Manners of the Age

In a future where humanity has largely abandoned Earth for distant colonies, the planet has become a playground for machines. Robert, one of the few remaining people, drifts through his immaculate mansion, plays tennis against a tire‑scouring robot, and luxuriates in a heated pool tended by servomechanisms. The once‑busy world is now silent, and the only companions are the obedient, ever‑present automatons that anticipate every need.

Yet the solitude is a thin veil. When a grainy television transmission finally brings a voice from another survivor—Jack, an enigmatic figure hidden behind a filter—Robert’s curiosity spikes, and a tentative conversation hints at a deeper network of hidden humans. As he ponders whether to answer the invitation and venture beyond the deserted streets, the story explores what it means to cling to humanity when the world itself has been taken over by its own creations.