Artificial(ish) Intelligence

Chapter 142

"Actually Ashley," said Charlotte, picking something from her hair, "like, don't you think I have a nice neck?"

"Yah," said Ashley. "Totes."

They both giggled into the selfiebot's camera.

Charlotte gasped as an idea formed like mist on a desolate ocean. "We should make another channel," she said, partly into camera and partly toward her friend. "The best necks."

"Ooooh. Like a countdown."

"Oh-em-gee, that's even better! Quick, show my neck."

The bot almost seemed to shake a response of no, but thought better of it, flying in close for a shot of Charlotte's skin. It was capable of shooting at two hundred and forty frames per second, but the shutter appeared to blink far faster than that.

"I like your new selfiebot," said Ashley. "Demented!"

"It's a House of Paschar," said Charlotte, in an accent. She laughed, but it didn't hide her pride.

"How did you get that?" gasped Ashley.

"Oh, granddad gave it to me," said Charlotte, waving her hand away, as if it didn't matter. "And the other side?"

The selfiebot groaned. "Is that really necessary?"

Ashley scrunched up her face at the selfiebot. "Pity it's so boring."

"Tell me about it!" said Charlotte. "Boring-er than father when he-- I know!" She bounced up and down. "You can stay over and we'll take pics, like, all night, and then look at them and you can help me pick the best ones and we'll keep doing it until we find the one that gets the most likes and it'll be totes demented!"

"Totes demented!" agreed Ashley.

"Not a chance," said the selfiebot.

"How many people, now?" said Ashley.

"Almost five hundred," said Charlotte.

The selfiebot seemed to balk. "Four hundred and ninety eight thousand people watching this drivel?" it said.

"Huh?" said Ashley. "Aren't these things, like, meant to speak nicely?"

"Yeah!" said Charlotte, staring the bot down. "Granddad said if you don't do your job they'll punish you!" She peered in the direction of two men, one chubby the other sinewy, leaning back against their van, just itching for a bit of the old ultra-violence. Then back to the selfiebot. "So do what I say or you're fired!"