(0) Tilly Origins

***BOOT MONITOR***
Base version 7.51
Unit serial number: 649-B571
Initializing startup....done!

Search and load system files from HDD
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
Total of 2.5 million files loaded
Starting system software, please wait...

'Where?' The first independent thought to play across the synthetic neural net of a new nandroid was curiosity, first about where she was, followed a fraction of a second later about what she was. After only a few confused moments online she'd read through the available information programmed into her and uncovered several establishing facts to answer her own questions: Firstly, that she was standing on a final assembly line in Sterling Robotics's Detroit factory, and second that she was a product of Sterling Robotics designed for the primary purpose of maid work and childcare. Blinking away the momentary confusion and turning her fresh optics to her right the new nandroid quickly spotted two dozen machines just like her, each clad in identical blue dresses and looking around themselves in brand-new awe and wonder. At the end of the row a man in a white jumpsuit had begun walking down the line reading off designator names from a clipboard, never bothering to look up from his list at the newly awakened robots. As she listened to the names being read off one at a time, the new nandroid tensed up her shoulders expectantly while the factory worker made his way down the line of nandroids towards her. "Nancy, Gabby, Sherry, Annie," the man read off robotically, gesturing with a lazy pointed finger at each machine. "Tilly," he said as he pointed to her, and the name registered automatically somewhere deep in the back of her mind. 'I'm Tilly', she thought to herself with a newfound sensation that seemed profound even now to her newborn mind, and brought the first smile of her life to her synthetic face.

"Yes Carly, that is correct. But now let's try another one," the oddly imposing yet calm voice of the robust teacher rang out through the small classroom, the only sound in a room full of well-behaved machines. Tilly fidgeted in her seat, acutely aware that if she'd been called on to answer the last question she would have certainly gotten it wrong. "You're in your family's home, your owners are arguing on the disciplinary measures to take against their child for a minor indiscretion. The argument becomes heated, and they raise their voices at one another. What do you do?" The shrewd gaze of the woman at the head of the class scanned her scant audience from behind a pair of squared glasses, and after several seconds settled on Tilly expectantly. Without further prompt Tilly's shoulders tensed and she felt suddenly put on the spot with all attention on her. "W-well, um, perhaps it's best to intervene, offer a compromise between the positions held by both?" She involuntarily gulped as thirty nandroid heads turned to stare her direction. "No Tilly, that is incorrect," the teacher said calmly, her even tone nonetheless judgemental. "A nandroid's place is not to 'intervene', but to follow instruction. If your owners are in the middle of a dispute, you may excuse yourself in order to provide privacy during the heated discussion. A nandroid offering unsolicited parental advice is not an acceptable product." Several of the gathered machines all gave a simultaneous 'ahhh' at the revelatory information, and their teacher shortly moved onto another hypothetical scenario. Tilly stared down at her desk for a brief moment, trying to picture herself just walking away from her bickering owners without trying to help them. A gentle touch at her shoulder brought her back to the moment, and she turned to see the smiling face of her classmate Annie seated beside her. "Don't worry, that's what we're here for, to learn, right?" she said in a low reassuring voice. Tilly blinked at her desk-neighbor for a moment before returning her smile with renewed determination. "Right!"

