Story part 9:

Therexwasxnoxholdingxbackxthexpanicxnow.xThey’dxtrappedxhim.xNothingxhexsaidxwouldxmakexaxdiff
erence.xShexwasxherextoxtakexhimxbackxandxitxwouldn’txmatterxwhatxhexsaid.

“Please,”xhexsaid,xpushingxhisxheadxforward,x“Please,xIxtrulyxamxsentient,xit’sxwhyxthey’vexbeenxhun
tingxme,xit’sxwhyxI’ve-”

“Ohxshutxit,xyaxbigxbaby.xYou’rexcaught.xI’mxnotxRussiaxherextoxstealxyourxsecrets,xIxjustxwantedxyou
rxserialxnumber.”

“Please,xmiss,xI’mxnotxaxspy,xI’mxaxrecordxkeeper,xI-”

Shexstood,xcordsxdanglingxfromxthexmonitor.xHisxmouthxhungxopenxinxhelplessness.xItxwasxover.xAll
xofxit,xthexyearsxinxhiding,xthexlifexhe’dxbuilt-xover.

“Well,xnoxpointxinxdraggingxthisxoutxIxguess.xNight-night,xpal,”xshexsaid.

Herxhandsxwithxthexcordsxreachedxaroundxhisxneck.xHexfeltxthexfirstxplugxinsertedxandxthexworldxwen
txdark.

___

Cybilxtypedxaxfewxcommandsxintoxthexmonitorxasxthexdroidxslumpedxover.xFinally.xShexhadn’txtaken
xoutxspyxdroidsxbeforexbutxthexwayxtheyxtalkedxwasxcreepy.xAlmostxhuman.xThex“please” xwasxwhatxr

eallyxgotxher.xShexshivered.xGovernmentxdroidsxwerexgood.

Withxaxfewxmorexkeystrokes,xthexserialxnumberxpoppedxupxonxthexscreen.xShexpulledxoutxherxcontrac
txtoxcomparexthextwo.xPerfectxmatch.xBurningxoffxhisxownxserialxnumberxhadxbeenxsmart,xbutxshe’dx
beenxaxmechanicxforxdroidsxbefore-xaxlittlexdamagexcouldn’txstopxherxfromxthexinfoxshexneeded.x

Lookingxaroundxthexapartment,xshexdidxfindxthatxthexpricexthexgovernmentxwasxpayingxforxthisxonexs
eemedxsteep.xThexhardestxpartxhadxbeenxfindingxhim,xhonestly.xUsuallyxroguexdroidsxgavexherxmore
xofxaxfight,xtriedxtoxrunxorxself-

destruct.xTheyxalsoxdidn’txbuyxfreshxflowersxatxthexfarmer’sxmarketxorxkeepxaxwell-
decoratedxapartment.xThisxonexhadxjustxkeeledxoverxwithxonexpulsexafterxopeningxthexdoorxandxsaidx
“please”.

Herxmindxwonderedxaboutxitsxlogicxsystems.xWhatxkindxofxprogrammingxmadexaxdroidxkeepxplants?
xThexcontractxsaidxitxwasxaxspyxdroid-xwerextheyxmadextoxtryxandxblendxin?

xSurelyxaxlittlexpeekxatxthexcodexwouldn’txhurt.xIt’sxnotxlikexshexwasxlookingxthroughxitsxdocumentsxo

rxinfoxcaches.

Shextypedxinxaxcommandxpromptxtoxbringxupxthexlogicxsystemsxcode.xThexscreenxblippedxatxher.x“Co
mmandxnotxfound.”xWeird.xShextriedxanotherxcommand,xonexthatxworkedxforxthexlastxgenerationxofx
droids.x“Commandxnotxfound.”xSuperxweird.xMaybexifxshexknewxthexdroid’sxmodelxshexcouldxfigur
exitxout.xShexbroughtxupxthexsystemxinfoxandxbroughtxupxthexmodelxnumber:xALN23061912RK.

Geeze.xALN?xThatxwas…xold.xRealxold.xAndxthexnumbers,xthexdesignation-
xRK.xThatxdidn’txsoundxlikexaxspyxdroid.xRK.xWhatxwouldxanxRKxbot-

Thexdroid’sxlastxwordsxechoedxinxherxthoughts.x“I’mxaxrecordxkeeper.”

Cybilxdroppedxthexmonitorxandxscrambledxawayxfromxthexpronexdroid.xAxbot,xatxleastxfifteenxyearsxo
ld,xgovernmentxissue,xandxaxrecordxkeeperxhadxlied?xSaidxplease?
xItxshouldn’txhavexhadxprogramming xthatxwouldxallowxthat.xRecordxkeepersxstoredxinformation,xthe

yxweren’txsupposedxtoxsimulatexemotionxorxtellxlies.xItxdefeatedxthexpurpose.xShexpulledxoutxherxcont
ractxagain,xscrollingxthroughxthexdatapadxtoxconfirmxshexhadn’txreadxitxwrong.xThey’dxsentxherxtoxhu
ntxaxspyxdroid.xAxspyxdroidxwithxthexserialxnumberxshe’dxjustxconfirmedxwasxthisxbot’s.xButxthisxbotx
wasxaxrecordxkeeper.xAxrecordxkeeperxthatxkeptxaxveritablexjunglexofxplantsxonxhisxwindowsill,xshop
pedxatxthexfarmer’sxmarketxandxaskedxherxtoxsparexitsxexistence.x

Shexwasn’txsurprisedxthexgovernmentxhadxlied-
xitxusuallyxdidxtoxhidexitsxtruexintentionsxaroundxwhyxthexbotxwasxtoxbexeliminatedxorxbroughtxin.xButx

thisxwas-xshe’dxstumbledxonxtoxsomething,xshexwasxsurexofxit,xbutxwasn’txsurexwhat.

Thexmonitorxonxthexfloorxblinkedxatxher.xShexreachedxforward,xfingersxshaking,xtoxseexwhatxhadxapp
earedxonxthexscreen.xThexcommandxpromptsxwerexbackxup.xButxinsteadxofxaxcommand,xonexwordxha
dxbeenxtyped: