S.C.O.T.T.

Stages

I stopped walking, and groaned in annoyance.

I turned back and opened the door, "Wait," I blurted out in an annoyed tone.

A knowing grin formed on Kevin face as he and Scott turned back towards me. "Yes?" Kevin asked.

"I'll...try it out," I agreed, "Only for a little bit," I added quickly.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Come sit down and we'll talk. Scott, stay here," Kevin ordered.

Scott looked towards me for approval, and I nodded before following Kevin into the kitchen, hoping that Scott was out of earshot.

I sat at the table and sighed.

"Want anything?" Kevin asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Coffee would be great," I assured him.

He chuckled before returning moments later with two mugs of coffee. "So," he started before sipping his coffee, "It's programmed for Scott to protect whatever human claims him. I take it he held out his hand and asked you to do the same?" He questioned.

"Yeah, I didn't know," I murmured.

Kevin nodded. "I know. But that transferred Basic English, so he can communicate with you. You're his top priority. If you're upset, he'll know, if you're in danger, he'll know, etc. He's like your own personal bodyguard. And I know, he doesn't understand much now, but he'll learn by watching you. He's in his sensorimotor stage. He'll go through all of the human stages, but he'll do so much faster than a human. Give it about three weeks, and he'll be just like a normal human," he explained.

"Three weeks?" I whined.

"Hey, it takes humans 18 years to get through most of the stages. He'll be through them all in no time. And he's honestly the nicest person. Well 'person', but you know what I mean," he noted.

I nodded, "Alright," I replied.

"Now, this is the most important thing that you need to be careful of. He's gonna use you as an example for how to act. That's fine, except for eating and drinking. He's gonna think he needs to eat and drink too, but food or being submerged in liquids will destroy his system. Same for showering, swimming, etc. To clean him, just scrub him down with warm soapy water. Just make sure he doesn't consume any water. Do this 4 times a week. And he doesn't sleep either," he explained firmly. "I mean, you shouldn't have a problem with him trying to sleep. If he's asleep then he can't ensure your safety, so he won't even try," he added.

I nodded, "Ok, no food or drinks. Got it. What do I do with him while I'm at work?" I questioned.

"There's a way for him to know if you're in danger from afar. But not very far. He would have to sit in your car all day. But S.C.O.T.Ts don't experience boredom, so that should be fine. But, you may not like it," he suggested.

I gave him a wary look, "What is it?" I questioned.

"A microchip. I can program his CPU into it, so he'll be able to tell if you're hurt," he explained.

I groaned, "Of course. By hurt, he's not gonna come barreling in if I stub my toe or something stupid, right?"

Kevin laughed, "Don't worry. It'll only alert him if it's serious pain," he assured me.

"Good," I muttered, "Let's get that microchip."

/

I laid on the operation table in Kevin's lab, and I waited while Kevin prepared the simple procedure.