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[Vgray]

The beeping indicating a call on the other line stops.

"You know, you should probably spring for more bandwidth on your phone," you tell Mom. "You're really choppy."

"What? I can't hear you—this connection is really choppy!"

You continue to chat with Mom. She says Dad hasn't been feeling well lately; he keeps having migraines that sometimes cause him to pass out or hallucinate. She asks you not to bring it up, though. "He told me not to tell you, because he didn't want to worry you," she says. "But maybe you could just keep him in your thoughts."

"I will, Mom." You end the call feeling good about having chosen to talk to your Mom over a random stranger.

Worried by what Mom said about Dad, you briefly call him as well. He's audio only since he never saw the point of getting a phone with a video feed. As usual, he doesn't quite seem to get why you would call someone without a goal to accomplish. He's pretty terse unless you get him going about a technical subject.

"What's on your mind?" he asks.

1) "Mom said you were passing out sometimes. Can you tell me more about that?"
2) "How are you doing?"
3) "I was having trouble with one of Caliban's joints. Can you tell me more about that?"

Spoiler: Current Stats (click to show/hide)

Year: 2020

25-year-old Ada Doniec
  Humanity: 80%
  Gender: female
  Fame: 2 (Local Celebrity)
  Wealth: 0 (Broke)
  Romance: Eiji

Caliban

  Autonomy: 7 (In Beta)
  Military: 0 (Nonexistent)
  Empathy: 22 (Impressive)
  Grace: 7 (In Beta)

Relationships
  Professor Ziegler (Great): 76%
  Eiji (Great): 72%
  Josh (Good): 60%
  Mark (Great): 84%
  ?: 50%
  ?: 65%
  ?: 50%
  ?: 50%

[birdy51]

We are still a good daughter.

1). Ask about the headaches.

He's a man who admires straightforwardness, so let's be straightforward with him. Like father, like daughter, aye?

[Vgray]

(Let's just move this along shall we?)

Dad lets out a quick breath through his nose, which he does when he's upset but hiding it. "I'm fine," Dad says. "The doctors just say I need to eat fewer refined carbohydrates."

"What about the hallucinations?" you press.

"I'm not hallucinating," he says in a way that suggests he's said it a lot. "I just have these very intense recurring dreams."

"About what?"

Dad hesitates. "It's not important."

That's Dad for you. Assuming the purpose of the conversation has been accomplished, he says goodbye. But you're glad you called him, too.

Your next phone call is from Josh. He must be using a new videophone because his image is crisp and popping with color. Well, insofar as a dark warehouse and his gray hoodie can pop with color. "Hey, Ada," Josh says. "I just saw the article. Congratulations! It looks like you're finally getting the attention you deserve."

"Thanks."

"Do you want to go celebrate in the city tomorrow night? There's a really good Led Zeppelin cover band playing." This would conflict with your plan to go to the jazz concert with Eiji.

(Something something, jazz concert.)

"Ah, okay," Josh says. "No problem."

He hangs up.

You realize that you haven't checked your email at all today. Checking it for the first time, you find it is flooded with requests for interviews. But one email in particular catches your attention because of the author's unusual email address.

  From: robotObsession1987 Subject: Amazing!!!

I read the article. You sound like a genius! Would you be interested in getting coffee some time? I've been interested in robots for as long as I've lived, and I would love to meet you and Caliban.

Sincerely,

Silas

Well, that's flattering. What will you do?

1) Arrange to meet this person for coffee tomorrow, and bring Caliban.
2) Arrange to meet this person for coffee tomorrow but leave Caliban with a babysitter.
3) Politely decline.

(Remember Tammy? Silas is the male version of her.)

[ShadowHammer]

1
((Is this still going? I just read through the whole thing, and it's been awesome so far; keep playing, all!))

[birdy51]

1. As well.

Indeed, I really liked the first run. Hopefully we can make it out for the second.

[Vgray]

You write back a friendly reply, arranging to meet tomorrow morning. You wouldn't mind meeting someone who thinks you're a genius, and Caliban could stand to meet more people, too.

Silas's reply comes back almost instantly, agreeing to the meeting and peppering you with questions about yourself and Caliban. Not having time to answer all the questions, you promise to have more time to talk tomorrow.

You check the time on your phone. You should probably get something to eat before your meeting with Professor Ziegler.

"Caliban, I have to go meet Professor Ziegler. Stay here."

Caliban appears absorbed in some kind of Japanese dating simulation game when you head out the door.

"That is good, Ada," Caliban calls after you. "I have just maxed out my meter with Himemiya-chan, and we could use some privacy."

You make your way across campus to the Computer Science building, a newly constructed tower of glass amidst the stucco-and-shingle mission architecture of the rest of the school.

Professor Ziegler's office smells like cigar smoke and is decorated with posters advertising robot conferences with acronyms for names, and years before you were born: AAAI '89, IJCAI '92, IROS '94. Professor Ziegler himself is sitting back in his swivel chair at an angle that makes the fluorescent lights reflect off of his aviator glasses, so you can't read his expression.

