Warborg - Star Panther

by Olson, Ry

  Swain cleared his throat. “Yes and no Martin. In the beginning the world you’re living in for the past month or so was all the cyborg had, and for the most part they weren’t very happy. They could communicate and they could exist and that was about it. Then the medtech psychologists started analyzing ways to make the cyborg plight more livable.”

  Martin nodded. “Yeah this is getting a little old, I couldn’t understand how these guys,” he nodded toward Reese, “could live like this year in and year out.”

  Swain continued. “After working on it for awhile they came to realize the cyborg needed a more natural way to exist. It was obvious that they could never just re-integrate back into biological society, so they concentrated on developing a virtual world where cyborg could interact in a more natural environment. The final outcome of this project was Sensory Synchronization, it allows cyborg to share a real-time, fully tactile virtual environment.”

  “Ok, so I assume from what you’re telling me, I have the ability to enter this virtual world.” Martin gave the other two a questioning look.

  “All of us do.” Reese rumbled. “It’s part of the package when you agree to trade in your biological being. But there’s more, once you understand this virtual world you can create your own private living space.” Reese gave Martin one of his rare full smiles. “Want to see my place?”

  Swain looked a little sad. “Go ahead Martin, Reese’s is really nice. Sometimes I wish I could see it as more than just a holograph and really experience it.” He sighed. “I get so damned tired of this metal and plastic world.”

  Martin eyed Swain’s wistful image quizzically. “Ok sure. How?”

  “I’ll see you two later at Charlie’s.” Swain winked and the vidphone image blinked out.

  ^Ok Martin just relax, I mean make your body relax. Good now look into the greyness behind me. Feel the tingle.^

  Martin nodded.

  ^Don’t fight it, it’s what you want. Now just follow me. The tingle is going to get really noticeable, just let it run its course. When it starts to fade do us both a favor. Stop, close your eyes and take a deep breath. It’s one hell of a shock to your system the first time, so just stand there with your eyes closed and relax until it feels natural.^ Reese turned a round and started to walk away.

  Stand there? Martin tried to stay relaxed and followed Reese. In a few seconds it felt like his whole body was prickling with pins and needles, like when your foot falls asleep, it was a strange yet familiar sensation. The tingle started to fade and Martin did as Reese instructed, he stopped and closed his eyes. The tingle disappeared and he felt his feet. What the friggin’ hell, I’m standing up. Martin smashed his eyes closed realizing Reese was right. God damn, I’m alive. It can’t be. He felt himself start to shake.

  “Easy Martin, just relax. Listen to my voice Martin. Just let it go, come on, just let it go.” Reese coaxed his friend knowing the sensory shock he was going through. “It’s ok, just let it run it’s course, you’re doing fine. And just speak naturally, we’re not in a hardlink anymore.”

  Martin felt the shakes dissipate. He felt himself trying to catch his breath. This just can’t be. “Reese?” He tested. “Tell me I haven’t totally lost it.” He could smell, he could feel air moving slowly around him, he could feel warmth coming from in front of him. “Dammit Reese . . . “

  Reese Smiled at Martin’s scrunched up face and relaxed himself, Martin was going to be ok. “No you haven’t lost it, just get a good grip and open your eyes when you think you can handle another dose.” Reese chuckled. “Don’t worry, this one’s not near as tough.”

  Martin took a deep breath and almost screamed at the almost forgotten sensation, he blew it out, sending a chill up his forgotten spine, relaxed and slowly opened his eyes. He was dumfounded staring at his surroundings. Now I know I’ve lost it. He was standing in front of a modest fire softly crackling in a fire place. He looked around him, he was in a smallish log cabin with a plank floor partially covered by a worn braid rug, a couple comfortable looking recliners faced the fire along with an old leather couch. Old western style artwork decorated the walls and a deer’s head was mounted above the fireplace. A little kitchenette sat in the corner and he could see a bed with a billowing feather mattress through a doorway. Snow was softly falling outside a bay window over looking a small corral with a pine forest behind it. “How Reese?” were the only words he could force out.

