The Beginning of... Something?
Quick stared at the TV, feeling his brain going numb. The program was stimulating enough… Wild Discovery was always fascinating… but the commercials were enough to fry the circuits, most of the time.
I…Man I'm bored. I've seen this one, it's a rerun. All about Hyenas, their social structure and mating habits… the pups are cute though./I Quick lay his head back with a sigh. II'm so pathetic./I
He ran a hand through his short, auburn hair, and contemplated himself for a moment.
He'd been sold to Dell as a computer analyst. He was okay at it, not stellar, but he'd been a deal… Dr. Light and Dr. Wily had been frustrated with his clumsiness and good nature. He'd been rejected for the military deal, which still hurt a bit… several of his siblings had gone to them. A lot of people were still troubled by the thought of robots that could harm humans, but that was necessary for military applications. And they had strengthened the second rule to the point that it was so hard to disobey…
IWhich is why I'm in Dellhell./I Quick glanced around sadly. He was on the company grounds. They didn't pay him enough to have an apartment, so he basically lived in the lounge. He showered in the company gym on the top floor, and spent most of the time watching TV. There was nothing much else to do, in between putting in a sixteen hour work day.
And for what?
The human workers weren't friendly at all… most viewed him as a threat to their jobs. Cheap robot workers could do their work, and they'd all be laid off. Of course, that wouldn't happen… robots were very expensive, except for rejects like himself… but that didn't dampen the prejudice any. On top of his natural clumsiness, he had to endure tripping and cruel jokes. It never seemed to end. If there was blame to be dumped, he'd be sure to get it.
Quick rubbed his face against the armrest of the chair, moisture rimming his dark eyes. II hate it here. I hate it. And no one cares./I That hurt the most. Wily and Light didn't care at all, what they had sent him into. They had just wanted to get the value of his parts, since he was so useless.
His siblings had probably forgotten him… they'd only been together for six months, before the others were sent to their various places. He'd received a card and letter from his sibs in the military… they'd all been kept together, and put with the ones from the first generation who'd been sent there.
The letter had almost made him cry. It was so… happy. They said they'd only had minor problems, they were treated well, and the training was fun and interesting. They liked the humans they worked with and were looking forward to defending the country. It seemed the armed forces had a knack for inspiring loyalty… but they'd almost have to. Without the first law firmly in place, loyalty and the second law were very important.
But the contrast to his own life was just so painful. He'd written back, but hadn't received anything after that.
II wish I was with them… I wish I hadn't tripped over my own feet during the exam…/I Quick sniffed softly, rubbing his eyes before any tears could escape. Then he took a deep breath, turning his attention back to the TV, trying to loose himself in the nature program.
There was no point in thinking about the bleak future ahead of him. It wouldn't change.
IHyena pups are so cute. I wish I had a puppy. Although not a hyena one./I The thought made him smile, trying to imagine keeping a hyena in the lounge.
"You are a WINNER!" Quick blinked, his attention pulled to the ad on the TV.
It was a very strange ad… especially for Discovery. He'd thought he knew all their ads by heart. And he knew they were always tasteful.
THIS was purely tacky. A loud, TV announcer type character with a very florid face, and the ugliest suit he'd ever seen, was grinning at him from the screen. The background was totally out of place… granite columns, covered in vines with brilliant blue flowers. Delicate fountains, lovely things… and this… used car salesman type shouting at him. It was weird.
"You have won the cosmic lottery!" Quick blinked again, then shook his head.
"Weird commercial." He reached for the remote.
"Don't touch that dial!" He switched the channel anyway and-
"Boy, do we have a prize for you!!!!" A very large, disturbing grin… the exact same commercial? It was getting REALLY weird… Quick stared, unsettled, at the TV screen.
"And your prize is what? Well, the most amazing prize there can be! Think djinni! Think Aladdin and his lamp! Think… three wishes!" The man laughed, waving. "Just for you, my friend!"
"Yeah, right, now give me the 1-900 number and tell me how much it costs." Quick muttered to himself. This was weird… but it was probably just some coincidence with the channels, another scam.
"Our representatives will contact you shortly. Sit tight!" Quick blinked as suddenly the TV switched to A&E Biographies.
I…What was the point of that?/I He wondered to himself, gazing without seeing at the Biography of Marilyn Monroe. IWhy would someone get a commercial just to say that?/I It made no sense at all...
IMmm... I want a coke./I He checked his pockets. Quick had a small wallet, with his debit card, and some loose change. There was just enough... and the drinks were cheap in the employee louge, fifty cents for a coke. IYeah./I
He popped the tab, then sipped thoughtfully on the sweet, frothy drink. He couldn't quite get that commercial out of his mind...
"That was such a weird commercial..."
"Because it wasn't a commercial." The cold, quiet voice made Quick start violently.
"AHH!" He tried to turn, but tripped over his own feet and went sprawling, his coke spilling across the tile floor. Quick flipped over onto his back to see...
A short, slender, pale young man... hanging half in, half out of a shadow. He had black hair so dark it shone with blue highlights, and his eyes were obscured by a visor. But Quick could see a tiny black crystal on his forehead, and small, black triangles pointing down under his eyes. He wore a yellow scarf, that flowed back into that shadow against the wall...
"You... ah... annnh?" Quick stared at this apparition for a brief moment, before his neural net took the only avenue of relief open to it.
