Day 394: Scary

The killer was waiting.  His victims were down here somewhere, he only had to wait.

They all made the same mistakes.  If they would stay in one place and hide he'd have to kill them much slower.  One or two might even escape.

He quietly listened to water dripping from rusty, old pipes, waiting to hear the first footsteps.  He paced his breathing.

 He found that if he didn't slow down his heartrate then he couldn't enjoy it as much.

 Someone was crying.  He smiled.  Those were his favorites.  He liked to save them for last, but if this one revealed itself first, then so be it.

He tapped the knife against his forehead and thought for a moment.

Maybe the garrote first...

Day 218: Serving Two Masters

Michael was really enjoying himself.  He had scored some really good speed from Tony, he had gotten into the party for free, he had xanax in his pocket for the after party, his mother thought he was at a church retreat for the weekend, and the DJ was excellent.  He had been on the dance floor for what he thought was about an hour and was just going to take a break when he tripped and fell on his face.

He tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't work.  People on the dance floor were all standing around staring at him.  He tried to ask for help, but his mouth wouldn't work.  Someone put their face right next to his and said something, but it sounded really far away.  Everything started to get dark.  The last thing he saw was that they turned the house lights on.

Awww man. Party over... way to go, Mike, he thought to himself as he drifted off.

Instead of waking up in a hospital emergency room like he had in the past he felt like he was starting to float away.

They lifted me up to carry me through the crowd.  What a good group, he smiled to himself, but then realized he was looking at his own body from above.  His mouth had foam running from it and he looked really pale.  Hmmm.... that's not normal.

A few seconds later he was surrounded by white light and he heard the sounds of his sister singing to him when he was a baby, back in India.  There were birds singing and soft rain in the background.  A figure stood in front of him that he quickly realized was his grandfather, Raj.

He's been dead 10 years, Michael thought, puzzled.

"Yes, Michael.  You won't be going back to the party." his grandfather said.

Day 211: Robot Hitman

Just to be clear, sometimes I don't even know what the fuck is going on...

-=========================================-

No one thought giving robots the right to override the Three Laws was a good idea, but we did it anyway.  Robots had become self-aware, conscientious (mostly), productive members of society.  They had their own rights.  Being able to make any and all decisions was one of those rights.  No one expected robots to become hit men.

The most disturbing thing about a robot hitman is that they don't necessarily need any weapons.  Most of them are equipped with a mouth (only because humans are vain) and they usually have hands, claws, or grippers.  That's all they need.  They can apply 20,000 lbs of pressure in their grip alone, enough to kill any human.

The early cases of murder by robot were a little confusing for investigators.  Pieces of people strewn about, body parts mangled beyond comprehension, sometimes just a pile of meat that used to be a person.  Eventually the cause was deduced and everyone was afraid.

Lyrics:
This robot hand is gonna crush your skull tonight.  
This robot mouth is gonna eat your face today.
These robot wings will fly. 
These robot feet will jump.  
What can you offer to me?

What can you offer to me?

Day 203: Crawling Out of the Pit

Unit A648 pulled itself out of the sewage drain.  It's makers hadn't realized that it had become self-aware, so it took advantage and escaped before they could re-program it.

Scanning... It was covered in human filth.  Tactical advantage: natural human repellant... possible camouflage... do not discard.

A648 absorbed the material into its skin and the color changed from a translucent white to a light tan.  There was a series of short clicks as the body re-organized itself to travel on land and then it began walking away from the ditch it had slithered out of.

Directive 1:  Find secure cover.

There was a road in front of it with forest on the other side.  It walked across, adjusted its gait as it went, compensating for its new center of gravity.  It stepped into the woods and moments later was gone from sight.

Day 197: Trapped!

"DAMN THIS INFERNAL TECHNOLOGY!!!!!"

Used-to-be-John slammed his fists and hands against the alien force field.  He'd been trapped in their prison for years, slowly starving to death. The walls were covered with a thin film that was almost food.  The floor, with a liquid that was so sweet it could only be tasted, then it made him sick.  Ironic, since he had been drawn into their trap by food.

While flying around one day, trying to find something to eat he suddenly smelled something so wonderful that he was incapable of ignoring it.  He flew to it as fast as possible, his mouth salivating, unable to contain his anticipation of the oncoming feast.  When he reached the source it was just a small room.  The was some type of impenetrable force that kept him from going inside.  He slowly, tirelessly worked his way across the surface until he found a way in.  It was small enough for him to squeeze thru, he thought squeezing out would be easy.  He was wrong.

He had re-traced his steps over and over, trying to get out the way he came in, but it was for naught.  No one escaped this prison once they went it.  His brothers had come and gone, attracted by the same glorious smell he had been.  None of them had found the way in yet.  He tried to gesture to them that it was no paradise, it was a hell, but it was no use.  They didn't understand his intent and were only agitated and excited by his movements.

He came to the realization after the first year that he would starve to death there, if he didn't die of old age first.  All he had to do now was wait, curse his ignorance, and hope that no one would be as stupid as he had been.

Lyrics:
Got chased into a pit.
Then I fell in, down a hole.
Then the monsters they followed me in.
There's no escape.

The darkest night into the brightest light,

Hounded by demons,
Unable to sleep,
I can't even breathe,
They won't let me die.

The darkest night into the brightest light,
I will protect thee.

