What freedom means (10)
Note: Although Jack normally speaks in a very heavy scottish accent, it's utter hell to type. Hence, I'm typing it normally... :)
We had left the restaurant, and Jack switched places with Wendy for the back seat. He began to explain what had happened.
"In order for me to fully explain what happened in there, I need to explain how I was freed, and also a bit about my life. I've been out of my creche for 'bout 25 years now. I am the first morph that was sold to the public, and I'm also the last of my creche to still be out in the world. I was sold to the owner of a chain of those payday advance places you might have seen. At first, I was merely a servant, charged with helping him perform tasks and help keep up the house and property. BioGen didn't have the different models back then, as we were all sold as general purpose workers. I worked for him in that respect for about 3 years, and then he had his first heart attack. At that juncture, He had me do more in house tasks, and over the years as his health slowly failed, he taught me how to run his household. The last two years of his life he spent in a wheelchair attended by a medical assistant, myself, and one other morph whom he had hired on a temporary lease from BioGen. I also developed a strong personal relationship with him other then master and servant. He was the one who gave me my name. At the very end I was his personal assistant. I was entrusted with a number of things for keeping the house running, such as acting on his behalf for contractors and such that came by to do work.
When he died, I was crushed. I had spent 17 years with him, and I had no idea what was going to happen to me. Then his lawyer, whom I'd seen quite a bit of over the past year, gave me a copy of his last will and testament. This will directed that the balance of my indenture was to be paid off using the remainder of the money he got from selling off his business, which he had done a few years back just before the stroke that put him in the chair. The remainder of the money was to be placed in an account under my name. The house and property was included in this. That's when the state came in."
Jeff was listening to this, and asked if he could continue. Jack nodded, and Jeff picked up where he left off. "This portion was told to me by the original director, whom appointed me to head the department when he retired three years ago. At that time, they had no idea what to do with Jack. In fact, the laws to deal with a morph that had paid off their indenture, or was intentionally released from their indenture, had not been thought of. BioGen refused to take him back. Turns out they didn't have a procedure for it either." Jeff chuckled at this. "The state really had no way of accepting this, as it was not a gift. Jack got into trouble a few times when someone tried to 'claim' him, so the Department ended up taking him in and using the farm as a temporary shelter for injured morphs that occasionally fall under our care, in addition to a trial program to 'rent' out the worker morphs on a day to day basis that a young and upcoming caseworker had proposed in cooperation with BioGen, who had several returns that they really had no facilities for dealing with. Jack agreed to work for the state and with the assistance of his former master's lawyer, drew up all the lease paperwork and several other legal documents to confirm Jack's status. The resturant we went to was the first resturant Jack ever went to as a freed morph. It caused quite a stir that night and was the first of the 'claiming' incidents. Fortuantely, the owner intervened in this case." Jeff paused for a moment to turn into the road leading to the farmhouse. Once we got on the road, he slowed down, and looked at Jack in the mirror. "Did I catch everything?" Jack chuckled. "Ay, 'cept you forgot ta part where I embarrassed the entire department by runnin 'round naked ta first couple 'o weeks after I was freed." Jeff chuckled again as he parked the car in the driveway. "There was that. His master had no qualms about him running around the house wearing nothing but a smile. It took us a while to get him to wear something, and even then, we still suspect if no one's in the house he still does it." At that, he shut the car off, and we all piled out and into the house.
The day crew had not gotten home yet, so we finished moving stuff from one of the unused rooms downstairs into Tal'ena's bedroom. Since she wanted me to share it with her, we moved one of the beds down into it, and I brought my things downstairs from my locker. Jeff explained that in a day or two, he'd be back to take me downtown to set up a bank account so I would not have to store my money in a suitcase anymore, and also to see about some additional clothes and other things he said might be useful to me. I thanked him, and walked him to the front door. HE also stated that the auctioneer would be by tomorrow afternoon to pickup the car for that weekend's auction, and he hoped that I could be persuaded to attend it if he could get tickets. I said that I would have to talk with Talena, but We could probably do this. Jeff nodded, and then wished me good night after this. He then got back outside and drove off with Wendy to give her a ride home before going home himself.
