One of the Family

Sally-123 sat at the breakfast table across from one of her controllers, Myrna, the mother of the Samuels family. Myrna had been keyed or programmed into Sally’s data matrix to have complete control of Sally’s numerous and optimal operational systems as Sally-123 was the Platinum android model for homes of the Samuels’ status. She had the most human-like emotional core as well as most highly functional technological features in which she was able to discuss anything from ancient literature to Quantum Physics. These days she acted as tutor for Myrna’s two children Little Jim and Elise. However, she was programmed not to just give them the answer unless she was correcting their work. Her skin was Nu-skin, the latest manufactured skin that was traditionally used for burn patients.

Special instruments have to be used to detect whether or not it were real skin as it was genetically modified on the cellular level. Sally-123 was the perfect au pair for Myrna and her husband. No one could tell if Sally-123 was a droid. The neighbors did not know as there was some controversy about leaving one’s children alone with droids. Years ago, a droid suspecting a burglary to a home trapped some children in a room for safety but blew a circuit and would not let the children out. The children were terrified thinking there were intruders in the home and that the droid was rendered non functional by the intruders. There had been no intruders.

Although, the necessary precautions have been made in preventing high adrenaline like reactions in droids people remained skeptical and judgmental of parents who left their children alone with droids. Besides Myrna had the home secured with cameras linked to her cell phone to indicate unusual patterns of movement or behavior in the household while she was gone.

Jim senior had already left for work in his self automated car that allowed him to finish getting ready for his morning meeting while the car drove him to work downtown and parked. The children, Myrna and Sally-123 sat at the breakfast table where Mryna had her usual coffee and read the holographic newspaper projected from her tablet. Sally-123 noticed that six year old Little Jim was eating Fruit Rings cereal and she said to him “Little Jim, your breakfast is insufficient.” “It lacks enough protein for you first daily intake of food.” Little Jim shrugged his shoulders and happily crunched into another spoonful of fruit rings. “It’s alright Sal, I told him he could have them this once but not every day.

”Myrna but are you aware there are 49 grams of carbohydrates in Fruit Rings and only three grams of protein?” Sally-123 responded. “Yes Sal, I know, but don’t worry, it won’t hurt him if he has them every once in a while.” Myrna said with a good natured chuckle. Sally-123 stated “Very well Myrna.” Sally-123 had been programmed to be an nutritionally aware au pair among other things as this was important to the Samuels but sometimes Myrna wished that this program was less strict as she herself has to sneak a cookie every once in a while. She will need to read Sally-123’s instruction manual to see if the healthy nutrition feature could be tweaked a bit. Elise usually finding everything boring at age 12 sat eating scrambled eggs and toast seemed impatient to finish breakfast.

Myrna asked her “Elise why are you rushing?” Because today, all us girls are going to wear pink Mom and I don’t have anything to wear!” Elise moaned in an exaggerated manner. Everything seemed to have a bit of drama with Elise these days. “You have tons of pink clothing in your closet Elise” Mryna told Elise. Elise rolled her eyes and said “Not the Mars-mania body suit!” This was a one piece garment with leggings and body suit together into one piece. Then additional layers are added such as Martian range boots with fluffy fake fur donning them, fake fur vests, belts, jewelry. “You know I don’t like those Mars-mania body suits.” “They are too form fitting and the fabric is too thin” Mryna told Elise. Elise stood up from the table and stomped away and up the stairs to her bedroom. The door slammed. “Would you like me to go help her with her outfit Myrna?” Sally-123 asked “Yes, Sal, and I want to talk to Elise before she goes to school.”

Sally-123 approached Elise’s door and she could hear her crying. Sally-123 knocked gently on the door and asked if she could enter. Elise loved Sally-123 and thought of her as a big sister. Elise knew that was strange because Sally-123 was a droid but she was so real and always understood how she felt. She allowed Sally-123 to enter her room.

“Mom doesn’t understand Sal.” Elise sniffled as she said this to Sally-123. They were sitting on Elise’s bed. Sally-123 said “You think your Mom does not understand how important it is for you to be accepted by your friends.” “Yeah, something like that.” Elise answered “You want to fit in with your friends?” Sally-123 asked. Elise said “Well I don’t want to look like a weirdo or anything. They all are going to be wearing the Mars-mania suit except for me!” Tears rolled down Elise’s face. “All of your friends are wearing the Mars-mania suit?” Sally-123 asked. “Well, a lot of them.” “The most popular girls will be wearing them.” “So if I understand you correctly you have some friends that are considered popular and some average?” “You want to be associated with the popular group?” “What will happen with your other friends?” Sally-123 questioned.

