Airborne cameras flash scenic views over the growing municipality of Mustelapolis while elevator music sounds in the background. The opening scenes then give way to profile shots of the starring anchor sims and reporters, each of them flashing a professional smile for the camera. The music reaches a crescendo, then disengages, and the viewers are greeted by the face of the acting anchor sim, who in this case is a black-haired sim woman of about thirty years.

"Good evening, I'm Sarah Fogarty and this is Channel 137: News at Eleven." She smiles, and rests her hands over a small stack of papers. "Our first story tonight regards the recent opening of the Cannon Institute of Technology or CIT in the bedroom community of West Weasels."

"The Mayor of Mustelapolis' absence at the ribbon-cutting didn't stop a small crowd community from gathering on the opening and and touring the facilities with Hecate Cannon, the President of CIT and it's first professor of Mechanical engineering, pictured here conversing with a prospective student."



"She was busy teaching much of the rest of the day, lecturing a few students on the finer points of Robotery, but is scheduled for a video interview at her residence not far from the school, in West Weasels."

"The ribbon cutting of the institute comes accompanied by a murmur in the city government about the opening of a small power facility that was approved to meet the growing power demands of the city."

"The Mayor's office couldn't be reached for comment on this, but outspoken technophobe and legal conservative, Judge Rudy Levine has spoken out against the opening of CIT, criticizing the zoning administration for approving these facilities and their close proximity to the residential district."

The images of the school turn over, changing into the national flag.

"In other news let our viewers be reminded that this is a voting year for the senatorial race. The local seat of our city has been empty since the retirement of Technologist party Senator, Vincent Haggerty, who cited familial reasons for his current withdrawal from politics."

"Judge Levine has been named by some of the leading members of the Roots Party for their choice in that race. His opposition has yet to be nominated, which is giving his campaign efforts something of a headstart."

((As you can see I experimented haphazardly with the comic style format, but decided for future posts to simply go with pictures coupled with narrative, if only to preserve my sanity. I do enjoy the graphic novel styled stories I've read, however.))

"Now, reporting at the Cannon residence in West Weasels, acting reporter Bonny Sherman joins us with an interview with Hecate Cannon."







"On the way to the nursery, Mrs. Cannon explained that the servos were given synthetic shells, to emulate the appearance of ordinary sims. In addition, their programming is such that they initialize with a personality identical to the sim who first activated them. When I asked if she had created any servos other than Andromeda and Orion, she paused, and then informed me that the first prototype had proven defective. That one had been sent to the university to be dismantled and studied by the engineering department. She didn't respond to further questioning along these lines before I met with the male servo, Orion.



Bonny seated herself at the chair by toddler Angelica's cradle while Orion stood a few feet away, tucking baby Robin in. "So, Orion? I'm sure our viewers would love to understand you better, to know just what sets you apart from flesh and blood sims?"

Orion shows little expression as he tucks the baby in, then turns with an artificial smile to Bonny, "A very circumspect question. Spiritually, you could say we're very similar. We have aspirations, wants, desires and fears the same as any sim. We can form friendships, romantic ties, and even make families by adopting sim children."

Bonny nodded, then leaned forward, "And how exactly do romantic relations work between servos such as you and your counterpart? And is it possible for romance to exist between servos and ordinary sims?"

Orion laughs, "One might think that's a come-on." He shakes his head, "Well it's complex. Couplings between servos aren't so much a matter of mechanics as of programming. Our couplings resemble a process of mutual download and upload. Our database and development throughout the days we were apart are shared upon a coupling to bring us closer together, and yet at the same time setting us apart in terms of individuality and reaction to these shared stimuli. Theoretically, something could come to pass during these exchanges that set us so far apart that we cannot revisit our relationship. However, so far we have proven compatible with each other. As to relations with 'ordinary' sims, I can't speak to that having not participated in such a coupling. Our maker didn't see fit to give us mock-ups of reproductive organs, but I suppose a servo could find ways to please a sim. Likewise, servos could acquire what you'd call 'romantic interest' in a flesh and blood sim."

Bonny nodded seriously, "Fascinating. Now, the two of you having been mentioned, do you know anything of the first of the three servos crafted, the one that was lost?"

Orion shook his head, "Our maker didn't tell us much about this sim, and knowledge of our workings was purposely left out of our personal databases, to thwart the danger posed by self-replicating robots."

Bonny smiles at the last, "Thank you, Orion, for taking the time to speak with us. I'll let you get back to your duties." She turns to face the camera, "And we're back to you, Sarah."