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“By all means.” Andrew’s words didn’t match the twitch to his expression. He wasannoyedbut still willing to entertain Milo.

“Was this bot also yours once?” Milo gestured back at the dormant model.

Andrew leaned around Milo to look at the bot, revealing no reaction when he saw it, just ambivalence. “I suppose it was.”

“Is it a particular personal bodyguard model?”

“I use it as a bodyguard and assistant, yes. Is that your question?” Andrew raised what Milo could only interpret as a condescending eyebrow.

Milo also refrained from flinching again at the use of “it,” but these bots weren’t able to choose what they preferred yet. “Then… you replaced this one that Troy is working on with that new one beside you? Why? They look identical.”

Milo could feel Rowan and Troy’s eyes on him, boring into the side of his head like he had said something dangerous and terrible, but it was a harmless enough question.

Wasn’t it?

Andrew’s smile and non-smiling eyes remained deeply disquieting. “Ray there was from the very first line of B-modelbots. Jay is the newest. The original line would not have been able to keep up with future upgrades. You understand.”

Milo tilted his head. “Forgive me, Andrew, but I don’t think I do.”

Andrew’s smile turned somehow worse, still there, still wide, stillwrong, as he stepped closer to Milo. “You really arefeeling, aren’t you? Sympathy? Fear? Self-preservation maybe? Don’t worry, Milo. You are beyond upgrades now. We are going to be able to do so many amazing things together because of you for years to come.”

He reached over and clamped his hand down on Milo’s shoulder. It wasn’t overly firm, no different from his handshake really, but while such gestures were often used to comfort, Milo did not feel comforted.

Although he did feel slightly better after Andrew removed his hand.

“Keep me posted, Dr. Palmer.” Andrew turned to the others. “Mr. Rangecroft, let’s take a walk to discuss that surge protector while these two work, shall we?”

“Y-yes, Director!” Rowan hurried forward to follow Andrew and his bot as both turned for the door, passing Milo a concerned expression as he did, not necessarily noticeable to anyone else, but the pinch to his brow was unmistakable with how well Milo knew him.

Milo smiled and nodded to reassure Rowan. He was fine being left alone with Troy. If he had to be alone with Andrew, he might have felt differently.

Milo did not like Andrew. He knew it would be rude and cause trouble if he admitted that, but unlike the genuineness Milo appreciated in others and strove to emulate, Andrew’s eyeslied. Milo wasn’t certain about what exactly, but he did not like it one bit.

Maybe it was just how Andrew looked. Or how CEOs and other high-ranking business professionals looked. There was extensive evidence through photographs, video, and interviews that rarely depicted such people asnotbeing creepy.

“Don’t worry, Milo,” Troy said after Rowan and the director—and his duplicated bot—had left. Andrew had said those exact same words, but at least from Troy, Milo believed them.

He turned to look at the engineer, who might have been meek in Andrew’s presence but was back to jubilant with his absence.

“Today is going to be fun! We get to start our research with full company backing, you and I get to learn more about each other, and maybe someday very soon we’ll get to meet the real Ray here if we can replicate what happened to you. Sound good?”

That did comfort Milo. After all, if Ray became real like he did, no one could throw him away again.

Strengthening his dwindled smile, Milo joined Troy beside the dormant bot.

“Sounds wonderful, Troy. Do you need me to undress to Ray’s level and sit on the opposing table?”

“Yes, please. Unless stripping down makes you uncomfortable?” Troy asked withgenuineconcern, just like Rowan had displayed. Milo didn’t think Troy could make his eyes lie if he tried to.

“It’s fine. Like a doctor’s exam, yes? Although please warn me if you need access to anything beneath my underwear.” As Milo began to undress, Troy’s cheeks turned a very bright vermillion.

“Oh, I won’t! Or… shouldn’t? I won’t say any absolutes other than Iwillwarn you. Ask you, I mean! Consent is very important if you haven’t yet learned—”

“I am familiar with consent, Troy, thank you. I appreciate that. Rowan has been adamant about teaching me about it too, especially in practice.” Milo was down to his underwear quickly and realized as he sat on the empty table beside Ray’s that Troywas staring at him. Not at his body or in any leering way like Ruben’s artist lover had, but in… shock?

Oh no! Milo wasn’t supposed to allude to he and Rowan sleeping together!

“Please don’t tell Rowan I said that. What Imeantwas… um…”