The Phantom of the Factory

Part 1

Eric Rift was once an ordinary factory worker. The factory at which Eric was employed at was producing Robots for Ruman Industries. However one day, a new machine was installed at the factory, a machine that automatically programmed the robots. A tragic accident soon occurred.

It was lunch-break at the factory on a Thursday afternoon. Eric Rift waved to a co-worker as he tiredly walked to his lunch that was awaiting his arrival in his work locker. Then the event that would change Eric forever happened, he slipped on some oil on the floor, and landed face-up and the assembly line heading straight for the new programming machine. Fear seized every inch of Eric’s mind as he quickly tried to get up, put it was just simply to late.

The newly installed automatic programming machine creating a bloody and horrid mess as it cut into Eric’s skull. The screams of agony that issued from Eric where soon muted as nearly his entire brain was removed. Only about one-sixth of his brain remained and the other five-sixths were soon replaced with machinery. Eric’s face was also severely damaged and now deformed. Eric was technically dead at this point.

The next thing Eric knew he saw red letters and numbers making up thousands of codes, sprinting across his shut eyelids. When he opened his eyes he saw a doctor and a nurse to perfect to be human, she was a robotic nurse.

“Oh good you’re coming around….” The Doctor said.

“Shall I fetch the mirror, Doctor?” the robotic nurse asked

“I hoped this time would never come….yes, Nurse, fetch the mirror.” Said the doctor reluctantly

“What? What happened?” Eric asked highly frightened

“Don’t worry Mr. Rift, You were in a horrible factory accident. It is my job to inform you that you are now a cyborg, a cybernetic organism. You were programmed to be an assistant for the blind, but we’ve re-programmed you to have free will….However, due to the machinery now connected to what’s left of your brain….we weren’t able to restore your face….I’m sorry Mr. Rift.” Answered the Doctor

“Here’s the mirror Doctor.” The robotic nurse said in a monotone voice

When Eric saw the hideous demon that stared back at him it drove the fraction of his brain to insanity. Eric leaped out of the hospital bed and ran down the hall. His destination was the Ruman Robot Factory.

Part 2

Eric managed to get out of the hospital without anything eventful happening. However as he ran down the sidewalk outside, he could hear the screams of frightened mothers as they held their crying and wailing babies close to them.

“I need to hide my face.” Eric thought in his insane fraction of a brain.

Eric reached the factory and was confronted by a guardbot. Before the accident Eric would never even dream of punching a robot, but now that he was insane, he went ahead and punched the robot. Much to Eric’s and the Guardbot’s surprise, when Eric punched the bot in the head, it’s head came clean off.

Eric was in shock of his newly found strength as he watched the Guardbot tumble to the ground. As soon as he thought “How can this be?” , he saw a flash of images speed through his vision. At first he didn’t understand but then he knew. His machine brain had just answered his human brain. Slowly, Eric understood what the machine brain’s answer was. Since humans use small pulses of electricity to send signals from the brain to the muscles, the machine brain amplified those signals and thus dramatically increased his strength.

Realizing the potential of this ability, Eric started to look at this accident as a possible blessing in disguise. Although, Eric still bent down and ripped a piece of the Guardbot’s gray flat face-mask off and poked an eye hole through it. Then he proceeded to violently rip out some circuitry and use it to tie the mask around his face.

“I am the Phantom of the Factory.” Eric whispered to himself and then let out a crazed, hysterical laugh.

Hiding in the ventilation system, Eric spied on the operations of the factory that altered his life. After a few days of this, Eric spotted her. He guessed she was a robot, pale skin, long raven hair, and with the help of his zoom lens from the machinery, he could tell she had magical blue eyes.

“I’ve got to talk to her.” Was Erik’s only thought for a long time.

Eric eventually saw her get plugged into a charger, thus confirming his belief that she was a robot. The more and more he spied on her doing chores throughout the factory the more and more he could feel himself falling madly in love. He couldn’t wait any longer, he had to confront her soon.

“Tomorrow night….tomorrow night….” Eric assured himself in the ventilation system while watching the unknown robot woman he was madly in love with sweep the floor.

Part 3

It was late the next night when Eric was brooding over when to meet this robotic perfection of a lady. He saw her from the vent shaft and swooped down in front of her. The fembot’s programming immediately went into a protective mode as she was now simulating surprise and fear.

