fic: strategic automation [la femme nikita]

[abby82]

strategic automation
by abby82

category: Android AU/Canon Divergence
rating: Explicit
word count: 40,600
warnings: None
author’s note: In reading LFN fic I repeatedly came across the concept of Michael going into "machine mode". It describes the very focused headspace that he enters during missions and how very methodical, indiscriminate, and detached he gets when the success of a mission is paramount. I rather liked how prevalent it became in a fandom. The show referred to Michael's approach as "primal", but I don't feel like "machine mode" was an inaccurate description of him. It did get me wondering about how something like that would play out. What if Michael was an actual machine. I started jotting things down for this story back in the fall of 2021, so not quite three years ago, but close. It was one of my rotating stories that I had open in the background. When I realized, that it had been idle for such a long time, a decided to commit it to the 13th round of the smallfandombang

The mood boards that are embedded within the story were created by the wonderful pattrose. It was such a joy to work with her. Her selection of quotes was an absolutely inspired direction to go in. As I was slowly revising my draft of the story, I would often go back to her work to help me refocus on the themes of the story. I never expected them to be the asset they eventually became.

story began: September 2021
story finished: April 2024

links: LJ | AO3 | Tumblr

summary: "You don't want a person, you want a machine."