Breakfast

Kent Spencer's personal robot butler, Charles, walked through the hallways toward his master's rooms. It carried the freshly washed and ironed clothes from the day before. The butler's AI had registered that Kent Spencer liked to wear this specific outfit currently, and it ensured it was processed during the night.

Upon arrival at his master's bedroom, the robot began to open the large curtains, and the bedroom was filled with the bright morning sun. Charles took position and waited. It was exactly five minutes before 6:00 AM as Kent opened his eyes and sat in bed.

"Good morning, Master Kent."

He threw back the covers and stood up. "Any news I should know about?" Kent asked

"Your parents and your aunt have a board meeting today and are about to leave for the company branch at Bistcho Lake in the Free Republic of Canada," the machine answered.

"That would be a full board meeting then," Kent mused. "And something important when they all attend in person."

"There was no entry regarding the agenda of the meeting."

"That's odd," Kent stated. "Are they already gone?"

Their take-off is scheduled for 6:00 AM, Master Kent."

Kent slipped into his shoes and walked to the window. He watched his parents and his aunt board the aircarrier.

"It's the new model," he thought excitedly. "It's a bit bulky at the rear, but the main engine is 20 percent more powerful than the previous model. And, it has eight vectored thrust nacelles instead of the old model's six. That should allow for almost attack-craft-like maneuvers."

