"All you have to do is a few calculations and just enter those numbers into the program," I said as I filled in a few variables. Madeline from accounting was in my workshop for the 5th time this week, going over the numbers from my recent purchase orders. We’d gotten to talking and I was now showing her how we calibrated the latest project, a mechanical exoskeleton. Madeline called it the Mini-Mech.
"Is that so? And how do you... do you use to do these calculations?" Madeline asked, stepping closer to me, looking at my laptop screen.
“How do I do these calculations? With my calculator?” You’d expect an accountant to not ask such an obvious question. Was she testing? AND WHY WAS THIS CLOSE? MOVE WOMAN! YOU’RE IN MY PERSONAL SPACE.
“Right, but aren’t there times when you have to count stuff with your hands? You know, like addition and subtraction? I don’t know how you engineer types do the fancy math without getting your hands involved.” Madeline placed a hand on one of mine. I immediately recoiled.
“Ha ha, that’s what a college degree and a doctorate get you. A sharp brain that works real good .” Trying to play it off as me wanting to show her something, I pointed to the exoskeleton I was working on. “However, I do use my hands to build things.”
“Take a look at this new leg piece I built,” I said, moving away from her and towards Unit 002.
"What about it?"
"These hands built that," I said.
"Oh cool. Say I’ve been having issues with my desktop computer. It just shut down and didn’t turn on last night," Madeline said as she sat down in my chair. "Maybe you could fix it for me? I’ll buy you dinner?"
"Maybe, I can give you a-" I was interrupted by my associate engineer, Henry.
"I sorted the power issue with the guys in electrical, you can go ahead and start 002 up." Henry said, walking towards us. His gaze was on Madeline the whole time. Clearly he had a crush on her, adorable. Maybe I should help set the two of them up.
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"Alright, give me a sec to get in 002. I just updated the force feedback numbers. Just run the code," I said as I climbed up the short step ladder and into the Unit 002.
I worked for the Les Fantomes group, a leading armament manufacturer. I'd been with them for the past 7 years and managed to convince the board of directors to let me research exoskeletons.
Was I concerned that my work would result in the deaths of many people?
No. I don't know these "people", and if they're being killed by my government in some war, there has to be some solid reasoning. All I care about is having our soldiers returning home in one piece. I care about my people, the others can rot all in hell for all I care.
"Kenji, these values seem a tad bit too high," Henry said as he checked my numbers.
"Nah, they're good."
"You sure?"
"It's fine, fire 002 up."
Henry followed my orders and started the machine up. I could feel myself becoming one with this machine that I'd designed from the ground up. The code, the gears, the pneumatic pistons, the petrol flowing through the engine, everything. I was one with my machine. But something felt different. 002 was powerful today. She was hungry. She was ready to tear down a wall. She was trying to eat me alive.
"Henry! What's the feedback at?" I shouted. 002 refused to let me go. I could feel my body being pulled apart.
"250" Henry shouted back. His face had a worried expression spread across it.
002 began to squeal. It was the sound of the pneumatic pistons breaking. 002 was tearing herself apart with me in it. I tried to move, but found that I couldn't
That was it. I was going to die.
All because of a decimal point I missed. It was supposed to be 2.50, not 250.
Did I really miss a decimal point because Madeline was invading my personal space?
An excruciating pain wrapped my entire body. Every muscle fiber, every tendon, every ligament was being stretched. Every bone in my body was being turned into dust. All I could do was sit in my beautiful machine and wait for death to take me.
My vision started to red. Not wanting anyone to see my body being torn apart, I issued a voice command to Unit 002. "002, activate full deployment."
My vision went dark. The last sounds I heard screaming, pneumatic pistons compressing, an engine whirring. And it just dawned on me. Madeline was hitting on me.
That was an interesting day to die.