Two fateful developments in one morning. The first was the two black State vehicles parked outside, and the second was the brand new kiosk sitting sentinel at the front of the store.

Antoinella was blowing up balloon orders, but when she saw Ty, she stopped.

"Oh my god."

But he wasn't in his usual joking mood with his work-mate. The appearance of a second kiosk had even eclipsed his curiosity about the State vehicles.

"What is it?"

All of Ty's focus was on kiosk number two.

"You look just like her, except, well, I don't know." Antoinella ducked her head down.

The words didn't make sense to Ty, though they would soon.

Unlike its cousin, the new kiosk wasn't stationary. Underneath, it was situated on a series of riveted tracks that spider webbed throughout the store. As he walked to the machine, it illustrated its mobility by pivoting towards him.

"How may I assist you, citizen?"

Ty kicked it. Not viciously, but the kiosk wobbled a bit before retreating. It seemed to recognize his dislike.

"You could've broken it!" Antoinella scolded him.

"If only." Ty went behind the register counter to clock in. "Why the hell do we have two of these things now?"

"Why not? This one can move around, assist customers--"

"And do our jobs for us," Ty finished.

From her face, Antoinella was searching for a rebuttal. She found none.

Until: "Doesn't have arms, does it?"

"Not yet."

She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, Ty, you're so blinded by your hate for stupid machinery that you haven't even asked about the State cars outside."

Ty watched the new kiosk approach customers, interact with them. One customer looked delighted to receive help from a hunk of metal. He couldn't understand the appeal.

"Why are they outside?" he asked Antoinella.

"I'm only supposed to tell you to go to the back to talk to Pen." She paused. "Geez, you could be her brother!" Then she mumbled something which sounded like, "If your skin was darker," but he couldn't be sure.

"What are you talking about?"

Pen cut off her possible answer.

"Ty, please come to the office," he said over the intercom.

Antoinella stared at the intercom above them. "How'd he know you were here?"

Ty's scowl said he didn't know. He walked to the backroom, on the alert in case he ran into State agents.

In Pen's windowless office, he was not alone. Two State officials leaned against the desk Pen sat in. One was a young man, a bit darker than Ty, and the other a red-headed young woman, freckles spackled across her face. Both looked non-threatening, but for the large discharge weapons holstered at their sides. From watching the news, Ty knew them to be laser-based as opposed to propulsion-based. They both smiled at Ty's arrival, but all he saw were their guns.

Pen had been right, the State monitored the store. They must have known about his unauthorized use of the kiosk, and were there to question him about it. What would be his excuse? 'I was curious' would probably not be enough to keep him from being fired, or worse, from going to prison.

~*~

A/N: Dedicated to a wonderful WP friend and writer, Holly_Gonzalez

Not only is she a featured writer and WP ambassador, but she's also a member of #TeamInsides&Entrails for the Zombie-palooza. 

Her specialty is sci-fi, with off-shoots of various punks. Her retro/diesel punk novel, Beauty in the Bones: Season 1, is one of my favs: 

https://www.wattpad.com/story/38389334-beauty-in-the-bones-season-1