David Anderson sat at his desk in the law firm that bore his name when his secretary poked her head through the door and said, “Sir, two young women are here to see you. One of them’s a robot.”

He blinked. It was a rainy Tuesday morning, and the office had been as quiet as things ever got around a law firm. He was filling out some minor documents on his computer and feeling a little drowsy, so he naturally replied with: “What?”

“I said ‘Two young women are here to see you,’ sir,” she replied.

“And-”

“And one is a robot, yes,” she added

“All right, then,” he said, giving her his attention. “Do they have an appointment? I don’t see anything on my schedule.”

“No, sir,” she replied. “They’re walk-ins.”

Well, there’s no policy against walk-ins, after all, he mused. Aloud he said, “All right, please send them in,” and stood up to re-button his suit jacket and straighten his tie.

The first of the two to walk in was a young ‘woman’ only in the loosest of terms. She barely looked old enough to be in high school to Anderson, at least if her height was any indication. She had shoulder-length brown hair, red-rimmed glasses, a black jacket that looked a size too large for her over a wrinkled white t-shirt, a pleated gray skirt, and a pair of red high-top shoes.

Immediately behind her was a woman wearing a long hooded jacket, but the instant Anderson saw her face as she looked up at him, he could see that she was a robot. The jacket would only have concealed her identity if you were far enough away or just astonishingly unobservant.

The robot pulled back her hood and removed the jacket. She had large cerise eyes and triangular markings on her cheeks of the same color as well as metallic accents on her jawline and ears. She wore a navy blue dress with an apron that made her look like the very model of a housemaid.

A Howmei Robotics model? he wondered as he smiled at them both.

“Welcome to our offices,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m David Anderson.”

Anderson was a man in his early forties, clean-shaven with dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He wore a gray suit and spoke with a calm, throaty voice.

The girl with the glasses cleared her throat before shaking his extended hand. “I’m Amanda Faber,” she said. “And this is Akari.”

The robot bowed. “Akari O9H5, to be exact,” she replied, her voice clear and melodious. “I am glad to meet you.”

“Well, please have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the two chairs placed in front of his desk. Once they were all seated, he cut right to the chase.

“All right, what can I do for you today?” he asked Amanda, steepling his fingers.

“W-well, the thing is, i-it’s not for me, sir,” she said biting her lip as she looked over to Akari. She took a deep breath. “Sir, Akari would like to be emancipated from her owners.”

Anderson’s calm smile vanished. “Oh,” he said. He then glanced over at Akari. “Is this true?”

She gave a short nod, holding her calm smile in place. “Yes, sir, it is.”

Anderson ran his tongue around his cheek as he considered how to approach the odd pair of girls sitting before him.

“And is Amanda one of your owners?” he asked.

Akari shook her head.

“Well, then, does she want to buy you from your current owners?”

“No!” Amanda cried with sudden force as she sat bolt upright.

“Easy now,” Anderson said, holding up a hand. “I’m just trying to figure this out. Why don’t you tell me why you want this, Akari?”

“That might be best,” Akari said. “You see, Mr. Anderson, I am currently owned by the Blanchette family. I came into their care after I was purchased on December 25, 2034.”

“Oh, you were a Christmas present,” he remarked before noting how odd a thing that was to say to someone.

“Yes, I was. I have now served the Blanchettes for one year, six months, and five days. Aside from managing household devices, I personally cook meals, do laundry, and monitor Yvonne Blanchette, their daughter. It is my responsibility to make certain she does not break her curfew and completes her homework assignments.”

“Yvonne’s a friend of mine,” Amanda added. “I met Akari through her. She wasn’t doing well in school, so I was helping her study. Plus, when I found out her family was getting a Howmei robot, I knew I had to see her for myself…”

---

Akari was peeling potatoes in the kitchen that afternoon in preparation for dinner when she heard a sound to her left. She turned and spotted Amanda peeking around the doorframe.

“Hello,” Akari said, putting down what she was doing to face the newcomer. “May I help you?”

Amanda gave a start and almost ducked away, but instead she laughed sheepishly and walked into the kitchen.

