A Walk in the Park

Sara heard the composite slats that composed her platform endoskeletal structure creak in complaint as she and the two other HLAIs in her impromptu damage control squad transitioned into the more rarified atmosphere of District Two.
As HLAIs were people who, by dint of artificial physiology, required no air to breathe in order to keep functioning, the Cobalt Knights overseeing the lockdown in her and Enzo's home block realized that HLAIs would be perfect scouts and repairmen in this exact sort of predicament. When a call for volunteers were organized, Sara was the first in line to offer up her services. It was a good plan, she thought, but one that might run into problems related to heat management. For all the advantages a HLAI had over her human counterparts in terms of physical limitations, they were still limited by cooling requirements and - with a few exceptions among the crew - lacked the ability to 'sweat' like humans did. It would be slow going, she knew, but sending androids to hunt down the pernicious fault in the ship's internal communications systems was better than sitting at home and waiting for a call from Command that might never come at this rate.
From her high vantage point, Sara was pleased to see that someone was apparently standing in the window looking down from the CIC and sending messages to ground teams with flashes of a flashlight. She fished her own flashlight out from the bag she had filled from her home GPM's damage control locker and sent a reply. Sara, Callum, and Rosie here. HLAI. What are your orders?
KS Fox working on the problem, came the blinking reply. Go to manhole in center of street. Check data trunk.
Survivor search?
There was a long pause. None outside. Survivors in GPMs. Leaks appear plugged. Priority - patch if more found. Another pause. Flash us when check done.
Sara flashed an acknowledgement, then turned to her fellows and told them what was expected of them. "I suppose that means we're in the repair phase of the operation," she remarked, her voice muffled by the thin, chilly air. "Let's go."
Crossing into the center of the street, Sara bent to help the others undo the catches on the large security cover leading down into what might have been a sewer system in a more traditional urban environment. With a heave, they lifted - and Sara's right hand slipped from where it had been holding the rim, causing the cover to clatter down as the load shifted in ways the other two hadn't expected.
"You alright?" Callum asked, stepping close to look.
"Yeah," Sara said, then grunted as she tried to open her hand. "The actuator is stuck."
"Let me see," the man said, taking her hand in his. "I work in the robotics lab." He turned her hand over, then back again, palpating the joints beneath the artificial flesh. "The scuffs we scrub off when we get back. Hmm... artificial muscles are hot, though. This lift should be within your design specs, right?"
"Could be a thermal issue," Rosie offered. She worked in the Engineering Department, Sara remembered, so it was in Rosie's wheelhouse to think that. "The air in here is pretty thin. Maybe we should go get some leverage to lessen the load?"
Callum nodded. "Good idea." He offered Sara a grin. "Nice choice of prosthesis, by the way. Very aesthetically pleasing."
"Ugh, Sara grunted, and pulled her hand away, a look of annoyance flashing across her face. "Not now, Callum. Focus on the job."
"What? It's just a complement. Relax, ok, I was just trying to break the tension."
"I'm not 'tense,'" she replied. "I'm worried sick." She turned away from the others; it felt embarrasing to talk about it, let alone letting the others see her face. "My sweetheart is on the unaccounted for list," she whispered, clenching her fists in the hopes of pushing the image of Enzo, trapped outside somewhere where she couldn't find him in time, out of her mind. She quielty cursed herself for lacking the ability to shed tears - crying was something that humans could do to get catharsis that was mostly beyond HLAI capabilities, despite the radical advancements in platform technologies. "I can't be focussing on anything but trying to solve this problem and end the lockdown, or I'm just going to go to pieces. Please... let's just get this done, ok?"