauffeur’s foot.  He cried out, flailing against Shane’s overpowering grip.  Shane cocked his pistol again.

“He’s at dinner.  The four spoons.”

Shane smashed the butt of the pistol into his temple, feeling the skull give way.  He dropped to the floor and Shane quickly moved towards the smashed window in the office.  He climbed out as he heard sirens approaching and ran away across the side lawn.

#

On the way to the Four Spoons, there was time to think.  One simple act, and he and Poko would be free and clear.  They would be able to live their lives without interference.

The Four Spoons had a large window in the front.  Shane stood outside looking in.  Hannibal sat in the corner table with an attractive woman in an evening dress.  He talked on his cell-phone while a waiter opened a wine bottle.

A woman with a rose on her hat called over the maitre’d.  She pointed out the man standing outside the window looking miserable in the rain.  The maitre’d came outside.

He said to Shane, “Excuse me.  You can’t stand there.”

“Says who?”

“I’m going to call the police.”

“Good.  You’re going to be needing them.”

The Maitre’d gave a disgusted look and went back inside.  Shane took a metal pipe and slid it through the door handles on the front door.  He took a molotov cocktail out of the inside of his coat.  Lighting the cloth which hung out of the bottle, he stepped back and threw the bottle through the window.  It exploded as the window shattered and the patrons inside screamed in panic.  Shane took two more bottles out, lighting their wicks as the woman with a rose on her hat tried to open the door.  The maitre’d pushed her aside, trying to escape.

Shane threw more molotovs and explosions sent fire spreading throughout the dining room.  As he stepped back across the street the restaurant was engulfed.  He watched as Hannibal hurled his body through the front window and fell burning onto the pavement.  He got up and stumbled blindly towards Shane, flames consuming him.  He fell at Shane’s feet, the rain slowly extinguishing his charred corpse.

#

Shane lay on a bed in a cheap motel watching a titty flick on tv.  There was a light coming from the crack in the door to the bathroom where Poko relieved herself.  He heard her yell through the door.  “You’re the big man now.”

Shane took a drag off a cigarette.

“All the pimps in town are talking about you.”

“Come out here, baby.  Daddy needs some head.”

The toilet flushed.  Poko entered the room and lay down next to Shane.  “Big daddy.”

Shane watched the movie as Poko blew him.  “This could turn out real good for us.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“You know what I really want, baby?”

“What’s that?”

“I want to get my hands on one of those love chips.”

“Mmm... those are real expensive.”

“You got it.  But I’m gonna’ hustle this gig ‘til I can afford it.”

#

All the local thieves and pimps gathered together in a city park.  Shane climbed up to stand on top of a picnic table.  “Listen up.  Quiet!”  The gathering ceased chattering.  “I’ve gathered you all here because there’s a sacred code among thieves and pimps.  If the head of a syndicate gets killed the one who did the killing becomes the new leader.”  Shane pointed his thumb at his chest, “That’s me!”

The crowd murmured loudly.  A huge man named McAllister stepped forward.  “Those rules weren’t made for your kind!”  Everyone raised their voices in approval.

Ted, a large man with a club foot, stepped forward.  “I remember you guys used to give me a hard time ‘cuz of my foot.  But then I showed I could kill just as good as any of you.  I say give him a chance.”

The gathering got angry.  McAllister spoke up, “I challenge your right to be head honcho, Shane!”

Everyone got quiet.  Shane stood.  “You ever fight a robot?  I’m made of fucking reinforced plastic!”  Shane jumped off the table, tackling McAllister.

They tussled on the ground until McAllister heaved Shane off over his head.  They both got up.  McAllister took out a machete.  Shane smiled, taking out his switchblade.

McAllister charged, machete held high, swiping at Shane but Shane dodged and as McAllister lumbered past Shane turned quickly and stuck his blade into McAllister’s kidney.

Shane stood over McAllister who whimpered on the ground.  “Anyone else?”

The crowd stayed quiet.

#

Shane’s table in the night club was upstairs in the VIP section.  People danced below them to loud beat driven music.  Poko sat next to him drinking a mai tai and across the table sat Ted the club-foot killer. An elderly man sat next to Ted.  He stooped forward with a curve in his spine.

Shane addressed the elderly man, “Mr. Villian, you’ve recently been released from prison.  Why should I employ you as my accountant?”

