The Smart Fridge

Part 1

The first rays of sunlight crept in, nudging Ryou awake. She blinked, adjusting to the light filtering through the curtains. Still wrapped in the comfort of her blanket, she yawned and sat up. Her muscles protested: tight, aching from the previous day's workouts. She stretched, hoping to loosen her stiff joints and knotted back. A satisfying crack resonated through her body, releasing some of the tension. The first step was always the worst. But once her muscles warmed up, the ache would fade.
Padding barefoot to the window she drew the curtains with a firm sweep of her arm, flooding the room with the golden warmth of the morning sun. The view of LilyTech Academy's grounds from her third-story dormitory room greeted her eyes — and, beyond, the mountain peaks of Nagano Prefecture rising in the distance. It was quiet, the stillness broken only by the chirping of birds and the low hum of the academy's generators. The crisp air, a blend of pine, grass, and the lingering dampness from the overnight mist, wafted in through the window.
Speaking of which... what was today again? Right, Friday. And that meant... her gaze fell on the color-coded schedule pinned on the wall, above her desk. Friday's box was marked in green: 'Training: Advanced Optics'. She had almost forgotten. Hopefully it would be challenging, but not as intense as yesterday's physical drills.
A single notebook lay on the desk; it was opened to the middle, a pen lying beside. It was the one she had used to jot down some notes about yesterday's lecture. In somewhat messy handwriting, a couple of lines read 'Nakamura-sensei's lecture: Great Deconnection '52', 'Big tech downfall and rebirth', 'Opportunity lost'... Well, today she wouldn't be needing it. She picked it up, closed it and put it in one of her desk drawers, in between a few other notebooks and manuals, all of them neatly arranged.
Hunger calling, she turned away and walked over to her kitchenette, her bare feet pressing softly against the wooden floor. From the cupboard she retrieved a jar of miso paste, the Minabe pickled plums she had bought yesterday, and her prize—a loaf of artisan bread. The bread was a rare luxury in a world of mass-produced, smart-baked goods. But she was a stubborn girl, and refused to give in even if it meant trekking down to town every now and then. Toast in the morning was, in fact, her one indulgence and, despite not quite qualifying as a traditional washoku-style breakfast, she had made peace with it a long time ago.
With practiced efficiency, she sliced the bread and slid the pieces into the toaster. The device hummed to life, its phantom sensors observing the bread, quantifying, discretizing, analyzing the data. The slices seemed to float inside, as if guided by some unseen force. Her mind drifted to the day ahead. As the team lead of four Spark Frame operator trainees, Ryou's responsibilities piled up in her mind. The morning briefing, the training drills, the performance evaluations. The whole shebang, she noted wryly. Today was no different. Absentmindedly, her gaze drifted out of the window. On the windowsill a bird stood, pecking its wing with its beak. Ryou smiled as she watched the little creature. With its ruffled, colorful plumage and beady black eyes, it reminded her just a tiny bit of Yumi. A chime shattered that moment, and with a start, both girl and bird jumped. The toaster's mechanical voice slithered into her ears. "Good morning, Fujikawa Ryou. Allow us to remind you of our commitment to delivering the finest breakfast experience" it cooed. The words oozed out like syrup and Ryou's smile vanished.
"It appears your attention has strayed from the device. Before we can continue the toasting process, we are obligated to share with you two exciting recommendations from our trusted partners, carefully curated to align with your preferences." The voice continued, unflinchingly persistent.
"And if you want to elevate your toasting experience to the next level, consider becoming a member of our Kagayaki SmartToast Premium Club today! Enjoy seamless toasting without breaks—because you deserve it! And that's not all! You'll also gain access to exclusive tutorials to optimize your toasting routine and exclusive emojis, perfect for sharing your eco-friendly journey! Because, as a member of our club, you'll receive an astounding 75% discount on our cutting-edge CrumbCycle™ initiative. Recycle your bread crumbs with style, knowing that you're contributing to a sustainable future. And now, our partners are excited to share with you these..."
