Working as Intended

​Claire Mercer likes her life, her job, and arguing with NELL - the custom home AI she accidentally gave opinions, including to the toaster. She does not have a calendar reminder to meet Luke Hayes. Then Asteron pairs them on a twelve-week project. He’s hardware; she’s systems. The prototype keeps reporting phantom vibrations his hands swear aren't there, while her data insists they are. Late nights happen. Takeout happens. And Luke remembers a support ticket Claire forgot belonged to a human. Luke thinks breakfast shouldn't require a login. Claire’s house disagrees. Worse, NELL has ceiling speakers and zero discretion. Their lives were already working as intended. Turns out, they work pretty damn well together, too.