“Its true , I have a record of unsavory dealings, but I’m good.  I can make dirty money look like unicorns and rainbows.  I relish the opportunity to put my dark arts to work once again before I die and go to hell.”

“Okay.  You’re hired.  But one misstep and Ted here will bite off your fingers.”

“Yes.  I am well aware of the consequences.  Thank you.”

Mr. Villian left and Poko tugged at Shane’s arm.  “Wanna’ dance, baby?.”

“My dance routines are out of date.”

“Come on.”  Poko dragged Shane down the stairs and onto the dance floor.

She moved her hips.  Shane stood, then began doing the hand jive.  The people around cheered him on as he slapped his legs and clapped his hands, moving his hands back and forth in time to the beat.

Poko noticed a woman approaching Shane.  She was blonde and she had a look in her eyes.  She came up to Shane, ignoring Poko, and began to grind against his body.  Poko watched her whisper into Shane’s ear.

Shane replied to what she said, “Yeah, girl.  You’re talking to this guy!”

They went off together towards the men’s room.

Poko stood.  The music seemed to get louder in her ears.  All around her people danced and drank in reverie.  They looked to her like they were in another world.

She went over to the men’s room.  Opened the door.  A man snorted coke off the counter next to the sink.  She heard a woman giggling in the stall next to her.

Poko flung the stall door open to see Shane sitting on the toilet with the woman kneeling down before him.  “What is this shit!?”

“Baby, this is Lala.  She’s going to be one of my hoes.”

“The hell she is!”

Poko grabbed her by the hair, dragging her out of the stall, and threw her against the sink.  Lala got up and charged but Poko grabbed the back of her head and guided Lala’s face into her knee.  Lala dropped to the floor.

“Damn, Poko.  You better make sure she’s ready to work tomorrow or I’m going to have to beat your ass.”

“I did it for you.”

“You’re drunk.”

Poko pulled out her breasts.  “What?  You don’t want me no more?”

“Sure I do, baby.  But I need more hoes just as bad.”

“Alright, baby.”

They walked out of the bathroom.  Ted was waiting for them.   “Everything okay, boss?”

“Yeah.  Come on.  Let’s get out of here.  The night’s young!”

#

Reggie’s was an after hours joint.  A man played some jazzy blues on the piano in the corner.  Poko and Lala smoked from a pipe next to Shane, who crafted lines of powder on the table.  Ted enjoyed a ham sandwich.

The owner sat across from Shane.  He said, “I like your style, brother.”

Shane lifted his head after a big snort.  “Hoo!  Shit man.  Reggie, I like your place.  I want to be good friends.  Great friends.  You ever think about destiny?”

“All the time.  You’re a direct man.  I like that.  You can be a little crazy, and that ain’t bad.  But there’s some shit you gotta’ learn.”

“Reggie, If I didn’t make some choices I wouldn’t be here.  Now that I am, I plan on staying.”

“Relax.  You’ll be fine.  If you’ll excuse me, I gotta’ check on the oven.”

Reggie left them and a woman, crossing the room, came over to Shane’s table.  She lowered the straps on her dress and exposed her chest.  Taking a vial she lay down on the table before Shane and poured some coke between her breasts.

Shane snorted the coke off of her.  “What’s your name, baby?”

“Jane.”

“You ever consider a career in ho’in, Jane?”

“I don’t ho.  I’m a good girl.”  She gestured for Shane to come closer.  Shane leaned down and she whispered in his ear, “That new girl you’re with?  Don’t trust her.  She’s Lefty’s girl.”

Shane looked over.  Lala was hitting the pipe.

Shane took a bill and squeezed it into Jane’s hand.  “Thanks, sweetie.”  Jane got up off the table and walked away.

A gunshot crack rang out.  People screamed and dove under tables.  Ted grabbed Shane and dragged him across the room, towards the back door.  When they got out into the alley Ted asked, “You hit?”

“No.  You?”

Blood began to ooze through the suit in Ted’s shoulder.

Poko and Lala stumbled through the back door in a daze.

“You okay, hoes?”

“Yeah.  I think we have super-human strength.”

“Ted’s hit.  We need a doctor.”

Lala spoke up.  “I know where we can take him.”

“Good.  Poko, you drive.”

“Right, daddy.”

