Sweet Dreams

Korpha 1

Two Days Later

Dyce hauled the last suitcase into the trunk of the car and slammed it shut, the noise echoing in the parking garage. Korpha 1 opened the passenger seat door and peeked out. "Are you ready? It's been taking an awfully long time."

"I know, I'm coming." He jumped in the driver's seat and buckled up. He pulled out of his parking spot and entered the invisible roads in the air.

Korpha 1 stared out the window in wonder and awe at the world around her.

She didn't talk much during the trip since she was too busy taking in everything around her. Her mind was a child's mind since this was her first time experiencing things. Soon it would grow and have all the information she needs in her computer mind.

Dyce never stopped along the way since it was only over a two-hour drive.

Out in the distance, skyscrapers reached to the sky, and the city lights shaped a bright dome around the area. The lights of the Lincoln Tunnel seemed like they were flashing whenever Dyce drove past them.

Once they exited the tunnel, daylight met them again and the city presented its true urban beauty.

A loft of pigeons swooped over the street and back into the air. A massive hologram of a fish swam back and forth so realistically that it almost looked real. Almost every building had ads displaying things like movie posters, music, products, and fashion.

"So pretty..." Korpha 1 marveled.

Dyce turned left onto a street with trees planted along the road, making the city feel a little greener and less industrial.

"Here's our hotel. The contest starts at 6, so we should just drop off our stuff and go. Maybe pick up a snack or something."

Dyce and Korpha 1 hurriedly checked into their hotel room and left their pieces of luggage on the floor. Dyce bought a bag of potato chips and a granola bar from the cafe downstairs and hopped back into the car.

"The contest is in Brooklyn, so we have almost an hour of a drive left."

Korpha groaned and threw her head back. "Why didn't you get a hotel closer?"

"I'm not paying three-hundred dollars a night. You're crazy."

"That is quite expensive."

After a little less than an hour of driving in traffic, they reached Brooklyn. It was by far the busiest part of New York City. Everywhere Dyce looked there were people from all different backgrounds crowding the sidewalks.

A valet waited in front of a colorfully decorated building for the keys to Dyce's car. People with ID tags hanging around their necks walked inside the grand building, some carrying suitcases or large bags behind them.

Dyce pulled out a suitcase from the car's trunk and gave the keys to the valet, who drove away to park his car. He was also given an ID tag before walking inside with Korpha 1.

She was stunned as soon as she stepped foot inside the building. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling with tiny, yellow sparkles raining down on them. She caught one in her hand, but it immediately disappeared once it touched her metal palm. The outside of the building looked completely different from the beautiful neo-gothic interior. It felt like they were walking into an ancient medieval castle. The vast space was filled with the echoes of thousands of voices chatting throughout the room.

Dyce's heart pounded. Everyone inside the place was either participants, judges, media, or people there to just cheer on the competitors. He had to compete against most of the people in the crowd or impress them with his creation so he could get the money to save his mother. This was his only shot, and if he blew it, her death would be blamed on him.

Dyce's stomach tightened at the thought. He can't and won't let his mother down.

He parked his suitcase at a station with his name on an index card taped to the plastic table. Dyce's station was across from a woman with a small robot that looked like a ball and next to a man who had a fire-breathing dragon robot.

He wasn't too afraid when he realized how dumb those ideas were.

A small robot who only rolled around with its owner and a metal fire-breathing dragon? It sounded useless compared to Korpha 1, a personal assistance robot that could do whatever the owner needed it to do. Combat, mental and physical health assistance, and pretty much anything a person could think of.

Dyce felt confident and cheery until he caught sight of a middle-aged man down the row of stations across from him. The man had something that made Dyce's stomach tie into knots.

A personal assistant robot. Just like Korpha 1.

The man must have seen Dyce staring at him because he lifted his head and made direct eye contact with him.

Dyce covered his face with both hands. "Oh boy."

"What?" Korpha 1 asked, examining everyone who passed their station.

"There's another person who has a personal assistant robot. This is going to be tough."

"So? There might be some flaws with theirs," she argued.

"I don't know. But now I'm nervous."

He sat back in his chair, mindlessly scrolling through his phone before the contest began.

Judges with clipboards and red IDs hanging around their necks visited all the participant's stations. Other people looked around at the creations and asked what they did.

Dyce watched as the group of judges went to the man's station. They scribbled things down as his robot performed tricks and abilities.

The man's robot was tall and slender, with a long, sharp tail trailing behind her. Small wings covered her arms like a stiff metallic cape.

The judges grinned as they discussed something with the man. By their body language, Dyce could tell he exceeded the others in the contest.

Dyce massaged his temples. He let out a slow, long breath. "Deep breaths Dyce, deep breaths."

Korpha 1 planted a metal hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Just relax. Your heart rate is too fast. I don't want you to pass out."