  Reese chuckled. “All in good time, have a seat, take a load off.” He waved toward the recliners. “One thing Martin, in a shared virtual environment you have to actually speak to be heard. Doc doesn’t even know why, that’s just the way it is.” Reese finished with a slight shrug.

  Martin eased himself to the chair and tentatively sat. He could feel the chair he was sitting in; thoughtfully he massaged the padded armrests. With a little wince he leaned back and felt the recliner slide back. Martin closed his eyes. This is surreal, I feel like I’m back in my old body. He took a deep breath. God, I can smell. Old leather, smoke, wood, coffee . . . COFFEE!! His eyes flew open. “Reese, do I smell coffee?”

  “Yep, want a cup?” Reese was standing with his back to the fire place and started for the kitchen.

  “Can I taste it?” Martin was flustered for a minute. “I mean when you drink it does it actually taste like coffee . . . aww hell, you know what I mean.”

  Reese roared with laughter, then wandered back and handed Martin a cup, keeping another for himself.

  Martin looked longingly at the steam drifting slowly from the cup and took a long sniff. “Oh man, this is heaven.” With more than a little apprehension he took a sip. He felt the hot bitter liquid slosh back in his mouth; he looked at Reese with an unspoken question and swallowed. The warmth flowed down his throat. The two cyborg shared a smile in silence while Martin sipped his coffee, savoring every drop.

  “But how Reese?” Martin waved his hands about. “How did you make this? Everything feels so real.”

  Reese lounged in his recliner. “Well, I guess as far as your senses go it is real. In fact the only thing that won’t feel real in a virtual reality is another cyborg, they tell me that’s because we’re the only thing the computers don’t generate.” Reese held his hand out. “Here shake my hand.”

  Martin looked at him for a moment then leaned over to shake. His hand passed through Reese’s with a feeling he’d passed it through skin temperature water, there was just a little resistance; that was it. He then felt the chair and his own leg, it all seemed solid. He shuddered a little. “How bizarre.” He looked around. “But where did it all come from?”

  Reese gave him his lopsided smile. “I bought it.”

  “You bought it? You bought what? With what?” Martin shook his head and stared at the ceiling.

  “Martin, you’re still in the military as a pilot, so you’re still being paid.”

  Martin’s mouth hung open for a moment. “Well color me stupid. God, I never even considered they’d still be paying me. After all what would I use money for . . .” His eyes opened wide and he gaped at Reese. “To buy programming?”

  Reese laughed at Martin’s confusion. “Yep, among a few other things. This little world takes up quite a bit of memory and processor time. Want to see my last two weeks pay?”

  “Sure I guess.”

  “Jenny, come here girl.”

  There was a noise from the bedroom and hound came lolling from the door. She saw Martin and sniffed him. Martin reached out reflexively and scratched her head, feeling the warm soft fur. She sat down next to Martin looking at him with big brown eyes, tail slowly wagging and occasionally thumping the floor. Then she started to pant.

  “Now this is too weird, dog breath, c’mon Reese.” Martin gave him a cocked smile.

  “Hey, for an extra hundred credits they’d a made her pass gas now and then.” He stated with a straight face, but couldn’t maintain it when he saw the look on Martin’s face. “I know it sounds strange but she’s real good company, at nig
ht sittin’ in front of this fire, reading a book.” Reese sobered. “Martin, you and I live in a virtual world. Nothing is real. Everything we see, touch, feel is processed by computers and fed into what’s left of our senses. You think I’m crazy, but in a virtual world the only things that exist in that world, aside from other cyborg, are virtual. So I bought a virtual dog.” Reese looked a little sad.

  Martin felt a moment of shame as he scratched Jenny, trying to comprehend that those sweet eyes were nothing but some programming on a computer. “I’m sorry Reese, I’ve just got a lot to learn. Your place is incredible, I can see why Doc would really like to visit.” Martin perked up. “But, dang it Reese, where in the hell would you buy a virtual dog, in a virtual pet shop?” He noticed Reese’s growing smile. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” He sighed at rubbed his temples, reveling in the fact he could feel it.

