The Other Box: Chapter 3 (by Elliot Bowers)
...
The Network Telejournalist
...
_____"Edison, you're nearing the location of the latest disturbance," went a
woman's English-accented voice. Though the woman herself was miles away,
Edison felt the care in her voice as if she were right here. And with
the scene he was going to approach, he was going to need all the morale
he could get. The woman on the other end of the connection was Edison's
"controller," back at a terminal at Network 23 headquarters; she was both
supervisor and secretary--a remote partner.
_____"I hear you, Theora... And thanks," said Edison, readying the camera he
was carrying along this poverty-ruined street. His video camera went with him
everywhere--from sleek corporate research labs to open troubled streets like
this. The video camera, it was the symbol of his profession: He was a
tele-journalist.
_____Theora's voice again came through the small speaker on the camera. Said,
"Some of the audio intercepts I've decoded indicate trouble. Something is
REALLY wrong at the scene. Be careful! I truly mean it this time..."
_____He stopped for a moment, turned the video lens to himself. "I'll be as
careful as necessary," he said. "Wouldn't want to get this camera ruined!"
_____Whatever dark events happened in the city, be it in the Fringes or in the
urban core, it was the journalist's responsibility to cover them. Edison was
such a professional; he had to be there to reveal injustices and troubles of
this land.
_____And Edison looked as if he had been through many dark events. A tall,
sinewy man in his thirties--his face worn gaunt by what he saw during his
career. He often dressed semi-professionally. Slacks, and button shirt with
brown shoes. A trenchcoat completed his outfit today, though he sometimes wore
a leather jacket on cooler days.
_____He walked on, going another block through these slums. People looked out
from gritty windows on decrepit, ill-maintained buildings. Some of them waved:
They knew Edison from television.
_____He waved back, smiled briefly. A momentary reminder of how popular he was
among some segments of the population. But he had to walk on, walk on quickly.
And he had to keep being careful...
_____Theora's voice again came from the small camera speaker. "You're within a
block's radius of Ossett Street, the scene of the disturbance. I can't
intercept too much police data about the scene, but Max said to be careful not
to throw up. It's coming up on the next left... Get ready."
_____"I hear you," said Edison, putting the video camera up to his right
shoulder. Indeed, he saw a blockade of Metro Cops at the next intersection.
"Are you seeing this? The police look pretty busy."
_____"Damn... I see it," was the response through the speaker. "They didn't
show up on my digital maps. That blockade probably won't allow anyone to pass.
You'd best double back and go through an alley. There's one at your left."
_____Not only did Theora see everything Edison's camera did, but she also saw
more than that. Back at Network 23 headquarters, the woman was sitting at a
multi-monitored terminal--with computers, audio-video recording equipment, and
all the access it provided. One of the monitors showed the view from Edison's
camera. A second monitor showed an overhead 3-D map of where Edison was
walking. And it just now updated to show Metro Cop blockade placements.
_____As Theora said, there was an alley. There was a hybrid smell of garbage
and stale drug fumes, but Edison was used to it. Into the alley...
_____Stalking through a layer of ankle-high garbage through here, he took a
right into another alley. Camera on his shoulder, he was approaching the
location of the so-called "disturbance."
____Speaking in a low voice, he said, "It's a bit quiet for a disturbance...
I'm almost there." Then, as he neared the end of this next alley, there was
a new smell that wafted in from the street.
_____It was vaguely familiar, the smell, but stronger than usual. Edison
could not immediately identify it. Like, a smell of old meat and vat-grown
almonds. He stopped at the end of this alley, crouching behind a large piece
of metal junk.
______He raised the lens of the video camera just high enough to look over the
chunk of metal junk. Looking through the camera's eyepiece, he saw the scene
out there, bright as the afternoon. And he saw the first body being covered
up. Then another. Then a few more yet... He was seeing more than enough.
"Oh no..." he went, feeling slightly sick. Still speaking in a low voice,
he said, "Theora, I don't think I can go live on this story. Start a
recording feed in three..."
_____He waited for the small red "recording" light to come on. Three...
Two... One... He began his presentation, speaking low and close into the
micropphone.
_____"This is Edison Carter, on location. Less than an hour ago, there were
reports of a massive disturbance in this sector of the Fringes. This trouble
was not a mere 'civil disturbance,' but something else. What you are seeing
is, indeed, troubling. You are seeing deaths. Many deaths."
_____He zoomed in on two Metro Cops out there. They were at a sidewalk across
the street. Black gloves on, they were covering one of several bodies.
_____"Was this a rare act of 'suppression' by the Metro Cops? If so, then why
does no one else talk about this? I tried approaching some citizens earlier,
regarding the incident here, but was simply told to look into it myself....
Something has happened here, something deadly. If it was not an act of
'suppression,' then it could be something darker."
_____"Edison!" went Theora's voice, cutting into Edison's presentation.
"Someone's rapidly approaching your exact location!" And that was all Edison
needed to hear.
_____He stood up, pivoted, and ran back deeper into the alley--running in a
hunched-over running crouch. "Edison, be careful! The pursuer is approaching
fast! VERY fast! Use the doorway to your right in that alley!"
_____He stopped, opened the door he came to--at his right. It opened into a
dimly lit hallway, some people slumped in it--the air thick with drug-smoke.
No matter, he dove into there...
_____Jogging through, he nearly stumbled over some of the drugged-up, slumped
people. Drug addiction--a sad, troubling site no matter how many times Edison
saw it.
_____"Stop..." whispered Theora's voice. "Stay there. And...stay still."
_____Edison did, kneeling in this hallway next to a bearded man in a rumpled
business suit. No surprise: corporate executives sometimes exercised their
darker vices to the Fringes. Though the drug-thickened air made the journalist
feel slightly light-headed and disoriented, he stayed... This place was so
dimly lit and smoky that he ought to be hidden.
_____Pivoting around, he looked at the open doorway of this derelict-populated
hall. Some of the drug addicts coughed, and some puffed on various drug
paraphenalia--unaware of the tension and fear here.
_____Slowly bringing his camera's eyepiece to his right eye, despite the watery
tears, he looked into the eyepiece. Using the camera's filtering functions, he
was able to get a somewhat better view of the doorway through the smoke. And
then he saw his pursuer.
_____"I know that you see me," came a female voice from outside. "Need I
enter and extract you by way of brute force? Or, will you acquiesce and come
out by your own will?"
_____Edison smirked. A girl? He was being chased by a little kid? Since his
video feed was still recording, he spoke. "Edison Carter again. I am in a
hallway, out of the alley from which I was chased... At first, I assumed that
I was being pursued by irate Metro Cops. But, it now seems that my 'pursuer'
is a young girl--perhaps in her teens. She has now given me an ultimatum...
One which I will accept for the sake of curiosity."
_____He stood, still looking through the camera's view. Speaking up, "Okay!
I'm leaving the hallway! I am unarmed, but am holding a video camera!"
Stepping over slumped drug addicts, he emerged from the hallway and into
the alley.
...
_____Out here, he had a better look at the petite girl who chased him. A pretty
face--with dark eyes, a pert nose, and somewhat pouty lips. Her glossy dark
hair was a contrast to her pale face. Her face matched the rest of her:
petite and pretty, wearing a sleeveless bodysuit and shin-boots. But instead
of there being bare arms, there was bare metal: Beneath the bodysuit, she
seemed to be wearing a kind of form-fitting metal armor.
_____He was sure to get a full view of her with the camera, standing in this
alley. "Little girl, why were you chasing me away from the scene? And why
are you wearing that odd armor? Did something happen back there that made
you put it on?"
_____The "girl" put on a defiant look. "To answer your first question, I chased
you as fitting my orders. Such being, I was ordered to keep all journalists
away from the crime scene. That is one answer.
_____"To give a second answer, I say this. I am not wearing armor." Her
solid silvery fingers went to a slight zipper at her neck. "THIS is beyond
being mere armor!"
_____With a quick zipping sound, the bodysuit parted down the front. And the
girl exposed herself from neck to waist--her metal self. Only at first, it
looked like form-fitting armor, fitting over the lithe female's body. But
some things were wrong.
_____It was the neck that gave it away. The girl's neck was metal. A segmented
silvery throat went from neck to body. Also, there were absolutely no gaps in
the joints of the metal finish.
_____For the second time today, Edison felt sickened. But he did not drop
the camera. "Your body... It's machinery! You're not human!"
_____Eyes still on the man with the camera, the petite cyborg zipped up her
bodysuit again. "And, you seem to be more than what you are. I have
encountered your inhuman double."
_____"My double?" asked Edison. "Okay, let's talk somewhere else. Outside of
this alley." He lowered the camera; Theora would edit the footage later.
...
_____"Somewhere else" turned out to be out on Ossett Street--the crime scene
that Edison tried to approach earlier. He and the metal-bodied girl came out
from the alley and back to the street where the "disturbance" had happened.
The bodies had all been put into cooled trucks by now, but there were still
seven or so Metro Cops around. One was a man dressed like Edison--professional
outfit complete with trenchcoat--but with a silver badge on his shirt. This
was a Metro Cop detective.
_____The detective strode hurriedly over to where Edison and Gally stood.
With his quick stride, he was soon here. "Gally, I thought I told you to...!"
He looked down at the camera Edison held at waist-level. "Ah, Hell! It's
you, Carter. We're done cleaning up here, anyway. Damned well filled up BOTH
our meat wagons."
_____Edison looked at the detective, then looked down at this amazing being the
detective called "Gally." Looking back at the detective, he asked, "If you
don't mind, I'd like to ask a few questions." He tried to lift his camera to
eye-level, but Gally put a quick hand on the reporter's right wrist.
_____"It's okay," went the detective, addressing the cyborg-girl. "We're
done cleaning up, so let him use that camera. There's not much for him to
see now, anyway."
_____"About 'Gally' here..." began Edison. "That's an interesting name for an
interesting...being. What is she, a new type of remote robot? You address her
as if she's human, yet she is not."
_____"She IS human, you hack," grumbled the detective. "Well, in a way. But
I'll let her answer your inquiries about that."
_____"Hmm..." went Edison. "This is becoming intriguing. Human, or not human?
Is this 'Gally' person part of a technological experiment?"
_____Gally crossed her solid arms. "And you yourself are intriguing. For
one question, how do you come to resemble a true-life incarnation of Max
Headroom? And for another, are you the person I am to meet today?"
_____"Please let me ask the questions for now," went Edison. "It's my job.
Detective, let me start with you." He hoisted his camera to his right shoulder.
"By the way, what happened here? Another incident of 'suppression?' And what
does this strange girl have to do with it?"
_____The detective shrugged, looking into the camera. "Suppression? Not this
time, Carter! It looks as if the people here were already `suppressed' before
we got here. Too much suppression, if you know what I mean." He gestured to
the street behind him.
_____"I do NOT know what you mean," said Carter. "I was chased away from the
scene before I could record any real footage. But there were bodies. Dead
people. And you were in a hurry to remove them from the scene."
_____"Well, because people were becoming frightened," answered the detective.
"The people of the Fringes are getting spooked. Hell, I'd be spooked too--if
there was some crazy stunt in which over a dozen people ended up dead."
