“It was…nothing,” I said, confused. Then I shut up, remembering the Miranda Rights I heard on the holovisions from time to time: anything you say can and will be used against you. But I did have an idea. “Forty…forty forty twenty-two? Forty minus nothing equals twenty-two, no, forty-nine.”

The android furrowed its brows, an accidental computer trait that it had picked up from human behavior. It opened its mouth, but nothing came out. Then, “Stage programming tests 345.9.35 proven incorrect: humans insusceptible to pattern-based programming.”

Another voice. “Searching status options…arrival: impossible.”

The android looked confused again. “Theory 345.6: human activity unpredictable/paradoxical?”

“Searching status options…arrival: impossible.”

The robot looked confused again, and waddled mechanically out of the room. The section of wall closed behind it.

I understood little of what the computers said, but I had a feeling I won.