SARAH had to hear about Callister Raynes secondhand. Zoe picked up Puck and played with his catnip toy in front of the cat's nose while explaining everything that had happened.

Callister Raynes, artificial intelligence.

Created by Nathan Stark.

SARAH reports in for her weekly conference call at Global Dynamics a day early.

The only systems SARAH left online and in active use after Demeter's visit were her external sensors (can't turn those off in Milliways after all, and she shouldn't go back before the diagnostics are run) and internal airflow for Puck and Lysander, who are both asleep soundly under Zoe's bed ( Read more... )

( Large picture file. Don't judge me. )

Hellboy and Liz returned several days after SARAH's very serious approval process with a large cage, which is placed on the floor to the left of the couch as Hellboy hands over a sheaf of paperwork in a folder to Zoe - what veterinary records the two kittens have thus far. They are both too young to yet be neutered; SARAH will investigate and sort ( Read more... )

It's not on any kind of schedule, but SARAH's calls in to Stark's office have become regular enough that Fargo stopped questioning why Sheriff Carter would be calling Global Dynamics from his home in the middle of the workday.

"Do I have a budget?" SARAH asks after a short exchange of pleasantries.

Smart houses are not good for small talk anyway.

The steel door arrives in Milliways silently, just as it normally does.

When the door swings open, an echo of a concerned "Zoe, will you please put away your shoes before the visitors arrive?" carries up the concrete staircase.

There's no audible reply.

Eyerolling is blissfully a silent activity.

It's the weekend.

"Is Pilar staying here to study or are you going over to her house, Zoe?"

It's an honest question.

SARAH hasn't hosted a party in awhile, so she arrives in Milliways, Zoe inside, about thirty minutes earlier than actually needed. Zoe talked SARAH out of decorating, but she spent most of the previous evening reworking the color gradients of the wall panels to run from a red fade all the way through to violet in soft patterns around those that ( Read more... )

SARAH's door opens where it usually does, thrown wide like usual, lights on but dimmed.

Like usual.

There's not much variation, when you have a purpose in existence as...structured, as SARAH does.

Both Sheriff Carter and Zoe know that SARAH is now a far higher priority in the grand scheme of Global Dynamics than she had been in months previous.

Out of deference, SARAH waits until Jack and Zoe are out of the house for the day before attempting to connect through the appropriate channels.

"Doctor Stark?" Fargo asks timidly. "I think Sheriff ( Read more... )