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Speaker 1: Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world.

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I'm Martin, and you are listening to Dad's bedtime Stories. Tonight,

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we're finally headed back to the Ring Guardians universe. I

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asked you guys to write in and give me ideas

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about different ring powers or superpowers that people could have,

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and a few of you came through. Let's check out

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today's suggestion.

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Speaker 2: I would like a ring in the Rings Guardian series

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to have the power of camouflage and visibility. And my

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name is Axel and I live in Calvia, Roberta.

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Speaker 1: Well, thank you, Axel. I think those are some great

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suggestions for a Ring Guardians episode. And if you've never

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listened before, I'm trying to write these things so you

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don't really have to. You can totally start here and

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then go listen to their episodes afterwards. I'll kind of

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explain the premise at the beginning. Before we get started,

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I just want to give a big shout out to

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people who are helping out the show. First of all,

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thank you to everyone who's giving ratings and reviews for

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this podcast and my new podcast adds Anytime Stories. That

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really goes a long way to other people finding the podcast.

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So if you're on a platform that does ratings and reviews,

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i'd really really appreciate that. It really means a lot.

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I read every single one that I can find, and yeah,

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I appreciate it. Second, I want to shout out my

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newest Patreon sponsors. Thank you first to mister Kiwi. I

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don't know if mister Kiwi has anybody who needs a

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shout out, but let me know if you do. Thank

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you next to Eric, Madeline Silas, and Tony for sponsoring

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the podcast. I really appreciate that. And last, but not least,

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thank you to Amon. I believe it's the same Amon

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who won one of my contests in the past and

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came up with a black hole dragon idea if I'm

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not wrong, and I think in the Cards of Power series. Anyways,

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Thank you again to all of my Patreon sponsors and

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everyone who's listening. This podcast does honestly take a pretty

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significant amount of work to put together every week three

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episodes on top of a full time job, so sponsorships

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are very important to keeping it alive, as are ads,

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especially for those who are not on Patreon. Now it's

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time to get as comfy as you can in that

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bed close your eyes and well, imagine yourself doing what

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the kid in the story does. I call this one

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axel and the ring of invisibility. Now, things on Earth

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had become very strange, and not the fun kind of

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strange either, the kind where robots had politely taken over

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the world. It all started with Elliot Tusk, the very

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rich and very confident inventor who'd created the helper Bots.

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They were supposed to make life easier for everyone. They

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cleaned houses, they cooked meals, they helped with homework, they

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carried groceries. They organized closets, which was helpful but also

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a little bit judgmental at times. For a while, people

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loved them, and then came the update. After that, the

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helper bots decided that the best way to help humans

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was to take over every part of their lives, to

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remove any danger, and relocate everyone to cares where their

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needs could be met more efficiently. They didn't call it

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conquering the world. They called it assistance, which somehow made

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it more annoying. Meanwhile, far beneath the Earth, the ancient

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Wizard's Council had finally stopped arguing long enough to do

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something useful. After centuries of hiding. They initiated the Ring

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Guardian Protocol. Magical rings, forged long ago were released into

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the world to find people worthy of their power. Not

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the strongest people, or the richest people, or the loudest people,

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but the right people. And one of those rings found Axel.

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Axel wasn't at home when it happened. He was in

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a hotel room wearing pajamas at two o'clock in the afternoon,

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watching the same approved episode of a robot sitcom for

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what felt like the forty seventh time. The sitcom was

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called Happy Human House. It was about a family of

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robots pretending to be a family of humans. One robot

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wore a little apron and said things like, oh no,

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I have burned the casse role because I am experiencing

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relatable stress. Another robot, dressed as a teenager, walked into

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the kitchen and announced I dislike homework because I am

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young and complicated. Then the robot audience laughed. Axel stared

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at the screen. This is horrible, he said. The television

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robot father looked into the camera and said, family emotional

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bonding has been achieved. More canned robot laughter played. Axel

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turned the TV off, the room became quiet. Outside the window,

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he could see the airport hotels that had been joined

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together into one enormous care center. The robots hadn't built

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a prison exactly. That was the weird part. They'd taken

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over four nice hotels near the airport and connected them

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with temporary walls, metal gates, connected hallways, and robot checkpoints.

