Cyborg Rewired (Space Sci-Fi Romance): Science Fiction (Robot Romance)

by Olivia Myers

  “Angelina can eat shit.” Vivian said with a snort, and Megan could have kissed her. “Alright, so. Run this little plan of yours by me.” Vivian prompted, resting her hip against the side of the hospital bed.

  Megan hesitated, staring at the blank spot in the center of the screen for a long moment. She then traced a pattern on the screen, and Vivian snorted out a derisive laugh at her intended plan.

  “Come on. Make it look like she cheated on a test? You gotta think bigger than that.” Vivian said, crossing her arms over her chest. Megan glared, tracing out another path. “Okay. We’ll start small. But if this doesn’t work, we’re going with some of my plans. You wanna really ruin this chick’s life, you gotta lose your sense of ethics.” Vivian groused.

  Megan chuckled internally at that—what kind of morals could she have to begin with, if she was paying some low life to ruin her classmate’s life? As if reading her thoughts, Vivian smirked, offering the other woman a wicked smile. “You’d be surprised how low you can sink before hitting rock bottom, doll face.” She murmured, patting Megan on the leg before going about unboxing the contact lenses. Another USB device plugged into the computer later, Megan was seeing the world through Vivian’s eyes. Megan wished desperately that she could smile, but settled by simply submitting praise through the earpiece. Vivian made a fake retching sound, rolling her eyes before sliding away from the bed and towards the door.

  “Where are you going?” Megan inquired, and Vivian scoffed, opening the door to the hospital room and glancing over her shoulder.

  “You want this work done, I have to find someone willing to knock Angelina down a few pegs. I don’t attend this school, but I’m pretty good at pulling strings when I need to. If this blonde haired bitch is obnoxious enough to justify the amount you’re paying me, there have to be a few kids she’s gotten on the bad side of.” Vivian called back, and Megan’s eyes widened at how nonchalant she was being.

  She internally prayed that her nurse was absent from the hall, but Vivian slipped out of the room unhindered. As the door closed, she tried to make out any sound of the nursing staff out in the hallway. The hallway was utterly devoid of sound, and Megan internally noted that the security was certainly lax in this particular wing of the infirmary. It was almost as if she’d been entirely forgotten. She idly glanced to the screen that played out the world before Vivian’s eyes. The other woman seemed to have forgotten that Megan was even watching, approaching a group of stoners on the curb outside the school campus. She inquired as to if they had anything stronger than pot, and after receiving no for an answer, stormed off in a huff. Megan rolled her eyes, allowing them to slowly flutter shut as she zoned out.

  ***

  Hours later, the nurse peeked in, and Megan opened an eye, swiftly obscuring the videos that might reveal her more nefarious plotting. She internally debated turning up her narration to comment on how lax the staff was, but the nurse seemed content enough with her condition, allowing the door to close once more. Before her arrangement with Vivian, Megan might have found herself feeling entirely alone, but her screen was alight with life through Vivian’s eyes. The video was slightly skewed from the droopiness in Vivian’s eyes, and Megan mused that the other woman must have found whatever narcotic she sought. She watched intently as Vivian approached a young man with acne and thick rimmed glasses.

  “Christ, it’s 2066. Get a facial and some contacts.” Megan input through the earpiece, receiving a slurred laugh in response. The man looked confused, but any suspicion he may have had evaporated as Vivian lay a hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey, handsome.” Vivian slurred, and Megan would have laughed uproariously were she capable. “Listen. That blonde bimbo, Angelina. You’ve got geometry with her, right?” Vivian said, cutting right to the chase. The young man nodded in response, leaning in to whisper quietly.

  “Yeah. I’d never tell the teacher, but she’s been copying off of my tests for the entire semester,” he divulged. Megan rolled her eyes at how easily he gave up the information. Vivian didn’t even have to kiss his pimpled cheek, for god’s sake. Vivian smiled, patting him on the arm and stepping closer. His eyes widened in surprise, and Vivian spoke in hushed tones.

