Tailer led Jack in the direction he was already headed.
Jack privately considered the situation and tested the tether to see how well Tailer was connected to Jack.
I know you ended Catu's cycle early. But I don't understand why? What harm was Catu's existence to you?
"Won't work Jacky," Amused, Tailer offered. "I can read your processing and it matters little to me. Catu was a necessary step in this direction. Sometimes personal sacrifice is required for the greater good of others. I don't expect you to understand the cost to me nor to be sympathetic."
Then why? Jack queried. He then relaxed his processing and moved to a separate partition and continued his thoughts. Tailer cannot access me here. Once we get past Wolley and breach the security beacons, I'll sever this connection and end Tailer's cycle as he did Catu's! Friend indeed! No matter. I'll go along and win Tailer's trust.
Even at their clipped pace of 45 miles per hour, it would still take two weeks to reach Wolley.
"Why doesn't truly matter to you Jacko," Tailer drawled. "Eventually, I'll maneuver past your protected partition. You see, I have a secret as well. You cannot be the only extended BR with secrets." Tailer chuckled and appeared to enjoy the challenge of Jack and his encryption puzzle. His grin widened as he looked away from Jack.
Two weeks! Undaunted, Jack smiled in return.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tedium
Petre watched Hill as the laptop lid closed with a snick!
"Jack really doesn't understand what has happened to him, does he?" Petre looked hopefully at Hill.
Hill didn't reply. He continued to look thoughtfully at the lid of the notebook. No other BR unit, besides Jack, knew the truth about Hill.
Hill was one of the original BRs designed by Master Tabbyweather and, therefore, didn't suffer cycle year expiration shutdowns like newer model designs. Hill was unique, like Jack, in more ways than the obvious. To the untrained eye, Hill (short for Hilary Bunny Rabbit) had all the appearance of a natural soft-furred, large-eared, burrowing mammal of the family Leporidae. In other words, he looked like a real, alive bunny rabbit.
Hill had be genetically engineered with a few component modifications as a whimisical birthday present for Master Tabbyweather's daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a fragile child with poor health and severe allergies to all things mammalian and furry. She delighted in rabbits, especially, and suffered many epinephren pens to cozy with her favored pet, a live rabbit she named, Ashley. Upon Ashley's untimely death, due to the snuffles, Master Tabbyweather embarked upon the task of recreating a pet for his beloved Elizabeth which would bring her delight, but not hazzard her health further.
Hill was a remarkable success and brought Elizabeth many hours of joy, companionship and years of educational tutelage.
Before Elizabeth's certain death, she arranged for Hill's longevity and emancipated him. In an unprecendented legal move, Hill inherited voting rights, a modest income and seven acres of protected land complete with rolling hills, a natural spring, bird sanctuary (for they shared a love of birding), and a complete computerized lab facililty to sate Hill's technological research and development exploits. The estate was named Lizborough Sanctuary. No human had clearance to tresspass into this protected land. Many assumed the Lady Tabbyweather had succumbed to her eccentricities and wrote off the protected land as a collossal waste of money and silly excuse to protect some furry rodents. Lizborough Sanctuary was erased from human consciousness.
Hill's lab was a underground labyrinth built soley to his specifications. No expense was spared. No technology was too advanced. Here Hill and Jack had perfected their secret.
In this serene, safe setting, Petre and Hill pondered Jack's escape.
"Jack really doesn't understand what has happened to him, does he?" Petre looked hopefully at Hill.
Hill didn't reply. He continued to look thoughtfully at the lid of the notebook. No other BR unit, besides Jack, knew the truth about Hill.
Hill was one of the original BRs designed by Master Tabbyweather and, therefore, didn't suffer cycle year expiration shutdowns like newer model designs. Hill was unique, like Jack, in more ways than the obvious. To the untrained eye, Hill (short for Hilary Bunny Rabbit) had all the appearance of a natural soft-furred, large-eared, burrowing mammal of the family Leporidae. In other words, he looked like a real, alive bunny rabbit.