Talena had gotten an early start on Naked day by the time I got back to the room, and the rest... well, is private. I did get her to agree to go to the auction though.
We had left the restaurant, and Jack switched places with Wendy for the back seat. He began to explain what had happened.
"In order for me to fully explain what happened in there, I need to explain how I was freed, and also a bit about my life. I've been out of my creche for 'bout 25 years now. I am the first morph that was sold to the public, and I'm also the last of my creche to still be out in the world. I was sold to the owner of a chain of those payday advance places you might have seen. At first, I was merely a servant, charged with helping him perform tasks and help keep up the house and property. BioGen didn't have the different models back then, as we were all sold as general purpose workers. I worked for him in that respect for about 3 years, and then he had his first heart attack. At that juncture, He had me do more in house tasks, and over the years as his health slowly failed, he taught me how to run his household. The last two years of his life he spent in a wheelchair attended by a medical assistant, myself, and one other morph whom he had hired on a temporary lease from BioGen. I also developed a strong personal relationship with him other then master and servant. He was the one who gave me my name. At the very end I was his personal assistant. I was entrusted with a number of things for keeping the house running, such as acting on his behalf for contractors and such that came by to do work.
When he died, I was crushed. I had spent 17 years with him, and I had no idea what was going to happen to me. Then his lawyer, whom I'd seen quite a bit of over the past year, gave me a copy of his last will and testament. This will directed that the balance of my indenture was to be paid off using the remainder of the money he got from selling off his business, which he had done a few years back just before the stroke that put him in the chair. The remainder of the money was to be placed in an account under my name. The house and property was included in this. That's when the state came in."
Jeff was listening to this, and asked if he could continue. Jack nodded, and Jeff picked up where he left off. "This portion was told to me by the original director, whom appointed me to head the department when he retired three years ago. At that time, they had no idea what to do with Jack. In fact, the laws to deal with a morph that had paid off their indenture, or was intentionally released from their indenture, had not been thought of. BioGen refused to take him back. Turns out they didn't have a procedure for it either." Jeff chuckled at this. "The state really had no way of accepting this, as it was not a gift. Jack got into trouble a few times when someone tried to 'claim' him, so the Department ended up taking him in and using the farm as a temporary shelter for injured morphs that occasionally fall under our care, in addition to a trial program to 'rent' out the worker morphs on a day to day basis that a young and upcoming caseworker had proposed in cooperation with BioGen, who had several returns that they really had no facilities for dealing with. Jack agreed to work for the state and with the assistance of his former master's lawyer, drew up all the lease paperwork and several other legal documents to confirm Jack's status. The resturant we went to was the first resturant Jack ever went to as a freed morph. It caused quite a stir that night and was the first of the 'claiming' incidents. Fortuantely, the owner intervened in this case." Jeff paused for a moment to turn into the road leading to the farmhouse. Once we got on the road, he slowed down, and looked at Jack in the mirror. "Did I catch everything?" Jack chuckled. "Ay, 'cept you forgot ta part where I embarrassed the entire department by runnin 'round naked ta first couple 'o weeks after I was freed." Jeff chuckled again as he parked the car in the driveway. "There was that. His master had no qualms about him running around the house wearing nothing but a smile. It took us a while to get him to wear something, and even then, we still suspect if no one's in the house he still does it." At that, he shut the car off, and we all piled out and into the house.
The day crew had not gotten home yet, so we finished moving stuff from one of the unused rooms downstairs into Tal'ena's bedroom. Since she wanted me to share it with her, we moved one of the beds down into it, and I brought my things downstairs from my locker. Jeff explained that in a day or two, he'd be back to take me downtown to set up a bank account so I would not have to store my money in a suitcase anymore, and also to see about some additional clothes and other things he said might be useful to me. I thanked him, and walked him to the front door. HE also stated that the auctioneer would be by tomorrow afternoon to pickup the car for that weekend's auction, and he hoped that I could be persuaded to attend it if he could get tickets. I said that I would have to talk with Talena, but We could probably do this. Jeff nodded, and then wished me good night after this. He then got back outside and drove off with Wendy to give her a ride home before going home himself.
Talena had gotten an early start on Naked day by the time I got back to the room, and the rest... well, is private. I did get her to agree to go to the auction though.