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Post By Visionary Tue Nov 09, 2004 at 08:16:55 pm EST |
Subject
Untold Vignettes of the Transworld Challenge #2: How My Light Is Spent | |
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Fleabot’s consciousness descended through the seemingly infinite lines of code until they stopped being a random collection of data and began to take a comprehensible shape. In this case, they became a cozy study with a warm light pouring over an oak desk. At the desk was seated an attractive young woman with an olive green complexion wearing a small t-shirt and oversized sweatpants. He was amused to note that she looked to be sipping coffee from a large mug while data floated freely up a computer screen suspended in the air above the blotter. “Heya” he noted as his virtual body formed up behind her. “I just thought I’d… OOMPHF!” The books lining the shelves of the study suddenly launched out and slammed into the little robot in mid air, crushing him from both sides with irresistible force. “You didn’t knock” Hallie noted without turning around, still sipping her coffee. “Urk!” Fleabot argued emphatically. With a sigh she turned to face him and the books obediently flew back to their places on the shelves. “Just because I shared the backdoor information into my programming doesn’t mean you get to drop by unannounced” she informed him pointedly. Freed from his virtual press, he found his flattened body drifting down to the floor like a feather, until he suddenly popped back into shape. She looked at him with obvious amusement. “All right… point taken” he grumbled, straightening up and completing the jump to the desktop. “And I know these virtual bodies are made from your V.R. world, but quit animating my features for me. It creeps me out.” He brushed some virtual book dust off his tiny shoulders. “Besides, what are you so jumpy about? It’s not like you didn’t see me coming a mile away. Who could surprise you here?” Hallie’s jaw set and a look of steel came into her eyes. Fleabot blinked. “What… Ulz Hagan hasn’t been up to something, has she?” he asked, suddenly concerned. “No… nothing like that.” “Then what?” “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.” A grin slowly crept across his face. “This isn’t still about Hatman, is it?” The way her complexion darkened gave him all the answer he needed. “Ha! Oh, come on… that was a month ago… when are you going to forgive him?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” “How was he supposed to know that would happen when he tried on the unplugged V.R. helmet?” Fleabot continued mercilessly. “The man’s curious… I bet he goes around sticking all sorts of things on his head, just in case. Vizh swears he caught him trying that Howie Mandell trick with the rubber glove once…” He gave a sly look at the virtual woman, who had gone back to studying the computer screen. “And anyways, what were you doing at the time that made it so traumatizing?” She choked on her coffee, and an emerald blush spread across her face and down her neck. “Really?” Fleabot asked, grinning from ear to ear. “Are you saying… or in this case, specifically not saying, that you’ve been practicing more human behaviors that virtual coffee drinking? Which ones aren’t we talking about?” “I’m saying nothing of the sort” she replied darkly. “I’m saying I put a premium on privacy, and I don’t like people barging into my room.” She scowled at insect-shaped robot. “It occurs to me that there’s a reason Asil always steps on you at the first opportunity.” “Some kind of bovine hormone imbalance from Dr. Moo’s cloning process?” “I was thinking: Because you couldn’t possibly be more annoying.” “That’s really quite unfair… people have to give me more than just the first opportunity to try.” He glanced up at the computer screen in front of her. “So… a premium on privacy, eh?” he asked, sounding amused. “How do you explain reading Vizh’s mail?” Hallie cringed guiltily, and her eyes flashed to the data scrolling across the computer screen. “You can read that?” she asked. “Yep” he grinned, looking at the screen more carefully. “Do I want to know why Vizh has a growing collection of risqué photographs in his inbox? Although, if it’s any consolation, I’m sure at least those naked women would just be a jumble of ones and zeroes to Hatty.” “Personal ads and marriage proposals” Hallie growled, though at him or at the messages he wasn’t sure. “The whole team’s been getting them since the Transworld thing went live… Fan mail has jumped astronomically, and more keeps pouring in every day. It’s making an unholy mess of the servers.” She frowned at the screen. “Somebody has to sort through it all.” “Makes perfect sense” he agreed neutrally. “It’d be just like any number of villains to use this as cover to sneak some kind of worm or virus into the LL systems.” “Absolutely. Good thing you’re on top of it” he observed. She shot him a dark look. “I’m not nosy, dammit.” “Of course not. Heaven forbid. Nobody says that about you. Really” he said, humoring her. “Ooh… Hey, take a look at this one… She’s cute… with a tasteful, fully clothed photograph…” Fleabot noted, scrolling through the latest e-mail arrivals. “Similar interests to Vizh… A preschool teacher, which frankly would be a plus in looking after him…” Hallie physically reached into the floating screen and grabbed the stack of virtual mail in her bare hands, then proceeded to pull the entire collection out and dump it into the wastepaper basket next to her desk. “Just to be safe.” She explained brusquely. “I’m only saving the letters from school children and well wishers and such… the rest goes” She wiped her hands off on her sweatpants. “The desperate, gold-digging tart fan-base can write again when the team’s back to collect their own mail.” Fleabot watched as the contacts from single women around the world burned to deleted ashes in the wire basket. “I’m sure the guys will thank