Did androids possess feelings? Could they be hurt or insulted? Did they cultivate dreams and wishes, grand ambitions? Or were they merely synthetic processors of data. Walking and talking in/out terminals masquerading as sentient? Eve did not know the answers to these questions. But data gathered from her previous starship assignments indicated that she greatly valued any time spent in conversation with the ship’s counsellor.

And so, it was for that reason that Eve chose to present herself at the office of Lieutenant Guy Freeman, looking not for a psychological assessment but merely a…chat.

• Eve (Eng)