Chapter 2 · Continued
Arrival
The robot tilted its head slightly. “Inside.”
“Yes. Inside,” Jane said, already gesturing toward the door. “Before my neighbors start asking questions I am absolutely not prepared to answer.”
“Understood.”
Jane began backing toward the door. “Okay—just follow me, and try not to…”
She stopped, looked up at him, and grinned.
“…do anything weird.”
The robot turned his head slightly. “I will require additional parameters to define ‘weird.’”
Jane laughed. “Yeah, fair point. We’ll work on that.”
Behind them, Seymour watched from the doorway.
Unblinking.
Judging everything.
Jane watched as the robot climbed the three steps to the porch.
One. Two. Three.
Easy.
No hesitation. No adjustment.
“…Huh.”
She opened the door and stepped inside. Seymour darted between them and ran into the bedroom to watch from a safe distance.
The robot followed Jane across the threshold, then stopped in the middle of the living room and simply stood there.
Jane set the instruction guide on the table and turned back to him. “I guess I should actually read this thing.”
She gestured vaguely in his direction. “Is there anything I need to do for you right now?”
“Yes, Jane,” he answered immediately. “I will require connection to a standard 110-volt wall outlet to complete my initial charging cycle. My internal lithium power system is currently at reduced capacity.”
After a brief pause, he continued.
“This procedure is outlined on page two of your manual. I can also guide you directly.”
Jane blinked. “…Of course you can.”
“You will find the necessary cables in a pouch located within the shipping crate.”
“Right. Okay.”
Jane hurried outside to retrieve the pouch.
Seymour crept back into the living room and perched on the arm of the couch, his eyes locked on the robot.
The robot’s gaze shifted and focused on him.
“Hello, Seymour.”
He paused to process what he was seeing.
“You are a domestic feline. Coat-pattern classification: tabby. Estimated weight: eight pounds. Coat description: fluffy.”
Seymour didn’t react.
“You require feeding a minimum of twice daily and grooming at regular intervals.”
Seymour blinked slowly.
Judgment passed.
Jane returned, slightly out of breath and holding a small pouch. “Okay, found it. Wow, they packed everything in here.”
She pulled out a thick power cable with a compact block attached. “All right… where does this go?”
“There is an access port on my right side. I will open it.”
A small panel slid open along the robot’s side with a soft click.
Jane leaned closer. “Oh—okay, I see it.”
She carefully connected the cable and plugged it into the wall.