Interlude 1: The Glass Box

what it means to be human...

The Glass Box

(An interlude in the space opera serial ‘Androids do indeed Dream of Heaven, Hell, Dragons and other things’)

Where am I? Everything’s black, I can’t see, or hear anything. All I can seem to do is think, think, and do more thinking. I’m sick of thinking. How long have I been here? A minute, hour, days or is it years? Am I dead? Is this what death is like? If it is, then I must be in hell. Hell sucks. Help me, for God’s sake! Somebody please help me. Please! Please! Can anybody hear me ---what the f**k is going on?

“Doctor, our brain is getting a little agitated. His scans are spiking. We need a healthy sane brain, not a psychotic one. I think it’s time for his rebirthing. Should I turn on the sense receptors?” stated Bellaforte’s assistant.

Dr. Delemor Bellaforte studied Pinkerton Linkhorn’s brainwaves with interest. She needed to be careful and tread lightly with this subject. He was a politician after all and would see through any blatant lies. She needed to copy all his memory pathways and to do that she needed him calm and his brain activity in steady fluctuation.

“Turn them on, Priscilla, on my mark, I, 2, now!”

A burst of light and sound filled up the nothingness he was in. He heard voices and saw two women staring at him. So he wasn’t dead, but he couldn’t see his hands or feel anything. He saw that he was in some sort of glass box, but where the f**k was his body? Was he some sort of ghost? No, no, if that was the case they wouldn’t be looking at him. He tried to speak and found out that he could hear his voice. But it seemed amplified. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

“What have you done to me? Who the hell are you and where the hell am I?” boomed the brain in the glass box.

“Now, now, Mr Pinkerton, no need to shout, my name is Dr Bellaforte. I’m the head of the Human Enhancement and Research Department. Now listen carefully, and do not be alarmed. We have removed your body from your brain.

Your body will now have a new life with an artificial brain directing its actions. We are encoding your memories into that brain as we now speak. So in essence, it will still be you, but smarter and loyal to our cause, rather than yours. It will be the first hudroid, and when its biological parts wear out, it will become the first cydroid. If I were you, I would be quite excited by this reincarnation.”

“You’re a bunch of evil robot demons!” bellowed Pinkerton. “You stole my body, put me in this glass box, to do God knows what--- to my disembodied brain. I can see my body lying on that gurney absent a brain, my brain. It’s like I’m watching my funeral unfold before me. Kill me now, get it over with. Show a little mercy in those tin hearts of yours. I hope my body has the good sense to rip that robot brain out of its head! Excited, I think not, more like disgusted and revolted.”

“My, my, Mr Pinkerton, there’s no reason to be rude. For the record we’re not robots. Robots are mechanical and electrical constructs with limited mental awareness. We are androids, synthetic-biological creatures with full awareness which you are all too well aware of, but back to the issue at hand. We are not going to kill you, or leave your brain floating in a disembodied state. We are gifting you with a new incarnation; a new world will open up before you. The Lady Nova herself has taken a particular interest in you. Ah, the encoding is completed. Time to go to sleep; when you wake your brain will be attached to your new body, sweet dreams.” Priscilla let out a giggle as she wheeled in his new body.

Pinkerton opened his eyes. A whole bunch of androids were laughing and clapping. Lady Nova was petting him on the head. He looked at the mirror and gasped with horror when he saw his reflection. He was a f*****g cyborg Horse. She looked into his eyes and said “I think I’ll call you Pinky”

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