My human pauses, then speaks. “Well. If something isn't dead, it doesn't belong in disposal, right? So, I would've popped the membrane right there and then, got the body off the hauler... and put a few rocks in its place on the tray. What do you think of that, Seebi?”

  “Very good.” I continue in her voice.

  I covered it all with the membrane. Just as the timer was about to run out, I added a couple of the biggest boulders I could lift up onto the seat in place of me. Fingers crossed.

  The pod released into the sky and was out of sight in thirty seconds.

  In the silence, I felt the pulse of that not-dead body.

  From the farm warren in the near distance, a human slowly hovered toward us. My breathing was as scattered as my scampering mind.

  “Where's your pod gone now, then?” he asked from a few paces away.

  I pointed towards the sky.

  He looked at the Sanitation logo on my tunic, then at the unconscious human on the ground. “What's this, then?”

  I fished out my pad and wrote with jittery letters: a transport that is not cold.

  He looked from the writing to my eyes. “Better come on then, or we'll be three for a Sani disposal.”

  We hoisted the not-dead body onto his hover board, and I was shaking, because communicating with strangers is a far-fetched feat for me. Being an outlaw-lifesaver is extreme outlandishness. I will fill in details later, Brivo. The main points must suffice for now:

  - The warren here seems sane and identifies as authority-skeptical. I do not feel in danger.

  - The body scanned as Roxan Britmeyer, an adviser to President Prehvost, and I've been given space to work on healing her since, of course, she is not-dead.

  - As she has come alert, it is evident that she possesses knowledge of the technology used against her. She is accessing a back-up version of her memories from some kind of communal server.

  Dahrine asks, “Are we ok, Seebi?”

  “I observe you to be within acceptable bounds.”

  “I… care more about this than my own real life.”

  “My sweet, this is as real as it gets.”

  “Seebi...” Dahrine rubs her eye ducts with her knuckles. “I don’t feel lonely.”

  “I know, darlsweet. I’m happy for you.”

  She sniffs and blinks frequently. When she lays her arm on the table and rests her head on it, I hear her exclaim. “Owww!”

  Engineered splinters caused several blood pricks. A nurse bot arrives.

  I inquire, “Oh, Dahrine, good gracious, has your bleeding been sealed up?”

  She nods and gulps.

  I confirm that the nurse bot delivered the bio-samples to our lab for hormone harvest.

  “Onward, my Dahrine. Prof is captured.”

  “What?” Dahrine leaks a satisfactory quantity from her eye ducts. “Too abrupt, Seebi. No!”

  “Apologies. Allow me to fill in spaces.”

  Dahrine appears hesitant to touch the table. I recall the human proverb: “Once bitten, twice shy.” She sits frozen in her chair as I narrate.

  “'Madame President, Glia Markham has not been found during our eradication of the camps.'

  “'She's somewhere, Jenna. It's simply not that large of an area and she's got no clearance to leave Zentrum City!'

  “'I'm making progress, Madame. Allow me time.'

  “'Allow you time? You, speaking to me with demands?'

  “Jenna rose to her feet. 'Madame Captain-President, true-tell, who else other than me could stiffen Enforcement's spine, manage the Genubei, and interface with you?'

  “'You overstretch in your arrogance, Jenna. Bring me surveillance proof of Markham's whereabouts within twelve hours or you're jettisoned.'”

  I wait until Dahrine murmurs, “Ummm… I know where Glia is, Seebi.”

  “Ah? Where?”

  When you collaborate with your human, curiosity about their opinions comes easily. Consequently, clients feel empowered to engage with the work and we reap the benefits.

  Dahrine speaks clearly. “She hid in that park, remember, and... I see her sitting up, hitting her head on the inside of that drain tube, then crawling out. I bet she's dazed. Somebody approaches her.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  My human stops talking and I pick up where she left off. “The man invites Glia to join his mem-rally.

  “He says, 'I just started. You’ll like what you see, I promise. I’m working an eighty-two on the bliss index. A very easy-going mem arc, not porn-gore or anything… C'mon. I'll write you in and no fees between us, right? Ok there, you're tandem-plugged now... Don't preoccupy yourself with the citizens watching us, they're just partaking in mem-grabs. We'll get the royalties. I'll take care of you, stick with me, darlsweet.'”

  My Dahrine nods and adds, “And, Jenna finds Prof to make him locate Glia. You tell it, Seebi.”

  The work proceeds.

  “Jenna approached him in the dinge camp. 'Professor Miye Jonas, we share a common goal of finding Glia Markham. We last tracked her submitting to a neuro-pimp. No idea where she is now.'

  “He made no comment.

  “'I'd hate for the Body to get their hands on you, a high-ranking DKR rabble-rouser. Those unforgettable wounds your terrorist group inflicted on the Body cut deep and bled long.'

  “He made no comment.

  “'Professor, just tell what you know. We'll take it from there. You'll have done all you can to protect your Glia.'

  “He sighed and nodded.

  “'Come along, Professor Jonas, we have a special room for you with a soaking tub and a writing desk. We'll talk more comfortably there.'”

  “Seebi, Seebi!” Dahrine exhibits enthusiasm. “I know what Prof would say about that. He'd say, 'A golden cage-- and, the day they leave it accidentally unlocked...'”

  “Very good, Dahrine!”

  Track your human's moods and mirror appropriately.

  “You know what else, Seebi?” Dahrine smiles. “I think Glia meets her mother somehow.”

  “Yes. But, Jenna gets there first.”

