As the portal in the hall closet whooshed open, Sabrina didn't look up from the pot she was stirring on the stove. "You're back early!" she called cheerfully. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes!"
"Thank you, Mother," came the reply, as two sets of steps proceeded down the hallway.
Her eyes widening in surprise, Sabrina spun around to face them, just as Turing and Uncanny Valley emerged from the hallway, looking around the living room and kitchen area in surprise. Leaving the pot bubbling on the stove behind her, Sabrina smiled brightly, meeting them halfway and giving Turing a big hug. "Turing!" she greeted him. "It's been so long since you were here; it's so good to see you again! You can join us for dinner – even if you don't eat, you can still sit and visit."
"I have received updates from Markov," answered Turing, returning Sabrina's hug. "But there is an experiential element missing from reading reports."
Sabrina smiled. "We'll tell you all about it."
Uncanny Valley stood beside him, looking around the living room. "Your apartment looks different," Uncanny Valley observed, studying the living room walls. "I knew that you were moving things around – Turing said you had made some changes in your living arrangements, now that his grandmother is back – but I didn't expect the changes to be so… noticeable."
Sabrina shrugged, releasing Turing and moving on to hug Uncanny Valley next. "It's not that much change," she protested. "We kept most of the furniture; Claudie took the couch since it was pretty new, and we found a brand-new dining room set for her. Most of the differences are cosmetic: pictures and posters on the walls, new decorations in the kitchen…"
"Either way, your apartment looks very nice – more personalized to you and Max," Uncanny Valley told her firmly.
"Thanks." Sabrina smiled. "But how have the two of you been getting along? Turing has been keeping us up to date on your travels around the Americas – I understand you just finished a trip to Brazil to take samples around where the Lion originated?"
Turing nodded. "That is correct," he confirmed. "Doorman conveyed us to Rio de Janeiro first, and we took control readings in the city before continuing on to Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, to the coordinates indicated by Hato Gozen and the others. We took readings and planted sensors in the area to monitor conditions. From there, we tracked the Lion's course from the park to Natal, using the drones to place sensors as we went. Finally, Doorman opened a doorway for us to return to New York."
"Not immediately, though…" Uncanny Valley interjected, elbowing Turing.
"Correct – not immediately."
"Oh?" Sabrina returned to stirring the soup as she listened to their story. "Did you find something fun to do in Brazil?"
"There was a parade in Natal," Uncanny Valley explained, an eager inflection in her voice. "Complete with music and dancing – we decided to stay there for two extra days, just to experience it. Turing learned to dance samba."
"That sounds like fun!" Sabrina observed, smiling to herself.
"I would not have attempted it, had Valley not insisted," Turing replied.
Sabrina cocked her head, hearing something different in his voice. "Oh?" She glanced back at them over her shoulder, to find the two androids staring intently at one another. Sabrina's eyes widened. "Is this… There seems to be something different between you."
Glancing over at Sabrina, Turing nodded. "Correct. Valley and I have decided to conduct an experiment regarding the nuances of human relationships."
Uncanny Valley smacked his arm. "That's a very confusing way of telling your mother that we have started a relationship."
Sabrina blinked. "Er… what?"
"But we have not started a relationship," Turing pointed out. "We started a relationship four months and sixteen days ago, when we first met formally. Friendship is a form of relationship. That existing relationship merely changed one week ago."
Uncanny Valley arched an eyebrow at him. "I know that you know the difference in connotation between 'friendship' and 'relationship' – at least at it is commonly used in this context."
Sabrina gasped. "You–you–" Suddenly, she grabbed both of them in a tight hug. "I can't believe it! Oh, I'm so excited for you! I know how much you enjoy each other's company; I'm glad you decided to spend more time together!"
Turing cocked his head to one side. "You are not upset that I have a… feminine companion?"
"You can say 'girlfriend,'" Sabrina pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him. "And no. Of course not. Why would we be upset? You know how much Max and I like Uncanny Valley. And how happy we are to see you with a friend. Of course, we'd be happy for you!"
"I had observed many parents to react negatively to their child's first… girlfriend or boyfriend," he pointed out.
"Well, you are less than two years old," Sabrina allowed, her lips quirking up in amusement. "And you've only had a humanoid body for about six months of that, so…" She stifled a laugh. "No – Max will not react negatively to you bringing home your first girlfriend." Pausing, she cocked her head as the portal in the hall whooshed open for the second time and two distinct sets of emotions stepped through. "But speaking of whom…"
"Don't worry about what he said," Claudie told Max, as the portal shut behind them. "This doesn't have to be a setback."
