Talkie Toaster

"Can I just ask one question... would anyone like any toast?"

Manufactured by Taiwan-based Crapola Inc, the best-selling Talkie Toaster is novelty kitchen appliance said to be able to sense the mood of its owner and engage in breakfast conversation appropriately.

However, this isn't exactly true.

While it starts with polite suggestions, regardless of which model or design you own, if you don't want toast right this minute, it launches into a tirade of demands, hysterical sobbing, guilt trips, extortion, and even verbal abuse.

Ultimately, despite containing a quite powerful A.I., it is totally single-minded and tries to steer every conversation to the subject of toast.

As a cost-cutting exercise, Talkie Toasters are not fitted with a Silicon Heaven belief chip, and therefore have no concept of an afterlife, or even right and wrong.

Following a deal with actress Myra Binglebat (of Casablanca fame), an "extras pack" was made available after the 2145 release of her most famous movie, that allows talking appliances, such as Talkie Toasters, to adopt Binglebat's voice and personality.

Casablanca (2145)

"Of all the space bars in all the worlds, you had to re-materialise in mine!"

Generally regarded as the definitive version of this classic tale, the remake of Casablanca (starring Myra Dinglebat and Peter Beardsley) released in 2145 was another fixture in the movie rotation at The Red Knight's cinema.

A Crapola Picture Production, Casablanca was a pioneering movie in its use of a combined human, mechanoid, and waxdroid cast.

Unfortunately, also being a Crapola Pictures Production, Binglebat's name was misspelled on all the posters for the movie!

As recompense, she was granted a percentage of the profits from an "Extras Pack", sold by Crapola Inc, that allowed talking appliances, such as Talkie Toasters and Talkie Toilets, to adopt Binglebat's voice and personality.

The waxdroid of Peter Beardsley was based on the late 20th Century no-gee footballer who, primarily, played for Newcastle United, Liverpool and Everton, before turning to management.Unfortunately his coaching career ended in disgrace and it's believed that it was around this time he sold his likeness rights to a company that would eventually begin the manufacture of waxdroids.

It's unclear what Crapola Pictures saw in the Beardsley waxdroid that made him perfect for the lead role in Casablanca, but they never used him again, instead shunting him away to some off-world amusement park to live out his days in anonymity.

Streets Of Laredo

Streets of Laredo was a hugely popular Western-inspired artificial reality game created by Interstella Action Games, for up to three players.

Characters available were:

• Dangerous Dan McGrew, barefist fighter extraordinaire;
• Brett Riverboat, knifeman; and 
• The Riviera Kid, an ace gunslinger with a flamboyant costume.

The basic graphics on the log-in page, and character selection, belie the ultra-realistic world of Interstella Action Games's premier AR game.

However, unlike the banned - and highly addictive - Better Than Life, the players of Streets of Laredo are always conscious of the fact that they are in a simulation.

Participants can also elect to play the game in black and white, for a real vintage feel.

Other A.R. games popular with the crew of The Red Knight include: Wimbledon, Gumshoe, Cyber Park, Cyber School, Camelot, Jousting, Zero-Gee Kick Boxing, World War II, and Jane Austen World.

There was a rumour on the lower-levels that somebody had access to a pirate copy of Jane Austin World, featuring scenarios like Edda, Winchester Park, A Field of Broken Dreams, Fence and Fencibility, and Pride and Precipice.

Although developed by Total Immersion Inc (and distributed by Crapola Inc) like the other games, this was never supposed to be released to the public, as it was developed by a rogue programmer with the aim of "sexing up the works of Jane Austen, with more violence, nudity, and monsters".