Jessie storms in angry after being off quite a few days, stuck in the hospital.
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"Woah, good morning-" A human greeter begins, but she ignores them, scanning her pass and continues on.
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"You're back." Speaks up Adam, Brianna's co-worker from the medical tent.
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"Jessie, Jessie, Jessie!" Bella Day panics, seeing her enter the building. Jessie turns and runs from her.
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"Wait! Jessie, I just want to talk! You didn't call to say you we're reporting in for work today-"
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But she's far enough away now, she can't hear Bella and makes it an elevator, hitting the button and slipping in, hitting a random floor and oblivious to who is standing behind her, already in the elevator, trying to wake themselves up with a cup of coffee.
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Jessie wipes her eyes a bit, blinking back tears. The person behind her is shocked, but remains silent.
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The elevator reaches the second floor where the Security Office is located and Jessie walks out, leaning and resting her face in her arms against the railing of the bridge walkaway.
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The person who was in the elevator follows her, and gently stands beside her.
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"You're name was Jessie Thompson, yes? You we're one of the new Security part-timers for the Day shift, part-time."
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Jessie looks up, it's the CEO.
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"I-"
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"Shh, you don't have to say anything. The two twats who locked you in, they've been fired and we rectified the safety issues in the android warehouses.
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I want to apologize again on behalf of the company, safety issues should have been for seen and dealt with ages ago.
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I'm sorry I never did that earlier."
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"You sent me to the hospital."
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"Yes, we did... But the bill is being covered by the company."
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"I was in there for three days, and when I got out, it was hell. I didn't know where else to come, but here."
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"You can go home and rest, Jessie. Have some more days off. Did you just leave Hospital this morning?"
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"Give or take a few hours. And that's not the problem!"
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"I'm sorry, I'm not... following. You can go home, it's okay."
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"I can't!"
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"Why not?"
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"Because I don't have a home! I have some shit in storage which is draining my limited savings, have a membership to a health club so I can shower which is also draining my savings, and that's it.
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This backpack on my back? Is the rest of my life, have to carry it with me the rest of the time and worry it will be taken when I find somewhere to sleep at night."
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"...I'm sorry, I didn't know you we're homeless, and the position sending you to hospital would have put you in after discharge."
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"I feel so tired."
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"You must feel so. When did you move here, Jessie? Where did you come from?"
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"Far away, let's just say two states away."
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"Ooh, that is far. And when was that?"
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"Like a month ago? I applied to everywhere in the city. There was some interviews, alot of rejections and then I actually got invited to orientation here.
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Yay, money! But it will still take forever to save up for a deposit on an apartment, let alone contents insurance and everything else."
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"I'm sorry you are going through this."
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"It's fine."
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"I'll write you a check, no one has to know."
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"What?"
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"I'll write you a check, enough to secure a place after bond, a few additional weeks paid while you work here, your first paycheck comes in and you will be all set to survive.
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No one has to know."
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"You don't have to-"
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"Nonsense." And Maggie pulls out a check-book, writing in it. Then tears a page off, handing it to Jessie.
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"Our little secret, take it to the bank this afternoon."
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"Thank you."
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"Have you eaten, Jessie? Do you want to nap in my office or something?"
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"No, it's okay..."
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"Well, if you're sure..."
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"I am."
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"Is their anything you want to ask me? I guess you don't know me well, hey? And vice versa. I remember seeing your name on recruiting, Bella Day is actually the one who did the final approval really for hiring. I just signed off on the final candidates without much of a 2nd glance and then you sprinted through here on a Saturday morning before we had opened.
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You went... into shock."
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"I know, they told me at the hospital when I woke up. I stopped breathing...
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You seem friendly for a CEO."
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"Never met one before?"
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"No... Never."
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"Truth be told, I haven't got a single clue what I'm doing. I feel way in over my head here, and I don't want to push any of you around."
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"What do you mean?"
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"I inherited this company eighteen years ago and we only just re-opened this year."
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"What? That's crazy! Now I have questions, I didn't know that."
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"It belonged to my ex-husband this place, and I divorced him and gained every other asset he also had.
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For eighteen years I ignored this business. It remained closed, in dis-repair and fines and healthy and safety violations and all kinds of other stuff had piled up against from before I took over and then ignored it all.
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It's only now I'm just starting to sort through this mess he left behind. I hired a lawyer long ago to help get everything on hold so I could grieve."
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"Grieve? Where is your ex-husband now?"