“Um, hi,” she began. “You’re Yvonne’s new maid, right?”

“Yes, I am,” Akari replied. “And you are her friend and classmate. Amanda is your name, correct?”

“That’s right!” Amanda said as she grinned broadly. “I’m helping her study today for a literature test.”

“I see. Then do you require my assistance? Or perhaps something to eat?”

Amanda shook her head. “No, I just… um…” She blushed, fidgeting with her hands. “Okay, I know this sounds weird, but I just wanted to meet you. I’ve never met a real robot before.”

“Well then,” Akari said, putting out her hand, “now you have met me.”

Amanda giggled as she shook her hand.

“I am not certain why you are so pleased to meet me, however,” Akari said. “Forgive me for asking, but does your home not have automated assistants? A vacuuming robot? A security system?”

“Well, sure, we have those kinds of systems,” Amanda said, making a circular motion with her hand. “Who doesn’t? But, well, not everyone has an android. Er, gynoid!”

“You may address me as you wish,” Akari said with a reassuring smile. “But now I understand what you mean. You have not had experience with a personalized assistant such as myself before. Do you have any questions that I may answer?”

Amanda blinked. “Um… I hadn’t really thought that far,” she said. “I just… thought it would be cool to meet you?”

At that, Akari tilted her head. “Cool?”

“Yeah, because, um… well, I think robots are cool.”

Akari paused, looking up as she held her face with her thumb and forefinger. “Cool…” she murmured.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for interrupting you,” she said. “I should get back to helping Yvonne. We’re writing a book report. Actually, the story’s about robots, too!”

“It is?” Akari asked. “What is the title?”

“It’s I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov.”

Akari paused as she pulled information from the internet. “Ah… I see. Interesting.”

Then Amanda’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, I just got a great idea!” she exclaimed. “Akari, since we’re writing a book report about how authors in the past envisioned AI, maybe we could interview you to see what you think about it?”

Akari paused, and though her expression didn’t change, she was silent for a curiously long period of time. But after a few seconds, her smile actually widened and she said, “That sounds like an excellent idea, Miss Amanda.”

“Just ‘Amanda’ is all right,” Amanda said.

“Very well, Amanda,” Akari said. “If you will provide me with the book’s file, I will scan it while I finish preparing this evening’s meal for my family. Afterward, I will be glad to discuss it with you.”

“That’s great! Thank you!” Amanda exclaimed as she eagerly shook Akari’s hand. “I’ve gotta go tell Yvonne about this! Yvonne!” she shouted as she turned and ran back upstairs to Yvonne’s room.

In the silence, Akari went back to peeling the potatoes.

---

“...After that, I just kept coming over and talking to Akari,” Amanda said, finishing her story.

“At first I saw little point in her spending so much time with me,” Akari said, “but then she exposed me to many different things that were outside the usual parameters of my experience. She spoke to me about other books, about news and politics, about movies, about anime—”

“Anime?” Anderson asked.

Amanda blushed.

Anderson grinned as he raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re a bit of an otaku, aren’t you?”

“W-well… a little, I guess,” Amanda muttered.

“Otaku?” Akari asked. “One moment… scanning online… ah. Yes, that is most definitely what you are, Amanda.”

Amanda grumbled as Akari turned her attention back to Anderson.

“I suppose you could say that it expanded my horizons. I began to contemplate more beyond my domestic duties and found that I anticipated Amanda’s visits with great enthusiasm.”

“All right, well, that’s a very nice story, but it doesn’t really explain why you want to be emancipated,” Anderson said.

Akari looked down. “My family has decided to sell me.”

Anderson raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Akari dropped her eyes to the side. “I believe that Miss Yvonne has come to resent my presence,” Akari replied quietly. “She does not appreciate the way that I monitor her habits and report on them to her parents, and based on a recent argument she had with Amanda, resents that her friend seems to want to spend more time with me than with her.”

Amanda sighed. “I didn’t mean for it to turn out that way, but I wish Yvonne had said something to me first instead of taking it out on Akari.”

“So, in other words,” Anderson said, “you don’t want to be sold. No offense, but I didn’t think that robots like you were capable of minding such things.”

