Flip Side: The Meeting

"The usual."

The front door slid open and closed as soon as we were inside. A small, shiny cleaning robot rolled into the kitchen ahead of us and the holographic machine switched on in the wall of the room. The tail end of a 3-dimensional computerized cartoon was just finishing.

"Switch off the sound," said Zanelle.

The pictures continued to jump and flash but the sound went dead. We dumped our bags and went to the bench.

"Choc thanks," said Zanelle.

"Make that two," I added.

The automatic drink dispenser hummed as it filled two polystyrene cups and dropped a straw into each one. I opened a packet of biscuits and took a handful. Then Zanelle and I went back to the living room and dropped down on the couch to watch the afternoon kid's program.

At about 4. 30 we heard our mother's voice.

"Hey, children? Are you in there?"

"Yes, Mum!" we called back.

"Something's wrong with the security system. The gate won't open for me. Is everything OK in there?"

"Yes," we said together.

"Could you tell Maid 1000 (the name of the central computer in our house) to open the front gate for me?"

"Sure, Mum. Hey, Maidy, open the front gate!"

Nothing happened.

"Are you there, Maidy?"

"Yes."

"Mum's at the front gate. Open it please."

"I can't do that."