We'll Go No More A-Roving (Lord Byron)

It took Helena a few minutes after she hung up with Myka to refocus on the issues at hand. During that time, she just sat there staring at Myka's picture on her phone and running her finger over it as if stroking Myka's hair. 'God, I miss her,' Helena thought.

Her phone beeped and it was a text from Claudia asking if Sui Generis was with her. "No," Helena texted back. Apparently, after sitting through Myka's speech, he went off on his own.

"He's just wandering around the building?" Eileen asked as she stacked envelopes in a cart when Claudia repeated Helena's reply.

"Well, that's the point. He's supposed to observe and learn so we…Helena….. decided that he should be free to interact with as many people as he can," Claudia said, looking down at her iPhone with the program she developed that tracked his vitals.

"Does he know he's….?" Eileen asked slowly and looked around to make sure no one could hear them.

"Does he know he's an android?" Claudia asked more comfortable with the vernacular.

"He acts …human," Eileen said - the last work barely a whisper.

"Helena created a synthesized brain that can process the memories, thoughts and emotions that my program has fed him. He's learning every minute and what better way than by interacting with people. Oh there he is," Claudia said locating him on the 16th floor via an internal GPS disc.

"I don't like it," Eileen said and it wasn't the first time she expressed her concern. As soon as Claudia told her she was going to work on an artificial intelligence program like none other, Eileen had questions. Claudia couldn't answer any of them because it wasn't the program that Eileen had an issue with so much as it was his release into the unsuspecting world of Wells Corp.

Claudia looked around the large room where Eileen had worked for the last couple of weeks. "So, are you almost done working here?" Claudia asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Yes, I go back upstairs next week," Eileen said, looking around at the staff members who had been very nice to her. It was part of Helena's idea to have Eileen spend time in each department so that she had a true sense of what made Wells Corp work.

"You know, this would be the perfect place for Sui…," Claudia started to say, but Eileen pulled her arm to make her face her. "What?" the techie asked innocently.

"Do you see these people working here? Do you want them to think that we're about to replace them?" Eileen said sharply.

"No, but come on, you have to admit, it is the way of the future….. and at Wells Corp, the future …," Claudia tried to say, but was cut off.

"I need to talk to her…," Eileen said, taking off her blue jacket that was part of the mail room uniform. She looked up at the clock and put the jacket back on. "…When I'm on break," she said because she wouldn't dream of just taking off when it wasn't her allotted time.

In her excitement to be collaborating with Helena on such an innovative project, Claudia hadn't thought about the implications of this experiment other than the technical merits. She had the impression her girlfriend was about to present a different viewpoint to Helena. Was Eileen becoming feistier now that she was definitely a Wells?

Sui Generis carried the trays back to Millie's desk, now that they were void of the pastries that were consumed. Millie touched his arm more than once in the conversation that went from thanking him to inviting him over for dinner, which he graciously accepted. Irene watched from outside her office and found something more disturbing than the idea of an android roaming the halls on his own. The HR Director was more upset by the fact that people didn't realize to whom they were speaking.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Generis," Millie said and there was a definite batting of the eyelashes.

"You're welcome. And please, call me Sui," he said, slowing pronouncing it phonetically "Soo-e" for her.

"It's a lovely name," Millie said even though it reminded her of the word people used when calling pigs.

Irene watched the interaction carefully. "Mr. Generis, may I see you for a moment?" she said in a friendly tone.

"Of course, Mrs. Frederic. Until we meet again," he said to Millie who let out an audible sigh.

Irene smiled at the pair and waited for him to join her in her office.

"I think I have finally figured you out, Mr. Generis," Irene said after she closed the door and sat down behind her desk.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Frederic, figuring me out would take a very high level of mathematics and engineering acuity, both of which you are currently lacking," he said truthfully, taking the seat in front of her desk. He meant no disrespect.

"I've got something better than that, Mr. Generis. It's called instinct and mine tells me that your Architect has spent the last five days moody, distracted, and bored. Knowing her as well as I do tells me that is a dangerous combination. I am going out on a limb here and say you are…what… three days old?" Irene asked.

"Oh, you are using idioms," the man said, having made the program connection. "You deduced that I am an android and you are going to extrapolate that to guess my relative age. I understand now."

"I shouldn't be surprised by your presence, and yet I am," Irene said, sitting back and looking admiringly at him.

He was a wonder, she had to admit. His lips actually formed the words he was speaking. He used appropriate facial expressions, and there was nothing robotic in his movement, which is why so many people believed he was human.

"I am the product of a genius," he said back.

"How do you know that?" Irene asked, wondering about the android's self-awareness.

"Ms. Wells told me," he replied.

"Of course she did. Do you know what your purpose at Wells Corp is exactly?" Irene asked.

"My purpose right now is erudition. I am learning as I interact with everyone," he reported. "Today I learned that one must stop at the front desk to be announced."

"Yes, that's right," Irene smiled. "So you intend to roam around Wells Corp, interacting with whomever you meet, and accumulate knowledge from the staff members?" Irene asked as if conducting an employee interview.

"Yes, and then I am going to have dinner with Millie," he reported.

"Not today, Mr. Generis, not today," Irene said. "Let's visit Ms. Wells, shall we?"

