The Cyborg Chronicles (The Future Chronicles) Read online

  The Cyborg Chronicles

  WINDRIFT BOOKS

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  THE CYBORG CHRONICLES

  No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the proper written permission of the appropriate copyright holder listed below, unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal and international copyright law. Permission must be obtained from the individual copyright owners as identified herein.

  The stories in this book are fiction. Any resemblance to any place, event, or person—whether wholly biological or cybernetically augmented—is purely coincidental.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  The Cyborg Chronicles copyright © 2015 Samuel Peralta and Windrift Books.

  Foreword copyright © 2015 by Samuel Peralta. Used by permission of the author.

  “The Regular” by Ken Liu, copyright © 2014 Ken Liu. First published in Upgraded, edited by Neil Clarke. Used by permission of the author.

  “Upgrade Complete” by Paul K. Swardstrom, copyright © 2015 Paul K. Swardstrom. Used by permission of the author.

  “Drop Dead, Droid” by Artie Cabrera, copyright © 2015 Artie Cabrera. Used by permission of the author.

  “Hide and Seek” by Eric Tozzi, copyright © 2015 Eric Tozzi. Used by permission of the author.

  “Avendui 5ive” by P.K. Tyler, copyright © 2015 P.K. Tyler. Used by permission of the author.

  “Indigo” by Moira Katson, copyright © 2015 Moira Katson. Used by permission of the author.

  “Augment” by Susan Kaye Quinn, copyright © 2015 Susan Kaye Quinn. Used by permission of the author.

  “His Name in Lights” by Patty Hansen, copyright © 2010 Patty Jansen. First published in the Universe Annex of the Grantville Gazette, issue 33. Used by permission of the author.

  “Dyad” by David Bruns, copyright © 2015 David Bruns. Used by permission of the author.

  “Preservation” by Michael Patrick Hicks, copyright © 2015 Michael Patrick Hicks. Used by permission of the author.

  “Charm Bracelet” by A.K. Meek, copyright © 2015 A.K. Meek. Used by permission of the author.

  “Ghosts in the Mist” by Annie Bellet, copyright © 2012 Annie Bellet. First published in Mirror Shards, Volume 2, edited by Thomas K. Carpenter. Used by permission of the author.

  All other text copyright © 2015 by Samuel Peralta.

  Edited by Crystal Watanabe (www.pikkoshouse.com)

  Cover art and design by Adam Hall (www.aroundthepages.com)

  Print and ebook formatting by Therin Knite (www.knitedaydesign.com)

  The Cyborg Chronicles is part of The Future Chronicles series produced by Samuel Peralta (www.samuelperalta.com).

  978-0-9939832-8-3

  THE CYBORG CHRONICLES

  STORY SYNOPSES

  The Regular (Ken Liu)

  Emotionally-damaged Ruth, cybernetically-implanted ex-cop turned private investigator, pursues a murder case, and a serial killer who preys on working girls.

  Upgrade Complete (Paul K. Swardstrom)

  JR-8 is trapped on the Moon with no memories of his previous life, struggling to come out on top in a tournament of cyborg versus cyborg. With every moment controlled and no allies, how will he succeed?

  Drop Dead, Droid (Artie Cabrera)

  Within the bowels of Gravity City, heroes are scarce and hope is lost. Johnny Rangers fights to keep justice alive as the villains of the criminal underworld rise to achieve ultimate power.

  Hide and Seek (Eric Tozzi)

  In the quest for more effective warfare, a biotech company has begun weaponizing the animal kingdom. When program engineer Oliver Banda and his team conduct a field operation with their newly-created weapon against a gang of notorious poachers in the savannahs of Africa, it forces them to confront a horrifying truth.

  Avendui 5ive (P.K. Tyler)

  Biomechanically enhanced humans called Series Teks are cogs in the machine of a future world. Each Series serves a purpose and Teks are designed, enhanced, and genetically coded to fulfill that role. When Avendui 5ive finds herself unable to perform to expectations, what will become of her? What is the fate of a broken machine, even if they are, underneath it all, still human?

