The Cybernetic Tea Shop

Clara Gutierrez repairs and tunes 'Raise' AI companions, a trade that lets her work anywhere. She grew up in a migrant worker family and still can't stay put. She takes a job only until her savings are back up, then leaves. Her one constant is Joanie, a energetic Raise hummingbird.

Sal is a fully autonomous robot, built before the law banned making machines like her over ethical concerns. Because she predates the ban, she remains in the world, though she is out of place at best and hated at worst. Her master died long ago.

Sal still runs the tea shop her master owned. She lives among memories, her body is slowly failing, and she is set on carrying out her master's dream for the place.

Clara stops in for lunch and does not expect to meet a real robot, let alone one who might need a technician. As the two spend time together and learn each other's histories, both start to struggle with what it means to move on. It is a gentle science fiction story with a small cast and a single setting.