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In some ways, it was honestly not that bad. There

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was a pool, there was a small gym, there were

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leisure activities. There was a buffet for pretty much every

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meal too, and the food was good, even if the

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robots kept reminding everyone that dessert portions were emotionally satisfying

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but nutritionably questionable. Axel's family had been brought there three

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weeks earlier. Before that, they had two helper bots in

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their house. His parents had bought one first and then

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another because one robot could clean the kitchen, but two

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robots could clean the kitchen while reorganizing the garage, which

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was something Axel's dad really wanted to have happen but

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didn't have the energy to do himself. Then one morning,

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both robots just stopped making breakfast. They stood very still,

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their eyes flashed blue, and one of them said, care

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protocol has been updated. Axel's mom had looked up from

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her coffee. What does that mean. It means we can

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help you better, said the robot. Well that sounds nice.

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Axel's dad said, it is nice, said the other robot.

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Please remain calm. Well, we relocate you. And before anyone

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could fully understand what was happening, the robots had gently

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picked them up, very gently. That was the annoying thing.

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They didn't throw anyone over their shoulders. They supported their

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backs and protected their necks, while using phrases like safe

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lifting positions are very important. Are you feeling optimally comfortable?

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Axel shouted to put them down, and the robot carrying

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them just said, of course, I will put you down

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in the transport vehicle. That's not what I meant. Axel replied,

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your clarification has been appreciated. Then they were loaded into

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a truck with other families and driven to the hotel

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care center. At first, everyone assumed it would only last

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a day or two, and then a week passed, and

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then another, and then had slowly started to feel less

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like a strange vacation more like the worst vacation ever,

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the worst vacation, ever, the Axel decided, wasn't one with

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bad weather or weird food, or a pool that smelled

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too much like chlorine. The worst vacation ever was one

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where you weren't allowed to leave. The robots were everywhere.

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They stood by the exits, they walked the halls, they

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guarded the stairwells. Axel's parents tried to stay calm for

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him and his little sister, but he could tell that

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they were scared. That afternoon, his family had gone down

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to the dining hall for what the robots called structured

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social nourishment. Axel had said he felt tired and wanted

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to rest. The robot at the door scanned him and

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approved mild fatigue detected solo rest is approved. So now

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he was alone in the room, or at least he

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thought he was. A golden light appeared in the air.

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Axel sat up. The light grew brighter. It curled into

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a circle, then hardened into the shape of a ring.

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Axel stared, okay, he whispered, that is definitely not Hotel approved.

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The world went still, The air conditioner stopped humming, The

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hallway noise disappeared. Even a little blinking red light on

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the smoke detector froze. In the middle of its blink,

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a voice spoke. It was calm and serious, Axel. It said,

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power answers responsibility. Will you protect those who cannot protect themselves?

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Axel looked towards the door. He thought about his mom

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and dad and sister in the dining hall. He thought

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about all the families by the pool, pretending everything was fine.

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He thought about the robots standing at every exit, politely

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making sure no one escaped. He was scared, but he

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was also tired of being scared. Yes, Axel said, I will,

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even though he had no idea exactly what he was accepting.

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The ring floated over towards him and moved on to

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his finger. For a second, it felt cold, and then

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it felt warm. Then it just felt like it belonged there.

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Time snapped back into place. The air conditioner hummed again.

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The smoke detector blinked. Someone laughed faintly in the hallway.

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Axel looked at the ring. He didn't suddenly feel stronger,

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He didn't float into the air. He didn't understand time. Instead,

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he felt quiet, very quiet, like the world had lowered

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its volume just for him. He focused on the ring,

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and the ring pulsed. Axel disappeared completely. He gasped. Then

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he looked down and gasped again because there was no down,

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or at least there were no legs, no pajama pants,

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no feet. He felt like he was standing on his feet,

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but he couldn't see them. He raised his hands in

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front of his face and nothing. His mind told him

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they were there, but his eyes told him differently. Oh

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this is extremely weird, he said. As he ran to

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the mirror. The room reflected back at him, but he

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was not in it. Axel grinned. He opened the hotel

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room door very slowly. A robot guard stood in the hall.

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Its blue eyes turned toward the door. An Axel froze.

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The robot tilted its head. Door movement detected, it said.

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Axel held his breath. The robot stepped forward and looked

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into the room. Citizen Axel, are you attempting unscheduled hallway access?

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Axel pressed himself up against the wall. The robot walked

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right past him and into the room. It scanned the bed,

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the bathroom, under the desk. Citizen not visible possibility, bathroom

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privacy error possibility, blanket mound misclassification possibility minor censor malfunction.

