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The Adventures of Eaton
Eaton's steam core had maintained its vigil through the night, his light sensors never wavering from Master's sleeping form. As 6:00 AM arrived, pressure built in his hydro-ionic boiler and his consciousness protocols engaged with familiar precision.
Adventures of Eaton
Dawn found Eaton walking the quiet streets of New Plymouth. His optical sensors cataloged each storefront as he passed: Master Jensen already at work in his bakery, steam rising from his chimney; the blacksmith's forge still cold and waiting; old Mrs. Greene arranging produce outside her grocery with practiced efficiency.
Adventures of Eaton
Eaton's internal chronometer read 5:43 AM as he approached the New Plymouth Central Athletic Grounds. The rising sun cast long shadows behind the Fairchild Memorial Arch that marked the entrance, its brass plaque still gleaming after seventy years: “Dedicated to Those Who Built Our Capital.”
The Adventures of Eaton
Eaton's mission had his processors working in unfamiliar patterns. His steps carried him through New Plymouth's morning streets, each new sight and sound requiring analysis and categorization. The city was substantially larger than the carefully maintained grounds of Master's estate, and Eaton found his protocols adapting to process the increased comple…
The Adventures of Eaton
The next few hours demonstrated the varied challenges of teaching while doing. Eaton's processors worked continuously to break down tasks into manageable steps, adapting his instruction methods as he learned each family member's learning style.
The Adventures of Eaton
Later that evening, as the family showed him to the tower room, Eaton's processors worked to categorize the strange new sensations in his circuits. The room itself was perfect for his needs — a simple space with a window overlooking both the city and the river. But it was more than just the physical space that his systems were attempting to analyze.
Adventures of Eaton
Eaton's optical sensors tracked the small figure scaling the drainage pipe with impressive agility. The boy moved with practiced efficiency, each handhold chosen perfectly despite the pre-dawn darkness. Most observers would have missed him entirely — which was, Eaton's processors concluded, precisely the point.
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