The Story

You walk into the archive, a massive data vault with stacks of hardware, both human and alien alike, rising to the high ceiling. A voice responds to your presence. You search for its origin, and see the figure of a man dressed in rags... no, not a man at all. The voice, alone, reveals that. The voice is distant, as if from a speaker. The body contorts slightly, a twitch brought by the sudden charge of electric motion.   You hear the machinery, the lifelike clockwork dancing in a feeble attempt to mimic life. This 'man' before you turns, studies your figure with dead, red eyes. You came seeking knowledge, but perhaps this is knowledge enough. Questions flood your mind as you witness the metal slide and twist around its face in what could only be an attempt at expression. If only it had the skin to show it. The voice emerges again...