THE CYBER Saviour

Woken in the dead of night, the last thing she was expecting was a virtual miracle

- Donna Hughes-Taylor

Pitch-black… pulsating noise… a siren?

Was I stuck in a dream? It sounded real enough. My sleep drunk fingers fumbled for the snooze button on my phone, but the din screeched on.

I found the bedside lamp switch and clocked the time – 4.10am.

What? It was Sunday! Familiarity dawned on me. It was that bloomin’ smart speaker – you know the ones, the sort that can recognise your voice and act on your commands. I’d reluctantly bought her for Steve’s birthday. He had insisted she should join our household despite my protests that she would only end up exiled to a lonely corner, eavesdropping on our conversation once the novelty of asking her to tell a joke had passed.

She usually gave Steve his morning wake-up call, and I was convinced she revelled in our rude awakening. But on weekends, she was supposed to be off duty, having a lie-in.