"Ivy?" Frank calls from outside the door.

She appears in the doorway.

"Whew! You gave me a fright. Come on, love." He turns and walks ahead of his wife, doesn't look back, doesn't notice the black of her eyes or the too-taut skin over her fingers and face.

She ekes the edges of her lips to an expression akin to a smirk, and tugs the door to a quiet close behind.

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Matey

Peter Kirk

Peter is a Melbourne-based lifeform who, after one too many rejection letters and far too many beers, decided to seize the means of production by founding Breach – the very magazine you are now reading. Crazy, right?

COLE slowly removed the back panel from the radio.

"Gemme the long nose pliers, will ya, Matey."

The robot beeped and wheeled across the room. Its main service arm reached into the ancient toolbox at its base and picked out a pair of pliers. Cole looked at the pliers in its grip and sighed.

"No, Matey. Long nose pliers. Those are short nose pliers."

The robot dropped the pliers on the table. It beeped, wheeled back to the kitchen, and resumed drying dishes.

Cole swapped the pliers and went back to work on the radio. He quickly found the problem – a small piece of solder had come loose. An easy fix. The soldering iron was in the garage and was easy enough to get to but Cole wasn't sure if Matey would find it.

"Matey." Cole spoke slow and clear. "Can you get me the soldering iron and the roll of solder from the garage."

Matey beeped and dropped a plate. The plastic didn't break but the bang of it hitting the floor seemed to startle the little robot. It beeped and thrust out a service arm into a cabinet door, gouging a deep scar in the wood. Cole repeated his request. "Don't worry about the plate, Matey."

The robot retracted its arm and left the room. Cole stood and bent to pick up the plate. He was a little wheezy today but otherwise he felt fine. He thought about calling his daughter and hoped he'd remember to ask Matey to remind him. She worried too much.

Matey had still not returned. Cole grabbed his cane from the back of a chair and walked down the hall to the garage. He could hear Matey's beeping.

The robot was lying on its back. A cardboard box lay beside it. Wires and old electrical components spilled from the box.

"Oh bloody hell, Matey."

Matey beeped. Cole bent over and tried to lift him up.

"You're too bloody heavy."

Beep.

"Where's your thingy at the back? Stick it out and I might be able to roll you over."

Beep. Beep.

"Bloody hell, just stick your arm out."

A service arm in its front console poked out.

"Your back, Matey. Your back arm."

Matey beeped again and suddenly thrust out two arms from its back. It rolled on to its front and snapped off its main service arm. Cole sighed. He bent down, grabbed a hold of the attached end of Matey's arm and pulled the robot upright.