Chapter 6 · Continued
The Return
“All right,” she murmured. “So that did something.”
Jane stepped closer and angled the screen toward him again. “Let’s try that one more time.”
Cam watched her.
Blink.
Blink.
She raised the phone. “Did you send me this?”
His projected face flickered, sending a brief ripple across the blue surface.
It didn’t disappear this time.
Not completely.
Jane’s eyes lit up. “There it is.”
She lowered her voice. “Yeah… you don’t like that, do you?”
Cam tilted his head. “I do not have a preference regarding—”
His face stuttered for a fraction of a second and then smoothed itself.
“—that content,” he finished.
Jane released a quiet, satisfied laugh. “Uh-huh. Sure you don’t.”
She lowered the phone and studied him.
Not as a person.
Not exactly.
More like a puzzle.
“Okay,” she said. “So that’s a trigger.”
Cam blinked. “…Trigger?”
Jane grinned. “Yeah. We’re gonna figure you out.”
She folded her arms and continued studying him.
“Cam… do you remember the things you learned while you were here before?”
“Yes. I retain all domestic training.”
Jane tilted her head.
Domestic training.
“Okay…” she said slowly. “Was that programmed into you, or did you learn it while you were here?”
Cam looked at her.
Still.
Waiting.
Jane narrowed her eyes. “Not that.”
She waved one hand. “I mean here—before they took you away.”
Jane moved a little closer. “When you were here with me, do you remember that?”
Cam’s projected face flickered.
Then it disappeared.
The blue plate went blank.
No expression.
No eyes.
Nothing.
Jane’s mouth curled into a slow smirk.
“…Ah.”
There it was.
The following morning, Jane was ready.
RCAM would want a post-return check-in.
Observation.
Evaluation.
Adjustment.
Jane thought about CBIE—her perfect face, her perfect smile, and how much Jane enjoyed nudging both of them slightly too far.
But not today.
Not directly.
If Jane wanted answers, she would have to be smarter than that.
It was almost ten.
Time.
She retrieved the new USB cable from the equipment bag.
Still too short.
“Of course it is,” she muttered.
Jane placed the laptop on the kitchen counter, just as she had before, and connected Cam.
The interface appeared immediately.
Then there she was.
CBIE.
Perfect skin.
Perfect smile.
Perfectly artificial.
Jane smiled back.
“Hello, Jane,” CBIE said. “You appear very happy today.”
Jane tilted her head slightly. “Oh, I am. I’m very happy to have the robot back.”
“Excellent. We are pleased to have you participating in this beta test.”
CBIE’s smile remained fixed.