Opaline Rose: Secret Agent

The Circuitous Road to Peace (I)

Ylem plate was famous, or perhaps infamous, for its many AI-run restaurants. While the earnest ambitions of some well-meaning but ultimately unsuccessful drone chefs had given the concept something of a goofy reputation, most AI restaurateurs were conscientious enough to keep a lot of human involvement on the recipe and food-preparation end of the enterprise.

One of the more popular of these restaurants was Appetent Centillion's Appetite Pavilion, which depending on who you asked represented either the retirement or the fresh start of the old warship AI.

The Appetite Pavilion was a mushroom-shaped building with a transparent domed dining room on the top and a reception area and kitchen on the bottom. Just outside the front of the building was one of Serendipity Square's ubiquitous fountains. A family of geese was enjoying the water.

<I'm going to wait out here for you,> Cujo signaled Opaline but the large mastiff was staring right at the geese.

<Not if you're going to harass the geese,> replied Opaline.

<They're right there in the fountain,> signaled Cujo.

<Leave the geese alone.>

<The fountain isn't for geese!>

<The fountain is for everyone, and you're coming inside with me.>

Cujo didn't say anything but he followed Opaline inside, snorting with frustration.

Opaline smiled and waved excitedly as soon as she saw the floating rugby-ball shaped reception drone. The drone dipped the section of itself facing Opaline down slightly in greeting.

"Hi Kenny," said Opaline.

"Hello Opaline," said Keen, who had long since given up correcting her. "Hello Cujo. Go ahead and take any of the empty booths."

"I'm here for my ice cream," said Opaline.

"I know why you're here," said Keen. "I'll tell Appetent."

Opaline and Cujo headed up the stairs and into the dining room. The place was pretty busy. More than half of the tables were full of people talking, laughing, eating, and enjoying themselves. Opaline managed to find an empty booth by the edge of the dome and slid into the seat. Cujo climbed up into the seat opposite her.

A tiny camera drone no larger than a mug dropped down from the ceiling to hover beside the table. It was one of Appetent Centillion's incarnation drones, one of the many avatars with which he embodied himself now that his actual body was, for all intents and purposes, a building.

"You're really going to go through with this?" Appetent asked.

"I graduated. I kept up my end of the bargain. Don't make promises you're not going to keep."

"You were nine-years-old. I thought you'd grow out of the idea."

"You thought wrong."

"Fine," said the drone. "I did promise."

"You have to stay here while I eat too," said Opaline.

"I don't think that's something I want to watch."

"No, I want to talk to you about something."

"Can we talk now?"

"I'd rather be eating ice cream, but fine. Since I'm all done with school-"

"You're never truly finished. Learning is a life-long journey."

"That's nice. All the same I'm done school. So I want in."