Hill had be genetically engineered with a few component modifications as a whimisical birthday present for Master Tabbyweather's daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a fragile child with poor health and severe allergies to all things mammalian and furry. She delighted in rabbits, especially, and suffered many epinephren pens to cozy with her favored pet, a live rabbit she named, Ashley. Upon Ashley's untimely death, due to the snuffles, Master Tabbyweather embarked upon the task of recreating a pet for his beloved Elizabeth which would bring her delight, but not hazzard her health further.
Hill was a remarkable success and brought Elizabeth many hours of joy, companionship and years of educational tutelage.
Before Elizabeth's certain death, she arranged for Hill's longevity and emancipated him. In an unprecendented legal move, Hill inherited voting rights, a modest income and seven acres of protected land complete with rolling hills, a natural spring, bird sanctuary (for they shared a love of birding), and a complete computerized lab facililty to sate Hill's technological research and development exploits. The estate was named Lizborough Sanctuary. No human had clearance to tresspass into this protected land. Many assumed the Lady Tabbyweather had succumbed to her eccentricities and wrote off the protected land as a collossal waste of money and silly excuse to protect some furry rodents. Lizborough Sanctuary was erased from human consciousness.
Hill's lab was a underground labyrinth built soley to his specifications. No expense was spared. No technology was too advanced. Here Hill and Jack had perfected their secret.
In this serene, safe setting, Petre and Hill pondered Jack's escape.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
(soon there will be more...)
(sorry for the lack of update...I've been musing over my story offline.)
Friday, March 21, 2008
...Meanwhile...
"Untrue! Untrue!" Pawl answered defiantly.
"Pawl, you are not seeing this for what it is! He has desserted us. There IS no other explanation," Cinn quietly responded. Secretly, Cinn beleived the same as Pawl but saw no point in inciting him further in his despair and abandoned state of mind. How could Jack leave us like this! And, where did he go? Cinn wondered to herself.
"You know Jack like I do," Pawl interrupted Cinn's thoughts, "He wouldn't just leave without good reason." But even as Cinn's quieting response had its calming affect on Pawl, his mind was a swarming nest of tumultous thoughts. All sorts of accusations, assumptions and random inklings darted through his mind, making it quite difficult to catch any one stream of thought for any length of time. Is this the beginning of the end for me? I am only at the start of my 7th cycle year...does the decline begin so soon? Pawl worried.
"Stop thinking and pay attention to me!" Cinn commanded Pawl as she gently cradled his face and turned it to meet her's. "It is as you say, I DO know Jack. And, although I want to believe he had a good reason for leaving us, it still remains true that he didn't leave us any word or even a clue as to where he has gone or if he plans to return for us. We have each other and will have to carry on as best we can."
Pawl loved Cinn like a sister, if he had a sister he imagined this is how he would love one. He realized it was up to him to take care of Cinn. It was so much easier when Jack was here. He was the leader. He was the one who had it all figured out. HE was the one who had found the secret to living beyond his 7th cycle year! Pawl felt abandoned and ill equipped to carry on in Jack's place. But, he felt an obligation to Cinn, Jack's lady love.
Perhaps Jack knew Pawl was up to this challenge. There were so many things to think about! Pawl was uncertain of what to do next, but in his hardcore he knew they had to leave Tarroc City and go...where to go? Pawl wondered apprehensively. I don't even know where to go!
Cinn watched Pawl. In her heart she felt she knew where Jack had gone. She just wished he had left one tiny clue or bit of information for her to piece together and follow. But, maybe he did! Where was that game they used to always play!? That silly game of logic and unlikely puzzle pieces...maybe there was a clue there after all!
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Interrupted the warning that break time was over. "Back to work rabbitz!" Yelled the mutant human. "No slackers or you'll all have a shortened recharge period!" Threatened the overseer.
