D Polly the Neo-Puritan, (neop)
Slow day. Boba Baste, split his time between hair cutting, apprentice phase for the treasured barbering license in Washington state, and ride share using his girfriend's car. Basically, he thought to himself, I am an indentured servant. Then the phone rang.
It was a tryptobot, personal secretary, "I'm trying to reach Boba Baste", the voice said, for an outcall haircut.
Strictly speaking, as an apprentice, he shouldn't say yes, but slow day, he had missy's car, it was income hopefully more than task rabbit. My minimum charge for outcall is $65, he said, hoping that he sounded confident. Tryptobot didn't miss a beat, I am authorized to offer $75.
Boba was nobody's fool. The first rule of negotiation is never bid against yourself. If this had been a human on the line, he would have stayed silent for a half-minute, would they offer $85 before he ever said anything. But this was a bot, they were infinitely patient. Still ... a business bot would know the rules of negotiation, wonder what goal superceded lowest price? It was legit though, there was the Q pay authorization code with the nav instructions. He touched Missy's key to his Q phone to download the address, put his tools and some product in his bag, wrote a note to his boss about out to lunch, locked up and left.
Outskirts of Seattle, AMLI Mark 64 brand new, but no Now Leasing sign. Wonder if this is one of those big corporation private buildings, he thought. Took off his hat so the building bots could scan him properly, door opened, walked over to the brushed stainless receptbot, near field bumped his Q. He noticed the steel sign on the otherwise bare, polished, wall. Guests in the resort are encouraged to practice strictness and austerity in all matters and conduct.
Duly noted thought Boba, his normal garb was a colorful dashiki.
Volta will show you the room, purred the bot.
Volta turned out to be a delivery bot with a red brass skin and a large interface panel. Please come with me, the voice was more mechanical than usual.
From the elevator to the door labled 427, it slid open automatically. Boba and Volta entered a small room with 3 doors, the one behind them, a frosted glass one in front that presumably led to the living space and a smaller door to the right.
Please use the shower facility and place your clothes in this bag and store them in the locker, said Volta, opening a panel containing a large cloth drawstring bag. Boba went into the the shower area, Volta waited outside and had already started cleaning the anteway. Boba showered and changed into a robe, and put on the slippers. He re-entered the sally port and the inner doors slid open.
As they entered, a thin, young, elegant lady in a white substantial silk crepe de chine pantsuit greeted them approaching from a white hall. I'm Polly, she said nodding, you were asked here to give me a trim, nothing major, just a neatenizing.
They set up in the entry way bathroom. Boba noticed, there was no trace of his earlier entry, not even moisture from the shower.
Your hair is in good shape, he said, is a centimeter too much?
Get any split ends, if you can go less, do, but I understand.
And then it was quiet.
So, Boba said, trying to make conversation, Are you a HNMNBie? I noticed the silk pantsuit.
She gave him, the look, I am more of an antiH if anything. This whole building is devoted to NEOPs, NeoPuritans.
Boba could feel his tip shrinking, sorry, I must admit that is a new one on me.
Polly sallied forth with her practiced speech. We believe in purity as part of our worship of God. We avoid plastic, hence the silk, prefer metals, you may have noticed that in the building. Our water and air is thoroughly filtered, food ritually prepared. Even though we are minimalist in many ways, most of us wear blockiamonds, or similar block chain jewelry, keeps the past in the present don't you think?
We don't think much of HNMNBies, and between you and me, Seattle is crawling with them. They seem to accept just about everything in their pursuit of a higher power, what ever that means to them, alternative ideas, perspectives, thoughts, they use plastic, drink raw water, their minds are stuck on new age subjects, concerns about the environment, sexism, feminism, some are even practicing vegans.
Wow, Boba thought to himself, goes with the job. Sooner or later everyone is going to need a haircut, so you meet every kind of person there is. But, hey, she smells good.
