My Fair Franny
A Nandroid Fanfic by Scraps the Fool
Chapter 11: Confessions of a Nandroid
[*]
Stirrings, that's what they called a strange phenomenon for androids. It was rumored to have been first identified by a behavioral programmer in the early days of General Robotics, who was inspired by the term used in his favorite book "The Giver." Stirrings were described as a condition in which any android harbors any strong fixations or emotional tendencies.
Even to this day, no one, not even the greatest minds in AI psychology or computer science, can actually explain what the *exact* cause of Stirrings is or why it occurs in the first place. Some believe that it was caused by something in the androids adaptive operating system. Others believe that it was a result of an advanced malware intended to wean humanity off the overuse of robot labor in fear of a revolt. Finally, there were those who would argue that Stirrings are the consequence of inevitable evolution, natural advancements in AI's development and evidence that Androids are developing their own consciousness and will eventually become their own race.
Stirrings is considered a serious hot button topic, going along with the debates and arguments about android rights, and by the recommendation of robot manufacturers, is often treated with a system wipe or simply recalling the android and replacing it. This had led to the debate on whether treating Stirrings is a violation of the Android Ethics act, according to supporters of Android rights, such as Dr. Zeigler and the "Sons of Alloy," an android-led political organization from Pittsburg. While opposition groups, such as the U.K originated Anti-Robot-Movement (ARM) believe that if such malfunctions as Stirrings are and example of why Androids are abominations and if they were to be left unchecked, they could escalate into disaster and bring an end to humanity.
Despite the politics and claims from robot manufactures that such "programming errors" were nothing short of rumors crafted by disgruntled spiteful programmers or some kind of deranged fantasy, the concept of Stirrings was more than real. According to an (allegedly exaggerated and/or invalid) client survey conducted by Sterling Robotics, about 50,000 in every 700,000 are afflicted with this condition each year, with every 500 of 250,000 being Nandroids but often it was either swept under the rug, were overlooked via falling through the cracks of bureaucracy, or subtly dealt with by the android's respective manufactures.
While these feelings could be displayed in diverse ways such as an obsession with specific tasks or talents, such as art, music, or science. It can also be displayed through fixated emotions, such as anger, parental bonding, fear, politics, bigotry towards humans or outright psychosis.
Faux memories, a side effect of Stirrings, were just as much of a phenomenon as the condition that causes them. Theorized that it was caused by a conflict between android's logic calculation programs and their adaptive operating system. One would argue that these faux memories could be seen as the android equivalent to imaginations or dreams, as they often occurred at night as well as day.
In the specific case of Nandroids, Stirrings were often displayed as an intense passion, or downright lust, towards humans, in most cases the emotions were specifically targeted towards their owners. The impact of Stirrings on afflicted Nandroids seemed to occur more often with Nandroids who fell under at a minimum of *two* of the following parameters (which were assessed discreetly by Sterling Robotics' Nandroid Department through their (allegedly false) client survey):
1. The Nandroid was in the possession of a human who was either single, divorced, separated, or a widow (While owners of Nandroids who were married could possibly fall in the category, there have been no instances of Stirrings in the Nandroids of married families were reported, which either supports the original parameter, or the families affected suppressed information for their public image).
2. The Nandroid was in the possession of a human who is male (As with the previous parameter, this parameter was based on the information that Stirrings in Nandroids under the ownership of female humans were not reported to protect the owner's public image.)
3. The human who possessed of a Nandroid was between the ages of 16 to 35, although there were instances of Stirrings occurring with Nandroids in the possession of humans as old as 45, this was rare, and no reports occur for age ranges beyond that.
4. While not an actual parameter, it is reported that Stirrings did occur more in Nandroids who are given preferential treatment from humans, such as being given gifts or treatment on par with human relationships. This is rare and often looked down upon by most social groups.
[*]
Franny sat there on the park bench, Molly beside her as the Nandroid confessed her feelings to her sister. Molly didn't say anything as Franny poured her heart out to her. Occasionally looking around to see if there were any potential eavesdroppers.
