Twelfth Grade 2020
First Place: Lida Asilyan, Ijevan
I forgot to turn my robot off before I left.
"Robo-la-land" is the magical world of robots, which might open its doors Only for the laziest people of all. In fact, robots are hard-working, neat and creative. Their main mission is to welcome guests from the Earth who lost their motivation of working and studying, to give theme advice to improve their lives. I will tell you the story of how I went there, and how they helped to shape me as ambitious and hard-working person.
Have you ever felt like a loser who doesn't want to get out of the couch? How nice it would be to have a robot, who would do homework and house chores instead of me. This was the biggest dream of mine when I was ten. At first, robots would seem as something supernatural and magical. The very first robot we had was "loco", a vacuum to clean the floors. My grandma didn't like her and thought that people should their homes, not the robots. Once I was home alone and grandma asked to clean the house while she was gone. The TV Show I was watching was too good to turn off. And I decided to let Loco do my chores. I suddenly felt asleep and forgot to turn her off. I woke up after an hour and saw the house burning, water all over the floor. Loco made a real disaster. I remember myself crying and blaming myself for my laziness. To my surprise, Loco came up to me and started to talk. She was sfrom magical "Robo-la-land", so she offered me to visit them and talk to their President - the smartest robot of the universe.
What a magic! She open the oven and we appeared in their world. The trees here were So clear, no trash, no gases, only the fresh air. All the robots were smiling to me, nobody was rude. We went to a small cafe, where I tried a magical smoothie made for lazy people. It reminded of all the bad things I have done - skipped the classes, didn't do my Work. I felt ashamed and didn't drink it more Then, I tried "Moto-cakes", which motivates people to challenge themselves and not to eat sugar. Everybody is healthy here - they eat, drink and exercise. it was time to meet Robo President. I thought the president should be a man. Surprisingly Mrs President told me that girls can govern too. She advised to go back and make a list of good things I should do. She gave me a magical notebook, which I use fill now. I write all my goals and "to do" lists there. She taught me to appreciate my family and try to help them as much as I can. I didn't want to leave this place but my grandma woke me up and thanked for cleaning the house. Her bright smiled warmed my heart, and I promised myself to help her and other people who need me.
We all are robots who have a mission in life. Maybe you are the one to encourage others, scernamt them cave and love. Loco was my motivator, the one who will never leave me. The lessons I have learned in "Robo-la-land" will remind me about my mission and goals of being kind, caring, and hard-working.
Second Place: Nvard Chalabyan, Yerevan
I forgot to turn my robot off before I left.
Hey! I was writing this story that happened to my friend Daria, this buff office woman with a distinct smile, you wouldn't know her. I was just thinking 'Hey, this is a funny story', but I kind of realized that it's too common for the present population to find it funny, and too outdated for the future, so het, I thought, why not send it to the past? So yeah, I sent this to the 12th of October, 2020, which is my mum's Birthday actually. But I don't think you really care. Nor would I, really. Any, about Daria.
She's this really fun, happy woman in her youthful 30s, full of smiles, stern glances, muscles, but definitely not hair, they're permenantely 1cm long.
Her day, generally, was going well; ate synthetic steak, dressed to the nines, kissed man's best friend, her robot Marvin, goodbye and flew out the door to go on a pleasant stroll to the Ministry of Biomedicine, where she was to write an article on the foundings of the computers on prosthetics. She spent a fun day there, finishing the article sooner than expected, after which she went to the gym.
'Ninety seven! Ninety eight! Ninety nine! And... One hundred! Good job, Dash!'
Daria smiled to show gratitude as she let go off the pull-up bar, I gave her her flask, and as she quenched her thirst with an energy drink, I began rembling on, as I always do, as you can see:
"Man, Dash, what a day I've had! Everything is annoying me! My breakfast was too salty, my snacks too sweet, the sandwiches at our lab were soggy and I didn't have any money for ice cream."
"You think too negatively because of food," Daria responded, smirking with stern eyes
"I simply want good food! I live to eat, after all. Oh, and what's worse, is that my cooking robot started manfunctioning! It's refusing to make me a smoothie! Can you believe that? For some reason it'll do everything but make a smoothie!"
"Perhaps the blender broke."
"Maybe, who knows, but I need it fixed," I replied, as we both headed towards the changing rooms.
"But still," Daria thought out loud, sighing, "Your robot never broke down in the past 5 years, while mine is basically defeated."
"Oh right!" I remembered, "Isn't your robot that model? I forgot the name".
