A/N: I never thought Claire and Paul would get along.
Agent Ballard is, as usual, spouting his "Dolls aren't people" philosophy. Topher has learned to block him out, but this is the first time Dr. Saunders has heard this particular tirade.
"The Actives are people," she says with conviction, looking up from a file.
"Oh, yeah? How do you figure?" Ballard inquires.
"How can you say that they aren't?" the doctor rebuts, aghast.
"Uh, well, maybe because they have no personality?" he replies, words dripping with sarcasm.
"Just because they no longer have their original personality," Saunders says coldly, standing, "does not mean that they have no personality, even in their tabula rasa state."
"Oh, really?"
"Look at them!" she points out at the relaxed Actives, "They're kind. They're polite. They're happy."
"They only think they're happy," he gestures, punctuating his opinion. Topher watches for the doctor's reaction.
"Isn't that what happiness is? It's a feeling. So what if they're programmed to feel it?" she shakes her head, watching the yoga class, "Besides, you cannot possibly insinuate that we treat them badly here," she is practically spitting her words out now.
"You whore them out!" he exclaims, voice growing in volume, "What they do on engagements-"
"They choose to do! That's why we imprint! So that they are people-" she reminds him of his initial point "-who want to do the things they're paid to do!"
"The imprints are not people."
"I am a person," she growls. Ballard takes a step back, shocked, "I have a personality. I have wants and needs. I have memories that are real to me, even though I know they're fake," she takes a deep, steadying breath and closes her eyes for a moment, "I'm a person," she finishes, "I know who I am," she glances at Topher, then at Ballard, before she walks out.
"She's a Doll?" Ballard asks, stunned. Topher nods, and then pauses.
"She's a doctor," he corrects himself.