  “And that brings us to Charlie’s Place.” Reese chuckled.

  . . .

  “You ready?” Reese asked with a sly smile.

  “Yeah, I guess.” Martin contemplated Reese for a moment. “There’s something going on you’re not telling me about.” Martin accused, taking a last look around Reese’s little universe. I’m glad they let me acclimate to being a cyborg before they showed me this, a month ago I don’t think I could have left to go back to reality.

  Reese winked. “Just relax and have some fun.” He gave Martin an evil smile. “Trust me.”

  “Oh shit,” Martin sighed then muttered, “let’s get this over with.” He thought about his fighter as Reese had instructed and with a numbing snap he was back in his world, sitting in a silent, darkened bay. Reese signaled for a hard link. ^Hi, Reese.^

  ^Alright, now just relax and think ‘Charlie’s Place’. Since this is your first time it may take a few seconds to make the connection.^

  Martin mentally shook himself out and thought; Charlie’s Place. He repeated the thought a few times and a doorway materialized in front of him just hanging in the grayness. There was no handle but there was a palm reader in the frame. Reese materialized next to him.

  ^Ok, I have to go through first and set the system to admit you. When it’s set the reader will start flashing, just use it like you normally would.^ Reese pressed his palm against the reader, a second later fog rolled up around him and sucked him through the door.

  I notice they didn’t even bother to open the door; hell maybe it doesn’t open, this virtual world shit is more than a little confusing. The reader started to pulse a faint green. Martin sucked in his breath and pressed his hand on the solid feeling reader. He felt a slight tingle. Oh crap, here we go again. He mentally braced himself as the gray fog started to churn.

  “ . . . A pub?” Martin gawked around him. The Olde English style pub was crowded and the air was loaded with long forgotten scents and sounds.

  Reese’s laugh rumbled beside him. “For tonight anyway, yesterday it was a bowling alley.”

  “Martin!” Dottie sailed up from the crowd with Brian in tow.

  Reese contemplated Brian’s shirt in silence, but Martin couldn’t handle it and burst out laughing, “Oh now there’s classic.” Martin glanced around in mock panic. “Check please!”

  “Well, I know when I’ve been insulted.” Brian looked away and sniffed in disdain.

  “Brian, that shirt’s a public disgrace, and you know it.” Dottie scolded, waving her finger at him.

  “Yeah, that’s why I wear it.” He howled in laughter. “Come on Reese, let’s get this show on the road.”

  “Only if you promise to keep that shirt at a safe distance.” Reese grumbled. “Martin, follow me please.”

  Martin followed and had a dubious feeling as Reese stepped up on to a low stage in the corner on the pub. The little four piece band ground to a halt.

  “May I have your attention please?” Reese started banging an empty beer stein against a post set in the corner of the stage. The crowd noise started to fade. “May I have your attention please?” The crowd fell silent watching the stage. Reese cleared his throat. “Thank you. Tonight it gives me great honor to introduce the newest member of our cyborg community.” He waved Martin on to the stage, and continued when Martin was standing beside him. “Folks, I would like you to meet Captain Martin Morgan.”

  Martin nodded to the crowd as they gave him a round of applause.

  “Now as tradition demands we will have a few words from those that know Martin and have watched him become the cyborg he is today. Our first guest is non-other than that esteemed physician Doctor Franken . . . I mean Swain.”

  Martin had a sinking feeling as he realized what was going on. A roast, oh great. He gave Reese his best, ‘you’re a dead man’, glare. Reese answered with a smile of feigned innocence.

  A large holoscreen faded into view next to the stage. Doctor Swain smiled out to the crowd where he was met by an equal number of howdies, facetious raspberries and cat calls. “Well thank you for that fine introduction Mister Reese, by the way isn’t it about time for you to come in and have your rectum sensors re-aligned?”

  There was a collective “Yewww” from the crowd.

  “Martin Morgan? What can you say about such an outstanding person?” Swain opened with a poker face.

  Martin braced himself for the worst.

  “Why I’ll never forget the first words I heard from my new intellectually stimulating patient.”