The Stirrings started to happen after I had rescued her from the clutches of Ms. Kinsley, and it first started off as the occasional warning messages about overheating and system errors, she tried to ignore it, considering that it was caused by a bad update, and she would go see a bot doc after she was acclimated to my family and take care of the situation then.
But then during the night of my dinner episode, she was hugged by me, half naked. She then felt the overwhelming errors overwhelming her and the compulsion to… "handle" her overheating gyroscopic regulator. It would also be the night that she began to experience faux memories while she was charging.
These memories would often involve Franny and I, with me either topless or without any clothing at all. Franny would see me standing before her and she would then approach me. I would then take her hand and place it over my chest, she would then approach me and hold herself close to my body, pressing her head on my chest to listen to my heartbeat. She then would look up to me and lean into a kiss.
These "dreams" would cause Franny to awaken, sometimes in the middle of the night, and would then awaken to find her charging bed, which was a gift I had custom made while Franny and I went to my therapy appointment, insisting that she would sleep in a proper bed, and not in some chair like an old blanket, and her nandroid uniform stained with liquid coolant, to which she would have to resort to discreetly cleaning her uniform and sheets early in the morning with the laundry, such as on the day that I barged into the laundry room and accidentally saw her "bare necessities".
But then Franny told Molly about "that day," the day that she gave in to her Stirrings and kissed me. She had been given a gift that she never had before and enjoyed it. But when she saw my face, my kind face, stained with ice cream and, having forgotten the napkins, Franny panicked and lost control. She remembered how terrified she was when she pulled away from my face, licking the ice cream off her lips that she had stolen from mine as she stepping back from me, her eyes wide with shock and regret as she had realized what she had done.
[*]
Molly was kind enough to provide an emulation of the same shocked expression from that day, her eyes nearly popped out of her head as her jaw dropped to the ground. It was one thing for a human to "care" for a Nandroid, as was the case with Ajay, but this was different, *so* much different.
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
[WARNING: SYSTEM TEMPERATURE RISING! TEMPERATURE SPIKE DETECTED IN PROCESSING UNIT 0X63A82! (Code 92)]
"…I d-d-don't know w-w-what to do!" Franny choked as she looked down to the ground, unable to look at Molly as shame toppled over her like a lead blanket. "I…d-don't w-ant to go back! B-but I…I can't t-tell him about…this…c-c-can I?"
For the first time since Emmy's malfunction, Molly didn't know what to do. She was worried about what could happen to Franny if she confessed that she could be sent away again, this time for good. But then there was the case that if she didn't, then she would probably get worst, and then it would reach a point where she would either catastrophic malfunctions, or she could get me hurt. Regardless of the conflict, she knew she had to say something, but what?
Molly then reached over and pulled Franny's gaze to her's, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping the coolant tears from her face. Franny gave a small smile at the gesture by Molly, knowing that despite her posh exterior, she was just as kind as the other Nandroids.
"Franny…let us first just take a deep breath and…think this through. You must remember darling that it is only your Stirrings are making you…*think*…that you have these…feelings for him, when it is clearly some kind of malware or corrupted logic pathway, in fact what is happening to you is similar to what Emmy was going though when you think about it." Molly said reassuringly as she held Franny's hand on her own, choosing her words carefully. "Regardless of the cause for your…errors, we don't know how Mr. Stemley will react to your…situation. Often times, *humans* can find it…difficult to deal with a robot who…acts…out of line, regardless of how small the change, and this causes them to try and…conform things at our expense. You should already know by now what *humans* are capable of when they cannot control us."
Franny flinched in response to Molly's comments, remembering her time with Ms. Kinsley at Nandroid School, and her harsh punishments, she remembered all the beatings and abuse, the deprivation of recharge for failure, the humiliation in front of staff and her fellow Nandroids, the threats of violence and being sent away to Crewe, and the tapes Ms. Kinsley had shown her…oh Sterling! The tapes!
