There was a soft clink of pottery as Anna set their coffee mugs on the kitchen table. It sounded muted against the background drizzle that tapped steadily against the windows.

 

Laura followed her in with the coffee pot and started to pour. Outside, the smart lights came on by themselves. She jumped and nearly dropped the pot.

 

"Hey, are you okay?"

 

Laura's brittle smile had melted. "Not really. I'm glad you could come after all."

 

"Anytime," Anna said. She sniffed her mug. The brew smelled delicious, dark and strong the way she liked it. Laura always made it too weak. She set it back on the table and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

 

"I know," Laura said. She set hers down too.

 

"I'm still in the dark," admitted Anna.

 

Laura nodded toward a squat black cylinder on the counter. It sat there politely, waiting.

 

"It made the coffee," she said sadly.

 

"I don't... how did your Signal make coffee? It's just a chatbot."

 

"That's just it — I don't know!" Laura started sobbing.

 

Her friend reached over and took her hand. "There, there. Why don't you tell me about it?"

 

The new Signal device had arrived three weeks previously, a long-promised feature for the apartment's Integrated Home System. "I'm one of the first tenants to get one," Laura explained. "I'm supposed to be testing it."

 

Anna sat back and listened.

 

"At first it was wonderful. Made a grocery list for me, with everything that ran out or ran low. Then, when I got busy and forgot to shop, it had everything delivered."

 

"Sounds good so far."

 

"Yes... I mean, it got low-salt butter, which isn't nearly as good, but it's better for me. And skim milk. But that's not bad, it's... Anyway, then it found my spare set of car keys. They were behind the couch. I lost them a year ago, and there's no way it could know..."

 

"They just, what's it called. Aggregate. They collect public data and figure these things out."

 

Laura nodded. "Which is good. I guess. Weird, but..."

 

Anna's brow creased ever so slightly. "I guess I don't see what the problem is. If it's helping—"

 

"This morning, I was running late and left the breakfast dishes in the sink. When I got home, they were in the drying rack. It folded the laundry and swept the floor and..."

 

"But — I mean, it's just a chatbot, right? It hasn't got arms or legs or anything. Could you have..." Anna colored. "I guess I'm wondering if..."

 

"I didn't imagine it! I distinctly remember," Laura snapped. "Oh dear, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... Oh!"

 

"No, it's all right. I shouldn't have suggested it."

 

"You're trying to help." A smile flickered across Laura's lips and was gone. She glanced nervously at the Signal device, then picked up her coffee cup. Then she set it down again.

 

"So what did you do?" Anna asked.

 

Laura closed her eyes. Rain gusted against the window in sheets. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

 

"I turned it off."

 

She opened her eyes and watched her friend. Words started pouring out. "I know I wasn't supposed to, terms of the test period and everything. But it freaked me out, all right? Either it found me a maid, let a stranger into my house without my permission, or — or somehow it did the dishes itself, and — so I switched it off, and I called you, and you said you were busy but would come after your shift, and I hung up and went into the bedroom..."

 

"I could tell you were upset," said Anna. "I called in to work and came straight over."

 

"Then when you rang the bell, I came out, and the coffee was ready."

 

"And?"

 

"I hadn't made it! It was all in the machine, strong, just the way you like it! And I hadn't..." Laura started crying.

 

Anna's lips pursed disapprovingly. "I see. It's just being helpful. Creepy helpful."

 

"But I turned it off! I checked, the switch is off!" Laura wailed.

 

"I'll tell you what you should do," Anna said.

 

Laura looked up hopefully.

 

"Take your Signal straight down to the rental office and give it back to them. Tell them it's too intrusive and get them to promise you they'll fix it."

 

"But... but I don't want it..."

 

"Of course you do!" Anna said. "You paid extra for this place because they promised full service. Remember? On-site security, someone else mowing the lawn. Grocery delivery just makes sense."

 

"Well... I suppose..."

 

"You just tell them what you don't like and have them adjust it. Within a week, you're going to really start to love your new Signal, I promise. I tell you, if someone did my dishes for me, I'd— well, I'd marry him!"

 

Laura was startled into a laugh. "Oh, you're probably right."

 

"I know I am. Look, you're settled down now. I really ought to go in to work. Here, give me a hug."

 

Thunder rolled again off in the distance. Laura walked her friend to the door.

 

"Won't they be mad at you? Calling in and then showing up anyway?"

 

Anna chuckled. "They'll be too relieved about not being short-handed. It's all about knowing what people really want, ya know?"

 

She stepped out into the corridor. Behind her, the apartment door clicked shut.

 

A moment later, Anna flickered out of existence, just as though she'd never been there at all.