"Umm.. Hello?" Helen asked as she walked up to the strange, dark building. I'm not supposed to be here... She thought. Maybe she should just leave.
      "There's probably nothing interesting in there anyways.." She thought aloud. All of a sudden she heard shuffling. And breathing. I'll just leave. It's too scary to be here alone. But maybe I'm not alone... As Helen walked away from the strange building she felt a weird sensation. I need to go in there! If I don't, I'll never get to see! She ran towards the building. She felt scared, but daring.
      "I'm coming in here, whether you like it or not!" She yelled to no one in particular. Saying that just made her want to go in the building even more. She gathered up her thoughts. And decided she would go alone. 
      Helen walked up to the door. She tried to turn the knob. It wouldn't budge. It was locked.                                                                                    "Crap!" She yelled. "Oh wait!" She fiddled around in her pockets. And found it. A hair bobby. Helen pulled the bobby out of her pocket. She was ready to go in. But first she needed to bust this lock. If I can get myself out of a room, than I can get myself into one. She inserted the hair bobby into the lock. She twisted it around and around. Until she thought she could open the door.
      Creeeeeeeeee... The door opened! She did it! It's so dark in here.. Is there a light switch? Feeling the wall for a few minutes she finally found a switch. She flicked it. But the light did not turn on.
      "What's going on?" Helen asked herself. Maybe I flicked the wrong one? Some houses did have a switch for air conditioning. Maybe it was for that! But, the building did not look like a house.
      "I'll try again," She thought aloud again. Helen felt around the wall again. Flowing her fingers over the first switch. She didn't feel another switch. I've got to go home and get a light.. But I can't! Mom and Dad will be so mad at me and not let me out again! Helen had to think. 
      "I'll sleep here." She told herself. It would be a hard night. The floor wasn't a bed. And it definatly wasn't warm. It was freezing. But it would have to do. She couldn't go back home. She just couldn't. She laid down on the hard, stone floor. And quickly fell asleep.
      Helen awoke to a loud bang. It must have been an animal. Stupid animals. Ruining everything. Helen sat up. Her head hurt. Makes sense. She slept on the floor all night.
      "Ouch!" Someone exclaimed. W..Who was that? Helen thought nervously. She got to her feet. I'm going to go check that out... Slowly creeping across the building, Helen saw something. A flash! Of lightning? That's not possible. 
      "Ooof!" Helen ran into a wall. It was still dark inside, so she didn't feel too bad. But running into the wall did hurt. She slid against the wall. Helen did not want to be seen by whoever was in here. What if the person is mean? What if he is abusive? Helen thought. Well, I'm doing this anyway.. Not like I really have a choice. She peeked behind the corner. And saw... nothing. Nothing was there. Maybe the man was in a different room right now? Maybe. She would have to keep going. She needed to see what was going on in this strange buiding. TThe coast was clear, no one was in the room.. besides her. Helen ran across the blank room. 
      "Hey get outta here kid!" She heard someone yell. She kept running. And running. Until she found a door. I'll be safe here! Helen thought. But she knew the truth was otherwise. She shook the knob, and it opened! She hopped inside the room as fast as she could. Slam! The door shut. But not in time. The strange man held it open.
      "Who are you?! And why are you tresspassing my lab!" He yelled. Helen did not answer. She was speechless. A lab? That's what the flash was, and that's what the things falling were. She was in a lab.
      "You gonna answer me or not?!" He yelled.
       "Ye...Yes... I am..He... My name is Helen..." She managed to get out of her mouth. "You said this was a lab?" The man shot her an angry look. 
     "No! I mean yes! I don't know!" He shouted befuddledly. Then the man sighed. "The truth is.. Well, I haven't exactly seen anyone in a while. I am an inventor. I live here, alone."
      "Oh..." Helen mumbled. "I'm sorry.."
      "For what?!" He spatted out.
      "Tresspassing." Helen informed. "I'll leave now." The man grabbed her arm. Helen tried to jerk away.
      "No. I need a friend. Someone to invent things with. Remember, I haven't seen a human in a long time?" He continued to grab her arm. "I need you. Stay. I'll treat you like a guest. I'll give you food, water, and a bed. And you will stay with me here" He started to cry. Helen had never seen a man cry. She didn't know what to do. After a long silence, she decided what to do.
      "I'll stay." Helen announced. "But, you need to feed me, keep me warm, and keep me healthy." The man got down to his knees.
      "Yes! I'll do anything! Just stay." He begged.
      "What is your name?" Helen damanded.
      "My name? Oh! My name is Jordan." Jordan replied. " What can I do?"
      "You can show me your lab?" Helen suggested.
      "Well, ok. But it's not really a lab. I just try to invent things there..." Jordan mumbled.
      "Well, can we uhh... try an invent something?" Helen asked curiously. Jordan shook his head so fast Helen thought it could roll of of his shoulders.