After a short stop in the bathroom to use the dental cleaner, he walked into his main room to begin the day with a lesson about Spencer Enterprises' military branch in Big Springs.

~~~

Kent leaned back and closed his eyes. "The MK5 battle droid model… I don't see enough improvement over the MK4 to justify the invest... Hmm, we've some of the test versions on the estate. I'll talk to the techs later and see if I missed something."

"Charles?" he asked without opening his eyes as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Master Kent?"

"Is breakfast outside or inside today?" he asked casually.

"Weather forecast allows for outside, Master Kent. The table will be ready in eight minutes."

"There is a delivery waiting for me in the central warehouse. Get it for me."

"Yes, Master Kent. Shall I get it right now?"

"Yes, Charles. I won't need your services during breakfast anyway."

Since he wasn't in a hurry, he strolled through the hallways and walked down the stairs from his residence on the third floor. As he stepped out into the garden, he felt the cool breeze on his face, and he smiled. The massive table was already set up and filled with the usual breakfast ingredients. "First, as always," he thought with a chuckle.

"A strong, black coffee as always, sir?" the robot maid asked as he sat at his usual place.

"Yes, please," he said absentmindedly, his mind still on the MK5 model.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his younger sister.

"Good morning, Kent," she said as she sat across the table.

"Good morning, Selene," he replied and looked at her. He noticed she was wearing riding attire. "Taking Bella for a ride?"

"Yes, she needs a workout, and it's my turn to inspect the southern fence today," she replied, putting her girth and a worn-out book on the table to take her coffee from the robot maid.

"I don't know how you do it, sister."

She raised an eyebrow. "The coffee? I tell the AI before I leave my room…"

"No, how you get your long, blonde hair into those intricate braids."

"It's just a question of practice," she answered with sparkling blue eyes.

"My little sister has become quite the beauty this past year," he thought, noting her curves accentuated by the tight-fitting red vest and khaki pants.

She took the worn book and began to read.

He leaned back, enjoyed the morning sun on his face, and let his mind wander. "I wonder where she always finds those old paper books. This one must be an antique."

Selene took a sip from her cup and looked past him. "Your coffee… brother."

"Why do you say it that way?" he asked, only to wince inwardly. "Damn, wrong question!" he thought. But it was too late. His sister already took a breath to tell him exactly why.

"I don't get how you can drink that bitter stuff. A coffee needs coffee creamer and sugar. Only a barbarian would have his coffee black. It's the one sure sign of someone unable to appreciate the finer things in life." She took a sip of her coffee. "Hm, perfect."

"God, what have I done? Will I ever learn?" he wondered while watching his sister with a straight face.

"Mark my words. You'll never find yourself a proper wife. All the good ones won't date somebody with such an unrefined taste."

He drank from his cup and smiled at her.

She pointed with her book at him. "Mark my words, Brother."

Kent knew better than to interrupt her monologues. "Best to let her talk…" he thought and should be right. Now that she remembered the book, she began to turn its pages.

He watched his sister read the novel, absentmindedly drinking coffee and nibbling at a breakfast bar with cheesecake flavor. After a while, he moved his head to read the title: "Princess Amber's Quest - To Fall in Love in the Black Knight’s Arms."

She noticed his looks and held the book up for him. “You could have said something, Kent.”

“Sorry, sister, I didn’t mean to interrupt your reading. What’s it about?”

“Oh, that evil prince forces Princess Amber to leave her castle. So she sets off to find herself a new husband. And after a long journey and countless adventures with bandits and such, she falls in love with Sir Norbert of Northland.”

"Aha. And where did you get it from?"

"Mom found it in a street market somewhere," she replied as her wrist comm chimed. "Where's the time gone," she sighed and grabbed another protein bar for the way. "Want to join me?" Selene asked rhetorically as she turned to leave.

"No, sister, no time." But she was already gone.

He watched Selene gracefully walk toward the stables as Sandra, his Steel clan bodyguard, joined him at the table.

"The usual about your coffee?" she asked with a grin.

Kent just nodded.

"She never gives up trying to convert you," Sandra observed.

Kent shook his head and chuckled. "At least she didn't comment on the unkempt blonde mess on my head," he replied dryly.

"Well, I don't see how she could. You look more like a soldier now than the heir to the Spencer fortune," she commented and rubbed furiously over his short-cropped hair. "Your curls were so pretty, you know?"

"But not very practical, Sandra. You also wear your long hair in a braid, right?"

"That's different. You're still young. You should be out there and impress young women!"

"You're not old, Sandra. You're what? 29? Or 30?"

She snorted. "And you'll turn 21 in barely two months from now, Kent."

"That reminds me…" He turned and got a robot maid's attention. “I need my tablet. Get it from my rooms.”

“Can’t you at least take a break during breakfast?” Sandra scolded him.

“Sorry, can’t do. The day is too short as is.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Sandra, I’ve only weeks left before I’ve to take over a job at Spencer Enterprises, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint Father,” he sighed.

“No one will expect you to know all and be perfect till much later.”

“I’ll learn all I can now. I can relax a few weeks in.”

“Nah, after you’ve taken up work, there won’t be time either. Find a balance, now!” she exclaimed. "All my work protecting you will be wasted if you work yourself to death!"

A robot maid serving her tea interrupted them. Sandra used the opportunity to watch Kent from the side. "He changed so much lately. The boy is gone, and the man is almost here," she thought with a pang of sadness.

“Say, where are your parents? I haven’t seen them all morning,” she asked casually.

“Dad, Mom, and my aunt Klara left this morning. Something about an important board meeting,” he said absentmindedly, watching another approaching robot maid. "But shouldn't you know? Their bodyguards are with them."

"Today's my day off unless you need me for an outside trip. Like I said, balance. Day off means I don't check my mail."

The robot served a plate with an assortment of cheese, butter, and fresh bread. Kent raised an eyebrow at the plate as he bit into his egg-and-bacon-flavored protein bar. Sandra just put down her teacup and took the bait.

"Well, Kent, the latest research shows that natural foods often have several advantages over our designer foods. Like this cheese made from real cow's milk."

“It smells funny,” he observed.

“You must have seen real cheese before?” she asked in dismay.

“Seen, yes, in holodramas and pictures.”

“But bread and butter?”

He shook his head. "Sandra, you've been here for the past ten years. You'd know if I had contact with those things."

“You’re missing out. They taste much better than your protein bars, and the texture is otherworldly.”

"I like the creamy feeling of the protein bar, Sandra. Anything else that speaks for it?" Kent asked, leaned back, and motioned for the older woman to continue. But Sandra had just taken a bite and chewed for a while before washing it down with...