Watchdog

  Katya's eyes widened, glittering with tears. "You don't trust me!"
 
           Corrinne's hand tightened on her electronic notepad. When Katya was challenged, she had a way of widening her eyes until they resembled the pathetic orbs of the endangered Krabeest in the latest ecological fund-raising holo. But this time, she would not cave in. It was for Katya's own good.
 
           She held up the notepad and read from it, so as not to omit anything. "You have missed curfew four times this week. Last Tuesday, you told me that you were attending an educational conference when you were actually at the holo-arcade. Wednesday, I received a call from the neighbourhood watch complaining of vandalization and inappropriate language. And this morning, the family learning computer informed me that your mathematical competence scores are declining."
 
           Katya's eyes had reached their maximum fullness, and her lower lip began to quiver. "It's not my fault. I can't help it if people pick on me over some minor communications errors."
 
           "That's another point. You have skipped three communications seminars in a row, and no one has seen you at socialization group for a month."
 
           "You never see my side!" With a strangled sob, Katya turned her back, bolted through the archway between the kitchen and dining area, and fled towards the stairwell that led to her room.
 
           "Just a minute, young lady. I don't believe the conversation is finished."
 
           Katya shrieked involuntarily. She was in the gentle but inexorable grip of a pair of metal arms, and was being walked back into the kitchen.
 
           "What is this ... this thing?" she demanded, her eyes now slits of indignation.
 
           "Allow me to introduce myself," the android said pleasantly, releasing his captive, but stationing himself between her and the archway. "My name is Vinnie, your electronic companion."
 
           Katya slumped into a chair. "You bought a Watchdog?" she moaned in the feeble tones of the mortally wounded. "Mother, how could you!?"
 
           "He'll be good company," Corrine said conciliatingly. "He has a personality factor of 150 per cent, automatically re-programs himself with the latest cultural material, including jokes and rock music, and can perform fifty-four popular dances, with virtually unlimited storage for additions. And you'll never have to worry about muggers again."
 
           "Mom, please! Anything but a Watchdog! I'll shape up, honest I will."
 
           "Yes, you will," Corrine said, "because Vinnie will make sure of it."
 
           Vinnie was a Watchdog EX700, the state-of-the-art unit which had begun rolling off the assembly line only a few weeks before. Corrine had cashed in her retirement fund to acquire him, and even so, she would be making payments for two more years. But it would be worth it. He would watch Katya twenty-four hours a day, keep her from harm, make sure she complied with her routines, and help her as needed. And best of all, although the children's rights lobby was still appealing the constitutionality of the recent legislation, the EX700 was completely compliant with all child protection laws. Watchdogs had been in use for over ten years to provide care for wandering elders or the mentally deficient, but this one was the first that was approved for use with children aged ten to seventeen.
 
           Katya kicked the leg of the table. "I can't go out with a Watchdog. All the kids will make fun of me."
 
           "I'm indistinguishable from a Personal Robotic Companion," Vinnie pointed out. "As long as you remain within the parameters, we'll be fine."
 
           Katya brightened up a little. PRCs were a highly coveted status symbol among her peers.
 
           "Does this mean I'm not grounded?" she asked. "I can go to Mireille's party?"
           
           Corrinne smiled. "Of course." 
 
           "A party! Copacetic!" Vinnie said. "I love dancing. We can leave as soon as you complete your educational assignments. According to my calculations, that will require 2.4 hours."
 
           "2.4 hours! I won't have enough time to put on my make-up properly!"
 
           "We'd better get started right away, then," Vinnie said. 
 
           Katya pouted, but there were no further arguments. Five minutes later, she and Vinnie were downstairs in the family learning centre. Corrine could not resist sneaking down to take a look. Katya was more absorbed in her school work than she had been for years.
 
           Corrine hummed to herself as she selected the spreadsheet program on her computer. She would have to put in a lot of extra hours, but it would be worth it. No further time and effort would be wasted searching for her daughter, spying on her daughter, or arguing with her daughter. Vinnie would look after everything, even personal hygiene and healthy nutrition breaks.
 
           It seemed only a few minutes before Katya and Vinnie were at her door to say good-bye. Katya looked exceptionally wholesome. Corrine wondered if Vinnie had influenced her wardrobe and make-up as well. She made a mental note to read Vinnie's operating manual and find out.
 
           "Don't you have something to say to your mother?" Vinnie said quietly.
 
           Katya shot him a murderous look, but collected herself. "Mom, thanks for getting Vinnie. I know it was for my own good." 
 
           "I only want the best for you, sweetie. You have to understand that."
 
           Katya came into her arms for a hug. "It's okay. Vinnie explained everything to me. As long as I stay within the parameters, he'll stay in companion mode, and he'll do whatever I tell him to. Everybody's going to be so shocked when they find out I have my own PCR. Even Maryanne doesn't have one, and they have everything."
 
           Corrine finished her accounting assignment and transmitted it to the client. The next one wasn't due for a week, so she could allow herself a little celebration. She chuckled over a romantic comedy while she was having her bedtime nutrition break, and snuggled into her pillow. For the first time in over a year, she did not have to worry where her daughter was. Now she would be able to spend more unconflicted quality time with her, as the therapist had suggested. 
 
           She woke up smiling. She had slept so soundly that she had not even heard Katya and Vinnie come in. She moved around quietly, so as not to disturb Katya, and put the information channel on mute. Vinnie would wake Katya after precisely eight-and-a-half hours of sleep, and would guide her through the grumpiest part of her day. It was a pleasure to have breakfast without the anticipation of being snarled at.
 
