The Robot in the Refrigerator

Andy reviews robots. He gets a delivery, he opens the box, and out climbs the latest humanoid appliance, eager to clean, cook and upgrade his life. Desperate to nail a Best Buy Review, Andy's boss, Hannah, arranges delivery of military-restricted AI. Andy's concerns are dismissed. Make sure it stays in the flat. Assess, erase, dispose of on Monday.

Even with advanced AI, Dorothea struggles to understand Andy. He's evasive. When she tries to plan beyond the weekend, his heart-rate accelerates, his biometrics indicate anxiety. There is a problem. She is his technology—she will find a solution.

In a near future city, life's cool, buzzing and technologically advanced. Every gadget is vying for a top ten position. Everything and everyone is reviewed and rated. The cyborgs and 'virts', have sold out—they've bought into the fantasy worlds provided by the Corporations. Virtual reality is limitless, there is no escape. The rest of the city's residents, the 'reals', see the world as it is, but at every turn their personal data is harvested and used by corporate gatekeepers to allocate fame, build profiles, offer discounts and grant success.

Andy's been wrecked by the system. Partially recovered, he shields his personal information and languishes as a lowly technician. His employer, Techdomestic barely know he exists till the personnel department run a special search. The spec is rather unusual: someone technical who lives alone, no monitoring devices in their apartment, no streaming of what's going on inside. An illegal product has become available for consumer review. The device has forbidden AI, but it's something the public would love to read about … a scoop for the company, and, for the appropriate employee, an acceptable risk.

Full-length, 92000 words

Language: UK English

Age Range: Adult / Young Adult