Read How It Ends: Part 1 - The Evaluation for Free Online Page A

as
the type of man one shouldn’t leave alone with small children. Not
because he had untoward designs toward the children but more
because Sidney suspected there was a strong chance that given the
right situation Brian might eat them. His perfect smile split his
perfect face and Sidney felt more self-conscious the longer Brian
stared at him.
    “I have to be going,” he said breaking the
silence.
    “Of course.”
    Sidney walked down the hall only a bit
before Brian called to him. Sidney turned.
    “You know,” said Brian, “I have a research
assistant who might be able to help you.”
    “Help me what?”
    “Help you with this project.”
    “I don’t need any help with this
project.”
    “Of course not. I was thinking more of the
grunt work.”
    “I like grunt work.”
    “Who doesn’t? But it’s so time
consuming.”
    Sidney said nothing.
    “Her name is Anita. She’s a student of mine.
I’d be happy to offer her to you.”
    Sidney shifted feet. Something made him
uncomfortable. Something about the idea of offering a human to
Sidney. God knows what services she provided. Perhaps this was a
game. One of those games people play when they discuss one thing
but mean another. Perhaps Brian was offering her for services other
than this project. But how could he know? He couldn’t. He had to
take things at face value. Otherwise he’d drive himself insane.
    “Offer her?”
    “Sure. I can free her up from her current
research and you and she can embark on your research project.”
    “That’s generous Brian, thanks, but I don’t
think…”
    “Come on, Sidney. I’ve got nothing going on
right now. I don’t need her for research.”
    Another euphemism? Are we talking about
sex? It wouldn’t have surprised him. Brian’s reputation
preceded him.
    “And she’d love the opportunity,” said
Brian. “The chance to study robots more closely? She’d love
it.”
    It was hard to say no to Brian. He always
seemed to worm the conversation his way. Sidney figured that’s why
most of his student got B’s. At least the female ones.
    “Okay.”
    “Great. She’ll be thrilled. I’m seeing her
later. I’ll give her the news.”
    “Okay.”
    “How about I send her to your office
tomorrow? Good enough time to discuss things?”
    “Sure.”
    “Great.”

    * * *

    Knock knock knock at the door. As if someone
gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. Sidney looked up from
his desk to see a student in the frame. A girl. Young and very
pretty with dark hair and loose breasts. This must be Anita ,
he thought.
    “Dr. Hermann?”
    “Anita?”
    She nodded.
    “Come in.”
    She entered and took a seat opposite his
desk. She dropped her bag on the floor. It jangled the strange
melody of loose items haphazardly thrown inside.
    “I’m really excited about this project,” she
said.
    “Really?”
    “Yes. Brian explained it a bit to me, though
he didn’t know much about the details.”
    “That’s because I didn’t offer him any.” His
voice was cold and his eyes hard.
    “Yeah, that’s what he said. Said it had
something to do with interacting with robots and people. Said it
sounded like an evaluation.”
    Sidney’s skin prickled and his jaw clenched.
He had said hardly anything to Brian about this project. Certainly
not that it was an evaluation. How could he have known? Is he
that damn intuitive?
    “Well, we’ll see where it goes,” said
Sidney, which was all he could muster to say. He eyes flitted
nervously between Anita and the office door and his desk and back.
He did not like this girl being thrust into his affairs.
    “Well, what can you tell me about it?” she
asked.
    He leaned back in the wooden swivel chair
that groaned under his weight. He folded his hands and perched them
on his belly. Before he began speaking he had the experience of
seeing past his own vantage, the sudden startling revelation of
what he must have looked like to this girl before him.
    He sat up and leaned forward onto his