Damn thing. No buttons, no switches, no mercy. The toaster, a sleek metal monolith emblazoned with the Kagayaki logo, stared back at her, indifferent. Ryou cursed under her breath, resisting the urge to smash it to pieces. Might as well head out into the woods, gather a handful of dry twigs and leaves and start a fire. Faster and more convenient than this piece of smart garbage.
As the toaster chirped away about the marvels of data-driven pets (or were they data-driven pet insurance plans?), Ryou stared at it—that was the trick—gaze fixed but thoughts elsewhere. The talking corporate logo could have her eyes, but her thoughts? Those were hers alone. She'd stare, she'd pretend, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction. There would be no reaction, no irritation, no enjoyment. Just blank-faced detachment. 'Engagement' was the lifeblood of these data leeches.
Yumi, her ever-impish kouhai, had joked about the day their devices would start quizzing them to ensure they had been paying attention to the ads, like a schoolteacher quizzing an absent-minded pupil. Ryou had laughed at that—but somehow, somewhere in the recesses of her mind, a tiny shudder ran down her spine. It seemed like the sort of thing they'd do. How she missed her old toaster - just two slices of bread, a timer dial, and a lever. Simple, predictable. This?
The toaster finally decided it had pitched enough dreams and rewarded her by resuming its core function. A minute later, the slices popped up, crisped to perfection. Ryou gingerly retrieved the slices, careful not to burn herself. She arranged them neatly on her plate, alongside the miso soup and pickled plums. She slathered her toast generously with a pat of butter, the golden sheen melting into the warm bread, followed by a layer of homemade raspberry jam; all of it requiring a fraction of the attention the toaster demanded.
Nibbling on the crispy crust of her toast, Ryou reached over and flicked on the radio, hoping to drown out the lingering annoyance. It was a rare analog FM radio, a relic of the pre-digital age that she'd found at a flea market. No voice commands, no cloud connectivity, just a good old-fashioned tuner that required a bit of fiddling to find the right frequency. It was one of the few pieces of technology Ryou truly appreciated.
She tweaked the radio dial, replacing the hiss with a crackle and the crackle with the distorted sound of electric guitars, a bit much for her morning preference but a favorite of Taiga, one of her juniors. The radio was tuned to Rebel Yell Radio, a small independent station known for its punk rock and anti-establishment stance, one of the few analog stations left, untouched by the digital tidal wave. Swallowing a mouthful of miso soup, the savory flavors enveloping her, she let Kenji's sarcastic tone wash over her — "Rise and shine, Rebels! That was 'Symphony of Destruction' by Megadeth. With me is the lovely Mai..."
Ryou listened with mild interest, the radio hosts droning on and on, their commentary a mix of news, music, and sarcastic quips. She wondered what their wacky theory du jour would be. Yesterday was something about microchip implants. Where did they get all these crazy ideas from, anyway?
"...and that, Rebels, is how they're monitoring our electricity consumption, their chips in our wall sockets, sucking up our personal information, learning our dirty little secrets, predicting our desires and actions! Can you believe it? They're invading our homes, one kilowatt at a time!" Kenji's voice was a dramatic crescendo.
Ryou couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it. Chips in the wall sockets? And who was 'they'? A cabal of tech companies? She shook her head and continued eating.
"Kenji-san, how can they get data about us from electricity usage?" Mai's voice, filled with feigned confusion and a hint of a smirk.
"It's simple, really. All your appliances and devices consume power. Each creates its own unique 'electrical footprint.'"
It was all so much baloney. And not because those big tech companies would never dare do something so sneaky or underhanded, Ryou reflected dryly, biting down into her toast, a tad more vigorously than intended. The point is, why bother? Her gaze scanned the room; each smart appliance seemed to glare back accusingly, like they had something to say. Yeah, why bother sneaking into your home while you were walking the dog or visiting grandma, to place chips in wall outlets, when you were paying them for devices to spy on you?
