Doll

"...Fuckin creepy, yo..." Reno mumbled as he strolled behind the president, his sharp, keen eyes automatically scanning the exhibition room for possible treats. Every so often his gaze moved back to the stock-still, human shaped forms of the androids, also known as 'Dolls'.

They were standing in a row, flanking the red, thick carpet. Every doll was placed on a little pedestal, illuminatedby a spotlight that shone down on them, displaying their curvy, barely clothed, artificial bodies.

The redhead probably would never get why someone would prefer a doll over a real partner. He was no bloody pussy, but he certainly wouldn't get so much as half a boner with these creepy eyes staring at him…

Admittedly, they were beautiful. Perfect, with their shiny, soft hair, full lips, long legs and dreamy eyes. Utterly empty eyes.

Reno shoved away the feeling of being observed by those cold plastic orbs that always befell him when he wandered down this particular corridor. It was just like the utterly ridiculous, but nonetheless uncomfortable certainty that the eyes of pictures were following you no matter where you moved.

Briefly cramping the fist that was casually put in his pocket, Reno concentrated back on his task of securing the president.

Rufus Shinra was slowly walking ahead, his cool gaze languidly trailing over the male and female fake humans, half listening to the explanations of his guide.

Dr. Hojo, the owner of the company that nearly had the monopoly on producing all kinds of cyber servants, advised President Shinra himself, repeatedly rubbing his spidery fingers.

Reno didn't like the man. To say it more bluntly: he despised him with every fiber of his being. Apart from his repulsive outer appearance –hawk nose; gaunt face; wispy, long hair that was drawn into a ponytail; the greasy, fake smile that always played around his thin lips and the ever present white coat- the redhead just hated how the man looked at everything with that cold calculation, that assessing gander that degraded everything around him to test subjects and ripped all humanity from them. And the glasses he wore to conceal this didn't help at all.

But since Rufus insisted on being advised by him, there was no way around having to face 'the rat' – as Reno had secretly dubbed him.

This time however it seemed like Rufus' demands couldn´t be satisfied by the new models displayed. Apparently nothing had captured his eye, since they had come to the end of the exhibition hall and the president hadn't even so much as stopped and take a closer look at any of the dolls. Instead his face showed slight displeasure and even boredom – which was never a good sign. If Rufus didn´t get what he wanted heads would roll, especially when he couldn't work off his sexual tensions on a new doll. Because unlike Reno, Rufus rather preferred an obeying, non-complicated doll over annoying humans. He had enough to do with them on his job; there was no need for moving their 'company' into his private life as well.

Reno was almost relieved, sharing a quick look with Rude, who had walked before the two men and stood by the door now, hands intertwined before his lap and looking as intimidating as ever.

Sensing the president's discontentment, Dr. Hojo rubbed his hands, and said, almost purring "I see our new models are not to your liking?"

Rufus gave the man a condescending look, and then even deigned to point out "They are boring."

"I see," Hojo said, nodding a little, but looking unfazed. Reno wished his neck would just break.

This little smile, which made him even creepier than his damn zombie dolls, was on his lips again. His small, sly eyes were briefly flickering over Rufus' proud, haughty form, an estimating glimmer shining behind the glasses. Then he moved a little towards the blond-ignoring the slightly disgusted look of his client, who didn't back away- and whispered in an almost conspiratorial manner "Maybe you want to have a look at our newest creation then? But I have to warn you; it will at least cost more than twice the price of any object shown here."

Something akin to interest flickered over the young president's handsome face. Money was nothing to him, but the more expensive things were, the more interesting they usually proved to be...at least in Rufus' logic.

"Show me then," he generously allowed the man, who just nodded and with this small smile of his led them out of the room.

Reno and Rude exchanged another, almost concerned look. Hojo guided them away from familiar territory, which was never good. But since it had been the president's explicit wish they had no option but to follow, giving their position to Tseng through their headsets.

"I am sure you will be pleased with our new model, it is really exquisite," Hojo chatted, trying to win Rufus' favor again. The man just raised an eyebrow, the slightly unnerved expression indicating that Hojo better be speaking the truth or he would do his utmost to crash the man's company. And given that he was Rufus Shinra, one of the most powerful men on the planet, it was highly unlikely that he would fail to do so.

"You see," the rat continued while leading the party through a dimly lit corridor towards a heavy steel door "we recently came to a terminal with our knowledge and abilities. We had to acknowledge that our objects would always remain limited due to their inability to copy autopoietic systems. Hence we had to focus our attention on something that could overcome these restrictions. And we did." The smile grew larger and a frighteningly excited sparkling blinked behind the glasses.

