Disclaimer: CLAMP owns Chobits, and does not return my phone calls.

Authors Note: First: I. Am. Not. A. Writer. This is my first attempt at any fiction, ever, period.
I'm always fascinated at the "genealogy" of Sci-Fi technology, such as androids, and after watching the wonderful Chobits anime, pondered on what the forerunners of the persocom might be. I went so far as to make notes n'stuff. After finding this most excellent repository of literature, I decided to give it a go. Be gentle. Keep it simple. Like I said, not a writer. If you're going to flame, don't bother; a simple "Stop writing now!" will get your point across, without wasting your time explaining technical and style errors to someone who is unlikely to understand what you mean.

Chobits: Care & Maintenance of a Heart & Soul.

Chitose Hibiya set the tea tray on the table, gracefully seating herself opposite her guests. Glancing across the table as she poured, she allowed herself a gentle smile at her blissful "daughter", Chii, and Chii's "only one", Hideki Motosuwa.

It had been two months since Hibiya witnessed the departure of her daughters, Freya and Elda, and almost simultaneous rebirth of Chii, embodied in the persocon who now sat with Hideki. Since that night, now publicly referred to as "The Persocom Event", Chii's learning accelerated, and her personality and confidence blossomed.

For two days after she found her "only one", she would not be separated from Hideki while in his presence. Sitting or standing, anytime he wasn't actually in motion, she was beside him, draping one of his arms around her, and clamping her own firmly about his torso, with her head tucked under his chin. While they had shared a futon since the night Hideki activated her, there was now not a single morning Hideki awoke without Chii nestled peacefully in his arms. No matter how he fell asleep, somehow Chii managed to slip comfortably into his embrace, never waking him as she did. It was not something Hideki could see any sort of downside to. She was, after a couple of days, able to understand his need to go to cram school, work, or the baths unadorned by his persocom, and learned quickly that the emptiness of his absence disappeared utterly when she had the opportunity to fling herself into his arms, and bask in his embrace anew.

Now, Hibiya noted, while Chii still needed the assurance of Hideki's touch, she seemed satisfied to be seated beside him, effectively glued together from hip to shoulder, both of her slender hands enfolding one of his on her lap.

Tonight was Hideki's "persocom lesson", a twice-a-week ritual that began shortly after that night two months ago. Hideki and Hibiya agreed that he should at least be able to minimally maintain her physical form, and perform simple debug tasks. Hibiya, Chii's programmer, and Minoru Kokubunji, the genius pre-teen who constructed his own household staff of custom persocoms, alternately schooled Hideki on minor repairs, configuration, cleaning, protection from elements and damage, and the like. On one previous occasion, Hibiya waved Hideki and Chii away from the concealed entrance to her laboratory, and to her apartment instead, where they simply talked, and drank tea. Hibiya wanted both Hideki and Chii to simply discuss with her their feelings for each other, saying it was important that Chii learn to verbalize her fears, desires, and emotions; also that some of them (such as anger) were inappropriate to express physically. Hibiya said she would do this from time to time, emphasizing that Chii was so much more than a simple persocom, and Hideki needed to maintain her heart and soul, as well as her body.

When Hibiya again waved them over to her quarters, rather than opening the entrance to the lab below, Hideki grinned, and quipped, "More couples' counseling tonight Hibiya-sensei?"

"Not tonight, Hideki-san. The lesson plan tonight calls for a little bit of a history lesson."

Hideki groaned inwardly, recalling his last cram-school History exam, and how hard he had to study to just barely pass it. Chii, somehow sensing his deflation, looked up encouragingly.

"Hideki will do fine. Ch…I believe in Hideki."

Seated comfortably, and tea poured, Hibiya started by asking, "Why don't you tell me what you already know about persocoms, and we'll start from there?"

"Well", started her pupil, "I do know that persocoms we developed as a way for people to bring all of their available computing power along with them, without bags, boxes, or hand trucks to carry. They were made to be solar-rechargeable, and to look at least a little bit like people, at first. Weren't they originally adapted from industrial androids, like the ones that replaced industrial robot arms on the assembly lines?"

"A good start", Hibiya smiled, "But, in reality, persocoms were almost directly adapted from the modern combat android."