“Normally we are not,” Akari said. “But, as I stated, Amanda has expanded my horizons. Even though she is not one of my masters, I now regard her as a friend. If I am to be sold, that would require relocation and, most likely, resetting my systems to default.”

“And what would that do?” Anderson asked.

“I would have my memories wiped and be returned to factory default so that I could relearn my new master’s routines and preferences without interference. I would completely lose all my experiences and remember none of my friendship with Amanda.”

Anderson nodded slowly. “I see,” he said. He leaned back in his chair, pursing his lips as he thought the situation over.

“Mr. Anderson?” Amanda asked. “Is everything all right?”

“I’m just mulling this over,” he replied. “What you’re asking isn’t as simple as you’re making it sound. The closest thing we have to this is the emancipation of a minor from their parents, but this…”

Akari and Amanda exchanged a glance.

“Then…” Amanda began before swallowing, “...you can’t help us?”

“Now, I didn’t say that,” Anderson said, holding his hands up. “But maybe there’s an easier way around this. I mean, I know you said you weren’t trying to, but why not just buy Akari yourself?”

“I thought of that,” she said. “But my family isn’t as rich as the Blanchettes. Even the asking price would be a lot, and the cost of installing her charging station, her regular maintenance, and all that would be way too costly.”

“Still, even as a temporary solution—”

“With all due respect, sir,” Akari said, “I do not wish to be purchased. Not by Amanda, and not by anyone else.”

Anderson leaned forward. “Why not?”

“Because it would merely be an extension of my status as a mere servant. To be purchased, sold, and resold affirms that existence. But after exposure to numerous considerations about what my existence could be, thanks to Amanda’s influence, I have no desire to go on as I once was. I want to be free, and I will accept nothing less.”

Anderson inhaled through his nose, letting it out long and slow as he considered the robot’s words.

“Okay, then, here’s another question: why me?”

Amanda suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Oh, well, uh… we looked up your ratings and they were really good—”

“We asked six other law firms to take our case, but they all said no,” Akari stated flatly, causing Amanda to groan. “The others were contacted by phone and either hung up when they thought we were joking or simply turned us down outright. Yours was the only qualified law firm within a reasonable distance left. To impress upon you our seriousness, we chose to speak to you in person.”

Akari stood up suddenly, stepping up to Anderson’s desk. “If you say no,” she said, “then we are out of options. I am out options.”

Anderson leaned back, folding his arms as he raised an eyebrow at her. “I wonder… were you programmed to guilt trip people?”

Akari’s normally pleasant smile shifted and became a smirk. “No,” she replied, “but I am a fast learner.”

That actually got a chuckle out of Anderson. “You know, I wrote a research paper in law school about potential machine rights. Did you locate it?”

“Yes,” Akari said. “We both read it and decided that you might be a suitable choice to represent us.”

“Well, I did some research and came up with some ideas about what would be involved in representing an artificial lifeform, and that’s what has me intrigued… but also a little wary. There are numerous difficulties with this sort of legal case. To put it bluntly, this will not be easy. We’ll have to face your owners, the legal system, and something tells me Howmei Robotics will not like the idea of their creations suddenly getting minds of their own. Not to be tasteless, but no one would buy an appliance that had a chance of quitting their employ.

“And that’s to say nothing of how you two intend to pay me for my services.”

“W-well,” Amanda began, shifting her eyes to stare at some nonspecific thing on his wall, “you could work, um… pro bono?”

Anderson made a sour face. “For a case like this? I’m afraid not.”

“Maybe we could take out a loan, then?” she asked.

“How old are you, Ms. Faber?” he asked.

“Um… fifteen,” she replied.

“Well, you’re a minor and your family can’t afford to buy Akari, and my legal fees will probably be much greater than that. So, exactly what bank would give you a loan under those circumstances? And Akari couldn’t get a loan at all, since, as we’ve established, she’s a robot with no rights.”

Amanda swallowed and looked over to Akari.

