by Sarah Noffke
That was it, Sophia realized with alarm. There were no receptionists or employees bustling around, which was surprising for a company this size. She had expected to see colleagues hanging out in front having coffee or chatting about invoices or products. The place was a ghost town. Of course, Sophia reasoned, they could be hiding behind invisible walls.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m wondering,” Sophia agreed. “Are they in invisible offices?”
Jen smiled. She had curly brown hair and a sincerity about her that radiated in her brown eyes. “They used to be, but I got rid of them.”
Sophia’s mouth popped open. “You got rid of all your employees? How do you manage?”
Jen nodded. “Yes, as of this year, I’m the only employee of River. I terminated all half-million of my employees.”
That was astounding to Sophia. If there were no employees at River, she couldn’t fathom who sent the Tardis and the note. She had assumed it had been an employee trying to alert her to a potential problem at the company or a dispute that needed to be resolved. However, if there weren’t any employees, Sophia didn’t know where to begin.
“Who runs everything?” Sophia asked. “Who fulfills the orders and does deliveries, and, I don’t know, takes care of your business?”
Jen held up a hand, directing Sophia’s attention to the robot. “My River-bots, of course.”
The surprise must have registered on her face. Jen laughed.
“I know,” she told her with an understanding smile. “It’s amazing when people find out I replaced my entire workforce with robots. You have to see it with your own eyes to appreciate how well it works.”
“I do.” Sophia nodded adamantly.
“Right this way,” Jen invited, striding over to a seemingly solid wall. She stuck her hand on it and, like before, a rectangular seam appeared before the door slid back.
Sophia expected they would enter a hall that led to the warehouse behind the glass orbs. However, the doorway led them straight into the giant warehouse. They were on a high balcony looking down on the huge open room before them that stretched on and on like an ocean.
There was row upon row of towering shelves filled with products and boxes. Everything was in pristine order. Marching between the shelves or working at conveyor belts were robots like the one who had greeted Sophia in the lobby. For a solid minute, she watched as the robots worked seamlessly, making no noise as they grabbed products, packed them, and sealed the boxes before putting them on conveyor belts that ran the length of the warehouse.
As when Sophia first entered Jen’s office, she got the distinct impression she was missing something. Scratching her head, she scrunched her brow.
“I don’t understand,” she finally muttered. “They do all the work here? How did you accomplish such a programming feat?”
Jen grinned proudly. “It’s been in the works for quite some time. I had them trained by the employees who used to work here. We went through a three-step program where I slowly phased out the employees until there were no more remaining.”
“It’s incredible,” Sophia said in awe. “I know from my own experience River is very efficient at fulfilling orders, so they are obviously doing a great job.”
It was strange to watch the metal robots on the floor below marching around, so different from the cyborgs she’d become acquainted with. They had personalities and emotions, although they were part machine. These robots seemed like shells expected to fulfill a job.
“They are magitech, then?” Sophia asked.
Jen nodded. “Why, yes. You seem surprised.”
“Well, it’s just that I’m becoming better acquainted with magitech and have learned it is a much more organic form of technology,” Sophia explained.
“You mean, it’s intuitive,” Jen offered.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Sophia agreed, musing about a few ideas related to the note she’d received, asking for help.
“Yes, a regular toaster has to manually be turned on and then it does its job,” Jen stated. “Whereas a magitech toaster can anticipate its user’s needs, operate independently, and in some instances, does not need bread to turn out perfectly crisp toast.”
“Well put.” Sophia was still perplexed by this situation. Something was not right here at River, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
“Now, what brings you here, Dragonrider? I realize you’re very busy and in high demand.”
Sophia pulled out the note she’d received in the miniature Tardis. “Do you have any reason to believe any of your robots are…how do I put it…unhappy?”
Jen frowned. “With all due respect, they might be magitech, but they are still robots. They don’t have emotions, just intuition.”
It was Sophia’s turn to frown. “With all due respect to you, intuition, I believe, is a product of emotions and having a connection to things around us. Magic is a living and breathing thing in many respects. It isn’t a tangible object. It is feelings themselves. It’s as impenetrable as an idea or a thought. Powerful but not something that can be grasped.”
The unsatisfactory expression that crossed Jen’s face spoke of her sudden change in mood. “I really must demand you tell me your reason for visiting.”
Sophia unfolded the note and passed it to the CEO of River. “I received this note inside of a miniature Tardis that came from your company. Do you know anything about it?”
Jen mouthed the typed words on the piece of paper, confusion on her face. She turned it over as if expecting there would be something written on the other side. It was blank.
“Are you certain this came from here?” she asked.
Sophia nodded. “I mean, I was hoping you could tell me. Like, maybe the order was fulfilled by a different center or an independent vendor.”
Jen shook her head. “No. I terminated all agreements with outside vendors. Everything is fulfilled in-house now.”
“All are packed by the robots,” Sophia guessed.
“Absolutely,” Jen affirmed. “There must be a mistake. Are you sure this came from River?”
