"Welcome, Mr. President."
"Call me, Rain. No need for formalities."
"Sorry we ran off on you, but both of us know; we can't dig without the Mermaids signature. Are all the Delegates there?"
"Sally, please turn the camera."
"We're all here."
"We're all here."
"Wer're all here."
"....As you can see, this Meeting table is full, and despite my better judgement I trusted you, let you go, and hoped that you would not bail on me. Now that I can see your faces, I know you haven't. I.....
Why is the camera jumping up and down? Keep it still."
"Us, or you?"
"You? Can you hear us? Can you…"
"Kodkod, stay still.
Sorry, you're my phone mounted on the head of my cat like a Gopro. She is trying to figure out what's up to scratch it off."
"Oookay."
"Sorry we couldn't fix you a better tripod robot given the circumstances."
"I know. Your friend Rainbow could make anything with just a finger.."
"That's...….that;s correct, Sir. Thank you for praising her."
"You're welcome.
Now, do I have all your Royals around the table? Where even are we?"
"All you need to know is that we are all here.
Kodkod, give them a walkthrough please."
"Meeeoowwwww."
"Hello."
"Meeeouuwww."
"Evander...…Tramquill...…Chopped...…Dropfarra.....Mystique...….Rosa....Laphaet...Fire.....Yep. You're all there. Witnesses in place, may we see the host of the hour?"
"He can't talk much and still has no idea what a phone is nor how you are here, but here they are. The King and Queen of the Seas."
"Sir. It is an honor."
"Hmmmrrrpphhh."
"He said, 'The honor is all mine.' "
"Scarlett, what are you.."
"I'll be the translator on my King's behalf. If...you want to further talk."
"Actually, yes. Can you tell him to remove his staff from the room?"
"His…..Staff?"
"Trident. I want this to be as real as possible, and I may not know much but I know that that can trick you if it is close enough to the wearer."
"Oh. I...….of course. I'll let him know."
"My king, he asks you to kindly remove your staff...I mean…..Trident."
"My trident?"
"He says it could cause interference and since he can't see it on screen, someone could wield it without his knowledge. He wants everything to be real and genuine."
"Understood.
Rosa, please take this Lolli for safekeeping."
"Yes, sir."
"She'll be right back."
"Lolli is with you?"
"Yeeee….yes? But she is not a Royal, nor any delegate."
"I heard she is the lead of your defenses?"
"Actually, the Dragons are our lead. She would be third...….after Natysh....Ahead of the Dwarves and Preskile. Land of the four."
"I see. I would still love her present."
"Uhhhh…"
"If you don't mind. She does patrol everything that goes in and out, right?"
"The Dragons do. She just helps the police and guards within the walls of the kingdom, and who you and your Kids wil be talking to on the Lapptop that I had sent with Darius."
"We're all adults here and know how to keep a secret. You and I both know that Lolli is not just nuts and bolts. From a Kingdom who uses no tech. It would be foolish to run your whole Kingdom on the very thing you all neglect to accept."
"I...…."
"It's ok."
"Whoooooooo.
Lolli, after you put that away, can you come back in the room with Rosa; please? The Delegates and the President would very much like to meet you."
"Be right over."
"That voice DOES NOT sound like a bucket of bolts and screws by any means, and we know what a bucket of bolts and nuts are. It's Ai, and.....
*Errriiiaaannkkkk*
You...…you are no pile of bolts, my Lolli."
"None of them stood for us, Ruby."
"Shh."
"So why stand for her?"
"I hear you have quite the task. Keeping every single person in the whole world safe."
"I won't stop till I am at 100% no death rate, and with the help of the Bridge I can send animals anytime, anywhere, anyways; to help everyone. Even your children, and your childrens children."
"Preparing for the future. I like it. When the Dragons can't call, I and everyone else assure you that we feel far safer now that our hands are in a human and not a robot."
"As do I."
"Sir, as you can see; all of us trust her. From the baby who won't stop crying and can only yell 'Lolli' to the teacher who has had a nightshif with a class full of Rebels.
To the Royals themselves when their Guard oversleeps."
"And even the stubborn Dwarves, when they are too slow to craft."
"I see.
She must be very valuable to you all. Tell me, how are you able to protect every single person on the world, commune with animals; control their desires; and....talk with each and everyone of us on a personal level?"
"Months of practice. Once you only have one skill, you learn it until it becomes second nature...Sir."
"Call me, Rain; and I can't wait to get to know you more. Tell me, how secure will our conversations with each other be? Will you...…..tattletell?"
"And hurt someone elses feeling? Not a chance. Just to see them cry, could lead to anger which could lead to taking drastic actions which I would have to intervene or else they might hurt people from being too fragile. I assure you, once you sign your name to my Tablet, I will only develop a deeper understanding with you out of the case of research and to help your present."
"What about without it?"
"You are just a number then and cannot talk to me, but only yell my name if in distress."
"Transparent, and straight forward.
What about with it?"
"I cannot use animals to deveulge your past unlike Ruby, but once you sign your name to me, you are giving me full range to study your past to better help your future."
"And what if we don't like what you see?"
"All you have to do is search your name, find it; press delete. Simple as that. Then you will go back to just a number and all the information I have out about you will be forever erased from all minds, all animals, and all talk obliberated."
"Obliberated!!!!!!!!!!! That word is way stronger than 'gone.' Okay. Thanks for being honest and thoughtful with us. You can leave."
"President, as you can see; we have been honest with you and everything you just saw about her...…you have to forget. You understand why we tell people she is a super computer."
"Understood. That information will go into our chest of 'Deeply classified.'"
"Thank you, and please....give her respect."
"We have."
"I know you did, but Rainbow has tried to help her better lead; but she is still young and learning emotions. People over numbers. Soon, we hope no one will need the tablet and she can just accept every single person as a human and not a number, but until then, numbers help her classify things easier."
"As long as she watches our Six, I don't care if she called us Doon Beetles."
"So. Now that we have shown you what no one else has ever seen besides two days; do we have your trust?"
"Sign the paper, and I will personally....come to shake your hand and oversee work on the Bridge."
"That'll do.....for now."
"Kyle, your Natysh has recently had everyone gather together to sign your freedom with the Dragons. Now I...…..gather you all here to destory it."
"What's he saying?"
"Erherrmmm. He said he needs time as this is a big decision."
"Don't let us rush you, but remember; it was you who reached out to us. Not the other way around."
"Ready to sign, Sir?"
"...............Ready.
We both are."