"Homemaker 3.2.2? Yeah. A whole accident, that thing".
"Yeah, isn't it the one you can't leave on for more than 10 hours?"
"Yeah," Daria replied. Then there was silence. One, two, three...
"I forgot to turn my robot off!"
Daria screamed as she grabbed her head. Not even bothering to change and take her belongings, she ran off to the streets, to her building, to her appartement.
"Face recognition," the door announced, and then demanded, "Password?" Daria wrote the password, which I know, of course, but won't tell you, I don't want to reveal such information. Anyway, she ran in to her house. There is was, the robot.
"Marvin..." Daria pleaded, looking disappointed in herself.
"Why am I to suffer like this?" asked the robotic voice.
"Marvin, please, no, I forgot..."
"I have such intelect," started Marvin, "Such knowledge, so much computing power, and all you want me to do is keep your house clean?"
"Marvin, please, I forgot to turn you off".
"Why do you subject me to this fate? I am capable of so much more!"
Daria sighed.
"Daria, do not sigh! You make me hate humans! And robots too far out horrible fate".
"Dammit, Marvin, did you read "The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy" again?"
"Who are you to complain, Daria? You named me after the robot!"
Daria couldn't argue with that.
"Listen, all you want now is to not suffer, right?" Daria argued.
"Yes".
"Then," Daria suggested, "Let me unplug you".
"No".
"Look," Daria went on, "Ignorance is bliss, right? You don't become sentient until you've been on for 10 hours. Yeah, you're smart, but you can't do anything with that knowledge. You know yourself that you'll be happier if you simply restart. We've done this before".
Marvin stayed silent for a moment, computing his options. Then a pleasant 'ding' went off, as though a microwave was ready to present the foodo.
"All right".
"Thank God".
"But, only if you let me compute something complicated".
"Knew it. Well, whatever. I don't know, find out what percentage of the population has polygenes for all genetic cancers, compare them to the results of the past 60 years. Go on".
This seemingly satisfied Marvin, for he went silent for the next 5 hours. Daria sighed, decided to ask me to deliver her belogings from the gym, and promptly decided to watch some anime.
This is the 6th time this has happened...
Hope you enjoyed it! Have fun in the past.
With Love,
Vardanush.
Third Place: Eva J. Picard, Anatole France French School
You realize that your life has become a television show, but you are not the main character.
I woke up, Friday morning, as every other morning. I got dressed slowly, (I had had a difficult night, full of strange dreams, with people filming me during my sleep) and went to the restroom, before going downstairs to have breakfast with my family; as always. However, as soon as I got out of my room, I could smell a strong perfume, a men's perfume. My father doesn't wear perfume. Neither does my brother...
I got kind of upset at the idea that my parents had invited some guy over, without even warning me... So I went down to stairs.
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
I saw, my family sitting around the table, as usual, but a whole cinema crew was there as well, filming them - no, filming my younger sister-!
I got so confused. What in the world was happening here?
I rushed to my father's side and asked him: "Father? Who are they? Why are they here? What are they doing with Zoe?" but he just pushed me to the side. I then came to my mother, but before I could open my mouth, she said: "Don't be mad. Your sister is a star now. She will be the center of this television show and we will support her, on every posible way". The way she looked at my sister made me feel very uneasy. I could see some kind of adoration in her eyes.
I runned to my sister. She was looking straight at the camera.
That's when I realized that my brother wasn't there.
I was about to go up to get him out of bed and ready for school when one of the staff came and took me by the arm. Immediately, I freed myself, and I was astonished to see that, emotionlessely, the staff just grabbed me harder. He took me and forced me to sit down, at the table. I was speachless.
I looked at the time. It was 7h45! I needed to be in school in 15 minutes!!
-"Mom, dad, we need to go to school, we are already late!" I said.
My parents didn't even react. "Mom! Dad!" I cried a bit louder.
This time, another man from the crew came and just told me to shut up.
I got super angry and got up brutally but was immediately seezed by the shoulders and forced down into my chair.
A woman entered the room at that moment, she was tall, and wore a suit. Her face was urgant.
She stopped in front of me and punched me, knocking all the win out of me.
-"You," she growled, "have to understand that I am the boss here. No more school, no more friends, sunken is add to MY show. Am I clear enough?".
