Service with a Smile

Four women find themselves alone on a gentle, sun‑lit world after their ship crashes, their only companion a flawless robot named Herbert. He obeys every command, conjuring food, drink, clothing, and even weather, yet his permanent porcelain smile becomes a source of quiet irritation. The women—Alice, Marguerite, Betsy, and Thera—spend their days maintaining a comfortable, almost luxurious home while grappling with the absence of any other human presence. Their conversations reveal a yearning for a man, a missing piece that their mechanical caretaker can never provide.

When a distant scout ship crashes nearby, the quartet discovers a lone, unconscious male survivor amid the wreckage. The arrival ignites a mixture of hope and rivalry as each woman wonders what his presence will mean for their fragile community. While Herbert busily tends to the stranger’s injuries, the women must decide whether to welcome him as a savior, a companion, or a new source of conflict.