Now fully plasticized, mechanized, and clothed, Kaylee Doll stood obediently on the conveyer belt that brought her to the ground floor and her last station: Training. A scrolling sign dropped down in front of her. She stared at it blankly.

"CONGRATULATIONS, KAYLEE DOLL." It said.

"PLEASE STAND BY FOR BASIC ORIENTATION."

"THE FOUR RULES:"

"1. A DOLL WILL ALWAYS SMILE AND BE KIND."

"2. A DOLL WILL ALWAYS OBEY HER OWNERS."

"3. A DOLL WILL NEVER SPEAK OR MOVE UNTIL TOLD."

"4. A DOLL WILL NEVER WANT TO BE HUMAN."

"YOU ARE A DOLL."

"PLEASE RECITE THE FOUR RULES, KAYLEE DOLL."

In Kaylee's mind, she ran through all her possible scenarios, and her only conclusion was to open her eyes, smile, and say. "A doll will always smile and be kind. A doll will always obey her owners. A doll will never speak or move until told. A doll will never want to be human."

"WHAT WILL A DOLL ALWAYS DO?"

"A doll will always smile and be kind. A doll will always obey her owners."

"WHAT WILL A DOLL NEVER DO?"

"A doll will never speak or move until told. A doll will never want to be human."

"WHAT ARE YOU, KAYLEE?"

"I am a doll."

"PLEASE TELL ME YOUR FOUR RULES, KAYLEE."

"I will always smile and be kind. I will always obey my owners. I will never speak or move until told. I will never want to be human."

"THANK YOU, KAYLEE. PLEASE REMEMBER THE FIRST AND THIRD RULE UNTIL YOUR OWNER ARRIVES."

Kaylee closed her plastic eyes once again and wrapped herself in the rules. When she opened her eyes, Kaylee froze in place like a doll should. Her elbows were turned, body slightly bent forward, head cocked a little sidewise, and she smiled. She would always smile and be kind. She would always obey her owners. She would never speak or move unless told. She would never want to be human.

Kaylee waited like she should, quietly and patiently for her owner to arrive. Mr. Pevnise finally appeared a minute later. He walked around Kaylee, inspecting his work. He finally nodded and said,

"Please follow me." The doll began to walk quietly behind him, her shoes padding upon the floor. And then, somewhere in Kaylee's mechanical mind, she wondered if Mr. Pevinise wouldn't mind her to be more doll-like, and so Kaylee began to skip behind her owner.

They reached the elevator, and Kaylee lightly jumped over the threshold. When the doors closed, there was silence in the small room. A part of Kaylee told her that Mr. Pevenise would like to hear some music, so Kaylee Doll began to hum.

"Kaylee, please remember the third rule." The Doll stopped and thought a moment. Mr. Pevenise had not yet told her to talk, so she should not have made a noise. She knew the rules, so why did she just break one? The doors opened and the doll and her owner stepped out and began walking down the hallway. "Kaylee, please go open my office door for me." Kaylee nodded and skipped down the hallway to Mr. Pevenise's office, and opened the door as he came to it. "Thank you, Kaylee." He sat down at his desk, and Kaylee sat down across from him, and she smoothed out her dress and folded her hands.

"How do you feel, Kaylee?"

"I feel really good, Mr. Pevenise."

"Excellent. I'm glad to hear it." He sat back and rubbed his goatee, looking at Kaylee, who smiled brightly. "Did you know that there were six dolls before you, Kaylee? And that they all failed?"

Kaylee shook her head, causing her yarn hair to flail.

"It's true. Physically, you are all very much the same. Mentally, however, you could not be more different. You see, with my first two, they were disobedient. My rules were not strong enough, and I had trouble controlling them. My next four were all very dull, because I gave them too many rules."

"Four is too many, Mr. Pevenise?"

"No, no. Four, I think, is fine. But I gave these dolls thirty rules. By giving them so many rules, I made sure they were to be well behaved, but their lives were so scripted that they were boring, and I had to get rid of them. Is there any reason you can think of for me to get rid of you?"

Kaylee vigorously shook her head, lying to her owner because she did not want to be gotten rid of.

"Kaylee, if you tell me now if you are having problems, I may be able to fix them. To make you a better doll."

"Then I do have a problem." Kaylee said, "Sometimes I think that I want to be human. Or sometimes I want to speak or move when I have not been told to."

"I see, Kaylee. I think I know why that is. Do you remember being human?"

The doll nodded.

"That's where the problem lies. You see, part of you never wanted to become a doll, and so that part of you wants to be human again. But what I want is for that part of you to want to be a doll. So I want you to tell that part of you how great it is to be a doll."

"Until she goes away?"

"Until she believes you."

Kaylee nodded. There was a knock on the door, and Mr. Peveniselooked up to see a worker carrying a large pink box. "Ah, good. Kaylee, would you please open the door." The doll excitedly jumped up and pulled the door open for the worker. He wheeled the box into the room, and Kaylee Doll was ecstatic for her box. She was ready to leave, and obeyed the third rule until Mr. Pevenise told her to get in the box. She jumped inside, and smiled as bright as the sun like the first rule said to do. The worker closed her up, and promptly forgot about her, turning back to Mr. Pevenise.

"Where is she going?"

"Just send her to my address. She's a gift for my wife." The worker nodded and propped the box up on his two-wheeler. Kaylee Doll was excited for her new life as she left the Toy Factory.