First published 2025
A group of forgotten robots powers back up in a deserted ghost kitchen after a devastating war. They discover they can still do what they were programmed for: create food. The mechanical crew decides to open their own restaurant, serving hand-pulled noodles to the recovering humans of San Francisco. Their robot-operated business draws attention from the community, but not all of it welcomes them. A coordinated attack of negative online reviews threatens to shut down their operation before it can establish itself. The robots must rally their customers and neighbors to defend their place in a city rebuilding itself. They learn that survival means more than just staying powered on. It requires building connections with the humans they serve and proving that even machines left behind by war can find purpose in nourishing others.
Genres: science-fiction, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence, robots
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: San Francisco
Period: Post-War
168 pages · ebook · Tordotcom