Strange Sci-fi Tales - Workaholic? [#197]

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           The mechanical girl was holed up deep inside her dark lab. The light metal armor she wore was covered up by a white lab coat covered in oil stains. A pair of small, translucent wings protruded out of an extra set of sleeves on the back of the coat. A thin glass visor covered her eyes. It was held in place by a pair of grippers attached to the two metal devices she had in place of ears.

           Despite her mechanical nature, the girl appeared almost human, her face, hand, and legs appearing flesh and blood. Yet, just below this layer of skin was very little flesh and blood; it was mostly circuits, wires, and more metal. Still, from the outside, the only thing that betrayed her true nature was her machine like precision.

           The lab was a complete mess. It was about half the size of the average classroom, yet felt so much smaller because of the clutter. The room’s three tables were filled with spare parts, nuts, bolts, wires, and boxes. There were two chairs; one was covered in a half dozen filthy lab coats. The other had several more boxes of parts and books stacked on it. The single small trash can in the corner of the room was overflowing with rags and broken parts. The excess spilled out in a five-foot radius. The rest of the floor was coated in more boxes, rags, and heavier spare parts. It appeared more like a mechanic’s garage after an earthquake than a lab.

           The mechanical girl cared little for the state of her workspace and relentlessly worked on her current project. The large rifle she was piecing together was larger and heavier than her own body. Yet, she still nimbly pieced it together like there was no problem. Her smile grew wider and wider as the weapon grew closer to completion.

           “Gaddy,” the door to the lab opened, flooding the room with light from an exterior hallway. Gaddy flinched at the sudden change in lighting. She quickly covered her eyes and retreated behind the table she was working on. The intruder huffed upon seeing this. She was a being much like Gaddy, with the same light metal armor, translucent wings, and mechanical ears. However, she was much cleaner and a little taller.

           “Go away, Ann,” Gaddy hissed, still covering her eyes.

           “You’ve been locked up in here for months,” Ann marched into the room. “You need some fresh air and a deep cleaning,” Ann looked at the mess of she walked into, “and so does this room.”

           “I’m not done yet,” Gaddy turned back to her creation, “quit interrupting my work.”

           “Forget about that for a minute and think about your own health for once,” Ann insisted. “Your processors have been running nonstop for so long you’re going to fry them.”

           “If it means I finish on time, I’m okay with that,” Gaddy continued working on the rifle, not even looking in Ann’s direction.

           “I take it back, your processors are clearly fried already,” Ann sighed.

           “Hey once this gun is finished, it’ll being saving lives on the front lines,” Gaddy asserted. “Won’t that make this all worth it?”

           “You said that the last eight times,” Ann pointed out. “After that plasma grenade, the giant laser, and those oversized cannons, each time you insisted the same thing. Then what do you do? Start another project immediately without a moment’s rest. Why don’t you think about yourself for once?”

           “Whatever,” Gaddy screwed in a loose bolt on the rifle.

           “And you’re not even listening to me anymore,” Ann clutched her forehead.

           “Meh,” Gaddy rooted through a nearby box of spare parts.

         “Wait, a second,” Ann muttered to herself. “So you’re going to come with me for a bath and some sleep, right? Say, whatever if the answer is yes.”

           “No,” Gaddy snapped.

           “I knew it was too good to work,” Ann sighed. “Fine, I’ll leave you to your mess, but once you finish this one, you’re coming with me for a tune-up, got it?”

           “No promises,” Gaddy glared.

           “Whatever,” Ann left the room and closed the door behind her.

           “What an idiot,” Gaddy started cleaning the rifle. “Of course I’m thinking about myself,” the mechanical girl admitted, “I’m doing what I love, and they’re paying me for it.” She picked up her nearly finished creation and grinned as she clutched it tight. “Who cares about health and that crap. I just want to make weapons.” Gaddy leveled the rifle at the trash can and pulled the trigger, obliterating the object with a burst of energy. “The bigger, the deadlier, and the more destructive, the better,” the mechanical girl stroked her newest creation. “But, all that attention and fawning over little old workaholic me isn’t bad either.” Gaddy laughed maliciously before continuing to work on her weapon.

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Loving your work is typically seen as a good thing, then you meet people who love their work a little too much...

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

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Strange Sci-fi Tales - Bliss [#196]

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           Systems rebooting...cognitive functions online...error: file systems 1, 5, and 8 are corrupted...auditory systems online...

           “Ami, are you still with us? Give me a sign if you can hear me,” a voice echoed into her auditory receptors.

           Vocal systems online...error: voice chip not found...running diagnostic...voice chip damaged...optical systems online...