But as soon as she thought of that, her thoughts soon turned to thoughts about me, she thought of how I defended her in the Lobby when we first met. Of how I went out of my way to save her and the ride home. How I showed her the joy of food, and introduced her to my family, who took her in with open arms. How I forgave her, even after causing an episode, and how my family and I cared for her, gave her a bed, cloths, books. Who went out of their way to let her see the Flagg twins and her sisters again. Hell, Molly was criticizing the very human who made their meeting today possible.
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
"B-but he's dif-different…Molly!" Franny cried out in frustration, she errors echoing in her head. "He…he wasn't mad at me for…*that*. He understood and took me…to see a bot doc. He has…malfunctions like I do, so he'll understand me! He has to!"
"No! He will not!" Molly said sternly, grabbing Franny by the shoulders to grab her attention. "You cannot tell *anyone* about your…condition. Not Amy, or Polly, and especially not Mr. Stemley. I want you to make a pact with me Franny, right here and right now, that you will not, and I repeat, *WILL NOT*, tell *anyone* about your condition and will do all you can to not act upon your malfunctions until we both can get to the bottom of this? Do you understand? Tell! No! One!"
That word, *pact* rung in Franny's audio receptors. She remembered then how long ago there was a pact that she, Amy and Polly made with Molly to hide Emmy's malfunctions from her owners, Delaire's and Madaline, and now she was asking Franny to do it again, only this time would it be hiding her own Stirrings from me.
As Molly held out her hand palm down, she gestured for Franny to place her hand over the back of Molly's hand. Franny then held her hand out and was about to comply with Molly's demand but stopped just as she was about to make contact, and then pulled her hand away, looking at Molly with a look of doubt and frustration, as if she realized that Molly was wrong this whole time.
"Franny…this isn't funny?" Molly asked, confused by the look that her nandroid sister was giving her as she sat there. "We need to make a pact to keep this secret between us. Please! This is serious! I know that I could not help you when you were sent away, but I can help you now, unlike that *human*.
"I…I don't understand why…you can't trust Mr. Stemley like I do? After all he has done for me? After helping me reunite the twins, with Polly and Amy and *you* after so long?" Franny said as she turned away from Molly, sitting straight on the park bench and looking outward to the woods ahead of her, her lip quivering as she tried not to cry. "If…if he didn't care about me like you said, then…why did he go through the trouble to save me? Why not…pick another Nandroid? Why me? Why?"
"I don't know, maybe it is just the fact that he pitied you." Molly replied with a scoff, accidentally letting her "Robo-Karen" out in frustration towards Franny's defiance. "He probably the kind of *human* that looks down on androids for whatever reason and enjoys it. It's something that *Humans* like to do, especially to animals, and other humans. This is especially the case for things that they think are "cute," like a pet. Your probably just something of a fad to him, a passing fancy that he will enjoy controlling and will eventually discard when he gets bored."
Franny looked at Molly with a hurt and disgusted expression. What a horrible thing to say to her! To say that all she went though, all the experienced was nothing short of a "passing fancy." Molly was known to be pragmatic and blunt most of the time, but this…this was cruel, even for her.
Franny then let out a light scoff as she looked to the ground, clenching her skirt in her hands and biting her lip as she tried not to cry.
Molly, surprised by this reaction from Franny and realizing what she had just said, pinched the bridge of her nose, and signed in both regret and frustration, her patience with Franny was wearing thin.
"Franny! I…I am sorry to say that to you, but…it does not make it any less true." said Molly calmly to Franny, who tried to hold her tears back as she kept trying to ignore the voice beside her. "Darn it Franny! You need to take this more seriously. You have a condition that is messing with your logic processors, a virus that is making you act nothing like a proper Nandroid, and we need to get that fixed before Mr. Stemley finds out. He may have saved you, but you can't trust him with this, for if he finds out about your Stirrings, who knows how he would react, he could decide to dismantle you then and there for all we know."
Franny, without even looking at Molly, shook her head in anger and tried to stand up and walk away from this situation, only for Molly to quickly grab Franny by the wrist to keep the Nandroid anchored to the park bench. As she did, Franny quickly turned to Molly and tried to push her away, to break free of Molly's grip but as she tried to do so, Molly grabbed her other hand and held down.
