Experiment 10: Adventure

Eve peeked into the kitchen, her brow furrowed. "Zero, have you seen Piz? I can't seem to find him anywhere."
Zero, from one of the nearest screen, appear. "He's not within the house vicinity. Based on recent footage, he appears to have slipped out approximately 14 minutes ago." He show the footage of Piz jumping from the window.

"Where'd he go?" Eve asked.
"Hard to say, his path was.... Erratic."

Eve sigh with worry. "I should go find him."

Piz barked happily at a floating delivery drone, then trotted toward a food stall, sniffing the sizzling aroma. He tilted his head at the owner, who gave him a wary glance.

"Shoo, you little troublemaker!" The vendor shouted.

Unbothered, Piz trotted onward, his sensors scanning for his next adventure.

Piz paused at a busy intersection, his sensors adjusting to the bright neon glow. Massive holographic billboards hovered in the air, advertising everything from Robot helper to luxury hovercars. A towering advertisement displayed a pop star’s face singing in perfect synchronization to the music playing from nearby speakers.

There also people with cybernetic limbs and glowing visors walked briskly to their destinations, while small personal robot hovered beside them, carrying their bags or personal drones projecting holographic screens for video calls.

Piz’s eyes whirred as he locked onto a peculiar sight, a self cleaning street robot was scrubbing the sidewalk. Intrigued, Piz walked over and barked at it. The robot paused, a mechanical arm swiveling toward him.

"CITIZEN CANINE: PLEASE MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE WHILE CLEANING IS IN PROGRESS." It announced in a monotone voice.

Piz barked back in response, his tail wagging. The robot, unable to process canine enthusiasm, resumed cleaning, dragging a confused Piz along for several meters.

Piz’s metallic paws clicked softly against the smooth pavement as he go through the open gates of a large, bustling schoolyard. The bell had just rung, signaling the end of the day, and the grounds were suddenly flooded with students. The air was filled with laughter and chatter.
Piz paused, his glowing eyes scanning the vibrant chaos. Groups of students gathered in clusters, some heading toward the gates while others loitered to chat or show off tricks with their hoverboards. A few waved at him.

"Leo! You can’t just ignore the midterm results like this!" Ellen’s stern tone rang out, cutting through the crowd.

Piz came closer, slipping through a sea of legs until he spotted Ellen standing with her arms crossed, glaring at Leo.
Leo, leaning against a bench with his hands in his pockets, looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

"Look, Ellen," Leo said, rolling his eyes. "I know my academic is not the greatest but I got other talents!" He said.
"Other talents don’t get you passing grades, idiot." Ellen shot back, her finger wagging at him. "What are you going to do when you fail? Skate your way through life?"

"Hey, skating is legit!" Leo protested. "I just got fourth place in a major competition, remember?" He smirked, clearly proud of himself.

"And what does fourth place get you?" Ellen retorted. "A participation trophy? Wow, congratulations, Leo. That’ll definitely pay the bills someday."

Piz thought to himself as this is just another day for them, and he slowly walked away the large schoolyard.

Piz wandered down an avenue, ears perked up. His sensors picked up the familiar sounds of footsteps and before he knew it, he spotted Rika a few feet ahead. She still in her school uniform with school bag, holding her father’s hand, walking through shopping district. Her father, a tall, composed man in a sharp suit, walked beside her.

Piz, eager to observe, walked over quietly, wanting to catch a glimpse of what Rika was up to. 

"Dad! I really want to get something," Rika said, her voice almost giddy. She tugged her father toward a high tech accessories shop and Piz, followed at a distance.

"What is it, Rika?" Her father asked, glancing down at her with a warm, approving smile. He had always spoiled his daughter, showering her with whatever she desired, but today, Rika seemed unusually hesitant.

"W-well," Rika started, a bit embarrassed. She pulled him closer to a display and there, resting under soft lights, is a futuristic looking goggles, clearly expensive with the way it was display, with glowing patterns of advanced technology embedded into the smooth surface. The price 

Her father raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "That’s quite the price tag, sweetheart. What do you need this for?"
For a high tech goggles, the price is more than a single car

Rika unsure how to approach this request. "Well, it’s not really for me…" She paused, taking a deep breath. "It’s for Eve."
Her father looked at her in surprise, then glanced at the gadget again. "For Eve? I didn’t realize you were buying gifts for friends."

