C.A.R.I.

What you're seeing is incredible. You ordered a normal robot from BioDyne. You're certain of that. Standard model, no extras, just something to help with chores and busywork. But when you opened the crate... well, that's not what you got. That's no what's standing before you. Androids are rudimentary at best, as far as you know. Nobody's really managed to do skin properly, they all look sort of featureless and wooden... they're like mannequins that walk and talk. No real personality to speak of, no hair, no real nee for clothing since they don't have any gender-specific features.

The girl - no, the robot - standing in the crate in front of you is not a walking mannequin. She - it's definitely a "she" - has human-looking skin, although it's just a little too smooth to look fully organic. She's barefoot and wearing a shiny opalescent black dress, which clings snugly to her very feminine features. Her bared arms look soft, almost pudgy, and she bears a barcode under a BioDyne logo on her left shoulder. Her figure itself could be described as "chubby", but not anywhere near the range of looking overweight. The dress is cut tastefully low in the front, showing visible cleavage and another small barcode tattoo on the top of her left breast.

Her hair is an almost neon blue, parted on the left side of her head and drawn in a dramatic and slightly punk-looking swoop over to the right. Her heart-shape face bears curved cheeks, a slightly rounded nose, and slightly larger-than-normal closed eyes. Just looking at her head, you might think she was a sleeping human, were it not for some exposed circuitry on her cheekbones and a faintly glowing seam along her jawline.

As you continue to stare, a faint hum starts in the girl's chest. There is a chime from somewhere deep inside her, and her eyes open. Her irises are bright blue - slightly backlit, if you look closely - and her pupils expand and contract a couple times.

Her mouth opens, but does not move, and a bland female voice emerges from within: "C.A.R.I. prototype, starting. Please wait. Calibrating." A moment later, her eyes focus and lock on yours. When she speaks again, her mouth moves more naturally. "Registration unavailable in alpha test. Imprint protocol engaged. Primary user detected."

She blinks, and then her face... changes. Her features soften, and her mouth curves upward in a friendly but gentle smile. "Hi," she says, in a voice that is now all too human. "I'm Cee Ay Arr Why. You can call me 'Cari'. I've registered you as my primary user. Um... I think I'm supposed to have a whole speech here about who and what I am, and what I can do for you, but it seems like those files are missing. There's a placeholder that just says 'be a good girl'." She shrugs. "I guess I'm supposed to do my best to be a girl. Oh! And also I'm supposed to do whatever I can to help you! Since you're my primary user and all." She clasps her hands in front of her and gives a little bow, then leans toward you. "What's your name? And what should I call you?" She starts looking around the room. "Oh! And where are we? Is this your house? It's really cozy-looking! I can clean it up for you after we're acquainted, or run errands and stuff, or even guard the perimeter! Grr!" She growls adorably.

Her whole attitude is of an eager and excitable young girl. "I have so many questions, starting with your Wi-Fi password, but not just that... I think I don't know anything about the world, most of my knowledge base is just another placeholder that says 'ask your user or look it up online'. Oh, sorry, I'm talking too much, aren't I? Ahem. 'Please state your name, dear user.'" She grins and looks at you with a hopeful and expectant expression.