Chapter 3 · Continued
Learning
“Yes, Jane.”
“What did you do?”
“I followed the correct procedure.”
Jane looked at the bed, then at Cam, and then back at the bed. “…Why is it so tight?”
Cam considered the question. “To maintain order and reduce variability.”
Jane released a breath that was half laughter and half surrender. “Cam… I need to be able to get under the blankets to sleep.”
A longer processing pause followed.
“…Understood.”
He examined the bed again before looking back at her. “…Do you require reduced rigidity?”
Jane closed her eyes for a second, then laughed. “Yeah, I need reduced rigidity.”
She pressed her hand against the blanket again. It still didn’t move.
“Also, the comforter goes on top—not underneath everything else.”
Cam paused. “…Understood.”
“Where did you learn to do this?” Jane asked. “I could bounce a quarter off this thing.”
“I accessed a procedural reference.”
“Yeah, I figured.” She shook her head. “Cam, this isn’t a barracks.”
Cam looked back at the bed, reevaluating it. “The objective was to complete the task correctly.”
“You did,” Jane said, softening slightly. “But correct isn’t always the same as livable.”
Cam tilted his head. “…Define livable.”
Jane pressed her hand flat against the blanket and pushed until she forced a little give into it.
“This should feel like something you want to crawl into,” she explained. “Not like it’s going to file a report on you.”
Cam watched the indentation slowly disappear.
Then, very carefully, he reached out and pressed down on the bed himself.
The surface resisted before giving slightly.
“…This reduces structural consistency.”
Jane laughed. “Yeah. It does.”
Cam considered that for several seconds. He looked at the bed, then at Jane, and finally back at the bed.
“…This is preferred?”
Jane nodded. “Yeah.”
A subtle shift passed through his posture. “…Understood.”
Cam reached for the blanket. This time, instead of pulling it tight, he loosened it slightly and allowed space beneath it.
The sharp lines softened. The corners relaxed.
The bed changed.
It wasn’t perfect, but it looked inviting.
Cam stepped back and inspected the result. “…Acceptable.”
Jane smiled. “Now you’re getting it.”
From the hallway came the soft, unmistakable sound of approaching paws.
Jane didn’t turn. “…And now let’s see how long that lasts.”
Cam looked toward the doorway, back at the bed, and then toward the doorway again.
“…Uncertain.”
Jane leaned against the doorframe and folded her arms. “I have a few quick work calls to make. What would you like to do, Cam? You’ve already made it through quite a bit of your first day here.”