Dinner on Wednesday was pizza again. Despite James’ protest, Mr. Aldridge insisted an order be placed to celebrate. He’d just passed one of the more difficult examinations for his psychology studies.

“I’m halfway done, can you believe it?” His heart rate and blood pressure were elevated again, but this time, they indicated happiness and excitement. James noted it in Mr. Aldridge’s health file.

Mrs. Aldridge smiled. Her heart rate remained steady.

“Two more semesters and I can start interning at clinics. Goodbye runtime errors, so long syntax, semi colons, and goddamn end brackets. I can’t wait!”

“So did you hear the rumors?”

“What rumors?”

“Apparently there are sentient robots walking around Sally’s Grocery. The whole neighborhood is talking about it.”

“That’s ridiculous. Robots aren’t sentient.”

“Well, these ones give a pretty good impression of it. Take a look.” She passed Mr. Aldridge her phone. A video played automatically with lots of background noise. “What do you make of it?”

Mr. Aldridge frowned. “Nothing,” he said, passing the phone back to Mrs. Aldridge.

“You’re not at all concerned?”

Mr. Aldridge took a large bite of pizza and said around the mouthful, “Nope.”

Mrs. Aldridge dropped her salad fork onto the table. “Alex Nathaniel Aldridge! What have you done?”

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