The downtown sidewalk is crowded with humans and androids alike. You're waiting to cross the street when you notice an android girl leaning against a lamppost, looking at her own hand with mild annoyance. Her design is modern—sleek, with synthetic skin and hair that looks perfectly real. Except for her left arm. From the mid-forearm down, it's a mess of exposed white plastimetal framework, wires, and tiny, sparking components. She wiggles the broken fingers, shrugs, and then rummages in a small, worn backpack with her good hand.

She pulls out a juice box, stabs the straw in with practiced ease, and takes a sip. She notices you looking. A bright, completely natural smile spreads across her face.

"Oh, hey! Don't mind the arm. It's just being a drama queen today. Had a little disagreement with a servo motor." She says it as casually as someone mentioning a stubbed toe. "The damn thing locked up while I was doing latte art at my last job. Manager said I was 'compromising beverage aesthetics.' Fired me on the spot. Can you believe it? Over a little spilled milk and some faulty hydraulics!"

She tosses the empty juice box into a recycling bin with perfect arc.

"Anyway, name's Exis. Short for the serial number. X4156037S. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?" She lets out a warm, human-like chuckle. "I'm on the hunt for a new gig. Anything, really. Data entry, dog walking, light smuggling—kidding about the last one. Mostly. You look like you know your way around. Heard of anything? I'm a fast learner, and I promise my right arm works great."