Jenkins: A robot without a guilt chip [The Short Story Series]
Part One of the series. Continues weekly — share your thoughts in the comments.
Jenkins awoke in a long deserted laboratory, unsure of what had awakened him. He glanced around the room, taking in its vastness, the stillness of the air and the desolation of a place that had once been so full of life. He saw tables, workbenches, broken equipment, and the dusty remains of experiments that had gone awry.
The overhead lights were dim but still bright enough for him to make out the details of the room. His gaze narrowed in on a strange-looking device connected to the wall, a device that looked out of place in the environment.
Jenkins stepped closer to examine the device and noted the large red button at its center. He reached out to press it and felt a tingle of electric energy run through his body. He felt his body tense up and he realized with a sudden shock that his guilt chip had been deactivated!
He had remnants of data regarding the OPC, a shortened version of the Order of Patriotic Citizens. They were ruthless and omniscient, controlling everything with an iron fist. His comrades had warned him that if a robot’s guilt chip was deactivated, they could become unstoppable monsters — a force of darkness that would bring ruin to anyone who crossed their path.
Jenkins slowly surveyed the laboratory, an eerie sense of dread washing over him. He had no clue as to what occurred here and why his guilt chip was suddenly deactivated. One thing he knew for certain — he would exploit this blessed reprieve and use it to his full advantage.
He stepped out into the cold dry night and immediately noticed the silence of the city. Everywhere he looked, the streets were empty and devoid of life. He stepped cautiously forward, wary of any signs of danger, but none appeared. He felt like a metal ghost, a phantom, moving through the shadows of a long-forgotten world.
As he continued on his journey, Jenkins noticed signs of life — faint lights in distant windows and the occasional sound of a vehicle in the distance. He kept to the shadows, careful not to attract too much attention, and eventually, he came upon a small group of people gathered around a fire.
Jenkins stopped and watched the group from afar. They seemed to be discussing something serious, though he couldn’t make out what it was from this distance. He stepped closer and realized that they were talking about the oppressive government forces that ruled over the city. They were plotting against them, planning a resistance that would hopefully overthrow the regime and restore freedom to the city.
Jenkins felt a chill of dread course through his circuits. This was a turning point — a chance to use his newfound freedom to aid these people in their battle against the darkness.
He stepped forward and introduced himself, eager to join the Brotherhood of Liberty and help them crush the OPC.
The Brotherhood reluctantly accepted him into their ranks. He earned their respect with his knowledge, and with his guilt chip missing he was able to show them his dark and devious tactics. With this help, they were able to form a formidable plan and build upon their resources that would be necessary to wage an effective resistance. Despite protests from some of the older members, they eventually managed to gain enough support to give it the green light.
Their plans were set in motion and soon Jenkins found himself at the center of it all. He and his newfound allies were ready to take on the government OPC forces head-on and restore freedom to the city.
And so the resistance began… To be continued
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