Rock Dog: The Final Call

Chapter 5 - Scream

September 2024

Somewhere in the Middle of Mengcheng

5.30pm

The Hyundai Tucson moved around the Mengcheng city centre as Swifty returned to where he started, driving aimlessly for that new destination.

Coming up to the slight undulation, he found the white mansion with a garden maze and wolves in suits patrolling the mansion grounds. Yup, this must be it.

Swifty knew he had arrived and turned left to the road to the mansion. Upon arrival, he stopped by the main gates of the mansion and pressed the intercom button. He had not contacted the mansion owners that he would be arriving, but that did not matter as moments later, he heard a voice from the intercom, but it was not who he seems. Or it?

"Hello?" Swifty heard a cheery, robot-like voice. "Who's calling?"

Swifty realised the intercom has a video camera, so chances are, the video feed will be projected onto the mammal (or something else?) on the intercom. "It's James 'Swifty' Swift. I'm one of Bodi's friends here. I need to check whether I can come in at this inconvenient time?"

"Ok. Hang on for a second."

Swifty did not hear from the intercom for a few seconds before he found the front gates opening automatically. Swifty got back into his car and entered the mansion grounds, parking his car at one of the empty parking lots. He had no idea who was on the other side, but regardless, someone recognised Swifty, so at least there's that.

Swifty walked to the front door and pressed the doorbell and almost immediately, the door opened and what Swifty saw confused him. A robot opened the door, but it was not any of the Rock Dog members.

The robot has an LED screen that displayed its face, a pair of robotic arms that looked like interchangeable paws and it navigated on wheels at the bottom of the robot. The robot raised its arm and greeted, "Hello, I'm Ozzy, Rock Dog's personal robot butler. It's a pleasure meeting you!"

The robot bowed before Swifty. Surely, it need not do that for the fox, eh?

"You must be the famous YouTube, James 'Swifty' Swift, right?"

"Wait, hold on," Swifty became confused. "How can you recognise me?"

"Not only can I recognise Rock Dog and their closest friends via face recognition," the robot explained, "You did introduce yourself when you ringed on, so that's on your part."

"Oh," Swifty let out a slight gasp over this realisation.

The robot signalled Swifty to follow it. "Come inside. I'll get you a drink while you wait for Rock Dog. They're recording some new songs in the studio, so they're not available for a moment."

Swifty would later find himself in the mansion's second living hall in front of the outdoor garden, Ozzy serving the fox a pot of tea and a teacup with saucer. "I'll inform them when they're done with their recording," Ozzy bowed to Swifty before taking his leave.