A preteen boy gets ready to take a shower
A preteen boy gets ready to take a shower
The hum of the Bio-Clean unit vibrated through ten-year-old Finn’s small bones as he shuffled towards the bathroom. He hated showers. Not the act of getting clean – oh no, the Bio-Clean was amazing at that. It was the process he loathed.
Forget soapy water and grimy towels. Finn’s shower was a sleek, chrome capsule, nestled into the wall. It scanned his body, analyzing his unique bio-signature, before custom-formulating a cleansing solution. The process was, according to his mother, “incredibly efficient and environmentally friendly.” Finn found it intensely impersonal.
Tonight, however, was different. Tonight was “Activation Night.”
His older sister, Maya, had activated her Bio-Clean’s advanced ‘Aroma-Therapy’ module a week ago. It let her choose a simulated rainforest scent, or a crisp mountain air fragrance, while she showered. Now, Finn was finally old enough – or at least, his parents finally deemed him responsible enough – to try it out himself.
He stood before the capsule, his reflection shimmering faintly in the polished chrome. The control panel, a miniature holographic display, flickered to life. A series of icons, depicting everything from “Ocean Breeze” to “Lunar Dust” (Maya’s current favorite), danced before him. He cautiously poked at the holographic “Jungle Oasis” icon.
A miniature waterfall cascaded across the display, the air instantly filling with the scent of damp earth, blooming orchids, and something faintly…metallic. He wasn’t sure if that last part was intended.
The capsule hissed open, revealing a soft, glowing interior. The metallic scent intensified as he stepped inside. The door sealed with a satisfying thunk.
A low hum built to a gentle drone as the scanners whirred to life, tracing the contours of his body with invisible beams. A tiny voice, strangely soothing and almost maternal, announced, “Bio-scan complete. Formulating personalized cleanse solution.”
Finn braced himself. He hated the feeling of the nanobots working their magic, the tiny, tingling sensations as they exfoliated, cleansed, and conditioned his skin. But tonight, he had chosen “Jungle Oasis,” and the anticipation was almost more intense than the cleanse itself.
The process began. Warm mists enveloped him, smelling intensely of the simulated jungle. He closed his eyes, allowing the sensation to wash over him. It wasn’t just cleaning – it was an experience. He imagined himself standing beneath a real waterfall, the sounds of exotic birds chirping faintly in the background, all generated by the advanced audio system.
As the cycle ended, a warm, fluffy towel materialized from a slot in the wall, perfectly sized for him. He stepped out, feeling lighter, cleaner, and strangely…rejuvenated. The metallic scent had faded, replaced entirely by the lingering fragrance of orchids and damp earth.
Grinning, Finn skipped to his room, his mind already swirling with plans for his next shower. Maybe “Volcanic Ash” next time? He knew Maya wouldn’t approve. But tonight, the rainforest had won. And for a ten-year-old boy on Activation Night, that was a victory of epic proportions.