_____"Over a dozen?" asked Edison. "And you thought you could cover up the
bloody incident by barring reporters from the scene while you did your quick
cleanup?"
_____"No-o-o," went the detective, "I thought that I could respect the dead
by KEEPING THEM AWAY FROM VIDEO CAMERAS! But now that we've taken away the
remains, you won't have all the images of blood and guts you journalists
like. People DIED here, damn it! And the deaths of innocents shouldn't
be exploited for God-damned television ratings." That said, the detective
turned around on his right heel, began walking away.
_____A few steps away along the sidewalk, he stopped. Said, "Oh... And Gally,
you deal with the journalist here however you please. Come back to the station
when you want. The chief himself said he'd give you your day's pay." Then he
continued walking away.
_____Edison was left here with Gally. "I suppose we have many questions
to ask each other," he said. "Would you mind if I tagged along with you back
to the police station?"
_____Theora's voice came from the camera. "Edison, a network van is on it's
way, nearing your location. Look to the east end of the street."
...
_____So he did tag along, thanks to a red Network 23 van driving up to the
police barricade. Theora, back at Network 23 headquarters, had actually
summoned the red van while Edison was being chased--in case the reporter had
to abort the investigation. With no need to run anymore, Edison asked the
driver of the network van to follow the convoy of police vehicles--back to
the 1st Precinct.
_____As the Metro Cops and the journalist left the scene in their respective
vehicles, a howling wind blew. A how-w-wling wind, blowing through the
currently abandoned street--blood splashed on the sidewalks and on asphalt.
Then HE hopped out from an alley and stood in the street. It was the Kindly
Old Man.
_____It was HIM, indeed. Gray hair atop his wrinkled old head, he still wore
that dapper style of dress--with suspenders. But this time, something was
different about him... The eyes. His eyes were now extremely dark.
_____Standing in the street, he regarded the scene. Some mumbled words came
from his lips, but whatever he said was snatched away by the breeze. Then he
vanished, as if he was never there at all.
...
_____Back at the 1st Precinct, that grand old police station, Edison was
dropped off by the red Network 23 van. He was told to wait for Gally while
she was being debriefed about the situation. The journalist would have gone
into the station, out of the hot city air, but he did not want to go into one
of the waiting rooms. Those were depressing.
_____So this tall journalist just sat down right here, on the front steps of
the police building--resting his video camera on his knees. The afternoon
weather wasn't too bad today, and watching downtown traffic go by was
interesting. This was quite a neat and well-kept city neighborhood. Then
again, compared to the Fringes, most any downtown area looked neat and
well-kept.
_____In the periphery of his sight, he saw a small dark figure sit to his right.
He glanced to the side, saw that it was the metal-bodied girl. She said
nothing for greeting, instead took to doing what he was doing: looking at the
view.
_____Mentally shrugging, Edison went back to looking at the view as well. If
the metal-bodied girl wanted to talk, she would talk.
_____And then, Edison fully realized the novelty of this situation. He was
sitting next to something that wasn't quite human, a new type of being--an
actual cyborg! Over the past few years, this journalist had covered news
stories in the past about corporate experiments on the human nervous system--
experiments done on brains and bodies. Those stories led to certain rumors,
previously unsubstantiated rumors, about cyborg technology. But now, those
rumors had taken on reality.
_____Yet it wasn't odd at all. Here he was, sitting next to a smallish young
female whose body had been replaced with well-engineered machinery. There
must be millions of credits in technology put into that body of hers and
millions more to be made from that technology. Yet, the cyborg-girl just sat
calmly here, sat to his right. It felt no different from sitting next to
a human being.
_____She spoke. "You have not shirked my presence. Then, you do not see me
as a monster. Or could it be that you are more brave than others? More
foolhardy? Why else would you choose to wait for me? Wait to speak with me?"
_____"It's professional responsibility," answered Edison. "If I run, it's to
get TO and FROM a story--without being killed. Courage is all part of the job--
but I don't need any courage here. And you're not a monster, kid. In fact..."
He shifted his video camera to his left arm as so he could pat the cyborg-girl
on a shoulder--feeling the hardness of alloy. "In fact, you're a cute kid."
_____"C-C-CUTE KID?" exclaimed a small voice from somewhere. "Since WHEN does
Edison Carter RUN from kids? Just wait until-UNTIL-until Murray hears this.
He'll be glad to know that his T-T-TOP reporter is a sissy!"
_____Gally looked around at the steps and street, then set her eyes on the
camera. The voice was coming from Edison's video camera, of course. She said,
"That is the voice of the television man, Max Headroom. His voice matches your
own. You must tell why."
_____"H-H-HEY!" went the voice from the camera speaker. "I'd say EDISON is
starting to s-s-sound more like ME-ME-ME! That means he's becoming more
mature."
_____Hearing that, Edison rolled his eyes. "I said that I'd answer some of your
questions, so now I will. You see, Max Headroom IS me...sort of. He's a
digital copy of my memories, personality and intelligence. A copy of my brain,
basically. He was made because a certain network executive didn't think that I
would survive after being injured. A hit on the head.
_____"The process was experimental, but it worked. I lived, and so did my
digital copy. My copy, Max Headroom, can now go any place that's electronically
linked to anything--preferrably to places with speakers and cameras as so he can
see and hear.
_____"So, there you have it. That's why Max looks and sounds like me. He's
my double. His voice glitches occasionally, and some of his memories are
fuzzy, but he's generally good--if a bit annoying."
_____Max chimed in from the video camera speaker. "Ah, a happy-happy-happy
ending! Both Max and Edison l-l-live HAPPILY ever after. It deserves a
R-R-ROUND of applause! I'd clap, if I had real hands to clap WITH!"
_____Edison looked at Gally. "It's weird. Everyone else had heard about my
infamous digital double. That, if they haven't actually heard him on their
televisions. Now it's your turn to answer a few questions about yourself.
How did you get that way? I mean, become a cyborg? A corporate experiment?"
_____A moment of speechless silence, filled in with the sounds of cars going
by this police station. A slight breeze played with Gally's dark hair. She
pulled her knees to her chest, closed her metal arms over knees.... "I do not
remember how," she finally said. "But, the process was not at all experimental.
Not where I came from. In Scrap Iron City, as well as throughout the lands of
my origin, there are many cyborgs--many people whose bodies have been augmented
and even replaced with synthetics."
_____"Wait... How?" asked Edison. "There aren't any real cyborgs around here,
except you. If any corporation really developed reliable cyborg technology,
then there'd be plenty more of your kind. I don't think you're lying, but
where are they? By the way, where is this land you're talking about? And
what is 'Scrap Iron City'? A new corporation?"
_____"I should ask that question of you," responded Gally, uncurling herself.
"Where is THIS land? Where is THIS city? This strange city, with strange
aspects? You have police here, but police were history and should not exist.
You say that cyborg technology is experimental, but it is not. Another
question... Why has there not been a single mention of Zalem here?" She
leaned to the side, close to Edison. Looked up into his eyes, her large eyes
inches from Edison's gaunt face. "Is this land real? Or, is it in a place
other than reality? Do I dream?"
_____For just a moment, Edison had a glimpse of something dark in those eyes--
unsettling. He was further unsettled by the slight scent of plastic on Gally's
artificial breath. The man was rigid when Gally leaned back away.
_____"What do you mean by that?" asked the journalist. "This land is as real
and as solid as it can be." He thumped the solid steps of this police station
with his right palm. Then he gestured to the surroundings, the city-scape.
"See? It's solid. And look around. It's real."
_____There were neat shops and buildings across the street and over here.
Cars still went by, as did people in business suits. Several Metro Cop came
jogging down these wide steps, glimpsed at the two here, then went on their
way. "At least," said Edison, "this city is real enough for me."
_____"A-A-ND...! It's real enough for me," added Max Headroom from the video
camera. Edison then looked into the eyepiece. Indeed, Max was still "here"--
communicating through the video camera. The computer-generated man flashed a
grin. "Oh, by the way, Theora wants to talk-talk-talk to you. In fact, she's
been wanting to talk to you for the past few-few-FEW minutes."
_____"Well, why didn't you let her through?" asked Edison. "Max, she's my
controller. My partner. It's an important professional relationship. Do you
know how IMPORTANT that is?"
_____"But-but-but you and Miss Cyborg here were having SUCH a pleasant conversation!"
answered the computer-generated man. "Why would I want to-to-to interrupt
that?"
_____"Because it's important," began Edison. "You must learn to..." And that
began Edison's brief lesson to Max on ideas of responsibility and self-control.
Max argued back, quipping jibes and jokes...
_____Gally smiled at the bantering interplay between the two, two who had the
same voice. It was like hearing a person argue with himself. And, in a way,
that was what was happening: Max was an electronic double of Edison, though a
more carefree and playful one.
_____Max's voice stopped silent, then Gally heard a woman's light voice come
from the video camera Edison was looking into. Said, "Thank God! Edison, I
tracked you to the 1st Precinct, but couldn't get to you after that. I thought
the Metro Cops were holding you."
_____"Thank Max for blocking your signal," said Edison. "He's been occupying
my camera. So, what's up? Anything new?"
_____"I tried using some equipment here to analyze your video footage of the
crime scene," answered Theora. "Well, tried analyzing what video footage you
obtained before being chased off. I had to send it to Bryce. He was a bit
busy, but he should get to it soon. In the meanwhile, I received some odd
e-mails from our Network 23 site... Essentially, they were warnings about
metal monsters that eat people and go on bloody rampages."
_____"Not all of them are monsters," said Edison into the video camera. "In
fact, I'm sitting next to one of the so-called 'monsters' right now. She hasn't
tried to eat me yet." He turned the camera to Gally. "You don't eat people,
do you, Gally?"
_____"Edison, who is that girl?" asked Theora. "And why is she wearing that
costume? It looks like..."
_____"It's not a costume," interrupted Edison. "I'll explain later. In fact,
maybe I should let her explain. Gally, can you come over to Network 23 with
me?"
_____"She may do so," spoke a new voice. "She has given enough assistance for
today."
_____Edison and Gally both looked up the concrete steps. Standing up there,
at the entrance, was the police chief himself--Police Chief Thunderhorse, head
of the Metro Cops. The journalist wondered how someone so tall, with a
gleaming and shiny badge, could just sneak here and not be noticed.
_____"She may go, if she so pleases. I have paid her for today's assistance.
And if her help is needed, I know where to contact her." That said, the police
chief turned and went back into the station.
_____"Whoa..." went Edison, blinking. "The guy's quiet, but intimidating.
Looks pretty strong for someone over a hundred years old... So, Gally. Are
you coming along? Since I tagged along with you back to your place of work,
you may as do the same to me. I'll show you to my co-workers"
_____Gally stood on these steps. Why not go? she asked herself. Thinking,
More information about this city can only add to the knowledge needed in
pursuing my target.
_____"I will come along with you," she said. And she stood by as Edison
called Theora through the camera, summoning another network van.
---
_____But, something else was going down elsewhere in the downtown area--over
at a certain tall building. The topmost executives of Network 66--the Board
of Directors--were having an impromptu meeting to discuss the testing of their
latest "resources." Indeed, these were quite innovative resources.