“Relax beautiful. I am the angel of robotics and I am here to help you. What is your name?” Eric said with the grace and magnificence he could muster.

“I am Christine…or model RM10907.” Christine said sheepishly

Eric gazed at her through his mask, she was more human looking than he had expected. He slowly leaned in very close to her and studied her intently. He could see the tiny, almost microscopic hairs on her arms that must’ve been hand-placed. He could see the various pores in her skin on her face. He noticed how she forever painted in eyeliner, lip stick, blush, and eye-shadow.

He gently moved his hand up and down her exposed upper arm, and whispered into her ear, “Follow me Christine.”

Christine’s monitors warned her to get away from this “Angel of Robotics” as soon as possible, but by mere chance, a glitch, or perhaps even robotic love, she didn’t leave and she quietly followed him, semi-mesmerized.

Eric lead her up onto a factory balcony where he stopped and began to try and start a conversation with Christine.

“So how do you like it at the factory, Christine?” Eric asked

“It’s ok” Christine answered still a little foggy.

“Well listen Christine, I’ve been watching you for weeks, and I want to be your friend, and help you out. I just think you’re beautiful.” Eric swooned the fembot while stroking her brunette hair and gazing into her blue eyes.

“Thank you.” Was the only thing Christine could answer, by now her monitors where urging her to run and activate the security droids. But Christine just couldn’t, not that, not to him, not to Eric.

“I’ll meet you again tomorrow night Christine.” Eric said and disappeared as soon as he had confronted Christine.

“Tomorrow night….” Christine said aloud

Part 4

The next morning at the factory a man wearing a pin-stripe suit and slicked back white hair entered the building. Christine saw the human who owned and maintained the factory rush over to great him. She them talk and then the owner of the factory looked and pointed at her. The white haired man looked and saw Christine and smiled. He walked over to talk to her.

“Greetings, Christine. I’m Raul, the owner of this factory and I have just made a deal. In a few short days you’ll belong to me. Hope to see you around.” Raul said and exited the building just as quick as he had entered.

Christine’s sensors where in shock and she absentmindedly opened her stomach panel underneath her sleeveless shirt. She lifted up her shirt and stared at the wiring and circuitry inside her.

“Is it really possible that I…I, a mere robot can love?” She thought as she shut her stomach panel.

“What I’m going to do with Eric? I don’t want to go with Raul.” She thought again.

Later that night Eric found Christine again, and was feeling pretty up-beat until Christine told him the news about her new future owner, Raul.

“You can’t leave me! I love you!” Eric proclaimed to the heavens.

Christine was silent for a moment as she thought to herself and then said, “I’m sorry Eric! I have some feelings too, but I must do as I am ordered to do….i’m sorry”

“Oh yeah? As you’re ordered to do? Well don’t worry you’ll get to do plenty of that.” Eric said angrily and vanished into the vent shaft.

A few days later Raul came to claim Christine but Eric, who was hiding in the vent shaft, had other plans. Eric had found and stolen Christine’s remote control after spending sleepless night scouring through the factories library of remotes. He turned it on just as she was about to leave the building.

Christine froze in place her grew a little wider and she had a blank stare. She turned on the spot and walked the opposite directions, towards Eric.

“What? Christine, what are you doing? Come back.” Raul said irritated and confused

Christine walked stiffly as she traveled towards the ventilation shaft in her dark purple short-shorts and matching sports bra that Raul had picked out for her. The color of the clothing contrasted with her almost milky white creamy skin.

Eric jumped down to ground level and grabbed the now emotionless Christine and laughed as he rose back up into the vents and eventually on to the roof and the five-story factory.

Raul reached the roof just as Eric and Christine were in the middle of kissing frantically. Somewhat outraged, Raul charged at them, but Eric simply stepped out of the way and Raul kept running and flipped over the wall where he fell to his death.

At first Eric laughed, but then he realized he didn’t have the remote anymore. He figured out that when Raul charged at him he must have been able to grab the remote before he fell. The remote was broken. Sorrow dawned on Eric. He had read that Christine’s model type had one fatal flaw and that was why they were only sold to private buyers, like Raul. The tragic flaw was that if the robot of that particular model number was being controlled by the remote while the remote was destroyed, it would render the robot completely useless.

Eric heard a loud thud and turned to see Christine slumped on the floor in a big pile.

Now drenched in sadness, Eric ripped off his mask and screamed the screams of insanity.

THE END

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