This choice: Marge Planter. Tech girl. • Go Back...Chapter #6Marge Planter. Tech girl. by: Gimlet   Marge stared out of the window into another dreary, rainy day as she chased sauce around her plate with the last slice of Pizza. The last week her choices in diet had reduced somewhat and she was finding it difficult to pay her bills. Right now she was idly considering focusing on rice dishes to save on cash. She was pretty sure she'd seen a decent wok in a yard sale yesterday...
*BAMPH!*
The flash of light and sudden gust of air behind her knocked Marge from her chair, tumbling to the floor. Gasping, struggling to get her breath back from the sudden shock, she rolled over to see what had caused the ruckus behind her.
Behind her was a... robot. It was around five foot tall, looking like a robotic replica of a woman, full detail too, but steel outside. It's lips weren't mobile but more like a dummy's, just two bumps on the jaws that hinged. The hair looked like wire, the arms seemed almost like bundles of cables and fibers covered in muscle shaped molded steel covers to imitate the shape of a person. It looked very intricately made but... very fake, not even trying to make you think it WAS a human. She'd seen some remote control robots in Japan that looked more life-like than this... but where did it come from? Glancing down she saw there was a burn mark on the floor, spreading out in a star pattern from where the robot stood. It exploded into existence?
"Er... hello?" She managed weakly, finding herself shaking suddenly and not sure what part of this was getting to her. The unknown? The robot itself? The explosion? Maybe more to the point that someone had done all this to her! There was no way this was some sort of accident!
The head turned to her smoothly, eyes looking rather realistic, compared to the rest of it's face... then it made a liar out of her analysis as it smiled. She had been sure that face couldn't do that from the way it looked... wait, she could see flickering. It's mouth was some sort of display? LEDs or LCDs or something? Weird.
"Greetings. I am A.A.R.A.U. (Ambulatory Autonomous Reality Alteration Unit)." It said in a melodious, low voice. It pronounced it's name 'Arrow'. "I bring greetings from my creator who hopes you will fare better with my gifts than she did."
Marge stared. Reality Alteration? Oh no, seriously? This has to be a dream, right?
"Um, creator? Who made you?"
Arrow blinked and smiled softly again at her.
"Marge Planter."
OK, not what she expected!
"What? What do you mean? That's.... me."
"Incorrect. You are an earlier version of Marge Planter in the timeline. I was created by Professor Planter aged 68 at her private laboratory in Houston Texas."
Houston? Why on Earth would she move to Texas? California was just fine for her.
"You're capable of time travel?"
"Incorrect. This unit is severely limited in scope and Professor Planter built a specialized unit to transport me to your time. Current date should be 2012, August 17th, 5:07 PM Pacific Standard Time. Is this correct?"
Marge glanced over the robot's shoulder to the wall and saw the clock tick over to 5:08
"Close enough."
"Data is set. Parameters have been stabilized. Ownership has been transferred to Marge Planter aged 21, unemployed. Warning, this unit is considered a lethal weapon under United States Law. Use of this unit to harm a lawful sapient is covered under section 32 of the New Intelligence Charter. Alteration of sapients without consent is considered an act of rape under United States Law." Then the voice changed subtly in timber and sounded a little more human "Also, note to my younger self from older self. Go nuts girl! The cops won't even know this is possible for twenty years! And probably not even then if you don't invent the damn thing and mass produce it! Hah!" The voice then switched back to it's former, softer, but slightly less emotional tone "This unit is a class 12 reality adjustment unit capable of mass transfer, localized physical alteration and energy state fluctuation. Data parameters require quantum state lock after each use to avoid reality breakdown within this unit's core matrix. Length of state lock depends on complexity and mass involved. Note, mass cannot be created or destroyed with this unit but may be transferred between two objects that are in physical contact with each other. Maximum mass affected or transferred is 625lb in a single use. Physical pattern alteration will require either Design alteration using neural control custom design software or copying of an existing pattern scanned by this unit or a pattern already stored in the data matrix of this unit. Design alteration should not be attempted without suitable training. Attempting to do so may have unpredictable results. All reality alterations are limited to objects so designated as subjects to that alteration. Maximum range is fourteen meters from this unit. This unit cannot designate itself as a subject. Material substances between this unit and subject do not hinder alteration. Are there any questions?"
Marge gaped. That huge, long diatribe had been without pause or break of any kind. A human would have run out of breath long before she finished!
She had a reality alteration robot... with limitations, but still! A robotic genie!
"Wait, you said there is a pause for... quantum state lock... after each use? Roughly how long are these pauses?"
"Quantum state lock duration varies depending on how complex a change is being attempted and how much mass is involved."
Marge pondered for a moment.
"OK, just as an example, if I were to... oh I dunno... turn myself into a guy, how long would the delay last?"
"Changing gender is a only a level 3 change in physical attribute of a living being. Body mass of 122lbs is well within the limits of this unit. Duration of Quantum State Lock is..."  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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