Elise thought about what Sal was saying. There were girls she had grown up with that she would not want lose their friendship. This was a dilemma for Elise. She didn’t know exactly who in either group would be wearing the Mars-mania suit. Everybody said they were going to but when it came right down to it Elise knew some of girls wouldn’t due to the expense or lack of parental approval. Sally-123 asked Elise if she may suggest that she telephone some of her friends and verify what they are wearing and then Sally-123 would help Elise put an outfit together. While Elise made calls Sally-123 checked her programming and reviewed the data regarding talking to young teens to see if she had followed protocol.  

Elise came back from her telephone calls with a smile on her face. She had found out that only a couple people had the Mars-mania body suit and were allowed to wear it to school. Most of her friends were creatively selecting pink clothing items from their own closets and accessorizing heavily. Elise thought this sounded fun. Sally-123 noticed the change in Elise’s mood and stored information about this quick mood change in her memory banks under understanding teenagers.” Sal come help me pick out an outfit.” Elise excitedly said swinging her closet doors open to a overwhelming array of clothing and shoes. “May I suggest that you form an idea what you want to wear first Elise.” Sally-123 stated. “How about if I wear my bright pink leggings and my silver threaded tunic with a belt and my silver slouch boots?”  Salaly-123’s intuitive sensors were activated and she knew to validate Elise on the choice of her chosen outfit. “It’s Beautiful…Out of this world!” Sally-123 exclaimed. “Thank you Sal you’re the best!”

Sally-123 reminded Elise to talk to her mother before she left for school and Elise went to find her mother. Sally-123 was tempted to hang up all the clothing Elise had pulled out of the closet and laid on her bed and around the room when she was making her choice but Myrna wanted the children to take care of their own rooms. Although, Sally-123 would ask Myrna if Elise asked for help straightened her room could she help. In these grey areas Sally-123’s program required she seek the advice from her controllers as she would not want to go contrary to the rules they had established for the children.

Elise and Little Jim were out the door and just a few feet from the Super Sub that whisked them to school in a matter of a few minutes. There were Super Subs just dedicated to school routes. Each child getting off the Super Sub at school received facial recognition monitoring and had to also check in with their thumb print. All students were required to take the Super Sub to school as this was the way attendance was taken and security monitored. The entrances to the building had metal detectors that created a bullet proof compartment around the carrier of the metal. Droids could not ride the school Super Sub because of their inner parts and lack of the ability to have facial recognition as there may be duplicate models of the same droid. Sally-123 wondered how the children would be retrieved if they would become ill at school. Myrna and Jim had not explained this to her. This is another thing she needed to ask.

Myrna had turned on the wall unit of the holographic portion of the television. She inserted a chip and a man appeared before them and bowed with his palms together. Myrna was going to do her Tai Chi class. Sally-123 started to walk away and put herself into a dormant stage for updating but Myrna called her. “Sal, would you mind doing Tai Chi with me? It always makes it easier and more pleasurable to be synchronized with someone executing the positions by my side. “Of course Myrna I would enjoy doing Tai Chi with you.” Sally-123 said. Myrna and Sally-123 executed the Tai Chi positions beautifully together on the expansive spread of bamboo flooring in recreation room of Myrna’s and Jim’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s inspired house.

Sally-123’s Nu-skin was supple and flexible and should never sag or wrinkle although Sally-123 had seen older droids, some of the first created have looseness of their more polyurethane skin around the knees and elbows. Sally-123 tried to elicit input from the Tai Chi in the form of feeling a sense of peace that her data banks told her that Tai Chi was used for achieving but it was little more than a series of movements for her.

Myrna was looking the room over as Sally stood there awaiting a command. “Sal what do you think about a new pit group in front of the screen?” Sally-123 had a choice of how she could answer Myrna. The less interactive and less validating response would be “It’s up to you Myrna.” Sally-123’s other response could be “What do you think would look nice here Myrna?” Sally-123 chose the latter statement because she sensed through her intuitive program that Myrna wanted to speak about her own thoughts and ideas about the new furniture. The latter statement did just that and thus Sally-123 fit in with Myrna’s schema and personality.

Myrna and Sally-123 went to Sally-123’s bedroom. She laid on the bed while Myrna popped open a small panel in her stomach above Sally-123’s navel. She told Sally-123 that she needed to back up her files as well as update her programs and apps and she would be dormant until this was completed. “Yes, Myrna, I was thinking earlier today that this needed to be completed. Sally-123’s eyes snapped shut when Myrna typed in the final number for the maintenance check up. When they opened back up Myrna was standing by Sally-123’s bed smiling.”Well a successful update!” Myrna cheerful said. “Thank you Myrna” Sally-123 responded.

Little Jim came racing into the room “We’re having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner!” Little Jim said excitedly. It was his favorite food. Myrna laughed “Then your Dad is cooking tonight.” Myrna looked at Sally-123 and asked “So, you will join us won’t you Sal?” “Of course Myrna, it would be my pleasure.” Sally-123 responded with a smile.