"Moo"
"What is this strange creature?"
"It's a pet cow"
We're currently in a pet shop, specifically a pet robot shop and a cute chubby creature with small claws and big shining eyes kept staring at me.
"Why don't you buy one? Pet robots are relatively low maintenance, you don't need to feed or bathe them. These run on rechargeable batteries which will last for 2-3 years and can be easily replaced."
"But still. . I don't really need-"
The adorable cow continued to stare at me with teary eyes.
In the past decades, several techology firms saw the potential of robotic pets and eventually programmed them to imitate the gestures, habits and even the emotions of a living being.
"Oh, it's on sale now, you can get it for only 299,000 Crons"
"I'll buy it"
The smart glasses showed a holographic screen of a picture of the purchased item, description and amount.
At the bottom, there was a choice to "Pay" and "Cancel". I just thought of the word "Pay" in my mind then it automatically deducted the amount from the current balance.
The pet robot will be delivered to my hotel later.
"Where should we go next, Dan?"
"Let's go shop for clothes again. The Palace in the Sky implements strict dress codes."
"I see. By the way, why do you want to go to the Palace in the Sky in the first place?"
"There's someone I want to meet there. Marx Miller, the most influential muscian in this era. Normal people never have the chance to see him in person since he resides in a Skyscraper.
There is only one place he's frequently seen at"
Dan looked up and pointed his finger towards a circular silhouette in the distant sky.
"The Palace in the Sky"
Huh? The Palace in the Sky is literally in the Sky? I thought it was a castle at the top of the mountain or something. . but it's actually a place in the sky?!
***************
After getting back at the hotel, a few parcels arrived in my room. I opened the boxes one at a time, the first parcel contained over 5 sets of casual and formal clothes, the next box contained futuristic looking sneakers and a few pairs of classy shoes.
The final box contains the pet robot cow I bought earlier. The first thing to do was check the manual. According to the instructions, its possible to control this robot using smart glasses or the neon bracelet included in the box.
Once it was turned on, the robot started to walk and followed me around.
Is this just a waste of money? Yes
Do I regret buying it? No
It's cute so nothing else really matter. Even so, I would never have imagined my first pet would be a robot.
***************
I went outside to take my pet (robot) on a walk while trying to find a portal. But no matter where I look, I couldn't sense a portal nearby.
Sigh, I want to go back home soon
A few days later, I received a message from Dan asking to meet up. It seems the permission to enter the Palace in the Sky was finally granted.
Spending the past few days in this 5 star hotel playing with my new pet and watching robot singing competitions on TV was unexpectedly fun.
"Hi, Rune. Have you been doing well?"
"Yes, but I have a question. How can I vote in the Robot Singing Competition Grand Finals?"
". . . . . . "
Dan looked at me with a blank stare and ignored me until we arrived at the floating ship air terminal.
The large terminal similar to an airport was filled with crowds of travelers and souvenir shops. We decided to wear smart glasses to remain in contact with the representative from the Cyber auction house.
After waiting for a few minutes, a young man with olive hair and hazel eyes approached us.
"Good day. I'm Rio from the Cyber auction house. I will be your exclusive guide during your entire stay at The Palace in the Sky. Pleased to meet you"
We were guided to a different location away from the crowd and asked to wait at the VIP lounge.
"I apologize, Sir Dan. However, your companion cannot join us"
"Why not?"
"We were able to secure two valid passes however they were unable to verify the identity of your companion. If you will pay us an additional service fee of 1 million Crons then we can provide a temporary ID for her"
"What are you talking about? Didn't we already pay you guys 2 million Crons?"
"It's fine, Dan. I have an idea"
**************
I approached Rio and whispered something to him.
"I understand. I will send your ID now, you will be able to access it using your smart glasses"
"Alright. Thanks, Rio"
Dan was visibly confused. Dan approached me and quietly asked.
"Rune, what did you say to him?"
"It's a secret"
I should probably keep this a secret and refrain from using this as much as possible. Afterall, this device might potentially become dangerous when it falls into the wrong hands.
During the past few days, I tried to use the 'memory eraser' on some people and eventually discovered another function.
Memory Manipulation
When Dan accidentally saw this object before, he asked me why I was carrying a hair dryer around. It's probably safe to assume this device doesn't exist in this era.
Where did mom even get this?
Rio guided us to our seats in a private area featuring comfortable individual recliner sofa with side tables and an unobstructed view of the sky.
I hurriedly brought out my phone to take some photos.
While I was focused on taking pictures of the view, I didn't notice both of them were staring at me with a curious gaze.
Rune: "Sorry, is it not allowed to take photos here?"
Dan: "I haven't seen that model before. is that a smartphone?"
Rio: "T-that phone!! Why do you have that??"
Rio stood up to see the phone closer. I handed it to him however his trembling hands accidentally dropped my phone.
Rio: "I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to drop your 20 million phone!!"
Rune: "Pay up"
I picked up my phone from the floor.
Rune: "Just kidding, this phone is quite durable but I need to check if the camera is working"
I took a selfie with my travel companions.
In a distance, I could see the silhouette of a huge majestic castle.
So that's the Palace in the Sky