She took a pickled plum between two chopsticks and studied it, watching it shine under the morning sunlight. Then she popped it into her mouth and her face immediately puckered at the familiar salty-sour tang. Some people found conspiracies to be surprisingly comforting. There was an appeal in believing someone was out there, pulling strings, manipulating the world like some puppet master, an evil but at least an intelligent design to all of the nonsense. To her, the reality was more frightening - that there was no master plan, no grand architect. No single shadowy figure sitting on a big data center, laughing at all the foolishness and cruelty that happened without anyone really knowing how. The real conspiracies were much more banal, yet somehow even more insidious - people wanting more power, people wanting money and then wanting some more, people being jealous, petty, bored and ultimately, indifferent. That was all there really was to it.
With a last gulp of miso soup, Ryou concluded her breakfast and began to tidy up. The radio chatter faded into the background as she focused on her morning routine. The dishes were washed, the table wiped clean, and the jar of miso paste returned to its place in the cupboard. She turned off the radio, and the room fell silent, save for the occasional chirp of a bird outside the window. Unbuttoning her pajama top, Ryou shrugged it off, and stepped out of her bottoms. She stood in front of the mirror, examining her reflection, the lines of her body. Her fingers traced the contours of her toned arms, the subtle curve of her waist. With a nod, she took off her underwear. She folded the clothes neatly and put them in the laundry hamper.
The bathroom, with its minimalist design, welcomed her. She left the door open, allowing the cool morning air to drift in from her room. She didn't turn on the light. Instead, the warm sunlight filtering in from the room bathed the white walls, floor tiles, and the sleek silver of the shower handle.
"Good morning, Fujikawa-san," an eerily human-like voice echoed off the tiles, "the water is pre-heated to your preferred temperature of 39 degrees. Soap has been mixed according to the 'Balanced Skin' preset." Ryou sighed. Yet another device trying to make her life 'easier'. "As an added value, would you like some invigorating melodies to optimize your wakefulness for a more productive day?"
"Just water," Ryou snapped. "Silent water." The bathroom, for once, complied with her wish, and a blissful stream of warm water cascaded down. The incessant prompting for optimization grated on her. Shower, work, sleep—everything was up for a metric. When would the smart shower start suggesting she monetize her morning shower routine by livestreaming it? Who knew, maybe it already had a camera in there. She wouldn't put it beyond its makers.
She let the water flow over her, feeling it cascade down her body. Her thoughts wandered, thinking of the training session ahead, of the team, of the future. The water droplets glistened on her skin, each one a tiny mirror reflecting the morning light. "Eek!" She yelped as the water suddenly turned freezing, jolting her back to the present. "Piece of..." she grunted, reaching for the shower controls, only to find the touchscreen completely dark, unresponsive. "Stupid thing!"
Since the damn thing refused to respond, Ryou did the only thing she could: she endured it. The icy water sent shivers through her, the shock of it almost paralyzing. Fortunately, the soap mixer had also stopped working, so after a few seconds she quickly rinsed the soap off her body and turned off the water with the manual handle.
Grabbing a towel, she briskly dried herself off, her skin still tingling from the cold. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed her digital clock, usually displaying the time in its crisp digital font, was now blank. Still damp and wrapped in her towel, she went to the window and peered out. Everything looked normal outside: some students were already on their way to class, birds were singing in the trees. She could still hear the hum of the generators.
Whatever it was, Ryou decided not to waste any more time thinking about it. She pulled on her undergarments, and then slipped on her casual clothes. She picked out a pair of khaki-colored cargo pants with plenty of pockets to stuff things into, and a white t-shirt. Simple, comfortable, and practical. She put on her boots and laced them up tightly. She tied her long black hair into a ponytail, making sure it was tight and out of the way. She retrieved her backpack from a hook on the wall, a canvas she'd found in a second-hand store. It was well-worn and slightly frayed at the edges, but it held all her essentials: her notebook, a few pens, a couple of maps, and some snacks for the day. She checked her pocket to make sure her phone was there. With a last look around her room, Ryou opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.