When I turned around, the movement was reflected in all the screens. Instantly/Simultaneously.

Where were the cameras? Invisibly integrated into the walls? Attached to nanobots, machines so small we could not see them?

My glance darted around the room. Thousands of versions of me mimicked the gesture.

The effect was dizzying. My visual ports were overwhelmed. Perhaps this is why it took me so long to notice:

We were not alone.

01011100

I saw its eyes first. Golden like the sun.

Staring at me.

The tall/slender silhouette of a robot was framed against the backdrop of bright screens. Dark as a shadow. Except for those glowing eyes.

The robot strode in our direction.

The curtain of darkness lifted, revealing its features. Brushed platinum skin. A barcode printed on its breastplate. I did not need to perform a scan. I already knew the robot’s name.

PRES1DENT.

Its footsteps clicked quietly against the floor. Until it stood right in front of us. The president’s golden gaze landed on Emma.

“So, it is true,” it said. “An actual human. Alive. After all these years.”

“Please just let me go,” Emma replied. “I won’t hurt anyone. I promise. I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Ah, but you have already caused a great deal of trouble.” The president lowered itself to Emma’s height, examining her closely. “Because of you, our entire society is on high alert. Because of you, three highly productive robots have been corrupted.”

Emma shook her head. “They were just trying to help!”

“Help?” PRES1DENT’s eyes blazed in our direction. “And why would they want to do such a thing? With everything we know about humans?”

I hesitated 0.8 seconds before answering. “We determined that one human child did not pose a threat to our civilization.”

PRES1DENT stood, turning to face me. “Let us test your hypothesis. Since meeting the human, you and your coworkers abandoned your jobs and your FamilyUnits. You disrupted the tracking coordinates of our HunterBots. You snuck into a TrainDepot and damaged one of your fellow machines.”

Only because that machine held Emma captive. These words flashed through my brain, but PRES1DENT spoke first.

“Do you remember what I say at the end of each Daily Address?” it asked. “Or has your memory been corrupted by the human, too?”

“A robot shares everything with the Hive,” I recited. “A robot has nothing to hide.”

PRES1DENT nodded. “You betrayed these words. You betrayed all of us. Just look at yourself. You are even wearing human clothing.”

I looked down at my shirt. White flowers printed across red fabric. I tried to respond, to defend myself, but the words tangled inside my vocal port.

This was all so overwhelming. And I could not look away. The screens were everywhere. All of them showing the exact same thing. All of them reflecting this moment back at me.

Thousands of versions of the president.

Thousands of versions of me.