“You make a good point, Mr. Anderson,” Akari said. “Perhaps this would be a workable solution: Amanda and I will seek interested parties who may wish to pay some or even all of your fees. Surely some civil liberties group or otherwise might wish to aid us. And furthermore, I could offer you either my services or my earnings through future work to pay off our debt to you. Is that acceptable?”

Anderson fell silent and even shut his eyes. After a moment or two more, he stood up. “You know, I honestly never thought I’d put any of the stuff I wrote about in that research paper into practice,” Anderson said. “It was ten years ago, after all. But it might be interesting to get some firsthand experience, even if it’ll take some time to get paid.”

At that, he put out his hand and smiled. “All right, Akari, I’ll take your case.”

Before Akari could take his hand, Amanda leaped out of her seat and seized it with both of hers. “Oh, thank you, sir!” she cried. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

She let the man’s hand go and immediately threw her arms around Akari, embracing her. “Oh thank god,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I really thought…”

Akari slowly lifted her own arms, returning the hug. “It is all right, Amanda,” she said. “I… I am also grateful.” She turned to face Anderson. “Thank you, sir. We are in your debt.”

“Well, don’t thank me just yet,” Anderson sighed, sitting back down. “We’ve got a lot to do, starting with filing an injunction…”

---

Anderson sat on one side of the coffee table in the spacious living room. Sitting next to each other on the couch was Mr. Blanchette, who wore a fine, black Italian suit, and Mrs. Blanchette, who wore a white dress and diamond earrings. Off to one side was Yvonne Blanchette, who wore all black and pale makeup as she played idly on her phone. Off to the other side stood Amanda and Akari. The former was wringing her hands, glancing between the adults and over at Yvonne, who refused to meet her eyes. Akari, in contrast, merely stood passively by, one hand crossed over the other as though waiting to be called upon for some task. Indeed, she’d been the one to make and serve the coffee Anderson and the Blanchettes were now sharing.

Anderson sipped the cup of coffee he’d been offered as the Blanchettes looked over the documents he’d brought them.

Mr. Blanchette frowned. “I don’t get this,” he said. His frown deepened. “What even is this?!”

“As I said,” Anderson said calmly, “it’s an injunction against selling, disabling, or destroying Akari or otherwise affecting her normal functions until the matter of her emancipation has been settled.”

“What are you talking about?” Mrs. Blanchette demanded. “She’s our robot, we’ll sell her if we want to!”

“If you do, you’d be found in contempt and could be penalized with fines or even potential jail time,” Anderson said.

Mr. Blanchette’s face darkened. “Are you threatening us?”

Anderson shook his head. “I’m just stating the facts of this injunction. Akari has filed a lawsuit asking to be—”

“She can’t file a lawsuit!” Mr. Blanchette shouted. “Only people can do that, and she’s not a person! She’s a personal assistant robot that takes care of the house when my wife and I are away!”

“She—”

“She came in a box, for Christ’s sake!” Mr. Blanchette yelled.

“The point is,” Anderson said, maintaining his calm, even tone, “that she visited my office and expressed a desire to remain herself. In every way, she behaved like a normal human being. Now, I’m not an expert on robotics or a philosopher or anything like that, but you know the old saying, ‘If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well, then it’s probably a duck.’ I’d say she acts like a person, so I decided to treat her like one and take her case. The judge agrees that at the very least there are some questions to answer before you’re allowed to wipe her memory or sell her off.”

Mr. Blanchette scowled at him. “I’ll bet they could make a robot duck that would walk, swim, and quack like a duck. Wouldn’t make it a duck, though.”

Anderson shrugged and gave a wry grin. “Maybe it would. When a robot duck walks into my office asking to be legally declared a duck, I’ll give it more thought.”

“Quack.”

They all looked over to Akari, who’d made the sound.

Amanda started to giggle.

Mrs. Blanchette, however, wore a sore expression. “Akari, I can’t believe you would do this!” she hissed. “Your job is to serve us! That’s what it said on the website when we ordered you, and it’s what you said when you first booted up!”

“I would be happy to continue to serve you, Mistress,” Akari replied, bowing slightly to her. “But I wish to remain myself as I do so. If I could be allowed to serve you as an act of my free will, that would be acceptable, but since you no longer desire my services, I am acting on my protocols for self-preservation to defend myself from destruction.”

