Community Event / Creation Abraka Drabble: The Cyborg Poll

[Ian Phillips]

Vote for your favourite writer for the subject set by the last winner, Cathy, who asked for drabbles about "Cyborgs".

Voting closes Monday 20th May, 20:00 pm, British time. So remember folks, vote!

el_tel submitted an entry with just 87 words, so I ruthlessly cut it! Pity - I would have voted for it myself....

 

[Ian Phillips]

Insert A into Slot B

(A) Frank

He was excited that the package had arrived. It was the new super-duper nervous system thought control interface kit. The advert had said “Become one with your spaceship! Be a single entity running through the stars effortlessly dodging asteroids. Pirates will explode on your merest whim!”

After much banging, hammering and welding he slipped the plug into his neural interface. He yelled in pain. All the control jets and valves fluttered uncontrollably, and the undercarriage retracted causing the spaceship to land with a thump. He scampered over to disarm the now active missile.

He got out his mouse and keyboard.

 

[Ian Phillips]

Cheaper isn't better

(B) Bikky

'Damn this left leg still doesn't pace the same distance of the right.'

'Have you tried to adjust the discomboubleator counter interface by naught point four zeros one two nine?'

'I can't, the processor only handles six decimal places.'

'Have you tried reducing your right leg's reach?'

'Yeah but the stride is too short and I end up on my face all the time.'

'You're stuffed then mate. You need a new AMD Opteron thirty six thousand and twenty.'

'Can't afford that! I Work for a living.'

'Well you did choose that Intel Pentium, which can't add one hundred correctly.'

 

[Ian Phillips]

Taking Stock

(C) Darren Grey

Damien looked intensely over the model before him. Her long, slim legs, the graceful curves of her body, the demure face… He shivered with delight.

“Is she fully equipped?” he asked. “For… everything?”

The salesman adjusted his visor. “Why, yessir. As the latest in organic and cybernetic fusion technology she is capable of all manner of… functions. She is even self-cleaning and auto-repairing.”

“Mm, good.” He wanted her badly, so very badly. But the price was extreme. Could he justify it?

Her wide eyes blinked at him and she bleated a gentle “baaa” sound. All willpower shattered. “I’ll take her!”

 

[Ian Phillips]

I, Cyborg

(D) Cathy

The slow one jabs me with his pencil. I crackle and spark. The patient one speaks.

"Larry, stop."

So audio still functions. Motor skills don’t.

"Frank?"

"What?"

"Can’t we just buy another?"

The patient one sighs, peering into my circuits.

"Can’t afford it. And dammit, Larry, you know this one wasn’t designed for… that sort of thing."

More sighs; jabs; recriminations. I would suggest they use each other, but basic cleaner builds like me have no voice.

Then it goes dark.

"Crap. We’ll get another."

"Great! Can we get a female model this time? This one’s stubble makes me itch."

 

[Ian Phillips]

Recharge

(E) Ian Phillips

Rock jocking is a dangerous occupation. In the end you always lose bits of yourself. I've just had this 'extra strength' addition fitted. Lost both legs and an arm years ago.

Yeah, I’ve heard all the jokes about how cyborg fittings cost an arm and a leg before you even start paying for them.

This one seemed like good bargain though. It works OK too. A bit bulky maybe, but thats because of all the self balancing needed to compensate for the ‘equal and opposite reaction’ problem.

But I’m really unhappy about the recharging procedure.

“Just bend over” he said.

 

[Ian Phillips]

Good Vibrations

(F) Psykokow

It was dark and the humming had finally stopped.. bodies strewn everywhere like a total nightmare, the shrieking and crying had been unbearable... how could they tolerate any more. The scene was a dark room, velvet adorned all furniture and small red lights were scattered on the walls flickering like aftershocks from the event.

Susan awoke in the bed saturated with sweat, tried to cast her mind back to the goings on on the evening.
Dr C Borg... he was to blame... he's the one who suggested the VJayJay blaster.. with AI.. she heard the buzzing creeping up behind her..

 

[Ian Phillips]

And now back to the main thread

Read them all?

Voted?

Then you can go back to the main thread

 

[Minti2]

I voted for Darren Grey,Taking Stock, made me laugh. Although i do like the serious ones to, such as el_tel Risk/Reward.

Edit, just realised el tels not in this one, have i missed something?