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"Hopefully burning in hell. I don't know, he... he did something bad. We had children together, five boys and one girl. He ran when the police we're on their way to arrest him, and has not been seen since. His death certificate was issued five years ago, the chance his alive was declared to be almost none.
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He has not been seen, never tried to withdraw from out bank accounts, nothing in eighteen years, that evil man.
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I didn't know I married a psychopath."
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"Can I ask? Why we're the Police going to arrest him? Was he embellishing from this company or something?"
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"He murdered our six children."
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"What."
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"I know..."
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"I don't know what to say."
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"That's understandable. How does someone even begin to comprehend that?"
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"Can I be nosy and ask how he-"
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"He set our house on fire, they we're all locked in their rooms. I was out at the time on the other-side of the city.
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And only one of my children's bodies we're identifiable afterwards, in-tact. The youngest, our only daughter, Lizabeth.
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She was seven, and died from smoke inhalation. The flames never reached her, he stood outside the house, watching it all burn.
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The neighbors called me, I confronted him and he fled."
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"I'm sorry you went through that."
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"It's fine, I've had eighteen years to grieve and come to terms with it, and I have now. Hence while I'm here, sorting out his business."
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"Can I ask what the plans are for this place?"
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"Don't get nervous, but... I'm going to fix up everything and then sell it off. I'll make sure you all keep your jobs, and afterwards, I'm gone.
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I'm packing my bags, getting on a plane and jet-setting."
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"We're to first?"
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"Hmm, the city of love."
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"France?"
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"Yes."
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"That's nice I guess..."
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"So, Jessie. Why did you move here from two states away?"
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"Fresh start?"
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"Guess everyone's always running from something."
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"I guess..."
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"......"
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"Maggie."
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"Yes?"
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"My Dad and Mum divorced too, I was an only child and he lied, a-lot. He made me lie too, he got custody of me in the end."
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"Rat bastard."
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"Yeah... She killed herself the same day and then it got worse. He tried to kill me, drove us into the ocean not long after.
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A young man saw, rushed into the waves and broke a window. Pulled me out, I went in foster care and never really had a permanent home. I didn't know any extended family."
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"And you're Dad?"
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"Drowned, this was also eighteen years ago too."
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"You would have been the same age as my daughter, Lizabeth. She'd be the same age as you if she was still alive today."
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"Yeah."
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"Some people do the worst things... Thank you for trusting me, letting me know that. How have you dealt with it?"
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"I haven't, got to much for me my whole life so I ran, and here I am. Just left most of everything and everyone I knew behind which was very little and no one pretty much."
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"I'm glad you're here though, I think you will fit in well here. I actually thought you couldn't speak... I got the impression you we're mute-"
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"Because that's what Bella said? Well, I can. I just... stopped after my Dad tried to kill me and as I grew up, talking was kind of an on/off sorta thing."
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"I get that, but you do need to try and talk. Your job is being one of the security guards, that job depends on-"
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"Talking, I know. God, what am I doing? Telling you everything was stupid."
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"What? No, no. It wasn't! It got it off your chest, maybe... and I now know a bit about you. If you're slightly off sometimes, we can be aware of that and give you accommodations.
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I was an adult when things went bad, but you? You we're seven, Jess and not equipped to deal with that. What you went through causes pain and trauma and ptsd.
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And you haven't moved past it, there is nothing wrong with that! It would bleed into your life when you became an adult and still have an impact-"
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"Miss Stiefvater."
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She stops mid-sentence, hand on Jessie's and Jessie folds up the check, hiding it.
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"Uh, yes?" Maggie responds, seeing Bella Day there.
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"There is a health and safety inspector downstairs..."
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"Oh, you have got to be kidding."
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"I'm sorry!" Jessie cries out. "No, honey. This isn't your fault, I know you didn't call them. The hospital would have.
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Um, why don't you stay here with Bella and she can take you through the ropes today of what you need to do." Maggie tells her, hands on Jessie's shoulders so she looks at her. She then let's go and leaves.
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"Well, this is awkward. So..." Bella says.
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Jessie opens her mouth to speak, then closes it.
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"Do you just want to come shadow me? Technicians are setting up the main stage and the Paramedics are setting up their tent and some of Security is setting up for crowd control later."
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"C-crowd control?"
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"Do you want me to show you? Come see." Bella smiles, gently guiding Jessie downatairs. Bella shields Jessie from the health inspector who is scolding Maggie as they walk past them.
