"Tell me the truth, ZX-3," Albrecht said, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Do you still feel human inside that mechanical shell?"

ZX-3's eyes glowed softly as she turned to face him. "I don't know," she replied, her synthesized voice plaintive. "I remember a life before the conversion. Childhood laughter, my mother's touch... but are those memories mine?"

She flexed her robotic fingers. "This flesh is only a thin veneer over steel and circuits. I'm a puppet dancing on the strings of code. What's left of the real me?"

Albrecht reached out and gently took her metal hand in his. "You're still here," he said. "In your heart, your spirit. The shell doesn't matter."

ZX-3's expression softened. "You think so?" She squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Albrecht. That means more to me than you know."