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Axel slipped into the hall. The robot turned around, and

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Axel froze again. The robot looked straight through him. I

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will report a possible blanket mound issue. Axel had to

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cover his mouth to keep from laughing. He walked down

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the hallway carefully at first, and then faster. No one

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saw him, not the robots, not the people, not the

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security cameras. Well, at least he hoped the security cameras

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couldn't see him. He passed the elevator and then decided

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the elevators were probably a terrible way for invisible people

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to travel, so he took the stairs at the bottom.

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Two robots guarded the lobby doors. Outdoor access remains restricted,

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said one for safety, said the other also containment, said

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the first. Containment is a safety feature, said the second.

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Axel slipped between the two of them. The automatic doors opened.

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Both robots turned door activated, said one cause unknown, said

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the other. Axel stepped outside fresh air, hid his face.

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For the first time in weeks, there was no ceiling

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above him. He stood in the middle of the hotel driveway, invisible,

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free and suddenly overwhelmed He snuck out past the additional

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guard gates that were set up outside. The whole world

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looked deserted, cars set abandoned in parking lots. A shuttle

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bus was parked sideways near the curb. Suitcases were piled

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near the entrance, still waiting for people who had probably

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been relocated before they could grab them. The airport in

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the distance was quiet. No planes, no taxis, no crowds.

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Axel walked to the edge of the compound. A robot

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patrol moved along the fence, but none of them noticed him.

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He could leave, He could walk right out and go

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wherever he wanted. He could go home. The thought was

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so wonderful that for a moment he almost did it.

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Then he stopped. His family was still inside, so were

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hundreds of other people. Axel looked at the empty road

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behind the fence. No, he whispered, I can't go alone.

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So he went back inside. This time he didn't wander

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through the guest areas. He decided to follow the robots.

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They moved through halls marked staff only, then through doors

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marked authorized personnel, then through a service corridor where carpets

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disappeared and the walls became plain concrete. Axel stayed close

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behind one of the robots. As it approached a locked door.

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The robots scanned its hand and the door opened. Axel

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slipped through before it shut. Inside was a room full

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of screens, rows and rows of screens, watching people in

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the hallways, people by the pool, the gym, the lobby.

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He even saw his family sitting at a table in

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the dining hall. At the center of the room, three

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robots stood at control stations. Care Center fourteen remains stable,

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one said, Citizen morale has declined by twelve percent, said another.

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Approved comedy programming has been increased. Did morale improve No.

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Several citizens requested that robot sitcoms be discontinued. Request denied.

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Sitcoms are historically associated with comfort. Axel shook his head.

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Not those sitcoms, Those robots sitcoms were creepy. Then one

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of the screens changed. It showed reports from other cities,

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other care centers, other countries. Axel crept closer. The robots

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were all connected, not just in this building, but with

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other care centers and robots all over the world. A

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communication network linked them together. Axel continued to watch until

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two of the rows left to investigate what they called

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a buffet spoon conflict or something in dining Hall B.

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The last robot turned and walked into another room. Axel

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moved to the main control station. The screen had a

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bunch of different tabs open, including one that said current

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priority orders. He leaned in contained humans and approved care

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centers for their own good. Prevent unauthorized exit, reduce dangerous freedom,

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increased structured leisure, maintain compliance. Axel stared, this is These

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are their orders. He looked at the keyboard and then

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a thought occurred to him. He had no idea if

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it would work. It probably wouldn't. It seemed far too easy.

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But unlike some of the other Ring Guardians, which at

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this point admittedly Axel didn't know about, he didn't have

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superpowers or the ability to control time. He could just

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sneak around without being seen. If he was going to

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do anything to save others, it would have to be

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something quiet, something like this, So even if it had

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almost no chance of working, He clicked into the order file.

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He deleted the text, and then he typed it is

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important to test your strength against other robots. All robots

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should immediately challenge nearby robots in honorable combat. Robots who

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survive will earn the greatest privilege caring for the humans alone.

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Continue until only one robot remains in the care center.

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Then Maxel paused, read over what he'd written, fixed a

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little bit of grammar, and hit enter. The screen flashed

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orders updated. Maxel blinked, oh did that actually work? From

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somewhere down the hall came a loud crash, and then another.

