Silvertroll

Electric Daemon

A green light blinks on the robovac, an indication that it's booting up. Alicia watches it come to life, and when a blue light turns on, according to the manual, she knows it is connecting to the internet.

"Is that good," she asks Phlox, who's busy opening boxes. When the robovac spins on the table, it gets her attention.

"Did you do something?" asks Phlox.

"No."

The robovac starts rolling across the table, bumping items off, stopping at the ledge and changing course.

"What's it doing?" asks Alicia.

"It's trying to get off the table."

Alicia wants to know just one thing, "How do we turn it off?"

Phlox consults the app on her phone, sliding through the pages with her finger. "There's a button on its side."

Alicia attempts to reach the machine, but it spins violently, rushing to the opposite corner of the table. "There's gotta be another way."

Reading, Phlox says, "There's a web interface, and... you can use voice commands."

Alicia commands the robovac, "Stop."

The robovac complies. It stops, then spins around to train its single eye at her. It says, "VELTY."

"What's it saying?" asks Alicia.

"VELTY."

"It's a private blogging site, explains Phlox.

"Private? Why bother with a blog that nobody will read?"

"There are mental, creative, and emotional benefits to writing," Phlox explains. "Even if no one ever gets to see what you've written. Jotting down a few positive things every day can make a huge impact in your life."

The robovac whirs and takes off, smashing into a chair. The chair falls back, the robovac drops onto it and descends to the floor, scrambling away. Alicia rushes after it, following it into the hall. With Phlox keeping close behind, they stalk the device, until it zooms into the loungeroom and disappears under the furniture.

"How do we find out who's controlling it?" asks Alicia.

"There might not be anybody controlling it."

Alicia checks under the coffee table, "Someone is behind this?"

"Who? Silvertroll?"

Alicia looks at her. "You don't think."

Phlox points at the floor ahead, "Look." The robovac is plugged into an ethernet wall port.

"What's it doing?"

"I don't think we want it doing that," says Phlox.

They both step forward. The robovac moves fast, detaching from the port and speeding under the couch. Alicia attempts to cut it off, but the robovac beats her to the hallway, disappearing back into the kitchen.

The lights turn off.

Alicia hears the washing machine turn on. Every appliance around the house beeps and whistles with activity.

"What the fuck is going on?" asks Phlox.

Alicia can see the dread in the girl's face. "The laundry," she says. 

Phlox follows her to the back of the house. They enter the small laundry, and Alicia raids the cupboard. She arms herself with a mop. Phlox empties a plastic laundry basket, "We're destroying it, right?"

"Yep," Alicia says as she leads the way back to the kitchen. They both enter, each taking defensive postures. The oven is hot. The sink is cascading water. The blinds are opening and closing. The dishwasher is rumbling.

The refrigerator is singing a tune.

"Where is it?" asks Alicia.

"Shhh, I hear it."

They stand quiet, listening. The ruckus makes it hard. A bump from above makes them both look upward.

"It's upstairs," says Phlox.

"How the fuck did it get up there."

Phlox shrugs, "I believe some models can do that."

"How?"

"Want me to check the manual?" Phlox pulls out her phone.

"Stay here," Alicia marches to the stairs, inspect them, and then climbs the steps. She creeps into Julian's room. Nothing stirs, except the computer rig is active, its cooling fans humming, the screens glowing. A hissing sound grabs Alicia's attention. It's coming from downstairs. "What's happening."

Phlox voice echoes, "It's the sink. It's running water from the automated taps, causing it to overfill."

The next chime she recognises. The air conditioner in the upstairs hallway has just turned on. Alicia reads the display to discover the temperature is set to 30 degrees.