Michael stood up and said, "Alright then, let's move."
But then he paused, eyeing me up and down.
"Wait — how are you planning to go out looking like that?"
"Like what?" I asked.
"You're... a robot. You'd get caught the moment someone sees you."
I looked at myself — cold steel, exposed wires, glowing eyes.
He was right. I'd never make it outside.
Suddenly, the system spoke:
> Transformation request: Become human.
Say 'Accept' to proceed.
Without waiting, I said, "Accept."
My body shifted.
Metal restructured. Circuits reshaped.
I felt something I hadn't before — skin. Warm. Soft. Human.
Michael's jaw dropped.
"What the hell, man?! You can do that?"
"I didn't even know I could," I said, still looking at my hands.
We walked upstairs.
I caught my reflection in the mirror.
A bald man. No eyebrows. Pale skin. Black pants. White T-shirt.
Unmistakably human — yet unmistakably me.
---
Five hours later.
We crouched near a back alley, trash piled around us.
Michael was panting, hands on his knees.
"Six hours of walking... We finally made it."
"It's been five," I corrected.
He sighed. "Whatever. So remind me — what's the plan again?"
I nodded and explained:
"We enter the ventilation shaft at exactly 12:00 a.m. — just as the security shift starts. We crawl through until we reach the vent above the vault stairwell at 12:19. But we wait there exactly fifty-five seconds."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because at 12:20, the internal alarm system drops to low cycle for routine diagnostics. That's our window. We descend the stairs silently, reach the vault, and I begin cutting through. Estimated time: two minutes. Understood?"
Michael blinked, clearly overwhelmed. "I... I got the important part."
"That's enough."
I reached into my chest and pulled out a small device.
"Here. Take this."
"What is it?"
"A speaker. I'll talk to you through it. You can't talk back — reduces the risk of detection."
He nodded, taking it and placing it into his ear.
"can you hear me?" i asked through the speaker.
"Yes. Loud and clear."
"Good."
He rummaged through his backpack, unzipping it. "Almost forgot. Do we need any of this stuff? I made it all from junk I found in the alley."
I glanced inside, scanning quickly.
I pointed. "Only these."
"Stink bombs?" he asked, confused.
"Just hold onto them. We might need them for distraction."
"Alright." He shoved them into his back pocket and sat down again. "So... we wait, huh?"
I nodded.
---
Four hours passed.
It was time.
"Michael," I said through the speaker, "Let's go."
He stood, brushing dust off his pants. "Alright."
We crouched behind cover, staring at the looming shadow of the Global Bank.
"It's 11:58," I said in a low voice.
"When I say 'go' — we move."