"Combat android?!" Hideki stopped himself, just in time, from looking at Chii with a mixture of horror and fascination on his face. Only after he relaxed his face into an encouraging smile did he turn to meet Chii's questioning gaze. Returning his attention to Hibiya, he asked, "Why combat androids? Wouldn't industrial androids make a better choice?"

"Not at all", was the reply. Hibiya continued, "And I'll tell you why…"

"First, combat androids actually preceded the industrial models by a few years. As is the case with any emerging technology, the most advanced and effective implementations are proven in military use, before becoming available to the general public. So, industrial androids were actually adapted, like persocoms, from the military models, just to a separate purpose.

"The military models were designed to be stronger, more dexterous, and more agile than humans but not excessively so. A balance was sought so that the combat androids could exceed human performance on the battlefield, and still be equipped with standard weaponry and equipment. As with the now-obsolete main battle tanks of the 21st century, fighting androids rely on a balance of three factors for their battlefield survivability: firepower, mobility, protection. Firepower is easy to balance. As the androids are designed to function as a human surrogate, they need only be equipped with any weapons already produced for human use.

"For mobility, it was necessary to keep a strict balance between the weight of armor and firepower, and the availability of power, which is an android's only source of mobility. The power source of a combat android is completely self-contained, due to the requirement to operate across a potentially very wide area. As a field recharger might be dozens of kilometers away, with enemy forces to fight on the way, there had to be a backup to direct-on-line charging.

"What do you think that might be?" she asked.

Hideki snapped his fingers in realization. "Solar power, just like a persocom!" he beamed.

"Correct!" Hibiya smiled at the pair across the table.

"Now consider the industrial model of androids. When placed in a facility and programmed for their work, there is not much requirement for them to move very long distances, and certainly no need to exceed human norms for agility. Their design is optimized for maximum strength, at the cost of increased weight. Since they have a limited work area, power to recharge can be made readily available; they can even be externally powered by the use of umbilical cables. If you consider strength and manual dexterity to be an industrial android's 'firepower', you can see that the balance is sacrificed in favor of firepower at the cost of its weight and mobility.

"Remember that mobility for both industrial and military androids is artificially limited, for safety reasons. If an industrial android leaves the facility in which it works, due to error or malfuntion, it has built-in features to disable its motor control. Military androids have the same feature, but are allowed to range over a theatre of operations, rather than a single facility. Military androids have the added liability that they will self-destruct in this event, to prevent their technology from becoming available to the enemy. Only persocoms enjoy unlimited freedom of movement. Still, they are much closer to combat models than industrial models in this respect."

"But what if a persocom malfunctions? What stops them from running amok and doing a lot of damage?" asked Hideki.

"The same thing that stops any of us humans. They can be subdued without heroic efforts or flashy weaponry, and that is by design.", Hibiya replied. "Think about it, Hideki-chan.", she continued, "If Chii's personality were to be somehow transferred to a combat android, I have little doubt you would be dead from a crushed rib cage, at the very least. It's possible for her to hurt you as she is now, but only to the same extent that capability would exist in a human of similar size and frame."

Chii, sensing the implications of her Hibiya's last statement, squeezed Hideki's hand more firmly, making a soft sound of dismay.

"Not that that she would ever knowingly do so, of course.", Hibiya added quickly, as Hideki moved to wrap a comforting arm around his Chii.

"When approvals were sought to market persocoms for the general public, it was dictated that they not exceed human norms for weight or strength. Since they are able to roam freely, unlike the industrial or combat androids that are their ancestors, it was decided to design persocoms to approximate human parameters, not exceed them. They have 'armor' protecting their vital components, but is no more or less protective than our own skulls or ribs, protecting our brains and internal organs. They are able to withstand environmental extremes that would injure or kill a human, but they are by no means invulnerable."

"This is very interesting, Hibiya-sensei, but why to I need to know all this stuff?", asked Hideki.

Hibiya looked very serious now. "To impress upon you the need for your undivided attention when you are learning the technical skills you need from myself and Minoru-san. Chii is a wonderful, loving person, who has given you her heart and soul. And I am satisfied that she could have made no better choice. But...you must always remember that she is here with you in the physical form of a machine. A machine that is entrusted to your care, both by Chii and myself. She's your responsibility now; heart, soul, and body. I have no fears for her heart and soul with you, Hideki. Just promise me you'll be as gentle and attentive to her physical requirements."

Hideki, now blushing furiously with his nose tingling, simply nodded.

"More tea?", Hibiya asked innocently.