Alex lay on the floor. He was tired and out of breath. This machine is indeed a good fighter.

She blocked or avoided all his punches easily. I need to spar with her daily. It will improve my own combat skills.

“Are you okay, Alex?” The android looked concerned and touched her chin by her forefinger.

“Yeah... I'm fine, Nixie.”

He looked in her blue eyes and instantly averted his eyes. This android was gorgeous. In short, she was a quintessence of female beauty.

But Nixie is just a machine!

Alex stood up and breathed in and breathed out slowly. The young man needed to calm down.

“Thanks for a spar, Nixie.”

She smiled. “You are welcome, Alex! That was my pleasure!”

Afterward they worked out together for some time. They joked around and jogged several laps around the gym. It was easy to get along with Nixie. She was a good-natured... machine.

As a result, they left the gym together, having a small talk on the way to the Alex's apartment.

“I believe this is time to say goodbye to each other.”

She nodded but then said pleadingly. “Before I go, may I... cook for you, Alex? I'm your adjutant and I care about your well-being. I do want to help you, Alex. Will you allow me, please?”

While speaking she just looked in his eyes. That gaze was special. Neither Oleg or Alex had seen such kind warm and charming eyes in their lives. It was too hard to say “No”.

“Okay. It will be my pleasure...” he felt as his cheeks reddened when she'd touched his arm gently.

Why do I feel so embarrassed?

They entered his apartment and went to the kitchen.

“May I help you somehow?” he offered his help.

“No-no! I will cook for you!” Nixie protested and smiled. “Just do your business! I'm here to help!”

Alex nodded and went to the bathroom.

When the human left the kitchen, the face of android had changed. Now she didn't show any emotion.

Nixie put a cartridge in the food fabricator and waited for a minute, observing as a dish was being printed. Then she took a warm meal out and placed it one the table. She added a fork and a knife and stepped back to stand still with blank expression. Now the android was waiting.

~~~~~~

Alex finished taking a shower and left the bathroom. He walked in the kitchen and saw a meal on the table and a smiling android.

“Thank you, Nixie.”

She beamed. “I like to help you, Alex! But now I shall go. Have a good rest, Alex!”

He thanked her again and Nixie left the kitchen.

Alex ate his food and headed to the bedroom. There he sat on the bed to meditate. If I exercise my mind daily, perhaps, it will allow me to see that weird dream clearly in the future?

He wasn't sure if this exercise would help him, but at least it was worth a try. Hence, Alex closed his eyes.

~~~~~~

In the morning the man walked in the gym and saw Nixie. She was doing push-ups. Alex approached her. “Hello, Nixie!”

“Hi, Alex!” she turned her head and stared at him while still doing push-ups.

“Why are doing this?”

“What doing?” she looked puzzled now.

“Doing push-ups. You are a machine. It should be useless for you doing push-ups.”

“Oh, I see! Alex, I have some human... um, components?” She stood up and looked at him, smiling. Nixie pointed at herself. “For instance, my muscles resemble humans. If I work out hard enough, they are getting stronger.”

She giggled. “At least I need to work out to keep me fit!”

Alex was confused when he had heard that.

She isn't a 100% machine? May I say that she's partially a human?

“Do you want to have a spar, Alex?”

“Not now. I need to warm up a little, Nixie.”

“Okay!”

Afterward they worked out together, chatting. Alex learned that Nixie could digest organic food. She even ate some food to maintain her organic parts.

The human also learned the android's age. It shocked Alex. She was only two days old.

In return the young man told her about the Alexander Reese's life. In short, nothing special or interesting. That guy lived a boring life.

Finally they had a brief spar and jogged around the gym for several laps.

Both of them left the gym and headed to the “Operators' room”. Nixie told that she could connect to a robot as an operator, but she didn't need a capsule for this.

In the Operators' room Alex saw a bunch of people.

“Mother, may I stay here for a while? I need to see a new episode of “Pony life”,” an obese girl pleaded. “I will watch it and quickly join my sub-squad! I promise!”

“I want to play in the Pinky egg...” a man - who lay in the capsule - complained. “I need to collect two more eggs to win that pair of awesome wings!”

“Good boys and girls behave good when they are on a mission. Tell me now. Are you good or bad?!”

“We are good!” they answered as one.

“Excellent! Now get in the capsules, my dears!” the Mother's hologram commanded.

The people hurried to execute her order.

Alex observed this scene and then he got in the nearest free capsule. Nixie stood by his capsule and closed her eyes to connect with a robot.

[Welcome, sergeant Alexander Reese!]

[This is a virtual military capsule of the Commonwealth: X-10040!]

