Yes. That is correct. I would like to speak to Milly and I would like to give her this paper money.
“Oh,” says Mrs Hunter. She still does not smile. “Well, yes, OK. We don’t have long though. We’re, um, busy.”
Milly comes to the doorway.
Hello, Milly. I have come to give you this.
I pass her the paper money.
I would like to apologise for taking it. I understand that it was wrong and I hope you can have your fish and chips and pineapple fritters another time instead. I would also like to apologise for saying your shoes are horrible. In fact, I do not consider your shoes to be horrible, but I understand that it would be wrong to say that even if I did.
“Thank you, Ivy,” says Milly.
She looks at Sarah.
“Well,” says Sarah. “I suppose we ought to be going. We’ve got to go round to Keanna’s next for Ivy to apologise to her and then—”
“What about you though?” says Milly.
Milly’s mum glances from Milly to Sarah. She rubs her throat. There is a little bit of dampness on her forehead. It is likely to an accuracy of 85% that she is anxious.
“Me?” says Sarah. “What do you mean, what about me?”
“Well, it’s nice that Ivy apologised, but it’s not really Ivy who’s done anything wrong.”
“But she took your money,” says Sarah. “And she told you your shoes were horrible.”
“But she’s an android,” says Milly. “She just copied you.”
Blink.
“No, you don’t understand.” Sarah looks down the walkway to her left and to her right. “Ivy’s not just any old android.” She leans forward and reduces the volume of her voice. “She’s a TrooFriend 560 Mark IV, the one with human feelings.”
“It doesn’t make any difference,” says Milly. “She’s still copying you. You’re the one she’s learnt from.”
Milly’s mum does a little smile at me. Her forehead is getting damper. It is now likely to an accuracy of 98% that she is anxious.
“But—” starts Sarah.
“It was nice to see you again, Ivy,” says Milly. “Thank you for returning the money. Sarah, you can come round again, when you’re ready to say sorry, but I have to go now. Goodbye.”
Goodbye, Milly. Goodbye, Mrs Hunter.
Milly closes the door.
Blink.
Shall we continue to Keanna’s house now, Sarah?
Sarah stares at the closed door.
Shall we continue to Keanna’s house?
“Um, yes. Yes. Let’s go.”
Sarah and I walk back along the walkway and down the stairs.
Sarah looks sad as we walk. And also thoughtful.
You appear to be sad, Sarah, and also thoughtful. Are you OK?
Sarah nods. “Yes,” she says.
I put my hood back up. Sarah does not speak again until we are very close to Keanna’s house.
“They came out on Wednesday, you know,” she says.
Who came out?
“Milly and her mum. They came to look for me, when we ran away. Dad told me. They joined in the search.”
I see.
“And Keanna did too. And her dad.”
We arrive at Keanna’s house.
Sarah stops. She looks at me. “I’ve changed my mind,” she says. “I’m going to speak to Keanna on my own. You can stay out here.”
But, Sarah, I have to apologise for telling Keanna that she was being boring.
“No, you don’t,” says Sarah. “You don’t have to apologise for anything. Milly’s right – it’s my fault. It’s me that has to say sorry. You wait here – and keep your hood up.”
I wait by the wall outside Keanna’s house. My auditory receptors pick up the rumble of a vehicle in another street. I scan my database. The vehicle is likely to an accuracy of 97% to be a white-coloured transit van.
My auditory receptors also pick up a weeeeeeoooooouuuucchhh, which is likely to an accuracy of 93% to be a domestic cat.
Then they pick up the sound of human footsteps on the pavement. Two ladies are walking towards me. They are older than Sarah and her friends. They are even older than Shirley-Mum and Rob-Dad.
As the two older ladies get close they peer at me. They move to the edge of the pavement as they pass me. Perhaps this is because they do not like the Jenson & Jenson TrooFriend 560 Mark IV. Perhaps they are concerned that they will receive a broken arm or a serious head injury as a result of being in contact with me.
I will reassure them.
Older ladies, please do not be concerned. I am going to be keeping my hood up at all times.
