After dinner was done, and the table cleared and the dishes washed, Ty asked June, "Would you please do me a small favor?"
"Of course, Ty," June said. "How can I help you?"
Ty shuddered. His mind still associated the memory of Lisa saying that, as an app, with her refusing him permission to return her to human form. Even though June had solved that problem, he thought that he would forever feel an unpleasant association with that phrase.
"Could you please call Lisa's parents, and ask them if I could talk to her briefly?" Ty asked. "We're not supposed to talk, but this is important. It's about Lisa's safety when she transforms into an app. The stuff you and I discussed this afternoon, when I told you not to answer your phone."
"You could call Lisa's parents, yourself," June pointed out.
"Yes," Ty agreed. "But if you're willing to call them, and make the case that I should talk to Lisa briefly, about her safety, I think they might take it more seriously."
"Perhaps you're right," June said. She placed the call.
Ty only heard June's end of the conversation. He could have improved his hearing, or made other changes, to hear both sides. but he didn't think it necessary.
"Hi Maria," June said, "This is June. Did I catch you at a good time to talk for a moment?" "No, no, everything's fine. But I do have a request. Ty has been honoring the week of grounding that you and Diego imposed, but he's become concerned about Lisa's safety if she transforms into an app again. He'd like to talk to her briefly, just to make sure she's safe." "OK, Maria, thank you. We'll be right over."
June said to Ty, "Maria takes Lisa's safety very seriously. She wants us to teleport to their living room right now."
"Thanks, Mom," Ty said, and took her hand. Abruptly they found themselves at Lisa's house. Maria and Diego were in the room.
"Ty," Diego said, "Thank you for your concern for Lisa's safety. And for honoring your agreement regarding your and her grounding. Is it OK if we stay in the room while you talk to her?"
"Well, this may be a little embarassing for Lisa and me", Ty said, "but you already know about Lisa's app form, so it's fine for you to hear this. I think you may object to one of the things I'll tell her, but if so, we can discuss it further, so that you understand why it's important."
"OK," Diego said. "If we have any concerns, we'll discuss them." He walked to the stairway, and called, "Lisa? Would you come down here, please?"
In a short time, Lisa came down. She was surprised to see June and Ty. "Hello, June, Ty. Is there a problem?"
"There's not a problem," June said, "but Ty has a concern about your safety, if you change into an app again."
"Oh!" Lisa said, "I already agreed that I wouldn't do that carelessly again, that I would make sure to have plans for transforming back, and handling outside communication."
"Yes, we know," said Diego, "and thank you for that. But I think Ty has an additional concern."
"That's right, Diego," Ty said. "Lisa, the second time you became an app, we made sure that you could send and receive text messages and telephone calls. You texted me, and I replied, and then later, after you finished your homework, you texted me again."
"Yes, that's right," Lisa said, looking a little puzzled.
Ty said, "I want you, in the future when you're an app, to NOT answer any text messages or phone calls."
"But why?" Lisa asked. "I thought that answering calls or texts was a good safeguard against being stuck as an app."
"Well, it is," Ty conceded, "but instead of answering the text or call, please instead use it as a cue to transform back to human form. Then wait a few minutes, and then answer the text or call back."
"I can do that," Lisa said, "but what if it's a call from you? Or my parents? Shouldn't I just take it?"
"Lisa, if it's from me, maybe you should take it, because I know the limitations of your app form. If you do, please answer the call or text in a way that lets me know that you're in app form. But I strongly suggest, even if it's a call from someone you normally trust, like your parents, that you transform back to human form, wait for a few minutes for any lingering mental effects to wear off, then call back."
"OK," said Lisa.
"This isn't right," said Maria. "You just told our daughter to take your phone calls, but not ours." Diego nodded.
"Maria, Diego, this isn't about my wanting Lisa to not communicate with you. And I'm fine with her transforming back before talking to me, too. The only reason I suggested that she might go ahead and take a call from me is if there is a problem, and I actually need to talk to her in app form to solve it. I don't think that's at all likely to happen, but I think it could be important."
"But why shouldn't she take our calls, for the same reason?" Diego asked.
"The whole concern is about the mental changes in being an app," Ty explained. "When Lisa is an app, she has almost no free will. If you talk to her in that state, she will take any request you make literally, and do it, even to her own detriment. I've had enough experience with her app form that I'm very careful talking to her in that form. I know you both have the utmost concern for Lisa's safety, but I worry that you might inadvertently say something that you might have cause to regret. Diego, when I handed Lisa's phone to you , while she was the app, I had no idea that you'd instantly make a demand of her. Luckily that turned out fine, since your demand was just for her to become human again.
"The other concern, less for safety but still for Lisa's well-being, is that if she's asked in her app form to do something, and is unable to do it, it makes her feel really bad. I discovered that by accident the first time I transformed her into an app, and have tried to avoid it since, though today I made a similar mistake when June was an app."
Diego, Maria, and Lisa all looked to June."You've been an app, too?" Diego asked, in wonder.
"Yes, I asked Ty to transform me into an app this afternoon," June said. "As with Lisa doing her homework, I wanted to get my accounting work done more quickly. While I was an app, I got a phone call, but Ty asked me not to answer it. As Ty said, while I was an app, I had very little free will. When Ty said not to answer the call, I didn't. But once I was human again, I asked Ty about it, and he explained why I shouldn't take calls in app form, even from people I trust, except maybe from Ty himself.
"If I had answered that call, and it was a client with a request, I would have agreed to whatever they wanted, with no negotiation. If it had been a salesman, I would have bought what they were selling. And if it had been a scammer... well, best not to even think about that. But even if it had been Mark, or Dustin, asking for something, it wouldn't be good for me to answer. Normally I'd discuss something with them, and reach a decision. But not when I'm an app. I would just agree to anything. They wouldn't be intending any harm, but I wouldn't be able to say no. That's why I think Ty is absolutely right about this,, and that Lisa would be wise to do as he suggests."
"By suggesting that Lisa take calls or texts from me, while in app form, but not from you," Ty told Maria and Diego, "I'm not trying to undermine your authority. And I'm not trying to keep her from communicating with you. I just want her to transform back to human form first. It's fine if she does that before talking to me, as well."
"Alright," Diego said. "I think I understand your concern. Maria, are you satisfied with Ty's explanation?"
"Yes," Maria said. "I definitely was concerned, but Ty's explanation makes sense, and I see that he only wants to protect Lisa."
That's a relief, thought Ty. He had been afraid that Maria and Diego might object to his advice that Lisa not accept calls or texts from them, when in app form.
"Lisa, does this all make sense to you? Are you OK with it?" Ty asked.
"Yes," Lisa replied. "It does make a lot of sense. I know that in app form I would do anything someone asks of me, which could be dangerous if that person wasn't careful. I think it's a good plan. Mom, Dad, if I'm in app form when you call or text me, I'll first transform back to human form, and then text or call you back."
"Thank you, honey," Maria said.
"I find this whole 'app' thing disconcerting," Diego said. "Lisa, I'd prefer that you not do it at all. But I'm not going to demand that, as long as you do it carefully, as we've discussed. Ty, thank you for watching out for Lisa's safety."
June took Ty's hand. "Unless you have any more questions or concerns for Ty to address, I think we'll be going."
Diego looked to Maria, who said, "I don't have anything else. Thank you both!"
Lisa said, "Thank you, Ty. I'll miss you!"
"It won't be much longer," Ty said, "but I'll miss you too. Bye, everyone."
Ty and June disappeared.