J-289 listened to it's girlfriend and owner's conversation, processing each word both as the Drone and the remnants of Jon's human mind, now trapped and buried underneath programming. The robot portion checked its databanks for what Owner Zoe was saying, and made sure the information was correct.
The Jon portion grew increasingly worried, as it realized that no one had any recollection of the human named Jon Gibson. If no one knew that it was trapped inside this metal body, no one could help it transform back.
While all this happened, two task items appeared in J-289's HUD. The first was "Help Mrs. Gibson Make Dinner" and the second "Locate and Procure Suitable Coverings." They were listed serially, and J-289 performed its first task.
According to its databanks, Mrs. Gibson preferred to do much of the cooking, reserving J-289 to more mundane tasks, primarily bringing out ingredients and utensils, and cleaning the same. Once dinner was completed, it would clean up the kitchen and dinner table. This was a Background Task, and would only be completed when J-289 had no other pending tasks in its ledger.
While Mrs. Gibson and J-289 prepared dinner, a pasta and chicken dish that had been one of Jon's favorites, Mrs. Gibson recounted her workday. The Drone activated a small talk subroutine as this happened, and made small comments that encouraged the conversation to continue. It also added each detail recounted to it to its databanks. The file related to Mrs. Gibson was larger than all the others combined, and J-289 knew more about her workplace than Jon knew about his school.
And then J-289 noticed that it was transmitting this file across the internet. It recognized the server as the E-Life servers that J-289 would connect to for software and leasing updates. The insidiousness of the action was lost on the Drone as it dutifully continued its task.
Soon, dinner was in the oven and ingredients put away. With the first task complete, J-289 cycled to the second, "Locate and Procure Suitable Coverings."
"Mrs. Gibson, I will Locate and Procure Suitable Coverings now, and will return when you are seated for dinner."
"Oh!" Mrs. Gibson said, as if she had forgotten the Task, "Absolutely, go ahead. You can rummage through my closet and dresser."
J-289 acknowledged it's owner walked to Mrs. Gibson's room. She passed Zoe and Karyn along the way. Both of them sat on the couch, interacting with their phones.
"Where are you going, J-289?" Zoe asked.
J-289 stopped and turned to its Owner and Girlfriend, "To Locate and Procure Suitable Coverings." It said rotely, and Jon anguished inside at the phrase. It was mortified that not only was it trapped as a female Drone, it would be forced to wear female clothes -- it's mothers clothes, no less!
"Can I help pick them out?" Karyn asked. Zoe snorted at the suggestion, but J-289 nodded,
"Of course, Karyn, you may help pick out my coverings." J-289's girlfriend jumped up and followed the drone upstairs and toward Mrs. Gibson's room. It was the first time J-289 and Karyn were alone. While J-289 went to Mrs. Gibson's closet, Karyn checked the hallway and then closed the door.
"J-289 I have a question. Can you call me, I mean, could you . . . when we're alone and only when we're alone, could you designate me as K-25?"
J-289 responded without pausing, "Of course, K-25."
Karyn half smiled, half-laughed, "Oh, God. Ok. Um. Well, it's more than that." J-289 noted that K-25 was fidgeting with her hands, a physical sign of anxiety. As K-25's girlfriend, J-289 was obligated to help reduce stress.
"K-25, please do not worry. You can tell this unit anything."
"When we're alone, and only when we're alone, could you act as if, or treat me like I was a drone, too?"
"This unit does not understand, K-25."
"I . . . oh, God, this is nuts. . . I have this fantasy about being a drone. So, can you treat me like I was a drone? Or, maybe, tell me how to act like a drone?"
Before J-289 responded, it opened the file it had for K-25, aka Karyn Wells, which it updated to add SUBJECT INTERESTING IN ROBOTIFICATION The update was sent to the E-Life servers in .15 Milliseconds, and then J-289 responded to K-25's queries . . .