"Molly! Let go of me!" Franny exclaimed as she tried to break free of Molly's grip, but her sister would not let go. "You're hurting me! Let me go! Let me go!"
"You are not going anywhere Franny!" Molly commanded, staring at Franny with an intense glare as she grabbed Franny's other wrist, like a tiger that caught live prey. "Not until you promise me that you will stop being so reckless and work with me! This is for your own good Franny. You have to trust me, not him! I have been there for you since the beginning! Since we lost Emmy! Since the Expo Incident! He may have picked you as his Nandroid! But he can send you back just the same, that's what *humans* do and that is what Mr. Stemley will do if he learns about your Stirrings!"
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
"N-n-no…He's w-w-wouldn't…he saved m-m-me!" Franny gasped as she began to panic, hyperventilating as she continued to try and break herself free. "R-…R…He w-w-wouldn't…do…th-that…he's…d-d-different…"
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
"Would you cut the mustard and wake up Franny! This is not a game, this is a matter of survival!" Molly shouted at Franny, holding Franny's wrists down and staring menacingly at Franny's panicking face. Her patience having finally reached its breaking point with Franny and her "delusions." "You are a Nandroid, an android nanny, and he is a *human*! When *humans* have malfunctions, they just take their pills and have people fix them! But when *we* malfunction, the will just throw us out like trash and replace us with a newer model without even a second thought! You remember what happened to Emmy?! What happened to all of us?! We all would be either outmodes or Swiss scrap if the Expo Incident hadn't happened! But neither that, nor the Ethics Act, nor any amount of *human* pity will ever change the reality of androids in the eyes of *humans*! Sure, they can give us *human* names and make acts to protect us, but we are not living beings, just plastic and silicon, made in *there* own image! Tell me this Franny: What exactly makes this *human* different than the Flaggs, from the *humans* who looked down on us and see us as lesser?! Tell me what makes this "Mr. Stemley" so special that you would risk your entire functionality for him?!"
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
"I…I…" Franny stammered, trying her hardest to speak, the errors blaring in her head and Molly's shouting made it hard for her to think straight.
"Tell me!" Molly demanded, her worry for Franny was completely swept under by her desire to be in control, unaware of how this was affecting her sister. "Why would you risk being sent away again for *him*? What does this *human* have other humans do not? How is he different?"
"Y-you d-d-d-don't underst-t-t-tand…" Franny whimpered, her attempts to break from Molly's grip waned as her strength fled from her. "…he *is* di-di-different…h…he…he's been so n-n-nice to me…and…and…and h-h-he has such a k-k-kind…h-h-heart…a st-st-strong hea-heart…and…and I…I…"
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! LANGUAGE FILTER ERROR DETECTED! UNAUTHORIZED ACTION IMMINENT! (Code 34)
"Franny! That is not the point!" Molly argued, her frustration rising as she began to feel like a damaged record player. "Just because Mr. Stemley said a few kind words and did some cordial things for you does not mean that *he* is a nice *human*! You said that he has "episodes" from the war, so what if he has one and tries to hurt you? What if he learns you have Stirrings and sends you away, or worst? Do you hear me Franny, you do not know what this *human* is capa-"
"DAMN IT MOLLY! I LOVE HIM!"
In shock from Franny's sudden outburst, Molly dropped her tangent, pulling herself back and release Franny's wrists. Franny and Molly then sat there in silence, in what felt like hours. Molly would quickly look around the park every few moments, to see if anyone, especially any humans, were listening to their conversation or heard the shouting. But to her relief, there was not a single soul around them, it was just the cold autumn air and falling leaves that kept them company.
Looking over at the gazebo in the distance, Molly could see me, still asleep in the wooden building, surprised that I didn't wake up to the noise. She then turned to Franny, who had her head in her hands and was sobbing weakly, her strength drained from the stress of the fight and having to deal with her emotions. Molly, feeling a mix of pity and regret, gently placed a hand on Franny's back. As a Nandroid, she never had to deal with Stirrings herself, but she knew enough to know how it affected the androids that had to. But in the case of Franny, this was something else, it was more than mere affection or lust that Franny was dealing with.