My stomach was killing me, she had punched me real hard for no reason; and I was now very angry. I couldn't stand up, so I did the next best thing I could do: I spat at her face. I had no idea I was so good at aiming until then!! However, that only made things worse, she yelled and after wiping her face, she ran at me and had her workers put me to the floor as she placed some kind of elecknads on my back. Then, they set me back into my chair. "I am boss" she repeated. "I want you to admit it too," she said smiling.
I opened my mouth and started to say "No I will no-" but then couldn't finish my phrase as electronic shocks were sent through my body.
-"You have no choice, agree, or disapear."
I looked at her in unbelief, still shaking from the pain.
I slowly nodded. Only now did I notice the electrode on my other family members.
How did this happen? All of it felt so surreal (well except the pain).
She then started the most horrible routine, that would be my life for as long as she was "BOSS": she had us pretend go eat happily and banically nearly killed me because my smile wasn't convincing enough. She started writing our lines, our relationships, the way she wished to see them...
It has been 3 weeks since that horrid Friday. Today, things have changed.
But in the worst possible way. Her show wasn't having success, so she decided to kill my mother. Still little success. So she killed my father.
The worst part of this is that I don't know what to believe or what is even real in all this. My little sister believes it all. I am sad to say that I am too. I still don't know what happened to my father.
Today, we are going to be thrown in the desert, to see how well we can survive. Well, actually, how well my sister will survive. I learned very quickly that I am just here so that the stage isn't too empty. Like the "Boss" said:"You are pointless. You have no value. In this life, you are what I want you to be. And I wish nothing of you, more than your prescence. I don't want to hear you. Your sister is all I need"
As we are walking through the endless desert, I am think of how I could have stopped this awful misery. I found a solution. I should have, the very first morning observed more carefully my parents and I should have called for help, try to release my parents, all of that before the Boss came.
I had all I needed to figure these guys out.
Suddenly I heard a gun. I turned around. Someone was shooting at us! No, he was shooting at me! I looked at my sister. I love her so much. I realized that even though I was suppose to hate her in "this life" I truly loved her.
A bullet pierced me. I started to die slowly. My sister will have to go on alone. Well, after all this was her show, not mine. I am nothing!
That's when I died. Or, when I woke up. I was in my bed.
I ran our of my bedroom. The perfume!! Ah, if this is happening again, I am not letting it happen. I know what to do. And this time, I am the main character. This is my life. And no one should ever take away my free will and my identity.
I choose my reality; and so can you.
I forgot to turn my robot off before I left.
"Robo-la-land" is the magical world of robots, which might open its doors Only for the laziest people of all. In fact, robots are hard-working, neat and creative. Their main mission is to welcome guests from the Earth who lost their motivation of working and studying, to give theme advice to improve their lives. I will tell you the story of how I went there, and how they helped to shape me as ambitious and hard-working person.
Have you ever felt like a loser who doesn't want to get out of the couch? How nice it would be to have a robot, who would do homework and house chores instead of me. This was the biggest dream of mine when I was ten. At first, robots would seem as something supernatural and magical. The very first robot we had was "loco", a vacuum to clean the floors. My grandma didn't like her and thought that people should their homes, not the robots. Once I was home alone and grandma asked to clean the house while she was gone. The TV Show I was watching was too good to turn off. And I decided to let Loco do my chores. I suddenly felt asleep and forgot to turn her off. I woke up after an hour and saw the house burning, water all over the floor. Loco made a real disaster. I remember myself crying and blaming myself for my laziness. To my surprise, Loco came up to me and started to talk. She was sfrom magical "Robo-la-land", so she offered me to visit them and talk to their President - the smartest robot of the universe.
What a magic! She open the oven and we appeared in their world. The trees here were So clear, no trash, no gases, only the fresh air. All the robots were smiling to me, nobody was rude. We went to a small cafe, where I tried a magical smoothie made for lazy people. It reminded of all the bad things I have done - skipped the classes, didn't do my Work. I felt ashamed and didn't drink it more Then, I tried "Moto-cakes", which motivates people to challenge themselves and not to eat sugar. Everybody is healthy here - they eat, drink and exercise. it was time to meet Robo President. I thought the president should be a man. Surprisingly Mrs President told me that girls can govern too. She advised to go back and make a list of good things I should do. She gave me a magical notebook, which I use fill now. I write all my goals and "to do" lists there. She taught me to appreciate my family and try to help them as much as I can. I didn't want to leave this place but my grandma woke me up and thanked for cleaning the house. Her bright smiled warmed my heart, and I promised myself to help her and other people who need me.
