Bradley

The order came in from New San Francisco and the U.S home of a man called Anderson Cale. A wealthy businessman who had made his billions through terraforming uninhabitated worlds just beyond the reaches of our solar system. Although man's steps out amongst the stars had been tentative to say the least, when they eventually got there they would find all of Cale's worlds waiting for them such was the plan.

Bradley remembered listening to Cale as he had explained his reasons for not having a robot in the house earlier. In the briefest instant he had accessed the relevant memory cell which contained the words he wanted.

Cale had spoke in haughty tones at the dinner table with guests either side, hanging on his every word. Bradley meanwhile had stood attentively in the doorway as per instruction, on hand if anything should be needed.

"I have to say Bradley's pretty good, he's been with us a while now and I can't find fault with him. He helps me with my work and sometimes even accompanies me on trips off world. He's invaluable to my wife Eve in the respect that he takes care of all the day to day stuff that she could do without doing. Most of all though he's good company for little Eliah."

A voice from the other end of the table spoke in somewhat concerned tones, "You let your child spend time with a robot?"

Cale paused briefly before replying, "This is 2096, not 1996 for goodness sake. Bradley's an eight series unit, like all the models before him he runs with the three laws constantly in mind. He's a learning computer that's programmed to have the best interests of its owners at heart."

A woman at the side of the table called Julia Rhodes, a seismologist from Europe, "I see what you're saying Mr Cale but can a machine supply the stimulation that a child needs?"

Cale was enjoying the challenge of conversation by now and even Bradley noticed his own internal systems had began to perform a little faster. Bradley scanned his own diagnostic database for a reason but the cross referencing link only took him to his Human Physiology Database and a reference to "blushing".

Cale by now was in full flow and everyone including Bradley was all ears. "This fella here is pretty much perfect companionship for my boy when me and Eve aren't around," said Cale cocking a thumb at Bradley, "He doesn't get bored or tired and the more he learns about his subject, the more he desires to teach within his boundaries."

Bradley suddenly snapped back from his memory. Yet another diagnostic had been performed and it had revealed a slightly low power reading on one of his synaptic couplings.

In an instant Bradley rectified the problem and allowed himself time to reflect and analyse the image from memory which had just been moving through his artificial mind.

If his services were so effective, then why was he disassembled and put away inside a container? Bradley processed the information as he always did and came to the conclusion that it was no longer important.

In Bradley's electronic eyes very little was important now. Before he had stopped counting the days and hours since his imprisonment, he had been inside the container for over five years. He reasoned that in those five years there was a good chance that technology had overtaken him and he was now an outdated model. If he was ever retrieved, the odds were he would be recycled.