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Troy nodded and blurted out in a rush much like Rowan’s word vomit to Raina. “The director donated his previous bot for R&D research, which I was using to test some of my theories around Milo, but Ray here is still connected to the same Cloud as the director’s current bot, Jay, which I didn’t know, I swear, but because of that connection, the director learned everything with his bot’s diagnostics report this morning. All of my research. All of my notes on Milo. Everything.”

Rowan was sofucked.

At least he’d been right that Andrew’s personal bot was originally named Ray. He actually replaced him and named the new one Jay? That somehow seemed very twisted.

“How did you find out he’d learned everything?” Rowan asked.

“Director Andreas messaged me before I messaged you.”

“How did you respond?”

“I said we weren’t trying to hide anything from him! We were just waiting to bring to him all of the data after we confirmed what happened.”

“And how didherespond to that?”

“He… hasn’t?” Troy said like a question.

Rowan wasbeyondfucked. “I need to head this off. Message the director first before he messages me and—”

“And what, Mr. Rangecroft?”

Now it was Rowan’s turn to spin around at a surprise entrance, discovering Andrew and his bot Jay having beaten him to the punch. It was also incredibly off-putting to see Jay standing right between them after seeing Ray, especially given the director had made the new bot look identical to the first, with the same green eyes and dark hair speckled with gray.

Creepy.

Rowan thought he heard Troy squeak behind him and very possibly shift so he was hidden behind Rowan’s larger size. Why couldn’t Rowan have asked for help fromanyother engineer?

“Director Andeas, I can explain—”

“I heard your explanation, Mr. Rangecroft. But even if I hadn’t, rest assured, I am not upset.”

“You’re… not?” Rowan supposed the director didn’t look upset, but he was difficult to read on a good day. This was decidedly a very bad day, but… maybe wasn’t?

“I’m not upset at all,” Andrew confirmed, continuing to approach Rowan with his bot close by, neither of which looked concerned nor seemed to care about Jay’s twin sitting on the table behind Rowan. “This is truly fantastic news.” Andrew grinned, eerily wide, almost to the point of being chilling. “Fantastic for all of us.”

“Milo, I’m home!’

“In the kitchen, Rowan! And it isnota mess this time, I assure you!”

Rowan had been assured of a lot of things today. He didn’t think he fully believed any of them—least of all that Milo hadn’t made a mess again until he saw so for himself.

On the surface, it had seemed like Andrew was pleased by this turn of events. He hadn’t acted like he was angry for the subterfuge. It had only been a couple days’ worth of keeping the secret, and all during weekend hours. Once Rowan had sworn up and down that he and Troy had only been waiting until they knew more before bringing their discovery to him, Andrew had expressed excitement not only for the surge protector like originally discussed, but the possibility of bot singularity being recreated.

His only stipulation was that Rowan and Troy not tell anyone else until their research was complete and the process duplicated.

“You are certain the bot is alive and not merely following some advanced programming?”

“I prefer to not deal in absolutes, Director,” Rowan had explained, “but I am 99% certain. I’ve never encountered a bot like Milo before. He feels, both physically and emotionally. He thinks for himself. He has likes and dislikes. He is a wholly independent person now.”

“Fascinating. I can’t wait to meet him.” The director had given that same unsettling grin. It was probably just how his face was when he was excited. Hopefully. “You didn’t bring him in with you today?”

“No, sorry. I wanted to prepare everything for the surge protector first and check in with Troy. We didn’t want to bring any of this to your attention if we proved to be wrong. But we’re not. I promise you, Director, Milo is alive.”

“Wonderful. Then we will be discussing your surge protector today, but tomorrow, I expect you to bring this Milo in with you. Understood?”

Rowan had agreed. It had always been the eventual plan, but he had been reluctant to share Milo when he didn’t know where all of this might lead. It seemed like a good thing now. Milo wanted other bots to experience what he had, and the director said he wanted that too. It was a win-win.

Right?