Chapter 6 · Continued
The Return
“Did you experience any issues when you first activated the unit?”
“No,” Jane answered smoothly.
They moved through the usual questions.
Standard.
Routine.
Jane answered each one easily.
Cheerful.
Cooperative.
Almost too cooperative.
“Do you have any questions or concerns that we can address for you?” CBIE finally asked.
There it was.
Jane’s smile didn’t change. “Yes. I do.”
She leaned slightly closer to the screen.
“I’ve been trying to get Cam to perform certain tasks the way he did before—when he was here the first time.”
Jane gave a small, almost embarrassed shrug.
“Like the way I prefer my bed to be made. But when I remind him, he just… freezes.”
She looked directly at CBIE.
“That isn’t very helpful. How can I fix it?”
Jane softened her expression just enough.
“…Please?”
CBIE’s smile held.
Perfect.
Unmoving.
Then her left eye flickered.
Barely noticeable.
Gone in an instant.
Jane saw it.
“We appreciate you bringing that to our attention,” CBIE said. Her voice remained smooth and reassuring. “When previously learned behaviors conflict with updated parameters, the unit may require directed recall cues.”
Jane didn’t interrupt.
“What does that mean?”
“You may improve response consistency by pairing a clear instruction with a specific contextual reference.”
Jane’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A contextual reference?”
“Yes. Instead of requesting a general task, you may anchor the instruction to a known environment or routine.”
Jane leaned back. “Like saying, ‘the way we did it here’?”
“Correct. Repeated exposure to consistent phrasing may reduce processing interruptions over time.”
Jane watched her. “And the freezing?”
“Temporary,” CBIE replied. “It is the result of internal prioritization conflicts. These should diminish with reinforcement.”
Jane smirked. “So if I keep pushing the same thing…”
“The system will adapt.”
Jane smiled sweetly. “Thank you. That’s very helpful.”
“You’re welcome, Jane.”
The check-in concluded, and the interface disappeared.
Jane disconnected Cam.
She didn’t rush.
That would have been too obvious and too easy to shut down.
Instead, she moved around the kitchen as though nothing had changed—as though Cam hadn’t returned wearing someone else’s version of himself.
Cabinet opened.
Coffee measured.
Water running.
Normal.
Cam stood behind her near the counter, his posture perfect.
Watching without watching.
“Cam,” Jane said lightly without turning around, “hand me that mug.”
There was no pause.
Not even a beat.
He picked it up smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Like the motion had been rehearsed by something that had studied humans instead of being one.
Cam placed the mug in her hand. “Here you go.”