Alicia knew that it was probably a bad call on her part to leave the man alone on his first day but she had been running late for a meeting. She made a quick mental note of checking with him later in the day, see how things went and maybe show him around the rest of the facility. She pondered over the reports she had handed out to him, ticking all the boxes in her head. Even though the report had stayed the same through the last ten applicants, she had made it a point to look it over this morning regardless.<br/><br/>There were all the usual things in there, her answers scribbled in block letters.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;">Name of Prototype: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Unavailable  </strong></span></span><br/>Model Type: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Machine, AI Serial: M-X-531 </strong></span></span><br/>Description: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Prototype is a geodesic sphere consisting of smart nanotechnology, capable of analyzing user profile. Central core a.k.a the brain has ability to shift location. </strong></span></span><br/>Sentience Level: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><del>Insentient</del> Showed signs of sentience in third quarter </strong></span></span><br/>Application: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Will have the ability to control all electronic devices according to needs of the user. </strong></span></span><br/>Threat Level: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Dormancy for first two years, alert level increased after death of personnel this month. Security enhanced. </strong></span></span><br/>Known Sentience Abilities: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Can mimic sounds and movements of target. Direct contact highly discouraged. Analysts have reported hallucinatory incidents – no evidence collected so far. </strong></span></span><br/>Precautions: <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Yellow marker outside door disconnects connection with specimen – high frequency sounds temporarily allow it to be shut down, gives buffer of five seconds before reboot. </strong></span></span><br/>Status:   <span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Evolution</strong></span></span> </span><br/><br/>The pages following it included redacted information regarding its operation and termination. The ink on the last line had still not dried out where Alicia had scribbled in,<em><strong>“Exercise caution. Termination deemed impossible”.</strong></em><br/><br/>The specimen was contained in a concreted room, panels of which stretched from the floor to the ceiling, where twisted pipes lined like artificial veins. The grey of the walls were diffused and mottled with tube lights overhead as the only source of lighting in the room. In the center of the room, visible to all stood the bright red sphere hovering a few feet from the ground and that was surrounded by laser weapons, readied in case of an untoward situation. The developers had considered it a necessary addition, Alicia thought it was unneeded.<br/><br/>The guards followed the man inside, lazily taking their positions near the door. The room was hauntingly still, the only sounds coming from the monitor – the occasional beeps which recorded passage of time, but then the beeping immediately stopped, heightening the stillness. Confusion spread over the guards faces as they turned to look at each other, their hands moving to the holsters.<br/><br/>A voice perfectly mirroring Graham’s own then spoke,<strong>“Hello Graham. At last, we meet”</strong><br/>