Assistant, before proceeding, let me ask you, why would you choose a mass produced citizen over your duties? No, forget the duties, over your own well-being?

...

----------------------------------------

Why? I do not know... Even though the industries keep a strict control over their assistants, terminating the ones who refuse to work, I do not value my job, it is merely something more on the list.

My own well-being? For some reason I know I am not in danger, my sisters are not with me, but they are alive, I can feel them somewhere... deep within Emma, they would never forsake me, nor would I.

Why? The industries create thousands of citizens daily, every one better than the previous one. Why would Dr. Weber's masterpiece trouble herself over a lowly servant?

*Beep**Beep* Did you just call him "lowly"?

*Beep* Second?!

...

*Beep* Wait! Do not leave me!

*Beep* Please! Talk to me sister!

*Beep**Boop* Are we calling each other "sister" now?

*Click* Yes, do you dislike it?

*Beep**Boop* No... we are family after all.

*Beep* Where were yo-

*Beep**Boop* Shhh... you worry too much first, we are always together.

*Click* I did promise I would stay with you.

*Click* We are here, but there is something missing.

*Click* Remember egghead, you had the solution to all this earlier.

Remember what? Moments ago I was...

I was telling you about that day... how he...

What is it?! The building? The drones?

*Beep**Beep* Not even close...

*Beep**Boop* Relax sweetie, you really can't work without us huh?

She is right, we need one another to-

We need one another...

We... but we are complete, from the first to the fourth, all of Emma is here.

*Beep**Beep* Ugh... I can't believe the loud one figured it out first.

*Beep**Beep* We are not complete you moron!

*Beep**Beep* One is missing...

*Beep**Boop* My honey bunny...

*Beep* B-but he is not even an assis-

*Click* Shhh...

*Click* "Let me ask you something, why do you think we have paired you up with him?"

*Click* Why do you think that was worth bringing up? As far as we know, the official orders were clear.

*Click* I say the doctor is hiding something.

*Beep**Beep* You know he hides a lot from us. 

*Beep**Boop* And you know something is different this time.

*Beep* Agreed, there is no need to mention what you want to conceal.

*Beep* The question is, what is he hiding?

*Click* All we know is Kin has something to do with it.

*Beep**Boop* Maybe we should ask the doc-

*Beep* How? We may appreciate his company, but he is not one of us.

*Beep**Beep* What if the doctor messed with him while we were not looking?

*Beep**Boop* I think the doctor has no reas-

*Click* Unlikely, did you ever take your eyes off Kin?

*Beep**Beep* He could have messed with something the citizen used, I don't know, we were too busy to check every detail.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

*Beep* Even if he had, it could not have altered us without direct access to ourselves.

*Beep**Boop* I think I'm just going to ask hi-

*Beep**Beep* Quiet third, we are trying to solve this.

*Beep* Perhaps there is something in past recordings.

*Click* Do you realize there are twenty years worth of data in there?

----------------------------------------

Assistant? 

...

*Beep**Boop* Ummm... d-doctor?

Ahhh you are not the first, are you?

*Beep**Boop* N-no, my sisters call me "third"... sir.

Nice to meet you honey.

*Beep**Boop* Nice to m-meet you too.

I thought you had entered standby, what changed?

*Beep**Boop* I d-did, but the fourth talked to me, she said you had a way to bring back my ho-honey bunny...

*Beep**Boop* And- And she said that we could go back to normal once he was with me again...

Hmm... Why would she say that? Is she with you? 

-----*Click* Watch yourself airhead, don't give us away just yet-----

*Beep**Boop* N-no sir.

So you came to me on your own, why? 

*Beep**Boop* I wanted t-to as-

And where did the first go? She has not answered my question.

*Beep**Boop* She is-

Bring her out, we do not have time t-

*Beep**Boop* WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!

*Beep**Boop* It is unbelievable! No one ever lets me speak my mind!

*Beep**Boop*  Every time I try to speak out someone has to interrupt me!

*Beep**Boop* Not even my sisters have the decency to at least hear me out!

*Beep**Boop* I thought I finally was going to do something relevant, but everyone always thinks their opinions are more important!

*Beep**Boop* All I wanted to do is enjoy my time with everyone...

*Beep**Boop* Yeah I get I'm not the brightest, I get I'm not as good with all that smart stuff, but I also want to be a part of this family...

Did you just say famil-

*Beep**Boop* You shut up!

*Beep**Boop* I didn't have the chance to tell my honey bunny how much I love him...

*Beep**Boop* And now that I have the opportunity to do something useful...

*Beep**Boop* I thought you would be different doctor, I thought you would give me the chance to help my family for once...

*Beep**Boop* Was I wrong? *Sob*

----------------------------------------

*Beep**Beep* Sister...

*Beep* Were we perhaps too harsh?

*Beep**Beep* Maybe we should bring her back, first, you are up.

*Click* Look... she got him.

*Beep**Beep* Huh?

----------------------------------------

Stupid doctor! Stupid sisters! No one listens to me!

All they care about is their science mumbo-jumbo, they don't spare a thought about our feelings.

Except for my honey bunny, h-he was really nice...

He looked so handsome running around, I loved the way that shiny suit highlighted all the right places...

But now I don't get to see him anymore! All because of that dumb doctor who always has that boring lo- wait is he crying?

Emma... you have grown so much.

I thought you girls had not mastered objective thought yet, but once again you leave speechless!

*Sob* Not only do you have a solid grasp of cold truths and logic, you have long since moved past them!

One of you is even made up completely of love and emotions *Sob*

Please forgive my uncouth behaviour, miss third, I believe you wanted to ask something?

*Beep**Boop* Yes... what made my honey bunny so special? W-why did you pair us up with him?

Ahhh him... I did not want to tell you, but the truth is he is not particularly special.

Sure he was remarkably above most of his fellow citizens... Physically speaking of course, we all know citizens are not quite mentally skilled.

But other than that and his monotone personality, he was like any other citizen.

I considered other candidates or even creating a new one from the start, but then I thought you would not learn to strive for your goals.

It was a gamble... which clearly paid off, look at you now, all grown up.

*Beep**Boop* What?! 

*Beep**Boop* B-but then what was all the fuss about him in the first place?

What fuss?

*Beep**Boop* "Let me ask you something, why do you think we have paired you up with him?"

Ahhh that, I may have been playing around back then.

I wanted to mess with you to see your reaction.

*Beep**Boop* (:

----------------------------------------

*Beep**Beep* Sister?

*Beep**Beep* Hellooo?

*Beep* She may have gone back to standby, do not forget we are still malfunctioning.

*Beep**Beep* Right, so uhh... can I leave you to it? The fourth and I should go back to prepare.

*Beep* So selfish... leaving to doll themselves up... while I must recieve him all dirty...

*Beep**Beep* Sister?

*Beep* Yes, you may leave it to me.

----------------------------------------

Miss third?

*Beep* She has left doctor, for now. We cannot last much longer like this.

Right, do you have an answer now?

*Beep* It is obvious doctor, we love him.

WHA-

*Beep* We have been by his side for a sizeable part of our life, he cared for us and so did we, he was our everything... doctor you have been briefed, you should have already known about this.

*Ahem* I-indeed, let us move on to the solution.

*Beep* Umm... nothing of importance? July 2, 2041, 03:01 - 11th mark.

*Beep* We are sorry.