Chapter Thirty-One: Huey Progress

Howard and Bridget attend a huey test at the Hawking Institute with Terry as the test subject. The humanoid avatar successfully completes physical tests including balance and vision checks, and the group goes to lunch to further evaluate the technology's functionality. Meanwhile, news of escalating Luddie protests against replicants plays on a cafeteria TV, raising questions about whether the huey project will resolve societal tensions.

Howard and Bridget arrive at the Hawking Institute lab for a huey test supervised by Mark Harris, finding Terry prepared as the test subject. Mark warns that Terry tends to overstate issues, but she reveals multiple glitches have been encountered and resolved during testing, including vision lock-ups, balance problems, network latency, and an exit failure. The new huey model appears notably more human-like and physically idealized compared to Terry's actual form. After activation, the huey performs well on initial tests and requests to go to lunch as a functional evaluation. The group—Howard, Bridget, Mark, and the huey Terry—proceeds to the cafeteria. Howard notes that Mark's previously severed arm has fully regrown with new muscular development and a tattoo. During lunch, the huey Terry enthusiastically consumes multiple desserts, taking advantage of the stated selling feature that hueys can consume food without weight gain. The conversation turns to testing phases: Mark expresses concern about public beta testing given anti-replicant sentiment and Luddie violence, suggesting alpha testing at work first. A newscast displaying Luddie protests against replicants appears on a cafeteria TV, showing violent clashes with police and signs reading "No more replicants," "Dead is Gone," and "Replicants are not people." Bridget notes the Luddie movement is growing, while Mark dismisses them as deliberately provocative. The group debates whether the huey technology will resolve societal resentment or inflame opposition further.