#

Poko drove along the empty streets.  Lala was in the back with Ted, who was losing blood.  Shane sat in the passenger seat.

Shane checked his pistol.  “Any idea who shot at us?”

“Coulda’ been Lefty.”  Poko ran a stop sign.

“Lefty?  What do you know about him?”

“He runs the south side.  He mighta’ figured you’re new, so he could take over the north.”

Shane cocked a bullet into the chamber.  “We’re gonna’ show this guy who’s boss around here.”  Poko sped along the avenue.

“Turn here,” said Lala.  Poko turned.

A car pulled out of an alley in front of them.  Poko slammed on the breaks.

“Back up, baby.  Fast.”

Another car pulled up behind them, blocking their escape.

“Outta’ the car!”  Everyone jumped out.  Eight men with guns surrounded them.  Shane put up his hands, dropping his pistol.

A black limo pulled up slowly.  It stopped and a man with a pink velvet hat and a missing arm stepped out.  He stepped unhurriedly over to face Shane.

“You must be Shane the robot pimp.”

“And you must be Lefty.”  Shane pointed at the sleeve pinned to Lefty’s coat where his right arm should have been.

A stocky man came up to Shane.  He patted him down.  “Watch the circuitry.  They don’t make me anymore.”

“He’s clean.”

“Good.  Now we can talk.  I don’t mind a new jack taking over, but I have an interest in your game.”

“What’s my shit got to do with you?”

“Nothing yet.  I’m actually glad you took out Hannibal.  Never liked the guy.  Too much of a fancy pants.  I could deal with you if you play nice.”

“I don’t feel like being nice.  My man here took a bullet in this little welcome party.”

“We can fix him up right here.  I always travel with a doc.”  Lefty turned to the limo.  “Doc!”

A slender man with a bag and a hat emerged.  He bowed, tipping his hat.

“Please take care of this poor chap.”

The doc came over to Ted.  He tested the wound.  Ted winced.  Doc took out a syringe from his bag and filled it from a vial.  “This may sting a bit.”

He inserted the needle and gave Ted the injection.  Calmly, the doc walked back over to the limo.

“How ya’ doin’ Ted?”

Blood began to flow from the corner of Ted’s mouth.  “Not too good, boss.”  He convulsed, collapsing onto the street.

“Ted!”  Shane kneeled over him.  He was still.  He looked into Ted’s eyes.  Dead.

“That’s a real shame.”

Shane lunged for Lefty.  “You no good piece of shit!”  Poko held him back as Lefty’s men cocked their guns.

“No, baby.”

Shane backed up.  He took off his hat and took a knife out of it.  He grabbed Lala.  “Let us go or the girl dies!”

“Lala!”  Lefty signaled for his men not to shoot.

Shane pressed the blade under Lala’s chin.  “She’s a good girl, Lefty.  Sucks cock like a champ.  Be a shame to see her die.  Start the car, Poko.”

Poko climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“Outta’ the way!”

Lefty nodded to his man.  He moved the car.

Shane got in the back seat, still holding Lala.  Poko screeched away and Shane dumped Lala out the door and onto the street.

#

Poko sat in a chair in a luxurious hotel room.  Shane checked over a gun from a pile of weapons on the bed.

“Lefty doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into.  I don’t feel fear.  I never got that software.”

“Baby, I can’t believe it came to this so soon.  It always comes.  But why so soon?”

“Nothing’s going wrong.  Mr. Villian is coming over right now with some good news.”  They heard a knock on the door.  “There he is now.  Get it together.  You’re my right hand bitch.”

Shane went to the door holding a pistol.  “Who is it?”, he yelled through the door.

“Room service.  Complimentary chocolate fountain for Mr. Shane.”

“I didn’t order any room service.”

“Its complimentary, sir.”

“Go away.  We don’t want it.”

“Very well, sir.”

Shane turned to Poko.  “You know what a chocolate fountain is?”

“I don’t know, but one of my pimps used to call me chocolate mattress.”

Another knock came at the door.  “Who is it, now?”

“It is I.  Mr. Villian.”

Shane looked through the peep hole to see Mr. Villian’s beady eyes.  He opened the door and Mr. Villian entered.

“I just saw this man walk away from your room with a chocolate fountain.  Looked delicious.”

“Never mind.  What’s this good news you got?”

“Well, the fact of the matter is that you are now a millionaire.”

