TITLE: J-982

AUTHOR: Jos Mous

Email: wotan_anubis@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: I own none of these characters, I'm not making any profit, blahblahblah.

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: Err. well. let's keep it a surprise. It's not that hard to guess, anyway.

NOTE: I'm not entirely sure, but I'm guessing that this is actual angst. I could be wrong, but to me it seems to be an angst-fic.

There were times that J-982 didn't know who she was. In those moments she thought she was someone else. Someone human. For you see, J-982 was a robot. A robot, she had been told, that had been made with the exact same appearance of someone very close to her creator. So close, in fact, that after that person had died her creator had not only made a robot with her exact appearance, but also with her memories and personality. J-982 knew everything about what she had begun to think of as her 'human life'.

Everything, except the moment of her death and that was something she was very grateful for. She knew that her end, or at least her human end had been a violent and painful one. It had also been one her creator blamed herself for. J-982 didn't understand why. Her creator had not even been near her at the time of her death. Then again, maybe that was why her creator blamed herself.

Her creator was a funny person. She was driven by a need, a goal. She was looking for an unattainable Holy Grail. What it was that J-982's creator was looking for, she didn't know. But what she did know was that her creator invested everything she had into it, forgetting everything else.

J-982 walked into the laboratory, looking for her creator. She found the woman asleep, her head lying on a desk covered with notes. Curious, J-982 took one of the many papers and looked at it. The page was filled with writing, none of which she could understand. She took another page and looking at it she saw a series of numbers. Many of them had been crossed out, but one of them had a large, red circle around it.

"2001." J-982 muttered. "That's centuries ago. Why would she be interested in that?"

J-982's creator awoke with a start. She looked up at J-982 and for a moment and she smiled. That smile soon disappeared again, however and she got up from her chair.

"You really should take better care of yourself." J-982 said.

"I was busy." The creator mumbled, walking over to the other end of the laboratory. "I had a lot of work to do."

"I worry about you." J-982 said.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Why are you working so hard?"

J-982's creator hesitated, while the robot waited calmly.

"Do you know... how you died?" The woman started.

"No." J-982 answered truthfully. "You did not input that data into my memory banks."

The creator winced visibly.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Your voice. it's sounds just like hers."

"You created me like that." J-982 said.

"But the words... they hurt me."

"How do they hurt you?" J-982 asked.

The creator turned around. There were tears in her eyes.

"I loved her." She said. "With all my heart. And now she's dead, violently taken away from me. And you look just like her, you sound just like her. Sometimes I can fool myself into believing she's still alive. But she's not. And seeing you, hearing you reminds me of what I've lost."

J-982 frowned. "I do not understand."

"No, probably not." The creator said, sighing. "Could you please leave? I have work to do."

"What happened in 2001?"

"What?"

"2001." J-982 repeated, holding out the paper she was holding. "You seem to find it very important."

The creator ran up to her and snatched the paper out of her hands. "It is... It's very important."

"Then what happened?"

"When I... when I lost you. I started searching. I never did tell you what my research exactly entails, did I?"

"You have never told me." J-982 said. "Or her." She added.

"Yes... well. I research souls."

"Souls? Are they not an outdated concept with no basis in reality?"

The creator winced again. "You would've agreed with me back when--- You gave me the idea, in fact. But no, souls exist. In a way. I know it. I've found them."

"Congratulations." J-982 said. "This must truly be a revolution in the scientific perception of the world."

"I don't care!" The creator snapped. "I don't care about science!"

"Then why do you work so hard?"

"Because of you, don't you see? I want you back."

"Explain. Please."

"OK... souls... I found them. They exist. And I also found soulmates. Can you believe it? Soulmates? And you, you were my soulmate. But you were taken from me. And there is only one way to bring you back."

"Are you trying to travel back in time?" J-982 asked. "It has been proven that is impossible."

"It's not impossible. Not entirely impossible. But I needed to know. I needed to know the exact time when it happened."

"The ninth of August, 2371, at 15:42, Standard Continental Time."