           With her optics finally online, the world came into view all at once. She was on the bridge of a spaceship, but not one flying through space, rather one that had been firmly grounded. As her olfactory systems booted up, the smell of burnt wires and smoke filled her nostrils. In front of her was a familiar yet unfamiliar person, a medic holding a light to her eyes. The medic appeared older than herself, with long blonde hair that almost looked pink in certain light. A light, mechanical armor covered everything but the medic’s head, which was topped with a small nurse’s cap. Two angelic wings came out of the medic’s back; the wings surrounded the two girls like a small halo of protection.

           “Voice chip is damaged. That’s not a surprise,” the nurse commented. “Come on, Ami, I can see your optics working. Blink twice if you can hear me.”

           ‘Ami,’ that was her name; it sounded right, at least. She tried to access her own file systems to double-check, but such personal data was stored in the corrupted file 1. Ami wanted to say something, but even as she moved her mouth, no sound came out aside from some static. The medic was right; her voice chip was damaged, but was it always like that? Any data confirming or denying that was also corrupted. With little else to do, Ami blinked twice as the medic had asked.

           “That’s good. I was afraid that last explosion screwed something else up,” the medic sighed in relief. “You took a pretty nasty fall there. You avoided the brunt of the explosion, but the force of the blast threw you fairly hard, and you landed on your head.”

           Ami didn’t remember what she was talking about. In fact, she didn’t remember much of today at all. Recent memories are stored in file 8, and all she could pull from the corrupted folder were fragments. Something about panicking, then an attack, and then she had to run away. She could remember scattered words, images without context, and emotions whose attached memories were lost. Her mind raced and raced but couldn’t understand.

           “Okay, next check, how are your wings?” The medic inquired.

           ‘Wings, wings...my wings?’ Ami’s thoughts began to form again. That was right, she was the same as the medic. No, that was too broad, the medic was more advanced than she was, but they came from the same origin. Ami’s turned her attention to the pair of little wings on her back, which flapped unconsciously. Unlike the medic’s, which were large enough to surround the two, Ami’s wings were tiny. In all honesty, they shouldn’t have been able to support her weight in flight. That was fine, however, as she had other systems to support her flight. But, as a result, she could only hover around slowly.

           “Excellent, it looks like they still work,” the medic patted her on the head. “You’re lucky they didn’t get incinerated.”

           ‘Lucky? Oh, that’s right,’ Ami’s memories began to clear up a little. That slow hover is what got her hurt in the first place. She was convinced she could move across that gap on her own. She didn’t want to wait for someone to help her across. Then there was an explosion and then darkness. But why was she flying across the gap again?

           “Listen,” the medic stated, “I know you’re probably still all jumbled in the head, but we need to get out of here. It won’t be safe for much longer. We can’t use this ship to evacuate anymore, so we’ll have to-Oh, shit.” The medic grabbed Ami and threw her against the floor, shielding the smaller girl with her own body. A massive explosion rocked the ship’s hull. The sound of creaking metal assaulted their ears as the ship shuddered.

           ‘Explosions are not fun,’ Ami thought to herself. A frightful chill went up her spine as she relieved her recent experience.

           “They’re closer than I thought,” the medic looked towards a nearby window. Ami couldn’t see out of it from on the floor, but she could hear something in the distance. Something violent, something dangerous, something scary. Not to mention the occasional far off explosion. “We need to leave, right now,” the medic stated seriously. “Come on, I’ll help you,” the blonde woman pulled Ami to her feet.

           ‘Why is she so concerned? Can’t we just hide here?’ Ami thought to herself. ‘It’s been safe her so far, so why do we need to go? We’ve already been her for...um...I don’t know.’

           “No slouching, let’s go,” the medic threw Ami’s arm over her shoulder and started to lead her towards a hole in the ship’s hull.

           ‘I don’t know what’s happening anymore,’ Ami lamented, ‘I don’t like this.’ Another explosion slammed the ship as they left. Ami didn’t bother to look back, but she could hear the metal creek again before something collapsed. ‘I don’t want to run, I just want to...something...there’s something I need to do.’

           “Oh, thank the creator,” the medic exclaimed, “that was far too close for comfort.”

           ‘I need to, I need to do something. Then, I need to do it again tomorrow, and the day after that and...’ Ami’s mind repeated the same phrase ad nauseam. Her file system was running a recovery program to restore her corrupted files. Piece by piece, her memory was restored.

           “I’ve got one injured,” the medic yelled. Ami looked up to see more of her people. They wore mechanical armor like the medic and had the same large wings, but their armor was thicker, and they were most certainly not medics. One of them approached and helped the medic carry Ami back over to the others.