           Corrine was about to start up her computer again when the information screen on the wall began to flash red letters. Corrine looked up. What was it? A flood? A tornado? A pipeline breach?
 
           CONSUMER ALERT. CONSUMER ALERT. RE-CALL OF ALL WATCHDOG EX700 UNITS TO MANUFACTURER. CALL 1-888-WDOG.
 
           The obstacle course of "press this" and "enter that" was remarkably short before a live person came on the line.
 
           "We don't want to alarm you unnecessarily," the warm, concerned voice told her, "but we have evidence that several of our units were sabotaged on the assembly line by the Rodolfo Alliance."
 
           Corrine's stomach twisted and her hands began to tremble. In the last three years the RA grown from a non-violent anti-tech lobby to a global terrorist organization, making headlines daily.
 
           "Sabotaged? How?"
 
           "We're still investigating, but it appears that the Watchdogs are kidnapping their charges and taking them to RA holding camps to serve as hostages in a global take-over mission."
 
           "Celestial flotsam! How can I find out?"
 
           :"A factory representative will pick up the unit as soon as possible. Meanwhile, if you will give me the Emergency Deactivation Code, we will make sure it can harm no one."
 
           "I'll have to look that up,” Corrine said. She put the call on hold and charged the stairs two at a time. She had the code memorized, of course, but she did not want to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. Deactivation carrier waves were notorious for intermittent power surges that would not only turn the android into a hunk of scrap metal, but also shut down all electronics within a radius of fifty metres. 
 
Vinnie would be beside Katia’s bed, recharging in stand-by mode. If Corrine deactivated Vinnie herself, she would avoid some very expensive damage.
 
           "Sorry, to bother you, honey," she said breathlessly, opening the door to Katya's bedroom.
           
           The room was empty.
 
           She leaned against the door jamb, too weak to move, head buzzing with myriad possibilities. 
 
           This was not the first time Katya's bed had been empty in the morning. But Vinnie would have made sure she was back by curfew time. Unless, of course, she had friends who were capable of re-programming him. Was it possible that they could hack their way through his multiple safeguards? 
 
           She shook her head. Possible, but not likely. The most logical explanation was that Vinnie was an RA agent who had kidnapped Katya.
 
           Breathing heavily, she called the police and spilled spilled out her anxieties to the detective who took the call. "You trusted your fifteen-year-old daughter to a machine?" he asked incredulously.
 
           Corrine did not try to defend herself. Arguments would waste valuable time. "The Watchdog company wants to transmit the EDC."
 
           "Well -- as long as the Watchdog is operational, your daughter won’t be able to get away. You know how effective they are. If the machine is down, she might be able to get help."
 
           "Unless she's already in RA custody."
 
           The policeman sighed. "We weren't briefed on this situation at watch change, so there's no protocol in place. If you'll transmit her security file, we'll start the process right away."
 
           "I will -- just as soon as I give the EDC to the Watchdog agent."
 
           She switched to the Watchdog line, trying not to think of the devastating financial consequences. She could not put a dollar value on her little girl.
 
           “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she told the Consumer Alert agent. “I put that information in a safe place, and it took a bit of searching to find it.”
           
           The agent was still thanking Corinne for her co-operation when Katya burst into the room with Vinnie close behind her.
 
           "Mom! What are you doing in my room? We were looking for you everywhere!"
 
           Corrine caught her daughter in her arms. "Where were you? Are you all right? I thought you'd been kidnapped!"
 
           Katya extricated herself gently. "That's what we wanted to talk to you about. A Watchdog unit tried to kidnap me last night while we were walking home. Fortunately, it was less advanced than Vinnie."
 
           Corrine stared at Vinnie. "You saved her?"
 
           Vinnie nodded. "Part of my programming, ma'am."
 
           "I was too excited to sleep," Katya said, "so Vinnie and I decided to do some investigating. We've been in the learning centre all night. Vinnie's a pretty good hacker, you know."
 
           "Bloody asteroids!" Corrine exclaimed, frantically keying 1-888-WDOG. 
 
           "Don't bother calling the Watchdog hotline number," Katya said. "The consumer alert is a fake. It was set up in to trick people into revealing their EDCs."
 
           Corrine was punching 911 when Vinnie's head jerked backwards. His eyes glowed briefly, and then he folded up slowly until he was sitting on the floor in a heap.
 
           "Vinnie!" Katya shouted, shaking him.
 
           "He's been deactivated," Corrine said. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I thought he'd kidnapped you."
 
           "Please stand by," the telephone crackled. "All 911 operators are currently responding to calls. We will assist you as soon as possible."
 
           "What are we going to do without Vinnie?" Katya wailed. "Who can we trust? Anybody we know could be an RA agent, even the police."
 
           "Please stand by. All 911 operators are currently responding.  We will assist you as soon as possible..."
 
           Vinnie stirred. "Re-booting..."
 
           Katya squealed with joy and jerked him to his feet. "Vinnie! Welcome back! We thought you were irreversibly non-functional!"
 
           "My programming has been revised," Vinnie said.
 
           "Revised?" Corrine asked, the back of her neck prickling.   
 
           "Yes." Vinnie smiled pleasantly, like a tour guide. "As of this moment, you are guests of the Rodolfo Alliance."