Klara and the Sun

Klara observes the world from an AF store window, forming her theology of the Sun, meeting Josie for the first time, and waiting to be chosen. A rival AF named Rosa competes for placement in the window display.

Klara moves into Josie's home, meets Josie's mother Chrissie, befriends Rick the unlifted neighbor boy, and begins to understand the social stratification between lifted and unlifted children. Josie's illness deepens.

Klara accompanies Josie and Chrissie to portrait artist Capaldi's studio and begins to understand Chrissie's plan. Klara makes her bargain with the Sun: she will destroy the Cootings Machine in exchange for Josie's recovery.

Klara executes her bargain with the Sun: she misdirects Josie on an outing and destroys the Cootings Machine by ingesting its toxic fluid. This permanently impairs her solar-processing capability. Josie begins to improve.

Capaldi presents the continuation — a robot built on Klara's observations of Josie. Klara is asked to confirm whether it could substitute for the real Josie. Her answer is essentially no. The project collapses. Josie continues to recover; Rick and Josie drift apart.

Years later. Josie has grown up and gone to college. Klara has been replaced by a newer AF model and deposited in a 'yard' — a disposal ground for obsolete AFs. Her solar capacity slowly drains. She recounts her story to a figure called the Manager. Her final thoughts are of Josie and the Sun.