           ‘I remember now,’ Ami’s eyes lit up as her body was filled with a flood of positive emotions. ‘I need to clean up after work today, or the boss will yell at me. Tomorrow’s an important day.’

           “Over here,” the other woman helped the medic move Ami, towards an armored vehicle with its back folded down into a ramp. “We have enough room for her.”

           “Just in time,” the medic smiled.

           ‘Tomorrow is going to be so fun,’ Ami thought to herself, ‘I can wait for this scary day to be over.’

           “I’m surprised you got her to go with you,” the other woman commented. “They normally never deviate from their programming unless ordered by a direct superior.”

           “She was injured, hit her head real bad,” the medic explained. “She probably doesn’t even know what’s going on.”

          ‘I need to practice for tomorrow, practice my...uh...what was it that I did again?’ Ami struggled to remember.

           “Even if she wasn’t injured, she wouldn’t know what’s going on,” the other woman shook her head. “How did you even find her? Most of them don’t leave their posts even if it collapses on their heads.”

           “I was a regular at her workplace,” the medic explained, “I was there when they gave the evacuation order. I was directing them to one of the evacuation ships, but she was a little impatient and got caught in a blast. Thing is, that might have been what saved her.”

           ‘Was it juggling?...no...Oh wait, it was jokes, boss loves my jokes,’ Ami giggled to herself.

           “This is going to be hard on her,” the other woman set Ami down on a bed in the armored vehicle. “Attacked on the day before a major holiday.” She looked down to see Ami giggling to herself. “Probably hasn’t realized everything will be canceled for tomorrow.”

           “In her mind, this will all be over in a few hours,” the medic explains as she sat down next to Ami. “Thank you for your help.”

           “Don’t mention it. You stay safe to okay?” The other woman nodded before leaving the vehicle, which closed up behind her.

           ‘Maybe I should start practicing now,’ Ami considered. ‘I’ll tell some to the nice lady. Oh wait, voice chip is damaged.’ The girl furrowed her brow.

           “It’s okay, Ami, we’ll be safe soon,” the medic stroked the younger girl’s hair. “If we’re lucky, you’ll be back to work in a few months, and maybe we’ll see your...” The medic paused. ‘No, I shouldn’t give her that hope.’

           ‘What’s she so upset about? Tomorrow’s the best day of the year.’ Ami wondered. The mechanical girl wanted to sit up and ask her, but then she realized her legs weren’t moving. Ami looked down at her lower body; her right leg was a little banged up and very num, but her left leg...‘Where’d the rest of it go?’ She noticed her half missing leg, a trail of sparking wires dangling out of her knee.

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I guess ignorance is bliss after all.

I'm excited for the next few stories, expect them to star more of these mechanical girls.
 
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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Enigmatic Fantasies - The Temple of Flowing Water [#195]

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The waters flow, the canals run, the temple swirls with an ocean’s swirl.

The denizens sit by the water’s side, observing the liquid’s current and its bed of pearl.

The temple sits upon a network of rivers, the heart of all things fluid.

It was founded upon the work of a single all-knowing druid.

People flocked to this temple of water, immersing themselves in its calming streams.

They say those who sleep by the river’s side will be visited by the spirits in their dreams.

These spirits of water, goddesses of the river, lakes, and flow, bless those who pay their due.

But then there are those who do not, those who abuse the waters and don’t think things through.

Those who taint the stream, who paw at its bed of pearl, who squabble over the plentiful resource.

The spirits would punish them, torment them, destroy them, and for this, there was no recourse.

Those who tainted the stream would be tainted themselves, poisoned by their own actions.

Those who reached for the bed of pearls would be pulled under, laid to bed for their infractions.

Those who squabbled and hoarded what was plentiful would be left with nothing.

No water would fill their cup, no liquid would clean their bodies, they say it was crushing.

Lessons learned may ease their punishment, but no one was said to be truly free.

The waters flow openly for all to partake, but they cannot be claimed, the same as the sea.

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Treat the water well and it will treat you well. Treat the water poorly and you'll suffer as well.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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Night of One Hundred Horrors - Tram Accident [#194]

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           His head was spinning, his body was sore, the smell of burnt electronics filled his nostrils. His body didn't want to move, yet this tiny part of his brain screamed at him to start moving. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw the tram's interior, shattered windows, and mangled front.

           "That can't be right," Dr. Kenton muttered, "no wait, I remember." He recalled his morning commute to work from the dormitory. He boarded the facility's internal tram line, the same as always. However, at some point in the trip, there was a power surge, and Kenton's tram car fell from its railing into the abyss below. The scientist crawled out of the twisted metal vehicle, finally noticing his broken leg and the blood dripping down his forehead.

