Service with a Smile

On a distant, hospitable planet, four women have built a comfortable life after a spaceship disaster left them stranded—and left every man aboard dead. Their extraordinary robot servant, Herbert, can create nearly anything from the planet’s raw materials, from furniture and clothing to perfect martinis and even rain. He is unfailingly polite, endlessly useful, and permanently locked into a cheerful porcelain smile.

Their secluded routine changes when a small scoutship crashes nearby and its lone passenger survives. For the first time in eighteen months, the women have a living man among them, and the discovery brings excitement, hope, and immediate complications. As they wait for him to recover, questions of affection, rivalry, and the future of their improvised colony begin to surface.

Blending light science fiction with social satire and romantic tension, this lively story explores what happens when convenience cannot replace companionship—and when one unexpected arrival upsets a carefully balanced household. Herbert’s impeccable service may be the least complicated part of life on this strange new world.