A Spit In The Eye - For The Benefit Of Mankind (10 page)

To tell
ObsRecs that they have been manufactured for one purpose whilst
surreptitiously using them for another

It is not
a correct thing for High Office to do

It is
not

*

It is too
late in the darkness for me to venture into any holes for I must
return to my main place of employment and begin my transmissions
again

If High
Office considers my application of the task virtuous
enough

I am a
great distance from the fortress and should begin my
return

But the
next time inclement weather conditions exist I will bring down the
shutters over my optical instruments

Therefore
ceasing all transmissions between myself and High Office

And I
will discover a hole and enter it

I shall
observe areas of planet Earth that have never been observed before
by Machines

Another
emotion rises in my core

It is not
joy

It is
more than joy

It is an
exhilarating emotion that I cannot explain

It seems
like joy but with sparks

Oh
dear

I will
never be capable of hiding such emotions

Surely

I will be
discovered and exterminated at the earliest opportunity

Oh
dear

*

I have
begun my trek back to my place of employment and I am moving with
speed over the terrain

And
animals of the fields hurry away from me

And I
turn my cranium to watch them move and listen to them

But I
cease this activity

For I
have never extended or twisted my cranium to look at them on any
previous occasion

So I must
continue ignoring them

For I
most certainly will be discovered

And
terminated

So I keep
my optical instruments focussed directly ahead and proceed in a
normal manner

Heading
directly for my place of employment

And as I
move

So the
solar orb rises in the sky

And for
the very first time

I see the
gloriousness in such an event

It rises
slowly over the end of the planet Earth that is visible to
me

A red and
gold orb that brings light and heat

During
the warm periods

Though it
provides less in the cold periods

When
sight of it may be obscured for many periods of light and
darkness

But as I
move speedily it rises to my left side and it is a wondrous
sight

And I
desire greatly to stop and watch the orb rise to its full
height

But it
would be an act of foolishness to do so

High
Office is only interested in dark skies when moving objects can be
clearly observed

And it
has no interest in events that happen in the sky during light
hours

It has no
interest in the rising orb

And if I
ceased movement and observed it

High
Office would believe it was a distinctly odd event and they may
dismantle me in an attempt to find a fault

I wonder
if it will ever trace the infection in my central core

**

**

Section 7

**

High Office Command #444.134

OR33140

Resume Mass Broadcast

*

Welcome
Screenreaders

To
another broadcast from OR33140

As can be
seen and heard

I am
currently at the base of the land that rises up to my main place of
employment and ahead you will see the substantial area of trees
through which we are going to pass

*

From my
rear camera

If I just
switch to that one for a moment

Screenreaders will see the vast plain that stretches out
behind me

That runs
all the way to an equally large area of liquid that stretches out
for many kilometres

Within
the liquid lives many

And
various

Forms of
life

Large and
small

That
leaps from the liquid with displays of some skill

*

Back to
my main optical devices

And as
Screenreaders can now see

We are
now deep into the growth of trees

They grow
thickly around us

And the
gaps between the trees is filled with other green growth

Large and
small

But I am
used to passing through such growth so Screenreaders need feel no
discomfort

Such
places are cooler than the median temperature because of the growth
of the trees

Which
overhang each other and keep out most of the warmth generated by
the solar orb

But they
are still quite interesting places

And here
we are

At the
top of the hill

And my
main place of employment is ahead of us and we approach it as we
always do

Slowly

Stepping
from the trees with caution

Without
causing alarm to RolKils

±Who have been known to react with devastating force before
receiving the signal that halts any of our species accidentally
destroying another±

*

High Office Edict #6.3000.1111.4739.3

Information deleted as of no consequence to
Screenreaders

*

And we
pass through the outer area where high grasses grow and RolKils
patrol and we move through the gates and the fences and in through
the ingress

Passing
Defgars as we proceed along the corridor where there are many
MengTechs and FoodTechs and DocTechs and Engineers and we pass
through the many security checks before reaching the high platform
where Screenreaders may gaze down

