This choice: had its speakers broken, but the glass was perfectly intact. • Go Back...Chapter #3had its speakers broken, but the glass was perf... by: Unknown The jar fell straight down, landing on its base with a loud clang and a few sparks. While the glass was thankfully still intact, the base had been badly dented in the fall, especially the speaker, which had its cover ping off and its cone bent. "Wha-dhsdzzzzrt -at? Herrrrr-" came the heavily distorted voice, static and feedback further drowning it out.
"Sorry!" Linda blurted, grabbing the jar and cradling it to her chest. While she didn't know who this was, why they were in a jar, or what she could do about it, she had enough sense to realize that, if she were left in a jar and abandoned in a blown out research facility, she wouldn't want people dropping her and breaking her tank. "Are you hurt? Can you still hear me?"
"AAH hear! Canzzrpt not hechCHKnn me?" Came the jar's response.
Linda breathed a small sigh of relief, pretty sure that the brain had heard her and tried to answer. Standing up slowly, Linda almost made a repeat performance and dropped the brain again as the mechanical ruckus intensified, though this time she was able to keep hold of the jarred brain. Linda froze again, this time debating whether or not she should investigate the noise or get the hell out of hear before whatever secret government murder robot down there stomped in here and smashed her flat, and once again the situation changed while she was still deciding what to do. The smashing and grinding ceased suddenly, replaced by a dull and somewhat comforting rumble like the engine of a small family car.
"Hey, uh brain? DO you know what that noise is?" Linda asked, searching the jar for a nameplate after addressing it... him? What little of the voice she could still make out sounded male, though maybe it was the only voice the speakers were programmed to speak in.
While Linda was searching the jar for some indication of the occupant's name, the occupant very helpfully answered "YeaBBBttbbttsha assembRRRTT! ontaclick!" From that garbled mess, Linda concluded that the brain seemed to know what that was, suggesting that it, or he, rather, also knew some things about this facility. Linda was pretty sure she heard the word 'assembler' in there somewhere, but that was about all she got. Investigating the jar didn't give her much information either, only a few cryptic words written in faded ballpoint pen on a small small sticker on the back.
PROJECT: 6
MODEL: 3.2
SUBJECT: J/Wea/M
While 'subject' was probably who's brain this was, 'J/Wea/M' was probably not the name its... HIS mother gave him, and Linda didn't feel comfortable even pronouncing that as a word, much less addressing the brain by it.
After realizing that nothing had happened in a few seconds, and remembering what had happened every other time she took too long trying to figure out what she should do next, Linda made a snap decision. She was ninety-nine percent sure that the brain had said 'assembler', and since it was an assembler in the room right next to where the brain had been stored, and had activated only after Linda picked up the brain jar, Linda thought it was possible that the machine was an assembler for brains in jars. Maybe she would find some spare parts that would help her repair this jar, or maybe the assembler had some sort of automated repair feature. If nothing else, 'assembler' didn't sound that dangerous, so Linda didn't see what harm could be done investigating it. Carrying the jar over to the large metal door and setting it down gently beside it as she swung the surprisingly light door open, Linda was greeted by the 'assembler'.
The 'assembler' was less a single machine and more a very small automated assembly line, a series of conveyor belts, robotic arms, laser scanners, and digital displays packed tightly into a room not much larger than the living room in Linda's apartment. She could hardly squeeze into the room, which seemed to have been designed so that only 3 full-bodied people could fit in it at a time. There was a small computer on a small desk with a small and ratty old stool set in front of it, the monitor bearing a sticker conveniently labeling it 'controls'. Across from that was a reinforced chair bolted to the floor, a chair fitted with metal wrist, ankle, waist, neck, and head restraints and was seated beneath a large series of surgically equipped arms. Finally, there was just an empty space near the door, and next to the end of the assembly line. Linda didn't know if the space was just for anyone who wanted to sit in and watch, or maybe they were there to grab the brains as they came off the line, or if they just had some extra space left over after designing the room, but Linda could easily guess what the other two people would be doing in their spaces.
Looking around, Linda...  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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