Isaac Asimov walked to the corner store with a copy of manuscript he had promised a friend he would read. It was titled Moby, something or other, his arm obscuring the full title. He was guided by the Positronic brain of his robot Golden Retriever, Lycos.
He purchased a Twinkie For himself and a bottle of synthetic oil for his geared companion. They stepped out to a city gone suddenly dark; the street lights flickering wildly as they walked. Asimov, clenched the book firmly under his arm and tightly grasped the leash tethered to Lycos.
“We better get moving, Lycos,
looks like a storm is heading our way.”
Lycos, revved his hind legs and the leash buckled slightly before going taut and firm.
The pair arrived home shortly after 6pm. Asimov sat on his couch and stared at his Twinkie while Lycos settled into his charging station. It was a Saturday. The year was 2056.
The following afternoon, an Ari Feldman, a close friend of Issac’s would enter the residence to find it empty.
“It’s not like Issac, to skip our weekly Pinnacle game without notice.”
“I’m sure he’s off on some adventure with that dog of his and he just lost track of time.”
Neither Issac nor his robot companion with the Positronic brain where ever seen again.
Ari Feldman circled the apartment one final time before closing the door behind him and stepping out into the afternoon sun.
Outside, a sudden gust of wind bellowed, carrying with it a Twinkie wrapper. It brushed up against the man’s heel, as he waited for a cab. He took no notice, as his thoughts were elsewhere. Like, for example, why his friend’s door was not locked and why the dog’s leash was still resting on its hook by the door.
A car horn sounded and pulled along the bright, red curb. Ari Feldman got in ,and sank into the leather seat of the cab.
There were pigeons perched on the roof tops, lined up close to one another, in tight formation. And they followed Ari Feldman’s cab with gazes, sharp and piercing. Arching
their hinged necks until the cab finally disappeared into the chaos of a city drenched in yellows and blues and reds and greens and every color in between.