you for saving them the trouble of perusing the naked photos.” He noted wryly. “Still, who would have ever thought that Visionary of all people would be in high demand? Huh. Well, I’m actually glad to see it… He’s been depressed and lonely for over a year now. It’s time for him to try for a little happiness, and it looks like there will be no shortage of possibilities for him, either.” “Yes” she agreed in a tight voice. “How very wonderful for him.” She gave the tiny robot a tired and defeated look. “Why are you here, Fleabot?” “Oh… Well, er… I was just in the…ah … You know, it’s been a while since… And I thought maybe I’d…” He sighed and scuffed a tiny foot on the desktop. “I’m bored.” Hallie blinked. “I beg your pardon?” “I’m bored” Fleabot admitted. “I’ve been restless for a while, what with Quoth off doing cosmic stuff, and Asil looking after Mumphrey, and Vizh teaching the Juniors. Now I’m stuck watching while he’s off on his big space race adventure and I’m… bored. I’m feeling kind of useless without anyone to hassle.” “Useless, eh? So you want to horn in on my indispensable job of sorting the post?” She let out a little snort, but then sighed herself. “Yeah… I guess I kind of wish I was out there too. Legion missions don’t normally get to me that way, but being able to watch this one live… well, I guess it’s a question of who wouldn’t want to be a part of it?” She took a knowing glance at the trash can. “It’s especially galling knowing we could have been out there, but Vizh wouldn’t let us.” he responded, scratching his chin. Hallie froze. “Wait… What do you mean, wouldn’t let us?” “You didn’t know? Lisa looked over the rules and said that there was a loophole available that might let you, Mindy and I go in addition to the full team, since no government on Earth would recognize us as alive.” “She did? When? This is the first I’ve heard about it… We could have helped out? As part of the main team?” Hallie demanded. “Not… officially.” Fleabot acknowledged. “Automated systems are allowed… hence Aunt Sally could go without counting as another contestant. I gather the larger ships in the race that normally need a crew of tens or even hundreds use a lot of complicated programming that may be borderline sentient. Actually, the Librarian says that most races in the universe don’t allow their technology to develop full self-awareness… and many of those that did had a big change of heart after the whole Resolution thing not too long ago...” “Quit rambling and tell me why we’re wasting our time here with the fan mail of the pathetic and lonely instead of being where we could have actually been doing some good!” Hallie demanded in frustration. “They’ve been at a technological disadvantage this entire race… and you’re saying we could have been out there helping to even the odds, and even give Earth a leg up in the number of crew members? I mean, sure Aunt Sally is already crowded, but it’s not like you or I take up any space…” “Not as crew members…” Fleabot interrupted. “As equipment. We could have possibly qualified as ordinance.” He watched her as this idea registered on her face. “We could have been officially listed as equipment for the team to use… but Vizh wouldn’t have it. He just stopped the whole discussion there, and said we weren’t going to go that route. Aunt Sally backed him up, and that was the end of it.” Her face went through a variety of competing expressions before settling on a flushed, hurt one. “Why is he okay with Sally going along, but not us?” she finally demanded. “She’s listed as the ship… and she is the ship.” Fleabot shrugged. “Defining her as such isn’t an insult.” “But they’re just words on an entry form!” Hallie ranted angrily. “We could have helped them! The whole world was at stake… I’ve had to sit here and monitor the feed 24 hours a day during the competition! I don’t even have to find a television set… I’m aware of the damn signal directly! And so I can’t even stop watching as they’ve almost died over and over and over again, and I just have to keep on answering the phones and getting the damn mail!” “Everybody has watched as they’ve almost died over and over…” Fleabot pointed out calmly. “Everyone around the world knows every detail that can be gleamed about the team, and the rules, and the contest. Arm-chair analysts dissect every strategic move our guys make around the clock on 24 hour news stations.” He looked at her in sympathy. “If we were a part of it, we’d have been introduced and defined to all humanity as mere property by those closest to us… and to the entire world that’s all we’d ever be. Do you really think Vizh--or any of them-- would have ultimately been okay with that?” Hallie looked at him sadly. “If they had asked me to… I still would have gone.” Fleabot nodded. “Must be why they didn’t ask.” She didn’t answer, and they sat there in silence for a bit. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Yes, well… I should get back to work before the servers implode and the Lair switch board collapses. Never know when something actually important might come in…” “Okay… Asil’s taking her lunch break right about now anyway, and I know she’d be disappointed if I wasn’t there to hassle her.” Fleabot noted, hopping off the desk. He paused on his way out, although he didn’t technically have to move to leave the room at all. “Hey, tomorrow morning the endurance leg starts… A bunch of us are going to be watching in the rec. room. Why don’t you come up and watch it with the rest of the Legion?” He looked around the quiet virtual study. “Some things aren’t meant to be endured in private, after all.” She smiled. “All right… I’ll do that.” She turned back to her work but added over her shoulder “You know… there’s an outside possibility that you could be more annoying, if people gave you the chance.” He grinned as he faded back into the data feed. “Gives me something to shoot for.” |
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