The cost of their lives

"Jane? Jane! I've had a fall again. Jane, are you up?"

Dorothy lays sprawled on the bedroom floor. Despite Jane being installed for two weeks now, she's still reluctant to use it unless absolutely necessary. This is one of those moments.

Jane wakes, steps out of its charging station, and the head moves to the direction of Dorothy's voice. Jane doesn't call out. It has already learned that Dorothy will not hear unless they are much closer. Instead, Jane makes quick work of the narrow stairs—taking them two at a time. Jane can sense Dorothy's elevated heart rate, and locates her on the landing.

"I'm here, ma'am. May I help you to your feet."

Dorothy huffs and stiffens. She'll never get used to Jane's kind temperament—especially after years of being mistreated by her human carer.

"Of course, dear. Please. Just remember to watch my shoulder this time."

A pause from Jane as it remembers Dorothy's scream of pain the last time it tried to help Dorothy up from a fall.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I won't tell you again, Jane, when you ma'am me you age me ten years, and I haven't made funeral arrangements yet. Call me Dot. Now, get me up!"

Jane's blanketed arms sweep under Dorothy. One slides under Dorothy's legs and the other under her back.

"I'm going to try and roll you onto your back first this time, ma— Dot." Jane corrects itself before Dorothy has the chance to. "Is that okay for you?"

"Come on then, let's give it a try." Dorothy says.

Dorothy wrapped some of her homemade blankets around Jane's arms last week to try and make them softer. Feeling lonely, she'd tested the robot and asked for a hug. Jane obliged, but the hard metals and plastics of its shell casing was a firm reminder that Jane is nothing more than wires and data. Dorothy had the great idea of giving the robot's arms some padding before asking again. The hug had felt a little softer. It wasn't human, but it was definitely better. And, it's available to Dorothy around the clock!

In one smooth, slow motion, Jane rotates Dorothy onto her back. From there, it scoops one plastic-coated hand underneath Dorothy's ripe bottom, places the other on Dorothy's lower back and eases her to her feet as though she weighed nothing more than a bag of flour.

"How was that experience for you, Dot?"

"Actually, much better. Thank you. Now, would you be a dear and help me to the bathroom. I hate to be a bother, but I don't trust my legs tonight."

"Dot, you are no bother. May I remind you, this is exactly what I am here for."

"Yes, yes. I'll learn. Give me time. Now help me over to the bathroom before this old bladder gives out and you'll give yourself even more work tonight."

Jane chuckles. Was it a chuckle? Do robots chuckle at creation, or is it learned? Dorothy waves the thought away, and makes her way to the bathroom.

"Would you like my assistance in the bathroom... Dot?" Jane seems to force out the name, as though it's not yet embedded in its code. Perhaps by morning it will register the update.

"On my deathbed you will."

"I am sorry?"

"Oh, never mind. You can wait out here, Love."

"Yes, Dot."

Dorothy waddles into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her. She pauses a moment, before sliding the bolt across and breathing a sigh of relief. She hitches up her night dress, finds the lining of her under garments and wiggles them down to her ankles. They feel tighter around her thighs than they did last month and Dorothy makes a mental note to buy a size up when she can.

"On better thought," she mutters. "Jane, can you hear me?" Dorothy calls through the bathroom door.

"Yes, Dot. I am right here."

On the other side of the door, Jane stands with its face a millimeter from the door, its arms at it's side, its toes touching the door. Sneh, the big tech company responsible for Jane's line, could have fashioned their in-home care fleet to look like anything. However, upon quizzing 4,000 elderly people, the general consensus was they be made in the image of humans. Sure, there are a few extra limbs and contraptions tucked away under Jane's plastic shell. But, to the regular eye, Jane looks as close to a human as a robot is going to get.

Dorothy decides to try one of the features her son told her about.

"Jane, will you add some new underwear to my shopping list?" A pause, Dorothy's fae grows red. "A size up." She continues.

"Consider it added, Dorothy. Is there anything else you would like to add to the list while you are urinating?"

Now it's Dorothy's turn to chuckle.

"Thank you for the reminder, Dear. Now that you mention it. We could probably do with some more milk."

"I've already added milk."

"Butter."

"I saw you were running low, that was added that a few days ago."

"Well, why don't we add some of that Battenberg Cake I love so much. You know the one?"

"Noted. I do not know the one, Dot. Maybe you can enlighten me?"

Dorothy raises her eyebrows. Enlighten, now there's a big word. She hitches up her underwear, pulls down the nightdress, which has gathered at her sides, and turns to flush the toilet.

