5.j.
Business Woman
held the head of a Jack unit in her hands, her fingers frantically adjusting
the wires, pulling apart circuitry, and making a deliberate mess of the
electronics inside the housing. The head
clicked and a whirring sound buzzed from somewhere within.
Then it yelped
like an injured robot dog.
She adjusted
more parts and the yelping ceased.
“Jack?” she
said. “Are you operational?”
“Negative,”
said the Jack head. Its lips did not
move. “I seem to have sustained negative
body damage and cannot access my facial expressions matrix.”
“But you are
able to answer my questions?”
“Yes.”
“Are you
willing to answer all my questions?
Truthfully? Disclosing even
guarded company secrets?”
“All that I
have access to,” said Jack.
“Good,” said
Business Woman. Use the competition’s
assets against them. Her favorite
gambit. “Jack. Are you able to locate my business
associates?”
“Yes.”
“Lead me to
them. And then I want you to lead us out
of this place.”
“Can do,” said
Jack.
“Are you able
to shut down all the remaining Betty and Jack units?” asked Business Woman.
“Negative. All units operate via master/slave circuits
and must be disconnected individually or through the master control.”
“Great,”
muttered Business Woman. “Alright. Let’s find the others. Take me to Corporate
Man.