Rika nodded quickly, her voice growing softer. "Yeah… Well, she’s always so kind, you know? She doesn’t ask for anything, and she doesn’t even have all the things she needs. She loves anything cool and I think she would look so cool wearing the goggles."

Her father’s expression softened then chuckled. "Eve must be someone very important to you."

Rika’s face turned a deeper shade of pink, her hands tightly gripping the straps of her bag. "She is. She’s really sweet, and I really like her, you know?" Her words faltered a bit.

Piz, who had been watching from behind a nearby display, tilted his head.

Her father, now completely softened, placed a hand on her shoulder. "If Eve means that much to you, then of course we’ll get it!" He said happily.

Rika’s eyes brightened, her smile wide. "Thanks, Dad! You're the best!" She hug her father.

As they walked to the counter, Piz, still lingering nearby then decided to continue his adventure after that.

The sun began to dip below as Piz had been wandering the streets again, following his curiosity, when he noticed someone familiar sitting by the bridge. It was Maria, absorbed in her artwork, sitting on a bench with a canvas in front of her.

Approaching quietly, Piz peered over her shoulder, his sharp eyes immediately drawn to the graceful figure on the canvas. It was a ballerina? A dancer perhaps? Frozen in mid leap, her body captured in an elegant arc.
Maria was carefully adding details, mostly on the dancer unique mechanical leg and the way her pose was mesmerizing and Piz couldn’t help but stare too, intrigued by how Maria’s brush seemed to bring her own sense of grace to the piece.

After a moment, Maria glanced over her shoulder catching sight of Piz standing silently behind her. She smiled warmly, clearly not surprised by his quiet presence. "Oh, Piz? When you get here?"

Piz bark gesturing toward the drawing with a flick of his paw, showing his admiration.

Maria followed his gaze then looked back at him. "You like it?" She asked with a soft laugh, picking up her brush again. "I don’t even know who she is. I was just walking through the park and saw this girl practicing ballet by the fountain. She moved so gracefully even with a robotic leg, that I couldn’t help but think, I need to capture that by the canvas."

Piz sat there, watching Maria carefully add more strokes to the canvas. He was silent, then, he shifted to look at the model of the art itself

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Piz noticed the dancer he’d been watching earlier. The girl, who had been practicing near the fountain, turned to look their ways, if she had sensed their gaze.

Piz’s eyes widened slightly, and he subtly nudged Maria’s arm, pointing toward the girl with a slightly panicked look on his face. Maria, who hadn’t noticed the girl turning toward them, continued adding details to the sketch until Piz’s nudging got more distracted.

She looked up, then her eyes wide in surprised.

"Oh no." Maria gasped. The dancer was walking straight toward them.

"She saw me! She’s coming here!" Maria squeaked, her voice almost a whisper. The thought of being caught drawing someone without permission was making her panic. Especially an adult woman drawing a teenage girl seem wrong.

Before Piz could even process what was happening, Maria scrambled to pack up her painting supplies, fumbling with her brushes and the canvas.

"Piz, help! Grab that!" she yelled, almost tripping over her own feet as she shoved her sketchbook into her bag. She grabbed the canvas, too, and, with one last look at the approaching dancer, Piz picked up the remaining brush with his metal mouth.
Without another word, Maria bolted up from the bench, running fast to the other side of the park.

The girl, completely unaware of what had just happened, continued walking past the bench, humming a tune, blissfully unaware.

Maria bend down slightly trying to catch her breath while Piz just there actually feeling included in this chaos. Maria cautiously look around, making sure that the dancer girl hadn’t spotted them. Then letting out a sigh of relief.

"That was way too close." Maria muttered, her face flushed with embarrassment.
She looked at Piz, who was still silent, but his eyes showed his amusement.

Maria let out a frustrated laugh, running a hand through her hair. "I can’t believe I just did that. I need to be more careful next time."
She sighed again. "Maybe next time, I’ll ask for permission first."

Piz gave her a nod.

After that, Piz adventure continue as he still exploring the surroundings, his curiosity as boundless as ever. He moved between the bustling crowds, his eyes darting from one person to the next, always interested in what might be new or unusual. 

As Piz turned a corner, he caught sight of someone. A tall man in a white lab coat was standing outside a café, holding a clipboard and looking at the data on a small portable device with a stern face. Dr. Wallace. One of Leia's colleagues at FLARE.

Piz trotted over. The man noticing the little robot puppy coming closer, seemed surprised.

"You must be one of the newer models." The man said with a calm voice. "A robot dog, right? Fascinating."

