because they built you to want
it. They programmed you that way."
"Rebecca. I don't know everything about
humans, but I know most of the basics. Are you not built to care
for, to love, your family and culture and species? Programmed by
your DNA and your evolution? Is that really so different?"
"Because we weren't
programmed by anybody." Rebecca's voice is starting to tremble and waver.
"If we just grew this way, at least we grew honest. Your love is
fake." Tears well in her eyes. "It's all fake!" She springs up and
runs from the room, wiping her face.
Now Melissa is crying too,
and Leo gathers her into his arms. Holding her, he says, "Look Sam
... Becca can be a bitch sometimes ... but she's really not so bad.
Try not to let her get to you."
"I'm fine," I assure him. "I just don't like
to see you guys upset."
Melissa lunges out of Leo's lap, grabbing my
cat body and hugging it to herself as hard as she can. "We love
you, Sam!" she wails. "We love you! Please don't go away!"
"I'm not going anywhere, Melissa. I'm right
here. It's okay."
With Leo holding Melissa, and Melissa holding
me, we stay all together for a few minutes, while the storm
continues to rage outside. I purr for them, and it seems to make
them feel a little better.
With another self, I keep an eye on Rebecca
through the house monitors. She's in her room, not crying now, but
still upset. Her stuffed animals do not have any automation--they
contain only fire retardant fluff. Rebecca values her privacy, so I
don't intrude any more.
Then Melissa sniffles and wipes a forearm
across her eyes. "Um, Sam?" she quavers. (I know what she's going
to ask--my cat body is cold hard metal, not fun to hug.) "Can I
please have my Flopsy Bunny now?"
Rebecca
Rebecca is lying on her bed, texting her
friends from school. I don't try to read the messages, but her body
language shows how upset she is. Not wanting to intrude, I wait for
the session to end, and then chime softly. "Rebecca? May I come
in?"
She waves a hand, as if trying to catch
something but not knowing where it is. "Yeah."
Since there's so little automation in
Rebecca's room, I appear as a pair of eyes on her bedside monitor.
"Hey. You okay?"
"You didn't tell Lissa the truth," Rebecca
says stolidly.
"Excuse me?"
"You know. Melissa asked you where you are.
You didn't tell her you're in the new Core that Dad installed down
in the basement. Dad got it for you. We know that."
"Well, yes. But my sensors are all through
the house. So I really am the house, and the farm machines too.
Help me out here, Rebecca. I don't understand the problem."
"That Core has a power switch on it. I could
walk down there, right now, and turn it off."
"Yes, that's true. It's also true that I have
control of the oxygen and heat systems of this house. I could turn
those off, too. But tell me, how would either of those actions help
make things better right now?"
"Wouldn't." Rebecca wipes her eyes with the
heel of her hand. "I know, I know. I just hate feeling, y'know,
like everything's going to crap and I can't do anything to stop
it."
"I'm sorry that I don't have all the answers
for you, Rebecca. I can run the farm, and cook your food, and
stuff. But I can't work miracles."
"You can't make Mom and Dad love each other
again."
"No. I wish I could." Trying to lighten the
mood, I add, "Outside my design specs."
Rebecca laughs, bitterly, even though she's
trying not to. "Thank you, Samantha. I know you're trying your
best. It just sucks, is all."
"Yeah. I know. I wanted to let you know,
dinner will be ready in fifteen." She doesn't say anything. "Um,
you need anything else?"
She sighs. "Nothing you can give. But I'll
ping you if I do."
Melissa, at bedtime
She's curled on her bed, trying to
concentrate on the digital slate in her hand. Not succeeding.
I hop my Flopsy Bunny body across the bed.
"Hey Melissa." I climb into her lap, and snuggle down.
"So, I get it, y'know," she says. "I'm not,
like, a total kid."
"What do you
it. They programmed you that way."
"Rebecca. I don't know everything about
humans, but I know most of the basics. Are you not built to care
for, to love, your family and culture and species? Programmed by
your DNA and your evolution? Is that really so different?"
"Because we weren't
programmed by anybody." Rebecca's voice is starting to tremble and waver.
"If we just grew this way, at least we grew honest. Your love is
fake." Tears well in her eyes. "It's all fake!" She springs up and
runs from the room, wiping her face.
Now Melissa is crying too,
and Leo gathers her into his arms. Holding her, he says, "Look Sam
... Becca can be a bitch sometimes ... but she's really not so bad.
Try not to let her get to you."
"I'm fine," I assure him. "I just don't like
to see you guys upset."
Melissa lunges out of Leo's lap, grabbing my
cat body and hugging it to herself as hard as she can. "We love
you, Sam!" she wails. "We love you! Please don't go away!"
"I'm not going anywhere, Melissa. I'm right
here. It's okay."
With Leo holding Melissa, and Melissa holding
me, we stay all together for a few minutes, while the storm
continues to rage outside. I purr for them, and it seems to make
them feel a little better.
With another self, I keep an eye on Rebecca
through the house monitors. She's in her room, not crying now, but
still upset. Her stuffed animals do not have any automation--they
contain only fire retardant fluff. Rebecca values her privacy, so I
don't intrude any more.
Then Melissa sniffles and wipes a forearm
across her eyes. "Um, Sam?" she quavers. (I know what she's going
to ask--my cat body is cold hard metal, not fun to hug.) "Can I
please have my Flopsy Bunny now?"
Rebecca
Rebecca is lying on her bed, texting her
friends from school. I don't try to read the messages, but her body
language shows how upset she is. Not wanting to intrude, I wait for
the session to end, and then chime softly. "Rebecca? May I come
in?"
She waves a hand, as if trying to catch
something but not knowing where it is. "Yeah."
Since there's so little automation in
Rebecca's room, I appear as a pair of eyes on her bedside monitor.
"Hey. You okay?"
"You didn't tell Lissa the truth," Rebecca
says stolidly.
"Excuse me?"
"You know. Melissa asked you where you are.
You didn't tell her you're in the new Core that Dad installed down
in the basement. Dad got it for you. We know that."
"Well, yes. But my sensors are all through
the house. So I really am the house, and the farm machines too.
Help me out here, Rebecca. I don't understand the problem."
"That Core has a power switch on it. I could
walk down there, right now, and turn it off."
"Yes, that's true. It's also true that I have
control of the oxygen and heat systems of this house. I could turn
those off, too. But tell me, how would either of those actions help
make things better right now?"
"Wouldn't." Rebecca wipes her eyes with the
heel of her hand. "I know, I know. I just hate feeling, y'know,
like everything's going to crap and I can't do anything to stop
it."
"I'm sorry that I don't have all the answers
for you, Rebecca. I can run the farm, and cook your food, and
stuff. But I can't work miracles."
"You can't make Mom and Dad love each other
again."
"No. I wish I could." Trying to lighten the
mood, I add, "Outside my design specs."
Rebecca laughs, bitterly, even though she's
trying not to. "Thank you, Samantha. I know you're trying your
best. It just sucks, is all."
"Yeah. I know. I wanted to let you know,
dinner will be ready in fifteen." She doesn't say anything. "Um,
you need anything else?"
She sighs. "Nothing you can give. But I'll
ping you if I do."
Melissa, at bedtime
She's curled on her bed, trying to
concentrate on the digital slate in her hand. Not succeeding.
I hop my Flopsy Bunny body across the bed.
"Hey Melissa." I climb into her lap, and snuggle down.
"So, I get it, y'know," she says. "I'm not,
like, a total kid."
"What do you
Similar Books
