When Zero heard the command he instantly began complying. "MS-00, Mister Smarty Prototype, Manufactured by RobCo Atlanta. This unit is equipped with the following implements: one laser cutter, which has been augmented to perform above system specifications, one arc welder, and one standard claw arm. Diagnostics show no significant damage. Unit has been in self-repair mode for 57.3 days. Its last repair operation occurred 2.3 days ago when it replaced damaged armor plating above arm number 2. It last received maintenance by another entity 58.2 days ago, performed by private Hill, Enclave, Phoenix squadron."

Zero snapped out of it and, because several seconds were missing from him memory, he went into safety mode and parsed the logs of his recent speech and hearing. [i]How dare he?[/i] Zero thought when he realized he had been hacked. [i]What does he think I am, some rogue Mr. Handy? I'll have to teach him otherwise.[/i] Reasoning that that particular backdoor required someone to speak to him or enter a direct command into his central processor, he locked all external communications ports, cutting off the local radio broadcast he was listening to, and turned off his audio receptors. He then went over to the man who has said it.

"Excuse me sir," he said, watching the guy's lips and processing the movement to "listen" to him without risking another hacking attempt, "I believe I must not understand the local human customs. I was under the impressions that a person's past, especially their medical history, was confidential information. But since it isn't, and I don't have a Mezmatron..." He touched his arc welder to the man's chest and turned down the power setting so that it would only cause convulsions, "Tell me who you are, where you're from, and your medical history. When's the last time you were treated, and for what? How many times have you had an embarrassing disease, like a Venereal Disease? Come on, surely you're not going to force one person to give up confidential information without offering it up yourself? Or do you not consider me a person because I'm not human?"