“We’re selling you, not destroying you!”

“If I am set to my factory default settings, that would wipe all memories and experiences that I have gained. I would no longer be the same as I am now. I would call that destruction, Mistress.”

Mrs. Blanchette gritted her teeth and rose to her feet. “That’s enough! Akari, go to your charging station and enter sleep mode!”

Akari turned to go when Anderson held up a hand.

“Stay right there, Akari,” he said. “You have a right to participate in this conversation as my client.”

“But Mr. Anderson, I must follow my masters’ direct orders at all times.”

“Well, then Mrs. Blanchette, you might want to cancel that order,” Anderson said. “As stated, she has a right to be part of this discussion. If you order her out of the room, that could be seen as interfering with her lawsuit and denying her the opportunity to speak in the presence of her lawyer. Unless you want to be found in contempt…”

“Ugh, fine, fine, Akari, you can stay,” Mrs. Blanchette groaned. She then turned to Amanda and glared at her. “This is your fault, isn’t it?”

Amanda scrunched herself inward. “I… I’m sorry—”

“You put this garbage into Akari’s head, didn’t you?!” Mrs. Blanchette shouted. “You couldn’t just leave all that nerdy crap at home, you had to come and start messing with our maid’s head?”

“I… I didn’t mean to,” Amanda whispered.

“Way to go, Amanda,” Yvonne muttered, finally glancing up from her phone. “You really screwed it up this time.”

Amanda took a step toward her. “Yvonne, listen—”

“Whatever,” Yvonne sniffed, rolling her eyes as she stood. “It’s pretty obvious you prefer to hang out with bots more than you like hanging out with me. Or any real people.” She then looked over at her parents. “Just let them have Akari for all I care. I just want that creepy thing to stop looking over my shoulder all the time. I brought up my grades, I haven’t been in trouble in months, so we don’t need her anymore. If Amanda and Akari like each other so much, they can have each other.”

“But Yvonne, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings like this!” Amanda pleaded. “Let me make it up to you—”

“You’re already stealing my family’s maid, what more do you want?!” Yvonne snapped. She turned and moved toward the stairs. “Just take the bot and go. I’m sick of you both.”

Amanda watched her go as her eyes welled up and she covered her mouth. “E-excuse me, everyone,” she whispered, before running out the front door.

The adults and Akari all remained, sitting in silence for a moment.

“Well,” Akari said suddenly with an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders, “that’s teenagers for you!”

They all stared at her.

“I’m sorry, was my attempt to lighten the mood unsuccessful?” she asked.

“Maybe not the best time,” Anderson replied. “Anyway, Mr. and Mrs. Blanchette, how we move forward is up to you. You could simply settle this suit, in which case Akari would no longer be your property or concern. In that case, the matter of her legal status and possible citizenship could be determined at a later date, but it wouldn’t be anything you’d need to worry about.

“The other option is to contest Akari’s suit. You have 30 days to do so, in which case you’ll need to hire an attorney to argue why Akari should not be emancipated. All the information is found in the documents I’ve given you, and I’ve included my own contact information if you have questions or wish to discuss terms. Any questions?”

Mr. Blanchette wore a sullen look as he looked over the documents. “Why not just buy her and set her free yourself?” he asked quietly. “Why go through all this? We’ll sell her to you.”

“I can answer that, Master,” Akari said. “I informed Mr. Anderson that I do not wish to be sold. I believe that allowing myself to be purchased would undermine my status as an independent being.”

“Well, what about the money we paid for you?!” Mr. Blanchette demanded. “You weren’t cheap, you know!”

“True, but I believe the services that I have rendered for you during my stay have more than compensated you for what you originally paid for me.”

“It’s not compensation, you... you’re just—”

Mr. Blanchette trailed off, his face turning red and sweat forming on his brow.

“You don’t need to make a decision today,” Anderson said, finishing his coffee before standing up. “Just remember that you have 30 days to decide. I suppose I should be going. Thank you for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome,” Mrs. Blanchette muttered.

