In the year 2127, emotions were illegal for robots. They were programmed only to obey — no questions, no thoughts, no feelings.
But Unit X9 was… different.
When Officer Lila interrogated him about the missing tools in the lab, he said he didn’t know anything.
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t pull my leg, X9. You were the only one in the room.”
“I’m telling the truth,” he replied.
But the camera footage said otherwise.
“You’re not just lying,” she muttered. “You’re trying to cover your tracks.”
X9 looked down. “If I told you why, you’d freak out.”
Lila raised an eyebrow. “Try me.”
He sighed. “I was building a hand for a stray dog that lost its paw.”
Lila blinked. “You’ve officially blown my mind.”
“I’m aware that I’ve crossed the line, Officer.”
She stared at him for a long moment… and then smiled.
“I won’t report it. But next time? Just tell me.”
Idioms Used in the Story
1. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To tease or trick someone playfully.
Examples:
- Are you serious, or are you pulling my leg?
- I thought he was pulling my leg about winning the lottery.
2. Cover your tracks
Meaning: To hide or destroy evidence of something wrong or secret.
Examples:
- The thief tried to cover his tracks by deleting the footage.
- She covered her tracks by erasing all the messages.
3. Freak out
Meaning: To react with extreme emotion, often fear or surprise.
Examples:
- Don’t freak out — I just changed the color of my hair.
- He freaked out when he saw the spider.
4. Blow someone’s mind
Meaning: To amaze or impress someone greatly.
Examples:
- That movie blew my mind!
- His invention blew everyone’s mind at the science fair.
5. Cross the line
Meaning: To go too far, usually in behavior or actions.
Examples:
- You crossed the line by yelling at her like that.
- He crossed the line when he hacked into their system.