Even though she marveled at how life-like the man was, she also knew that his Designer had given little thought to his debut. He followed Irene on the elevator and stopped at the front desk where the woman who broke the new hire record was still sitting. Only then did Irene notice Helena's door was missing. In its place was a large heavy-duty piece of opaque plastic.

"Where is …her door?" Irene asked the assistant.

"She instructed the maintenance staff to replace it immediately with a glass one," Elizabeth shared.

Irene shook her head and turned to the man standing with her. "You might want to teach Ms. Wells a thing or two about…. idioms."

Then Irene pushed the plastic drape aside and stepped into Helena's office with Sui. Helena knew it was just a matter of time before Irene figured it out. The woman possessed an intuitiveness that Helena only dreamed of duplicating in a program. What Helena did give Sui was a great deal of information about facial expression and body language so that he could accurately assess people's reactions.

"What is going on?" Helena asked and when Irene went to answer, Helena raised her index finger to allow the other guest to answer. Irene sat down as did Sui in front of Helena's desk.

"It would appear that Mrs. Frederic has deduced that I am an android. She is both impressed and concerned. Impressed because I seem to be quite life-like. Concerned….," he said, turning to study Irene's face. "…because she desires complete disclosure to the staff," the android said accurately.

Helena's haughty smile had more to do with the accuracy of his answer than the content and Irene knew it. The older woman also knew how to get Helena's attention.

"He really is remarkable, Helena. He's the product of true genius," Irene said and if Helena were capable of blushing, she might have.

"Thank you, Mrs. Frederic," the creation said on cue. Irene marveled at the fact that Sui seemed to do the blushing.

"He knows eight languages and will know twelve more by the end of the week," Helena boasted.

"Yes, well, he seems quite converse in the language of love already because he's been invited - and has accepted – a dinner invitation from a woman," Irene pointed out, hoping Helena would grasp the implication. Instead she heard –

"Wonderful! Bravo Mr. Generis," Helena said, sounding like a proud parent.

"Helena!" Irene said and then realized there was only a sheet of plastic between her and the outside office. She moved forward in her chair to shorten the distance between her and her boss and spoke in a whisper. Irene had to be careful in how she presented this – or anything – to Helena. When dealing with an ego this intact – this large – she found it was better to lead Helena to the answer than to push it right under her nose.

"I would like to address this from a morale point of view," Irene said, the letter 'e' added to the word she really wanted to use, but knew she had to go slowly.

"Would it not boost morale to know that people work for the company that designed the premier humanoid?" Helena countered.

"Tell me, Helena, why is there a plastic sheet where your door used to be?" Irene said, sitting back in her chair.

Of all the interactions the android had witnessed, this particular one was firing off his circuitry in several areas as he listened and watched.

"Were you not listening to Myka's excellent speech? We are to have…..glass doors and…. an open door policy …apparently," Helena answered, a little unsure now that she said it out loud. It had made all the sense in the world when she thought of it simply as something Myka wanted.

"Yes, I heard that. It's a wonderful idea," Irene said a little too quickly for Helena's liking. "Do you think your Chief Counsel will have an issue with the subterfuge surrounding Mr. Generis?

It was Irene's ace card – the bait Helena couldn't resist. Irene never overplayed the card because she respected Helena too much, but she knew when her boss was too caught up in her own musings to see clearly.

Helena stopped grinning and a frown appeared on her face as she considered what Irene had just said. The android watched intently.

"They just applauded Myka's speech," Helena started to think it through in steps.

"Yes," Irene confirmed.

"She used Wells Corp as her model for corporate disclosure," Helena said next.

"She did, didn't she?" Irene asked as if she weren't already two steps ahead.

"If we don't tell people that Sui is an android, they might feel we are deceiving them. Is that what you're suggesting?" Helena asked, entertaining the connection for the first time.

"I'm suggesting that if we are adopting Myka's policy of appropriate corporate disclosure, - and it would seem that you want to from the condition of your office door, - then yes, this would fall under that," Irene said, folding her hands in her lap.

Sui watched the mental chess game and deduced correctly that Mrs. Frederic was moving the pieces around the board and Helena was following.

"OK, I will make an announcement soon," Helena concluded.

"Good! Would you like me to first explain to Millie why her dinner guest won't be accepting her invitation?" Irene asked, getting up from her chair.

Helena's darting eyes indicated that it was still a tempting situation. "He could learn a great deal about personal relationships," Helena said.

"And gastronomy, as Ms. Barone is an excellent cook," Sui interjected.

Now Irene delivered the final blow by simply looking over her glasses at Helena to convey her thoughts in a stare.

"Well, then you have to take him. I can't bring him to dinner with the Mayor," Helena protested. "Everyone will want one!"

"Then I suggest you find a responsible person in your IT Department who can manage the babysitting assignment," Irene said, her arms crossed.

"I wonder sometimes why I don't just fire you." Helena said out of frustration.

"It is obvious that there is a great mutual respect and admiration between you and Mrs. Frederic. It would seem to me that you seek out her input because you trust her," Sui deduced from his programs on logic, interpersonal relationships, and communication.

"He really is brilliant," Irene smiled as she disappeared behind the plastic divider.

"I do believe she did an excellent job of persuasion," Sui shared his assessment with Helena.

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Mr. Generis," came the snarky reply.

"Oh you do know idioms! Mrs. Frederic will be so pleased," the android said to a confused Helena.

Thank you for your posts - it's great to read them. As for those of you concerned with
Myka - have faith.