Phoenix - the Insilico tales - chapter 11 - "Final Log"
(originally posted 7/11/2011)
Doctor Faith peered into her augmented reality goggles. Amidst the translucent 3d representations of the wrecked cyborg chassis was a panel. It seemed to float into view, showing a scene from inside the Tokuma HQ detainment facility. At the upper left was a charge status indicator, below that a nutrient level tape, then a caution and warning grid. In the upper right corner was a small patch of visual space dedicated to the GNN feed.
"This must be her sensory log." the scientist muttered dispassionately.
The GNN feed seemed to become scrambled, then a message appeared "IS: Tokuma Screen: Joah or Ulviye? One must die. Three days. Decide." followed quickly by "IS: Media: GNN apologizes for the continued interruptions to our western feed. If you are in the immediate vicinity of our W.54.211.3601 exchange node, please switch to the alternate feed until we can isolate the interference. Thank you for your continued patience."
The view whirled around as the owner of the eyes looked for something, finally fixating on a helmet lying in the corner. The view dimmed as the helmet was brought into view, the visor covering her eyes.
"I have to go." a voice came, loudly, as would be heard inside the head of the speaker.
Then the point of view began to bob wildly as it moved quickly through Tokuma HQ, back out into the street. Wild blurs of surrounding buildings and passersby came in and out of vision as a grav pack was used in dash mode...
Until a small alley came into view. The bobbing continued, the owner of the eyes obviously still running at full speed. One of the mines could clearly be seen in the footage, but had been somehow missed. Was her visual focus elsewhere?
Then there was a brilliant flash of light, and the auditory input system briefly overloaded. The caution and warning system lit up, dozens of angry red boxes blinking furiously into the field of view, including "cognitive function" The brain was no longer receiving the data that the sensors were sending, but it was still dutifully logged by the cyborg's automated systems. The sky flew by, then a building, then the neon blue arc of droid coolant spraying out under high pressure, and a cyborg's leg. After a jarring shock, the field of view appeared to be sideways and along the ground, a neon blue puddle spreading onto the ground closeby.
More lights lit up in the caution and warning system. "Temp high" "Cool press". Then a flashing emergency message filled the screen "MAIN POWER TEMP HIGH - SAFING IN 10 SECONDS."
10...
9...
8...
Tokuma comms activity began to show up in the upper right corner - messages being received and reported by the internal PDA system.
7...
6...
5..
Debris falls from the sky. Some of it is random street garbage, but recognizable parts of the cyborg also clatter through the alleyway.
4...
3...
2...
The puddle spreads as coolant gushes out onto the ground. Then the screen goes abruptly black.
Doctor Faith peered into her augmented reality goggles. Amidst the translucent 3d representations of the wrecked cyborg chassis was a panel. It seemed to float into view, showing a scene from inside the Tokuma HQ detainment facility. At the upper left was a charge status indicator, below that a nutrient level tape, then a caution and warning grid. In the upper right corner was a small patch of visual space dedicated to the GNN feed.
"This must be her sensory log." the scientist muttered dispassionately.
The GNN feed seemed to become scrambled, then a message appeared "IS: Tokuma Screen: Joah or Ulviye? One must die. Three days. Decide." followed quickly by "IS: Media: GNN apologizes for the continued interruptions to our western feed. If you are in the immediate vicinity of our W.54.211.3601 exchange node, please switch to the alternate feed until we can isolate the interference. Thank you for your continued patience."
The view whirled around as the owner of the eyes looked for something, finally fixating on a helmet lying in the corner. The view dimmed as the helmet was brought into view, the visor covering her eyes.
"I have to go." a voice came, loudly, as would be heard inside the head of the speaker.
Then the point of view began to bob wildly as it moved quickly through Tokuma HQ, back out into the street. Wild blurs of surrounding buildings and passersby came in and out of vision as a grav pack was used in dash mode...
Until a small alley came into view. The bobbing continued, the owner of the eyes obviously still running at full speed. One of the mines could clearly be seen in the footage, but had been somehow missed. Was her visual focus elsewhere?
Then there was a brilliant flash of light, and the auditory input system briefly overloaded. The caution and warning system lit up, dozens of angry red boxes blinking furiously into the field of view, including "cognitive function" The brain was no longer receiving the data that the sensors were sending, but it was still dutifully logged by the cyborg's automated systems. The sky flew by, then a building, then the neon blue arc of droid coolant spraying out under high pressure, and a cyborg's leg. After a jarring shock, the field of view appeared to be sideways and along the ground, a neon blue puddle spreading onto the ground closeby.
More lights lit up in the caution and warning system. "Temp high" "Cool press". Then a flashing emergency message filled the screen "MAIN POWER TEMP HIGH - SAFING IN 10 SECONDS."
10...
9...
8...
Tokuma comms activity began to show up in the upper right corner - messages being received and reported by the internal PDA system.
7...
6...
5..
Debris falls from the sky. Some of it is random street garbage, but recognizable parts of the cyborg also clatter through the alleyway.
4...
3...
2...
The puddle spreads as coolant gushes out onto the ground. Then the screen goes abruptly black.
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