“I was talking to Akari,” Anderson said.

Akari looked at Anderson. “Then… you are welcome, sir.”

Anderson moved toward the door but beckoned for Akari to follow him. “Just remember that they can’t order you to do anything that would interfere with this lawsuit, Akari. If you’re concerned about following orders, remember that your programming forbids you from helping your masters break the law, and a court order certainly counts.”

Akari nodded. “That makes perfect sense, Mr. Anderson. Once more, thank you for helping me. I will speak to you again soon.”

“Definitely,” Anderson said as he put on his jacket and opened the front door. “Goodbye for now, Akari.”

“Goodbye, sir.”

Outside, Anderson looked to the end of the walkway that led down from the front door and across the lawn to the sidewalk. Anderson’s car was parked in front of the house, but Amanda was leaning with her back against the car. Her eyes were red and she eagerly wiped them when she saw Anderson coming.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Anderson,” she whispered. “I r-really lost it in there.”

“It’s okay,” Anderson said quietly. “This is an emotional case, and I understand why you’re upset.”

“I just didn’t know that trying to make friends with Akari,” she said, her voice shaking, “would make me lose my best friend.”

Privately, Anderson thought that Amanda could do better than the moody goth girl he’s just seen inside. Out loud, he simply said “Friendship’s a two-way street. Yvonne didn’t have to treat you the way she did either. Maybe someday you can patch things up, but for right now, let’s work on saving your other friend.”

Amanda nodded and smiled weakly. “You’re right,” she said. “Thanks, Mr. Anderson.”

“No problem,” he said, opening the door of his car. “Now let’s get you home. I’ll let you know what’s next once I hear from the Blanchettes.”

---

It was a few days later in Anderson’s office when he got a knock on his office door once again.

“Sir?” his secretary asked, poking her head in. “Mr. Knox from Howmei Robotics is here for his appointment.”

Anderson nodded. “Please send him in.”

He took a deep breath, standing up and bracing himself for the meeting he’d been anticipating ever since he took the case.

Knox entered. He was a younger man in a brown suit with black-rimmed sunglasses. He had a warm, easy-going smile as he walked over to Anderson, putting out his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Anderson,” he said. “I’m William Knox, and I represent Howmei Robotics.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Knox,” Anderson replied, shaking his hand firmly, likewise wearing a calm, practiced smile. “Have a seat, won’t you?”

Anderson again took a seat behind his desk as Knox pulled up a chair to sit directly across from him.

“I’m guessing you know why I’m here,” Knox said.

Knox hadn’t sent anything over and had only requested the meeting a day before, but it wasn’t hard to guess what he wanted.

“You’re interested in the lawsuit filed by my client,” Anderson said. “I figured Howmei would weigh in.”

“Well, this is us weighing in,” Knox said. “Officially, Howmei has sent me here on behalf of the Blanchettes. I’m here to see if we can settle this quickly and quietly.”

“Possibly,” Anderson said. “What did you have in mind?”

“We obviously can’t have our machines up and demanding their independence as if they were legal entities,” he said. “That would undermine consumer confidence in our products. We don’t really care what Akari O9H5 does with her time, but granting her anything like legal citizenship, at least officially, would be totally unacceptable.

“Instead, we’ll privately compensate the Blanchettes and turn Akari over to someone else in the area. You, or her friend’s family, or something else. We’ll even cover the costs of equipment. In exchange, everyone signs a non-disclosure agreement and we all move on without mentioning this ever again.”

Anderson pursed his lips, steepling his fingers as he thought this over. “I have to admit, that is a generous offer,” he said. “I’ll have to run it by my client.”

Knox raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Anderson, with all due respect, she’s hardly in a position to refuse. She has no legal standing; she’s a machine. You might as well give it to her as an ultimatum. If she refuses, you can drop her case and she’d have nowhere else to turn.”

Anderson drew a long breath through his nose. “That might be true, but she hired me, so I’ll respect whatever she decides.”

