Robot & Frank -

“Fine,” Frank says, his voice cracking. “But if I’m going to stay sane, I need a project. I need to feel like I’m still the man who could crack a safe in three minutes flat.”

The Robot stands in the kitchen as the officers lead Frank away. Robot & Frank

“You are staring at a wall,” the Robot observes. “Your heart rate indicates a spike in cortisol. Are you experiencing a memory lapse or a grievance?” “Fine,” Frank says, his voice cracking

Frank looks up, his eyes milky but sharp. “I’m experiencing you, you bucket of bolts. You’re a glorified toaster with a PhD in nagging.” “You are staring at a wall,” the Robot observes

Frank, sitting in the back of a squad car, looks out the window at the passing trees. He tries to remember what he did last night. He remembers a feeling of triumph—something about light and clicking sounds—but the details are slipping away like water through a sieve. He looks at his hands. They are shaking again.