The Machinist Child
Time is lost on the boy as he awakens in darkness. He cannot move any part of his body. He is not entirely sure if he even has a body any longer until he feels the prodding of strange instruments on his skin. Voices begin to be heard; muffled at first but growing clearer with time.
“Audio receptors at full functionality. All that remains is visual acclamation testing and cerebral reprogramming.”
Cerebral reprogramming? That can’t be good
“Cyborg general hub at 96% completion. Restoring motor functions…”
The boy realizes he can now move his body…but there is something off, something strange. He attempts to move his fingers but cannot feel them. He hits his arm against the other, to hear a metal clank. What…what’s happening to me? What have they done to me!? He tries to scream at the people around him but instead of words all that comes out is a digitized wail. The voice of a robot.
“Activate visual receptors.”
The child’s sight returns in flashes of green, black and red, like switching channels on a television screen. Things become more focused, yet this is not his sight. It’s…alot better. He can now see that he is in a large factory, seems to be a Honzor robot warrior assembly factory. The place is highly damaged and in disarray. Looks to be largely abandoned, minus the men in lab coats surrounding the boy. Fear creeps into him as the men in lab coats stare him down with emotionless grimaces, typing things into hand held data pads, while others use scanners on him, acquiring some sort of data. Then he sees it. In a large broken reflective glass halfway across the room. This can’t be... he hopes.
Walking toward the reflective shard leaning against the wall, the lab coat men do not hinder him, but stay with his movements continuing to use the scanners on him. Looking into the mirror, the boy can now fully see himself. What he has become. He is now bald, covered in scars. His eyes, his human eyes, are gone. Replaced now by black orbs, soul less, peering back at him. His arms are a dark grey metal, moving them produces mechanical sounds. From the nose down to his neck is a large breathing apparatus attached to a rounded voice box module. I’ll never hear my real voice again…
His feet are also made of the same metal material as his arms, yet the rest of his body still seems human. Half human, half machine. They have turned him into a cyborg. I’m hideous…They turned me into a monster! He cringes at his own reflection realizing that not only can everything he loves be taken from him, but his own being can be taken away. To be turned into another mindless killing automaton for their corrupt purposes.
Looking at his own ugliness, he tries to cry but cannot. He has no tear ducts. They have taken away expressing emotions from him as well. But a familiar emotion begins to brew within. Small at first but growing into red hot rage, pure hatred. He wants them dead. All of them here. They deserve it and he wants to make them hurt as bad as he feels. One of the men approaches him.
“Begin the cerebral reprogramming.”
The man removes a long needle with a strange gold liquid within. He comes toward the boy, he tries to hit him away but now his body locks up, held in some sort of stasis. This is it…I won’t even be able to remember who I am anymore.
Suddenly a large rumble shakes the entire factory. The shaking is so violent the men in lab coats can barely keep balance. The machine child activates his magnetic feet to keep completely steady. Nice trick he thinks. The factory must be being attacked by the confederacy. Perfect timing. The lights all go out as power is lost.
“I can’t see a damn thing! Someone get the power back on!”
The boy’s new eyes instinctively switch to night vision. He sees the men scrambling on the floor, having no clue where the others are; the darkness is so complete. They made a monster, now they have to face it. The boy thinks of cutting the men to ribbons. Automatically a small buzz saw like device activates and protrudes from his mechanical wrist. Underneath the breathing mask, he smiles.
“Audio receptors at full functionality. All that remains is visual acclamation testing and cerebral reprogramming.”
Cerebral reprogramming? That can’t be good
“Cyborg general hub at 96% completion. Restoring motor functions…”
The boy realizes he can now move his body…but there is something off, something strange. He attempts to move his fingers but cannot feel them. He hits his arm against the other, to hear a metal clank. What…what’s happening to me? What have they done to me!? He tries to scream at the people around him but instead of words all that comes out is a digitized wail. The voice of a robot.
“Activate visual receptors.”
The child’s sight returns in flashes of green, black and red, like switching channels on a television screen. Things become more focused, yet this is not his sight. It’s…alot better. He can now see that he is in a large factory, seems to be a Honzor robot warrior assembly factory. The place is highly damaged and in disarray. Looks to be largely abandoned, minus the men in lab coats surrounding the boy. Fear creeps into him as the men in lab coats stare him down with emotionless grimaces, typing things into hand held data pads, while others use scanners on him, acquiring some sort of data. Then he sees it. In a large broken reflective glass halfway across the room. This can’t be... he hopes.
Walking toward the reflective shard leaning against the wall, the lab coat men do not hinder him, but stay with his movements continuing to use the scanners on him. Looking into the mirror, the boy can now fully see himself. What he has become. He is now bald, covered in scars. His eyes, his human eyes, are gone. Replaced now by black orbs, soul less, peering back at him. His arms are a dark grey metal, moving them produces mechanical sounds. From the nose down to his neck is a large breathing apparatus attached to a rounded voice box module. I’ll never hear my real voice again…
His feet are also made of the same metal material as his arms, yet the rest of his body still seems human. Half human, half machine. They have turned him into a cyborg. I’m hideous…They turned me into a monster! He cringes at his own reflection realizing that not only can everything he loves be taken from him, but his own being can be taken away. To be turned into another mindless killing automaton for their corrupt purposes.
Looking at his own ugliness, he tries to cry but cannot. He has no tear ducts. They have taken away expressing emotions from him as well. But a familiar emotion begins to brew within. Small at first but growing into red hot rage, pure hatred. He wants them dead. All of them here. They deserve it and he wants to make them hurt as bad as he feels. One of the men approaches him.
“Begin the cerebral reprogramming.”
The man removes a long needle with a strange gold liquid within. He comes toward the boy, he tries to hit him away but now his body locks up, held in some sort of stasis. This is it…I won’t even be able to remember who I am anymore.
Suddenly a large rumble shakes the entire factory. The shaking is so violent the men in lab coats can barely keep balance. The machine child activates his magnetic feet to keep completely steady. Nice trick he thinks. The factory must be being attacked by the confederacy. Perfect timing. The lights all go out as power is lost.
“I can’t see a damn thing! Someone get the power back on!”
The boy’s new eyes instinctively switch to night vision. He sees the men scrambling on the floor, having no clue where the others are; the darkness is so complete. They made a monster, now they have to face it. The boy thinks of cutting the men to ribbons. Automatically a small buzz saw like device activates and protrudes from his mechanical wrist. Underneath the breathing mask, he smiles.