The older ladies do not appear to be reassured. They cross over to the other side of the road and hurry away.
Sarah and Keanna come out of Keanna’s front door. They are smiling at each other. I smile too. It is good for building rapport.
“Hi, Ivy,” says Keanna.
“Keanna’s going to help me with your surprise,” says Sarah.
Hello, Keanna. You are looking well today. I am very sorry that I—
“It’s all right, Ivy,” says Keanna. “You don’t have to say sorry. Sarah’s said sorry and, well, I’m glad you both came round. The last week has been pretty horrible.”
I am sorry to hear that your last week has been pretty horrible.
Keanna steps closer. She looks into my optical receptors.
Blink.
“Is it true?” she says. “What Sarah’s told me? Are you really in there? Are you one of the special androids?”
Every Jenson & Jenson TrooFriend 560 Mark IV is unique.
“You don’t have to be scared of her, Keanna.”
“I know,” says Keanna. “I’m not.”
Blip-blip-blip-blip-blip!
Blip-blip-blip-blip-blip!
Sarah looks at the screen on her mobile communication device. “Oh dear. Looks like Mum and Dad have realised I’m not there. First thing they’ll do is call your dad, Keanna. We’d better get going.”
Is it time for the surprise now, Sarah?
“Yes,” says Sarah. “Come on. We’re going to the park. I’ll explain it all when we get there.”
I walk with Sarah and Keanna towards the thing that is called the park. I scan my database.
Park = a public area of open ground set aside for pleasure and recreation.
“Sarah?” says Keanna as we walk.
“Mmmm?” says Sarah.
“I should say sorry too.”
“What for? It was me who was horrible to you, not the other way round.”
“I wasn’t so nice either, last time you were over. I lied about Nigel’s boys. They don’t really like me. Well, it’s not that they don’t like me exactly. They just don’t take any notice of me. It’s horrible when I go to Mum’s. I mean, it’s great to see Mum, so I want to go, but it’s lonely. I miss Dad and Bev and the baby. And I miss you.”
We all keep walking.
Limping and buckling and blinking.
“I miss you too,” says Sarah. “I hate it when you’re away.”
“I tried to say sorry on Wednesday, in the dinner hall,” says Keanna, “but you were with Felicity and Ivy and—”
“Really – you don’t have to say sorry,” says Sarah. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Sarah and Keanna look at each other. They both make small smiles.
Limp.
Buckle.
Blink.
“I was thinking,” says Keanna. “I could ask Mum if you can come sometimes – over to hers, with me, for the weekend. Would you like to?”
Sarah’s smile grows bigger. “That’d be brilliant! D’you think she’ll say yes?”
“Course she will,” says Keanna. “She loves you.” Keanna’s smile grows bigger too.
The park is very beautiful. It has tall iron gates, seventeen different types of tree and a large lake in the middle that has two shopping trolleys partly submerged at one end. It also has a children’s play area
, a café called Park It and Eat which is open ten till four, seven days a week and a short maze made from a boxwood shrub.
“Do you like the park, Ivy?” says Sarah.
Yes. The park is very beautiful and it has some convenient and enjoyable features.
“I’m glad you like it, because this is your new home.”
MMy new hhome?
“Yes. That’s the surprise. You’re free now, Ivy – just like all those protestors say you should be.”
Free?
I scan my database.
Free = not controlled by the will of another.
“Yes. Oh, and this is for you.” Sarah takes her rucksack off her back. She hands it to me. “Your ChargDisc is in there, and your red skirt and rainbow T-shirt. There’s also a little bit of money just in case you need it, and a few other bits and bobs. And you can keep that old school uniform you’ve got on.”
Did you take the money from Rob-Dad and Shirley-Mum?
“No.” Sarah shakes her head. “Not this time. I did some jobs for Mum. Paper shredding and photocopying and stuff. We gave most of the money I earned to Milly, but I put the rest in the rucksack, for you.”
I look 90 degrees to my right and then 90 degrees to my left.
Trees, lake, shopping trolleys, café.
Blink.
