The Great Pelican Boy

In the near-future, autonomous robots called "Assistants" have replaced humans in the workforce. Every industry has switched to a more efficient source of labor and humans are now provided universal income by the government. Most find that a life with nothing to do is mundane and pointless, leading to a deep state of depression.

Redmond Dallas, "Red", was one of the few people to still have a job. When he was finally replaced by an Assistant, he was ready to move to a ranch in the country and become a recluse. He happens to stumble across a strange old man on his way home who is setting out on a path to free humanity from the Assistants. The old man is hiding a dark secret that could alter the future of the human race forever.