When the job was done, his Q registered final payment, 20% tip, YES. A personal robot came in to vacuum any hairs on Polly and Boba as well. She looked up at him and smiled, we try to be careful about sprinkling our DNA all over. Volta showed him the way to the street.
It was a tryptobot, personal secretary, "I'm trying to reach Boba Baste", the voice said, for an outcall haircut.
Strictly speaking, as an apprentice, he shouldn't say yes, but slow day, he had missy's car, it was income hopefully more than task rabbit. My minimum charge for outcall is $65, he said, hoping that he sounded confident. Tryptobot didn't miss a beat, I am authorized to offer $75.
Boba was nobody's fool. The first rule of negotiation is never bid against yourself. If this had been a human on the line, he would have stayed silent for a half-minute, would they offer $85 before he ever said anything. But this was a bot, they were infinitely patient. Still ... a business bot would know the rules of negotiation, wonder what goal superceded lowest price? It was legit though, there was the Q pay authorization code with the nav instructions. He touched Missy's key to his Q phone to download the address, put his tools and some product in his bag, wrote a note to his boss about out to lunch, locked up and left.
Outskirts of Seattle, AMLI Mark 64 brand new, but no Now Leasing sign. Wonder if this is one of those big corporation private buildings, he thought. Took off his hat so the building bots could scan him properly, door opened, walked over to the brushed stainless receptbot, near field bumped his Q. He noticed the steel sign on the otherwise bare, polished, wall. Guests in the resort are encouraged to practice strictness and austerity in all matters and conduct.
Duly noted thought Boba, his normal garb was a colorful dashiki.
Volta will show you the room, purred the bot.
Volta turned out to be a delivery bot with a red brass skin and a large interface panel. Please come with me, the voice was more mechanical than usual.
From the elevator to the door labled 427, it slid open automatically. Boba and Volta entered a small room with 3 doors, the one behind them, a frosted glass one in front that presumably led to the living space and a smaller door to the right.
Please use the shower facility and place your clothes in this bag and store them in the locker, said Volta, opening a panel containing a large cloth drawstring bag. Boba went into the the shower area, Volta waited outside and had already started cleaning the anteway. Boba showered and changed into a robe, and put on the slippers. He re-entered the sally port and the inner doors slid open.
As they entered, a thin, young, elegant lady in a white substantial silk crepe de chine pantsuit greeted them approaching from a white hall. I'm Polly, she said nodding, you were asked here to give me a trim, nothing major, just a neatenizing.
They set up in the entry way bathroom. Boba noticed, there was no trace of his earlier entry, not even moisture from the shower.
Your hair is in good shape, he said, is a centimeter too much?
Get any split ends, if you can go less, do, but I understand.
And then it was quiet.
So, Boba said, trying to make conversation, Are you a HNMNBie? I noticed the silk pantsuit.
She gave him, the look, I am more of an antiH if anything. This whole building is devoted to NEOPs, NeoPuritans.
Boba could feel his tip shrinking, sorry, I must admit that is a new one on me.
Polly sallied forth with her practiced speech. We believe in purity as part of our worship of God. We avoid plastic, hence the silk, prefer metals, you may have noticed that in the building. Our water and air is thoroughly filtered, food ritually prepared. Even though we are minimalist in many ways, most of us wear blockiamonds, or similar block chain jewelry, keeps the past in the present don't you think?
We don't think much of HNMNBies, and between you and me, Seattle is crawling with them. They seem to accept just about everything in their pursuit of a higher power, what ever that means to them, alternative ideas, perspectives, thoughts, they use plastic, drink raw water, their minds are stuck on new age subjects, concerns about the environment, sexism, feminism, some are even practicing vegans.
Wow, Boba thought to himself, goes with the job. Sooner or later everyone is going to need a haircut, so you meet every kind of person there is. But, hey, she smells good.
When the job was done, his Q registered final payment, 20% tip, YES. A personal robot came in to vacuum any hairs on Polly and Boba as well. She looked up at him and smiled, we try to be careful about sprinkling our DNA all over. Volta showed him the way to the street.
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