[Available missions: 1]

[Description of mission: The Rag'zork intensified skirmishes in the jungle around the fortress “DOM” on Santory continent]

[Main objective: Participate in the jungle war and kill as many zorks as possible]

[Start a mission: [Yes] [No]]

Alex chose “Yes” and his vision blurred.

In a second the young man was in a robot's body. Currently he stood in the jungle with his squad. These metal soldiers were a part of 1321-th regiment.

[New objective: Move forward to scout the area ahead]

“Alex, I'm here. I'll cover your back,” suddenly Nixie said via radio.

The man saw as one of the robots waved its arm. The robot looked as same as the rest.

“Okay, Nixie. Follow behind me,” Alex gave a command and a squad headed forward.

The robots of sub-platoon - in which the Alex's squad was - walked in two lines. One squad was ahead and another one was behind. The second squad served as a reserve line. There were no less than ten meters distance between two lines. Each metal soldier in line kept some distance from his comrade.

Alex walked with his squad that was at the fore. They headed further and further in the jungle. Trees, plants, lianas. He had even seen a few big snakes on the trees. Pythons? Um... That's strange. I don't hear any sounds here.

It disturbed not only Alex. The cornet gave a command and the sub-platoon halted.

The robots stood still now, only moving their heads from side to side.

The human noticed as two drones flied above his squad and moved deeper in the jungle. Scout drones.

They waited for several minutes. Nothing had happened.

“Sergeant Reese, resume your movement.” Alex got a command from his superior via radio.

“Okay, sir.”

The human opened his squad's channel and ordered. “Squad, continue a movement.”

The robots walked forward.

Suddenly Alex heard sounds of a firefight, which intensified quickly. He ordered his subordinates to halt and take cover.

BAM! BAM!

BAM! BAM!

That's a sound of mine-throwers.

The Alex's squad wasn't under fire currently. A combat was coming off somewhere nearby.

“Sergeant Reese, continue your movement. Don't interfere in the firefight.”

“Understood, sir.”

The Alex's squad went forward. Nixie was right behind the man.

All of sudden Alex saw a plasma ball propelled above his squad and hit the second line.

BOOM!

As a result, several robots were blown up.

Immediately numerous green zorks attacked the sub-platoon from all directions. It seemed the enemy had appeared out of nowhere.

The creatures were effective in destroying their enemies. The green zorks were quick and evasive in the jungle. Additionally, their camouflage was excellent.

“Squad, in a circle!” the human shouted out and fired off.

Alex killed a few aliens easily. He felt that his aim became better, as well as speed and reaction. It could serve as a proof of his hypothesis. The source of his recent physical improvement could be related to those weird dreams.

The young man dismissed these thoughts and focused on the enemy. New laser beams left the Alex's rifle.

Meanwhile, Nixie stood right behind the human, protecting him from behind. She also pulled her trigger a few times and, as a result, some zorks were down. The android was an excellent shooter.

A laser machine gun wasn't effective in such situation. A laser machine gunner couldn't aim properly. Thus, the robot gave a long series of laser beams in the jungle. It was calculated as an optimal decision by the minor AI. An alien grenade - which had fallen close to the robot - was the zorks' reply.

BAM!

The laser machine gunner was down. Almost a half of Alex's squad was destroyed to date. Considering that this combat lasted less a minute, it was an awful result. The Rag'zork were too effective on such terrain.

The young man stood back to back with Nixie - firing off - while the remaining robots took a defensive position around them.

“Sergeant Reese, retreat,” a calm mechanical voice of his superior said via radio.

“Yes, sir!” the human answered and saw that it was too late. The dozens of zorks were already behind his squad. The Rag'zork had ambushed the second line as well. Besides, Alex could see clearly as groups of aliens were running past his squad in the jungle now.

It should be a big ambush, he thought, firing off. We need to break out of the forming encirclement! Staying here is a death sentence to the whole squad.

“Squad, follow me!” Alex ordered and ran in the jungle. “Kill the aliens on the way!”

The human shot a few zorks and kicked one. The remain robots helped him to clear the path. Laser beams killed aliens one by one.

The human had seen as a rocket killed some zorks ahead. It was literally blew up them into pieces.

Alex had evaded a series of plasma beams.

Definitely, my reaction and speed are getting better! It shall be connected with those weird dreams!

Alex threw a grenade in the bush where he had noticed the aliens earlier. BAM!

The enemy was angry now. They screamed, giving fire back. It seemed that plasma beams propelled in the Alex's squad from each direction. As a result, some robots were down.

While running among trees the human looked at his tactical map. It was changing constantly. He realized that this time it wasn't an ordinary skirmish. It looked like a proper battle between two sides. The Rag'zork advanced quickly, using ambushes in a great number.

[New objective: Join to the 1321-th regiment]

Alex - still running – looked back. There were only four robots which followed him. One had even lost a hand.