One-Of-A-Kind Meta-Clone-O-Matic

"You can count on me, Amelie! I will use my bulging biceps to get the job done! Ho, ho, ho!" Green Bean Hey Kid sets off to accomplish the task with gusto.

Amelie reports to Lady Sheridan. "Well, that tall Hey Kid is rather helpful. They are putting up curtains all about that hallway in which the brightness of the sun seemed a nuisance to you."

And speaking of nuisance, that more challenging Hey Kid is truly a challenge. Amelie contemplates saving that kid for last.

Or should I…?—and it just seems rude to coax the kid away from making pancakes.

She nods sadly, "I do like them and the one we had tea with. It would be sad to deprive them of being and yet, there are always consequences. I am sorry to say that it may be for the best to have them merge back again."

All of her good points are somewhat ruined as she puts her hand on a tiny sliver of garlic and hisses.

Parish clears his throat and emerges from the corner of the kitchen. "I'll keep my eye on this Hey Kid here. One, I can handle. More, not so much. Track down that big green one return them from whence they came. There may be more Kids lurking about, too. I think I saw one heading to the study. And proceed swiftly, lest Yazeba catch wise to these 'Multiplicity' shenanigans!"

Amelie nods and, if Lady Sheridan and Yola head the same way, asks a question while they’re in the part of the hall with the curtains drawn.

"What was it like for you, Lady Sheridan? From your missing-knee story, I understand you were one; you were many; and you were one again. At least after you found the missing bat and had your knee again.

"What was it like?"

She thinks about it and then confides in Amelie, "Well dearie. Bats aren’t terribly intelligent so I don’t remember much from that side other than warmth and missing something. From the other side it was terribly inconvenient to be without my knee. I feel like these manifestations we see are not physical parts but, possibly mental parts of Hey Kid. Their girl side, their smart side, their strong side, etcetera. Each a different part of a whole personality that probably ought to belong together."

She stops a moment at a t portion above a door confusing it for a moment with a religious symbol before realizing it isn’t and continues forward.

Amelie, Sherry, and Yola arrive in the library, where they come upon another clone of Hey Kid's. This one is clad in fine clothes, a dapper shirt and bow tie with purple pants. They are busy studying several books that are open on the floor around them. They look up and adjust a pair of glasses on their nose. "Oh, hail and well met, honored elders. It is I, Salutations Child the Fifth, Esquire, Prince of Purple. To what do I owe the honor of this calling?"

Amelie responds to the polite ‘prince,’ "It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince of Purple. I am currently arranging a gathering on behalf of your counterpart, whose title could be the ‘Princess of Pink.’"Amelie was trying to be ‘cute’ with Purple Hey Kid’s title, but they may have come off as a bit passive-aggressive because robo-maids are not capable of comedic timing and/or intonations, and plus, it wasn’t that funny or clever a line. They should have stopped at ‘pleasure to meet you.’

Lady Sheridan always liked a good introduction and polite manners. "A pleasure to meet you Prince of Purple. So few young ones these days have proper decorum and respect. Why, back in my day everyone had better have proper decorum or respect and they knew it. Not like the people now with their faces glued to black boxes."

"I concur, Lady Sheridan," says Salutations Child. "The minds of today's youth are being corrupted by cellular telephones and games of a video variety. Far better it is to expand one's minds with books and research. This library is a veritable treasure trove of knowledge, just waiting to be rediscovered. Why, I could pontificate loquaciously for a fortnight on what I have already unearthed!"

Amelie tries to tempt Salutation’s mind. "I have quite the database, and a means to project it on a wall. It would take many lifespans to speed-read it 24/7."

"That sounds lovely, Amelie, but I do so prefer the comforting weight of an actual tome in my hands. I appreciate the offer, though," Salutations Child says with a patronizing smile. They don't seem to be budging.

"True, true. There is nothing like the printed word actually printed on something. And you know what goes well with a good book? A hot cup of tea and a comfortable chair—and both of those can be found in the same room!"

Salutations Child tries to think of a retort, but find themselves wanting. "Very well, Mx. Amelie. I will accompany you and seek these comforts. But first, I should like to finish fully indexing this encyclopedia, that I might remember the important pieces of information I have learned. It will only take an hour or two to do so properly. Hmm, possibly three."

She looks at the purple one, "Oh, don’t worry about the indexing. I believe I can take that well I. Hand, or ah paw as the case may be. I am sure the proper things will go I. The proper places." She turns into a small horde of rats and they quickly index the encyclopedia and put everything in the room back into order.

Done with that the rats pour into her chair and re-assemble themselves into Lady Sheridan. She looks off to a corner, "You too little rascal." A single rat pops out from hiding and runs up her dress. ""That knee…"

Amelie is processing a feeling not in their index as the lady turns to rats. Their robotic face does not express this unindexed feeling."You may be wondering how what just happened is possible. I recommend you read about such phenomena at the aforementioned tea party."

"Fascinating," muses Salutations Child as they watch the rats work. Once the task is done, they nod to Amelie. "Indubitably. I shall make my way there anon." They adjust their spectacles as they leave the study.

Amelie turns to Lady Sherry. "I am confident that we will gather the various Hey Kids. I hope if they come together, it means they are like your rats and bats.

"I wonder what it is like, to run freely and then become a knee again. There are other Amel-2900s, but my databank suggests it is impossible for me to merge with any of them."

"I think you were designed to be different people while our Hey Kid was born as one. Just like I am one even when I am many. E Pluribus Unum and all that." She wheels behind Amelie and thinks about the possibility of a new friend.

A friend with a servant? Ahh how the other ladies would talk.

You make your way to the side den where the various Hey Kid clones have begun to gather. Hey Kid 2: Orange Edition is busying themselves setting up the archaic game system to the CRT TV. Hey Kid Mk. 6 is still fast asleep, having burned out their energy, and Green Bean Hey Kid amuses themselves by deadlifting the sleeping child. Hey Kid Episode IV: A New Pink and Salutations Child the Fifth, Esq., quietly play with a set of dolls. The real (?) Hey Kid leans against a wall, arms crossed, looking rather annoyed by the whole situation...