Cyborg Manifesto

The Flaw

Dear Dr. Membrane,

I am writing in regards to what I have discovered having spent my time upon the M2. I have done as you asked in the pursuit of perfecting the ICU and have discovered a flaw. It appears that if programming is left incomplete then the Irken will retain 'their will.' On a stranger note, it appears that that the ICU chip will continue to integrate, if not programmed, with the Pak resulting in a malfunction that could prove ill to the Irken's mental health and at worse; fatal.

Dr. Higurashi.

Gaz calmly folded the letter and tenderly placed the aged paper into a hollow book. The letter was aged five years, but it was key to the ICU chip. Higurashi had proven an asset in the stabilizing of the ICU, without her the project might've been setback a few years. Thankfully, that wasn't the case; the Irkens were enslaved but safe thanks to their efforts. She let her eyes fall to the corner of her desk and smirked at the picture that sat there. There was smiling Higurashi with bright sapphire eyes, a pudgy Skoodge looking confused, and a bland looking Gaz. Higurashi had loved pictures and commemorating moments.

"Sir! You are needed in the labs!"

Gaz blinked and looked to the communicator that sat upon her wrist. The band was tiny and metallic, but it served as a simple way for Skoodge to contact her, which he was. She lifted her wrist to her mouth and waited for the beep.

"What's the problem Skoodge?" Gaz calmly questioned.

Skoodge was messy; but he was one of the smartest Irkens she knew. He knew her habits and there was no doubt that he would only bother her in an emergency.

"The Interns are unsure of their work in the Implant Lab."

Her amber eyes narrowed; Skoodge was right to bother her. She assured him that she would come to the lab. It was funny how fate worked; she was reminiscing over Higurashi's letter and now this little incident. She only hoped that the Interns wouldn't make a rash choice or else she would be doing something rash.

She quickly pushed from her desk and slipped the white lab coat over her royal purple turtleneck. Her feet hit the carpet soundlessly as she moved. It wouldn't take long to reach the labs as she moved to the bookshelf tugged a book titled 'The Naked Lunch.' The shelf split in the center and she stepped into her personal elevator.

Irkens were seen as items, both at her company and in the world. Cybiotics was the leading company for all-things-Irken. She kept trying to enforce the idea that Irkens were not to be abused regardless of their status. The descent to the labs caused her stomach to flip with the quickness of the ride, but when the doors opened, she was inside the lab. Her eyes took in the Interns as they froze. Some held tweezers while others held in sneezes as they gazed at her in fear. Her heels clicked and broke the silence as stepped into the lab and the wall shut.

"The ICU must be pre-programmed before being inserted into the PAK or else it won't take!"

Gaz's voice rose over the silence with each step she took into the room. The interns flinched at her tone and she glared harder, if possible. She heard various things hit the table. There were eight unactive Irken bodies upon tables, sedated with Paks open. Amber eyes fixed on the pair that didn't drop their tweezers or shut the Pak. When they realized she was glaring at them they slowly lowered the tool and tenderly set the chip aside. The Irken's Pak was safely shut and the interns placed their hands on the table.

"Anyone care to tell me what happens to an Irken if it gets an ICU without programming?" Gaz questioned as she came to stand in the center of the lab with all eyes focused on her.

The interns glanced at each other; wondering if this was some type of trick question or test. It was certainly a test and there was no trick. The silence thickened as her anger began to rise to the surface. They were here at Cybiotics to prove themselves and not make foolish mistakes. She would rather they ask questions than do something wrong.