  Indigo (Moira Katson)

  Getz Corporation’s Biomechatronic & Behavioral Enhancement Program is the gold standard in cybernetics, and the assets it produces are precise, unflappable, and deadly—exactly the sort you’d need if, say, a massive intergalactic war were about to kick off. Unfortunately, cyborgs are still experimental…and one of them has forgotten her mission briefing.

  Augment (Susan Kaye Quinn)

  Miriam is a jiv—an augmented warrior willing to give her life for the Maker cause—and she’s more than ready to get in the ring and fight for the latest mod. If she wins, she’ll have everything she needs to offer herself up for the Makers’ most dangerous augment of all. The only problem? No one has yet survived it. Either she’ll become the Makers’ latest failed experiment—or the leap toward salvation her people desperately need.

  His Name in Lights (Patty Jansen)

  On the volcanic and radiation-soaked surface of the moon Io, the smallest mishap means mortal peril, even for artificial humans like Daniel and Oscar. Clones are expendable and easy to re-create. Why then does company boss Eilin Gunnarsson care so much about these young men that she sends them warnings written on the clouds of Jupiter?

  Dyad (David Bruns)

  When two federal agents from TechDiv show up in the TaylorTech parking lot, CEO Dr. John Taylor worries that his cybernetic parts company is getting an unannounced inspection of his licensing records. Then the agents tell him his daughter may be in danger from a rogue cyborg—and they need his help.

  Preservation (Michael Patrick Hicks)

  Kari Akagi is an ex-British Special Forces operative, augmented by her government to be the prime soldier. In the wake of a devastating attack that cost Akagi her legs, she has a new mission – protecting South Africa’s endangered species as a ranger for the Kruger National Park game reserve.

  Charm Bracelet (A.K. Meek)

  A cyborg has only one function: to defend the United States’ political interests in war. Elijah, a twenty-something new husband, finds himself as an unintentional volunteer for Dynamo’s Cyborg Program. As he fits into his new role as a trained killer, he learns the cost of hatred, and the cost of turning his back on his essential humanity.

  Ghosts in the Mist (Annie Bellet)

  Jana is stationed as a ranger on the planet Varuna, at the edge of a deep crater with an ecosystem fueled by chemical mists. When two perimeter alarms to keep out poachers fail, she must go out and investigate. In the chemical Mist, she will discover, with her augmented senses, the pheromone trail of both beauty and terror.

  CONTENTS

  Foreword (Samue Peralta)

  The Regular (Ken Liu)

  Upgrade Complete (Paul K. Swardstrom)

  Drop Dead, Droid (Artie Cabrera)

  Hide and Seek (Eric Tozzi)

  Avendui 5ive (P.K. Tyler)

  Indigo (Moira Katson)

  Augment (Susan Kaye Quinn)

  His Name In Lights (Patty Jansen)

  Dyad (David Bruns)


  Preservation (Michael Patrick Hicks)

  Charm Bracelet (A.K. Meek)

  Ghosts in the Mist (Annie Bellet)

  A Note to Readers

  Foreword

  Sacrifice

  by Samuel Peralta

  “Do androids dream? Rick asked himself. Evidently; that's why they occasionally kill their employers and flee here. A better life, without servitude.”

  – Philip K. Dick

  “Here’s the problem,” the man from the station said, and drew an arrow on the whiteboard pointing to a particular spot on his diagram of interconnecting boilers and pipes.

  Somewhere in the pipe he pointed out, which illustrated one of the condensed steam drain lines in a nuclear reactor station, was a particle so small it had the diameter of a hair.

  By way of the cooling water surrounding the reactor fuel, that miniscule particle had circulated and re-circulated through the core, increasing its radiation field until somehow, it found itself stuck on the inner surface of that pipe.

  By then, its gamma radiation field was so high – thousands of rad per hour – that no human could safely approach the pipe system to maintain it.

  “But wait,” the man said. “There’s more.”

  They didn’t know exactly where in the pipe that particle was. And the system was filled with cooling water, so that if you tried to drill or cut through to get at the particle, the water could drain out, possibly taking the particle with it to God knows where.

  “Robots,” I said, and started drawing on the whiteboard. “We can do it together.”

  The next twelve weeks swept us into a whirlwind of designing, building, testing. We had to figure out how to precisely locate, extract, and dispose of that rogue particle, something that no human alone could do.