There are two simple, wooden chairs in front of his desk, and one is occupied by a young woman of color wearing an Air Force uniform consisting of a light blue blouse over a navy blue skirt. The blue nametag reads J. ROGERS. She smiles hello.

Professor Ziegler bids you sit with a wave of his hand, and you do.

"Ada, this is Juliet Rogers, an acquisitions officer with the Air Force. Juliet, Ada."

Juliet formally shakes your hand. You're surprised at her firm grip. "A pleasure," she says.

"But before we go further, let's get some unpleasant business out of the way."

Professor Ziegler leans forward. Juliet shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

"You did an extremely foolish thing in speaking to the media directly, without speaking to me first," Professor Ziegler says quietly.

1) "I'm sorry."
2) "But at least it turned out for the best, right? This is good press?"

Spoiler: Current Stats (click to show/hide)

Year: 2020

25-year-old Ada Doniec
  Humanity: 81%
  Gender: female
  Fame: 2 (Local Celebrity)
  Wealth: 0 (Broke)
  Romance: Eiji

Caliban

  Autonomy: 7 (In Beta)
  Military: 0 (Nonexistent)
  Empathy: 22 (Impressive)
  Grace: 7 (In Beta)

Relationships
  Professor Ziegler (Great): 78%
  Eiji (Great): 72%
  Josh (Very Good): 64%
  Mark (Great): 84%
  Juliet: 50%
  ?: 72%
  ?: 50%
  ?: 50%

[Rolepgeek]

2. Reasonable enough thing to say.

[birdy51]

1). We're on good terms with Ziegler. If we wish to keep it that way, we may wish to butt-kissing.

Ziegler doesn't strike me as the type to be flattered by reason.

[Digital Hellhound]

2. Ziegler might not like it, but our relationship with him is pretty good. He'll manage.

[Whisperling]

I find it funny that we're on better terms with Mark than we are with Eiji.

[Arcvasti]

I find it funny that we're on better terms with Mark than we are with Eiji.

We're on as good terms with someone we haven't even MET yet as we are with Eiji.

[Vgray]

Professor Ziegler shrugs. "In a sense, yes. But you have to be careful even with good media coverage, lest your colleagues become jealous and try to tear you down." He pauses. "But I suppose I did not give you enough credit before. Caliban sounds like a very impressive robot. I should like to see it sometime."

"Thank you, sir." You suppose this is about as good as you're going to get out of him.

"At any rate," Professor Ziegler continues, "you now have placed me in an awkward position. You clearly can't continue to be my student—the press will assume I am getting my ideas from you, and other fame-seeking graduate students will try to emulate your insubordination." He hesitates and you wonder what is coming next.

"So I have decided it is time for you to graduate," Professor Ziegler says. "Staple a few of your academic papers together and call it a thesis."

"Thank you, sir," you manage—the only appropriate response for your advisor telling you that he's going to let you leave with a Ph.D. You figure you can decide later whether or not to follow his suggestion about the form your thesis will take.

"Meanwhile, I asked Captain Rogers to come here because it's a poor advisor who doesn't try to secure a job for his students after graduation." He frowns and drums his fingers once. "We're off the academic job hunt cycle but Captain Rogers has something else in mind for you."

Captain Rogers nods. "The Service has been interested in autonomous technology for some time, and we would be honored to work out a way to collaborate." She looks to Professor Ziegler. "By your leave, I would have a word in private with Ada."

Professor Ziegler waves you away, and you walk out of the building with Captain Rogers.

How are you feeling about her?

1) I wonder if something more than friendship will develop between us.
2) I expect to treat her with the same professional courtesy she shows me.
3) I've never been comfortable around the military, and I mistrust anyone Professor Ziegler would stick me with.

Spoiler: Current Stats (click to show/hide)

Year: 2020

25-year-old Ada Doniec
  Humanity: 81%
  Gender: female
  Fame: 2 (Local Celebrity)
  Wealth: 0 (Broke)
  Romance: Eiji

Caliban

  Autonomy: 7 (In Beta)
  Military: 0 (Nonexistent)
  Empathy: 22 (Impressive)
  Grace: 7 (In Beta)

Relationships
  Professor Ziegler (Great): 79%
  Eiji (Great): 72%
  Josh (Very Good): 64%
  Mark (Great): 84%
  Juliet: 50%
  ?: 72%
  ?: 50%
  ?: 50%

[Whisperling]

I find it funny that we're on better terms with Mark than we are with Eiji.

We're on as good terms with someone we haven't even MET yet as we are with Eiji.

So much for the power of love.

[birdy51]

2). Let's keep it professional. May as well not shove her off right away anyways.

[ShadowHammer]

2). Let's keep it professional. May as well not shove her off right away anyways.

+1