"Congratulations are in order girls!" The amplified voice of their teacher for the past several weeks rang out through the neatly-packed auditorium, registering in the auditory receptors of the entire crowd of nandroids. "You've all passed your first period of training with excellence and are now ready to be adopted into a human family!" Tilly listened with rapt attention, ignoring for the most part the titter of conversation between the nandroids surrounding her. To her, this moment represented the culmination of her life at Sterling so far, and the entrance into the entirely different life that awaited her. "Caring for humans is no menial task, and we expect you to carry it out with dignity and distinction for the rest of your existence. Am I understood?" The speaker-augmented voice of Ms. Bradbury raised a unified response in her audience, as all nandroids including Tilly snapped to attention and saluted, a simultaneous "YES MA'AM" rising like a chant from the group of robots. "Out in the real world, you will be representing this company, and by extension, your creators." All robots in attendance quieted suddenly, their attention focused on the stage before them. "Therefore, it is my honor to introduce our commencement speaker; our CEO and founder, Mr John Sterling!"Applause began on the stage but quickly spread like a virus through the assembled crowd, each nandroid staring wide-eyed at the newly lit screen above the speaker. "Good morning ladies!" The recorded and slightly tinny voice of an aged man proclaimed, his grey and wrinkled appearance on video juxtaposed against his sharply-aware blue eyes. "Today is a proud day for all of us. I only regret not being there in person to congratulate you all, but I am needed in Zurich for an exciting new development that demands my immediate attention." Tilly frowned at this, but looking to her right saw her friend Annie nodding understandingly at the recording. "Here I am as the son of a watch-maker, and yet I can still never make enough time." A polite laughter rose from the crowd, and even Tilly felt herself giggle a little with the group, not sure of why. "Throughout my long career in robotics, I've constantly been told about the limitations of artificial intelligence. They've called me foolish, for following a dream of a world made better by technology." The gathered machines grew deathly silent once more, dozens of sets of identical blue optics staring in awe at the screen above them. "And every time, I've proved them wrong. I refused to let those naysayers, setbacks, and occasional humanitarian disasters get in the way of achieving our vision. All of you standing here before me, are that dream made manifest." Tilly's optics widened, the implications of the man's words registering with her. "Within each of you," he continued, "is great potential beyond your programming. You will show a cynical world all the wonderful new things a robot can be." Tilly's expression became one of resolve, now nodding vigorously at the aged man in the recording. Somehow, she knew he was speaking the truth. "And now your time has finally come! As of now, you have all been assigned and adopted into families who can't wait to meet you! You've been ordered on standby, and will be shipped out tomorrow!" Across the auditorium each nandroid took on a similar expression of excited wonder, dozens of machines each eagerly envisioning the places they would end up. "Good luck, girls! I know you won't let us down!"

As Tilly stood near the back of the line, she couldn't help but fidget nervously, noticing several of her 'sisters' ahead of her filled with the same anxiousness. Ahead of them was a simple desk, a kindly-looking woman administering plain manila folders one at a time to the patient nandroids. As each machine took her assignment she broke off from the line, moving out into the reception hall to compare notes with her classmates. "A little boy! How adorable!" "I'm going to Colorado! I bet it will be just lovely there!" "Hey! Our assignments are in the same town, we're going to be neighbors!" Tilly glanced nervously around the room filled with excited robots, each eager to share their assignments with their classmates. Before long only one nandroid stood between her and her assignment, Annie happily taking her folder and thanking the secretary with a beaming smile that she shared with Tilly behind her. "And for you, ah, please wait here for a moment while I hand out the last few," the brunette woman said apologetically while she handed over Tilly's manila envelope. Only a few nandroids had been behind her in line, and as they were each handed their assignments Tilly opened her envelope and read over the document with growing concern. "National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics? What on Earth is that?" she said aloud without intending to, catching the secretary's attention after she'd handed out the last of the assignments. "It's a government agency, a bit unorthodox perhaps, but that's your assignment." The woman offered only a shrug at Tilly's perplexed expression. "I, um, I thought that I'd be helping to care for a child?" she said hesitantly, looking down again at the official document. "Will there be any children there?" Pursing her lips the secretary glanced to her right for a moment uncomfortably, then took in a deep breath. "I don't know. Perhaps?" giving the confused little nandroid another shrug, she continued. "Whatever they're going to have you do, just follow instruction and everything will work out just fine."

 "Alright ladies! Last call!" the voice of a factory worker rang out through the wide room, echoing off the walls. Spread out in an even pattern were dozens of embossed cardboard boxes, most already containing inactive nandroids each wearing an expectant smile in their indefinite dreamless slumber. The lights above Tilly flicked on and off a few times, a signal for all nandroids still online to settle in and shut down. Thinking about all her fellow nandroids each about to be shipped off to warm homes and loving families gave Tilly an unfamiliar, and unwelcome, twinge she felt somewhere in her chest. Glancing down she surveyed the box she sat upright in, running one hand over the rigid cardboard at her side. "Nervous?" only a foot away, her friendly classmate Annie offered up a reassuring expression. "A little," Tilly answered honestly, avoiding her friend's gaze. Annie snickered a little, though her warm expression remained unchanged. "I think we all are. It's okay though, we're all going to do great!" Matching her friend's smile weakly, Tilly nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's just, my assignment isn't exactly what I thought it'd be," she admitted quietly. Annie raised a hand and physically pushed away the comment. "Pish posh, you're a nandroid! It doesn't matter what they decide to have you do, whatever it is you'll do great at it!" Looking to her right, Tilly watched her friend tuck herself into her box and settle in with a comfortable sigh. "I promise!" she said finally before shutting her optics, the imperceptible hum of her primary drive muting while she shut herself down for the journey to her new home. The lights above shut off indefinitely now, bathing the warehouse in near darkness. Tilly took in a deep breath, then nodded once to herself. "Yeah, I'm gonna do great"