Unimpressed, Rufus and his bodyguards waited for the man to open the door with his keycard, not understanding what expert gibberish Hojo was blabbering.

The door clicked open with a humming sound and Hojo held it open. Rude went ahead, making sure that the area was secure and then nodding at the president. Rufus followed with not too enthusiastic, idle strides. Reno curtly motioned for the doctor to move, because he sure as hell wouldn't show his back to the bastard.

The man obliged with an unnerving smirk and hurried to guide Rufus into the room. It looked like some test area and nothing like the fancy, expensive exhibition hall with its high walls, rich carpets and all the glass and chrome.

This hall was rather messy- certain parts of dolls lying around on tables, machines were humming and rattling. If the dummies hadn't already creeped the shit out of Reno, the beheaded parts, rolling eyes and electronic intestines now surely did the job.

Hojo ignored the unfinished dolls, though, and instead led them to the back of the room that wasn't as stuffed. It wasn't really cramped in here either, just… confusing. Warily Reno eyed the chrome shelves, half expecting an assassin to jump out of the shadows any minute. No such thing happened, though. All that came into view was an area that was hidden by a curtain hanging from the ceiling.

Hojo bid the president to come closer, stepping next to the concealed whatever-it-was and after a dramatic little pause to increase the tension – which Reno could have very well done without, his nerves were on edge enough as it was- he finally grabbed the cloth and pulled it down.

In his defense, the party had to admit that the doctor hadn't promised too much, as Reno got to see before he averted his eyes to watch the surroundings again.

A doll was exposed, a beautiful doll. The mechanics were hidden by creamy, soft marble skin that stretched over long legs, a taut belly and delicate features. The puppet's face was truly doll-like, perfectly symmetric and angelic. Long, silvery hair cascaded down the cyborg's slightly arched back. Only a cloth covered its private areas from public view, otherwise it was fully exposed. The doll stood on its pedestal, staring at the ground through big, emerald, and utterly empty eyes with its head slightly tilted.

Arching an eyebrow, Rufus put his hands out of his pocket and slowly started to walk around the pedestal, inspecting the doll from all sides.

Hojo rubbed his hands behind his back, pleased that he had the president's attention again and following the man at a reasonable distance. The plate that was hefted on the platform showed a few letters, saying 'Y44-Z#-0'.

"We call it 'Yazoo' for now, it really is the newest and best of its kind so far," Hojo explained, almost proudly.

Rufus stopped, narrowing his eyes as he looked back at the man "This is just a prototype? You mean it hasn't been tested yet?"

"Oh no," the rat hurried to object, adjusting his glasses. "This model has passed all tests and is already on the market. For a selected audience, that is. Every one of them is a unicum. There will be no mass-production. You will have the only sample if you choose to obtain it."

Appeased, Rufus moved his eyes back on the puppet. "How does it work?"

"Entirely through voice orders. There will not be any annoying mechanism you have to push anymore," the doctor explained. Upon the skeptic look of his client, Hojo smiled, adjusted his glasses again and said, facing the doll.

"Yazoo, activate."

A small jerk seemed to go through the doll, then it straightened, eyes slowly moving towards the voice.

Interested, Rufus observed the head of Yazoo moving into a straight position with fluent, graceful movements. "Can you make it do something?"

"Of course. Yazoo: move your hand up."

Amazed, Reno watched out of the corner of his eye how the puppet did just that: expressionlessly and obediently moving up its delicate, long-fingered hand.

"Stand on one leg."

The doll obliged again, bending its left leg and standing on a leg with its hand moved up.

Turning away from Yazoo, Hojo looked at the president again, saying in a low voice "Of course it will obey any other command too. It is made to pleasure its master, after all."

Rufus got the implicit message and looked back at the doll, face neutral.

"But that is not all," Hojo continued, wanting to win Rufus over no matter what. "This specimen is able to reorganize, respectively repair itself. As long as it is no major damage, that is."

The president still inspected the beautiful doll, interest growing even more.

"May I touch it?"

"Of course."

Coolly, Reno watched his boss reaching out and stroking over the dolls leg, hand sliding down its calf and squeezing it.

Eyes going slightly wider, Rufus said, astonished. "This feels very realistic." His hands wandered up the dolls leg again, fascinated and more than pleased.

"I know," Hojo sighed. "It was one of the major deficits of the former models. No matter how hard our efforts, it never compared to actual skin."

