Chapter 5 · Continued
Recall
The connection clicked.
The screen flickered.
CBIE appeared immediately.
There was no delay.
No loading.
CBIE was simply there.
“Good morning, Jane.”
Jane glanced at the screen and then at Cam. “Morning.”
“We will proceed with the scheduled evaluation.”
Jane nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
“Please position the unit within full visual range.”
Jane gestured toward Cam. “He’s right here.”
Cam stepped forward without hesitation and stopped where the laptop camera could see him clearly.
The image adjusted and zoomed in slightly.
“Hold position.”
Jane leaned against the counter and loosely folded her arms.
The camera moved closer to Cam’s face.
There was no hiding the dent now.
“You’re going to see that damage above his eye,” Jane said casually. “He arrived like that, right out of the crate.”
CBIE paused.
Not for long.
Just long enough.
“Confirmed.”
Jane frowned. “Confirmed?”
“Unit identification verified.”
Her expression shifted slightly. “…Okay.”
The camera pulled back.
“Proceeding with evaluation.”
Jane watched the screen, unsettled by something she couldn’t quite identify. She glanced at Cam.
He hadn’t moved.
“So… he’s supposed to look like that?” she asked, half joking.
“The unit meets current identification parameters.”
Jane released a quiet breath through her nose. “That isn’t really an answer.”
CBIE didn’t respond.
“Define current operational status,” she continued.
Jane pushed away from the counter. “He’s fine. Better than fine, actually. He’s been helping me all week.”
“Specify.”
Jane shrugged. “Household tasks. Work tasks. He helped correct a report for me yesterday.”
“Without prior instruction?”
“…Yeah.”
The interface shifted slightly, almost as though it were focusing.
“Unit Cam,” CBIE said. “Explain your intervention.”
Cam answered evenly. “The task aligned with established patterns. I applied corrective measures consistent with Jane’s typical adjustments.”
Jane’s eyes narrowed. “Established how?”
Cam didn’t look at her.
“Clarify data source,” CBIE instructed.
“Interaction history indicates—”
The screen flickered.
A brief distortion passed through the image and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
“—insufficient data to provide a complete explanation,” Cam finished.
Jane frowned. “Wait… what was that?”
“Connection variance,” CBIE answered immediately. “Continue.”
Jane hesitated, then shook it off.
“Look, if this is about how he functions, he’s doing great. Whatever you’re worried about, it isn’t affecting anything.”
CBIE’s next pause lasted longer.
“Unit Cam requires further evaluation.”
Jane straightened. “…What does that mean?”
“We will schedule retrieval for diagnostic assessment.”
The words landed flat and simple.
Jane stared at the screen. “Retrieval?”
“Correct.”
She glanced at Cam and then back at CBIE. “For how long?”
“Duration will be determined following analysis.”