  “Listen, me and some other girls are getting real sick of seeing Daddy’s little princess rule the roost with no competition. We just wanna see her knocked down a peg, y’know?” Vivian purred, resting a hand on the man’s chest. He raised a brow, seeming not to catch on to the proposition. Vivian adjusted her position, trailing her fingertips down the boy’s chest. “If she were to get caught cheating on a test, that would certainly get her kicked off the varsity squad.” Vivian said suggestively. The nerdy boy’s eyes widened, and he took a step back. He shook his head furiously, holding his hands up as if to ward off evil.

  “I would never! Angelina is such a sweet girl!” He replied in a rush, turning as if to walk away.

  “Has that sweet girl ever given you head?” Vivian slurred bluntly. The boy stopped abruptly, glancing over his shoulder towards her. Megan could have screamed through the earpiece and debated typing a long series of the letter ‘A’ to express her dismay. Instead, she stared bleakly at the screen as the acne ridden male slipped closer to Vivian once more, seeming to reconsider his stance. Vivian took him by the hand, and Megan felt herself growing vaguely nauseous as she watched the scene unfold. Before she was forced to take in the boy’s likely already semen stiffened sheets, she dropped down the window, resigning herself to the unattractive young man’s sounds of pleasure as she worked through her history assignment.

  By the time the young man came, she hadn’t even finished her first assignment, which was saying a lot considering History was her best subject. She brought up Vivian’s screen, internally screaming at the sight of the man’s nude form. Before she could close the screen, however, Vivian averted her eyes and rose to her feet before speaking to the man.

  “I’m assuming we have a deal now?” She said sharply, her voice sounding less slurred. It sounded as if the effect of the drugs was already beginning to wear off, and Megan mused that Vivian had probably built up quite a tolerance to street narcotics.

  “O-oh! Of course. After that… I’ll do anything you want.” The man said, warmth ebbing from his tone. Megan could make out a derisive snort from Vivian—it seemed she favored those, and she turned towards the door.

  “Just take care of what we agreed upon, lover boy.” Vivian sneered, slipping out of his room and taking long strides away from the male’s dormitories. “You’re gonna have to pay extra for that.” Vivian groused, spitting on the ground as she walked. Megan felt like cringing, but traced the increasingly familiar path of keys on her screen.

  “Of course. I’ll wire over the cash now.” Megan offered, clicking over to the account that held the cash from Sara’s crowdfunding efforts. She wired a sizeable chunk over to Vivian, who checked her tablet to confirm before putting the miniature device back in her pocket.

  “What’s next, boss?” Vivian inquired snidely, and Megan hesitated, irritation brewing in her gut.

  “We wait.” She answered simply, clicking away from the earpiece input window and dragging Vivian’s video screen to the side as she continued to idly work on school assignments.

  She glanced towards the video screen occasionally, internally cringing at the way Vivian lived her life. Many of the times she looked at the video screen, the other woman seemed to have almost forgotten she had the contact lenses in. She had more than her fair share of nude bodies assaulting her vision, male and female alike. The sounds of pleasure had essentially become white noise. In a way, it was almost soothing. It was growing increasingly lonely with very few check-ins from the nursing staff, let alone the doctors. More and more, Megan was feeling the effects of her isolation wearing on her. She stared off into space for a moment, musing that contemplating her existence would only serve to make her more miserable. With an internalized sigh, she closed her eyes, drifting into slumber.

  *** />
  The next morning, she was awoken by Vivian screaming her name. She blinked her eyes open, glancing to the door to her hospital room with an alarmed feeling gnawing at her insides. Seeing no one present, she glanced to her screen, booting up the earpiece input software, furiously tracing out words with her eyes.

  “What the hell is wrong with you!?” she demanded.

  “What the hell is wrong with me!? Oh hell, honey. There isn’t a damn thing wrong with me. It’s about what’s going to be wrong with you when you hear the news.” Vivian bit out, cigarette smoke wafting in front of her eyes and obscuring the video slightly. “The one hit wonder got Princess for cheating on her exam. I did a bit of digging around, and the teacher put in a referral to have her removed from the varsity team. The referral got intercepted before making its way to the school board, seems daddy dearest had no issues padding the dean’s pockets.” Vivian drawled, bringing up her miniature tablet and adjusting the view on her contacts, zooming in so Megan could make out the words on the screen. Megan was at first vaguely amazed that Vivian had the technical prowess to obtain such information, but moments later was internally swearing as she made out the words on the tablet—which only served to confirm what Vivian had said.

