“I welded it this morning while you were sleeping,” the robot said, picking up on Roy’s orneriness and getting to the point, “There’s no need to get all… ‘hysterical,’ ” it emphasized both in tone and by raising its arms over its head and not so unsubtly waving them back and forth in unison; its apparent representation of ‘Humanized Hysteria.’

The movements, while seemingly mocking, being coupled with a direct answer to his query, indicated to Roy the robot’s seeming lack of concern for his wellbeing might be shifting. “I’m not hysterical,” he replied.

“Really? Because the rise in your blood pressure and pinking of your lips would indicate otherwise-”

“The pinking of my- Would you just-“ Roy closed his...

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