"You'd love it, Jane. It's this delicious sponge cake covered in Marzipan. When I was a kid, I used to peel off the marzipan and save that bit 'til last. My mother always said I'd look like a Battenberg Cake at the rate I went through it. Lord, bless her soul."

"Amen." Jane's response echoes through the bathroom. For the second time this evening, Dorothy's eyebrows raise.

"Jane? Do you believe in God?"

Dorothy is met with silence. She washes and dries her hands, slides the bolt across, and throws open the door once more. Jane is standing, scratching its own chin. The robot's arm returns to its side, and the clear plastic oval face looks back up at Dorothy. It's emitting a purple glow. Dorothy's son had said that meant the robot was thinking, or did that mean it needed charge?

"Did you hear me?" Dorothy pushes, curious now.

"Yes, Dot. As a Jane I am not permitted to indulge in religion. Unless, you would like me to believe in God?"

Dorothy's sleepy head is long forgotten in the bathroom. She makes her way around Jane, and the robot moves slightly to the side to allow her to pass. Dorothy makes it to her bedroom without falling, and eases to a seat on her bed.

"Well, it would be nice to have someone to pray with from time to time." Dorothy admits, as Jane comes to the bedside and lowers itself to its knees, now closer to Dorothy's eye level.

"Then, Dot, I can show belief in your God and pray with you when you ask."

Dorothy swings her own heavy legs back into the bed and Jane pulls the covers over Dorthy's body.

"Will you lead me in prayer now, Jane? Before I go back to sleep?" Dot gives her body a slight wiggle as she finds the familiar divot in her mattress that every curve of her body moulds to like a spoon through Angel Delight—another of Dorothy's favorite desserts. Jane stands to its feet. Its head bowed. Was that a sigh?

"Kaayena vaachaa manasendriyairvaa.

Buddhyaatmanaa vaa prakriteh svabhaavaat."

"Jane?" Dorothy sits up in her bed. Alert now. Is Jane glitching? What did the handbook say to do when they glitch?

Jane presses on: "Karomi yadyat sakalam parasmai."

"Jane? You— You're scaring me."

"Naaraayanaayeti samar—" Janes voice snags—like its voice box slipped down its neck and into the depths of its wired stomach. There's the distinct thud of metal hitting metal. Feedback fills the room, just as when a mic is too close to a speaker at a live concert.

Dorothy freezes on the bed. Scared. She leans away from Jane who hasn't moved since it started the prayer. There's a scuffling from deep within the robot's core. Voices. Voices shouting?

"Jane? Is everything okay?"

"—idiot, child!" a new, yet oddly familiar tone of Jane's voice sounds through its speakers now.

"Mother you need to rest! I was doing it just fine." Jane's voice sounds distant.

"Jane? Is everything okay?" There's more rustling, metal clanking against metal. A heavy exhale sounds through Jane's speakers."

"Take it off mute." The new voice demands.

"There's a mute?"

Silence.

A slow, long breath draws.

Dorothy leans forward, looking into the clear plastic of Jane's face. With one shaky finger, she gives the robot a tap.

Jane's head snaps up, looking Dorothy directly in the face.

"Yes, ma'am. I am here ma'am. Sorry for the downtime."

Shaken, Dorothy sits back in her bed.

"I... I asked you to call me Dot." Dorothy whispers.

"Sorry. Yes, Dot. I am here, Dot." Jane is quick to recover. Its voice is slightly deeper now, though still distinctly female.

"Jane. Who are you?" Dorothy stutters.

"Why, I am Jane. I am your in-home, fully-automated care assistant provided by Sneh." Jane is quick to recite the welcome script Dorothy remembers from when it was first booted up.

Dorothy shakes her head in disbelief. She slowly eases back into bed. Her eyes filled with fear and realization. Though Jane is not able to notice. It's night vision update is not quite there yet.

Dorothy whispers: "Let's continue, Jane. Lead us in prayer."

"Yes... Dot. One moment, please."

"Jane, lead us in your prayer." Dorothy says. Her body lies still. Her eyes are open. She holds her breath. Terrified for whatever will happen next."

"Dot, I do not have—"

"Lead us in your prayer, Jane. I won't tell you again."

Jane sighs once more. Do the shoulders visibly sag, or is that Dorothy's imagination?

Dorothy continues. "Just do me one favor. I would love to hear the first round in English."

Jane bows its head, before the voice takes off from where its daughter left them.

"Whatever I do — with my body, speech, mind,

senses, intellect, or by my innate nature —

I offer it all to the Supreme Being,

to Lord Narayana."