Sterling's Mansion II

	They gathered in a small corner of the warehouse, Amy cracking jokes with the laborers who she’d come to know during her time there as the three made their way to a small garage. A lavish little space was set up for the man inside, his dark shades and messy blonde hair hanging over an enthusiastic, young face. Turning out through the glass he spotted the dawdling robots, smiling in surprise as he waved them into his office.
	“Hello, girls! Welcome, welcome,” he started happily, shaking each of their hands. “I’m Dr. William Fontaine Fantastique, an expert in all the arts and sciences phantasmical, paranormal, post-mortal, and non-corporeal!”
	“Wow, a real doctor! A pleasure mister,” Amy chimed in.
	“Sterling chose… you. You, of all people,” Avery added. “Are you even qualified in this, at all? Like, in even the slightest sense?”
	“Sterling asked me if I had a degree in Theoretical Paranormology,” he smiled. “I told him I had a theoretical degree in paranormology.”
	“Oh, lovely,” Cassy said then. “So you’ll be the one sending us into this mansion? How do you plan on having us catch ghosts?”
	“Glad you asked, dear! You see I’ve produced a phenomenal, patent-pending, ghost-catching method incapable of failure,” he beamed. He produced a garish apparatus, shoulder straps slung from either side along a long snaking hose and nozzle. “This back-mounted, forward-facing, suction-driven ghost-capture device is proven through the most phenomenal and real means to be the greatest ghost capture device on the mark-”
	“It’s a vacuum,” Avery laughed. “A vacuum!”
	“My lady this is no vacuum,” he said, incredulous. “I’ll have you know this device is the utmost in paranormal capture machinery, and can release a captured ghost from the immortal immaterial coil unto the world beyond!”
	“That’s lovely, sir,” Cassy started. “But I believe we’re to be off soon, so if we could-”
	“Oh there’s more! You see ghosts often react negatively to familiar items, and your maid outfits are too risky, so these modernist, minimalist uniforms will be perfect for you,” he said, producing a trio of beige jumpsuits.
	“You’re kidding, right,” said Avery.
	“I know! That’s such a poor color, and that material is awful,” Amy added. “You really should focus on ghosts mister.”
	“I’ll… take that into consideration, ma’am,” he said, falling into a discouraged silence. Cassy hummed and drummed in her lap. “Well, we should be on our way, at any rate. This way ladies.” A short change of outfit later the girls were outfitted for their expedition, the man ushering them forward into a fine, antique car - Sterling would spare no expense for whatever suited his fancy. The three robots departed into the thundering skies beyond, rain ricocheting off the metal roof while the girls stirred in the backseat.
	A long ride out into the country later and the girls had arrived, the rain lashing the car’s sides as the storm deepened. The three stepped out in a neat line and were immediately drenched from head to toe, mercifully saved by their water-proof casings. Fantastique had regaled them with Sterling’s own observations in the mansion and produced his own ‘info-zines’ on the previous occupants and their personalities. Photos of the mansion were very much flattering to the dismal state of the building the three nandroids were approaching. The gravel pathway squelched underfoot and sucked on their boots as they wormed between puddles nearer the wet-warped front door. The little triplet of robots clustered together on the front step, sheltering underneath the porch roof as they flipped through floor plans, historical records and more.
	“Time to go, girls,” Cassy said, producing the key Fantastique had given them. “Let’s get this over with okay?”
	“Okay,” Amy cheered, bobbing up and down as the other two watched. “What should I do?” Avery and Cassy looked to each other, the one with the vacuum and the other with the map. Cassy dug in her pockets and handed the ghost profiles, more like brochures, really, to Amy.
	“Amy, you’re in charge of these,” she said slowly. “We need you to teach Avery and I all about ghosts and catching them, okay?”
	“Yes ma’am,” the third robot saluted.
	“Well, no use mucking about here,” Avery said. Cassy nodded and the three proceeded into the mansion.