section7mfu | Picfic Tuesday 19/11

"Is that…"

"A piranha? Yes Napoleon."

Illya was sat in his lab hunched over the small fish, micro screwdriver poised inches above it's scaly surface.

Solo drew up a stool and peered at the animal Kuryakin was working on in wonder, hesitatingly, he gently touched the piranha's skin.

"It feels so real, I can't believe how you've managed to make it so realistic."

"The 'skin' is a new lightweight rubber Research have developed. It is easily molded. This seemed to be a good test of it's capabilities."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"I have incorporated a miniature camera and listening device inside."

"Ahh, surveillance, but I'm not sure how useful it could be in a fish."

"It is only an experiment, anyway I like fish."

"To eat yes, can you control it?"

Illya gently picked up the creature with one hand, with the other he grabbed a small black box with two control sticks.

"Yes, this lever controls the direction left or right. This one up and down."

The Russian moved the controls as he explained and the fish began to flap around in his hand rather realistically.

"What about if someone picked it up, wouldn't they know it's artificial?"

"Napoleon, would you put your hand in the water with a piranha?"

"Hmmm, you've got a point there, I did wonder why you chose that particular species."

"It all seems to work well on dry land, I think it is time to try it out in water," Illya said with a grin.

"Illya, you have a positively evil look on that angelic Slavic face of yours."

Illya just grinned more in reply as Napoleon followed him out the lab and down the corridor, robot and controller safely hidden in the deep pockets of the Russians lab coat.

They went up two floors in the elevator and made their way to the fitness area and the small pool located beyond the gym. There were no swimmers when they arrived and Illya quickly tested the fish from the poolside.

"It's working really well, tovarisch. If I didn't know better I'd say it was real."

"It has performed better than my expectations," Illya smiled.

"I think someone's coming."

"Quickly, in here," Kuryakin indicated a doorway nearby.

Cautiously peering through the door's glass window, they watched as Mark and April entered the pool from the changing rooms opposite, talking and laughing as they entered the water.

The eavesdropping capability of the lonely fish was sensitive enough for Illya and Napoleon to hear what their two colleagues were saying.

"I think he'll love it," April said..

"I hope so, it's so hard to think of what to get him," Mark replied.

"So what have you got for me, darling?"

"Ahhh, you'll have to wait for Christmas day and see luv."

"Oh Mark, you know how I hate surprises."

"Not this one, my dear, I know you'll simply love it."

"I could tickle it out of you."

The sound of splashing and more laughter was picked up by the little robot.

"Arrgh, Mark, what's that?" April suddenly squealed.

"Well how the bloody hell did that get in here? That's a piranha. "

More splashing could be heard as Mark helped April out of the water.

"Surely it couldn't survive in a swimming pool, all those chemicals." Dancer commented.

Carefully peering through the door's window Illya watched as Mark found a net and caught the fish, tipping it out on the side where it lay beside his now flipflop clad feet.

"Relax April, something tells me this fish is a bit fishy, "Mark raised his voice, "Alright mates, where are you?"

Illya and Napoleon slunk down behind the door, trying hard not to laugh at Marks fishy comment.

"If you two don't come out now, I'm going to put my foot on this poor little thing and put it out of it's misery."

The two troublemakers emerged from behind the door, huge grins on their faces.

"Very good you two, so who's idea was it to scare the swimmers?" Mark smiled, "I must say it fooled us both, but it was April's comment about it surviving in a swimming pool that made me realize it wasn't real."

Illya picked it up with care, "it did fool you though so it worked."

"In the right setting I think it would be hard to tell it from the real thing," April said as she looked at it nestled in the Russians hand. "Anyway, there are better ways of trying to find out what your Christmas presents are." she laughed as she pushed the two into the pool.

Several weeks later, the small robotic fish was used successfully in gathering information about the location of a new THRUSH satrapy along the coast by watching a small boat and listening to the conversations of it three occupants. Thanks to 'pirahnacam' the satrapy was destroyed completely before THRUSH could carry out their plans.