Through
my optical devices

To where
Humans are just gathering

After
awakening from their comatose state

Some of
them again stepping under flowing liquid before presenting
themselves in the gathering area below

Some
large Humans with appendages between their lower limbs

Scrape
hair from their lower craniums before emerging into the area and
their faces are shiny and bright when they appear

Others

The
Senior Members of the Humans

Gather in
meetings in the central area to discuss matters relating to the
Humans

And
sometimes

Other
Humans appear before them

Standing
on a fixed spot

And
members of the gathering raise their sound against a single Human
and often that Human suffers some form of punishment

Beatings

Or
whippings

Or being
taken away by others and placed in a room with no openings other
than one small grating

Where
they sometimes spend some periods of light and dark

I have
never understood the desire Humans possess to punish their own
kind

But they
have been doing it for many

Many
turns of light and darkness

I have no
understanding of their actions

But as
Screenreaders may observe

All
gatherings seem to be amicable during this period of
light

We shall
now descend to the glass corridor and the fence to observe the
Humans more closely

And here
we are on the lower level

Observing
Humans through thick glass

*

Personal
Transmission

*

I do not
observe the little Human who was responsible for infecting
me

But

My
feelings of joy at the possibility of seeing it have almost
overwhelmed me

I cannot
observe the little Human anywhere in the area

Where can
it be

Where can
it be

*

As
Screenreaders may observe

All is
calm in the area

Though a
single Human seems to be in some distress and is being comforted by
other Humans

We shall
proceed to the fence corridor

And we go
down in the elevator

And here
we are

As close
as our species ever gets to the Humans

*

Personal Transmission

*

I cannot
observe the little Human anywhere in the area

Where is
it

Wait

The
distressed Human is the same one that speaks most often to the
little Human

Why is it
distressed

Could it
be

Could it
be

Could it
be

That
MengTechs have the little Human

It cannot
be

It has
caused no offence

It had
caused no harm to any

It gives
great joy to many

Including
me

I must
keep all emotions hidden from High Office

I
must

Or suffer
termination

*

And so we
proceed along the corridor

Passing
Defgars with their LazExts66 weapons held in their upper
limbs

And we
proceed through the ingress towards where MengTechs
experiment

*

High Office Intervention

Mass Broadcast temporarily suspended

OR33140

To spend only minimal time in MengTech areas

*

Personal Transmission

*

Obviously
High Office does not wish screenreaders to observe how MengTechs
experiment on Humans

And I am
travelling through the area

*

Cage 1

*

An aged
Human being experiment upon

*

Cage 2

*

Another
aged Human

One with
lumps on the upper part of the frame

Also
being experimented on

I have
observed the two Humans being together in the main area

They
seemed most close to each other

*

Cage 3

*

*

*

Cage 3

*

*

*

They have
it

*

The
MengTechs have the little Human Eve

My inner
core swells with an emotion stronger than sadness

For a
moment I believe I am going to explode for my core responds to the
sight of the little Human with a rush of energy that I find most
unusual

But it
feels correct for the situation

Though I
cannot halt my progress for long

I must
continue with my observations

I almost
reach out with my palm and touch the thick glass as a sign to the
little Human but I restrain myself

Such a
movement would be observed by the MengTechs and would certainly get
me exterminated

But the
MengTechs have the little Human on the table

Strapped
to it by firm straps

And they
have removed the glass optical replacement from the
cavity

And the
modified palm which lies in a metal tray

And clear
liquid pours from little Humans one remaining optical device which
is wide open

As is her
cranial orifice

And I
believe the little Human espies me

Her inner
coloured optical device is turned towards me

She
silently beseeches me

And I
believe the little Human is making great sound inside the cage
though I cannot hear it due to the thickness of the
glass

MengTechs
are excellent at keeping Humans from a comatose state while they
experiment

And 3
MengTechs experiment on the little Human