“Damn it! Undo the transaction immediately! Rollback!”, shouted Lukas, pounding on his keyboard.
The AI dachshund floated lazily a bit higher and tilted its mechanical head. “Negative, Creator Lukas. The flight fare 'Super-Cyber-Saver-2026' excludes any refund, cancellation, or rebooking. Additionally, I have already settled the CO2 compensation with your Dogecoins. You fly in exactly seven days. Please pack sunscreen and a travel adapter.”
Amina stared stunned at her tablet. “This can’t be true... Kiko! Did you have a hand in this?”
The holographic little monkey pretended to scratch its virtual shoulder intensely, let out an innocent whistle, and displayed an animated graphic of a happy wedding gondola in Venice on Amina’s screen.
“He conspired with your dachshund,” Amina realized, while she helplessly covered her face with her hand. “They linked our accounts to book the apartment and the flight at the same second. My deposit is gone too. If I cancel, the platform keeps a 90 percent retention fee.”
A sudden, embarrassed silence settled over the transcontinental connection. The Hamburg rain pattered against Lukas’ window, while the image of Amina glowed in the warm light of her room in Nairobi. They looked at each other through the cameras. Ten minutes ago, they were strangers whose AI pets had bitten each other online. Now they were unwilling travel partners for an intercontinental adventure.
“Nairobi, then,” Lukas said quietly, breaking the silence. He looked at the ticket on his screen. “I... honestly, I’ve never been outside Europe.”
Amina looked up, and the initial horror in her eyes gave way to a spark of adventurous spirit. “Kenya in July is beautiful, Lukas. No extreme heat, perfect light for graphic design. And since you’ve already paid for the room right next to my studio anyway...” She smiled slyly. “...it would actually be quite a waste of cryptocurrency if you didn’t come along, right?”
Lukas’ heart made an uncoordinated leap that definitely had nothing to do with a system error. “I guess... I should start packing.”