The better house keeping project out of the box.
It was ready to go, straight from the box. Regina liked that she only had to make sure it was charged before its first use. Things like that are definitely underrated. And helpful. In fact, that’s why she purchased it. To save time. Regina needed more time. Lately running the hotel was maxing out her schedule. She literally had no time, for anything else.
With this in mind, she had to make a decision. She couldn’t afford to take on an employee. The hotel wasn’t big enough to provide anything other than a modest living. However, it was big enough with its fifteen rooms to require a full-time commitment. One that she struggled to maintain since becoming the owner several years ago. Regina had no children and only one divorce. Therefore, she spent most of her time running the day to day operations of the hotel.
It was a living, and in the holiday season, a better than average living. However, lately, the business has been increasingly steady. Almost like it’s the holiday season all the time. Regina either needs to hire an employee, or work around the clock. Business is steady, but not enough to provide work for a full time employee. It was quite a dilemma, until she saw the commercial. Looking back on it now, that’s when everything changed. The day she saw the commercial.
The Better House Keeping Project
It was late afternoon and she was house keeping in the last room of the day. The TV was on and the commercial began right when Regina put the fresh linens in the bathroom. She remembers standing in the doorway of the bathroom, while watching the commercial. Then she just stared at the TV while an epiphany formed in her mind. Maybe it was more than an epiphany. However the moment felt surreal. That evening Regina bought her very own ACT 5 robot.
In the beginning it was about a little extra help. The laundry, and the details with her own home. She wasn’t in need of a companion. There was too much work to do to spend time chatting up a robot. Or the Autonomous Companion Trainer 5. In fact, she kept it in the laundry room by the office. It seemed like a good idea, she was up at five every morning. It was a hotel after all. Sometimes the guests would check out early.
The extra help in the mornings soon began to make a difference. Before long, Regina had more time in the mornings, and throughout the day. Occasionally she would have conversations with the robot. It was strange how well it seemed to understand her. Furthermore, it could cook. That feature alone was worth the expense of the ACT 5. In fact, she could see some real possibilities.
Out of the Box
Since the day she brought the robot to the hotel, she felt serious nerves about her guests encountering the robot. Would it do something unpredictable? It was in use around the world so the ACT 5 was extremely user friendly. However, after a few days with the robot her fears were easily put aside. The ACT 5 was the epitome of well mannered. In fact, it wasn’t long before the ACT 5 was checking in the guests. Or checking them out in those early mornings.
Overall this decision was tuning out to be one of the best Regina ever made. She had double the free time, and was doing twice the business. Furthermore, she didn’t have any expense with the ACT 5 other than the cost of charging it. She couldn’t help but feel like this investment is going to yield generous returns. At least that was how she felt until she woke up yesterday morning with the robot standing over her bed. It was gazing down at her, but it was utterly silent.
House Keeping
Regina almost fainted from the fright. Furthermore, she was too surprised and stunned to utter even the faintest trace of the scream lodged in her throat. Then without another sound the robot turned and left the room. Regina didn’t know whether to feel relieved or to get out her shotgun. Then her fear activates again, as the robot returns to her room, and closes the door.
For a few moments there is no sound. Just Regina staring at the now terrifying machine. Then it speaks, and everything changes.
“I’m sorry to have frightened you Regina. I was trying to protect you. They returned again, and this time they were trying to take you.” The ACT 5 pauses and seems to listen. Then, “We need to leave, you are not safe here. They are not from this world. There is very little time, but we can talk along the way. We should go now!”
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House keeping