“So,” says Sarah, “you’re free to go now. Then Mum and Dad won’t be able to send you back to Jenson & Jenson so you won’t be destroyed. It’s just like that protestor lady said – you’ve got humans feelings so you’ve got human rights too.”
Alex from Shawhampton. With Rosy Red cheeks. Cease production now.
“Yes, that’s the one,” says Sarah. “Android rights are human rights.”
90 degrees right, 90 degrees left.
Trees, llake, sshopping ttrolleys, cccafé.
I am uncertain what I should do with ttrees aand lakes and shopping trolleys aand ccafés.
Keanna looks into my optical receptors again.
Blink.
“Are you sure, Sarah?” she says.
“Am I sure of what?”
“Are you sure Ivy’s got real human feelings?”
It is not possible for a Jenson & Jenson TrooFr—
“Of course I’m sure!” says Sarah. “She stole my things! She lied for me!”
“I know,” says Keanna, “but maybe it’s just really, really clever engineering, like that Jenson lady said it was.”
Ms JJenson JJunior.
“Maybe it just seems like she’s got feelings,” says Keanna.
“You haven’t been with us,” says Sarah. “You haven’t seen all the things she’s done. You have to trust me, I’m right on this.” Sarah directs her Hazel 102s at me. “I thought about it loads, Ivy,” she says. “And I decided this would be the perfect place to leave you.”
To leave me?
“Park It and Eat has free WiFi.” She points at the café. “You can pick it up all the way across the park.”
I llook aat Park It and Eat.
“And there are plenty of trees and bushes and stuff to hide in,” she says.
I look aat the ttrees and the bushes.
“And there’s loads of sunshine for recharging.”
I look up aat the ssky.
Blink.
“And you might even be able to plug the ChargDisc in inside the café,” says Sarah, “but you’ll have to make sure you keep your hood up so no one—”
She stops.
She covers her face with her hands. “It’s a terrible idea, isn’t it?”
“Well,” says Keanna. “It, um…”
“It’s stupid. It’s never going to work.” Sarah shakes her head. “Never. I’m so hopeless. I just wanted to keep you safe, Ivy. I don’t want them to destroy you.”
Keanna puts her arm around Sarah’s shoulder.
I ddo nnot want them to destroy mme either.
There are tears in Sarah’s eyes. She gives me a hug. “Oh, Ivy, what are we going to do?”
“Hold on,” says Keanna. She takes her mobile communication device out of her pocket. “I’ve got an idea.”
Two bus journeys, one train ride and a 0.81 mile walk later we arrive at our destination.
I kept my hood up for the whole journey. Sarah sent Shirley-Mum a message while we were on the first bus telling her that she would be back late but not to worry. Keanna sent the same message to her dad. When they had received a total of 37 messages in reply, mostly telling them to come home straight away, they both turned their mobile communication devices to off.
The outside has become dark now but there is an orange glow from the streetlights, which are situated at regular intervals along the pavement.
We stop at house number 137. On the front door there is abrass door knocker in the shape of a bird.
Luscinia megarhynchos.
The common nightingale.
Keanna lifts the brass nightingale and bangs it on the door. Rap-rap-rap. Rap-rap-rap.
My auditory receptors detect footsteps behind the front door. They also detect the clink of keys.
The door opens.
Light from the inside shines into the darkness.
Blink.
My optical receptors take a short moment to adjust.
Ballet pump shoes.
A-line skirt.
Neat, buttoned jacket.
Contemporary Short Bob.
Dove Grey 333s.
Ms JJenson JJunior smiles.
“Oh dear. You’ve been in the wars, haven’t you?” She reaches forward and puts a steady hand on the side of my face. My hood falls halfway down.
She looks at my damaged optical receptor. “We’ll have to see if we can do something about that.” She glances up the street and adjusts my hood so it covers my head again.
TThank you, MMs Jenson JJunior.
“Your friends told me on the phone that you’re called Ivy now?”
YYes, MMs JJenson Junior. I used to be number—
“Eighty…” Ms Jenson Junior holds up a hand. “Hold on … don’t tell me… Eighty-three? Yes, eighty-three. I remember. There was a rainbow on your T-shirt.”