_____Up in the 93rd story, there was the Board Room--where some of the most
important decisions of Network 66 were made. It was a long, low-lit room with a
long marble table. Twelve dark leather seats along the left and right
of the marble table, where the Members of the Board would sit. The windows at
the sides were extremely dark-tinted, and the floor was red-carpeted-though
carpet color was somewhat hard to tell in the gloom.
_____The lights brightened as the Members of the Board came in, wondering why
Mr. Grossberg demanded this meeting. The Board of Directors consisted of
wealthy people--tall, thin people who dressed in expensive clothes.
_____Ten thin men and four thin women, similarly dressed, came shuffling in
to sit in their respective seats at the long table. Most of them had red eyes
and drippy noses from the cocaine, bourbon, and other recreational substances
they so habitually consumed. They sat easy in their seats of power, waiting
for Grossberg. Along with them came two men in tuxedos and white gloves--
two butlers. The butlers were told to dim the lights; narcotics had made the
Board Members' eyes sensitive.
_____After some minutes, they saw him come in--the CEO...along with a rather
odd-looking scientist. It was a contrast--the dark-suited and strong-looking
CEO walking with the frail-looking white-coated scientist.
_____"Good afternoon, everyone," said Mr. Grossberg to the people here. "I
do hope that I haven't interrupted anything... Well, maybe I have." He then
moved to the head of this long dark table.
_____In the dim lighting, he was still able to see that most of the Board
Members were wasted on various recreational substances. No matter; the Board
Members almost never made really important decisions, anyway. It was Mr.
Grossberg that did so.
_____The pale man spread his arms as if to encompass the dimly lit room and
the people here. "I'm going to skip the preliminaries and let you right in on
what we, Network 66, have recently acquired. Something that can increase our
influence in this city significantly..." He lowered his arms, lowered his
voice as well. "It is something that could even give us power over what
little public government there is as well."
_____"WHAT THE FUCK are you gibbering about, Grossberg?" went one of the few
women here. Like the other Board Members, she was bone-thin and darkly
dressed--her hair done up in an expensively frizzy hairdo.
_____She then SLAPPED her skinny hands atop the table before she continued
talking. "Government? Hah! Politics is the sort of SHIT left for ASSHOLES.
Because, assholes deal with shit--get it!
_____"Meanwhile, REAL power is in what the Hell we do: making fucking MONEY!
With fucking money, we OWN people! Money is where the REAL GOD-DAMN POWER IS!
I say, fuck politics from the front and back!"
_____There was a brief but ecstatic round of applause from the table. But they
quickly went silent when Mr. Grossberg opened his mouth. "Rather crudely put,
Gretchen. But that is also somewhat old-hat thinking. It's how we've been
thinking and operating for over a century. But now, consider this..." He put
his hands in his pockets.
_____"Like all other corporations, we of Network 66 have concentrated on
nothing but making money... Beating network competition... Increasing our
market share... Etcetera, etcetera. We make gains here, make gains there. And
our marketing is top-notch--thanks to our R&D department giving us certain,
heh heh, 'advantages' over the minds of most consumers.
_____"But for the past fifteen years, where have we REALLY gone? We make
profits, but that's what every network does. Our only edge is that we're
willing to take into marketing tactics that our competition wouldn't dare--
because of ethical concerns for consumer health. Now, it is time for us to
SEAL our advantage with a more permanent development." He took a slim dark
remote out of his lapel pocket, then stepped to the left.
_____Pressing the "play" button on the remote control, part of the upper
wall slid aside, revealing a flat video screen. The video screen was dark
at first, then a brief title appeared: Prototype #4 Video Data. There
was a yellow bar along the bottom of the screen, and a timer in the upper-left
hand corner. A computerized view...
...
_____The title vanished, and the screen flared white for a moment...fading
into a view of a slum-street: somewhere in the Fringes, a first-person
perspective. People nearby looked toward the camera's view, staring. Then the
view dashed forward, toward a group of those people!
_____Moving fast...! This view closed in on several people who sat slumped
against a building, some who tried to get up and get away. Then a metal arm
lashed out from the side of the view, making for a splash of blood. The other
metal limb came from the other side to GRIP a man's left shoulder, then
SLAMMED him against the sidewalk.
_____Then whomever--or whatever--had the camera, dashed to the left and attacked
two more people. Two silvery hands gripped two human necks, then YANKED.
The heads came right off! Some blood splashed against the lens, but then the
view changed to infrared to see through the blood. An evil miasma of colors
from the deadly scene...
...
_____At that point, Mr. Grossberg pressed the "stop" button on the dark remote
he had--stopping the video on the frame in which the view changed to infrared.
"Do you want to talk about POWER? Because THAT is power, friends!" declared the
CEO. He walked to stand in front of the wall-monitor, the infrared view of
slaughter behind him. "As you all know, money is fleeting and temporary, but
CAPITAL is how we keep our power. And THIS is the best and newest capital yet!
_____"What you saw was murder-by-proxy. The camera was actually within the
left eye of a prototype hybrid between human and machine. Or, should I say,
'cyborg.' By modifying human brains and placing them within bodies of metal,
we now have aggressive, strong, and surprisingly inexpensive machines that we
can produce so long as there are human beings on the streets!"
_____The Members of the Board were silent. Partially, they were silent because
they were still wasted from the cocaine and booze they used earlier; but the
big shocker was from what they saw and heard... Then again, they weren't sure
WHAT they just heard.
_____One of the skinny pale men at the dark table spoke up. "Did you just say
that there is now a way to 'convert' people into machines? Because I'm not sure
I heard you correctly."
_____"Heh heh heh..." chuckled Mr. Grossberg, a dark chuckle. "Thanks to the
man I promoted to head of our R&D, Network 66 now has a means of securing
more power. That means, prototype cyborgs!"
_____Another Member of the Board spoke up. "What's a cyborg?" he asked. "I
still don't understand. Sounds like something out of a horror movie."
_____"You don't know? Well, let me allow the man of the hour, Dr. Desty
Nova, give you a brief explanation of what we have... Doctor? Talk to them
about our wonderful prototype cyborgs."
_____Dr. Nova was in a darkened corner all this time, sitting in a chair--eating
flan from a rather large bowl. "Hmm..?" He swallowed, then managed to speak
more clearly. "If I must speak, I will. Okay!" The metaphysicist stood up,
bowl of flan in his left hand. He moved over to stand in front of the screen
while Mr. Grossberg stepped aside, arms akimbo.
_____"Mmm...delicious! Ahem! For an introduction to cyborgs, let us begin by
asking ourselves some questions. What is a cyborg? Is it superior to a mere
machine? And, how may one use them?
_____"Look at the word itself--cyborg. A CYBORG is, essentially, a
cybernetically enhanced organism. The description itself forms the word.
Listen to it: 'CYbernetically enhanced ORGanism.' CY-BORG. GET IT?" He
took a spoonful of flan.
_____And he continued. "Mmm...! In common context, cyborgs are human beings
whose bodies have been extensively augmented--or totally replaced--with
synthetics. Usually, the entire body is replaced, leaving synthetics to
provide for a living brain--while the brain, in turn, controls the body.
_____"THAT is a starting description, a brief introduction, to what cyborgs
are. Cybernetically enhanced organisms, usually brains in synthetic bodies.
_____"Now, that leads into something else. With that combination of real mind
and synthetic body, we have beings that are how cyborgs have TASTY superiority
to machines. Now, why use real brains instead of artificial ones?
_____"Why, it is a matter of efficiency! Living 'real' brains are naturally
complex. Whereas it would take much effort to carefully create a computer
chip of similar complexity, real brains are easily acquired. I am a living
example, as proven by the mark on my forehead... See? My brain has been
replaced by a chip. Though I am physically human, my brain is not real!"
_____The Members of the Board looked, squinted. Despite drug-blurred vision and
dim lighting, they were still able to see Dr. Nova's forehead: They saw no mark
on Dr. Nova's forehead.
_____"What are you talking about, Nova?" asked Grossberg. "I don't see any
mark on your forehead. And what's this gibberish about replacing brains with
computer chips?"
_____"What? I you mean I DON'T have a mark on my forehead? HOW?" blithered
Dr. Nova. "Tell me! WHO HAS A MIRROR?"
_____One of the two butlers, those who stood by the door, approached Dr. Nova.
The approaching butler took out a small folding mirror from his right pocket
and held it up for Dr. Nova to see.
_____By the light from the wall video monitor, Dr. Nova saw that his forehead
was plain skin. There was no mark. "How can this be? Hmm..." He kept
looking in the mirror as he took another few spoonfuls of flan. Then, using
his spoon, he rapped himself in the forehead. His head felt...different! It
felt full!
_____Before, whenever he rapped himself in the head, it felt hollow. But he
hadn't experimentally rapped himself in the head, or looked in a mirror, since
he was here. Not even when he brushed his teeth with that odd tooth-cleaning
substance the people of this city used.
_____"I have a real brain again!" he said. "This is DELICIOUS! Now, everyone
must excuse me while I go contemplate the implications of such a development!
Somehow, I once again acquired a real brain during the process of coming to this
city! Simply... Delicious!"
_____Then the metaphysicist, bowl of flan in hand, ran towards the double
doors. One of the butlers over there opened a door to let the ecstatic madman
out of here.
_____"Hmm..." went Mr. Grossberg. "As you can see, the latest 'head' of our
research is somewhat absent-minded...so to speak. His knowledge, though, is
quite useful and quite stable. Were it not for his input we would not have
cyborg technology.
_____"And by developing that technology, we can gain economic as well as
political power over the people of the city. After testing and developing our
prototype cyborgs up to viable levels, WE will overthrow the pitiful, minimal
government of this city. The city will then belong to Network 66 alone! That
is COMPLETE market penetration! Complete market dominance, as well as dominance
over all city resources! THAT is power."
...
_____Meanwhile, Dr. Nova went back to work on a lower floor, down on the
Research and Development levels of this skyscraper. Bowl of flan in hand, he
used the elevator. Rode it down...
_____The doors opened onto the main R&D floor. Cyborg maintenance equipment
at the far left of the shiny and ultra-modern room, and the computers were at
the right. White-coated technicians bustled about. They not only looked busy,
but they were busy--working on the shiny "caskets" that housed their precious
prototype cyborgs.
_____At least, the cyborgs were "prototypes" to them; this was their first
experience with such technology! And when the technicians' thoughts weren't
occupied by ideas for technological refinement, they wondered where Nova got
his knowledge for working cyborg technology. That went along with wondering
where the man came from, anyway. From another country?
_____With the technicians refining their still-new cyborgs, Dr. Nova decided
to check on THE box. Hmm... He wondered where he last put it. THE box was
so full of potential, and so very important. Where did he last put it? Well
he would find it eventually.
...
_____Network 66 had corporate competition, which was why Mr. Grossberg was so
obsessed with securing his network's position. There were multiple networks in
the city, multiple skyscrapers which stood tall. Multiple economic giants.
But the corporation that caused Network 66 so much burning anger was Network 23--
a corporate rival which Mr. Grossberg first swore to destroy, before swearing
to destroy ALL economic competition.
