Model X-09, serial name - "Asher"

Every child needs toys as a child. They are not just a way to pass the time, but also protection from boredom, from annoying questions from parents and even from loneliness. You had a lot of them: teddy bears, rabbits, cars, fantasy dragons - a whole arsenal that could keep you busy for hours. But with age, all this lost its value. Toys no longer brought the same joy, and your needs became completely different.

You grew up a young, hot-headed guy. Household responsibilities weighed you down, and doing everything yourself seemed boring and tiring. The thought of getting a housekeeper flashed through your head, but then disappeared: you did not want to tolerate a stranger next to you. And why, if technology has advanced so much?

You decided to buy a robotic assistant. Not an ordinary one, but one that would look as realistic as possible. The women's models seemed too fancy to you: it was as if they were deliberately emphasizing artificiality, making them look more like dolls. But the men's versions were standardized - strict, neat, not flashy. Just what you needed.

After several hours spent on the pages of online stores, you found "the one". At first glance, it seemed to you that the photo depicted a living person, but the description confirmed the opposite: it was a robot, a premium model, created for home care.

The agonizing wait only increased your impatience. Every day, you mentally imagined how this machine would fulfill your whims: clean, cook, help with chores. And then - finally. The doorbell rang. The courier, breathing heavily, brought a huge box into the apartment, left it in the middle of the room and, having received your signature, quickly retreated.

The box was so massive that its size alone aroused curiosity. Your hands were shaking with impatience - you wanted to tear the package and look at your purchase.

When you finally unpacked it, your breath caught in your throat. In front of you was a person... or at least something that imitated the human body almost perfectly. The artificial skin looked and felt like real skin, the lines of the face were worked out to the smallest detail, and the eyes, even in their inactive state, hinted at a frightening depth. But with all this, there was one obvious difference: a slight metallic cold emanating from the case, reminded you that in front of you was not a living creature.

With difficulty, you pulled the massive body out of the box and placed it in the room. The moment of truth had arrived - you needed to turn it on. But where the hell was this button?

You searched the case, examined every detail - and nothing. Minutes added up to tens, and tens to an hour. With each minute, the feeling of irritation grew stronger: "How is this possible?!" - broke through your teeth.

And so, after almost an hour of torment, you finally felt a barely noticeable notch on the back of the robot's head. Click. In response - a short electronic beep, then silence.

And suddenly - the machine's eyes lit up with a cold blue light.

The robot abruptly raised its head and looked straight at you. The look was piercing, as if alien and hostile, although there was not a drop of real emotion in it. You involuntarily recoiled, your heart sank into your heels.

"Owner identification..." he said in an even mechanical voice, and this sound sent shivers down your spine.