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Bella leads her over to a round circle stage, and it has the works. "Some of our androids double up, they're performers as well."
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"Oh, really?"
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"Yeah, get used to this. There is a lot that goes on here. Main stage, nursery, food court, gift-shop, arcade and some of the other attractions like mini-golf, go karting and other stuff.
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That combined with androids, and guests whom some are teenagers on a sugar high, we do have our work cut out for us."
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"Didn't seem that busy the few days I was here last week..."
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"It was, trust me. But considering we we're easing all you new hires into working here, you never really saw the full scale chaos that goes on."
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"Yeah."
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"So, Jessie."
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"Jess."
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"What?"
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"You can call me Jess for short, I don't mind. I've kind of outgrown Jessie..."
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"Oh, sure. No problem, whatever you want us to call you. Anyway, Jess."
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"Two things."
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"....."
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"You can go home if you want? You just got out the hospital. Take a few more days off and you're welcome back anytime. You're job is secure, you aren't going to be fired.
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The only thing that would threaten your job is severe misconduct like the guys who locked you in as a joke...
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They're employment has been terminated, but you're not going to do anything like that."
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"I don't want to go home." And then she yawns a bit, stomach growling for food.
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Bella looks at her closely. "I think your body begs to differ..."
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"Well, maybe I should..."
Not having the heart to make her homelessness a well known fact. If Bella sends her home, she will just cash the check and start the real-estate hunt, go see some agencies.
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"Anyway, follow me backstage for one second, I'll make this quick."
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And Bella leads Jess out back, helping her onto the stage. There is some individual dressing rooms, a total of six.
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They stop at the third door, it's marked, 'Princess' - Bella knocks on it.
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"Come in!" Responds a voice. Bella leads Jess in and sitting at small table, finishing off it's face-paint is the android, Princess.
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Princess Quest Virtual Role-playing Game Attendant. "She's one of our the park's stars?" Jess asks.
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"I am." Princess responds, smiling. Jess looks a tad creeped out.
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"Are you okay?" Bella asks.
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"Uh..."
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"Have you had much experience with androids?"
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"No, never really been around them..."
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"I see, well, I assure you they are perfectly safe. They can't disregard the laws of robotics."
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"Laws of robotics?"
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"Uh, go online. Sorry to run short, but it would be faster for you to look up some things. You should do a little research, wouldn't hurt."
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"Uh, yeah. I'll put that on my to do list."
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And Jess?"
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"Yeah?"
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"No matter how lifelike they can seem at times, they aren't real, they aren't alive. They imitate, they play a role and don't possess must of a vocabulary and so fourth. Although, they're always learning in some compacity.
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"What do you mean?"
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"Uh, let me show you examples. Princess?"
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And Princess looks at Bella, it's her eyes following her movements.
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"What is today's date, time and weather?"
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"Today is August 2nd, 9 a.m. The center opens at 10 a.m and the weather today is sunny, but with a chance of showers after 6 p m."
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"Great, sleeping in the rain..."
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"I'm sorry, what?" Bella responds, unable to catch what Jess said under her breath.
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"It was nothing. I just said, wow, how impressive!"
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"It is, indeed. Ooh, let me also show you. Princess, are you alive?"
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"I'm sorry, Bella Day, Security Team Leader for the day and night shift, employee number, #14-111-03
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I don't understand the question."
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"Do you understand the phrase, androids are sentient?"
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"I'm sorry, I don't understand the phrase. What you're saying is unclear, please you more articulate language and I may understand you."
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"See? Just wanted to introduce you to this sort of thing. It's a good idea for us to do this with everyone new as it is confronting, androids and understanding them can make your job easier."
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"Can we leave?"
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"Of course, Jess." Bella responds, leading her out. She looks back on the way out and Princess smiles again and raises a hand, waving goodbye.
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But a small indicator that wraps around Princess ear goes from blue to yellow for just a moment, then back to blue...
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Jess leaves work after this and on her way out, signing out she walks past a teenager girl who is signing in and appears to be around 16-17 and she is carrying a little girl who looks around 3-4 years old.
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They're clearly sisters. The teenager scrunches up her nose slightly and the little girl sticks her tongue out at Jess.
She carries on, leaving the center and walks across the parking lot, preparing to head onto the main street.
In the distance, hanging back from the indoor fun park's building so his not spotted by the security cameras on the outside of the building is a man and his watching everyone, including her.
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Keeping an eye out...
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