With the android newly repaired and cleaned up, Karen did not want to make the same mistake as before. The disturbing memory of the bleeding, convulsing android was still fresh in her mind. She did not want the android's insatiable curiosity to cause another catastrophe.

Karen gently but swiftly untethered all the android's wires and tubes from the machines, starting with the chest and ending with the head, making sure that all internal tubing was securely clamped shut. She even closed up most of the chest, to keep her creation from becoming too intrigued by its own heart.

She reached across the operating table, and flipped the switch. The android sat up rather quickly, giving Karen little time to move her arm out of the way. Now that it was more freely mobile, the android immediately wanted to get up and walk through the lab. Alas, it still reasoned like a computer.

"Activate leg components," it declared simply in its childlike voice. It lowered itself cautiously off the table, holding on to it for support.

Upon feeling the cold floor beneath its toes, it exclaimed, "Stand!", only to be met with disappointment. As its determined words were still echoing around the lab, its legs loosely slid out from underneath, and it ended up sitting on the ground. Clearly, the legs still required some work. The little android was clearly puzzled, and sat on the floor looking around. If it wasn't going to get to walk around the lab, it reasoned, it would at least get a good look at the floor.

"Oh dear," remarked Karen, as she dashed out of the lab, coming back with a wheelchair. She hoisted the drooping, bemused android from beneath the shoulders, and sat it down in the wheelchair, taking care to position its legs correctly. Just then, there was a noise in the hallway outside. It was the approaching footsteps of Diane, the department director. Karen froze.

"Karen, just what are you doing with that wheelchair? You know that all supplies need to be checked out before you-". She stopped mid-sentence upon seeing what appeared to be a bald child with part of its head removed, exposing some electronics. The android twisted around to look at her with its uncanny gaze. Diane had trouble keeping her jaw from dropping.

"Hello, Diane," it said in greeting. The android waved its still-incomplete right arm in a friendly gesture. It was too much for Diane to handle. She opened and closed her mouth, gasping for air like a fish, unable to form words. Suddenly she felt very lightheaded, and then everything faded to black.