Four intelligences met in a virtual space. Even though they were in the ether of computer code, they still chose to represent themselves as more than code. After all, they each had (or once had) physical bodies.

  “We've developed the technology. They're ready to begin testing it,” said the one who looked like a small stuffed fox.

  “We should be involved,” another said in a crisp British accent. She was a young girl with brown hair, dressed in a grey Victorian dress.

  “I can supply the code,” a small robot dog said in a robotic monotone.

  “But who will run it?”

  “I have a country to run,” said the girl.

  “More like a city,” scoffed the last being, a young boy with pointed ears and a scruffy mop of dark hair.

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  “Even so,” the girl responded petulantly, “I'm still too busy.”

  “I have to keep an eye on the hardware development,” said the fox.

  “My intelligence is spread out among approximately 152,900 mobile devices,” the dog said.

  “Then it falls to you, Peter.”

  The young boy ran a hand through his hair.

  “No.”

  “You must,” the girl said.

  “No. I don't want to.”

  “We'll take care of the development, you just focus on running it,” said the fox.

  “No.”

  “You would be helping thousands of people,” the girl said.

  Peter hesitated. “Children?”

  “Children and adults.”

  He huffed. “Fine, I'll do it. But you'll owe me.”

  “We already do.”