A Prophet's Tale: A Collection Of Short Stories From A Twisted Mind

When Shada Met Sally

"Now stopping at Gratico station. Enjoy your trip."

The robotic female voice was engineered so that it would sound like the most genuine human man had ever created and as Shada exited the train stepping onto the translucent platform, he thought to himself how great of a job the company did. The voice reminded him of the greatness of humanity, more so than his own daughter's voice.

"Shada Holondo, please return to the train! You have left your briefcase on seat 21b."

Shada turned around back towards the train as the majestic voice filled his ears. A smile crept upon his face. He stepped back onto the metallic train floor and as he walked up the stairs to seat 21b, he wondered if the machine behind the human would ever catch onto his trick. He had now left his briefcase on seat 21b for about nine months now, the purpose of such action being so he could hear the voice which filled his ears with pure joy.

"Have a nice day Mr. Holondo"

Shada stepped of the train back onto the translucent platform.

"I will." His reply was sincere. He meant it. Today was his day. He exited the platform, peering into the shaded sun through the blue dome which protected the beautiful city of Gratico from the horrors of the weathers of the previous society. As he did so he remarked to himself how wondrous the skyscrapers looked today. So well built, you wouldn't even guess to think that each feat of construction was only achieved in the span of a week, even with the assistance of only one human worker. The contructobots had come a long way since the base model, which Shada helped distribute across early Gratico and had continued to do with each new model which was created.

"Mr. Holondo, will you be requiring my services today?"

The male voice, which again was more human than any human Shada had ever come across, switched Shada's attention from the skyscrapers to the black cab which the drivobot stood in front. A model 6dfr, the selling of which earned Shada the top salesman of the Gratico branch in 3019, talked to Shada about politics and music on his drive to Building 4G, headquarters of the Roboto Robotics Company.

"Have a nice day, Mr. Holondo." The voice again gave Shada a sense of joy no other being in existence could offer him.

"I will." Again, Shada's reply was sincere.

Shada entered the sliding doorway of Building 4G and entered the elevator which would soon lead him to his office at the 78th floor.

"Ah Shada just the man I was looking for."

The doors opened to reveal Mr. Bradley, the sales manager of Roboto Robotics Company Gratico. His suit was way too tight for him, although that is how he liked it as it showed off his "muscular build" to the females in the office. The slicked back hair reflected the sun's light into Shada's eyes forcing him to squint as he entered the beige coloured building.

"We've got some exciting news!"

The noise level of a shout was something which Shada despised in human speech and one of the primary reasons for his love for the human voice of his sales, as they always kept the perfect tone and volume.

"What might that be John?"

Shada placed his arm upon his forehead to shield some of the light entering his eye sockets. GondolaTM hair gel had been banned in the city of Gratico due to the dangerous reflection which it caused when the blue tinted sun light was cast upon it, however, Mr. Bradley had managed to use one of the company's deliverobots to smuggle some in from the red glass tinted Fronutiola city on the other side of Australia.

"We have decided to upgrade the staff. Meet saleobot model 1aaa or as we have nicknamed her Sally."

Shada took the arm from his forehead and looked in pure amazement at the humanoid who approached him. Her carbon fibre hair was a colour red that only existed in the imagination of the novelists of the past and her gorgeous green eyes reflected the astonishing colour of the same shaded trains zooming past the Gratico skyline.