a story under 500 words

‘The kraken!’ My first mate lowers his telescope and reaches for his sword.  ‘Hang on.’ I spin the ship’s wheel, directing us away from the man-eating, ship-sinking beast and all its tentacles. The wind fills our sails. ‘We’re too fast. It can’t catch us.’ ‘But they can.’ He points his sword. ‘Pirates!’  Three sets of

He slid into the booth across from the thing that stole his job. The hologram smiled. No doubt its wrinkles were meant to make it seem more human. ‘Welcome. I’m PAIGE, your Personalised AI Gourmet Experience.’ Giang didn’t introduce himself. The AI would’ve already scanned his face and accessed his data. ‘It’s a pleasure having you