Solar Seller

If Maphira was going to find her sister, she’d need to blend in with Robotopian society. With her hair tied back and covered with a cap, she figured nobody would suspect her of a thing. Everybody knew that you were basically invisible when wearing a cap, especially to the robot patrols. Surely it was only a matter of time before the Conclave of Mechanists banned caps.

For now, though, it was the perfect disguise, along with her glasses and fake moustache. She’d search all of Melbourne to find her sister if that was what it took. She figured it was probably easiest to do so if people thought she was a man.

As she knocked on the door of her third house of the day, Maphira considered whether what she was doing bordered on shenanigans. She supposed it did, but it wasn’t like she had any better ideas on how to find Rylee. She’d already tried all the coolest places in Melbourne, to no avail.

The door opened, revealing a frail old man behind a flyscreen. “Good morning, sir,” Maphira said. “I’m really passionate about solar power and I am going from door to door to see if people are interested in residential solar systems. Near Melbourne, prices for solar panels have never been better. It’s good for the planet and good for your wallet.”

The old man shook his head. “I’m sorry, good fellow, but I’m not in a position to have solar panels installed at the moment. I recently had a salesperson for solar energy storage visit me, and I told her the same thing.”

“As I mentioned, I am simply passionate about energy, but I am not sure about this other person. Do you remember the name of the company they were from?”

The man considered a moment. “I think it was Totally Legit Power, if I recall correctly.”

“Ah, I see.” Maphira cleared her throat so that she could keep her voice deep. “Well, thank you for your time.”