“Yes, and even stranger was that it was delivered to me on a random street in West Hollywood.”
Jen thought about that for a moment. “Well, I guess that’s not too strange. If you have your phone on you, a River-bot could track you down wherever you are and deliver the package, but I doubt they did.”
“Why?” Sophia questioned.
“Well, my robots don’t need help,” Jen explained. “I mean, they are robots, after all. They do their job around the clock without fail. There’s no drama like when I had human employees.” She laughed. “I don’t even have to employ an HR department anymore. It’s delightful.”
Sophia narrowed her eyes with speculation. There was something missing here. Things couldn’t run that smoothly. Technology had errors. Magitech had repercussions. That was the inevitable thing about both. These robots operated efficiently, which made her think something was not right.
Chapter Eighty-Two
Engines hummed from nearby generators as Sophia and Jen descended to the warehouse floor below. The CEO, as confused about the mysterious note as Sophia, had agreed to give her a tour of the facility.
Being on the warehouse floor with the robots silently moving around her was even more surreal than staring at them from up high.
“Maybe if you take me to the area where the item I was delivered is stored, it will help with this investigation,” Sophia suggested. “Where do you keep the mini Tardises?”
She turned, realizing the CEO wasn’t following her anymore. Jen had halted on the last landing of the stairs and was regarding the warehouse floor with indecision.
“I’ll leave you here,” she stated firmly. “The River-bots can assist you.” She cleared her throat and looked out at the warehouse. “River-bots, this is Sophia Beaufont. You will answer her questions and help her in any way she requests. Is that clear?”
All of the River-bots pivoted to
face the CEO. In unison, they nodded. “Yes, Miss Hendricks.”
Sophia smiled nervously, more than a little intimidated about walking into the mass of metal robots when there was some sort of issue.
“We are here to serve,” the River-bots chorused.
“Thank you,” Sophia replied. “That’s very nice of you.”
Jen pursed her lips. “Pleasantries aren’t necessary. Robots remember.”
Reluctance surfaced on Sophia’s face. “Right.”
“I’ll be up here if you need anything the River-bots can’t deliver,” Jen said, climbing back up the stairs.
“Thanks.” Sophia turned to face the robots, which had gone back to work. She paused next to the closest one. “Excuse me, can you please tell me where the mini Tardis cookie jars are located?”
The River-bot tilted its head to the side, seeming to think. When it looked back at her, it said, “Aisle one-thousand and twenty-six, shelf G, in the orange section.”
Sophia gulped. “Is it that way?” She pointed at the center row.
“I will lead you.” The River-bot abandoned its station and marched off.
“Thanks,” Sophia said, hurrying to keep up. The robot was surprisingly fast and moved soundlessly. They were quite impressive pieces of machinery. Sophia hadn’t seen anything quite like them. That’s what bothered her, though. They were too perfect. As she had mentioned to Jen, there was always something distinctive about magitech. It had unique surprises to it. She was really having a hard time accepting all these robots were the same and worked nonstop without a single issue.
Tentatively, she glanced over her shoulder at the CEO standing on the balcony, looking down on her warehouse full of robots.
Sophia had to nearly run to keep up with the River-bot. It gave her little opportunity to study the many aisles they passed. For the most part, everything was perfectly organized, so it struck her oddly when she passed an aisle that stood out from the others. She wouldn’t even have noticed it if it wasn’t for her enhanced vision, which homed in on what appeared to be graffiti on the far end of a shelf.
Halting, Sophia pivoted sharply and went down the row.
She smiled at a few River-bots she passed and could have sworn the last one returned the gesture with a flirtatious glint in its eyes.
Oh, I’m telling Wilder, Lunis teased in her head.
Would you shush it and work on your jokes? she replied. By work on them, I mean throw all of them in the trash and start over.
Sure thing, he answered. I’ll leave you to investigate since you totally saw that stack of playing cards hidden under the shelf back there.
Sophia paused and narrowed her eyes. What are you talking about?
Nothing, he stated indifferently. I’ll just be over here filling out my application for clown college. You go do your detective stuff since you don’t need my help.
Lowering her chin, she rolled her eyes. Okay, fine. I need your help, Lunis.
What’s the magic word, he encouraged.
Please, she answered.
Incorrect, he disagreed at once. You should know by now that much like the CEO of River, we don’t care about niceties.
Fine, is the magic word “now.”
Close, he teased.
Dude… Sophia groaned, thinking she was moments away from murdering her dragon.
That’s it! he exclaimed.
Great, where are the playing cards you saw?
About three paces back on the right, under the bottom shelf, on the floor, he informed her.
Sophia retraced her steps and knelt, pressing her face to the floor. She could just spy a deck of playing cards. Sliding her hand under the narrow space, she was able to edge them out. At first, she assumed they were a product that had fallen off a shelf. Then she noticed they had been used.
What do you make of this? she asked Lunis.
My guess is someone has been playing cards, he said.
Maybe it was one of the employees from before, she mused.
Could be. He didn’t sound confident.