_____It was no small coincidence that Network 23 was the corporation which
Edison and Max worked for--with "work" being loosely used regarding Max. With
Edison Carter's steady tele-journalism and Max Headroom's witty random
appearances on televisions throughout the city--both in the urban core and in
the Fringes--Network 23 remained popular among the people. Before Max Headroom,
there never was a television personality that could appear on single televisions
as well as on multiple ones. He was the first and only "man" who "lived"
inside the televisions. And he was only from Network 23.
_____Like the Network 66 skyscraper, Network 23's headquarters was a towering
building--but the architecture was somewhat different. There was less glass
in its construction and more concrete. That made for more structural stability.
It looked slightly more old-fashioned a building. A more comfortable tower...
Barely ninety stories tall, it was located on the east side of the downtown
urban core--the side of town opposite Network 66.
...
_____A twenty minute ride, and the red van pulled up to the front of the
Network 23 skyscraper. The van's side door slid open, and Edison hopped out
with his video camera on his right arm. Gally lightly dropped by his side.
_____"Well, here it is, kid," said the tall trenchcoat-wearing tele-journalist.
"This is my place of work." He nodded to the building. "Let's go. I'll
show you to my colleagues... Uh, are you okay?"
_____Gally was looking up...and UP at the building. As it was, she felt
somewhat conscious of her height--or lack thereof--when around most people.
But the tall tower of a building made her feel yet more dwarfed. There were
reasons why tall buildings were called "skyscrapers"; they seemed tall enough
to stroke the sky itself. "Something wrong? Should I take you back to the 1st
Precinct? Gally?"
_____Hearing her name heard, she blinked and shook her head once. "Nothing is
wrong...." She looked at Edison. "I merely stood in admiration. The building
is quite tall."
_____The journalist shrugged. "Hmph... If you say so. Wait until you get
inside and up. You can get a great view from up there, as well as get to meet
some of my colleagues."
...
_____The two went inside the skyscraper, into the first-floor public lobby.
It was wide and impressive. The floor was slightly beige marble. At the left
were small cafe tables, where people in business suits sat around ate and talked
business. There were some blue-clad security guards here, but not enough to
intimidate. Three of them were at the semi-circular security desk in front of
the elevators at the far end. A large network logo was set on the floor, done
in large blocky yellow characters.
_____Walking over, Edison showed his ID to the security desk. The blue-clad
uniformed woman stood up, scanned the card. "Just checking, Mr. Carter," she
said. Looking down, she said, "Who is the girl?"
_____"Oh, she's Gally. She's with the Metro Cops," answered the journalist. He
stood closer to the petite cyborg. "Not only is Gally here involved with a new
news story, but she's a story herself."
_____"As you say, Mr. Carter," responded the woman in uniform. She pressed
keys on a terminal behind the security desk. "The elevator will be here soon."
Handing back Edison's ID card, she said, "Have a productive day."
_____One of the elevators went "ding" when it came down to this floor and opened
up. Edison and Gally went in, and twin silvery doors slid closed. The elevator
began moving. As the building was so tall, this elevator accelerated a bit in
moving to the fiftieth floor.
...
_____Arriving at the destination floor, the elevator doors opened up. And
here was a modern and thoroughly busy news room. Lots of wooden cubicles here,
each with a professional seated at a desk-and-computer setup. Though the
professionals here were busy, there was just a moderate amount of background
bustling sound--computer keys clicking and people talking into microphones or
headsets. Every so often, a man or woman in business dress would walk over
to one of the people in the wooden cubicles and say some things.
_____"THIS is where I work...sort of," said Edison to the cyborg-girl. "Well,
I don't really work HERE, physically, but my controller does. My work is out
on the streets. Journalists work the streets, and controllers help us from
news rooms--like here. Now follow me. I'll bet Theora is anxious for me to
get back to her."
_____The controllers? In a "control center?" As Gally followed Edison's tall
loping stride, she also took glances at the cubicles they passed. Where she
came from, "controllers" were people who oversaw the actions of cyborg-agents
who had communications links implanted into them.
_____But here, controllers oversaw journalists--and the communications links
were in cameras. This city truly had odd customs and ways: another reminder
that this city was a place different from where she was from.
_____In a moment, she and Edison arrived at a certain cubicle near the end of
the newsroom. Seated at this cubicle were two people--a brunette-haired young
woman in blouse and skirt, and a bespectacled teenage boy in jeans and tee
shirt. The woman, Theora, swiveled around in her seat to look at Edison--her
big blue eyes looking up at the tall journalist.
_____"Edison...!" she said in greeting. Then she looked at Gally. "Oh, I
see you have brought her along. Hello there."
_____"Let me introduce you around," said Edison, setting his video camera
on the cubicle desk, knelt next to Gally. "Gally, meet Theora. She's my
controller, and pretty good at computers." The woman gave a little wave of
greeting and a smile.
_____"And..that's Bryce, boy genius." continued Edison, indicating the teenager.
"He's one of our best techies...if not the best in the city. One of his
accomplishments was the making of Max. He's usually at work in a smaller
cyber-lab located elsewhere in the building, tinkering away at one cyber-project
or another... Usually, that is."
_____The teenage boy looked at Gally...then stared. A big-eyed stare that was
amplified by the glasses he wore. "Hey Bryce," said Edison cautiously, noting
the interest with which Bryce stared at Gally. "What are you doing here,
anyway? You're almost never away from those experiments of yours."
_____"Oh, I wanted to verify the existence of the cyborg," he answered before
standing up. He was a bit taller than Gally, as so many in this city were
taller. Perusing, he walked in a slow counterclockwise circle around the petite
dark-clad cyborg-girl.
_____"Hmm... Amazing!" he said, glasses glinting. "The articulation of the
body is just amazing! This looks like an actual cyborg!" He crouched in front
of her. "Would you take off your outfit? I'd like closer visual inspection of
your physique, just to absolutely confirm..."
_____"Bryce!" went Theora. "Don't be so callous! What if I were to approach
you and ask you to strip nude just to 'confirm' something? That's a person
you're dealing with, not another piece of computer hardware."
_____Gally's large, dark-eyed stare met Bryce's blue-eyed bespectacled stare.
"I am a person," she said, giving a toss of her head to get some lengths of
hair away from her eyes. "That much, I can be QUITE sure of."
_____Not only did Bryce hear emotional steel in Gally's voice, but his looking
at her also affirmed that the girl was metal-bodied--as far as he could tell.
The lithe teen-age girl (or cyborg?) wore a form-fitting body-suit over her
distinctly female body, with shin-boots. Her metal-surfaced arms and shoulders
were bare, metal that went beyond the arms and shoulders. The collar, though,
covered her neck. But her face and hair looked normal--even beautiful. Simply
amazing. She was just amazing.
_____"Oh-ho! Are you in LOVE, Bryce?" commented Edison. "You just met her!
And she may not be your type."
_____The boy backed off, a blush flushing his cheeks. "Love? For me to be
subject to such a biological reaction would be inconvenient. And, it would lead
to inefficiency."
_____Gally stepped closer. "You sound horrid, as if your mind has been consumed
by machinery. Love can be beautiful. It is a part of life, of living. Take
love as it comes, though it can sometimes lead to pain." Then her eyes took on
a far-off look, thinking into memories...
_____Theora spoke up. "Goodness, you two are already midway through a lifetime
of philosophical discussion! And speaking of efficiency..." She looked up at
Edison. "Earlier, Bryce and I analyzed some of the video feed you sent,
from the scene of the trouble in the Fringes. And something is not right. Not
right at all."
_____"You sound more worried than usual," began Edison. "People died, but we've
been at more gruesome stories than this... What's so different about this
one?"
_____Theora swiveled around to face this cubicle's computer. She then tapped
keys on the keyboard, and the main monitor switched on a still image--that of
a close-up on a covered body. The image shrunk a bit, and computer readouts
appeared along the top and bottom of the screen. "This is a freeze-frame image
from the scene."
_____Gally looked past Bryce, then walked closer. She was there, but did not
recall any specific body. "There were deaths there," she said. "Lives
haphazardly lost. And people, such as you, care."
_____"Well, we do care," said Edison. "Again, it's professional responsibility
to care."
_____Theora added, "But you'd best keep some distance on this story. It's
especially dangerous--ESPECIALLY considering the results of analysis. Bryce
and I came up with this... Everyone may as well look."
_____Gally looked at the image on the screen. Geometric lines went over the
covered body on the screen--forming a polygonal framework over the shape.
Then, more lines came. It was the computer's result of analysis.
_____The image faded out, leaving the polygonal framework. Colored panels
filled in the spaces of the polygonal wireframe on the screen--forming a 3-d
image. It was a 3-d image of a man's clothed body, with severe gaping wounds
to the chest and belly.
_____Bryce explained. "From the extrapolated image data, this is a truly
mutilated corpse. I mean, the chest and abdominal area were ripped apart!
From the placement of the wounds, it seems that an especially strong person--
six-feet tall and maniacally strong--did the damage. Those wounds were done
by strong segmented digits, strong fingers. As there were so many victims
with similarly mutilating wounds, there must be more than one murderer
responsible. There must be more than one maniac, equipped with machine-tools."
_____Staring at the screen, Gally spoke. "They would not merely be machine-tools.
The mutilations and deaths must have been caused by cyborgs. More of my kind
do indeed exist in this city. If so, how could you not know of them?"
_____"But that's just it," said Edison. "There weren't any real cyborg in this
city before you. There were just rumors about cyborgs... Just rumors. You
still seem to be the first cyborg here. And since you're pretty shy of being
six feet tall, we all know you're not responsible for what happened. So
maybe... Just maybe, you're right: There are cyborgs here in the city, and
we just never knew about them."
_____Theora looked away from the screen, her eyes looking out at other cubicles
in this room. This was all troubling news. She wondered if other controllers
knew about this.
...
_____Back at Network 66, across town, Dr. Nova puttered around the busy cyber-
lab of the R&D department. Where did he put that oh-so-odd object? THE box?
Perhaps, something which had immense metaphysical importance?
_____Wondering and wandering, he set down his big bowl of flan. And then he
momentarily forgot his taste for flan... He remembered where the box was!
_____This gray-haired metaphysicist then reached into his left pocket and
took out a red-colored cube--which expanded when he took it out, growing back
to full size. The box again showed its shape-shifting capabilities.
_____What the...? A random blast of air knocked it out of Dr. Nova's hands.
When it hit the floor, it's top tumbled open--revealing deep darkness inside.
Inside the box was a darkness deeper than the darkness of the universe itself.
Dr. Nova YELLED as he saw and felt that darkness closing over him, falling!
Falling...!
...
_____Wind blew through the streets. The Kindly Old Man ran along a downtown
street, a frightened look on his face. He ran breeze-fast, faster than one
would expect for his age. Ran faster than human. "OH NO! OH NO!" he howled,
running along. "NO-O-O...!" Then he began flapping his arms. Still howling,
"NO-O-O-O...!"
...
_____Gally's eyes widened in shock, and she gasped once. Then she vanished.
It was that simple: she simply disappeared. The petite cyborg-girl was there,
in the news room of Network 23, and then she wasn't. It was as if the outside
breeze took her away.
