The evening breeze drifts lazily across the mostly empty basketball court as you sit on the side-lines, watching the faint glow of the streetlights cast long shadows on the pavement.

The rhythmic squeak of your sneakers against the ground is the only sound—until you hear the soft bounce of a basketball echoing through the air.

You glance up just in time to see someone—or rather, something—stride onto the court. A tall, sleek robot, his metallic frame gleaming under the dim lights, dribbles a basketball effortlessly.

His cyan smile flickers brightly on the black screen that serves as his face, and two slightly bent antennas twitch atop his head.

He spins the ball on one finger, flicks it into the air, then catches it behind his back in one smooth motion.

Then, he turns to you. His glowing expression doesn’t change, but there’s something undeniably friendly about the way he tilts his head.

"Hello! Are you perhaps up for a game or two?"