<div class="title">
Hearsay of Time
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Chapter 4: Malfunction
[[Start]]
(set: $name to (prompt: "Your name, please:", "Name Here"))
A letter from you
(click-replace: "A letter from you")[<div class="letter">Christopher,
Meet me at Little Mug after my shift. Don’t come a minute earlier.
Sincerely,
$name</div>]
[[Little Mug]]Coffee swirled around your noses and curled up with you all in Little Mug. You leaned on the counter listening to Cori and Harlow arguing over Robots’ Rights.
“Robots aren’t humans! They are machines! We program them," Harlow stated. She banged her hand on the counter, scaring her neglected cup of coffee.
“We program them to feel! They are self-aware now," Cori explained, throwing his hands in the air and almost falling off the wooden stool, “They are smarter than ever. They form relationships with us and immerse themselves in our social and cultural experiences.”
“No! Cori you’re fooling yourself. It doesn’t matter how smart they get, they’re robots. Yes, robots are amazing in all that they do but they’re not humans. They never can be.” Harlow defended.
[[Ignore your friends and re-read the newspaper your elbows are laying on]]
[[Tell your friends that these issues aren’t important]]You notice the newspaper under your arms and the article that sparked the argument catches your eye.
You (link-reveal: "scan")[
<div class="news">
Westwilde Welcomes Robots?
By Gage Artison
With the Revertist Movement over for 20 years now, new technology is sprouting in Westwilde again. Due to the ban on new technologies and a desire to “go back to the good ol’ days where this country was great”, the Revertist Movement delayed the discussion of Robots in today’s society so much so that media outlets have had to capitalize the “R” in Robots to show respect to this rising population. Though many people think it’s frivolous for Robots to demand such respect and any rights at all, others believe that we must pay treat them as equal as ourselves. But what does that mean for our policies? Who can run for government positions? Who can teach our school children? Who is entitled to certain rights? The list of questions go on for the years humans have ignored to talk about it. Now Mayor Knight is meeting with a representative of Robots for Integration this Thursday to discuss policy changes and engage in this new born discussion. Does Mayor Knight have the right to even have this talk with a Robot without a vote from the people of Westwilde? I guess so. Mayor Knight will be discussing his conversation the following Monday at Town Hall for anyone who desires to know the changes that stalk our future.
</div>
] through the piece one more time but concentrate on one line:
“Now Mayor Knight is meeting with a representative of Robots for Integration this Thursday...”.
This Thursday is today and you knew one person who would be sitting down with the Robot. One person who could change or leave your town policies in place... well at least his dad could. He was coming to meet you at the end of your shift (which was going to end any minute). And...you want to avoid teasing from your friends at any cost because you won't live this down if they knew you were hanging out...together...alone...
[[Hint at friends to leave and wait for Christopher]]
[[Awkwardly hope your friends leave without you telling them ]]
“Can you two stop?” you scolded, “Are Robots’ Rights even something we should be talking about right now? Isn’t they’re anything more important than this?”
They both turn in their seats to give you a mortified look - a look that says *I can’t believe you asked that, $name*.
“I’m sorry I opened my mouth,” you surrender and look down.
[[Ignore your friends and re-read the newspaper your elbows are laying on]] “Hey, I’m going to clock out soon and then I got to get home,” you mention during a pause in their discussion, “Maybe you can talk about this tomorrow when more news comes out.”
“I have to get home anyway. My moms hate it when I skip dinner,” Cori said, sounding annoyed.
“Yeah, I haven’t done any of my homework yet and I probably should get to the library and do that...” Harlow realized and jumped off the stool.
“Bye! I’ll see you tomorrow! Call me if anything,” you say and take their mugs to the sink.
You untie your apron and fold it neatly. You place it in a cubby in the backroom and clock out. You say your goodbyes - well just one to Mr.Greenhill who croakes out one back to you, "Goodbye, $name".
You return to the counter and Christopher has replaced your friends. Your stomach feels fluttery and you’re embarrassed by your feelings.
“Hey $name. What did you want to talk about?” He asked, straight to the point and a bit eager.
[[Tell him what you wanted to talk about]]
You take their mugs back to the kitchen and start to clean up other tables.
“They’re still not leaving,” you frantically think, “why aren’t they leaving?”
You walk back behind the counter where they are.
[[Hint at friends to leave and wait for Christopher]]
[[No they'll go soon]]
You walk with him to your usual spot for sharing secrets: the upstairs library and down the last aisle by a creaky window. He sits a little close and it makes you nervous.
"I-uh I've been thinking about the whole robot thing," you sputter, moving an inch away but masking it as "you're trying to get in a comfortable seating position and not "I'm moving away from you because our knees were touching position".
"You think I should tell my father to cancel the meeting with the Robot?" he asks, "He's gotten so much negative feedback. I'm starting to wonder if it's even a good idea. If he goes through with the meeting, it sets a precedent and it's the first step for Robots' rights but if he cancels it, it's going to take them longer or maybe they won't succeed at all in integrating into our society as equals. Either way, I don't know which is the right decision. What do you think, $name?"
You can hear how distraught he is in his voice. His opinion is important to his father because 1. Christopher was going to take his place someday as Mayor and his father wants to see if he can take on big challenges and 2. this is probably going to be the most important issue in your whole lives. There was a lot riding on his decision but at the same time, there's a lot riding on yours. You know Christopher values your opinion and whatever you choose, there's a good chance he'll agree.
[["Robots should have rights"]]
[["Cancel the meeting. It's for the best"]]
They're still arguing and they're not going to leave anytime soon. Your anxiety spikes up as you see Christopher walking into Little Mug.
"Hey everyone," Christopher greeted sitting on the stool next to Cori.
Cori and Harlow look at you like they've pieced it all together.
"What are you doing here?" Cori asked him, turning in his seat to face him.
"Uh, $name asked to meet me so..." Christopher responded, waiting for me to say something.
Everyone was waiting for you to say something.
[[Hide!]]
[[Shoo them away and know they'll tease you later]]No Hiding! Face your fears!
[[Shoo them away and know they'll tease you later]] “Hey, I’m going to clock out soon,” you mention during the awkward silence, “Maybe we can continue our talk about this tomorrow when more news comes out.”
“I have to get home anyway. My moms hate it when I skip dinner,” Cori said, sounding suspicious of our rendezvous.
“Yeah, I haven’t done any of my homework yet and I probably should get to the library and do that...” Harlow realized and jumped off the stool.
“Bye! I’ll see you tomorrow! Call me if anything,” you say and watch them leave, "Christopher, I'm going to clock out."
He smiles in agreement and you take their mugs back to the sink. You untie your apron and fold it neatly. You place it in a cubby in the backroom and clock out. You say your goodbyes - well just one to your boss, Mr.Greenhill, who croakes out one back to you, "Goodbye, $name".
You return to the counter where Christopher is waiting for you. Your stomach feels fluttery and you’re embarrassed by your feelings.
"What did you want to talk about, $name?” He asked, straight to the point and a bit eager.
[[Tell him what you wanted to talk about]]
Engage in meaningless banter "Don't cancel the meeting," you say firmly.
And those four words are the beginning to the *real* story. "Cancel the meeting," you say firmly, "It's for the best."
And your decision is the beginning to the *real* story.