Servo 29:2
Servo 29:2
The next morning I was awakened by a cold yet gentle hand on my shoulder. “Wake up, Jonah,” said Dad as he nudged me. “Time to get breakfast and start work.”“Mmm?” I replied, groggy from finally reaching a deeper sleep.“I figured out how to make the swap.”“You did?”“Yes. Suz ordered breakfast, it should be arriving shortly.”I grunted as I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “How?”“Much of the exoskeleton housing of the new bot will actually fit on my own. You can simply take the body plates off and put them on me.”“They’ll fit?”“Otto removed a couple from the bot. You might need to drill a few different holes, but they do fit. So no need to turn me off and transfer everything into it.”“Oh, that’s great!”“After breakfast, I’ll send Suz out to a hardware store to get a small drill.”I got up, grabbed my clothes, and headed to the bathroom. As I was dressing, I heard room service arrive with breakfast. The food would be awful. How I ever ate this poor excuse for culinary sustenance was beyond me. No flavor, no body, and little difference in what you ate. This was not food, it was merely nourishment. Emerging from the bathroom, my olfactory senses were assailed by a putrid stench. “Ew!” I said, pinching my nose. “What’s that smell?!”“Eggs,” Suz answered nonchalantly. “That does not smell like eggs!”She looked at her plate. “They look like eggs…Kind of.”I sat down at the table and stared at the plate in front of me. “Don’t you miss the eggs Grandma cooked?”“They were all right,” she replied.My stomach began to turn as I picked up a fork and poked at the yellow gelatinous substance. “This is not eggs.”Dad approached the table. “You used to like them.”“Not anymore!”“Real food and real cooking have spoiled you.”“Yes, and I like it that way.”There was a loud clatter as Otto dropped his fork and made a mad dash for the bathroom. The door slammed behind and we could hear him gagging and vomiting. A few minutes later he emerged. “I can’t eat this stuff much longer. It turns my stomach.”Dad went to the window and peered out. “The sooner we can accomplish the mission at Servidyne, the sooner we can get out of here.” “I’m all for that,” Otto replied. “I’ll work on removing the exoplates off that bot. Can’t seem to keep anything down, so eating is a moot point.”Suz paused in her mastication. “Maybe you should try a salad; it might be better.”“What I want is a nice juicy hamburger with mom’s homemade cheddar cheese, and fresh grown lettuce and tomatoes.”“Mmm, that sounds heavenly,” I said, attempting to eat a patty of “sausage.” Admittedly, I couldn’t wait to get back to the Outer States and enjoy a home cooked meal prepared by Grandma. My mind was dreaming of fluffy pancakes, rich maple syrup, deliciously greasy and salty strips of bacon, and cold fresh milk. Instead I was faced with a meal made of chemically enhanced facsimile food. My stomach threatened to turn as well. After two more bites, I couldn’t take anymore. I got up and silently went to work helping Otto. We toiled on the bot for two hours and finally had all the exoplates removed. As I stood there looking over the collection of plates, my biggest concern was the head. Dad’s head was a bit bigger than the newer bot’s, so I wasn’t sure the skull plates would fit correctly. Dressing him up in human clothes was not an option. All the bots in the Inner States were kept in a state of undress. Since they weren’t deemed sentient, there was no need. The other thing I noticed was newer bots did not have exposed exospines. Hiding Dad’s might cause him difficulty in movement. “That’s it, Dad,” I said, approaching him at his spot by the window.He turned to me. “Good. Just waiting for Suz to get back.”“Do you want us to start taking off your plates?”“That might be a good idea.” He went to a chair and sat down. “After you remove them, I think I’ll get a charge. Feeling a bit sluggish lately.”“Have you figured out how to get into Servidyne?”“Still working on that.” He placed one arm on the table. “I’ll need to gain access to the main frame computer. Not an easy task.”“Can you break in at night?” Otto asked.“No, security is too tight. The only way I can think to get in would be to have Suz and Otto bring me in as a malfunctioning bot.”“But won’t they run a diagnostics program on you?” I said, picking up a screwdriver.“Doubtful. They are normally so busy I’ll be placed in a queue of other bots awaiting diagnostics. When no one is looking, I can quietly slip out and make my way to the computer.”“Are you sure that’ll work?”“I think so. There are bots roving all over the halls of that building, so I probably won’t be noticed.”Otto picked up a backplate containing the bot’s serial number and I.D. code. “Will they scan this and realize you’re stolen? I’m sure the department store reported it by now.”Dad was silent a few moments. “Yes, you’re right.”“Well, how about we bring you in and say we found you wandering aimlessly on the streets and don’t know who you belong to? That would substantiate the malfunctioning story.”“Brilliant!” Dad thrust his finger into the air. “That’s a perfect cover.”“Dad, I want to go with you,” I said.“No, it’s too dangerous.”“But—”“I’m sorry. It will be risky enough with Suz and Otto.”“But—”“If you’re discovered, and they scan your I.D. chip and find out your last name is Blackburn…”I uttered a low growl. After everything we went through, I didn’t want to let my father out of my sight. If Servidyne discovered who he was, they’d kill him again. And then we’d forever be without a father. The door opened and Suz came in. She carried several shopping bags. “Okay, I got the smallest, cheapest drill they had and a selection of bits. I also purchased a handful of screws in case you needed more.”