Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"Sine Animus" -- Installment One

Dying, dying dead.
The voices in my head
Tell me life is just a memory...
Searching for a soul.

(Issue #1 by Eni)
Ami stared at the computer-cast in disbelief. Her hazel eyes scanned each line of material as she chewed her French toast, trying to make sure she hadn't missed a detail.

There's definitely someone watching us... she thought. Shutting down the article she'd been reading, she strode to the window.

Ami lived on the top floor of an actual glass house. It was a high-rise building made entirely of sturdy glass reinforced with steel. Ribbons of pink and orange sunrise streamed through the windows and woke her most mornings. To her, feeling those rays beaming pleasantly upon her was a sign that it would be a good day.

This morning, however, was cloudy.

Ami looked out of the window at the commuters of the year 2450. Some people were crowded in hover-cars and buses, and others were flying on airboards or using aeropacks, trying to get to work on time. She felt like the Android Construction Experiment she'd been coordinating was calling her back to work; however, today was a "vacation day" for her--one that she'd practically been forced to take.Man... she thought. And I'd just improved my latest android prototype. "I'm working too hard"? Says who?

Research and Engineering Incorporated, the company that Ami worked for, had been developing the ACE project for almost three years, with myriad successes and twice as many failures. At present, the androids, robot-like beings with humanoid features, were strictly defense mechanisms against the threat of the hostile true robots, but REI's next objective was to develop a household model for consumers. Ami had come up with the main model for the androids, their arsenal, the voice modules, and even the name of the project. She was invaluable to the whole development, so her employer thought a day off was necessary; "Wouldn't want our powerhouse to shut down," he had said.
Ami still stood at the window, staring at her petite reflection with a sigh. She was hopelessly normal. She always combed her red hair back into a drab ponytail before going to work. She didn't wear makeup or jewelry, and she dressed as if she were being interviewed. Her friends and colleagues always told her to dress up (or perhaps down) and live a little, step away from the desk for once. But she never listened to them; she told herself instead that her projects were her one true love--she'd been bound to them in quasi-holy matrimony when REI had hired her five years ago at age seventeen. REI, the top company in the area, had automatically scouted her out for her expertise, even though she had just become a college sophomore. She didn't have time for clubbing or movies...she had a figurative husband and children to take care of! Her birthday was in a few days, and she hadn't begun to plan a celebration due to choosing to work overtime each night. She realized that perhaps she should break free from her work life; even so, it was almost as if she couldn't. She sighed again. I should try to make the best of my day off and follow my friends' advice, she mused. 

2 comments:

  1. visited your blog again, and found all these installments! going to read them one by one haha - i like this first one! it's interesting.

    ReplyDelete