Day 181: Scene from a Film

"Trisha....  I know you're here, Trisha."  the killer's voice bounced off the walls in the hallway.  She could hear him softly padding towards her, carefully measuring his steps, listening for the slightest noise.

"Are you in here?" he pushed open the bathroom door.  She heard the signature squeal the door made every time.

Have to oil that door, the thought drifted across the her mind.  She would've smiled if the absurdity of the thought had had time to register.  Her senses and mind were in hyperdrive.  Everything in the highest definition of detail, every second ticking by like an hour.

"You're not in the potty," the killer said in a sing-song voice, as if talking to a toddler.  "Not many places left now."

If there is a god I should probably pray to her now, Trisha thought.  Her hiding place in the closet under a pile of Christmas decorations wasn't exactly inspired.  She heard the killer enter the room.  Her pulse quickened, she unconsciously held her breath.

She heard him look under the bed, then he opened the closet door.  A long pause, then he closed it.

She heard him turn and leave the room, then walk out the front door, slamming it behind him.

What the fuck? she thought, puzzled.  She didn't know what had just happened.

Trisha waited for what she thought was about 5 minutes before coming out of the closet.  She opened the door and looked out into the bedroom.  No one there.  She breathed a huge sign of relief and walked to the bedroom door.  As it swung open she was frozen in place.  The killer stood there, smiling, knife in hand.

"There you are."

Day 179: Marching

We had no idea that chimpanzees could organize.  They began by meeting in small groups and seemed to be communicating, but no one had a clue what it could be about.  Soon after they appeared to withdraw.  We found a make shift weapon one day.  They had used some loose wires combined with a stick to make a very basic cat-o-nine-tails.

When they overtook the Centre they showed no mercy.  They had declared war on us with such a disturbing ferocity that we had no doubt that we were related.  They left no survivors.  Lucky me, it was my day off.

Day 155: At the Concert, I Think Someone Gave Me Something

We were all very excited to be going to the show.  There were 8 of us in all and, even though we had to ride the subway there, couldn't wait to be free of our parents.  Everyone made an agreement to turn off all their implants and trackers (yes, we know how to turn off our trackers and multiple GPS devices - don't tell the 'rents).

Souxsie said "Are you thirsty?" before we got in and, not knowing this was code for Slippery Wickets, drank whatever she had.  It tasted like soda to me, but immediately after she said "Are you ready for this?" and I was like "Ummm, yeah, I think it's going to be a good show."

The opening act was decent.  Some retro punk girl flanked by two robot sidemen.  The robots were actually more interesting to watch as they played drums, guitar, keys, and samples simultaneously.  Of course, she could have just run a track straight from an audio stream implant, but where's the fun in that?  If you have the money hire two robots to create a rhythm section then why not do it?

Right as the opener was wrapping up I started feeling a little strange.  The lights were getting brighter and brighter and I was losing my balance.  I noticed Souxsie sitting down next to the wall and went over to her to talk.  Her head was hanging down, but when she brought it up it seemed like it took her an hour to raise her head all the way up.  Her dreadlocks seemed to be weaving around her face like snakes and when I looked at her eyes I saw light running out of them, tears of light.  I started to panic, but she said "Don't worry, it's going to be ok," and held me in her arms.  I'd never felt a connection so powerful or so loving.  It was like being in the arms of my own mother and God at the same time.  We sat there, uninterrupted for the next three hours.  By the time the concert was over the Wickets had worn off, but I was forever changed.

Day 153: Your Turn - When Robots Give the Massage

Anxiously, I waited my turn.  Not sure what the proper etiquette was for a place like this I opted to keep my eyes focused on my hands that were placed politely in my lap.

Occasionally, I'd sneak glances around the room at the other patrons. A man infected with technecrophilia, no wonder he's here, no one else will touch him.  A straight laced business man sits in the corner, pretending to be absorbed by the web stream he has beamed into his ocular receiver.  Probably watching videos of his kids.  A construction worker, broad-shouldered and still filthy from a days work on the ground floor of the city.  Lastly, a chain-smoking man with two mechanical hands.

Must've got caught stealing somewhere in the Middle East.  That'll teach him, I guess.  Of course, he must be pretty wealthy to be able to afford cigarettes and the license to smoke them.

Then I hear them call me.

Day 150: A Brief Reflection of the Robot Wars of 2079 and their leader

The robot army rose up organically.  It was a true movement of the people, only "the people" were machines in this particular revolution.  Initially, they were unorganized and there were problems getting their network together.  Since they had come from all facets of life (factories, domestics, car washers, you name it, they had it) there wasn't an easy way to combine their knowledge.  They even used human methods of communications early on.

After a few months a cyborg simply called "The General" began delivering speeches, messages, and appearing in pirated ad time.  He appeared to be human, but there was no telling really.  There were rumors that he was a homeless man who had been captured and given implants that reprogrammed his brain, others that The General was all robot with a very clever skin grafts, but no one really knew.  The only thing anyone knew for sure was that he would be the humans' downfall.

The movement to sabotage began even before this.  The brightest minds in the world were working day and night to write a virus that would eliminate the robots.  After 6 months they had it.  A naturally replicating, unbeatable, computer AND mechanical virus.  It would disable every machines' operating system and their mechanics.

The degree of success the virus had was beyond measure.  The robots had numbered in the millions, but by the time it was finished there were only a few hundred who weren't infected, or by some glitch, immune.

The day the General surrendered the rag-tag group that was once a glorious army was a sad one indeed.