“Good job, Suz,” Dad said. “Just put everything on the table.”“And I bought Otto and myself some disguises.”“Disguises?”“So we don’t look like ourselves.”“My dear daughter, if they want to know who you are, all they need to do is scan your I.D. chip.”“Oh, right. Didn’t think about that.”“A disguise for Otto might be prudent. The authorities might still be interested in him because he’s an outsider.”“True.”“The more you look like you belong here, the better.”“On the way home I was stopped by a battle bot.”“What did it want?”“It informed me that I needed to make haste to my destination.” She opened one of the bags and removed some clothing. “The streets are very empty.”“Doesn’t surprise me. The government wants to keep people in their houses so they can’t discuss what’s going on.”I picked up my tablet and accessed the local news pages. Of course there was nothing on the current state of New Philadelphia. In fact there was little news about anything in the Inner States. However, I did find one interesting headline:
Outer States Rallying Behind Banner of Rebellion
Skimming the article, I gleaned that the Inner States were blaming the Outer States for the mass shortages of utilities and food; citing their discontent over “generous payments” the Inner States were making. Yeah, I knew better. Especially after what Otto said they were being paid for their milk. It was a propaganda-type lie strategically placed to build unrest between the two factions. Fuel for the fire expected to ignite at any moment. Precious time was ticking away. We needed to stop this impending war and get back to what I now considered the safety of the Outer States. I no longer felt any love for this place I once called home.I glanced up to see Otto and Rory working on Dad. My brother had Dad’s skullplates off and was trying to position the new ones with little success. “They don’t fit,” he said.“That’s what I was afraid of,” I replied, getting up. “Not sure how we can make them fit.” Dad took one of the plates and examined it. “The faces are similar to 106’s, they really didn’t feel the need to change much.”“Except they don’t fit.”He held up the faceplate. “Since it’s just a dull silver color, can you find some paint?”“Maybe. Will it stick to you?”“There’s that problem.” Dad picked up one of the bot’s fingers. “Go with Suz and find some paint close to this color. Otto and Rory can stay here and continue working on me.” I took the finger. The whole situation seemed a bit macabre. We were cannibalizing one bot to disguise another. Granted the bot didn’t have any feelings or sensations as it was turned off, but it just seemed strangely wrong. The bots I’d scavenged parts from to fix Dad were long since “dead.” This one had only been functioning the day prior. Such an odd feeling that lingered in my gut.
The next morning I was awakened by a cold yet gentle hand on my shoulder. “Wake up, Jonah,” said Dad as he nudged me. “Time to get breakfast and start work.”“Mmm?” I replied, groggy from finally reaching a deeper sleep.“I figured out how to make the swap.”“You did?”“Yes. Suz ordered breakfast, it should be arriving shortly.”I grunted as I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “How?”“Much of the exoskeleton housing of the new bot will actually fit on my own. You can simply take the body plates off and put them on me.”“They’ll fit?”“Otto removed a couple from the bot. You might need to drill a few different holes, but they do fit. So no need to turn me off and transfer everything into it.”“Oh, that’s great!”“After breakfast, I’ll send Suz out to a hardware store to get a small drill.”I got up, grabbed my clothes, and headed to the bathroom. As I was dressing, I heard room service arrive with breakfast. The food would be awful. How I ever ate this poor excuse for culinary sustenance was beyond me. No flavor, no body, and little difference in what you ate. This was not food, it was merely nourishment. Emerging from the bathroom, my olfactory senses were assailed by a putrid stench. “Ew!” I said, pinching my nose. “What’s that smell?!”“Eggs,” Suz answered nonchalantly. “That does not smell like eggs!”She looked at her plate. “They look like eggs…Kind of.”I sat down at the table and stared at the plate in front of me. “Don’t you miss the eggs Grandma cooked?”“They were all right,” she replied.My stomach began to turn as I picked up a fork and poked at the yellow gelatinous substance. “This is not eggs.”Dad approached the table. “You used to like them.”“Not anymore!”“Real food and real cooking have spoiled you.”“Yes, and I like it that way.”There was a loud clatter as Otto dropped his fork and made a mad dash for the bathroom. The door slammed behind and we could hear him gagging and vomiting. A few minutes later he emerged. “I can’t eat this stuff much longer. It turns my stomach.”Dad went to the window and peered out. “The sooner we can accomplish the mission at Servidyne, the sooner we can get out of here.” “I’m all for that,” Otto replied. “I’ll work on removing the exoplates off that bot. Can’t seem to keep anything down, so eating is a moot point.”Suz paused in her mastication. “Maybe you should try a salad; it might be better.”“What I want is a nice juicy hamburger with mom’s homemade cheddar cheese, and fresh grown lettuce and tomatoes.”