"No. Not you. If I saved you then, I would still end up losing you."

"I would be alive."

"Yes, you would be alive then, but you'd die again soon after. I had to find the very first time it happened."

"This 'first time' is in 2001." J-982 stated.

"Yes. Exactly. In 2001, my soul did a terrible thing. I killed my soulmate."

"That is regrettable."

"Regrettable?" The woman laughed, briefly and without humour. "Yes, very regrettable. And unforgivable. If you kill someone else, whoever is up there might forgive you. It may take some time, but you may be forgiven. But if you kill your soulmate."

"I had no idea you were so religious."

"I'm not!" The creator shouted. "I'm not religious. But the facts cannot be denied." She was starting to sound desperate.

J-982 considered dropping the subject, but she was far too curious. "Which facts would that be?" J-982 asked.

"The fact that you die. Time and time again, you die violently and I end up living in pain and suffering. Now if it was only me who was punished for what I had done, I wouldn't mind. But you're an innocent in all of this. And I can't stand watching you die so many times in so many horrendous ways."

"I do not understand."

"I have traced my soul through time." The creator said, walking back to her desk and rummaging through the papers. "And each time I meet you, we inevitably fall in love and you die. And it is always a violent death. But this... series of events. they only started after 2001. Before that time we were either happy or just never met. But you would never die and leave me."

"You are talking about karma."

"Karma? Yes, maybe. Probably. But I can fix it, I know I can."

"How?"

"How? Well, I may not be able to physically travel through time but maybe, just maybe, I might influence the carrier of my soul at exactly the right time."

"So that you will not kill me."

"Exactly!"

"So that the woman you love will not die, and I will not be created."

The creator hesitated.

"I do not mind." J-982 said. "I was simply stating the truth."

"I... I'm sorry. I never should've created you in the first place."

"Do not apologise. I love you. You did not program me to, but I do. And I want you to be happy."

"I... I. Thank you."

"When are you planning to execute your experiment?"

The creator smiled sadly. "Today as a matter of fact. I was hoping you'd never find out. I never wanted to. but now you know."

"Now I know." J-982 said. "I wish you luck. If you succeed, you will not miss me. If you fail. I will still be here to comfort you." And with that the robot turned around and slowly left the room.

~~~~~

Nicole stared angrily at the road. How did she dare? Humiliate her like she had? Take away everything! Brooke McQueen, Little Miss Perfect, was going to pay. Nicole hadn't figured out how yet, but she would pay. One way or the other.

Suddenly, Nicole's prayers seemed answered as Brooke stumbled onto the road. The blonde looked confused, distraught even. Nicole smiled. This was perfect. The ultimate revenge. She slammed down her foot on the gas pedal and raced towards the girl.

And then the fog lifted.

Nicole suddenly didn't know what she was doing. Brooke was her only friend. They may not be on speaking terms right now, but Brooke could still be her friend. And if Brooke died tonight what would she have left?

Nothing.

No-one.

Nicole panicked. The car was still racing. Brooke had noticed her. If she were to slam the brakes now, she would still hit her. Nicole took hold of the steering wheel and turned. The girl in front of her wheels suddenly changed into a lamppost. What happened next, Nicole couldn't quite make out. She noticed that the airbag wasn't working. She noticed glass flying towards her. She noticed the car becoming smaller, almost crushing her. She noticed the door opening. She noticed Brooke looking at her.

"Nicole? What are you..." The blonde started. Then she turned around. "Sam, call an ambulance! NOW!"

"Brooke." Nicole didn't manage to get any louder than a whisper.

"Don't talk. Save your strength. Sam's calling an ambulance right now. You'll be fine."

"Brooke, I... I have to... that is." Nicole coughed. She thought she tasted blood, but wasn't entirely sure.

"Nicole, don't speak. Whatever you have to say, it can wait. Just... stay with me. please."

"I'll... try." Nicole said. And she knew she was lying.

She knew with amazing clarity that she was dying. She knew that she would be dead before the ambulance arrived. But she also knew, more than anything else, that everything would be all right...