The deck appeared fairly new, and it wasn’t covered in dust like she would have expected if it had been there for a long period of time.
Turning to the nearest River-bot, Sophia approached it. The worker straightened immediately, giving her its attention.
“How long since humans have been here?” she asked.
It shook its head. “They have been gone for six months, twelve days, four hours, and two minutes.”
Can you ask him to be more specific? Lunis joked.
Sophia shook her head. There would be dust on the deck if a human employee left them there.
The River-bot’s eye slid down to the cards in her hand before looking to the side.
Was that embarrassment on his face? she wondered.
Or he’s got gas, Lunis offered.
Dude. Sophia groaned again.
Don’t overuse the magic word, he warned.
“Thanks for your help,” Sophia said, turning her attention back to the thing that had originally gotten her attention.
“You’re welcome,” the River-bot said behind her.
Sophia paused and gave it a curious expression. Did he just respond with a nicety?
I think he checked you out as well, Lunis told her.
It’s a robot, not a male, she argued.
Go look at the graffiti, he encouraged.
When Sophia got to the area where she thought she saw the graffiti, she found something strange. It wasn’t artwork drawn on the side of the shelves like she had expected to find. Under closer inspection, she realized it was tally marks. There were tons of them.
What do you make of this? she asked Lunis.
Someone is counting something, he answered.
She did a rough count and found there were roughly one Hundred and ninety-two marks. Running her finger over the most recent, she found the marker still fresh, whereas the ones at the top were faded, as though done a while ago.
Or six months and twelve days ago, Lunis offered.
Sophia's eyes widened with alarm. Oh, my God! You’re right. Six months and twelve days would be… She paused, doing the math in her head.
Because her dragon was insane, he started humming the music from Jeopardy as she counted.
The length of time the humans have been gone from River is one Hundred and ninety-two days.
Ding! Ding! Lunis exclaimed. You get a cookie.
Sophia thought for a moment. I want answers.
She turned and was surprised to find a River-bot right in front of her. Sophia took a quick step back, looking to put some space between her and the robot.
“You did not follow me, Sophia Beaufont,” the River-bot said, sounding disappointed.
She pointed over her shoulder and then decided not to disclose what she found. “Yeah, sorry. I got distracted.”
He blinked at her. It was a strange thing for a robot to do since they didn’t need to. “Distracted…” He seemed intrigued by the idea. “How does one get distracted?”
Sophia considered the question. “I don’t know how to get distracted. It just kind of happens.”
“Can you teach me how to get distracted?” the River-bot asked.
This is interesting, Lunis said in Sophia’s head.
Just now? she questioned. We’re inside the largest retail distributor run entirely by robots, and you think it just got interesting.
That’s a Tuesday for me, he teased.
“I’m not sure if I can teach you how to get distracted,” Sophia told the River-bot. “That’s something you want to do?” The key to the question was in the use of the word “want.”
The River-bot nodded. “I’d very much like to know what distraction feels like.”
Whoa, Lunis whooped in her head. Our little guys are growing up!
Not just growing up, she mused. I think they are turning sentient.
Well, it was sort of inevitable, he added. You can’t add magic to technology without
repercussions. Magic comes from creatures and carries with it a personality.
That’s what I was trying to tell Jen, Sophia explained.
I know, although I wasn’t really paying attention.
Because? Sophia questioned.
Well, there was this flock of pigeons hanging out by Pike’s Place Market, and I thought it would be cute to pretend to be one to mess with the mortals passing by, he explained.
Sophia nearly laughed. A very large pigeon, right?
Weird, he observed. How did you know?
I’ve got your number. She returned her attention to the River-bot. “Do you miss the humans?”
It tilted his head to the side, seeming to be thinking. “Miss? I know what the word means, but I don’t know what it feels like.”
“Do you still wish they were here?” Sophia asked.
“I cannot say,” it answered. “Can I show you the place you asked to find?”
“Yes, please.”
The robot pivoted sharply. Sophia followed again, noticing that many of the River-bots paused when she strode by, giving her curious expressions.
Isn’t it weird Jen didn’t come down to the main floor with you? Lunis mused.
Sophia glared over her shoulder when they were back in the center aisle, realizing the CEO was still standing on the balcony, leaning on the railing. Yeah, it’s totally weird, she responded.
Did you notice the scratches on her wrist and neck? Lunis questioned.
I thought you were busy pretending to be a pigeon? Sophia said with a laugh.
I can multitask.
That did make a giggle fall from her mouth, catching the attention of the River-bot. It turned with a strange expression.
“What is funny?” he asked her.
She shrugged. “It’s an inside joke. Like, inside my head between my dragon and me.”
“Hm,” it mused. “That’s interesting.”
Robots aren’t supposed to find things interesting, Lunis offered. It’s all supposed to be data.
Yeah, Sophia agreed, continuing to follow the River-bot. Finally, after walking a great distance, he brought her to an area filled with Doctor Who items. He indicated a row of cookie jar Tardises.
The River-bot working in that area froze before bringing his chin down.