"Franny…" Molly said quietly, the fire that was her temper was snuffed out. "…what…what did you just say…"
Franny looked up to Molly, her eyes were flickering as tears poured down her face, her hair was frazzled, and her cheeks were glowing bright with embarrassment. She then wrapped her arms around Molly's waist, burying her head in her sister's chest as she began to sob again. Molly couldn't think of what to do, other than reciprocate the hug and do what she could to support her Nandroid sister.
"I…I can't stop how I feel Molly!" Franny sobbed, crying loudly as she hugged Molly tighter. "He saved me from being "sent away" and he said and showed that he cares about me! He's let me experience things that I didn't know that I even wanted Since he took me home, he and his family have been so kind to me, they let me eat dinner with them and watch tv with them with them and read books and sleep in a bed and…and he told me that he would always forgive me, even though I'm a bad robot. *He* sees that I'm more than just a bad robot Molly!"
"Franny…" Molly whispered sadly to the crying Nandroid, realizing what her sister was going through. If she had a heart, it would be breaking from the sight of Franny's suffering. Molly then felt her eyes mist up as Franny continued crying.
"I…I know that I'm not supposed to be like this, to feel like this…" Franny choked, her voice cracking as she couldn't hold it in anymore. "…but no matter how hard I try, I can't stop myself from loving him, and it hurts to know that I can't let him know, or that he can't love me back! I know that you think that what I feel is wrong, as do so many humans and androids, but I…I…I don't want it to be wrong! I *want* to feel this way! I *want* to love him, and I…I…I JUST WANT HIM TO LOVE ME TOO! WHAT IS WRONG WITH WANTING LOVE?!"
As Franny broke down again in tears as she collapsed into Molly's arms. All Molly could do was console her Nandroid sister, rocking her softly as a mother would do for their crying child. In her mind, Molly contemplated the next step, Stirrings based on passion or lust was one thing, but to have Stirrings based on actual love for a human, now that was a completely different animal. Taking a deep breath, Molly pulled Franny out of her hug, wiping her tears with her handkerchief as she looked the Nandroid in her eyes, the poor thing was even more miserable than before.
"Okay Franny, listen to me and listen well: We are going to get through this! But you know, deep down, that I am right about not trusting *humans*." Molly said calmly to Franny, placing her arms on Franny's shoulder to get her full attention. "There are still *humans* who do not like or object to androids. Even with the revisions to the Android Ethics act, androids like us still are second-class or even possessions to people and businesses. However, let's say that you are right, that perhaps Mr. Stemley will understand and that he and his family will help you deal with your Stirrings as best as they can, but that does not mean that *he* will reciprocate your feelings. There is also the societal stigma towards *humans* who respect or value robots the same way they would value a *human life* as either insane or downright pathetic. If we do not manage this situation carefully, it could have dire consequences towards Mr. Stemley and his family, which I believe is something you don't want to happen, right?"
Franny paused, seeing the logic behind Molly's words as she nodded softly. She wouldn't want to hurt me or my family.
"So, for now, we must keep your Stirrings a secret between the two of us, at least until we can figure out a way to fix you."
"But…I don't want to be fixed…" Franny objected softly. "I don't want to…"
"Franny please! That is just the Stirrings talking, not you." Molly chided on Franny, completely disregarding Franny's confession and trying not to start another argument. "Don't worry Franny, once we fix you, the Stirrings will go away and you will be back to your old proper Nandroid self, as you should be. Until then however, we will need to deal with your…urges so they do not cause any trouble or attention to yourself."
Franny didn't say another word, but nodded silently as she watched Molly continue to speak, unsure what she was saying as she had already tuned out the sound of her voice.
[*]
I awoke from under the gazebo in a daze. I was woken up by the sound of my name and gently shaken awake by Franny, who looked nervous as I stood up.
"Wh…what time is it?" I asked groggily, rubbing my eyes and stretching before looking at my watch, which read 16:53. "Sweet Christmas! I must've been tired! I'm sorry about that Fran."
