Not quite freedom.

Tom slowly crouched down and lifted Samantha off his shoulders, placing her on all fours on the ground. Standing up, he addressed the receptionist. "This isn't a pet. Samantha is a person, that woman is just forcing her to act like an animal."

The receptionist focused its cameras on Samantha. "Invalid declaration. Subject identified as Samantha Smith, pet of Tiffany Smith. Step away from the pet."

Tom took a step back, but Pete moved past her to approach the receptionist. "Scan her, you dumb tin can! She's a human being!"

"Scanning. Subject is quadruped and undressed except for several resort towels and a standard airline control collar intended for use on pets during transport. Conclusion of analysis: subject is a pet."

"But she's hurting her!" Pete blurted out.

It was like the receptionist changed gear when it heard that. "Are you reporting an incident of animal cruelty?"

Tom saw his chance to help Samantha. "Yes! Access the resort cameras and follow them back through the day. I don't know what happened to Samantha before we showed up but it can't have been good."

Tiffany's mouth dropped. "What? No, you can't do that. It's a invasion of my privacy! There's no legal cause to do that based on nothing more than a flimsy accusation."

"This is a private resort, ma'am," the machine reminded her. "We may review our security footage at our discretion and are required to report any crimes committed on our property."

While Tiffany raged against the machine, it calmly evaluated all the footage it had access to. There were no cameras in the bath house by the golf course and the outside paths were poorly covered, but a hallway camera had captured her pressing a cold bottle against Samantha's genitals this morning. "Guest Tiffany Smith, a report has been automatically filed against you with the police. You will be held by security until you are taken into police custody, and all available footage will be released for their evaluation. Subject Samantha Smith will be placed in the resort kennel until their decision is made. Guests Tom Bombado and Peter Gazetski, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. You may return to your rooms. You are asked to remain available in case the police have questions for you."

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Tiffany howled. "She's my pet! I was just trying to help her adjust, you can't do this to me!"

At that moment, the doors behind the receptionist opened and three large six-legged robots emerged into the lobby, their metal feet clacking against the tile floor as they approached Tiffany. The young woman tried to make a break for it through a side door, but it wouldn't open for her. When she tried to run to the main entrance instead, one of the robots raised a tube over its shoulder and launched something at her. The projectile unfolded in the air, turning into a net that tangled the woman's arms and legs.

Tiffany fell to the floor, cursing and flailing as the net constricted around her. When it was tight enough that her arms were pinned to her sides, the robot that had fired the net advanced and picked her up off the floor. Using two arms to hold the struggling bundle, the robot backed up until it passed the two others and left the lobby through the same door it had entered through.

After a second the other robots turned around and followed it out. Tiffany's screams remained audible through the clicking of their feet until they were cut off by the door closing. Tom and Pete were left standing in front of the receptionist while Samantha cowered in a bundle of towels at their feet.