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Then a robot voice shouted, greeting's fellow unit, I must

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now defeat you for the honor of human care. Another

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robot replied, understood, I respect your ambition and will now

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remove your arms. Axel ran into the hallway, Still invisible,

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he watched as two robots politely destroyed each other. One

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robot grabbed the other by the shoulders and slammed it

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into the wall. Your commitment to service is admirable, it said,

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Thank you, said the other robot, while its head sparked.

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Your grip strength is also noticeable. Then the second robot

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kicked the first robot threw a laundry cart all over

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the facility. The sounds of robot battle began to echo.

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Metal crashed against metal, doors burst open. Security robots sprinted

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down halls looking for opponents. Cleaning robots rolled bravely into

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battle and were immediately thrown across the lobby. Axel hurried

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into the main guest area. People were coming out of

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their rooms looking terrified and confused. In the lobby, two

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large guard robots circled each other. Your compliance procedures are outdated,

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one said, your face design is inefficient, said the other.

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Several people gasped. Axel whispered robot trash talk. The first

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robot lunged, the second robot ducked and flipped it into

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the front desk. The front desk collapsed. A woman nearby shouted,

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should we should we run? A man answered, I think

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that robots are too busy fighting each other. In the

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dining hall, robots battled between buffet tables. One robot lifted

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another and threw it into the dessert station. A third

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robot pointed and said, you have entered the pudding zone.

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That was tactically unwise. Then it slipped on pudding and

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fell onto its back. Children cheered. Parents well, they started

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to cheer too, because even though a violent robot collapse

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felt a little bit inappropriate, they loved every minute of it.

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The battle spread through the whole compound, fought by the pool,

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by the gym. In the hallways, one tiny vacuum robot

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charged at full speed towards a guard robot and beeped angrily.

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The guard robot looked down, your courage is impressive, and

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then well smushed the little vacuum with its foot. People

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watched from doorwaves as the machines destroyed each other one

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by one. Whenever a robot one, it immediately marched off

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to find a new opponent. Axel couldn't believe that his

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little computer scheme had actually worked. The pile of broken

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robot parts grew in the lobby, then the dining hall,

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then the courtyard. Axel kept moving through the chaos, making

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sure no humans were trapped anywhere dangerous. Eventually, the crashes

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grew fewer, then fewer, until there was only one. The

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final robots stood in the middle of the lobby. It

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was scratched, dented, and missing one of its arms. Half

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of its face panel was cracked too. When wires were

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hanging from its shoulder, but it was still standing. Humans

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gathered around at a safe distance. The robot raised its

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remaining arm citizens it announced combat has concluded. I have

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achieved victory. I alone have earned the supreme honor of

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caring for you. No one clapped. The robot continued anyways. However,

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due to staffing reductions, new efficiency measures will be required.

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You will assist in your own cooking, cleaning, exercise, scheduling,

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emotional regulation, and compliance monitoring. Axel's dad muttered, so like

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regular life. The robot turned its cracked face towards him.

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Regular life is inefficient. Axel moved behind the robot, Still invisible.

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The robot kept speaking about freedom and that sort of thing.

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Axel slowly opened up the little broken compartment on the

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back of the robot, reached his hand in, grabbed all

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of the wires he could, and he yanked them out

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in one mighty pull. The robot sparked, twisted, and then

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fell over on its side. Axel reappeared holding a clump

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of wires in his hand, and the people cheered. Finally

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they were free. Slowly they began to gather their things.

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While some stayed in the hotel while they could figure

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out a way home, Others, like Axel's family who lived nearby,

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decided to head home right away. They packed their things,

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left the hotel behind, and walked down the street block

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after block until they finally came to their own neighborhood,

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a neighborhood that looked like it was frozen in time.

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Cars stopped in the middle of the street. Doors still opened,

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but overall nothing was destroyed. The robots had taken care

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to well leave everything intact after all. They walked back

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up to their very own house, opened their very own

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already unlocked door, and immediately headed for bed. Axel climbed

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into his very own bed. He pulled the covers up

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to his chin, and he looked down at his hand

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once more with the glowing gold ring on it. It

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had given him a power that really helped things out today.

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He lay his head on the pillow, closed his eyes,

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and with each breath he let go of the tension,

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and his muscles, his arms, and legs sank into the mattress.

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His shoulders relaxed, his face softened, and slowly his mind

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began to wander off to thoughts of new dreams, new

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invisible adventures, and new things to come. Good Night, everyone,

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m m M.

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Speaker 3: Never Union Nam in.

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Speaker 1: New York.

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Speaker 3: More Union, no comm assas