White light fills your vision again. Now, once your sensors have adjusted, you find yourself in a spacious, well-lit living room. Your processor works to connect the things you see with the names you know.
There is a little girl right in front of you, holding a tablet in her hands and curiously looking you over. Behind her, a scrawny middle-aged man is quietly talking to a tall woman, beautiful but stern-faced. And next to them is a large dog, breathing heavily, eyeing you with his big brown eyes full of excitement.
You see them for the first time, but somehow, you know exactly who they are: your new family. The most wonderful people in the world.
image [https://i.imgur.com/vYIjj8C.jpg]
The beautiful woman speaks first, looking you up and down with a look of disdain.
"This is such a waste of money. The shipping alone cost an arm and a leg — couldn't you just drive the robot here?"
The man smirks.
"So you could say it was a waste of time as well?" She does not look amused, so the man continues, "Look, it's for Helen. To hell with the money — now she will at least have a good friend. Trustworthy, loyal, and not... fickle, unlike the kids at school."
"Well that's too bad she doesn't know how to deal with her peers. Life is about making connections, and she will have to learn that eventually. Your network is your net worth."
The girl, meanwhile, keeps studying you. She tilts her head a little, and you tilt yours.
The girl gasps, "Mom! Dad! I switched her on!” She looks up at her parents with a happy grin, and the dog in the corner perks up, wagging his tail. Seeing his owner happy, he obviously wants in on the action. "Told ya I didn't need the manual!"
"That's my girl!" The man smiles and messes up his daughter's hair. "How do you like her?"
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"She's so cute! What's her name?"
Remembering the man from the factory, you speak up. "I am CCM-924209, Child Companion Model."
The tall woman scoffs. "Just like a real person."
"Yeah, we're not gonna be calling you that." The man thinks for a moment. "Let's pick something Helen can remember. Something from her books." He deliberates for a moment. "Alice. Helen, do you want your friend to be called that?"
The girl nods her head with enthusiasm and stares at you with wonder as if the new name had suddenly changed you into something else.
image [https://i.imgur.com/r6YuUaR.jpg]
"Alice. You and I will be best friends! Do you know any tricks? Do a trick!"
Tricks? You take a fraction of a second to process the request. A quick query suggests that such orders are usually given to small domestic animals, which you are not.
"Young Miss, Child Companions don't do tricks. I am not a pet."
The girl doesn't look pleased, but the man bursts out laughing.
"Your new Companion is a feisty one! Helen, Alice is right — she isn't a dog or hamster, she is a friend. You should teach her some games you can play together, baby girl. She will learn them all... Sooner or later."
"Sooner or later?" the little girl asks.
"This model… Alice is not a fast learner. No one wants another Ellsworth, after all. But she's loyal, fond of you, and will always lend you a hand — everything you want from a friend."
"Is that so?" The woman rolls her eyes. You get a sense that she does it very often. "How ironic considering who owns RobotX."
The adults start arguing about something again while the girl marvels at you, grinning every time your eyes meet hers. This is the best family you could ever ask for.
image [https://i.imgur.com/jsdLAV9.jpg]
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RobotX
RobotX is an American technology company specializing in robotics and AI technologies manufacturing.
RobotX is the largest seller of robots and AI technologies as of 2074.
It was founded as a start-up company working on developing and selling "intelligent" machines. What started as a company of personalized appliances that intelligently adapted to the user's preferences and quirks — quickly evolved into the nation's leading AI company. By the start of the 2050s, the RobotX hardware was used extensively by private individuals, businesses, and national institutions, becoming the main innovative force behind AI and machine learning.
Due to the national crisis of the mid-2050s and subsequent Anti-Singularity Laws, RobotX experienced a certain fall in its revenue and popularity. However, the company managed to reinvent itself and return to its role as the AI and robot manufacturing leader. Their human-like robots, especially the Companion series, are considered revolutionary in the way they shaped the modern world, with robots becoming a significant part of human life.
Currently, Frank Delaney is the CEO of RobotX.