Robots Are Taking Over The World
Saturday, July 18th, 2026
CROSSROADS circa 11:36am—A large octahedral structure made from cardboard and yarn has been placed on the large stump that sits at the downtown crossroads. Various counselor-robots adorned with tin foil stiffly amble about, issuing monotone directives to the campers. Several ad-hoc groups of children march around downtown, each group shouting its own original protest chant.
“You know our safety is at stake, when even robots need a break!” goes one. “Ditch the Orb! Ditch the Orb!” goes another.
One costumed counselor stands guard next to the mysterious structure, warding off would-be vandals. I inquire a pair of agitators to explain the strange scene.
“So TIS CORP is trying to take over Camp Winnarainbow by putting computer chips in people’s brains,” says Kai, 9. “Almost all the campers are protesting. Even some of the robots are revolting. We’re going to destroy the Orb at 12-o’clock today. I mean, 100 campers against like 2 robots? No chance.”
“Hello, would you like me to put a computer chip in your brain so you can more efficiently buy mango cubes from Trader Jobe’s?” interrupts Counselor Robot Silvatron.
“NO!” shouts Kai.
“Malfuntion,” mutters Silvatron, walking away dejectedly.
“I hate TIS so I decided to make a petition,” says Aaliyah, 10, holding up a hand-drawn form filled with large marker signatures. “So far I have 20 signatures. I’m getting them from humans and robots.”
A throng is beginning to form at the crossroads, a drum and tambourine driving a steady march beat. The chants are growing louder. Adults attempt to wrangle the children into a circle formation adjacent to the Orb stump. A charismatic CEO figure ascends a large log to address the group.
“The Orb is here!” he proclaims. “This is what you’ve all been waiting for!”
He continues extolling the virtues of the Orb as campers boo and jeer.
“Turning on the Orb will drain Lake Veronica!” shouts one counselor, spurring a renewed round of chanting.
“TIS we hate! Don’t drain the Lake! TIS we hate! Don’t drain the Lake!”
“We need to try to convince the CEO to change his mind,” implores another counselor. He ushers forth groups of campers who have prepared earnest pleas in the forms of song, poems, dance and art. The CEO strokes his chin, as the children perform.
“I can see you put a lot of work into these performances,” he remarks after watching the final group. “I wasn’t always this wealthy. I had to work hard to get where I am. Your effort today has made me think that maybe I should do things differently.”
The crowd cheers his change of heart as he appears to choke up with emotion.
“But that’s what a loser would say!” he cackles, mocking the earnest crowd. “It’s time to turn on the Orb!”
The shouts and screams from the crowd are deafening as the CEO leaps down from the log toward the Orb. Before he can reach it, several dozen children descend on the fragile structure, rending it joint from joint. The CEO watches in despair as his creation disappears in a cloud of dust and stomping feet.
In the midst of the chaos, yet another costumed counselor with a tin foil hat gathers the audience’s attention. He approaches the CEO, lifting him up from his knees, and, to everyone’s great surprise, the tin foil hat man kneels on bended knee and proposes to the CEO. The crowd ripples with confused laughter. An ordained counselor-minister emerges and marries the pair on the spot.
“You may now dap up the groom,” declares the minister.
Silvatron then gives the signal to a young boy who has himself climbed the log. He takes a deep breath and then releases a shockingly loud and accurate rooster crow, signalling the end of Session C People’s Day.
“To the Theater!” chime the counselors.
I peruse the crowd for some witness accounts of the morning’s festivities.
“I think People’s Day this session was to teach the younger kids about the dangers of AI,” says Ziggy, 14. “Especially the drainage of the Lake part, that’s very realistic. I think it was effective. All the kids were yelling and booing. The lead characters acted really well. I like how there’s a different theme every year.”
“It was a lot at once,” says Maddy, 10. “I like how everyone just knew that TIS was bad. The message was about saying how you feel. It was kind of entertaining.”
“I did not like TIS,” says Jazzy, 8. “They’re trying to take away our community because their boss, the Orb, told them to. The robots are misunderstood. I said to a robot, ‘Why are you taking away my homeland?’ and the robot said, ‘I’m sorry.’”
“Personally, I’m against our lives becoming more centered around tech,” says Ruby, 10. “I don’t want to give robots my information. I felt like they were trying to get people to understand that tech and robots are taking over the world. It was a cool surprise to wake up to today.”
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor