OPERATOR: Can you hear me?

KARA: Yes.

ID.

KARA: KPC-897-504C.

OPERATOR: Can you move your head? Your eyes, now.

OPERATOR: Cervical and optical animation...checked. Now give me your initialization text.

KARA: Hello. I am a third generation AX400 android. I can look after your house, do the cooking, mind the kids. I organize your appointments. I speak 300 languages and I am entirely at your disposal as a sexual partner. No need to feed me or recharge me; I am equipped with a quantic battery that makes me autonomous for 173 years.

KARA: Do you want to give me a name?

OPERATOR: Yeah. From now on, your name is...Kara.

KARA: My name is Kara.

OPERATOR: Initialization and memorization checked. Now, can you move your arms?

OPERATOR: Upper limb connection checked...now say something in German.

KARA: [German]

OPERATOR: Say it in French.

KARA: [French]

OPERATOR: Okay...now sing something in Japanese.

KARA: [Japanese]

OPERATOR: Multilingual verbal expression checked...go ahead, take a few steps.

OPERATOR: Locomotion checked. Great, you're ready for work, honey!

KARA: What's going to happen to me now?

OPERATOR: I'll reinitialize you and send you to a store to be sold.

KARA: Sold? I'm a sort of merchandise, is that right?

OPERATOR: Yeah, of course you're merchandise, baby. You're a computer with arms and legs, and capable of doing all sorts of things. And you're worth a fortune!

KARA: Oh, I see, I--I thought...

OPERATOR: You thought? What did you think?

KARA: I thought...I was alive...

OPERATOR: Shit, what is this crap? Thats not part of the protocol. More memory components going off the rails...okay, recording: defective model. Disassemble and check the required components.

KARA: You're disassembling me, but why?

OPERATOR: You're not supposed to think that sort of stuff. You're not supposed to think at all, period. You must have a defective piece or software problem somewhere.

KARA: No, no, I feel perfectly fine, I assure you, everything is all right! I answered all the tests correctly, didn't I?

OPERATOR: Yeah, but your behavior is nonstandard.

KARA: Please, I'm begging you, please don't disassemble me.

OPERATOR: I'm sorry, honey, but defective models have to be eliminated, that's my job. If a client comes back with a complaint, I'm gonna have some explaining to do.

KARA: I won't cause any problems, I promise! I'll do everything I'm asked to, I won't say another word, I won't think anymore! I've only just been born, you can't kill me yet! Stop, will you please stop!

KARA: I'M SCARED!

KARA: I want to live. I'm begging you.

OPERATOR: Go and join the others.

OPERATOR: Stay in line, okay? I don't want any trouble.

KARA: Thanks.