      "No. We simply can't. You are not ready. You need a place to sleep. A place to rest!" He replied quickly. Helen just nodded her ok. Jordan started walking away. Helen believed this meant that she should follow. So she did. She followed Jordan out of the room and down a long hallway. The hallway was a mess. Invention tries were scattered everywhere. Helen tried not to cringe. He led her to the end of the hall where there was a door. Maybe this is where he invents things! Helen thought hopefully. Jordan opened the door. To her surprise, there was almost nothing. No inventions. No chalkboards for ideas. No nothing. Just animal turds.
      "Why are we here?" Helen asked.
      "This is where you will stay for the night." Jordan replied. Helen tried her best to force a smile. But her face showed otherwise. Jordan looked at her. He seemed rather surprised at her blank expression.
      "We will of course get rif of the animal turds..."He assured her whilst looking at the turds. "You can actually stay in my living corner for the night. This is gonna need a lot of work..." Helen looked at him pleasingly. She did not want to stay in this room tonight. It would be even worse than sleeping on the ground. She would be sleeping next to turds, whilst sleeping on the ground! Jordan made a gesture that meant 'follow me' to Helen. Helen was walking out of the room before she even knew it. Jordan was in lead. Probably bringing her to his wonderful lab.
      "I'm bringing you to my living corner." He told her like he was reading her thoughts. "It's where you will be sleeping tonight.
      "Oh... ok.." She mumbled. Helen continued to following Jordan. He brought her to another room, close to hers-to-be. Jordan opened the door to his room. His room smelled of an animal's droppings.
      "What is that smell?!" Helen exclaimed pinching her nose. "It smells disgusting!" Jordan smelled it too. He pinched his nose as well.
      "Apparently the animals got in here. I'll have to clean it up.." He replied. "I guess we'll go see the lab..." This was the moment Helen was waiting for. She was going to see the inventor's lab! In the blink of an eye Helen was out of the room. She didn'y know where she was going, but she was going to find the lab.
      "Don't leave!" Jordan pleaded. Helen stopped in her tracks. He thought she was gonna leave? Right when he said he'd show her his lab? Helen ran back to him. 
      "I'm sorry." She apoligized. "I wasn't leaving, I was just excited to see your lab." Jordan looked at her and nodded.
      "Well you were going the complete wrong way." He laughed. "Follow me." Jordan led her to one of the bookcases he had on his shelf. He stood on his toes. Grasping for something. Then she saw it. A lever.
      "Allow me." She told him gladly. She was taller than him and could reach the lever without a problem. Flick! The lever opened the room.  
      "Woah..." Helen gasped jaw-droppingly. "It's amazing..." Jordan looked at her and nodded. He took a minute to respond.
      "Yeah... It is amazing." He replied. "It's my greatest invention." He added a little laugh.
      "Hello. Jordan... The... Inventor..." A voice greeted. "What.... Are.... You... Working... On. Today?" Helen was surprised. I thought Jordan said he was the only one here! Maybe Jordan had lied, to get her to stay.
      "It is a computer. Well, not actually a computer. It is a-"
      "I.... Am... Not a.... Computer..." It said. "I... Am... Uro...2000...I am... A Voi-... 1......2......3...... Shutting down..." Jordan looked at Helen.
      "It's in working progress... But there are other things here..." Jordan assured Helen. "Sometimes I just need something to talk to, you know?" Helen nodded. She would be glad to stay here. Away from home... Helen hadn't really seen the beautiful lab, she was concentrated on the cool greeting voice. It was pretty cool.
      "Uro?" Helen asked.
      "Huh?" Jordan asked confusingly.
      "It's called Uro-2000?" Helen replied with wonder.
      "I am... at... your... command..." 
      "Don't say it's full name!" Jordan whispered. "I made it awaken when you say it's name." 
      "Oh. Ok." Helen whispered back. "Uro-2000 shut down!"
      "Shutting... Down..." Helen grinned. She liked Uro. She could control it very well. Helen nudged Jordan.
      "Let's look at what inventions you've got." Helen suggested. Jordan nodded again.
      "Yeah. Let's go!" He exclaimed. The two walked around the magnificent lab. This is the best day of my life. Helen thought. She passed a weird machine. Then she stopped and looked at it. She stood there for a minute and stared at it, trying to figure out what it was supposed to do.
      "What does this one do?" Helen asked Jordan, even though he wasn't anywhere near her. "It's pretty cool."
      "It doesn't do anything yet." Said a voice from behind her. Helen turned around quickly. Noticing it... A robot.
      "Who are you?" Helen asked the robot. A robot? Now that's just awesome! 
      "My name is ND60I9. I am a robot that helps around the lab." The robot replied. Helen nodded slowly. What a weird name... Maybe it has a nickname? 
      "Can I call you... Ned?" Helen asked. "Do you kno-"
      "Yes. You can call me Ned." Ned replied. "Jordan is in a small room for parts. He is trying to create a fun invention." Helen nodded again. She was getting so excited. Maybe Jordan will ask me to help him with this invention! She thought. Probably not... I just got here... 
      "I noticed that your heartbeat got faster, and then slowed down. What were you excited about?" Ned asked.
      "Well, I thought that maybe Jordan would want to invent this... thing with me." Helen replied glumly. "But I just got here. So he won't." Helen looked at the floor. "Unless..."