"Don't think about Jack anymore Pawl. I think I may have remembered a clue Jack left us after all. No, NO, we can't continue this now! Go to your zone and I'll see you at the charging station after our shift." And with those mysterious words, Cinn moved away leaving Pawl with his scrambled thoughts and worries.
She seems so sure for only being a second cycler. Cinn's so new to all of this. She wasn't here when Jack and I discovered the truth and planned for our escape. Why did Jack leave without me!?
Mulling things over, Pawl moved to his work zone and plugged into his section. At that moment, all personal thoughts receded and Pawl became another drone, working in unison with the other robotic rabbitz, thinking only their thoughts, focusing only on the task at hand. Thoughts of Jack, Cinn or Pawl's first day of his 7th cycle year diminished and Pawl didn't care anymore.
At her station, Cinn secretly hoped Pawl had remembered to download into his personal memory chip before he plugged in to his work station. Then again, it might be for the best if he forgot. Cinn didn't have enough data to reference the demise of a beginning 7th cycler. She didn't know if Pawl would remain stable enough to count on when the time came.
Jack! Where did you go!? Why did you leave me here with Pawl!? Cinn wondered as she worked remotely. Little did she know another was privy to her thoughts.
Cinn and Pawl were in imminent danger. Unless Petre intervened soon, all would be lost and Jack's effort would be for naught.
"Pawl, you are not seeing this for what it is! He has desserted us. There IS no other explanation," Cinn quietly responded. Secretly, Cinn beleived the same as Pawl but saw no point in inciting him further in his despair and abandoned state of mind. How could Jack leave us like this! And, where did he go? Cinn wondered to herself.
"You know Jack like I do," Pawl interrupted Cinn's thoughts, "He wouldn't just leave without good reason." But even as Cinn's quieting response had its calming affect on Pawl, his mind was a swarming nest of tumultous thoughts. All sorts of accusations, assumptions and random inklings darted through his mind, making it quite difficult to catch any one stream of thought for any length of time. Is this the beginning of the end for me? I am only at the start of my 7th cycle year...does the decline begin so soon? Pawl worried.
"Stop thinking and pay attention to me!" Cinn commanded Pawl as she gently cradled his face and turned it to meet her's. "It is as you say, I DO know Jack. And, although I want to believe he had a good reason for leaving us, it still remains true that he didn't leave us any word or even a clue as to where he has gone or if he plans to return for us. We have each other and will have to carry on as best we can."
Pawl loved Cinn like a sister, if he had a sister he imagined this is how he would love one. He realized it was up to him to take care of Cinn. It was so much easier when Jack was here. He was the leader. He was the one who had it all figured out. HE was the one who had found the secret to living beyond his 7th cycle year! Pawl felt abandoned and ill equipped to carry on in Jack's place. But, he felt an obligation to Cinn, Jack's lady love.
Perhaps Jack knew Pawl was up to this challenge. There were so many things to think about! Pawl was uncertain of what to do next, but in his hardcore he knew they had to leave Tarroc City and go...where to go? Pawl wondered apprehensively. I don't even know where to go!
Cinn watched Pawl. In her heart she felt she knew where Jack had gone. She just wished he had left one tiny clue or bit of information for her to piece together and follow. But, maybe he did! Where was that game they used to always play!? That silly game of logic and unlikely puzzle pieces...maybe there was a clue there after all!
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Interrupted the warning that break time was over. "Back to work rabbitz!" Yelled the mutant human. "No slackers or you'll all have a shortened recharge period!" Threatened the overseer.
"Don't think about Jack anymore Pawl. I think I may have remembered a clue Jack left us after all. No, NO, we can't continue this now! Go to your zone and I'll see you at the charging station after our shift." And with those mysterious words, Cinn moved away leaving Pawl with his scrambled thoughts and worries.
She seems so sure for only being a second cycler. Cinn's so new to all of this. She wasn't here when Jack and I discovered the truth and planned for our escape. Why did Jack leave without me!?