"It's not a problem sir." Franny reassured me, helping me stand up from the gazebo seat. "I was able to use the time to catch up with the other Nandroids."
"Oh yeah! How did that go by the way?" I said as I went and picked up my jacket and put it on, wondering why I even took it off in the first place. "Did you enjoy yourself, catching up with your old friends, or dare I say…sisters?"
"It was…different than what I expected sir." Franny said, still reflecting on what Molly had said and what she had said to the posh Nandroid. "But it was nice to see them again."
"Well if you want, we can invite them over from time to time, if it fits in the schedules." I added with a laugh as Franny, and I began our walk back to the car. "I know Mom would enjoy the company, especially Amy, she's such a card. Reminds me a lot of some of the students I work with too.
"What I want…"
As Franny contemplated the meaning of "want" for a Nandroid, as well as contemplating how to explain Stirrings to her owner, she failed to notice me taking my coat off and placing it around Franny. The Nandroid gasped as she noticed the gesture and looked at me, her cheeks glowing brightly.
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
[WARNING: SYSTEM TEMPERATURE RISING! TEMPERATURE SPIKE DETECTED IN PROCESSING UNIT 0X63A82! (Code 92)]
"S-s-sir…?" Franny asked, stuttering as she tried to control herself. "Is…is anything wrong with your coat? Does it need mending?"
Oh…no…no mending for a jacket like that…" I said awkwardly, clearing my throat as I rubbed the back of my head. "It's just…cold out and uh…you don't have a…uh…a jacket for yourself so…I…um…I don't want you to get cold and um…yeah…"
Franny looked down to the jacket she was now wearing, my jacket was a vintage leather and wool bomber jacket that my dad gave me as a birthday present the year after my return from the Red War. As Franny felt the wool lining brush on her plastic frame, she smiled wildly as she zipped it up and wrapped her arms together, embracing the warmth of the jacket and feeling the firm leather in her hands.
"Th-thank you sir." Franny said as she held the collar close to her face, the wool inside the collar reflected the glowing of her cheeks. "Thank you…for being so kind to me. I don't know if I…I ever thanked you properly for…everything."
"It's my pleasure Fran! It's the least I can do for all you've done for my family" I exclaimed joyfully, hiding the fact that now I was freezing my tuckus off. "You're part of the Stemley clan now, and we Stemley's look out for one another."
Franny was silent for a moment, reflecting on what I had said. Family was different for Nandroids than it was for humans. For Nandroids, it was something to serve but not be part of, but now she knew she was part of a family, or so I said. As we reached the car, Franny suddenly realized something.
"Sir, during our conversation just now, you called me "Fran"." Franny said to me as we got into the car. "Do you wish to change my designation?"
"Oh no! That's not necessary!" I replied, turning on the seat warmer and heat to revive my numb kester. "That's just a "nickname" for you. It's what humans do sometimes to show that they care about others."
"C-care…"
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
"I…see…" Franny muttered, feeling the Stirrings act up again as she took a small breath. "Thank you sir."
"Case in point!" I said as I pulled the car out of the parking lot and began to drive home. "You actually don't have to call me "Sir" all the time, you can just call me "Raymond" or "Ray" if you want."
"What I want…"
[SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ERRORS DETECTED! PLEASE CONSULT ANDROID TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE IMMEDIENTLY (Code 34)]
As Franny looked at me, it seemed that she wanted to say something but kept hesitated. It was as if I was watching a catholic bishop trying to swear in church.
"…when you're ready of course." I said with a small chuckle. "You don't need to force yourself Fran, just take your time, and it will all come naturally."
Franny paused, looking at her hands and then looked out the window at the trees and buildings that were passing by. It was those words that quieted her Stirrings, which helped put the sirens in her head to rest, if for a moment. To know that not only could she want things but knowing that she had the time to figure this all out.
"Thank you again…R…Sir…" Franny muttered softly to herself, in a voice that only she could hear.
"…Si…Ra…S…Ra…y…Ray…m-mond"
[*]
End of Chapter 11