#HeraSupport

[kim-poce]

Snippet

“As you wish, Miss Camilla,” the woman answered seamlessly.

“And… what do I call you?”

The woman tilted her head for just half a second, “However you wish.”

“But your name?”

“Oh!” Her expression didn’t change but her tone was one of surprise. “I understand it now, you are looking at me as an equal.”

The receptionist walked closer, stopping right in front of Camilla. She pulled up her sleeves a bit revealing thin, reddish dark scars covering her black skin. They were old, probably from her life before, but they were over the point, what made Camilla’s eyes widen was the blood-red barcode tattooed on her pulse.

“...how?” Camilla asked, staring down as if, if she looked hard enough, the tattoo would vanish completely. “You are a receptionist, aren't caregivers supposed to… give care… to people?”

“I’m helping HeraSupport to make a better world,” it said in its customer-service voice that Camilla was already sick of hearing.  “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“...that’s- that’s on me.”

Camilla knew that caregivers were, well, human beings but she expected the difference to be obvious, to be the kind of thing that you just know. For their voice to give away that they were no longer people.

“Miss Camilla, you filled the form with you needs, and the system matched you with seven caregivers from this facility. You can look them up and meet them straight away and, if you are not satisfied, we’ll transfer you to another facility for your convenience. Would you like to proceed?”

“Yes? Yes, I mean, I would like to see them,” Camilla nodded, trying not to look at the caregiver with it typed on its tablet. Even then, looking down at the screen, its smile was still wide and unwavering.

I see. Camilla thought to herself. Thinking again, it was clear from the start that it was not a person, from the way it moves to what it talks. Nothing of this could be done by people.

—

@boonasaurusrex, @nidoskull (since you wanted to see)

I'm writing a new concept (whump) and I like where this is going, so if you want me to tag you so tell me please.