Mildly curious, the blond looked at the doctor, asking "So, what is this new material?"

"Oh, it isn't new" the rat said, smiling that creepy smile of his. "It is actual skin."

Surprised, Rufus abruptly withdrew his hand, shooting the doll an awkward and slightly appalled look.

Reno thought he'd like to retch out his guts now - after he had strangled this sick bastard of a 'doctor'.

"I beg your pardon?" Rufus had tilted his head in confusion.

"Well, actually this specimen is 100% organic," Hojo said, folding his hands behind his back and looking rather proud.

The president blinked, then it dawned on him and he asked, disbelieving. "You mean this is a human?"

"Oh no," Hojo instantly objected, looking somewhat repulsed and as if Rufus had said something outragingly blasphemous.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Rufus said frostily. He hated to have to admit that he was lost on something.

"I am sorry, I will explain it to you," the doctor appeased humbly, gesturing towards the stiff doll that still stood on one leg with its hand held up.

"A few hundred years ago there was a man whose experiment proved that animals are conditionable. His test subject was a dog, but scientists predicted that not only lower creatures but all living things, even humans, could be conditioned to no limit. At that time they were laughed at by the majority of the so-called experts, who declared them to be naive at best. Admittedly, at that time it was highly unlikely that such an experiment would succeed. But now after two hundred years and with the knowledge we have gained through research we have made the breakthrough."

Hojo smirked, slowly walking around his doll and continuing in a soft tone, while all eyes followed him, even those of the bodyguards. "Now, you could say that 'Yazoo's' body is human. Although genetically altered it was made from human cells. But now I ask you: what is it that makes us humans human?"

He paused for a moment, looking at the three men watching his every move. He hadn't expected an answer and he didn't get one, so he just continued, looking up at Yazoo with a faint smile.

"It's free will. The ability to choose." He idly moved a hand over Yazoo's leg, but his eyes were fixated on the president.

"This thing has neither. It was conditioned to obey, to let others decide for it. It doesn't even know what a will is. Leave it alone and it will die. Tell it to jump from a bridge and it will. Tell it to make a decision by its own and it will not understand what you are saying."

He snorted, shaking his head. "No, this thing is anything but human. Am I not right, Yazoo?"

The doll tilted its head, answering expressionlessly "Certainly, Master."

Satisfied, Hojo let go of Yazoo´s leg.

"Our new models are much more economic, too." The rat continued, making these purring noises again, to convince the president of his product. "There will be almost no costs for its energy input, all it needs is about 2000 kilocalories per day. Instead of the twelve hours our previous models needed to restore their batteries this one only needs a maximum of 6 hours rest. And as a self-referential system it is trained to take care of itself, so you can save the costs for a keeper."

The man paused for a moment, seeing Rufus's weighty but interested gaze mustering the doll again, while listening relatively intently to his explanations. "But the highlight, if I dare say so myself, is that your doll will be conditioned according to your, its masters´ individual wishes and preferences. However you want it to be, we can make it. It is a matter of mere months and you will see that it is worth the time waiting, I can assure you."

"I´ll take this one."

An excited sparkle radiated from the president's cool eyes as he stared at the 'doll's' unmoving form.

Hojo frowned, pointing out "Well, but this one hasn't been conditioned according to your preferenc-"

"I'll take it," Rufus interrupted with narrowed eyes and an imperious tone, insinuating that he did not wish for an argument. He had decided that he must have this particular creature at all costs and anyone interfering with this would suffer horribly.

"As you wish," Hojo finally agreed, bowing lowly to hide his triumphant, self-satisfied smirk. "Then please follow me so that we can get over with the formalities."

Both Reno and Rude shot the doll another alienated and horrified look, though their faces didn´t betray any of their emotions. Only Reno's cramped fist, hidden in his pocket, might have indicated what he really thought about Hojo's humanity. And by all means, he'd rather have thrown a lifetime party with all of the dolls in the exhibition hall than have to stay alone in a room with this… thing for 5 seconds!

Quickly following the others Reno left the room with its (non)human occupant, and Hojo turned out the light, locking the door behind them.

And so no one was there to witness as the doll expressionlessly stared into the darkness and slowly, very slowly dropped its human extremities.

AN: The experiment with the dog is Pavlov´s, of course, and an autopoietic system is a self-referential system, meaning it can repair and take care of itself (e.g. a human or a plant. The contrary would be a machine, because it cannot survive without someone taking care of it).

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Advent Children or its characters nor do I make any money from writing this.

Special thanks to PfenixB for the awesome betaing!!!