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So the creature in my profile pic is named Bell (it/its). I'm really interested in the telephone network of the 1960s, and not only the monopoly the Bell System had on telecommunications, but how the company had to scheme in secret to find ways to catch people who were exploiting the system to make free calls (these people were known as phone phreaks). They tapped an obscene amount of phone calls in order to do this, and even recorded hours and hours of said calls. The project was called Greenstar.
So, with that historical background out of the way... My story takes place in an alternate universe where this project hasn't begun yet. Enter David. He's an engineer fresh out of college (wealthy, fraternity-type), who just got his dream job at Bell Labs and wants to make himself invaluable by coming up with a solution to this phone phreak problem and ropes his old college roommate into his scheme. His plan? Create a sentient creature in secret who can work tirelessly, listening to phone calls for any sign of tampering. Since he's unsure whether or not his plan will succeed, nor is he certain of the legality of ANY of the plan, he keeps all details under lock and key.
David's old roommate, a biologist, is somehow able to create life, which takes the form of...Bell. Yes, named after the company. Bell is essentially a homunculus that has grown up into a person (thing) with an undying loyalty to the Bell System as a corporation, and more than that, an intrinsic love for the phone system. It works every day, listening to calls, infiltrating party lines, and reporting back to David, who is, in its eyes, an overbearing manager, desperate for the success of this clandestine project.
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