"I'd better bring Bridget some clothes," Elizabeth said.
"Is my appearance not aesthetically pleasing?" I asked.
"It's not that, Bridget," Mrs. Daniels replied. "Wearing clothing is a societal norm; outside the house, you would be treated like a criminal if people saw you."
"I understand. I will wear clothing from now on."
Once I was dressed, the family showed me around the house. They began with one room in particular. "We had been using this as a guest room," Mrs. Daniels said. "Now, Bridget, it's yours."
"What do I do in here?"
"You'll spend most of your time in here in sleep mode," Dr. Daniels replied. "We enter a dormant state each night, so you should, too."
He gave me a small box, inside of which were two devices. "Hearing aids, Daddy?" Elizabeth asked. "Couldn't you give her working ears?"
"I assure you, Bridget's auditory sensors are functioning quite well," Dr. Daniels explained. "These look like hearing aids, but they're actually ion batteries. You'll charge them every day; then, at night, you insert them into your ears, and they will recharge you overnight. Beyond that, your sleep mode should be a dormant state: you can set your systems to reactivate you in the morning. I would recommend your sleep mode be about eight hours long."
Once my room was set up, they familiarized me with the various devices I would be using in my duties. My first task was helping Mrs. Daniels prepare supper, while Elizabeth and Lance set the table.
When it was time to serve supper, I was surprised to find a fifth place setting. "Who is this for?" I asked.
"It's for you, Bridget," Dr. Daniels replied. "I put in an artificial stomach. Food and drink won't fuel you as they do for us, but you can participate in the communal bonding experience that is mealtime. What you eat and drink will be broken down into a slurry, which you can express from your body at a later time."
"Fascinating."
For my first meal, I copied what the family did. The inside of my mouth had sensors and analyzers that told me how the cooking process affected the food.
After supper, Elizabeth and Lance took care of the dishes, as the family rules said that those who cooked didn't wash dishes. I used this time to learn about blinking. Once it was explained to me, I set up a blinking protocol; I blinked once every four seconds, though I could suspend this if necessary.
That night, I began developing my sleep protocol.
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