  “Jesus Christ, who turned out the friggin’ lights?” A recording of Martin’s voice bellowed across the room. Martin visibly sagged as the crowd roared.

  Swain smiled. “Yes, dear Martin, it was always such a joy to work with such a professional who could articulate his feelings so well.”

  “Yo Doc, you go about an inch lower and I’m going to have to buy you flowers and a box of candy.” Martin felt himself go beet red and it didn’t fade for the next five minutes. But he didn’t care he was laughing so hard as Swain pummeled him with out of context quotes and acidic narration concerning his adaption to becoming a cyborg and intelligence in general. Martin was blinking back tears as Swain wound down.

  “And finally.” Swain grew serious. “It was a great privilege to work with a man who took so much in stride with grace and humor. You gritted your teeth during the bad times giving me the time I needed and I spent more time laughing with you than any other cyborg I’ve met. You were more than a patient Martin, you were and are a good friend. I thank you.”

  Polite applause followed Swain and Martin felt a little choked up. It had been a terrible ordeal, but that man had made it work. I owe him so damn much. Martin sighed and braced himself for the next barrage.

  “Well, after the good Doctor got through stuffing Martin in his brain bucket we had to teach him how to fly his ship and . . .”

  For the next five minutes they showed Martin’s gaffs as he mastered his ship. The antics were funny, but the best part was the sound effects someone had thoughtfully added and the voice transmissions where they had bleeped out any profanities, plus quite a bit of other stuff for good measure. Even Martin was roaring as his ship tumbled away and the only sounds were someone grinding an ancient gearbox and nearly continuous bleeping with just a word here and there.

  “Well, he did eventually learn to fly that thing. But we have to watch him every second.” Reese melodramatically shook his head and sighed in despair. He looked up and smiled. “Martin, why don’t you give us a few words.”

  Martin knew it was coming and was prepared. “Thanks Reese,” he nodded to the holoscreen, “Doc and the rest of you who have had to put up with me for the last couple months.” He spotted Maria looking up at him in the crowd and mentally stumbled. “I guess I can honestly say everyone here has gone through what I have so I won’t linger on the lurid details. Just let me close by saying thank you all for being here and I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” Martin stepped back and polite applause rolled up from the audience.

  Briton stepped up on to the stage. Reese glanced at Brian who
just shrugged.

  “Hi folks.” Briton smiled over the quiet crowd.

  They all just stared at Commander Briton in expectant silence. He rarely spoke to the group, always aware that his position made it uncomfortable for some of the cyborg to be around him.

  “I know it’s unusual but I wanted to give you a little background on our newest member.” He looked at Martin. “Do you mind?”

  Martin sensed it was a real question, not just a formality and he could decline if he wished, but he was curious. He trusted Briton wouldn’t say anything he wouldn’t want the others to know. “No, of course not, Sir.”

  Briton nodded. “Captain Morgan has chosen to be a warborg, and as you saw he now pilots one of our Light Fighters, a difficult ship to fly at best. But accepting the challenge to master one of these mean ships was nothing new to Martin, he was a premiere manned Light Fighter pilot for three tours prior to this one. He had logged well over twenty five hundred hours and had ninety three confirmed kills.”

  There was a murmur from the crowd.

  “Tonight we have inflicted all sorts of humiliation on him and he stood his ground and laughed with us. Earlier today I had a discussion with an associate of Martin’s and decided to give him a moment of equal time, sometimes in our own little worlds we forget why we are all out here. A few hours ago Martin and the rest of Jester squadron engaged in battle and unusual as it is I wanted to show you the simulation of that combat. There is no sound and it only lasts a few seconds, so look away if you don’t want to see the cold reality of our warborg world. I will only show it once, and this is realtime.”

  A holotank appeared on the stage where the band was sitting, the simulation was large enough for everyone to see and Swain looked down from the vidscreen. After the few seconds of three dimensional combat played out the holotank was replaced by the band. The crowd was silent and Martin self-consciously stood to the side.

  Briton turned to Martin. “I think you learned to fly that ship, Martin.”