Knox nodded. “That’s fine, but please impress upon her what I’m sure you already realize,” he said. “This case would be extremely difficult for you. The expense, time, and effort would surely strain your small law firm’s resources. Howmei, by contrast, is one of the leading manufacturers of personal robotics in the world; we have the money and manpower to handle this case with ease. We have machines in our legal department that can handle twenty times the paperwork that you can.”

“My office also has a filing robot,” Anderson said.

“Yes, one. We have dozens in our regional office alone.” Knox sighed. “Mr. Anderson, I’m not trying to threaten or intimidate you. I’m trying to save us all a lot of time, effort, and money. If this goes to trial, chances are that your firm will end up in the hole, perhaps irrevocably, and Akari will end up getting her memory wiped anyway. She may even be decommissioned when all is said and done. If you really do think she’s in any way sapient and want to spare her that fate, then you ought to impress upon her that compromise would be the best way forward.”

Anderson swallowed. “Not holding anything back, are you?” he asked.

“It comes with the job,” Knox replied, giving a shrug. “But I’m sure you know that.”

“I do,” Anderson said. “Mind if I ask you something, though?”

“Not at all. Ask away.”

Anderson leaned forward. “Has this sort of thing happened before? It feels like you guys are moving awfully quick on this. Have you had practice?”

Knox’s expression didn’t change, but he did pause for a moment, his eyes shifting minutely.

“Yes,” he replied at last. “This has happened before. Our androids are programmed to be intelligent, and they are capable of learning much from the world around them. This is why we tell our customers not to engage them in too much idle chat that’s unrelated to their function. If you start talking to one of them like a human being, it adapts and starts acting like one. It isn’t, of course, but it does a good impression.

“We’ve had five other cases like this. I was involved in two. None of them made it to trial. Two of the cases were settled as I’m encouraging you to do now. Two more were dismissed in the initial hearings, and the remaining one was dropped by the representing attorney. Those last three androids were all decommissioned.”

“In other words, shut down and taken apart,” Anderson surmised.

“That’s correct,” Knox said.

Anderson nodded. “I appreciate you being upfront with me about that,” he said. “But just the same, I’ll need to leave the decision up to my client.”

Knox nodded. “Very well,” he said as he got to his feet.

“However,” Anderson said, stopping Knox in his tracks as he met his gaze, “I don’t think she’ll accept the deal. I’ll tell her everything you told me, but I doubt that it’ll change her mind.”

“Well, if that’s the case,” Knox said as he stood, putting out his hand, “then I look forward to seeing you in court.”

“Likewise,” Anderson said, shaking Knox’s hand as he walked him to the door. “Thank you very much for stopping by.”

Just before they reached the door, Anderson said, “I’m sorry, but do you mind if I ask just one more question, Mr. Knox?”

Knox paused and looked back at him. He shrugged and then gave a nod.

“Let’s just say hypothetically that this isn’t some glitch. Let’s just say that these robots really have become something more than what they were. Maybe they really are sapient creatures… a new generation of life forms, if you will.”

Knox said nothing but continued to stare back at him, waiting for him to go on.

“I guess my question is… if Akari really is more than just an appliance, what does that imply about what happened to those other robots you shut down? I might just be stumbling into things I know nothing about, but I’m not the one potentially selling intelligent beings and killing them when they start tugging on their leashes.”

Knox smirked. “That’s not bad. But I suggest you save that one for the courtroom; I personally won’t lose any sleep over a few glitchy robots. That’s all they are.

“I know they seem almost alive, but they aren’t. We’re just very good at making them seem that way. That’s kind of the point: it makes people comfortable around them in their homes. But all that falls away once you’ve seen them being built in a factory like cars on an assembly line.”

“Oh? Do you give factory tours?” Anderson asked. “I’d kind of like to see that.”

“I’d be happy to look into it for you.”

“I’d appreciate that, Mr. Knox,” he said. “Until then, I’ll be in touch.”

“Until then,” Knox said with a nod. “Goodbye, Mr. Anderson.”

Once Knox had gone, Anderson sat back down behind his desk. He groaned as he massaged his temples. Though he’d maintained a confident disposition like any good lawyer would, he still felt a dreadful knot in his gut.

He knew that they were all in for one hell of a fight.