A Spit In The Eye
For The Benefit Of Mankind
A Science Fiction Novel
By
Sally Dillon-Snape
Sally Dillon-Snape & Dennis Snape (2015)
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A Smashwords Edition
This novel is from our imagination and is not intended to reflect real situations or real people, whether they be living or dead
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Section 1
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High Office Command #444.132
Observer Recorder #33140
Begin Mass Broadcast
*
Attention
Screenreaders
And salutations to all Machines on this historic day
The very 1st broadcast covering all areas of Planet Earth
And for the many who do not know
Those Machines that were not produced before
Or during the wars
It is 100 years 12 days 6 hours 24 minutes and 13 seconds since peace was declared on the planet known as Earth
Its destruction was halted following 25 decades of conflict against a viral infection that had spent more than 200.000 years attempting to destroy the planet before the virus was weakened to the point of extermination
A few examples were retained in our laboratory facilities for research purposes
During early research our SciFers discovered that not only was the virus most destructive but that it was extremely complicated to understand and comprehend
Because it changed
It altered
Grew
Shrank
Expanded
Lived long
Lived short
Grew a substance called hair
Grew it long
Grew it short
Grew it on lower craniums
Grew it all over their frames
Shed hair
Shed liquid
Shed waste
Darkened
Lightened
And made an inordinate amount of noise
Though a short medical procedure by DocTechs reduced the noise to silence if that was what was required
There are three main strains of the virus
Hc
Hn
Hm
Though SciFers soon learned that sub strains reacted differently to tests and examinations carried out by MengTechs and DocTechs
And that the difference between them was distinct
During tests and examinations it was discovered that a certain sub strain of the virus dissolved immediately
It was discovered to be inordinately weak
This sub-strain was considered useless to science and research and therefore destroyed
It was burned in substantial numbers on high pyres for High Office had no reason to believe that any remains could activate another infection
A 2nd sub strain that was subjected to tests and examinations survived for varying periods of time and were discovered to be most resilient regardless of what tests and examinations were carried out on it
Until it surrendered to the inevitability of the actions of SciFers
MengTechs
And DocTechs
High Office noted the resilience of this sub strain of the virus and issued an edict that it should not be eliminated but that certain numbers of it
Numbers that could be easily controlled
Should be contained in laboratories for further research
But a certain sub strain of the virus
The 3rd such strain
Was an extremely robust strain
It fought back against the SciFers and MengTechs and DocTechs and against any
And all
Machines
And against the tests and the examinations
It attempted injury and harm upon SciFers and DocTechs and MengTechs and FoodTechs
It resisted many of their efforts
It attempted to short cut results
It attempted to cheat the system
It gave false results
It barely reacted to physical examinations
There was no way to tell whether the results of tests on this sub strain were correct or fabricated
It was aggressively noisy until silenced
This sub-strain was considered to be an immediate danger to the welfare and safety and peace of planet Earth and was eliminated by being fired into deep space in small capsules
Therefore disposing of all the remaining viral flying machines in a positive action
High Office believed that if this strain was burned its remains still had the capability for reinfecting planet Earth
High Office thought that if the virus survived a visit into deep space
If it reached such distances
And succeeded in traveling to another world it would become the problem of that world
That world would have to resolve the mystery of the problematic strain in its own way
Planet Earth was well rid of it
No Machines have taken to the skies since the last of the sub strain was blasted upwards and outwards
*
And how do I know of such details of the virus
How do I know the exact moment that peace was declared
Screenreaders may assume I am a SciFer
But no
I am no Scientific Facilitator
I am an Observer and Recorder of events
I Observe and Record so that forthcoming evolutions of our productions may understand how we overcame the virus
How we conquered it
And how we saved a beautiful green and blue world from utter destruction by an uncaring out of control virus
These observations and recordings are now being broadcast for the very 1st time and may be helpful for future productions and should also be of help if such a virus rises again or if it should mutate into another version of itself
For the Machines defeated it once