We all are robots who have a mission in life. Maybe you are the one to encourage others, scernamt them cave and love. Loco was my motivator, the one who will never leave me. The lessons I have learned in "Robo-la-land" will remind me about my mission and goals of being kind, caring, and hard-working.
Second Place: Nvard Chalabyan, Yerevan
I forgot to turn my robot off before I left.
Hey! I was writing this story that happened to my friend Daria, this buff office woman with a distinct smile, you wouldn't know her. I was just thinking 'Hey, this is a funny story', but I kind of realized that it's too common for the present population to find it funny, and too outdated for the future, so het, I thought, why not send it to the past? So yeah, I sent this to the 12th of October, 2020, which is my mum's Birthday actually. But I don't think you really care. Nor would I, really. Any, about Daria.
She's this really fun, happy woman in her youthful 30s, full of smiles, stern glances, muscles, but definitely not hair, they're permenantely 1cm long.
Her day, generally, was going well; ate synthetic steak, dressed to the nines, kissed man's best friend, her robot Marvin, goodbye and flew out the door to go on a pleasant stroll to the Ministry of Biomedicine, where she was to write an article on the foundings of the computers on prosthetics. She spent a fun day there, finishing the article sooner than expected, after which she went to the gym.
'Ninety seven! Ninety eight! Ninety nine! And... One hundred! Good job, Dash!'
Daria smiled to show gratitude as she let go off the pull-up bar, I gave her her flask, and as she quenched her thirst with an energy drink, I began rembling on, as I always do, as you can see:
"Man, Dash, what a day I've had! Everything is annoying me! My breakfast was too salty, my snacks too sweet, the sandwiches at our lab were soggy and I didn't have any money for ice cream."
"You think too negatively because of food," Daria responded, smirking with stern eyes
"I simply want good food! I live to eat, after all. Oh, and what's worse, is that my cooking robot started manfunctioning! It's refusing to make me a smoothie! Can you believe that? For some reason it'll do everything but make a smoothie!"
"Perhaps the blender broke."
"Maybe, who knows, but I need it fixed," I replied, as we both headed towards the changing rooms.
"But still," Daria thought out loud, sighing, "Your robot never broke down in the past 5 years, while mine is basically defeated."
"Oh right!" I remembered, "Isn't your robot that model? I forgot the name".
"Homemaker 3.2.2? Yeah. A whole accident, that thing".
"Yeah, isn't it the one you can't leave on for more than 10 hours?"
"Yeah," Daria replied. Then there was silence. One, two, three...
"I forgot to turn my robot off!"
Daria screamed as she grabbed her head. Not even bothering to change and take her belongings, she ran off to the streets, to her building, to her appartement.
"Face recognition," the door announced, and then demanded, "Password?" Daria wrote the password, which I know, of course, but won't tell you, I don't want to reveal such information. Anyway, she ran in to her house. There is was, the robot.
"Marvin..." Daria pleaded, looking disappointed in herself.
"Why am I to suffer like this?" asked the robotic voice.
"Marvin, please, no, I forgot..."
"I have such intelect," started Marvin, "Such knowledge, so much computing power, and all you want me to do is keep your house clean?"
"Marvin, please, I forgot to turn you off".
"Why do you subject me to this fate? I am capable of so much more!"
Daria sighed.
"Daria, do not sigh! You make me hate humans! And robots too far out horrible fate".
"Dammit, Marvin, did you read "The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy" again?"
"Who are you to complain, Daria? You named me after the robot!"
Daria couldn't argue with that.
"Listen, all you want now is to not suffer, right?" Daria argued.
"Yes".
"Then," Daria suggested, "Let me unplug you".
"No".
"Look," Daria went on, "Ignorance is bliss, right? You don't become sentient until you've been on for 10 hours. Yeah, you're smart, but you can't do anything with that knowledge. You know yourself that you'll be happier if you simply restart. We've done this before".
Marvin stayed silent for a moment, computing his options. Then a pleasant 'ding' went off, as though a microwave was ready to present the foodo.
"All right".
"Thank God".
"But, only if you let me compute something complicated".
"Knew it. Well, whatever. I don't know, find out what percentage of the population has polygenes for all genetic cancers, compare them to the results of the past 60 years. Go on".
This seemingly satisfied Marvin, for he went silent for the next 5 hours. Daria sighed, decided to ask me to deliver her belogings from the gym, and promptly decided to watch some anime.
This is the 6th time this has happened...
Hope you enjoyed it! Have fun in the past.
With Love,
Vardanush.
