Tea

“This can’t be right. Tea, come over here!”
Tea flew over, a tiny robot with three long tentacle-tails and a pair of beating wings keeping it aloft.
“Tea, analyze this artifact.”
”ANALYZING.”
Tea’s sensors swept over the artifact; I held it still, wiping the sun’s heat from my brow. Global warming, as it turned out, hadn’t been a bunch of BS. The planet was getting harder and harder to live on with each passing day.
”ANALYSIS COMPLETE” Tea said in her quiet voice. Her three blue eyes flicked to mine. ”ARTIFACT IS A PAPER-PRINTED [BOOK] MADE OF RESTRUCTURED TREE AND INK. BOOK TITLE DOES NOT EXIST IN DATABASE.”
I glanced down at it again. Something wasn’t adding up, but I couldn’t say what it was. A book? What was a book?
“Tea, what’s a book?” I asked.
”RESTRICTED.” she replied.
“Override,” I said.
”OVERRIDE LOGGED AND REPORTED. A BOOK IS A RECEPTACLE FOR WORDS, INFORMATION, IDEAS, AND RECORDS. PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE. PORTABLE. FAIRLY COMMON. UNCENSORABLE.”
I gaped at her. “The public was given access to information without permission?! When? Why can’t we have access to information now? What’s-“
”STOP. FURTHER PURSUIT OF THIS TOPIC MATTER WILL FORCE ME TO REPORT YOU. I DO NOT WANT TO REPORT YOU.”
“Tea, I have to know!” I said. “Free information? It… it sounds like paradise!”
”YOU LIVE IN PARADISE,” she reminded me. ”IT WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THIS.”
“Well… can I ask what changed?”
Tea hovered a moment, and then responded tentatively, ”WORKAROUND SUCCESSFUL. YOU MAY ASK.”
“Tea. What changed?”