/authors/louis/Recent content in Louis on Gromet's Plaza ArchiveHugoen-usSun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000/stories/2025/10/12/sequence-bastinado/Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000/stories/2025/10/12/sequence-bastinado/<p>“Hein!”</p> <p>Regular footsteps, mechanically measured. “Sir?”</p> <p>He stops in front of me. My new personal robot. Hein, or in fact He-In, for Helix Intelligence. Model 60-06, the very latest. He stands without any movement, machine that he is. And yet… Unlike your typical vacuum cleaner, he seems to be leaning forward a little, poised as if subtly signalling his unqualified willingness to execute his lord and master’s every wish. He looks human, the shape and size of an average man, but his face is kind of generic and his Teflon skin has a silver sheen. While he is very obviously cutting edge technology, subtle design cues – no heavy brows or square jaws – ensure he doesn’t make his owner feel threatened.</p>