...
The Network Telejournalist
...
_____"Edison, you're nearing the location of the latest disturbance," went a
woman's English-accented voice. Though the woman herself was miles away,
Edison felt the care in her voice as if she were right here. And with
the scene he was going to approach, he was going to need all the morale
he could get. The woman on the other end of the connection was Edison's
"controller," back at a terminal at Network 23 headquarters; she was both
supervisor and secretary--a remote partner.
_____"I hear you, Theora... And thanks," said Edison, readying the camera he
was carrying along this poverty-ruined street. His video camera went with him
everywhere--from sleek corporate research labs to open troubled streets like
this. The video camera, it was the symbol of his profession: He was a
tele-journalist.
_____Theora's voice again came through the small speaker on the camera. Said,
"Some of the audio intercepts I've decoded indicate trouble. Something is
REALLY wrong at the scene. Be careful! I truly mean it this time..."
_____He stopped for a moment, turned the video lens to himself. "I'll be as
careful as necessary," he said. "Wouldn't want to get this camera ruined!"
_____Whatever dark events happened in the city, be it in the Fringes or in the
urban core, it was the journalist's responsibility to cover them. Edison was
such a professional; he had to be there to reveal injustices and troubles of
this land.
_____And Edison looked as if he had been through many dark events. A tall,
sinewy man in his thirties--his face worn gaunt by what he saw during his
career. He often dressed semi-professionally. Slacks, and button shirt with
brown shoes. A trenchcoat completed his outfit today, though he sometimes wore
a leather jacket on cooler days.
_____He walked on, going another block through these slums. People looked out
from gritty windows on decrepit, ill-maintained buildings. Some of them waved:
They knew Edison from television.
_____He waved back, smiled briefly. A momentary reminder of how popular he was
among some segments of the population. But he had to walk on, walk on quickly.
And he had to keep being careful...
_____Theora's voice again came from the small camera speaker. "You're within a
block's radius of Ossett Street, the scene of the disturbance. I can't
intercept too much police data about the scene, but Max said to be careful not
to throw up. It's coming up on the next left... Get ready."
_____"I hear you," said Edison, putting the video camera up to his right
shoulder. Indeed, he saw a blockade of Metro Cops at the next intersection.
"Are you seeing this? The police look pretty busy."
_____"Damn... I see it," was the response through the speaker. "They didn't
show up on my digital maps. That blockade probably won't allow anyone to pass.
You'd best double back and go through an alley. There's one at your left."
_____Not only did Theora see everything Edison's camera did, but she also saw
more than that. Back at Network 23 headquarters, the woman was sitting at a
multi-monitored terminal--with computers, audio-video recording equipment, and
all the access it provided. One of the monitors showed the view from Edison's
camera. A second monitor showed an overhead 3-D map of where Edison was
walking. And it just now updated to show Metro Cop blockade placements.
_____As Theora said, there was an alley. There was a hybrid smell of garbage
and stale drug fumes, but Edison was used to it. Into the alley...
_____Stalking through a layer of ankle-high garbage through here, he took a
right into another alley. Camera on his shoulder, he was approaching the
location of the so-called "disturbance."
____Speaking in a low voice, he said, "It's a bit quiet for a disturbance...
I'm almost there." Then, as he neared the end of this next alley, there was
a new smell that wafted in from the street.
_____It was vaguely familiar, the smell, but stronger than usual. Edison
could not immediately identify it. Like, a smell of old meat and vat-grown
almonds. He stopped at the end of this alley, crouching behind a large piece
of metal junk.
______He raised the lens of the video camera just high enough to look over the
chunk of metal junk. Looking through the camera's eyepiece, he saw the scene
out there, bright as the afternoon. And he saw the first body being covered
up. Then another. Then a few more yet... He was seeing more than enough.
"Oh no..." he went, feeling slightly sick. Still speaking in a low voice,
he said, "Theora, I don't think I can go live on this story. Start a
recording feed in three..."
_____He waited for the small red "recording" light to come on. Three...
Two... One... He began his presentation, speaking low and close into the
micropphone.
_____"This is Edison Carter, on location. Less than an hour ago, there were
reports of a massive disturbance in this sector of the Fringes. This trouble
was not a mere 'civil disturbance,' but something else. What you are seeing
is, indeed, troubling. You are seeing deaths. Many deaths."
_____He zoomed in on two Metro Cops out there. They were at a sidewalk across
the street. Black gloves on, they were covering one of several bodies.
_____"Was this a rare act of 'suppression' by the Metro Cops? If so, then why
does no one else talk about this? I tried approaching some citizens earlier,
regarding the incident here, but was simply told to look into it myself....
Something has happened here, something deadly. If it was not an act of
'suppression,' then it could be something darker."
_____"Edison!" went Theora's voice, cutting into Edison's presentation.
"Someone's rapidly approaching your exact location!" And that was all Edison
needed to hear.
_____He stood up, pivoted, and ran back deeper into the alley--running in a
hunched-over running crouch. "Edison, be careful! The pursuer is approaching
fast! VERY fast! Use the doorway to your right in that alley!"
_____He stopped, opened the door he came to--at his right. It opened into a
dimly lit hallway, some people slumped in it--the air thick with drug-smoke.
No matter, he dove into there...
_____Jogging through, he nearly stumbled over some of the drugged-up, slumped
people. Drug addiction--a sad, troubling site no matter how many times Edison
saw it.
_____"Stop..." whispered Theora's voice. "Stay there. And...stay still."
_____Edison did, kneeling in this hallway next to a bearded man in a rumpled
business suit. No surprise: corporate executives sometimes exercised their
darker vices to the Fringes. Though the drug-thickened air made the journalist
feel slightly light-headed and disoriented, he stayed... This place was so
dimly lit and smoky that he ought to be hidden.
_____Pivoting around, he looked at the open doorway of this derelict-populated
hall. Some of the drug addicts coughed, and some puffed on various drug
paraphenalia--unaware of the tension and fear here.
_____Slowly bringing his camera's eyepiece to his right eye, despite the watery
tears, he looked into the eyepiece. Using the camera's filtering functions, he
was able to get a somewhat better view of the doorway through the smoke. And
then he saw his pursuer.
_____"I know that you see me," came a female voice from outside. "Need I
enter and extract you by way of brute force? Or, will you acquiesce and come
out by your own will?"
_____Edison smirked. A girl? He was being chased by a little kid? Since his
video feed was still recording, he spoke. "Edison Carter again. I am in a
hallway, out of the alley from which I was chased... At first, I assumed that
I was being pursued by irate Metro Cops. But, it now seems that my 'pursuer'
is a young girl--perhaps in her teens. She has now given me an ultimatum...
One which I will accept for the sake of curiosity."
_____He stood, still looking through the camera's view. Speaking up, "Okay!
I'm leaving the hallway! I am unarmed, but am holding a video camera!"
Stepping over slumped drug addicts, he emerged from the hallway and into
the alley.
...
_____Out here, he had a better look at the petite girl who chased him. A pretty
face--with dark eyes, a pert nose, and somewhat pouty lips. Her glossy dark
hair was a contrast to her pale face. Her face matched the rest of her:
petite and pretty, wearing a sleeveless bodysuit and shin-boots. But instead
of there being bare arms, there was bare metal: Beneath the bodysuit, she
seemed to be wearing a kind of form-fitting metal armor.
_____He was sure to get a full view of her with the camera, standing in this
alley. "Little girl, why were you chasing me away from the scene? And why
are you wearing that odd armor? Did something happen back there that made
you put it on?"
_____The "girl" put on a defiant look. "To answer your first question, I chased
you as fitting my orders. Such being, I was ordered to keep all journalists
away from the crime scene. That is one answer.
_____"To give a second answer, I say this. I am not wearing armor." Her
solid silvery fingers went to a slight zipper at her neck. "THIS is beyond
being mere armor!"
_____With a quick zipping sound, the bodysuit parted down the front. And the
girl exposed herself from neck to waist--her metal self. Only at first, it
looked like form-fitting armor, fitting over the lithe female's body. But
some things were wrong.
_____It was the neck that gave it away. The girl's neck was metal. A segmented
silvery throat went from neck to body. Also, there were absolutely no gaps in
the joints of the metal finish.
_____For the second time today, Edison felt sickened. But he did not drop
the camera. "Your body... It's machinery! You're not human!"
_____Eyes still on the man with the camera, the petite cyborg zipped up her
bodysuit again. "And, you seem to be more than what you are. I have
encountered your inhuman double."
_____"My double?" asked Edison. "Okay, let's talk somewhere else. Outside of
this alley." He lowered the camera; Theora would edit the footage later.
...
_____"Somewhere else" turned out to be out on Ossett Street--the crime scene
that Edison tried to approach earlier. He and the metal-bodied girl came out
from the alley and back to the street where the "disturbance" had happened.
The bodies had all been put into cooled trucks by now, but there were still
seven or so Metro Cops around. One was a man dressed like Edison--professional
outfit complete with trenchcoat--but with a silver badge on his shirt. This
was a Metro Cop detective.
_____The detective strode hurriedly over to where Edison and Gally stood.
With his quick stride, he was soon here. "Gally, I thought I told you to...!"
He looked down at the camera Edison held at waist-level. "Ah, Hell! It's
you, Carter. We're done cleaning up here, anyway. Damned well filled up BOTH
our meat wagons."
_____Edison looked at the detective, then looked down at this amazing being the
detective called "Gally." Looking back at the detective, he asked, "If you
don't mind, I'd like to ask a few questions." He tried to lift his camera to
eye-level, but Gally put a quick hand on the reporter's right wrist.
_____"It's okay," went the detective, addressing the cyborg-girl. "We're
done cleaning up, so let him use that camera. There's not much for him to
see now, anyway."
_____"About 'Gally' here..." began Edison. "That's an interesting name for an
interesting...being. What is she, a new type of remote robot? You address her
as if she's human, yet she is not."
_____"She IS human, you hack," grumbled the detective. "Well, in a way. But
I'll let her answer your inquiries about that."
_____"Hmm..." went Edison. "This is becoming intriguing. Human, or not human?
Is this 'Gally' person part of a technological experiment?"
_____Gally crossed her solid arms. "And you yourself are intriguing. For
one question, how do you come to resemble a true-life incarnation of Max
Headroom? And for another, are you the person I am to meet today?"
_____"Please let me ask the questions for now," went Edison. "It's my job.
Detective, let me start with you." He hoisted his camera to his right shoulder.
"By the way, what happened here? Another incident of 'suppression?' And what
does this strange girl have to do with it?"
_____The detective shrugged, looking into the camera. "Suppression? Not this
time, Carter! It looks as if the people here were already `suppressed' before
we got here. Too much suppression, if you know what I mean." He gestured to
the street behind him.
_____"I do NOT know what you mean," said Carter. "I was chased away from the
scene before I could record any real footage. But there were bodies. Dead
people. And you were in a hurry to remove them from the scene."
_____"Well, because people were becoming frightened," answered the detective.
"The people of the Fringes are getting spooked. Hell, I'd be spooked too--if
there was some crazy stunt in which over a dozen people ended up dead."