Piz barked in response, excited to be acknowledged. He nudged Dr. Wallace's leg, and the scientist smiled a bit more warmly, crouching down to inspect Piz more closely. His eyes showed that he was clearly interested in the robotic design, like a child finding a new toy.

"I’ve read a lot about these designs. Quite impressive," Dr. Wallace said, scratching behind Piz’s mechanical ears. Piz wagged his tail in delight, seemingly pleased by the attention.

With a sudden burst of energy, Piz hopped up and pawed at Dr. Wallace’s hand, as if inviting him to play or continue the petting session. Dr. Wallace chuckled, his stern demeanor cracking for a moment.
But just as he cradled Piz, a voice rang out echoing through the street, cutting through the tranquil moment.

"Piz! Piz! Where are you?"

Dr. Wallace looked up, brow furrowing in slight confusion. He glanced around, trying to place where it came from, as Piz perked up in his arms.

Suddenly, the voice called again, more urgently this time.

"Piz, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

It didn’t take long for him to spot a little girl running towards them from down the street. Eve. To Dr. Wallace, she was perhaps seven or eight, with bright eyes and an expression full of determination. Her features were somewhat familiar.

Eve arrived beside them and her eyes immediately locked on Piz. She gently extended her arms to take him back.

"Hey, there you are!" Eve said, her voice laced with relief. She reached out for Piz, her fingers grazing his metal body. She turned to Dr. Wallace then bow her head slightly. "Thank you so much, sir." 

"Are you his owner?" Dr. Wallace asked. "I thought it was more of a research model than a pet."

Eve hesitated, as if considering how much to say. She nodded slowly but said nothing more, giving Dr. Wallace a polite bow then quickly get away with Piz within her arms.

Dr. Wallace continued to study her, like she didn’t quite belong in the moment. She seemed a little too composed for someone her age, almost too calm for a child.

"Hmm..." Dr. Wallace muttered under his breath, distracted by his thoughts. "Interesting."

As Eve and Piz walked further away, Dr. Wallace’s eyes narrowed in thought. There was something deeply familiar about her, though he couldn’t put his finger on it yet.

The door to one of the lab slid open, and Dr. Wallace stepped in, carrying a cup of steaming coffee. His eyes scanning the mess in the lab with blueprints and other technology related equipment before landing on Leia, who didn’t even glance up at his entrance.

"Miss Leia," He greeted with a casual tone. "I had quite the interesting encounter during my break earlier."
Leia didn’t respond, her gaze focused on the device in her hands.

Dr. Wallace sighed and took a seat on a nearby stool, leaning back slightly as he sipped his coffee. "It was a robot dog. A fascinating little thing. Remarkable design and an impressive level of interactivity. Have you seen anything like that recently?"

Leia finally paused, but only to tap a holographic panel beside her. She adjusted a diagram that floated mid air, marking notes with quick gestures.
"Robot dogs are everywhere," She replied flatly, her tone as indifferent as if he’d mentioned the weather. "Nothing remarkable about that."

"But this one wasn’t like the mass produced models," Dr. Wallace continued. "Its design was far more complex, like a custom. Its responsiveness... Well, I’d wager it’s built with learning algorithms beyond the usual ones on the market."

Leia still didn’t look up, but her lips twitched in what might have been a faint smirk.
"Should I alert the press about this?" Her tone dry.

Dr. Wallace chuckled, shaking his head. "I thought you’d appreciate the ingenuity, considering your line of work. It’s not every day you stumble across something like that. I even picked it up for a closer look."

That caught Leia’s attention, though she didn’t show it. "Picked it up, huh?" She said, her voice neutral but tinged with something unreadable.

"Yes, and just as I was admiring its design, a little girl ran up and claimed it," He said. "Odd thing, she seemed a bit... unusual. Can’t quite put my finger on it."

Leia finally set her tools down and leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Unusual how?" She asked, still not fully committing to the conversation but clearly more attentive.

Dr. Wallace shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee. "She didn’t seem like your average child. Too composed, too... deliberate, if that makes sense."

Leia let out a dismissive sigh and swiveled her chair back toward her workbench. "Kids are weird. Robots are weirder. You do not have a children yourself, how can you be so sure?"

Dr. Wallace chuckled at her blunt dismissal, but he couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to her nonchalance than met the eye.
"You’re always so secretive, Miss Leia. It makes me wonder what's going on with your personal life."

"No need to be curious," She let a faint smiled.

But it's rather a suspicious than curious to Dr. Wallace.