“No shit?”

“I do not kid about such things.”

Poko came over to Shane.  “We can get that Love chip you always wanted, baby.  Retire and live together in the French countryside.”

“I like the sound of that.”  Shane let the news sink in.  It felt good.  “But first I gotta’ settle this business with Lefty.”

Poko tugged at Shane’s arm.  “Forget Lefty, baby...”

“Bitch!”  Shane back-handed Poko.  She fell onto the bed.  “We’ll go to France as soon as that armless gimp is dead.”

Poko held her cheek.  A tear formed in her eye.  She whispered to herself, “You never slapped me before.”

“Where’s Lefty now, Mr. Villian?”

“I would assume he’s at his warehouse.”

Shane holstered his gun.  “I’ll be right back, baby.  You wait here.”  He went out the door.

#

Lefty sat at a desk in his warehouse office.  Lala sat across from him, scrapes adorning her face.  One of Lefty’s guys stood next to her.

“Another shipment of Love chips just came in.  What do you want us to do with ‘em?”

“Hold onto ‘em.  If Lala is right robo-pimp wants one more than anything.  We’re gonna’ steal every shipment coming in ‘til he begs us to take over the rights to the north side.”

They didn’t see Shane looking through the window in the roof.  Shane moved along, casing the entire warehouse.

A dozen men and more ho’s.  This wasn’t going to be easy.

He opened a window and took out a grenade.  He pulled the pin and tossed it down into the warehouse.  The grenade hit the concrete ground and bounced, once... twice... it rolled under a truck.  Shane saw the words on its side.  They read: ‘Gadgetro Inc.”

The grenade exploded.  Shane fired his pistol at some of Lefty’s men.  He tossed another grenade.

Lefty came out of his office as the grenade exploded, knocking him backwards.

Shane dropped down though the window onto the catwalk.  He ran along it, firing and dropping grenades.

Shane ran to the end of the catwalk and dove through a window, landing on a slanted roof.  He rolled and slid and jumped down, landing on the ground.

“Shane, baby!”

Shane looked to see Poko standing there like a warrior.  She held two uzi’s strapped around her shoulders.

“Poko!  You shouldn’t be here.”

“I couldn’t sit back while you went to your death.”  She held forth the uzi’s.  “I got guns.”

“Ride or die, huh baby?”

“I love you.”

Shane looked into her eyes.  He may never get the chance to see them again.  “Let me get a rub of those titties.”

Poko took out her breasts and Shane rubbed them for luck.

Two of Lefty’s men ran out of the warehouse, firing.  Poko mowed them down over Shane’s shoulder.  Shane turned and fired at another.

They entered the warehouse.  Stacks of wooden crates were ablaze.  Lala ran out firing at them.  Poko mowed her down.

Across the warehouse the Gadgetro truck’s gas tank exploded, sending packages flying everywhere.

Shane and Poko walked past burning crates.  No sign of Lefty.    They checked the aisles as they went along.

From behind a stack Lefty saw them.  He aimed his gun at Shane when Poko saw him.  “Shane!”

She jumped in front as Lefty fired.  She fell to the ground.  Shane cried out, shooting Lefty in the head.

“Baby!”  Shane held Poko in his arms.

Poko coughed blood.  She opened her eyes, saw Shane and a smile formed across her face.  “Daddy, we can go live in France now?”

A drop of cleaning fluid emitted from Shane’s eye.  “Sure, baby.  Our plane leaves tonight.”

Poko took a Love chip package from the ground next to her.  “Look what I got you.”

Shane took the package in his hand.

“Put it in.”

Shane opened the package.  A panel swiveled open in his chest with a whirr.  He inserted the chip.

"All this for a little love."

Shane’s visual readout displayed, ‘Activating new software...  Love.’

A beam crashed to the floor, burning.  The fire raged in Shane’s auditory unit as Poko died in his arms.  He held her, rocking back and forth.

‘System usage: 98%’  His readout flashed red.

‘Warning: system overlO.d.  Love chip ex e  ing capac +y.’

An electrical spark flashed across Shane’s face.  His jaw fell open and his optics stopped receiving signal.  His readout looped infinitely, ‘Love Love love lo e  l v l()ve L0\v |OVe loVE 1> E i() e  {%^.    |o|<0  o  ...’, as the warehouse burned down around him