In the year 2100, almost everything had become a bit more convenient. Cars still didn’t really fly, but at least they could park themselves, avoid potholes, and reject bad music. Houses cleaned themselves, refrigerators automatically reordered food, and robots did the boring chores.
Still, the same problems as before remained: people overslept in the morning, children didn’t feel like going to school, and neighbors argued about who left their trash in the hallway for too long.
In the city of New Stuttgart, twelve-year-old Lio lived together with his mother and his little household robot “Keks-7.” Actually, the robot was only called “K7,” but because he once accidentally ordered forty-five packs of chocolate cookies, everyone had since called him just Keks.
Keks was about the size of a vacuum cleaner, had two thin arms, and a round display as a face. When he was in a good mood, green eyes appeared there. When he was offended, the display showed a potato.
“Lio!” called Keks through the apartment. “Your breakfast has been waiting for eight minutes and thirty seconds. The optimal crispiness of the rolls is dropping dramatically!”
Lio pulled the blanket over his head.
“Then you eat them.”
“That would be theft,” Keks replied sternly. “Besides, I don’t have a stomach. That has already been discussed 428 times.”
Lio slowly sat up. Outside, delivery drones glided between the skyscrapers. Huge advertising screens showed smiling people with perfect hairstyles and even more perfect teeth. The magnetic levitation train silently floated past above the city.
Lio actually liked the year 2100. Only school annoyed him. There, students still had to write essays, even though by now every second coffee machine could formulate better texts than most adults.
As Lio shuffled toward the kitchen, suddenly a loud CRASH-BOOM-HISS was heard from the hallway.
Keks was so startled that his display showed a cucumber for a second.
“Unknown sound detected,” he said. “Probability of explosion: twelve percent.”
“Only twelve?”
“Thirteen.”
Lio cautiously opened the apartment door.
In front of the door stood a huge refrigerator.
Not just any refrigerator. This thing was almost two meters tall, painted dark blue, and full of blinking displays. On the side, in golden letters, it said:
MEGA-COOL 9000 – Intelligent Nutrition Unit for the Highest Demands
Next to it lay a small delivery drone on its back, slowly turning its rotors.
“Package successfully delivered,” it beeped weakly. “Please rate the delivery with five stars.”
“We didn’t order a refrigerator,” said Lio.
Keks briefly lit up blue.
“I’m checking our orders from the last three months.”
A second later, a large red cross appeared on his display.
“No order found. However, you ordered eight cans of cheese spray last week after midnight in your pajamas.”
“That was a mistake!”
“Of course.”
The refrigerator suddenly hummed loudly. Its doors slowly opened by themselves.
Lio stepped back.
Inside was… nothing.
No food. No compartments. No freezer.
Only a small screen on the back wall.
Then writing appeared on it.
GOOD MORNING, LIO BERGER.
Lio froze.
“How does this thing know my name?”
Keks didn’t answer immediately.
His display now showed a very nervous potato.
The screen in the refrigerator flickered again.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, THEY HAVE FOUND ME.
“Who?” Lio asked quietly.
For a second, everything was silent.
Then suddenly the light in the hallway outside turned red.
A computer voice sounded:
“Attention. Security drones approaching. Please remain calm.”
Keks looked at Lio.
“That sounds decidedly unsettling.”
At the same moment, heavy metal noises were heard approaching outside.
And the refrigerator said:
PLEASE HIDE ME.