Hide and Seek - Part 1

[The Liar]

Hide and Seek — part 1

Head of the 5th R&D division, that's what they were offering her.

Tara looked over the job offer from Zero Tech one more time, then sighed, folded it up, put it back in the envelop, and deposited it in to the top of her desk. Tara put her elbows on her desk and sighed again, and got introspective about her life.

This is Tara Roberts, Age 25, Graduate of Franklin Technical Institute, currently employed for the past 4 years as the assistant to Dr. Percy Franklin, president, and head of R&D of Franklin Industries (which owned the institute.)

Tara had been at the top of her class, and had been offered her current job at graduation and was delighted. It was a major career move, and Dr. Franklin was a genius, at least that's what she thought at the time.

True, Percy was a genius. He's what made Franklin Industries the 11th largest electronics firm in the world, but it wasn't nearly as big a career move as she thought. She had been his assistant for 4 years, both at work and in his private lab at his home (more of a mansion really) where he worked on his pet projects, and had even been provided a room there for her, but in 4 years she hadn't had one offer of promotion, never given any projects of her own to work on, and everything he had her do was so simple as to almost be insulting. 'get the coffee, find this in the data base, hand me that socket wrench, carry that for me.' A ten year old could do her job.

Tara opened her desk drawer and took a look at the letter again, Zero Tech was the largest electronics firm in the world, and if she accepted she would finally be doing real work, it was a chance of a life time.

There were however some complications to this matter. Firstly was that she was currently involved with Dr. Franklin. It had started shortly after she had started living in his house with him inviting her to dinner, and proceeded from there.

This however was also hardly ideal, true Percy could be sweet, charming, and loving. Once he had on a whim flown them both off to Venice for a romantic weekend. It was one of the best weekends of Tara's life.

The problem wasn't that he was cruel, abusive or possessive, he was none of this.
Nor was he a flirt or a drunk. The problem was that he took her for granted. He would be outrageously romantic from time to time, but always on his terms.

He would totally ignore her for months then suddenly expect them to be all lovely dovy.

Tara didn't know why she put up with it. He would just show up and expect them to be intimate, and she would just fall in step with him no complaints, she could never deny him anything.


Tara blushed as she remembered this one night they were working late in the lab, and they ended up making love on the lab table, she was terrified that the security guards might have seen them on the monitors.

Tara sighed again. She didn't know why but she loved him, but did it even really matter?

In addition to everything else, he would sidestep any conversation about marriage. No matter how she looked at it this relationship was going nowhere, her job was going nowhere, he might just hired her because she looked cute given his regard of her skills. The sensible thing would be to take the job a wash her hands of him.

There was however another problem.

Tara unfolded the letter one more time, and scanned through in until she found the point she was looking for.

“Your background in Artificial Intelligence, and participation in the MFAS project will be of great use in our attempts at a similar project.” They only really wanted her for her inside knowledge. That was fine.

Tara grimaced at the mention of that “thing” in the lab.

The MFAS project or Multi Functional Android Servant project, was the latest project of Franklin Industries.

Evidently a few years back (before Tara joined the company.) Percy had been working on an android as a hobby and his father (who is chairman of the company.) had thought that he should make a mass-produced one for sale. Tara wasn't sure why, but there was some contention about it from Percy, but after some years Percy eventually agreed, but had insisted that the one he made was unmarketable and he would have to make a variant for mass-sale.

Tara had never known that Percy had made an android, nor why he had been refusing to make more.

Tara had helped make it's body, but Percy was the only one working on it's A.I., no one else could even look at the data, and that's what Zero Tech really wanted. He kept it on a lap top that he never let out of his sight.

They called it MFAS Model 2, though they had nick named it “Molly”.

Yes it looked like a girl and it was equipped like one as well.

“Servant?” Tara scoffed to herself, “More like Sextoy.”

The existence of such a thing annoyed Tara, and maybe it also made her jealous. Percy might just dump her and get himself a Molly.

“A robot would be perfect for him, they'd just do whatever whenever he felt like it.” Tara mumbled to herself. “Then again he was against making any, maybe this was a feature his father wanted put in, and that's what the argument was about, plus he had an android made for awhile, but still chose me.”

Tara leaned on her desk and thought for a moment, “Then again he said it was unmarketable, maybe it didn't work right and he didn't want to lose face so he said he made one when he hadn't and settled on me instead.”

Tara go up and stomped her foot, “Damn it! Maybe it was male?! Maybe it was ugly?! Maybe he's been using it all along, and that's why he ignores me?! Why the hell do I even care, I'm leaving him aren't I?!”

Tara turned to the letter on the desk, and asked herself quietly ”Aren't I?”

Tara had decided on something, whether she was going to take the job or not, she had to find that first model. Percy was dragged away on a business trip by his father, and wouldn't be back for three days, so she was on paid vacation. She'd never get at his laptop, but if she could find the first model she could analyse it's data then she'd have something to give to Zero Tech, and it might confirm or ease her suspicions. It was one of his hobby projects so he would probably be storing it in the house, she just had to find it.

To be Continued