“ALINA! You still haven’t sorted out the mess in your room! The guests are almost at the door and your place looks more of a junkyard than a girl’s room!” mum’s voice came from the kitchen where she was busy giving final touches to the birthday cake.

“Okay, okay, mummy!” Alina called out as she switched off the videogame. “Just give me five minutes!”

“Huh, as if the guests are coming to see my room!” she grumbled under breath, looking at the untidy room. “Ah! If only I could transform into a robot: one push of a button and all my work gets completed automatically!” the girl sighed as she reluctantly started to clean up.

And then it was time for the party — a time full of guests, gifts, colourful balloons, delicious huge cake and other wonderful treats which we long for.

“Happy birthday to you!” said Zoya, Alina’s best friend, and handed her a large pink box, neatly decorated with a maroon silk ribbon.

“What’s that?” Alina was intrigued.

“Promise me you will open it only when the party is over,” whispered Zoya, and winked mischievously.

Never before Alina had so impatiently waited for the day to end as she did that day. Nothing seemed to fascinate her now, neither the big pink cream cake with nine long candles made of white chocolate, nor the gifts that she got­ — a branded doll, her favourite author’s new book, nor a full-size doll house shaped like a castle!.

Finally, one by one all guests departed.

“Oh, how tired I am today!” said Alina, squinting at the pile of dirty plates and glasses on the table. “And I feel so sleepy that I can hardly keep my eyes open. Mummy, can I go to sleep?”

“Very well, my darling!” mother smiled understandingly and softly kissed the girl goodnight.

At last, Alina was alone in her room. Many colourful gift boxes were neatly stacked near her bed, however, she moved towards the mysterious pink box Zoya had given her. She quickly untied the knot of the silk ribbon and opened the box — the final “frontier” was crossed! Inside was a small robot-like thing that looked straight into Alina’s eyes, as if it was real.

“Who are you?” Alina could not help asking the robot.

“I am a robotic boy,” replied the small creature (not taller than a standard doll), made of some strange light material.

Alina was taken aback, she was not expecting a reply. But curiosity led her to ask the toy again, “But how come you … are you alive? Where are you from?” asked Alina.

“Do you really want to know?” asked the robotic boy.

“Of course!” said Alina.

“Then follow me!” it said as it disappeared into the depth of the box. Alina ducked in after her new friend.

“Ugh-ugh-ugh!” an abrupt cough seized the girl. “Ugh-ugh! Where are we now?”

“In my place. It’s Automatic Wonder World, where only robots live,” said the doll-boy grimly, and added as a matter fact: “Here you cannot find humans.”

“Number Three A, immediately return to your spot!” they heard a distant voice, and the next thing Alina saw was … No, it couldn’t be true!

“It can,” the doll-boy read Alina’s thoughts and remained unperturbed. “In our world it is exactly so. Even animals — they are not real.”

And indeed, the object that attracted Alina’s attention was none other than a small mechanical dog, bearing not the slightest emotion on its expressionless face.

“But how are these …?”

“It’s a simple, yet tragic story,” the boy started the narration. “Here, in the magic box, there exists a separate universe — a huge surreal world, with its own mechanical population or in plain words, robots. Be it the boys or girls, cats or dogs, even the sparrows nesting on the metal branches of the trees, they all are robotic.”

“But how did you get here?”

“Didn’t you understand so far?” the boy sighed.

“Each of us was once a normal boy or girl, just like you,” meanwhile continued Alina’s new friend. “But back in our old life, we always used to laze away, looking for opportunities to escape from the work, whether it was some household chore or school task. When my dad would ask me to lend him a helping hand in the garage or garden, I used to refuse under different pretexts, preferring to spend time in front of my computer or Playstation. What is more, even the simple request of my mum to tidy up my room was enough to spoil my mood for a day!”

By that time Alina was blushing as red as a beetroot for she was guilty of the same things. The boy is continued, “And so we wished to turn into robots, at least for a while, and, after finishing the required work, again become humans. And our wish was granted, but we transformed into robots forever!”

Alina was numb with shock. Never before had she heard such a sad story! “But ... how can I help you out?”

“You decide. Soon you will know,” secretively muttered the robot-boy and disappeared. It vanished into thin air!

“Alina, sweetheart, get up, or you’ll get late for school again!”

The girl opened her eyes and immediately jumped out of bed. “But it is my birthday…?”

“What’s your birthday?” Mother was amazed. “Now it’s October, and your birthday is in March! Don’t play games with me, darling, just go get ready!”

“Mummy, I promise you, from now on, I’ll never be late for the school! And I promise I’ll work hard and get one of the top position in my class too! And I will be always your helper! And…and...”

Four months later Alina turned nine years old. And her best friend Zoya gifted her a blue-eyed smiling doll, in a big pink box, neatly tied with maroon silk ribbon….