Roy only shook his head, continuing on with what passed for a hobby a man shouldn’t necessarily feel ashamed to take part in.

“How embarrassed are you right now,” the robot added, still searching for a reaction.

Roy looked up from his antiquated practice of Parravano’s ‘Pragmatic vs. Paltry Petal Placement,’ –circa the aught and XXVI copyright reissue/reprint– his casual gestures towards the robot with the shears quite indicative of a pacifist’s and honed and homing in on Parravano’s. “Did you ever consider, perhaps those results were actually from your arm and that you have higher than recommended levels of gut fauna commingled in with the grease that lubricates your various insides?”

The robot pushed away from the...

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