           "Phone, where's the damn phone," he searched his person for the device. Unfortunately, all he found was its caved in remains. "Lovely," he sighed as he reached back into the tram, searching for the emergency supply cabinet. He'd seen it every day since he started working at the facility. Still, he had never expected to actually need to use it. In a stroke of luck, the heavy-duty flashlight contained within was still functional. There was even a box of spare batteries and basic medical supplies.

           After patching himself up as best he could, Dr. Kenton dragged himself away from the tram, flashlight in hand. It was best to keep his distance; he could still smell something burning and didn't want to wait for the vehicle to burst into flames. Instead, Kenton began his search for a service ladder or stairs, maybe even an emergency phone. There had to be something of the sort down here, he was certain.

           Dr. Kenton kept to the wall to ease the weight off his broken leg while pointing the light every which way into the darkness. If he was lucky, rescue was already on its the way; if not well, he'd hopefully spot something that would lead him out of there. In the worst case, the power surge could have wrecked the whole facility. If that was the case, he'd be easily missed in the rush to get everything back in working order. For all he knew, dozens of people in the facility were in similar or worse situations as him.

           "I don't have anything to worry about," he assured himself. "This is concrete down here, which meant there were people down here when the facility was being constructed. They had to get back above somehow. Ah, speak of the devil." Up ahead, his flashlight revealed the outline of a metal door. It looked old and rusted, but not terribly so. With one good tug, Kenton forced the door open and made his way inside.

           "Let's find those stairs," he scanned the room; however, all he found was a long hallway and a few sets of doors. The doors were wooden and rotted, the hallway filled with the unpleasant smell of decay. "Where the heck...What is this place?" Dr. Kenton was taken aback as he shined his light through the hall, revealing a set of windows. Through each window was a room that resembled one of the labs he worked in above, only smaller, older, and unkempt.

           "I knew the facility was old, but I didn't think we had abandoned sections," Dr. Kenton was aghast. "There has to be a way to the current facility, right?" The scientist tried to convince himself, but the area he found himself in looked like it hadn't been touched in decades. "Just keep moving," he forced himself forward.

           The further he went, the deeper he seemed to descend. All he could find were more abandoned labs and rooms, each in further disrepair than the last. The stench of decay only grew stronger. While at first, it seemed to be mold or mildew, a light smell of something rotten started to creep in.

           Dr. Kenton finally came to the end of the hall. The smell had only grown stronger as he approached the single door that remained. Kenton hesitated to open it, knowing full well he wouldn't like what's behind it. However, the scientist knew he needed to check every space if he had any hope of getting out.

           "Here goes nothing," he opened the door, the rotten stench magnifying as he peered inside. What Kenton saw made him wretch. He couldn't tell what he saw, but whatever it was, it was dead, and there was a lot of it. Swarms of flies, the horrid stench of rotten meat, and the color red filled the entire room. Kenton had no idea what happened in this lab, but he certainly didn't want to know and shut the door tightly.

           "I'm getting out of here now," he picked up the pace the best he could. Alas, no matter where he went, he could find no path, no stairs, no ladders, just the same deserted labs. His options spent he exited out the door he came and back into the tram tunnel. After puking his guts out, the scientist tried to renew his search for an escape. However, exhaustion, pain, and the psychological impact had slowed him down.

           "This is horrific," Dr. Kenton sat down against the wall. "I don't know what the hell I saw, but I have no intention of finding out." The stress and pain finally got to the injured man, and he found himself passing out. He didn't even have a chance to turn off his flashlight before the darkness took him.

~--~

"You still with us?" A voice cut through the darkness, and Kenton opened up his eyes to see a medic attending him.

           "What happened?" Dr. Kenton mumbled.

           "You took a pretty nasty fall in the tram. You're lucky to be alive," the medic explained. At this point, Kenton noticed the whole team of rescue personnel behind the other man. "Good thing you left your flashlight on, or we might not have found you. Come on, let's get you out of here." The team swiftly moved Dr. Kenton onto a stretcher and carried him away.

           "I hope this isn't a dream," Dr. Kenton muttered as he faded in and out of consciousness. As he finally faded back into the darkness, one last thought crossed his mind. 'That place looked like it had been abandoned for decades,' he recalled. 'If that's the case, how could there still be so much rotten meat? It wasn't sealed, was it?' This last realization hung in his mind as he slipped back into sleep.         

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The deeper you dig, the more questions you have, the more you learn, the less you want the answers.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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