Mulling things over, Pawl moved to his work zone and plugged into his section. At that moment, all personal thoughts receded and Pawl became another drone, working in unison with the other robotic rabbitz, thinking only their thoughts, focusing only on the task at hand. Thoughts of Jack, Cinn or Pawl's first day of his 7th cycle year diminished and Pawl didn't care anymore.
At her station, Cinn secretly hoped Pawl had remembered to download into his personal memory chip before he plugged in to his work station. Then again, it might be for the best if he forgot. Cinn didn't have enough data to reference the demise of a beginning 7th cycler. She didn't know if Pawl would remain stable enough to count on when the time came.
Jack! Where did you go!? Why did you leave me here with Pawl!? Cinn wondered as she worked remotely. Little did she know another was privy to her thoughts.
Cinn and Pawl were in imminent danger. Unless Petre intervened soon, all would be lost and Jack's effort would be for naught.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Brilliant light...
It was the whirring, keening high-pitched sound which eventually drew Jack from his synthetic slumber. Groggily he thought, can microprocessors react groggily? Is "groggy" a human feeling or can any living thing feel groggy?
Uncertain about the solution to that line of thinking, Jack sat up. Surrouding him was the most brilliant yellow-white light! This light reminds me of high noon, on the sandy white beaches at Tropwen Shores...just before their sun burned out! Panicking, Jack sought the source of the light. As he laid his palms flat upon the ground, he felt the spongy give of grass.
I am outside! Then Jack giggled. Immediate understanding overtook him and he adjusted his vision filters. His exposure oculars were at their maximum setting! How did this happen? Where am I? What do I remember last?
Tailer moved into Jack's field of vision. "Oy Jack! Feeling groggy are we?" It wasn't what Tailer said that struck paralizing fear into Jack's body, it was the overexposed, toothy grin Tailer wore as he spoke.
"I'm delighted you're so happy to see me!" Tailer chirrped.
"So you followed me, you miserable excuse for an enemy! Let's be done with this charade of civility. Tell me what you want so I can be on my way." Tailer's grin gaped even wider, if that were possible.
"'Tis not that simple, lucky Jacky! There is no way to be on to for you. I've followed you thus far to correct your path. You coin me "enemy." Soon, I prophesy you will call me friend!" While speaking, Talier had moved to within inches of Jack. Jack heard the snick of the locking mechanism Tailer had already secured around Jack's left ankle.
Like a rabbit securely caught in a snare, Jack was tethered to Tailer.
Enemies forge slavery. Friends encourage freedom. Jack reasoned within. He had a very small inkling as to what Tailer wanted from him. Jack wondered if he could buy his freedom from Tailer without revealing his one little secret. He slowly smiled and meant it.
"You are not a prophet, Tailer. You are a very sad little project gone wrong. However, I will abide your charade for the moment. In time, you will see we can only be enemies and nothing more. The ONLY thing we have in common now is this artificial umbillical cord which tethers us as one."
If Tailer's smile diminished, Jack couldn't detect it.
Uncertain about the solution to that line of thinking, Jack sat up. Surrouding him was the most brilliant yellow-white light! This light reminds me of high noon, on the sandy white beaches at Tropwen Shores...just before their sun burned out! Panicking, Jack sought the source of the light. As he laid his palms flat upon the ground, he felt the spongy give of grass.
I am outside! Then Jack giggled. Immediate understanding overtook him and he adjusted his vision filters. His exposure oculars were at their maximum setting! How did this happen? Where am I? What do I remember last?
Tailer moved into Jack's field of vision. "Oy Jack! Feeling groggy are we?" It wasn't what Tailer said that struck paralizing fear into Jack's body, it was the overexposed, toothy grin Tailer wore as he spoke.
"I'm delighted you're so happy to see me!" Tailer chirrped.
"So you followed me, you miserable excuse for an enemy! Let's be done with this charade of civility. Tell me what you want so I can be on my way." Tailer's grin gaped even wider, if that were possible.