"He refused to even consider our proposal," Max grumbled, annoyance and frustration coloring his emotions. "How else am I to take it except as a rejection of our idea?"
"Our plan is solid," Claudie argued. "Anyone who reads it has to recognize that."
"I know that. But, then, why did he choose not to read it?"
"Tell you what," replied Claudie. "I'll see what I can do with the Deputy Administrator – she's the real power at NASA; this Administrator is just a political appointee. He might say 'no' for political reasons, but she could still change his mind for 'political reasons'. I have a friend: one of my trainers was a NASA engineer who was transferred to their Space Operations Directorate. I'll call and see if I can meet with him and the Deputy Administrator to see what they can do. Maybe the Administrator had to reject it publicly for political reasons: NASA only just started operating their own shuttle orbiters last year; he may fear that too much international cooperation too soon would undermine NASA's credibility in their public view."
"Given that their President is one of the leaders of the United Heroez, who have very publicly assisted the Heroes of Paris in the past with international crises like the Tarasque, that excuse hardly holds water."
"Oh, I don't disagree," Claudie assured him, as they stepped out of the hallway and into the living room area. "And I'm sure they will be willing to cooperate if we approach them the right way. If nothing else, we may be able to convince them to give us their design in exchange for a small share of the collected resources."
Max groaned. "Fine."
Looking around the room, Claudie froze in place, her eyes wide, and stared at Turing and Uncanny Valley in surprise. "Um… hello?" she began hesitantly, looking back and forth between the two androids and Sabrina.
Sabrina smiled. "Welcome back!" she greeted Max and Claudie. "I was just catching up with Turing and Uncanny Valley – dinner will be ready soon." Beside Sabrina, Uncanny Valley also froze in place, looking at Claudie intently. Sabrina gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "In the meantime, you can wash up and sit down at the table if you'd like."
"Dinner smells good!" Max agreed, nodding, before holding out a hand to Turing and pulling him into a quick embrace. "It is good to see you again, Turing! You have been away… a long time. Ever since the wedding, correct?"
"It has been an enjoyable time," Turing assured him. "We have been 73% successful in our information gathering."
"Excellent!" Max grinned. "I want to hear everything you have found, but not until after dinner."
"Very well."
Uncanny Valley cleared her throat to draw their attention. "If you wish to work with NASA, you could go straight to the source and speak to President Hombee," she suggested. "I'm certain she would wish for NASA to work with you."
"That is true," Max agreed slowly. "But I am unsure if that is the wisest course of action, after President Hombee's appointed Administrator denied us."
"I'm sorry," Claudie apologized slowly, still looking back and forth between the two androids, "but I don't think I recognize either of you. Who are you?"
Sabrina stifled a laugh.
"I am Uncanny Valley, of the United Heroez," she responded. "I came here to… consult with Max?" she tried, a question implicit in her tone.
"They are our friends," Sabrina explained to Claudie quickly, placing one hand on each of their shoulders. "In many ways, more than simply 'friends'!"
Claudie hummed pensively and nodded to them. "Well, then, it is nice to meet you both."
"Likewise, Grandmother," Turing responded, nodding in return.
Claudie blinked several times before looking back and forth between Turing and Max and Sabrina. "Wait… what."
Max sighed in amusement. "This is Turing," he explained. "He is one of the two artificial intelligences that I built and coded, the other being Markov. Turing's primary function was originally to serve the Heroes of Paris, while Markov assisted me in civilian life. Initially, Turing had a chassis similar to that which I had created for Markov, but when the illness began spreading, I gave Turing an anthropomorphic body so he could assist in providing treatment. And with him is his friend, Uncanny Valley."
Claudie nodded slowly in understanding, holding her hand out first to Turing and then to Uncanny Valley. "It is nice to meet you both." Suddenly, her head cocked to one side, and she stared intently at Turing. "Hang on… you help Max with his superhero work?" Turing nodded. Claudie shook her head ruefully. "I can't believe I didn't put it together sooner. Then that means that I need to thank you: it was because of you and Max that I made it safely to the International Space Station."
Turing nodded to her in response. "You are welcome," he told her, his mouth turning up into a smile.
