THE TEENAGER
The sound of laughter from my friends echoed as we wandered through the mall, scrolling through our phones and half-paying attention to each other. Then I saw it—a towering machine walking behind some guy. I froze mid-step, grabbing my friend’s arm.
“Dude, look!”
It wasn’t like anything I’d seen before, even in the vids.Or on the news Its fur semed to shift as it moved, its glowing visor flickering faintly.
“Is that… a SynLife thing?” one of my friends whispered, already pulling out her phone.
Without thinking, she snapped a picture. The flash must have caught its attention because the robot—no, the thing—turned its head toward me. My breath caught, a chill running down my spine.
Its stare wasn’t hostile, just… calculating, like it was trying to figure me out. I felt my stomach drop.
“Chill, it’s just a drone or whatever,” another friend said, but I couldn’t shake the feeling.
We watched it move, trailing after the guy like a shadow. I whispered, “Why would SynLife bring something like that here?”
When it disappeared into a store, I realized I’d been holding my breath. The whole thing felt surreal, like the vids had come to life. my friend wasn’t sure if she should post the picture. What if SynLife saw it?
Still, it stayed on my mind. What was it doing here? And why did I feel like it could see right through me?
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A YOUNG MOTHER
The mall was packed, the chaotic buzz of voices blending into a background hum as I pushed the stroller through the aisles. My toddler, Lucy, was fussing, tugging at the straps.
“Almost done, sweetie,” I murmured, fishing out a pacifier from the bag.
Then I saw him. Or rather, it.
At first, it didn’t register. A man and something else—a tall, machine—were walking side by side. The machine’s sleek design screamed SynLife, and my heart skipped. Lucy whimpered as if she could sense my unease.
I moved closer to the wall, gripping the stroller handles tighter. The man guiding the machine looked normal enough, but the sheer size of that thing was impossible to ignore. People were whispering, staring, snapping photos.
Lucy started crying, her tiny voice cutting through the noise. I bent down, shushing her softly, but my eyes darted back to the robot. It was scanning the crowd, its visor glowing faintly. I swore it glanced at me—or maybe it just felt like it.
The tension in my chest didn’t ease until they were out of sight. A man nearby muttered, “Shouldn’t be walking that thing around,” and I silently agreed.
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It wasn’t just its size or the way it moved. It was the way it seemed aware. Like it wasn’t just a machine.
I hurried out of the mall, Lucy’s cries settling only when we were far away.
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SOME ELDERLY MAN
My morning routine hadn’t changed in years—coffee at the mall café, followed by a stroll through the shops. I enjoyed the rhythm of it, the familiar faces. But today was different.
It started with the whispers. Heads turned as people stopped mid-step, staring at something near the entrance.
I adjusted my glasses and squinted. At first, I thought it was a man wearing some kind of strange outfit. But no, this was something else entirely.
“SynLife,” someone muttered beside me.
Ah, SynLife. I’d read about their creations—machines for war and work.I saw it on the news. But this one… It was tall, sleek, but walking with the fluidity of a human. And it was here, in the middle of my quiet routine.
It passed me by, close enough that I could see the faint glow of its visor. It didn’t look at me directly, but I felt its presence like a weight in the air.
“Times are changing,” I said aloud, though no one was listening.
I sipped my coffee, watching as it disappeared into a store. The man it was following seemed unbothered, as if walking a machine like that was the most normal thing in the world.
The thought struck me then—what would the world look like in ten years? In twenty? Machines like that, walking among us… Maybe this was just the beginning.
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THE ANGRY MAN
I was just trying to enjoy my day. Grab a pretzel, sit on the bench, people-watch. But no, SynLife had to ruin even that.
The thing walked past me like it owned the place. Tall, metal, glowing visor—how could anyone think it was a good idea to bring that here?
“What’s wrong with these corporations?” I muttered, loud enough for the guy sitting next to me to nod in agreement.
And then I saw the man with it. Average-looking guy, probably on SynLife’s payroll. It made my blood boil. Didn’t he care that he was walking a weapon through a public space?
“You shouldn’t be walking that thing around in public!” I shouted.
The thing stopped. Its head turned, just slightly, and I swear it looked right at me. My gut twisted.
The guy with it just said, “Keep walking.”
They moved on like I didn’t exist, but the tension in the air lingered. People were whispering, snapping photos. Good. Let them. Maybe someone would hold SynLife accountable for once.
I stood up, my pretzel forgotten, and left. I didn’t want to be there if that thing decided to malfunction.
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THE CASHIER
It was supposed to be a normal shift—boring, even. But then they walked in.
At first, I thought the tall figure behind the man was some kind of promotional gimmick. A SynLife display robot or something. But then it moved.
“Uh… can I help you?” I stammered, my voice coming out higher than I wanted.
The man set down a basket of clothes. “Just these,” he said, casual as anything.
My hands shook as I scanned the items. The machine just stood there, its glowing visor flickering faintly. Was it watching me? Could it even watch? My heart was pounding so hard I was sure they could hear it.
“You, uh… you with SynLife?” I blurted out, more to fill the silence than anything.
The man hesitated, then said, “Something like that.” His tone didn’t invite questions.
When they left, I had to take a minute to steady myself. The machine wasn’t doing anything threatening, but its presence alone was overwhelming.
I glanced at my coworker that came from the back. “Did you see that?”
She nodded, wide-eyed. “Do you think they’re allowed to bring that in here?”
I didn’t answer. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to see it—or anything like it—again.