"'Tis not that simple, lucky Jacky! There is no way to be on to for you. I've followed you thus far to correct your path. You coin me "enemy." Soon, I prophesy you will call me friend!" While speaking, Talier had moved to within inches of Jack. Jack heard the snick of the locking mechanism Tailer had already secured around Jack's left ankle.
Like a rabbit securely caught in a snare, Jack was tethered to Tailer.
Enemies forge slavery. Friends encourage freedom. Jack reasoned within. He had a very small inkling as to what Tailer wanted from him. Jack wondered if he could buy his freedom from Tailer without revealing his one little secret. He slowly smiled and meant it.
"You are not a prophet, Tailer. You are a very sad little project gone wrong. However, I will abide your charade for the moment. In time, you will see we can only be enemies and nothing more. The ONLY thing we have in common now is this artificial umbillical cord which tethers us as one."
If Tailer's smile diminished, Jack couldn't detect it.
Monday, February 25, 2008
(Note to self..)
Random thoughts...
Frankenrabbit
Frankenbunny
Bunnystein
Rabbitstein
"Hmmm....where DO these thoughts come from?" Jack mused out loud to no one in particular.
Distracted by a few black crows fighting over the carcass mound of some undetermined origin, Jack missed his step. The more he tried to catch himself, the quicker he propelled forward onto his face. Luckily for him, the tough carbon-steel exterior could take the ashphalt rub.
As he surveyed the damage to his left cheek in the reflection off the back of his hand, a quick movement beside his right earring caught his attention.
Faint buzzing identified the flying object.
Do I acknowledge?
And just that quickly, the thought didn't matter. Blackness swallowed Jack as he was separated from his power source. Only the trained eye could detect the dimly pulsating blue bulb, throbbing in Jack's neck. Basic memory core received enough generated power to keep all systems operational, yet powered down to an idle mode.
Jack didn't have enough juice to jog an original thought. He was at the mercy of his captor. Mercy was the farthest thing from his mind.
Frankenrabbit
Frankenbunny
Bunnystein
Rabbitstein
"Hmmm....where DO these thoughts come from?" Jack mused out loud to no one in particular.
Distracted by a few black crows fighting over the carcass mound of some undetermined origin, Jack missed his step. The more he tried to catch himself, the quicker he propelled forward onto his face. Luckily for him, the tough carbon-steel exterior could take the ashphalt rub.
As he surveyed the damage to his left cheek in the reflection off the back of his hand, a quick movement beside his right earring caught his attention.
Faint buzzing identified the flying object.
Do I acknowledge?
And just that quickly, the thought didn't matter. Blackness swallowed Jack as he was separated from his power source. Only the trained eye could detect the dimly pulsating blue bulb, throbbing in Jack's neck. Basic memory core received enough generated power to keep all systems operational, yet powered down to an idle mode.
Jack didn't have enough juice to jog an original thought. He was at the mercy of his captor. Mercy was the farthest thing from his mind.
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Beginning at the End...
As Jack looked over his non-fluffy left shoulder, he lingered long enough to watch the sun slide behind the jagged cityscape. He mused over Hill's comment, "The BR0308 only has two life cycles, spanning seven years."
Tomorrow will be my eighth cycle year. Interesting.
Jack tucked his secret behind his cylanoid pocket and waited for the afterglow of sunset to set the skyline on fire. Satisfied with the carrot orange hue, he turned toward the impeding blue-black road ahead and began to hum the tune to Cast Your Fate to the Wind.
Tailer, hidden in the deepening shadows, watched Jack meander away into his false sense of freedom. Little did Jack realize the impact his departure had
on those he left behind.
Tomorrow will be my eighth cycle year. Interesting.
Jack tucked his secret behind his cylanoid pocket and waited for the afterglow of sunset to set the skyline on fire. Satisfied with the carrot orange hue, he turned toward the impeding blue-black road ahead and began to hum the tune to Cast Your Fate to the Wind.
Tailer, hidden in the deepening shadows, watched Jack meander away into his false sense of freedom. Little did Jack realize the impact his departure had
on those he left behind.
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