He fainted.
Quick stared at the TV, feeling his brain going numb. The program was stimulating enough… Wild Discovery was always fascinating… but the commercials were enough to fry the circuits, most of the time.
I…Man I'm bored. I've seen this one, it's a rerun. All about Hyenas, their social structure and mating habits… the pups are cute though./I Quick lay his head back with a sigh. II'm so pathetic./I
He ran a hand through his short, auburn hair, and contemplated himself for a moment.
He'd been sold to Dell as a computer analyst. He was okay at it, not stellar, but he'd been a deal… Dr. Light and Dr. Wily had been frustrated with his clumsiness and good nature. He'd been rejected for the military deal, which still hurt a bit… several of his siblings had gone to them. A lot of people were still troubled by the thought of robots that could harm humans, but that was necessary for military applications. And they had strengthened the second rule to the point that it was so hard to disobey…
IWhich is why I'm in Dellhell./I Quick glanced around sadly. He was on the company grounds. They didn't pay him enough to have an apartment, so he basically lived in the lounge. He showered in the company gym on the top floor, and spent most of the time watching TV. There was nothing much else to do, in between putting in a sixteen hour work day.
And for what?
The human workers weren't friendly at all… most viewed him as a threat to their jobs. Cheap robot workers could do their work, and they'd all be laid off. Of course, that wouldn't happen… robots were very expensive, except for rejects like himself… but that didn't dampen the prejudice any. On top of his natural clumsiness, he had to endure tripping and cruel jokes. It never seemed to end. If there was blame to be dumped, he'd be sure to get it.
Quick rubbed his face against the armrest of the chair, moisture rimming his dark eyes. II hate it here. I hate it. And no one cares./I That hurt the most. Wily and Light didn't care at all, what they had sent him into. They had just wanted to get the value of his parts, since he was so useless.
His siblings had probably forgotten him… they'd only been together for six months, before the others were sent to their various places. He'd received a card and letter from his sibs in the military… they'd all been kept together, and put with the ones from the first generation who'd been sent there.
The letter had almost made him cry. It was so… happy. They said they'd only had minor problems, they were treated well, and the training was fun and interesting. They liked the humans they worked with and were looking forward to defending the country. It seemed the armed forces had a knack for inspiring loyalty… but they'd almost have to. Without the first law firmly in place, loyalty and the second law were very important.
But the contrast to his own life was just so painful. He'd written back, but hadn't received anything after that.
II wish I was with them… I wish I hadn't tripped over my own feet during the exam…/I Quick sniffed softly, rubbing his eyes before any tears could escape. Then he took a deep breath, turning his attention back to the TV, trying to loose himself in the nature program.
There was no point in thinking about the bleak future ahead of him. It wouldn't change.
IHyena pups are so cute. I wish I had a puppy. Although not a hyena one./I The thought made him smile, trying to imagine keeping a hyena in the lounge.
"You are a WINNER!" Quick blinked, his attention pulled to the ad on the TV.
It was a very strange ad… especially for Discovery. He'd thought he knew all their ads by heart. And he knew they were always tasteful.
THIS was purely tacky. A loud, TV announcer type character with a very florid face, and the ugliest suit he'd ever seen, was grinning at him from the screen. The background was totally out of place… granite columns, covered in vines with brilliant blue flowers. Delicate fountains, lovely things… and this… used car salesman type shouting at him. It was weird.
"You have won the cosmic lottery!" Quick blinked again, then shook his head.
"Weird commercial." He reached for the remote.
"Don't touch that dial!" He switched the channel anyway and-
"Boy, do we have a prize for you!!!!" A very large, disturbing grin… the exact same commercial? It was getting REALLY weird… Quick stared, unsettled, at the TV screen.
"And your prize is what? Well, the most amazing prize there can be! Think djinni! Think Aladdin and his lamp! Think… three wishes!" The man laughed, waving. "Just for you, my friend!"
"Yeah, right, now give me the 1-900 number and tell me how much it costs." Quick muttered to himself. This was weird… but it was probably just some coincidence with the channels, another scam.
"Our representatives will contact you shortly. Sit tight!" Quick blinked as suddenly the TV switched to A&E Biographies.
I…What was the point of that?/I He wondered to himself, gazing without seeing at the Biography of Marilyn Monroe. IWhy would someone get a commercial just to say that?/I It made no sense at all...
IMmm... I want a coke./I He checked his pockets. Quick had a small wallet, with his debit card, and some loose change. There was just enough... and the drinks were cheap in the employee louge, fifty cents for a coke. IYeah./I
He popped the tab, then sipped thoughtfully on the sweet, frothy drink. He couldn't quite get that commercial out of his mind...
"That was such a weird commercial..."
"Because it wasn't a commercial." The cold, quiet voice made Quick start violently.
"AHH!" He tried to turn, but tripped over his own feet and went sprawling, his coke spilling across the tile floor. Quick flipped over onto his back to see...
A short, slender, pale young man... hanging half in, half out of a shadow. He had black hair so dark it shone with blue highlights, and his eyes were obscured by a visor. But Quick could see a tiny black crystal on his forehead, and small, black triangles pointing down under his eyes. He wore a yellow scarf, that flowed back into that shadow against the wall...
"You... ah... annnh?" Quick stared at this apparition for a brief moment, before his neural net took the only avenue of relief open to it.
He fainted.
