Karyn sat down, Jonnie standing up and motionless, waiting for orders. Karyn considered what to do. There had been so many wishes. First of all, Jon had wished himself into a female robot. Fortunately she was able to bluff Sandra by talking as though she owned the robot, so she could get Jon back.
There was an answer, of course: just ask. "I wish I knew what wishes have been made recently."
That wish explained everything. Jon had not wished himself into a girl robot in front of Karyn. Jon had wished himself into a girl in front of Karyn. The robot part came later. Karyn's memory that the robot part happened at the same time was just the stone changing history in a way that still let her know that Jon wasn't a girl.
But everyone else would just think Jon had always been a robot girl.
And the next weird wish was one that sounded the most normal... Jonnie wished that Sandra's car was her car.
Wishes can't be reversed. So after Jon became a robot, Jon still owned the car. But she was a robot.
"Jon... nie," she asked, "how can a robot own anything, let alone a car?"
"Orders not understood."
Karyn sighed. "I order you to answer the question."
"Accepted. This unit is not programmed with that answer."
"What are you programmed with?"
"This unit programmed with memory of Jon and certain basic robot programming."
"Then why aren't you acting like Jon?"
"Programming of Jonnie's personality not loaded."
"Wait, what does 'Jonnie's personality' mean?"
"This unit was programmed with Sandra as owner and had personality that was submissive to Sandra, indicating ownership. When Karyn wished that Sandra is not this unit's owner, this unit's programming in that area was altered."
"Altered? To what?"
"To variant of original Jonnie personality."
"Why aren't you acting like that?"
"Personality not loaded."
"What about your maid programming?"
"Unit has skills of maid and will perform then when ordered to."
"Never mind that. I order you, load Jonnie's personality."
"Working..." Jonnie's eyes stared aheard for several seconds and then she/it blinked. "Thanks, Karyn."
"Are you okay, Jon?"
"Of course I'm okay, but you should call me Jonnie. It feels right."
"Um, how much do you remember?"
"Everything. I was with Sandra and then she wished me into a robot and then I was calling her mistress and then you came and got me...."
Karyn hugged Jonnie. "You sound like Jon again. Except that you're a girl."
"Yeah..."
"So what's the deal with the car? How does a robot own something?"
"I haven't the faintest idea, Karyn. I heard all the wishes, which means I have no idea why anything happened." Jonnie shrugged, the gesture looking completely human if she hadn't had an appliance plugged into her leg. "If I were to guess I'd guess that not everyone knows I'm a robot. I bet I'm officially registered as a human or something like that. Anyway, you got any orders for me?"
"What?"
"I was just asking if you have some orders."
"Jon, think about it. Nobody asks someone else for orders."
Jonnie seemed puzzled. "I guess you're right, I wouldn't have asked for that before, but I want to follow some orders now, so do you have anything?"
"I can't believe this. You've pretty much got your personality but you still have the desires of a robot. If a robot has desires. What am I going to do? Maybe I should make you submissive again. It's weird hearing you ask for orders like you'd ask for a glass of water."
"I don't feel thirsty. It's sort of strange. I feel like... well, not exactly hungry or thirsty, but I want to be plugged in the same way a hungry person wants to eat."
"You're just programmed for that, Jonnie."
"Like you're programmed to want food when you're hungry?"
"I give up. I order you to vacuum the room."
Jonnie took the vacuum cleaner, still plugged into her own leg, and began to vacuum the room again. She looked about as happy as when Jon was playing a video game. Karyn waited and watched, and when she couldn't stand seeing her friend do household chores longer yelled over the sound of the vacuum cleaner, "I order you to stop."
Jonnie turned off the vacuum cleaner and unplugged it.
"You don't want to vacuum any more?"
"Why would I want to vacuum without some reason, like you ordering me to?"
"Fine. Here's my new order. Obey orders from me when you have some, but do away with this 'I need more orders' thing when you don't have any."
"Sure, Karyn."
"All right. I guess I saved you as much as I could... you're a robot girl but you're still my friend. You'd better go home." She handed Jon the stone. "And this is yours." She smiled. "Be glad we're good enough friends that I'm giving you this back. I don't know if your family thinks of you as Jonnie the daughter or Jonnie the maid or if they know you're a robot and you're Jonnie the robot maid. But if you run into any trouble, just wish yourself back here."
"I don't think it's a problem," said Jonnie. "Like I said, they have to think I'm human or I couldn't own anything. Uh, Karyn..." said Jonnie.
"What?"
Jonnie gestured down over her body. "I'm still dressed as a maid."
Karyn giggled. "I guess you are. Now let's see...."