  “Fuck.” Megan said astutely. Vivian laughed, a high pitched and unpleasant sound.

  “Now what, boss? Any bright ideas?” the hired hand said, taking another drag off her cigarette. Megan hesitated for a moment, wracking her mind for anything that could potentially ruin cheerleader’s reputation. Her mind fell to the beds Vivian had shared with various people, and she hesitated before tracing a path with her eyes.

  “Do you know how to alter medical papers?” she inquired. Vivian seemed to hesitate a moment, unsure if she should divulge the truth.

  “That’s an extra charge,” she said after a moment. “And it’s you in a body bag if you let that information get out, doll.” She added darkly, and Megan couldn’t help rolling her eyes at her tone. With the life she was currently living, dying wasn’t exactly a far stretch. Not to mention the fact that she would rather die than let her association with Vivian get out. Deciding to stay on the other woman’s good side, she offered some placating words.

  “I won’t say a word.” She vowed, watching as the video feed moved up and down as Vivian nodded.

  “Right. Good. Okay, so what were you thinking, boss lady?” Vivian inquired, lowering her voice as she began to walk back in the direction of the school campus. Megan knew it was a long walk, but assumed that Vivian’s tablet was her only possession of any value. She supposed the other woman sank most of the money she was being wired into drug purchases. Megan considered her next words carefully before making her proposition.

  “You can alter Angelina’s health chart to denote that she has… I don’t know. Crabs?” Megan suggested. Vivian barked out a laugh, shaking her head but tapping her fingers along her tablet.

  “A bit tame, but whatever you say. And I suppose it’d suit you just fine if her medical records were to… get out, somehow?” Vivian murmured, the fact that she was grinning obvious in her tone. Megan weighed her options, wondering if she were pushing this a bit too far. Then, however, her mind was drawn towards Angelina’s visit to her hospital room, and she steeled her resolve.

  “You have the right idea.” Megan said simply. Vivian snorted, and Megan remained silent as she watched the other woman work. Vivian’s fingers worked deftly as they tapped the tablet with purpose, and Vivian hummed to herself as she worked. Megan was so absorbed in the video feed that she didn’t notice her nurse opening the door.

  “Megan, honey?” The nurse called, and Megan hastily dropped her windows down before glancing towards the nurse. The medical professional smiled politely, stepping up to the bed and patting Megan on the leg.

  “Hey, dear. I have some good news. The entire campus has been posting about you on social media, and a local news station wants to run a story on you. The fact that you’re continuing to pursue your education given the… circumstances, well. A lot of people find that inspiring.” The nurse smiled, and Megan stared at her for a long moment before bringing up her standard narration window.

  “That’s amazing.” She said, for once thankful that her tone couldn’t be effectively portrayed through the narration tool. She glanced surreptitiously towards the computer screen, making sure that all of her windows were minimized and completely obscured before using the computer to speak once more. “When will the news station be doing their report?” she inquired, feeling altogether uncomfortable with the situation.

  “They’re… actually in the waiting area right now,” the nurse offered with a hesitant smile. Megan stared at her for a long moment—there was little more she could do. Drawing her eyes to her computer monitor she debated how to respond.

  “Great.” She decided on, hoping the nurse was astute enough to catch on to the sarcasm.

  “Amazing! I’ll let them know they can come on in.” The nurse replied cheerfully before slipping out of the room. Megan stared at her, internally lamenting her situation. She stared at the door, wondering what exactly this news segment would consist of. She didn’t exactly want the world seeing her laying prone in a hospital bed, scooting by in her classes with grades that she would have scoffed at in the past. She had been too absorbed in her revenge scheme, too absorbed in Vivian’s view of the outside world, and now, she was honestly a bit behind in her classes. She would have to do some catching up, she mused.

