Moving In: Shirley Ten
From Ten’s journal, dated February 9, 1953. It wrote its journal using this robot speak as a reaction to the horrific childhood abuse it went through. In private, it would speak like a robot, though it could converse normally in public.
Content Warning
Backstory childhood abuse, self dehumanization, discussion of alcoholism and fetal alcohol syndrome.
The Northern Virginia subdivision where this experiment would take place had recently been built and was ready for the Spartan Housewives on February 9, 1953. Here are their letters and diaries from when they moved in.
From Ten’s journal, dated February 9, 1953. It wrote its journal using this robot speak as a reaction to the horrific childhood abuse it went through. In private, it would speak like a robot, though it could converse normally in public.
ROBOT HAS MOVED IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. ROBOT HAS MOVED IN FURNITURE. ROBOT HAS MOVED IN CLOTHING. ROBOT HAS MOVED IN MISCELLANEOUS BELONGINGS. ROBOT HAS MOVED IN OFFSPRING CARL AND LINDA.
ROBOT MEETS MARGARET THREE. MARGARET THREE: KNOWN AS PEGGY. INQUIRY: WHY IS PEGGY SHORT FOR MARGARET? PEGGY THREE’S OCCUPATION: POET. PEGGY THREE’S HAIR: RED. PEGGY THREE: THREAT LEVEL: MEDIUM. PEGGY THREE’S BREATH: ALCOHOL. PEGGY THREE HAS THREE OFFSPRING. SHARON THREE: AGE SEVEN. THREAT LEVEL: LOW. JAMES JOYCE OR JJ THREE: AGE FIVE, THREAT LEVEL: HIGH. DOROTHY THREE: DOES NOT REACT ENOUGH TO STIMULI. INQUIRY: POSSIBLE FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME IN OFFSPRING? ROBOT DOES NOT DRINK ALCOHOL.
ROBOT MEETS JOAN FOUR. JOAN FOUR’S OCCUPATION: FORMER SECRETARY. JOAN FOUR’S THREAT LEVEL: EXTREMELY LOW. JOAN FOUR’S HAIR: BLACK. JOAN FOUR’S BREATH: GINSENG TEA. JOAN FOUR’S OFFSPRING: DAVID FOUR. INQUIRY: COULD JOAN FOUR BE FRIEND TO ROBOT?
MR. TEN’S FEMALE PARENTAL UNIT COMMANDS ROBOT TO HAVE MAID. ROBOT DOES NOT NEED MAID. ROBOT IS MAID. ROBOT WILL OBEY THE COMMANDS OF MR. TEN’S FEMALE PARENTAL UNIT UNLESS IT VIOLATES THE LAWS OF ROBOTICS.
ROBOT HAS LOW BATTERY. ROBOT MUST RECHARGE.