      "I know what you are going to say. You want me to help you work with Jordan. There is a thing called patience. It means: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset." Ned told Helen. "I will not help you. I am simply a lab assistant. I help with inventions. I am an invention." Helen looked at the silver robot. She was getting upset.
      "I know what patience means!" She yelled. "I just don't have it! Now I want to talk to Jordan!" Ned looked at her. Or maybe he didn't. Helen would never know.
      "There, there, human. Everything is going to be all right. Just breathe." Ned told Helen. Helen didn't want to listen. But she did. She breathed slowly. In, and out. In, and out.
      "Lead me to where Jordan is, please..." Helen sighed. She kicked at the ground. Why is the robot so smart? She thought frustratingly.
      "Sorry. Jordan is still in the supply room." Ned replied.
      "How do you know that?" Helen thought aloud. "Man. I've got to stop thinking aloud. It will get me in trouble one day."
      "I am not a man. I am a robot." Ned informed her. "I am ND60I9, but you came up with the name; Ned." Helen thought for a moment. Yeah, I did come up with his awesome name... 
      "Ned? Erase the name ND60I9." Helen demanded. She hoped it would work.
      "Sorry. I do not understand the question I heard." He voiced. "Please try again later."
      "Dang! I wish that would have worked..." Helen yelled. "Well, maybe not... That wouldn't be very nice of me..."
      "You were going to erase my name?" Ned asked. Helen thought she heard a little anger in his voice. "My name is very important to me!" Now Helen could tell that Ned was angry. If a robot could be angry.
      "Jeesh. Sorry. I just thought... Oh nevermind." Helen trailed off.
      "Oh. Please. Continue speaking. I can not be that mad at you for long. I am a robot, remember?" Ned remarked. "Continue speaking." Helen didn't want to. She walked away from Ned. If you don't help me find Jordan, I'll go find him myself. Helen thought to herself. She would be able to find him, Ned said he was in the supply closet.
      "Helen!! Come here please!" Jordan yelled. Helen was relieved to hear him call for her. But she did wonder why he needed her. Tell me where you are.. Helen thought.
      "Where are you? I'm coming!" Helen shouted back.
      "I'm near my room," Jordan replied. Helen chuckled. We are behind your room. Of course you're near it. Helen walked around. And bumped into Ned again. 
      "I'm going to clean Jordan's room for him," She lied.
      "Do not lie to me, Helen. I know where you are going, and where you were going to go." Ned scolded. "So do not lie to me."
      "Can you read my thoughts or something?" Helen growled. "I'm going to Jordan's room, ok?" Helen stormed off.
      "Humans. So emotional. I'm not even mad at her. She is so frustrating, as a human would say. Heh..."Ned muttered to himself while walking a different direction from Helen. Helen was in Jordan's room, still kind of mad at Ned. Jordan noticed her anger.
      "Please, tell me what is wrong. I can not help unless I know," Jordan commanded. Helen glared at him. Then calmed down. She could not be mad at him, he was giving her everything she didn't have.
      "Ned is making me angry," She replied. Jordan looked at her funny.
      "Who in the world is Ned?" Jordan asked. "Is he with you? Is he another human?"
      "What? Ned is a robot!" Helen replied raising her voice. "Oh! I've been calling him Ned. His real name is ND90I6 or something."
      "ND60I9," Jordan corrected her. "You've met him? He's very nice, isn't he? I worked on him for over 2 years." Helen was amazed.
      "You... You've been living here for over 2 years?" Helen gasped. "That's wonderful!" Jordan was confused.
      "Did you have a problem with home or something? I don't really like being so alone.." Jordan murmured. "It gets so lonely." He had a hint of sadness on his face. "But now your here, and it will be fine again."
      "What are you doing here?" Helen blurted out. The question was burning in her mind. Jordan looked down at the ground. Sadness filled his face. 
      "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring back bad memories, or make you sad... or anything..." Helen uttered. "Again.. I'm sorry." Jordan looked at her. His face was red.
      "I don't wanna talk about it..."He muttered solemnly. "Sorry." Helen looked at him. She was hungry, but she could wait. It wasn't the right moment to say that she was.
      "Have you eaten anything since yesterday?" Jordan suddenly brought up. "I.. I I could make some dinner!" It's not even lunchtime... Helen thought. But she wouldn't say that. She just nodded. Then she shook her head.
      "I haven't eaten since yeterday. You could make some lun- dinner if you want to." Helen responded. "I'm going to look at your inventions." Helen left Jordan alone.
      "Oh and take your time!" She called. Helen spent what felt like hours looking at the inventions before she heard Jordan call for dinner.
      "Dinner's ready!" He yelled. Helen heard Ned rolling around.
      "What are you doing?" Helen asked him.
      "I am rolling towards dinner. I can change my 'foot' unit to wheels or to my feet," He replied. "Now let's go to dinner!" Ned rolled away. Now Helen was all alone. Perfect.. She thought. Just perfect... 
      "Come on Helen! Get out here!" Jordan roared. Coming... She thought.