_____"Over a dozen?" asked Edison. "And you thought you could cover up the
bloody incident by barring reporters from the scene while you did your quick
cleanup?"
_____"No-o-o," went the detective, "I thought that I could respect the dead
by KEEPING THEM AWAY FROM VIDEO CAMERAS! But now that we've taken away the
remains, you won't have all the images of blood and guts you journalists
like. People DIED here, damn it! And the deaths of innocents shouldn't
be exploited for God-damned television ratings." That said, the detective
turned around on his right heel, began walking away.
_____A few steps away along the sidewalk, he stopped. Said, "Oh... And Gally,
you deal with the journalist here however you please. Come back to the station
when you want. The chief himself said he'd give you your day's pay." Then he
continued walking away.
_____Edison was left here with Gally. "I suppose we have many questions
to ask each other," he said. "Would you mind if I tagged along with you back
to the police station?"
_____Theora's voice came from the camera. "Edison, a network van is on it's
way, nearing your location. Look to the east end of the street."
...
_____So he did tag along, thanks to a red Network 23 van driving up to the
police barricade. Theora, back at Network 23 headquarters, had actually
summoned the red van while Edison was being chased--in case the reporter had
to abort the investigation. With no need to run anymore, Edison asked the
driver of the network van to follow the convoy of police vehicles--back to
the 1st Precinct.
_____As the Metro Cops and the journalist left the scene in their respective
vehicles, a howling wind blew. A how-w-wling wind, blowing through the
currently abandoned street--blood splashed on the sidewalks and on asphalt.
Then HE hopped out from an alley and stood in the street. It was the Kindly
Old Man.
_____It was HIM, indeed. Gray hair atop his wrinkled old head, he still wore
that dapper style of dress--with suspenders. But this time, something was
different about him... The eyes. His eyes were now extremely dark.
_____Standing in the street, he regarded the scene. Some mumbled words came
from his lips, but whatever he said was snatched away by the breeze. Then he
vanished, as if he was never there at all.
...
_____Back at the 1st Precinct, that grand old police station, Edison was
dropped off by the red Network 23 van. He was told to wait for Gally while
she was being debriefed about the situation. The journalist would have gone
into the station, out of the hot city air, but he did not want to go into one
of the waiting rooms. Those were depressing.
_____So this tall journalist just sat down right here, on the front steps of
the police building--resting his video camera on his knees. The afternoon
weather wasn't too bad today, and watching downtown traffic go by was
interesting. This was quite a neat and well-kept city neighborhood. Then
again, compared to the Fringes, most any downtown area looked neat and
well-kept.
_____In the periphery of his sight, he saw a small dark figure sit to his right.
He glanced to the side, saw that it was the metal-bodied girl. She said
nothing for greeting, instead took to doing what he was doing: looking at the
view.
_____Mentally shrugging, Edison went back to looking at the view as well. If
the metal-bodied girl wanted to talk, she would talk.
_____And then, Edison fully realized the novelty of this situation. He was
sitting next to something that wasn't quite human, a new type of being--an
actual cyborg! Over the past few years, this journalist had covered news
stories in the past about corporate experiments on the human nervous system--
experiments done on brains and bodies. Those stories led to certain rumors,
previously unsubstantiated rumors, about cyborg technology. But now, those
rumors had taken on reality.
_____Yet it wasn't odd at all. Here he was, sitting next to a smallish young
female whose body had been replaced with well-engineered machinery. There
must be millions of credits in technology put into that body of hers and
millions more to be made from that technology. Yet, the cyborg-girl just sat
calmly here, sat to his right. It felt no different from sitting next to
a human being.
_____She spoke. "You have not shirked my presence. Then, you do not see me
as a monster. Or could it be that you are more brave than others? More
foolhardy? Why else would you choose to wait for me? Wait to speak with me?"
_____"It's professional responsibility," answered Edison. "If I run, it's to
get TO and FROM a story--without being killed. Courage is all part of the job--
but I don't need any courage here. And you're not a monster, kid. In fact..."
He shifted his video camera to his left arm as so he could pat the cyborg-girl
on a shoulder--feeling the hardness of alloy. "In fact, you're a cute kid."
_____"C-C-CUTE KID?" exclaimed a small voice from somewhere. "Since WHEN does
Edison Carter RUN from kids? Just wait until-UNTIL-until Murray hears this.
He'll be glad to know that his T-T-TOP reporter is a sissy!"
_____Gally looked around at the steps and street, then set her eyes on the
camera. The voice was coming from Edison's video camera, of course. She said,
"That is the voice of the television man, Max Headroom. His voice matches your
own. You must tell why."
_____"H-H-HEY!" went the voice from the camera speaker. "I'd say EDISON is
starting to s-s-sound more like ME-ME-ME! That means he's becoming more
mature."
_____Hearing that, Edison rolled his eyes. "I said that I'd answer some of your
questions, so now I will. You see, Max Headroom IS me...sort of. He's a
digital copy of my memories, personality and intelligence. A copy of my brain,
basically. He was made because a certain network executive didn't think that I
would survive after being injured. A hit on the head.
_____"The process was experimental, but it worked. I lived, and so did my
digital copy. My copy, Max Headroom, can now go any place that's electronically
linked to anything--preferrably to places with speakers and cameras as so he can
see and hear.
_____"So, there you have it. That's why Max looks and sounds like me. He's
my double. His voice glitches occasionally, and some of his memories are
fuzzy, but he's generally good--if a bit annoying."
_____Max chimed in from the video camera speaker. "Ah, a happy-happy-happy
ending! Both Max and Edison l-l-live HAPPILY ever after. It deserves a
R-R-ROUND of applause! I'd clap, if I had real hands to clap WITH!"
_____Edison looked at Gally. "It's weird. Everyone else had heard about my
infamous digital double. That, if they haven't actually heard him on their
televisions. Now it's your turn to answer a few questions about yourself.
How did you get that way? I mean, become a cyborg? A corporate experiment?"
_____A moment of speechless silence, filled in with the sounds of cars going
by this police station. A slight breeze played with Gally's dark hair. She
pulled her knees to her chest, closed her metal arms over knees.... "I do not
remember how," she finally said. "But, the process was not at all experimental.
Not where I came from. In Scrap Iron City, as well as throughout the lands of
my origin, there are many cyborgs--many people whose bodies have been augmented
and even replaced with synthetics."
_____"Wait... How?" asked Edison. "There aren't any real cyborgs around here,
except you. If any corporation really developed reliable cyborg technology,
then there'd be plenty more of your kind. I don't think you're lying, but
where are they? By the way, where is this land you're talking about? And
what is 'Scrap Iron City'? A new corporation?"
_____"I should ask that question of you," responded Gally, uncurling herself.
"Where is THIS land? Where is THIS city? This strange city, with strange
aspects? You have police here, but police were history and should not exist.
You say that cyborg technology is experimental, but it is not. Another
question... Why has there not been a single mention of Zalem here?" She
leaned to the side, close to Edison. Looked up into his eyes, her large eyes
inches from Edison's gaunt face. "Is this land real? Or, is it in a place
other than reality? Do I dream?"
_____For just a moment, Edison had a glimpse of something dark in those eyes--
unsettling. He was further unsettled by the slight scent of plastic on Gally's
artificial breath. The man was rigid when Gally leaned back away.
_____"What do you mean by that?" asked the journalist. "This land is as real
and as solid as it can be." He thumped the solid steps of this police station
with his right palm. Then he gestured to the surroundings, the city-scape.
"See? It's solid. And look around. It's real."
_____There were neat shops and buildings across the street and over here.
Cars still went by, as did people in business suits. Several Metro Cop came
jogging down these wide steps, glimpsed at the two here, then went on their
way. "At least," said Edison, "this city is real enough for me."
_____"A-A-ND...! It's real enough for me," added Max Headroom from the video
camera. Edison then looked into the eyepiece. Indeed, Max was still "here"--
communicating through the video camera. The computer-generated man flashed a
grin. "Oh, by the way, Theora wants to talk-talk-talk to you. In fact, she's
been wanting to talk to you for the past few-few-FEW minutes."
_____"Well, why didn't you let her through?" asked Edison. "Max, she's my
controller. My partner. It's an important professional relationship. Do you
know how IMPORTANT that is?"
_____"But-but-but you and Miss Cyborg here were having SUCH a pleasant conversation!"
answered the computer-generated man. "Why would I want to-to-to interrupt
that?"
_____"Because it's important," began Edison. "You must learn to..." And that
began Edison's brief lesson to Max on ideas of responsibility and self-control.
Max argued back, quipping jibes and jokes...
_____Gally smiled at the bantering interplay between the two, two who had the
same voice. It was like hearing a person argue with himself. And, in a way,
that was what was happening: Max was an electronic double of Edison, though a
more carefree and playful one.
_____Max's voice stopped silent, then Gally heard a woman's light voice come
from the video camera Edison was looking into. Said, "Thank God! Edison, I
tracked you to the 1st Precinct, but couldn't get to you after that. I thought
the Metro Cops were holding you."
_____"Thank Max for blocking your signal," said Edison. "He's been occupying
my camera. So, what's up? Anything new?"
_____"I tried using some equipment here to analyze your video footage of the
crime scene," answered Theora. "Well, tried analyzing what video footage you
obtained before being chased off. I had to send it to Bryce. He was a bit
busy, but he should get to it soon. In the meanwhile, I received some odd
e-mails from our Network 23 site... Essentially, they were warnings about
metal monsters that eat people and go on bloody rampages."
_____"Not all of them are monsters," said Edison into the video camera. "In
fact, I'm sitting next to one of the so-called 'monsters' right now. She hasn't
tried to eat me yet." He turned the camera to Gally. "You don't eat people,
do you, Gally?"
_____"Edison, who is that girl?" asked Theora. "And why is she wearing that
costume? It looks like..."
_____"It's not a costume," interrupted Edison. "I'll explain later. In fact,
maybe I should let her explain. Gally, can you come over to Network 23 with
me?"
_____"She may do so," spoke a new voice. "She has given enough assistance for
today."
_____Edison and Gally both looked up the concrete steps. Standing up there,
at the entrance, was the police chief himself--Police Chief Thunderhorse, head
of the Metro Cops. The journalist wondered how someone so tall, with a
gleaming and shiny badge, could just sneak here and not be noticed.
_____"She may go, if she so pleases. I have paid her for today's assistance.
And if her help is needed, I know where to contact her." That said, the police
chief turned and went back into the station.
_____"Whoa..." went Edison, blinking. "The guy's quiet, but intimidating.
Looks pretty strong for someone over a hundred years old... So, Gally. Are
you coming along? Since I tagged along with you back to your place of work,
you may as do the same to me. I'll show you to my co-workers"
_____Gally stood on these steps. Why not go? she asked herself. Thinking,
More information about this city can only add to the knowledge needed in
pursuing my target.
_____"I will come along with you," she said. And she stood by as Edison
called Theora through the camera, summoning another network van.
---
_____But, something else was going down elsewhere in the downtown area--over
at a certain tall building. The topmost executives of Network 66--the Board
of Directors--were having an impromptu meeting to discuss the testing of their
latest "resources." Indeed, these were quite innovative resources.