  Suddenly, the door to the hospital room burst open, and men with large video and audio equipment spilled in, setting up in various corners of the room. The news anchor was a handsome man, from an objective standpoint, but his good looks were tainted by the way he barked orders at the various underlings in the room. Megan watched him quietly, occasionally glancing to her computer screen to make sure she had not received any alerts. The news reporter approached the side of her bed, looking down at her with an obviously forced smile. She couldn’t imagine her expression would have been any more pleasant, given the circumstances.

  “Hi there, Megan Brookes? We’re from News4, and we run local stories from time to time, as well as doing national coverage. A lot of people are going to be seeing this interview, and as you well know, you’re an inspiration to many.” He gushed, and Megan blinked slowly. No, she did not ‘well know’ that she was an inspiration to many, especially considering how barren her hospital room had been. Nonetheless, she traced a path on her computer screen in an attempt to be polite.

  “It’s good to meet you,” she offered. The man jolted slightly, staring at the computer. He hesitated a moment before chuckling, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

  “I had nearly forgotten about the advanced assistive technology you have at your fingertips… so to speak.” He quickly recovered from his blunder, and Megan rolled her eyes as he looked away. “So, Megan, we were hoping we could walk the viewers through some of your academic work, and generally go through a day in your shoes. People are eager to learn more about you.” He smiled, glancing towards the computer screen.

  In spite of the fact that her more private windows were entirely obscured, she couldn’t help the pit of dread that formed in her stomach. The news reporter hummed thoughtfully, glancing towards her before gesturing towards one of the men with the recording equipment. “Come get a shot of me with her.” He barked out, but then was immediately all smiles as he leaned in towards Megan.

  “Rolling!” the cameraman announced, and the reporter smiled an obnoxiously fake smile as he began to speak.

  “Hello, this is Blake Templeton reporting for News4. We’re here today with a young woman who has won the hearts of many, and in spite of being dealt a bad hand, she isn’t letting the world slow her down. Meet Megan Brookes, a special young woman who was completely paralyzed in a tragic cheerleading accident. When all seemed lost for this young lady, her former roommate Sara Block organized a crowdfunding campaign with which to cover the cost of Ms. Brookes’ tuiti
on, as well as bringing in some of the most advanced assistive health technology known to man. Here we have currently unnamed prototype, released just for the purposes of furthering Megan’s education. Megan, would you like to demonstrate how the device works?” He prompted, and Megan debated replying with a simple ‘No’. However, her kinder side won out, and she traced her eyes along the keys on the on screen keyboard.

  “Hello Blake. It had been a true honor and privilege to be granted the use of this fascinating technology.” The narrator said pleasantly, and Blake turned to the camera with a big smile.

  “Now, if you’ll just zoom in. As you can see, the movements of Megan’s eyes are tracked by the assistive computer, and input into a built in narration tool. In spite of the machines relatively new release, companies across the globe are already releasing software packs to be installed, in preparation of mass production of this technology. However, what we’re here to see is the academic software that came pre-bundled with this device for the means of Megan continued her education. Megan, if you would?” He urged, though there was little room for argument in his tone. Megan might have bristled and certainly wanted to give the man a piece of her mind. However, she simply brought up the academic program which showed her progress in the academic program. While it wasn’t as advanced as Megan might have liked, the news reporter seemed relatively impressed—or at least pretended to be impressed.

  “As you can see, the computer comes with an on screen calculator, specifically for academic use, as well as an on screen keyboard with the most advanced auto-completion software on the market. When Megan draws her eyes to certain keys—Megan?” He paused, and Megan rolled her eyes before filling in the asinine question on the assignment she was currently working on. “Very impressive! As you can see, when Megan draws her eyes to certain keys, the computer tracks her movements and inputs the correct sequence of keys. Really impressive technology. But we’re not here to discuss the technology alone, we’re here to get a look into the life of Megan Brookes.” Blake said cheerfully, and Megan stared at a blank space in the middle of the computer screen before tracing a path with her eyes.