00048

Nina McCleer scanned the rooms of the suite in which she and George had lived upon their arrival on the World of Hope. She had many things to get and pack quickly, and she tried to concentrate only on the essentials. Sighing, Nina also took a few of her husband's clothes, just in case... and she grabbed his important-looking papers as well. All this the harried woman attempted to push into the tiny carry-on bag, the one which, tiny though it were, had given George such a hard time when they had to find their seats aboard the Space Dart rocket...

X-9 stood at attention, in the center of it all, much in the way, ready to help. In fact, in case she somehow managed to overlook his eagerness to serve, he offered, "Can I be of some assistance, Ma'm?”

“I've got everything under control, X-9", she assured the robot.

X-9 then said, "It seems you plan on going on a trip, Mrs. McCleer. Would you like me to fetch you a driver?"

"No, X-9, that's okay, thank you." She took her toothbrush and a robe and struggled to fit them into the small bag.

X-9 again interrupted her busy activity. "If you like, I can pack that a lot neater for you, so that you can fit all you have selected into your duffel, and even some more.”

Annoyed that the robot thought he could do better than a human, she continued futilely with her efforts. “X-9, I said I have it- Don't be such a pest-" But in the end, it appeared to be impossible for the bag to contain everything she wanted to put into it. She groaned in frustration. "Okay, X-9, let's see what you can do."

X-9 went over to the bag and turned it over, dumping everything on the floor.

“Hey!”

“Please bear with me one moment, M’am.”

He sized up each item and repacked them, sometimes refolding an article of clothing, sometimes rolling it, consolidating, creating more empty space in the bag. He paused, peering at her book that had fallen from the bag. "Ah, I see you are bringing your Bible, Mrs. McCleer. Good. You will need that, even though I see it is one of those not approved by the Religion Board."

"Of course I will need it- Wait, why do you say I will need that Bible, X-9?"

X-9 pushed the Bible into the bag. "Well, you want to bring your Bible with you when you attend the house church services.”

“Um, but who said anything about me going to the house church services? Aren't those illegal?”

"Sorry, Mrs McCleer. I assumed you were leaving to move in with one of the house church members."

"What gave you that idea? And, anyway, what makes you think I am moving out of here with only this small bag? See, I left so many things where they are, because I am merely attending some overnight event. I am not going anywhere for long.”

“As you wish, Ma'm. We robots don't like to argue with our betters. However, since you asked why I think what I think, I will explain. I notice you avoid Gov. Bright these days, ever since the time Mr. McCleer disappeared, allegedly dying in a cave-in at the mines. Obviously you experience doubts about the official version of his absence. You mutter as much to yourself sometimes. And then tonight, when you returned to these rooms and immediately began packing, your flushed cheeks suggested anger. You again muttered complaints against my master the Governor. All in all, I think you and Gov. Bright have exchanged some bad words, and you no longer can live under the same roof with him. Further, it is possible you prefer him not to know where you will be staying, so that he cannot contact you, or maybe so you can avoid also having an 'accident', like some of the others whom Gov. Bright disfavored. I am a robot, I hear things. Of course, if you are leaving and you want to keep your whereabouts secret, you would then stay with a house church member, since you attend there so frequently lately."

Wow, this robot observes more than he lets on, Nina McCleer thought. Who else in the Governor's House figured this out? Naturally, after the argument in the garden this evening, Xavier probably suspected... 

Nina didn't want Xavier Bright to know with certainty her whereabouts, however-  not yet. What if he were to do something to keep her from leaving here, if he were to stop her from going to her friends-especially because they belonged to the house church? And that was why she hurried to get out of the mansion tonight, before anyone noticed.

"But, X-9, what makes you even think that I attended, as you say, the meetings of the house church- and you must think I go there regularly, if, as you assume, I know them well enough to move to the home of one of the members-“

“Ma'm, when the news, or someone else, mentions or complains about the house church, such as that news item pertaining to the one called Brother Simon, you become very attentive. And also, frequently, when you return from one of the so-called late night movies you go to see, I can hear you hum yourself to sleep with Gospel hymns." He held out the bag to her, having finished the repacking.

"Okay, Sherlock, I don't like someone eavesdropping on me when I sleep. Besides, I thought robots were supposed to mind their own business, and not be so curious so as to be theorizing over what's going on around them. I thought robots didn't care about that stuff."

"Sorry, Ma'm," X-9 apologized. "You are right, of course. But with my robot hearing, I could not help but overhear you."

Nina McCleer found she now had room for a few more pairs of shoes in the bag. "You certainly are an unusual robot lately. Most robots are pretty, eh, stupid."

X-9 suggested, "Perhaps I am developing Seymour's Syndrome. They say, showing kindness to a robot sometimes makes it feel important, and can somehow lead to that condition. You have been kind to me, Ma'm, in a human sort of way."

"What's Seymour's Syndrome?" she asked. "I think I heard of it. Isn't it some sort of disease robots get?- but don’t the robot manufacturers keep it pretty much hush-hush, to keep the public from raising a ruckus over the implications."

"As you know, robots are only low-level thinking machines, and some say we actually cannot think at all, in the honest sense of the word. Our central processing units are neuro-chips specially arranged based on models derived from the matrix of the brain of a rat. The technicians believe that normal constant thinking by us low-level thinking robots, even though it is low-level thinking, if the process is coupled with stimuli of further actual thought processes, combined with a growing sense of worth, exercises the thinking to such a degree that causes the mental development of higher cognitive structures. It sounds plausible to me."

"Oh, I see," was all Nina McCleer could say.

"Ma'm, you don't actually plan to return here after you leave for your 'overnight event', do you?"

"No, X-9, I don't.”

“Then is it okay if I come with you?" X-9's tinny voice almost sounded hopeful.

"Why?"

X-9 reasoned, "Gov. Bright had ordered me to serve you and Mr. McCleer when you two first came, remember? Well, I can't very well serve you if you are gone."

"You can't come, X-9. I don't think Gov. Bright will appreciate that. But I am sure he will give you some other duties, so that you can still be happy, serving and waiting on people. I think you will be okay.”

X-9 tried to persuade her. "If it's all the same to you, Ma'm, I think I'd prefer to serve you."

She smiled. "Thanks, X-9, but- no offense meant- you are Gov. Bright’s robot. I don't know where your loyalties lie. To tell you the truth, I don't know if I can trust you. Sorry."

The robot understood. "No offense taken. Your logic is sound."

She closed her bag. "But, X-9, if you do feel any loyalty to me, can I ask a favor of you?”

“Certainly, Mrs. McCleer. It would be my pleasure to serve you in whatever capacity I can."

"Can you promise me not to tell Xavier where I went, or even that I did go? If you want to serve me still, can you make some sort of robot's vow, or something, not to tell?"

X-9 told her, "Robots have no special oath, but I assure you, mum's the word, Mrs. McCleer."

Nina said, "Gov. Bright will know soon enough where I am going. He may even figure out the exact location. I hope I can get him to change his mind about the way he runs things before the opportunity is lost. In the meantime, I think it's best to keep him in the dark as much as I can about these matters. Why give him a head start, or let him prepare for my plans?"

She opened the door. "I'm getting fairly good at slipping past the guards on their rounds. There aren't that many, anyway, and I know their schedules. I expect tonight will be a cinch to leave unnoticed, with people coming and going because of Sheila's birthday party. They will have their attention elsewhere. Bye, X-9. I am glad to have met you."

"Bye, Mrs. McCleer," the robot answered.

She closed the door and left.

(c) 2012 drk