[i]"Missing a part of herself? Sounds like damage to the information-storage side of her organic motherboard."[/i] he thought. 

Ethan shook her hand. "Lee. That is a pre-," he started, before she shifted away with an embarrassed look. He saw her stumble over a few trash bins before sweeping a dirty sheet around her bare body.

[i]"Wow. Did she just express embarrassment right now? Cyborgels always come to the repair bay with their clothing stripped and I don't think I have ever seen one express distress at not wearing clothes. Her human-like reactions are incredible!"[/i] he thought.

Small litter bots crawled around making beeping and whirling noises as they picked up garbage. Ethan stood there curiously looking at the Cyborgel.

[i]"This would be a pretty unique opportunity. I wonder if I could bring her into the maintenance bay. If I remove the motherboard component and replicate her programming then the findings could take Cyborgels to the next level. Maybe if I publish them I'll be elevated to full citizenship status!"[/i] he thought.

He smirked a little as he imagined a life in a sandy paradise. With clean water, clean beaches, real food, real women...

However, his smirk faded into a frown. "[i]But it doesn't seem right. She probably has an owner. I would be doing something illegal. I could end up in prison if Desium Corp OP-SEC knew I altered programming on Corporation property,"[/i] he thought. 

[i]"Plus I dunno it just seems..,"[/i] He looked at the obviously scared looking figure in front of him. The fact that she was cringing in the back alley, naked and fearful, while all he considered profiting off her, made him feel like a terrible person.

He shook his head. [i]"Man, Ethan snap out of it,"[/i] he thought. [i]"Remember it is only a biological robot. She is not actually a person. She is not actually conscious. All her actions are programmed reactions. She is only an advanced physical manifestation of a computer program."[/i]

As the robots crawled around. Ethan thought through the internal debate over what to do in the situation. 

[i]"Bah, I'll just take her to my work station. I'll find some way to fix up the memory issues if I can and maybe replicate her program without dissecting her and feeling so terrible. Not saying I should terrible, but it would rest easier on my conscience if I don't go that way,[/i]" he thought and sighed.

In the corner Ethan heard the long winded cry of a litter-bot in distress. He ignored it, [i]"Must've run into something. Damn things have some horrible locomotive rendering for trash collectors."[/i]

The rain continued to splash onto the ground around them. Ethan slicked a hand through his now thoroughly drenched hair. [i]"Now how to get her to come with me?"[/i] he thought.

Ethan came up with an idea. "Um.. Cyborgel Lee," he began. "You need to uhhh...accompany me to a station for immediate maintenance and repairs. Please uh.. follow me for uh.. transportation tot he nearest maintenance bay.