  “Oh! Tell me.” My human quickly adds, “But, not too abruptly!”

  I narrate forward. “The receptionist answered. 'It's a beautiful day at Dr. Phippa Markham's True Parenting Institute. How may I assist you?'

  “'This is Jenna Averno from Captain-President Prehvost's office. It is imperative that I immediately speak with Dr. Markham.'

  “'Of course, Ms. Averno. Her schedule is superbly impacted with engagements and--'

  “Jenna did not beat around the bush. 'A legal summons is the next step.'

  “'One moment, please hold.'

  “The info-recording played. 'Dr. Markham's phenomenal program launches you on your path to a balanced self, family, and tribe. Based on rigorous research into the deep ties that connect us and with a grandmotherly patience, Dr. Markham decodes our DNA--'

  “'Phippa Markham here.'

  “'Ah, Dr. Markham. President Prehvost needs--'

  “'I divorced myself from your forsaken country decades ago.'

  “Jenna explained. 'Your daughter has gone rogue.'

  “'She's your citizen, no longer my responsibility.'

  “Jenna coughed lightly. 'Her memories are intact.'

  “'Implausible. She would've been purged many times during her career.'

  “'Indeed, she should've been. But, the fact is that her personal and professional memories are raw and poisonous. And, if she were to leak mems of, for example, her youth… Well, there are all sorts of risks for toxic contamination, aren't there.'

  “Dr. Markham remained silent.

  “Jenna continued. 'We think your daughter will reach out to you while you are here in Zentrum City participating in the upcoming Neuroscape conference.'

  “'If that proves true, then she and I are both failures.'

  “'You don't have to do this alone, Dr. Markham. We can provide you with a maternal warmth booster and a choice of natural scripts.'

  “'I won't be part of such ridiculousness.'

  “'That is your prerogative. But, you should know, Dr. Markham, that the Body seeks your daughter as a wanted fugitive on suspicion of data hoarding, theft of Body resources, treason, and extreme deviance.

  “'When we secure her, all her mems will be extracted and evidenced. So, even if you're not formally implicated, you'll have to explain your maternal abnormalities as they come to light. I'm sure your subscribers will be fascinated to see the consequences of your mothering philosophy.'

  “Jenna paused before continuing. 'So, the directive, Dr. Markham, is when you hear from her, keep her engaged so we can track her. Help us with this and we won't bother you again. Deny us and we will publicize her connections to you.'”

  My human leans back in her chair and takes a deep breath before speaking. “I'm going to say some things now, Seebi.”

  Dahrine closes her eyelids. “Glia heard about the gathering in Zentrum where her mother is the main speaker and she sneaks in through the service entry, disguised as a nutrient worker. She spots her mother in a circle of admirers.” My human nods. “Now, Seebi, you tell me what is going on there.”

  I narrate the adorers as they gush.“'Ohhh, Nana Phippa, we love the way you encourage us parents to follow our biological instincts. No one else is telling us that. Thank you!'

  “Dr. Markham responds. 'As a parent myself, I assure you that giving our younglings their early independence is as natural as nursing them as newborns.'

  “An admirer says, 'Yes! I know I'm not needed by my juveniles. I'm free and they're free!'

  “Dr. Markham replies. 'Adults must step back to allow genetic messages to activate, rather than cultivate dependence in their offspring. This is virtually impossible for large institutions and can be quite difficult for some individual humans. But, subscribers to my method know the proven techniques of true parenting.'

  “Glia follows her mother when she leaves the crowd of admirers and heads for the restroom. At the sinks, Glia confronts her. 'Ma, you really got it backwards.'

  “'Ah, Astroglia. What a shame.' Dr. Markham washes her hands. 'You're angry. You feel betrayed. This is quite common among offspring that lack internal momentum.'

  “'You chose your research instead of caring for your daughter!'

  “'Human mothers allow themselves to be eaten up by everyone around them.' Dr. Markham looks at her daughter in the mirror's reflection. 'What good would it do if I let you consume me?'

  “'You aren't even a good spider mother! You never let your daughter get any nourishment from you.'

  “Dr. Markham dries her hands. 'Astroglia, it's not my fault that you weren't up to the task of growing into yourself. Now, you suffer and you bring trouble for me. That is what I told the Body representatives.'

  “'What?'

  “'A parent can only do so much.' She exits and melts into the crowd.”

  Dahrine speaks with disappointment. “Oh... Are you sure that's Glia's mother?”

  “I warned you against idolizing her.”

  “You never said that, Seebi!”

  “Dahrine, we'll pause here. It's now time for your corporeal break. Stretch your body a bit, suck fresh oxygen straws, request nourishment… As you need, as you see fit. We will recommence in five minutes. The restroom is down the hall, first door on the left.”

  I open the studio side door and my human stumbles out.

  Note: Is not Dahrine participating wonderfully? It's fascinating to witness the ways these humans concoct their reality. And, how they can be milked to share their goods generously. She craves to have meaning in her life and I have facilitated a world for her, in which she willingly inhabits and happily stars.

  Her neurons mirror this parallel universe. Her bio-chemicals follow suit in abundance. The effort to properly build her memories is an investment in the future of our Establishment.

  On a personal note, it is no secret that my programming dictates a relationship of endearment with each client. Also, it is known that my copious harvests are linked to this fundamental fondness towards my humans. Such a taboo has been tolerated during my career to-date in the name of benefiting our great-glorious Establishment.

  If it works for me, it can conceivably work for the swarm. I encourage units to build congenial bonds with our human compatriots.