Free Command by Sierra Cartwright

said.
    “You could have waited for me to answer,” Grant replied.
    “But then you might not have.”
    Grant considered that. “Probably true. Video on.”
    Julien sat behind the desk in his office. An ugly-looking green concoction filled a glass in front of him. Probably spinach and kale and broccoli all whirred and blended.
    “I see you made it safely, Aria.” Judging by the grin on his face, he was pleased with himself. “You’re staying with Grant, I take it. I noticed you bought groceries and a nice meal, but you didn’t put a hotel stay on my card.”
    “Nothing gets past a genius,” she said. “By the way, is the team working on the project for the restaurant?”
    “It is for Blanca, is it not?”
    “Meaning it’s first on your priority list?”
    “Above all things in the heavens. Radar shows a storm is brewing. So I won’t be shocked if I don’t hear from you for a few days. Take a little time to relax, get to know each other. Talk about what you’ve been working on, Grant. Can’t wait to see what you two cook up together.” He lifted his glass in salute. “Toodles.” Julien leaned forward, and Grant saw Julien hit the disconnect key.
    “Did he really say toodles?”
    “He has a way with words.” Grant shook his head.
    For the next couple of hours as the wind whipped up and snow fell with fury, he showed Aria some of the things he was developing. She asked a number of astute questions that showed both a grasp of technology and the considerations for the market.
    Finally, he instructed her how to interact with Molly from the console and from an app.
    “But watch this.” He touched an icon on the screen. “This is where Molly makes your grocery list. She’ll even check expiration dates on your dairy products. I’m able to call up the shopping list if I’m arriving back in town after an extended absence. She can also turn on the dishwasher. In a different sort of way, this is the kind of thing you’re trying to do for Blanca at the restaurant. Taking separate elements and making them work together.”
    Aria nodded. “I’d be impressed if Molly could do the shopping for you.”
    “She can. She interfaces with the store’s computer and arranges to have me pick it up or she can enter my credit information and have it delivered.”
    “I may need a Molly—or a Michael. I want to tell a guy what to do. Could I have a Michael?”
    “Indeed. It could be whatever you want.”
    “Celebrity voices?”
    “Can’t see why not, beyond the logistics of getting them to agree.”
    “Have we moved beyond research and development here?”
    “No. At this point, I’m toying with it because I enjoy it and want my life to be easier.”
    “There’s hundreds of thousands of people—millions even—who are stretched for time,” she reminded him.
    “I agree with that. At the basic level, this technology has been around for years, but in terms of its potential, it’s still in its infancy. And here’s the challenge… The systems that do exist are proprietary, meaning if you bought a thermostat from a hardware store and an alarm from an installation company, you need to access different sites to view the settings or make changes. Molly’s level of integration is unique.”
    She slid from her seat and paced in front of the window.
    “Let’s go back to the shopping application,” he continued. “I don’t want to go online and click a box or select a picture matching the products I want. I want the refrigerator to tell Molly what it needs, then have Molly convey the information to the store. I’ve been working on this to make my life easier, but actual implementation is more complicated.”
    He grabbed a stool and dragged it over, sitting on the opposite side of the metal lab table. It was good to talk this out. Aria had been with Bonds long enough that she knew the objections Julien would have to working with dozens of other companies. It would take time, energy, effort, and the expense would