“Mmm, that sounds heavenly,” I said, attempting to eat a patty of “sausage.” Admittedly, I couldn’t wait to get back to the Outer States and enjoy a home cooked meal prepared by Grandma. My mind was dreaming of fluffy pancakes, rich maple syrup, deliciously greasy and salty strips of bacon, and cold fresh milk. Instead I was faced with a meal made of chemically enhanced facsimile food. My stomach threatened to turn as well. After two more bites, I couldn’t take anymore. I got up and silently went to work helping Otto. We toiled on the bot for two hours and finally had all the exoplates removed. As I stood there looking over the collection of plates, my biggest concern was the head. Dad’s head was a bit bigger than the newer bot’s, so I wasn’t sure the skull plates would fit correctly. Dressing him up in human clothes was not an option. All the bots in the Inner States were kept in a state of undress. Since they weren’t deemed sentient, there was no need. The other thing I noticed was newer bots did not have exposed exospines. Hiding Dad’s might cause him difficulty in movement. “That’s it, Dad,” I said, approaching him at his spot by the window.He turned to me. “Good. Just waiting for Suz to get back.”“Do you want us to start taking off your plates?”“That might be a good idea.” He went to a chair and sat down. “After you remove them, I think I’ll get a charge. Feeling a bit sluggish lately.”“Have you figured out how to get into Servidyne?”“Still working on that.” He placed one arm on the table. “I’ll need to gain access to the main frame computer. Not an easy task.”“Can you break in at night?” Otto asked.“No, security is too tight. The only way I can think to get in would be to have Suz and Otto bring me in as a malfunctioning bot.”“But won’t they run a diagnostics program on you?” I said, picking up a screwdriver.“Doubtful. They are normally so busy I’ll be placed in a queue of other bots awaiting diagnostics. When no one is looking, I can quietly slip out and make my way to the computer.”“Are you sure that’ll work?”“I think so. There are bots roving all over the halls of that building, so I probably won’t be noticed.”Otto picked up a backplate containing the bot’s serial number and I.D. code. “Will they scan this and realize you’re stolen? I’m sure the department store reported it by now.”Dad was silent a few moments. “Yes, you’re right.”“Well, how about we bring you in and say we found you wandering aimlessly on the streets and don’t know who you belong to? That would substantiate the malfunctioning story.”“Brilliant!” Dad thrust his finger into the air. “That’s a perfect cover.”“Dad, I want to go with you,” I said.“No, it’s too dangerous.”“But—”“I’m sorry. It will be risky enough with Suz and Otto.”“But—”“If you’re discovered, and they scan your I.D. chip and find out your last name is Blackburn…”I uttered a low growl. After everything we went through, I didn’t want to let my father out of my sight. If Servidyne discovered who he was, they’d kill him again. And then we’d forever be without a father. The door opened and Suz came in. She carried several shopping bags. “Okay, I got the smallest, cheapest drill they had and a selection of bits. I also purchased a handful of screws in case you needed more.”“Good job, Suz,” Dad said. “Just put everything on the table.”“And I bought Otto and myself some disguises.”“Disguises?”“So we don’t look like ourselves.”“My dear daughter, if they want to know who you are, all they need to do is scan your I.D. chip.”“Oh, right. Didn’t think about that.”“A disguise for Otto might be prudent. The authorities might still be interested in him because he’s an outsider.”“True.”“The more you look like you belong here, the better.”“On the way home I was stopped by a battle bot.”“What did it want?”“It informed me that I needed to make haste to my destination.” She opened one of the bags and removed some clothing. “The streets are very empty.”“Doesn’t surprise me. The government wants to keep people in their houses so they can’t discuss what’s going on.”I picked up my tablet and accessed the local news pages. Of course there was nothing on the current state of New Philadelphia. In fact there was little news about anything in the Inner States. However, I did find one interesting headline:
Outer States Rallying Behind Banner of Rebellion
Skimming the article, I gleaned that the Inner States were blaming the Outer States for the mass shortages of utilities and food; citing their discontent over “generous payments” the Inner States were making. Yeah, I knew better. Especially after what Otto said they were being paid for their milk. It was a propaganda-type lie strategically placed to build unrest between the two factions. Fuel for the fire expected to ignite at any moment. Precious time was ticking away. We needed to stop this impending war and get back to what I now considered the safety of the Outer States. I no longer felt any love for this place I once called home.I glanced up to see Otto and Rory working on Dad. My brother had Dad’s skullplates off and was trying to position the new ones with little success. “They don’t fit,” he said.“That’s what I was afraid of,” I replied, getting up. “Not sure how we can make them fit.” Dad took one of the plates and examined it. “The faces are similar to 106’s, they really didn’t feel the need to change much.”“Except they don’t fit.”He held up the faceplate. “Since it’s just a dull silver color, can you find some paint?”“Maybe. Will it stick to you?”“There’s that problem.” Dad picked up one of the bot’s fingers. “Go with Suz and find some paint close to this color. Otto and Rory can stay here and continue working on me.” I took the finger. The whole situation seemed a bit macabre. We were cannibalizing one bot to disguise another. Granted the bot didn’t have any feelings or sensations as it was turned off, but it just seemed strangely wrong. The bots I’d scavenged parts from to fix Dad were long since “dead.” This one had only been functioning the day prior. Such an odd feeling that lingered in my gut.
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