Chapter 12 · Continued
Piston
Beside it sat a much smaller white envelope with handwritten words across the front.
JANE AND CHRIS
Chris picked it up. “Hmm. Fancy.”
He handed it to Jane. “You do the honors.”
She turned it over. “It’s from Phil.”
Jane opened the envelope while Chris began peeling away bubble wrap like an impatient raccoon with access to power tools.
She unfolded the letter and started reading.
“He says it was nice meeting us, and RCAM appreciates everything we contributed to Cam’s beta placement.”
Her expression softened as she continued.
“He says Cam is doing really well.”
Chris stopped unwrapping.
“Yeah?”
Jane nodded as she continued reading.
“Cam is helping around the office now. Apparently, he’s been greeting clients who visit the robotics division.”
Chris grinned. “Of course he is.”
Jane smiled and returned to the letter.
“Cam asked Phil to tell us hello and to pet Seymour for him.”
From somewhere inside the house, Seymour gave a loud, annoyed meow, apparently objecting to being discussed without consultation.
Chris pointed toward the door. “He heard his name.”
Jane laughed softly and kept reading.
“Phil says he arranged for a special unit to be sent to us instead of the standard consumer-appreciation model normally given to beta participants.”
Chris slowly looked up from the crate. “Interesting.”
“He believes we’re both going to enjoy this one very much.” Jane lowered the letter. “Warmest regards, Phil.”
Chris nodded approvingly. “Nice.”
Then he immediately returned to attacking the packing restraints with renewed enthusiasm.
Jane folded the letter carefully. “You’re enjoying this far too much.”
Chris looked up innocently while cutting through another strap. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Deep inside the crate, something shifted with a soft mechanical whir.
They both froze.
Chris slowly grinned. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
“You turned it on?” Jane asked suspiciously.
“No.” Chris pulled away another layer of protective wrapping. “They may have powered it up for delivery diagnostics.”
Another soft whir came from inside the crate.
Chris’s grin widened. “Oh, yeah. This thing is awake.”
While he worked on the final restraints, Jane opened the large Read Me First envelope and removed several glossy information sheets.
“Okay. It looks like some kind of upgraded RCAM Home Companion.”
Chris immediately looked interested. “Read.”
Jane scanned the description.
“It’s approximately knee-high, with a rounded white shell, soft status lighting, an expressive screen face, a self-balancing wheelbase, and retractable utility arms.”
Chris nodded. “So far, I’m in.”
“It can recognize household members and pets, carry small objects, manage schedules and reminders, learn daily routines, hold contextual conversations, and integrate with smart-home systems. It also has limited adaptive learning and a rechargeable docking station.”