The Man-Machine

The Man-Machine is a story telling a few of the highlights of Kras' experiences from the time he was built to the time Mikhail Lepyokhin shut him off and put him into storage. It can be read here.

## Background

The Man-Machine is divided into six parts, each corresponding with a song on Kraftwerk's album of the same name. It was written by Techno Tinker, and is told from Kras' third-person perspective. Most of the story takes place in Russia during the Cold War and largely focuses on Kras' relationship to Mikhail and Pavel.

## Plot

### The Robots

The Robots is about Leonid Lepyokhin, Mikhail's father, building Kras. It talks about his thoughts on who Kras would be, and shows how Kras is powered by red matter. He turns Kras on and is excited to see him functional, bringing Mikhail into the room to have the two of them meet for the first time.

### Spacelab

Spacelab is about Kras taking Mikhail out of bed to look at the stars late at night. He points out the big dipper, then talks about Sputnik when they see it pass by. Kras gives Mikhail some words of encouragement, then takes him back to bed. Mikhail and Kras talk to each other some more, and then Kras leaves the room and lets Mikhail sleep.

### Metropolis

Metropolis is mostly Kras' internal monologue about justifying the assassination of rogue journalists on the train to his next kill. Eventually, he reaches an apartment, breaking in and shooting a man working at a typewriter in the head.

### The Model

In The Model, Kras is at a party for another assassination, this time for a high profile target. He worries he sticks out too much, trying to blend into the crowd. Eventually, his target speaks to him, and they exchange small talk before she asks him to dance. He doesn't know how, but he agrees anyway, allowing her to teach him. The woman then takes off his glove, revealing the various gadgets kept in his hand, including his gun. Acting fast, he pushes her away and shoots her, fleeing the scene.

### Neon Lights

Neon Lights begins with a sort of flashback of Kras walking home with an eight-year-old Pavel riding on his back, asleep. Then, it cuts to earlier in the day, in which Kras and Pavel are running errands together in preparation for the upcoming schoolyear, including picking up dry cleaning and Pavel's anti-psychotic medication. Kras then buys Pavel a donut and they run a few more errands before heading toward the train station to go home. Pavel, in an attempt to impress Kras, is nearly struck by a bus, but Kras pulls Pavel back before he is hurt. They go back to the station and finally leave to go home.

### The Man-Machine

By 1989, Mikhail and Kras had move to the United States for Mikhail's infiltration mission in what would later be known as Anikanov Labs. However, the American government had become suspicious of him and were going to launch an investigation, so Mikhail made the decision to shut Kras down and put him in storage until it was safe to return. Kras, however, protests, citing how he'd raised both him and his children and that he thought he was just as much a person as anyone else. After an emotional exchange, Mikhail finally shuts him off, and the story ends.

## Trivia

* Kras' argument against Mikhail in the final chapter about being a person directly parallels Captain's thoughts on the matter as expressed in The Nylon Curtain.
* Chernit is not present, nor is she mentioned at all. This is due to the Lepyokhins wanting to keep her a secret.
* As the original album the story is based on is largely instrumental, most of the story is improvised.