Phoenix Rising

Chapter 46: Phoenix Rising

The aroma of freshly synthesized lab-grown ingredients wafted through the air as Zed descended the stairs of his family home. His mother, Zeller, was already seated at the dining table, her holographic news feed shimmering faintly beside her plate. At the center of the kitchen stood the AI chef, its four arms moving in a blur of culinary precision. The robot's central core pulsed with a soft blue light as it put the finishing touches on breakfast.

"Bon appétit, mon cher Zed!" the AI chef exclaimed in an exaggerated French accent, its metallic mustache quivering with each syllable. "I 'ave prepared ze most magnifique breakfast for your big day!"