08
Automatic Response
The second level above the central square hung in an arch above the ground below. Four of the same arches formed a rectangle that floated above twenty feet of the main square. The top of the arches formed a lighted railing that connected with four slanted ceiling made from frosted glass that left the center of the roof open. The concentric rectangles shot moonlight to the open portion of the base.
The glass walkways, reinforced by steel bolts, shot diffused lights to both the top and bottom of the panels. The disguised speakers embedded in the walkway itself blasted ambient music to announce an August evening. About one hundred twenty people were seen at once. Some leaning on the center rails overseeing the ground floor to mess with the small projector controller to put up different images on the story below, others sitting on the stools placed on the opposite end of the second story stargazing.
The ends of the second story facing outwards were lined with simple stores that kept their lights down for the night sky. On the corners of every side was a outlined Taxi pod that occasionally opened its hatch to drop off, and sometimes, pick up passengers. Every pod had a few people lining up in front of the glowing blue button, and every minute or so the blades blocking people from entry would open and a Taxi would open its doors to greet its next passenger.
A few kids would be heard going “another Taxi” as the glass next to it revealed that a Taxi was slowly approaching the pod.
“Ten thirty-five.” Irene read the time off of her film out loud, her voice coming crystal clear as the headset has batted away the ambient noise. “The mall never shuts down. I don’t get how they keep going.”
“Wouldn’t people that tend the stores fall asleep anyway?” Luna focused her blue pupils at a teppan eatery five stores to her left.
“No one hires actual night shift people anymore.” Kevin got up from the rail. “People don’t wanna talk. They just ring up service and they were done with.”
“Kayla?” Irene found the rich girl staring aimlessly downstairs. “You didn’t eat much. Truth be told, two wasn’t a lot— we ordered like sixteen. We’ll send the check back to the higher-ups and they should cover it— Kevin, do they?”
“Yep, that’s what I thought. Ricky said we could twice a month, I think.”
Kevin smiled at Luna with a gesture that pointed to the restaurant that caught their eye.
“I’ll pay for it.” Kayla stopped the three from moving.
“They don’t take cash, and we have this account set up.” Irene threw an arm behind her back. “Relax. We’re not here to nap you or something. You scared Luna straight.”
The butler squeezed out a small smile when she noticed that her master looked at her to seek a hint. The same subtle smile when Kayla’s crying and demand for silence subsided and she simply wanted someone to be physically there. It’s by instinct.
The camera at the entrance of the restaurant swiped across the four, and a human came following a ding at the speaker embedded into the side wall of the front gate. The staff, wrapped in a white half-apron, led the four to seats situated in front of the metal grill. The table flashed the menu for the four to choose from, but Irene pressed the physical Rush button next to the chopstick holders.
Luna was salivating as the androids behind the counter sprung to a spot in front of them, and dropped an assortment of chicken, beef, and greens onto the fired plate while its arms precisely mixed the sauces that ran onto the ingredients from one of its extremities.
“Always a crazy waste of time. Just make them rush and we can leave—“
“Aw, Irene.” Luna can’t control her wide smile. “There are like chefs that practice this craft for decades. But you guys have robots. I just can’t wait.”
“They scan your brains, Luna.” Kevin engaged her happiness. “They know what you want, so they skip the step of organizing orders and jump straight to delivery. I promise you will love it.”
“I better hope so!”
The robots rang a ding as the oil fried the meat to an almost well-done stage. Its two mechanical arms pushed all the meat to the center of the two scrapers, which it lifted to a plate in front of it with laser accuracy. The hatch in front of that plate opened, and the done food was shoved onto the table shared by the four. Irene gave it a thumbs-up, and it nodded at her and moved to help some other table.
“I’m sorry, I’m digging in.” Luna’s fingers twirled the chopsticks then went straight for the plate.
Kayla placed a hand on the inside pocket of her shirt. Luna was chatting about the nuances of Japanese meat preparation to Kevin, and Irene was busy eating her own share. She raised a hand and drew an inverted D in the air, and four drinks came in on the conveyor belt that housed the hatch mechanism through which moved food from the grill to the table.
Kayla checked the pocket again. The paper rustled, folded in half and hidden inside her shirt. Her fingers rubbed against one corner of it before tucking it back in and buttoning up her shirt again.
“Hey, I’m uh, heading to the bathroom.” She stood up.
“It’s right outside.”
Luna placed her chopsticks, but Kevin persuaded her to keep eating and talking anyway. Her attention was back on Japanese culture again.
“Thanks.” She dashed out of the store, peeked over the railing outside, and her sneakers sped up to locate an escalator that will take her downstairs to the busy cylinder that marked the center of the square.