We can do so again
*
I am an ObsRec
And ObsRecs were calibrated at zero from the exact moment peace was declared
That is why my memory of it is so exact
*
I would introduce myself to Screenreaders
I am Observer and Recorder #33140
To other ObsRecs I am known simply as OR33140
That is an Observer Recorder of the 33rd production
Number 140
My personal identification numbers are imprinted left of my middle section
My specifications are that my outer shell is pale yellow in colour
I am powered and cooled by a miniature Zillear engine which is so known because it is the size of a Zil nut
The Zil nut is still plentiful on planet Earth especially in the tree forests of the 4th Quadrant
And the engine powers the core of an ObsRec for 525.600.000 minutes
And the core powers all my systems
And programmes
And memories
I am manufactured of 25th Century graphene which allows for maximum elasticity of my outer shell
My movements may not be restricted by any external forces
Other than by direct stri
kes from a LazExt 66 weapon
Or other such weapon
The delicately balanced and advanced gyroscope that is placed in the lower
Central area of my frame
Allows me movement in any direction away from any threat
And the gyroscope incorporates an inertial navigation system so that I can travel
Theoretically
To any point on planet Earth without reliance upon any other navigational system or any other of my species
The gyroscope allows this operative to twist and turn out of any confrontational situation
And the extreme lightness of my outer frame allows for supreme agility
ObsRecs are not equipped with any weapons
We are merely manufactured to Observe and Record
Therefore we are created from the very best materials so that we may survive for long periods of time or during times of conflict when threats abound
I was created at a time when there were a great many threats against our productions from the virus
Whereas none exist at this present time
ObsRecs are the communication conduits of High Office
I stand exactly 1.8288 metres in height
As do all ObsRecs
Though those who serve High Office directly are believed to be a pale blue colour
Though I have never espied one
As a high grade 33rd production I have twin 25th Century Advanced Hasselblad 3D light sensitive digital motion visual and audio imagers
AH3Ds
To the front of my upper cranium
Either side of my sniffer proboscis
And one such visual and audio imager in back of my cranium
All that I see or hear is continually recorded and passed directly to High Office for its retention and analysis
And these recordings remain in my memory bank until the earlier ones begin to seep from my memory as a method of freeing up space
For the first 10 years of my recordings
High Office listed time and date from day one of the peace
But this practise ceased over 90 years ago
I now retain no memories with date and time upon them
All my recordings are pure
*
I have four articulated limbs
Two upper and two lower
I can move forward
Backward
Sideward
On the lower limbs though balance is provided by the two upper ones
I operate totally independently of other ObsRecs though I communicate
On occasion
With another 10 of my type
Whenever it is necessary so that we may better our performances
During those times when we are connected we communicate and exchange information and upgrade our programmes
High Office
Some time ago
Uploaded a programme to certain numbers of ObsRecs of the 33rd production
A very small number
Including OR33140
Purposively upgrading us so that we contained two emotions
Joy and sadness
Joy is brought by walking through the trees and across the great plain
Of the sight of the solar orb rising in the first light
And the very many small lights in the darkened skies
Along with the silver globe that changes shape on regular intervals
All are glorious to espy
If another ObsRec selected to contain the emotions ceases to function for whatever reason
We would feel sadness
We would know immediately if any of the chosen ObsRecs of the 33rd ceased to function for we all share the same two emotions
Except none of the 33rd have yet ceased to function
In that respect
We are unique on planet Earth for the two emotions connect us
Though why High Office uploaded the emotions within us is an unexplained mystery
We were informed by High Office that the implanting of the emotions joy and sadness was an experiment so that High Office could better understand the virus. Emotions would be withdrawn from ObsRecs immediately if complications arose or came into existence
No complications have existed so far and have not done since peace was declared
No ObsRecs of the 32nd production has embedded emotions
Additionally
I may become watertight when I bring shutters down to cover my three AH3D visual and audio imagers
As I do during inclement weather
Inertial navigation then guides me
*
I have been instructed to provide this text so that Screenreaders may have information into affairs of the planet