_____Up in the 93rd story, there was the Board Room--where some of the most
important decisions of Network 66 were made. It was a long, low-lit room with a
long marble table. Twelve dark leather seats along the left and right
of the marble table, where the Members of the Board would sit. The windows at
the sides were extremely dark-tinted, and the floor was red-carpeted-though
carpet color was somewhat hard to tell in the gloom.
_____The lights brightened as the Members of the Board came in, wondering why
Mr. Grossberg demanded this meeting. The Board of Directors consisted of
wealthy people--tall, thin people who dressed in expensive clothes.
_____Ten thin men and four thin women, similarly dressed, came shuffling in
to sit in their respective seats at the long table. Most of them had red eyes
and drippy noses from the cocaine, bourbon, and other recreational substances
they so habitually consumed. They sat easy in their seats of power, waiting
for Grossberg. Along with them came two men in tuxedos and white gloves--
two butlers. The butlers were told to dim the lights; narcotics had made the
Board Members' eyes sensitive.
_____After some minutes, they saw him come in--the CEO...along with a rather
odd-looking scientist. It was a contrast--the dark-suited and strong-looking
CEO walking with the frail-looking white-coated scientist.
_____"Good afternoon, everyone," said Mr. Grossberg to the people here. "I
do hope that I haven't interrupted anything... Well, maybe I have." He then
moved to the head of this long dark table.
_____In the dim lighting, he was still able to see that most of the Board
Members were wasted on various recreational substances. No matter; the Board
Members almost never made really important decisions, anyway. It was Mr.
Grossberg that did so.
_____The pale man spread his arms as if to encompass the dimly lit room and
the people here. "I'm going to skip the preliminaries and let you right in on
what we, Network 66, have recently acquired. Something that can increase our
influence in this city significantly..." He lowered his arms, lowered his
voice as well. "It is something that could even give us power over what
little public government there is as well."
_____"WHAT THE FUCK are you gibbering about, Grossberg?" went one of the few
women here. Like the other Board Members, she was bone-thin and darkly
dressed--her hair done up in an expensively frizzy hairdo.
_____She then SLAPPED her skinny hands atop the table before she continued
talking. "Government? Hah! Politics is the sort of SHIT left for ASSHOLES.
Because, assholes deal with shit--get it!
_____"Meanwhile, REAL power is in what the Hell we do: making fucking MONEY!
With fucking money, we OWN people! Money is where the REAL GOD-DAMN POWER IS!
I say, fuck politics from the front and back!"
_____There was a brief but ecstatic round of applause from the table. But they
quickly went silent when Mr. Grossberg opened his mouth. "Rather crudely put,
Gretchen. But that is also somewhat old-hat thinking. It's how we've been
thinking and operating for over a century. But now, consider this..." He put
his hands in his pockets.
_____"Like all other corporations, we of Network 66 have concentrated on
nothing but making money... Beating network competition... Increasing our
market share... Etcetera, etcetera. We make gains here, make gains there. And
our marketing is top-notch--thanks to our R&D department giving us certain,
heh heh, 'advantages' over the minds of most consumers.
_____"But for the past fifteen years, where have we REALLY gone? We make
profits, but that's what every network does. Our only edge is that we're
willing to take into marketing tactics that our competition wouldn't dare--
because of ethical concerns for consumer health. Now, it is time for us to
SEAL our advantage with a more permanent development." He took a slim dark
remote out of his lapel pocket, then stepped to the left.
_____Pressing the "play" button on the remote control, part of the upper
wall slid aside, revealing a flat video screen. The video screen was dark
at first, then a brief title appeared: Prototype #4 Video Data. There
was a yellow bar along the bottom of the screen, and a timer in the upper-left
hand corner. A computerized view...
...
_____The title vanished, and the screen flared white for a moment...fading
into a view of a slum-street: somewhere in the Fringes, a first-person
perspective. People nearby looked toward the camera's view, staring. Then the
view dashed forward, toward a group of those people!
_____Moving fast...! This view closed in on several people who sat slumped
against a building, some who tried to get up and get away. Then a metal arm
lashed out from the side of the view, making for a splash of blood. The other
metal limb came from the other side to GRIP a man's left shoulder, then
SLAMMED him against the sidewalk.
_____Then whomever--or whatever--had the camera, dashed to the left and attacked
two more people. Two silvery hands gripped two human necks, then YANKED.
The heads came right off! Some blood splashed against the lens, but then the
view changed to infrared to see through the blood. An evil miasma of colors
from the deadly scene...
...
_____At that point, Mr. Grossberg pressed the "stop" button on the dark remote
he had--stopping the video on the frame in which the view changed to infrared.
"Do you want to talk about POWER? Because THAT is power, friends!" declared the
CEO. He walked to stand in front of the wall-monitor, the infrared view of
slaughter behind him. "As you all know, money is fleeting and temporary, but
CAPITAL is how we keep our power. And THIS is the best and newest capital yet!
_____"What you saw was murder-by-proxy. The camera was actually within the
left eye of a prototype hybrid between human and machine. Or, should I say,
'cyborg.' By modifying human brains and placing them within bodies of metal,
we now have aggressive, strong, and surprisingly inexpensive machines that we
can produce so long as there are human beings on the streets!"
_____The Members of the Board were silent. Partially, they were silent because
they were still wasted from the cocaine and booze they used earlier; but the
big shocker was from what they saw and heard... Then again, they weren't sure
WHAT they just heard.
_____One of the skinny pale men at the dark table spoke up. "Did you just say
that there is now a way to 'convert' people into machines? Because I'm not sure
I heard you correctly."
_____"Heh heh heh..." chuckled Mr. Grossberg, a dark chuckle. "Thanks to the
man I promoted to head of our R&D, Network 66 now has a means of securing
more power. That means, prototype cyborgs!"
_____Another Member of the Board spoke up. "What's a cyborg?" he asked. "I
still don't understand. Sounds like something out of a horror movie."
_____"You don't know? Well, let me allow the man of the hour, Dr. Desty
Nova, give you a brief explanation of what we have... Doctor? Talk to them
about our wonderful prototype cyborgs."
_____Dr. Nova was in a darkened corner all this time, sitting in a chair--eating
flan from a rather large bowl. "Hmm..?" He swallowed, then managed to speak
more clearly. "If I must speak, I will. Okay!" The metaphysicist stood up,
bowl of flan in his left hand. He moved over to stand in front of the screen
while Mr. Grossberg stepped aside, arms akimbo.
_____"Mmm...delicious! Ahem! For an introduction to cyborgs, let us begin by
asking ourselves some questions. What is a cyborg? Is it superior to a mere
machine? And, how may one use them?
_____"Look at the word itself--cyborg. A CYBORG is, essentially, a
cybernetically enhanced organism. The description itself forms the word.
Listen to it: 'CYbernetically enhanced ORGanism.' CY-BORG. GET IT?" He
took a spoonful of flan.
_____And he continued. "Mmm...! In common context, cyborgs are human beings
whose bodies have been extensively augmented--or totally replaced--with
synthetics. Usually, the entire body is replaced, leaving synthetics to
provide for a living brain--while the brain, in turn, controls the body.
_____"THAT is a starting description, a brief introduction, to what cyborgs
are. Cybernetically enhanced organisms, usually brains in synthetic bodies.
_____"Now, that leads into something else. With that combination of real mind
and synthetic body, we have beings that are how cyborgs have TASTY superiority
to machines. Now, why use real brains instead of artificial ones?
_____"Why, it is a matter of efficiency! Living 'real' brains are naturally
complex. Whereas it would take much effort to carefully create a computer
chip of similar complexity, real brains are easily acquired. I am a living
example, as proven by the mark on my forehead... See? My brain has been
replaced by a chip. Though I am physically human, my brain is not real!"
_____The Members of the Board looked, squinted. Despite drug-blurred vision and
dim lighting, they were still able to see Dr. Nova's forehead: They saw no mark
on Dr. Nova's forehead.
_____"What are you talking about, Nova?" asked Grossberg. "I don't see any
mark on your forehead. And what's this gibberish about replacing brains with
computer chips?"
_____"What? I you mean I DON'T have a mark on my forehead? HOW?" blithered
Dr. Nova. "Tell me! WHO HAS A MIRROR?"
_____One of the two butlers, those who stood by the door, approached Dr. Nova.
The approaching butler took out a small folding mirror from his right pocket
and held it up for Dr. Nova to see.
_____By the light from the wall video monitor, Dr. Nova saw that his forehead
was plain skin. There was no mark. "How can this be? Hmm..." He kept
looking in the mirror as he took another few spoonfuls of flan. Then, using
his spoon, he rapped himself in the forehead. His head felt...different! It
felt full!
_____Before, whenever he rapped himself in the head, it felt hollow. But he
hadn't experimentally rapped himself in the head, or looked in a mirror, since
he was here. Not even when he brushed his teeth with that odd tooth-cleaning
substance the people of this city used.
_____"I have a real brain again!" he said. "This is DELICIOUS! Now, everyone
must excuse me while I go contemplate the implications of such a development!
Somehow, I once again acquired a real brain during the process of coming to this
city! Simply... Delicious!"
_____Then the metaphysicist, bowl of flan in hand, ran towards the double
doors. One of the butlers over there opened a door to let the ecstatic madman
out of here.
_____"Hmm..." went Mr. Grossberg. "As you can see, the latest 'head' of our
research is somewhat absent-minded...so to speak. His knowledge, though, is
quite useful and quite stable. Were it not for his input we would not have
cyborg technology.
_____"And by developing that technology, we can gain economic as well as
political power over the people of the city. After testing and developing our
prototype cyborgs up to viable levels, WE will overthrow the pitiful, minimal
government of this city. The city will then belong to Network 66 alone! That
is COMPLETE market penetration! Complete market dominance, as well as dominance
over all city resources! THAT is power."
...
_____Meanwhile, Dr. Nova went back to work on a lower floor, down on the
Research and Development levels of this skyscraper. Bowl of flan in hand, he
used the elevator. Rode it down...
_____The doors opened onto the main R&D floor. Cyborg maintenance equipment
at the far left of the shiny and ultra-modern room, and the computers were at
the right. White-coated technicians bustled about. They not only looked busy,
but they were busy--working on the shiny "caskets" that housed their precious
prototype cyborgs.
_____At least, the cyborgs were "prototypes" to them; this was their first
experience with such technology! And when the technicians' thoughts weren't
occupied by ideas for technological refinement, they wondered where Nova got
his knowledge for working cyborg technology. That went along with wondering
where the man came from, anyway. From another country?
_____With the technicians refining their still-new cyborgs, Dr. Nova decided
to check on THE box. Hmm... He wondered where he last put it. THE box was
so full of potential, and so very important. Where did he last put it? Well
he would find it eventually.
...
_____Network 66 had corporate competition, which was why Mr. Grossberg was so
obsessed with securing his network's position. There were multiple networks in
the city, multiple skyscrapers which stood tall. Multiple economic giants.
But the corporation that caused Network 66 so much burning anger was Network 23--
a corporate rival which Mr. Grossberg first swore to destroy, before swearing
to destroy ALL economic competition.