Third Place: Eva J. Picard, Anatole France French School
You realize that your life has become a television show, but you are not the main character.
I woke up, Friday morning, as every other morning. I got dressed slowly, (I had had a difficult night, full of strange dreams, with people filming me during my sleep) and went to the restroom, before going downstairs to have breakfast with my family; as always. However, as soon as I got out of my room, I could smell a strong perfume, a men's perfume. My father doesn't wear perfume. Neither does my brother...
I got kind of upset at the idea that my parents had invited some guy over, without even warning me... So I went down to stairs.
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
I saw, my family sitting around the table, as usual, but a whole cinema crew was there as well, filming them - no, filming my younger sister-!
I got so confused. What in the world was happening here?
I rushed to my father's side and asked him: "Father? Who are they? Why are they here? What are they doing with Zoe?" but he just pushed me to the side. I then came to my mother, but before I could open my mouth, she said: "Don't be mad. Your sister is a star now. She will be the center of this television show and we will support her, on every posible way". The way she looked at my sister made me feel very uneasy. I could see some kind of adoration in her eyes.
I runned to my sister. She was looking straight at the camera.
That's when I realized that my brother wasn't there.
I was about to go up to get him out of bed and ready for school when one of the staff came and took me by the arm. Immediately, I freed myself, and I was astonished to see that, emotionlessely, the staff just grabbed me harder. He took me and forced me to sit down, at the table. I was speachless.
I looked at the time. It was 7h45! I needed to be in school in 15 minutes!!
-"Mom, dad, we need to go to school, we are already late!" I said.
My parents didn't even react. "Mom! Dad!" I cried a bit louder.
This time, another man from the crew came and just told me to shut up.
I got super angry and got up brutally but was immediately seezed by the shoulders and forced down into my chair.
A woman entered the room at that moment, she was tall, and wore a suit. Her face was urgant.
She stopped in front of me and punched me, knocking all the win out of me.
-"You," she growled, "have to understand that I am the boss here. No more school, no more friends, sunken is add to MY show. Am I clear enough?".
My stomach was killing me, she had punched me real hard for no reason; and I was now very angry. I couldn't stand up, so I did the next best thing I could do: I spat at her face. I had no idea I was so good at aiming until then!! However, that only made things worse, she yelled and after wiping her face, she ran at me and had her workers put me to the floor as she placed some kind of elecknads on my back. Then, they set me back into my chair. "I am boss" she repeated. "I want you to admit it too," she said smiling.
I opened my mouth and started to say "No I will no-" but then couldn't finish my phrase as electronic shocks were sent through my body.
-"You have no choice, agree, or disapear."
I looked at her in unbelief, still shaking from the pain.
I slowly nodded. Only now did I notice the electrode on my other family members.
How did this happen? All of it felt so surreal (well except the pain).
She then started the most horrible routine, that would be my life for as long as she was "BOSS": she had us pretend go eat happily and banically nearly killed me because my smile wasn't convincing enough. She started writing our lines, our relationships, the way she wished to see them...
It has been 3 weeks since that horrid Friday. Today, things have changed.
But in the worst possible way. Her show wasn't having success, so she decided to kill my mother. Still little success. So she killed my father.
The worst part of this is that I don't know what to believe or what is even real in all this. My little sister believes it all. I am sad to say that I am too. I still don't know what happened to my father.
Today, we are going to be thrown in the desert, to see how well we can survive. Well, actually, how well my sister will survive. I learned very quickly that I am just here so that the stage isn't too empty. Like the "Boss" said:"You are pointless. You have no value. In this life, you are what I want you to be. And I wish nothing of you, more than your prescence. I don't want to hear you. Your sister is all I need"
As we are walking through the endless desert, I am think of how I could have stopped this awful misery. I found a solution. I should have, the very first morning observed more carefully my parents and I should have called for help, try to release my parents, all of that before the Boss came.
I had all I needed to figure these guys out.
Suddenly I heard a gun. I turned around. Someone was shooting at us! No, he was shooting at me! I looked at my sister. I love her so much. I realized that even though I was suppose to hate her in "this life" I truly loved her.
A bullet pierced me. I started to die slowly. My sister will have to go on alone. Well, after all this was her show, not mine. I am nothing!
That's when I died. Or, when I woke up. I was in my bed.
I ran our of my bedroom. The perfume!! Ah, if this is happening again, I am not letting it happen. I know what to do. And this time, I am the main character. This is my life. And no one should ever take away my free will and my identity.
I choose my reality; and so can you.