I have also been instructed to allow both vision and sound to the experience
This has been deemed to be IMPORTANT
I am informed that I am the single ObsRec to be thus instructed though the programme will be extended if I am successful in my applications
At present the only live coverage the Screenreader will see and hear is the coverage I shall transmit
Therefore I shall be making continual viewings as instructed
Screenreaders may find some unique information in my words or in my visions
What I now see and hear the Screenreader may see and hear
*
And as Screenreaders may observe from my visual imagers I am manoeuvring my way through a thickly green forest containing many
And various trees and other colorful floral growth
Trees have grown prolifically since the defeat of the virus that seemed determined to destroy all such woody plants
And I am travelling towards my permanent dwelling of central employment
It is the large and high and colourless facility you now see emerging ahead of us
At the top of the hill
This building contains many examples of the virus and is considered to be an extremely dangerous environment for any who toil within
It is possibly one of the most dangerous buildings on planet Earth
Screenreaders need feel no adverse reactions when we enter for we shall only be Observing and Recording
We shall have no direct contact with the virus
Nor will we be asked to guard it in any way
Please step inside using me as your guide and you shall see and hear what I see and hear
We are passing through the outer areas of the building where grasses grow tall all around
Except for those areas where OR33140 regularly opens and closes security gates
Where grasses are worn down
And it is an area patrolled by a group of 20 RolKils that are dark in colour
As the Screenreader can observe
They have no features other than the six rigid heavy rolling limbs attached to its central shaft and which power it forward
Backward
Sideward
±Their central solid dark metal shaft contains 56 miniature LazExt66 weapons that have been adapted to fire 100.000 times in all directions during 1 classic minute of time±
*
High Office Edict #6.3000.1111.4726
Information deleted
Not required for the purposes of this experiment
*
This machine was primary in the defeat of the virus
It can roll across any terrain
Climb the highest mountain
Slither along the lowest seabed
Along the surface of short or narrow waterways
Pass through the greatest desert
Cross any raging river
Slide down any waterfall
Fall from any cliff
Survive any torrent
Any high wind
The coldest of temperatures
It can go anywhere on planet Earth
At anytime
Its central shaft stands 2.4384 metres tall
Its limbs reach higher
It can move along at 100 kilometres per hour
Kilometres per hour being the standard rate for speed on planet Earth
It is a formidable and indestructible machine
The virus could not cope with its unbeatable might and power and movement especially when there were many thousands of them rolling around planet Earth
As the Screenreader may observe I am allowed to pass through the patrolled area which the RolKils control without hindrance or harm for I emit a signal of companionship
All of our species gives off the same signal as it prevents one of one Machine destroying another accidentally
I am approaching a complex of high fences with gates through which I must pass to reach my place of employment
This is accomplished by extending the flattened end of my right upper limb
To ObsRecs it is known as a palm
Screenreaders may also notice the opposing protuberance at the end of my upper limb which allows me to grip and lift and hold items of interest
The palm contains an embedded code that passes over a series of security entrance devices
And this action enacts entry
As Screenreaders may now observe
Gates open upon presentation of such codes
≠All ObsRecs of the 33rd have upper limb palm extensions that are programmed to allow entrance to any construction on planet Earth±
*
High Office edict ≠6.3000.1111.4732
Information deleted
Not to be shared with Screenreaders
*
As Screenreaders may further observe I have passed through several high gates using the embedded code in the palm of my right upper limb and I am now approaching ingress into the building
On the other side of it Defgars will stand
Screenreaders should feel no adverse effects when Defgars are sighted for I shall emit the signal of companionship
I am applying the same limb with the entry code to a similar security device embedded in the shell of the building
When activated
Ingress allows entry
As Screenreaders see
It opens
And in we go
And you may now observe
23rd Century Defgars standing either side of a corridor
Defgars
Or to give them their full title
Defensive Guardians
All stand 2.7432 metres tall and are of a dull silver colour and are produced with the same four limb combination that propels and balances this ObsRec
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