_____It was no small coincidence that Network 23 was the corporation which
Edison and Max worked for--with "work" being loosely used regarding Max. With
Edison Carter's steady tele-journalism and Max Headroom's witty random
appearances on televisions throughout the city--both in the urban core and in
the Fringes--Network 23 remained popular among the people. Before Max Headroom,
there never was a television personality that could appear on single televisions
as well as on multiple ones. He was the first and only "man" who "lived"
inside the televisions. And he was only from Network 23.
_____Like the Network 66 skyscraper, Network 23's headquarters was a towering
building--but the architecture was somewhat different. There was less glass
in its construction and more concrete. That made for more structural stability.
It looked slightly more old-fashioned a building. A more comfortable tower...
Barely ninety stories tall, it was located on the east side of the downtown
urban core--the side of town opposite Network 66.
...
_____A twenty minute ride, and the red van pulled up to the front of the
Network 23 skyscraper. The van's side door slid open, and Edison hopped out
with his video camera on his right arm. Gally lightly dropped by his side.
_____"Well, here it is, kid," said the tall trenchcoat-wearing tele-journalist.
"This is my place of work." He nodded to the building. "Let's go. I'll
show you to my colleagues... Uh, are you okay?"
_____Gally was looking up...and UP at the building. As it was, she felt
somewhat conscious of her height--or lack thereof--when around most people.
But the tall tower of a building made her feel yet more dwarfed. There were
reasons why tall buildings were called "skyscrapers"; they seemed tall enough
to stroke the sky itself. "Something wrong? Should I take you back to the 1st
Precinct? Gally?"
_____Hearing her name heard, she blinked and shook her head once. "Nothing is
wrong...." She looked at Edison. "I merely stood in admiration. The building
is quite tall."
_____The journalist shrugged. "Hmph... If you say so. Wait until you get
inside and up. You can get a great view from up there, as well as get to meet
some of my colleagues."
...
_____The two went inside the skyscraper, into the first-floor public lobby.
It was wide and impressive. The floor was slightly beige marble. At the left
were small cafe tables, where people in business suits sat around ate and talked
business. There were some blue-clad security guards here, but not enough to
intimidate. Three of them were at the semi-circular security desk in front of
the elevators at the far end. A large network logo was set on the floor, done
in large blocky yellow characters.
_____Walking over, Edison showed his ID to the security desk. The blue-clad
uniformed woman stood up, scanned the card. "Just checking, Mr. Carter," she
said. Looking down, she said, "Who is the girl?"
_____"Oh, she's Gally. She's with the Metro Cops," answered the journalist. He
stood closer to the petite cyborg. "Not only is Gally here involved with a new
news story, but she's a story herself."
_____"As you say, Mr. Carter," responded the woman in uniform. She pressed
keys on a terminal behind the security desk. "The elevator will be here soon."
Handing back Edison's ID card, she said, "Have a productive day."
_____One of the elevators went "ding" when it came down to this floor and opened
up. Edison and Gally went in, and twin silvery doors slid closed. The elevator
began moving. As the building was so tall, this elevator accelerated a bit in
moving to the fiftieth floor.
...
_____Arriving at the destination floor, the elevator doors opened up. And
here was a modern and thoroughly busy news room. Lots of wooden cubicles here,
each with a professional seated at a desk-and-computer setup. Though the
professionals here were busy, there was just a moderate amount of background
bustling sound--computer keys clicking and people talking into microphones or
headsets. Every so often, a man or woman in business dress would walk over
to one of the people in the wooden cubicles and say some things.
_____"THIS is where I work...sort of," said Edison to the cyborg-girl. "Well,
I don't really work HERE, physically, but my controller does. My work is out
on the streets. Journalists work the streets, and controllers help us from
news rooms--like here. Now follow me. I'll bet Theora is anxious for me to
get back to her."
_____The controllers? In a "control center?" As Gally followed Edison's tall
loping stride, she also took glances at the cubicles they passed. Where she
came from, "controllers" were people who oversaw the actions of cyborg-agents
who had communications links implanted into them.
_____But here, controllers oversaw journalists--and the communications links
were in cameras. This city truly had odd customs and ways: another reminder
that this city was a place different from where she was from.
_____In a moment, she and Edison arrived at a certain cubicle near the end of
the newsroom. Seated at this cubicle were two people--a brunette-haired young
woman in blouse and skirt, and a bespectacled teenage boy in jeans and tee
shirt. The woman, Theora, swiveled around in her seat to look at Edison--her
big blue eyes looking up at the tall journalist.
_____"Edison...!" she said in greeting. Then she looked at Gally. "Oh, I
see you have brought her along. Hello there."
_____"Let me introduce you around," said Edison, setting his video camera
on the cubicle desk, knelt next to Gally. "Gally, meet Theora. She's my
controller, and pretty good at computers." The woman gave a little wave of
greeting and a smile.
_____"And..that's Bryce, boy genius." continued Edison, indicating the teenager.
"He's one of our best techies...if not the best in the city. One of his
accomplishments was the making of Max. He's usually at work in a smaller
cyber-lab located elsewhere in the building, tinkering away at one cyber-project
or another... Usually, that is."
_____The teenage boy looked at Gally...then stared. A big-eyed stare that was
amplified by the glasses he wore. "Hey Bryce," said Edison cautiously, noting
the interest with which Bryce stared at Gally. "What are you doing here,
anyway? You're almost never away from those experiments of yours."
_____"Oh, I wanted to verify the existence of the cyborg," he answered before
standing up. He was a bit taller than Gally, as so many in this city were
taller. Perusing, he walked in a slow counterclockwise circle around the petite
dark-clad cyborg-girl.
_____"Hmm... Amazing!" he said, glasses glinting. "The articulation of the
body is just amazing! This looks like an actual cyborg!" He crouched in front
of her. "Would you take off your outfit? I'd like closer visual inspection of
your physique, just to absolutely confirm..."
_____"Bryce!" went Theora. "Don't be so callous! What if I were to approach
you and ask you to strip nude just to 'confirm' something? That's a person
you're dealing with, not another piece of computer hardware."
_____Gally's large, dark-eyed stare met Bryce's blue-eyed bespectacled stare.
"I am a person," she said, giving a toss of her head to get some lengths of
hair away from her eyes. "That much, I can be QUITE sure of."
_____Not only did Bryce hear emotional steel in Gally's voice, but his looking
at her also affirmed that the girl was metal-bodied--as far as he could tell.
The lithe teen-age girl (or cyborg?) wore a form-fitting body-suit over her
distinctly female body, with shin-boots. Her metal-surfaced arms and shoulders
were bare, metal that went beyond the arms and shoulders. The collar, though,
covered her neck. But her face and hair looked normal--even beautiful. Simply
amazing. She was just amazing.
_____"Oh-ho! Are you in LOVE, Bryce?" commented Edison. "You just met her!
And she may not be your type."
_____The boy backed off, a blush flushing his cheeks. "Love? For me to be
subject to such a biological reaction would be inconvenient. And, it would lead
to inefficiency."
_____Gally stepped closer. "You sound horrid, as if your mind has been consumed
by machinery. Love can be beautiful. It is a part of life, of living. Take
love as it comes, though it can sometimes lead to pain." Then her eyes took on
a far-off look, thinking into memories...
_____Theora spoke up. "Goodness, you two are already midway through a lifetime
of philosophical discussion! And speaking of efficiency..." She looked up at
Edison. "Earlier, Bryce and I analyzed some of the video feed you sent,
from the scene of the trouble in the Fringes. And something is not right. Not
right at all."
_____"You sound more worried than usual," began Edison. "People died, but we've
been at more gruesome stories than this... What's so different about this
one?"
_____Theora swiveled around to face this cubicle's computer. She then tapped
keys on the keyboard, and the main monitor switched on a still image--that of
a close-up on a covered body. The image shrunk a bit, and computer readouts
appeared along the top and bottom of the screen. "This is a freeze-frame image
from the scene."
_____Gally looked past Bryce, then walked closer. She was there, but did not
recall any specific body. "There were deaths there," she said. "Lives
haphazardly lost. And people, such as you, care."
_____"Well, we do care," said Edison. "Again, it's professional responsibility
to care."
_____Theora added, "But you'd best keep some distance on this story. It's
especially dangerous--ESPECIALLY considering the results of analysis. Bryce
and I came up with this... Everyone may as well look."
_____Gally looked at the image on the screen. Geometric lines went over the
covered body on the screen--forming a polygonal framework over the shape.
Then, more lines came. It was the computer's result of analysis.
_____The image faded out, leaving the polygonal framework. Colored panels
filled in the spaces of the polygonal wireframe on the screen--forming a 3-d
image. It was a 3-d image of a man's clothed body, with severe gaping wounds
to the chest and belly.
_____Bryce explained. "From the extrapolated image data, this is a truly
mutilated corpse. I mean, the chest and abdominal area were ripped apart!
From the placement of the wounds, it seems that an especially strong person--
six-feet tall and maniacally strong--did the damage. Those wounds were done
by strong segmented digits, strong fingers. As there were so many victims
with similarly mutilating wounds, there must be more than one murderer
responsible. There must be more than one maniac, equipped with machine-tools."
_____Staring at the screen, Gally spoke. "They would not merely be machine-tools.
The mutilations and deaths must have been caused by cyborgs. More of my kind
do indeed exist in this city. If so, how could you not know of them?"
_____"But that's just it," said Edison. "There weren't any real cyborg in this
city before you. There were just rumors about cyborgs... Just rumors. You
still seem to be the first cyborg here. And since you're pretty shy of being
six feet tall, we all know you're not responsible for what happened. So
maybe... Just maybe, you're right: There are cyborgs here in the city, and
we just never knew about them."
_____Theora looked away from the screen, her eyes looking out at other cubicles
in this room. This was all troubling news. She wondered if other controllers
knew about this.
...
_____Back at Network 66, across town, Dr. Nova puttered around the busy cyber-
lab of the R&D department. Where did he put that oh-so-odd object? THE box?
Perhaps, something which had immense metaphysical importance?
_____Wondering and wandering, he set down his big bowl of flan. And then he
momentarily forgot his taste for flan... He remembered where the box was!
_____This gray-haired metaphysicist then reached into his left pocket and
took out a red-colored cube--which expanded when he took it out, growing back
to full size. The box again showed its shape-shifting capabilities.
_____What the...? A random blast of air knocked it out of Dr. Nova's hands.
When it hit the floor, it's top tumbled open--revealing deep darkness inside.
Inside the box was a darkness deeper than the darkness of the universe itself.
Dr. Nova YELLED as he saw and felt that darkness closing over him, falling!
Falling...!
...
_____Wind blew through the streets. The Kindly Old Man ran along a downtown
street, a frightened look on his face. He ran breeze-fast, faster than one
would expect for his age. Ran faster than human. "OH NO! OH NO!" he howled,
running along. "NO-O-O...!" Then he began flapping his arms. Still howling,
"NO-O-O-O...!"
...
_____Gally's eyes widened in shock, and she gasped once. Then she vanished.
It was that simple: she simply disappeared. The petite cyborg-girl was there,
in the news room of Network 23, and then she wasn't. It was as if the outside
breeze took her away.