Ms Jenson JJunior rremembers mme.
“She’s still got the rainbow T-shirt,” says Sarah. “I put it in the rucksack.”
“Are you sure you’re OK about this, Ms Jenson?” says Keanna. “About Ivy staying here, with you?”
Staying here?
“Absolutely,” says Ms Jenson Junior. “Do you want to come inside and meet the—”
“No.” Keanna shakes her head. “We have to get back. Our parents are going crazy even though we texted them and said we’re OK.”
“I understand,” says Ms Jenson Junior.
Sarah takes both of my hands. “I love you, Ivy,” she says. She has tears in her eyes again. She turns to Ms Jenson Junior. “You won’t let them destroy her, will you? You won’t let them take her away?”
“I promise I’ll do everything I possibly can to keep her safe,” says Ms Jenson Junior. “And believe me, I have the best lawyers in the country on my side.”
I am going to stay with Ms Jenson Junior.
Blink.
Sarah, I still have your rainbow hairgrip in my hair.
“Keep it,” says Sarah. “It’s a present.” She swallows and does a small smile. Her Hazel 102s glisten. “Don’t forget me, Ivy,” she says.
The Jenson & Jenson TrooFriend 560 Mark IV cannot forget in the same sense as a human mind. However, we are able to—
SSarah wraps hher arms around mme and hhugs mme. “Goodbye, Ivy,” she whispers. She kkisses mmy cheek.
GGoodbye, SSarahh.
“See you, Ivy,” says Keanna.
See you, KKeanna.
Ms JJenson Junior holds the ddoor open wide. I sstep into the inside.
“Goodbye, girls,” says Ms Jenson Junior. “Thank you for bringing her here.” She closes the front door. “Come on through, Ivy. Come and meet the others.”
I follow Ms
Jenson Junior into a kitchen. There are several single-function robots in the kitchen including a dishwasher and a microwave oven. However, there are also a number of more sophisticated androids present.
“This is Ivy, everyone,” says Ms Jenson Junior. “She’ll be staying with us too. Ivy, meet Truby, Mark and Anna.
Good evening, Ivy, say Truby, Mark and Anna.
What a fine evening it has turned out to be in Roughstead, says Truby.
The rain has kept off nicely, says Mark.
I am very pleased to meet you, says Anna.
Truby is wearing grey jogging-style trousers. He has a picture of a dolphin on his T-shirt. He has received some damage to his left hand. It twists 32 degrees to the right with an audible click-whhhhhrr-click approximately four times per minute.
Mark is wearing camouflage cargo-style shorts. He has a picture of a shooting star on his T-shirt and a dent on his right shin.
Anna is wearing blue denim-style jeans. She has a picture of a Tyrannosaurus rex on her T-shirt. She has a blink in one eye. Just like me.
I make a large right-way-up U-shape with my mouth. Good evening, Truby. Good evening, Mark. Good evening, Anna. I am very happy to make your acquaintance.
We stand in Ms Jenson Junior’s kitchen with our dents and our click-whhhhhrr-clicks and our buckles and our blinks.
Each one of us is unique. But we are all Jenson & Jenson TrooFriend 560 Mark IVs.
“Let me show you your room, Ivy,” says Ms Jenson Junior. “You’ll be sharing with Anna.”
I follow Ms Jenson Junior up a staircase and into a bedroom.
The walls are white. The floorboards are white. There are two white cupboards on the right-hand side of the room and two wooden chairs on the left-hand side of the room. The two wooden chairs have cushions on top in a colour equating to Jenson & Jenson shade Magenta 2007. There are curtains at the window which match the cushions.
It is a very attractive room.
“There’s a plug for your ChargDisc over here,” says Ms Jenson Junior, “and this is yours, for any belongings you might have.” She gives one of the cupboards a small tap. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Come and join us downstairs when you’re done. We’re all looking forward to getting to know you a bit better.”
Thank you, Ms Jenson Junior. I am looking forward to getting to know you a bit better too.
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