  Four robots took shape, becoming the electronic and photonic enhancement for our eyes, our ears, our hands. Impervious to high radiation fields, unlike our tissue and bone, they were to be controlled remotely, our cybernetic avatars.

  Back in the reactor, we pinpointed where the particle was using gamma ray telemetry. We then directed the robots to proceed through the maze of the reactor system, around and over obstacles, through tunnels and cabling, and make their way towards the pipe where the target was lodged.

  After reaching the destination, one robot tore off the insulation around the pipe. When the inner metallic pipe was exposed, an arm extended and clamped the pipe in an ice jacket envelope. Pumped with liquid nitrogen, ice jacket lowered the temperature in the pipe slowly, slowly, until the water froze into a bar of ice, trapping the radioactive particle in its grip.

  The pipe was then held steady by the robotic arm. On other cross arms, reciprocating saws whirred and cut the pipe on either side of where the particle lay.

  Finally, we had the particle, trapped in ice. The robot holding the ice bar withdrew and turned. It made its way down a path we’d designated, at the end of which was a gently sloping ramp, which led to the open maw of a sealable, shielded cylindrical flask.

  There it was, poised on the edge of the flask, this cybernetic extension of ourselves, this shadow that was about to save us.

  And like James Cameron’s Terminator, the robot sacrificed itself, still clutching its dangerous package, flinging itself without regret into the abyss.

  www.amazon.com/author/samuelperalta

  The Regular

  by Ken Liu

  “THIS IS JASMINE,” she says.

  “It's Robert.”

  The voice on the phone is the same as the one she had spoken to earlier in the afternoon.

  “Glad you made it, sweetie.” She looks out the window. He's standing at the corner, in front of the convenience store as she asked. He looks clean and is dressed well, like he's going on a date. A good sign. He's also wearing a Red Sox cap pulled low over his brow, a rather amateurish attempt at anonymity. “I'm down the street from you, at 27 Moreland. It's the gray stone condo building converted from a church.”

  He turns to look. “You have a sense of humor.”

  They all make that joke, but she laughs anyway. “I'm in unit 24, on the second floor.”

  “Is it just you? I'm not going to see some linebacker type demanding that I pay him first?”

  “I told you. I'm independent. Just have your donation ready and you'll have a good time.”

  She hangs up and takes a quick look in the mirror to be sure she's ready. The black stockings and garter belt are new, and the lace bustier accentuates her thin waist and makes her breasts seem larger. She's done her makeup lightly, but the eye shadow is heavy to emphasize her eyes. Most of her customers like that. Exotic.

  The sheets on the king-sized bed are fresh, and there's a small wicker basket of condoms on the nightstand, next to a clock that says “5:58.” The date is for two hours, and afterwards she'll have enough time to clean up and shower and then sit in front of the TV to catch her favorite show. She thinks about calling her mom later that night to ask about how to cook porgy.

  She opens the door before he can knock, and the look on his face tells her that she's done well. He slips in; she closes the door, leans against it, and smiles at him.

  “You're even prettier than the picture in your ad,” he says. He gazes into her eyes intently. “Especially the eyes.”

  “Thank you.”

  As she gets a good look at him in the hallway, she concentrates on her right eye and blinks rapidly twice. She doesn’t think she’ll ever need it, but a girl has to protect herself. If she ever stops doing this, she thinks she’ll just have it taken out and thrown into the bottom of Boston Harbor, like the way she used to, as a little girl, write secrets down on bits of paper, wad them up, and flush them down the toilet.

  He's good looking in a non-memorable way: over six feet, tanned skin, still has all his hair, and the body under that crisp shirt looks fit. The eyes are friendly and kind, and she's pretty sure he won't be too rough. She guesses that he's in his forties, and maybe works downtown in one of the law firms or financial services companies, where his long-sleeved shirt and dark pants make sense with the air conditioning always turned high. He has that entitled arrogance that many mistake for masculine attractiveness. She notices that there's a paler patch of skin around his ring finger. Even better. A married man is usually safer. A married man who doesn't want her to know he's married is the safest of all: he values what he has and doesn't want to lose it.

  She hopes he'll be a regular.

  “I'm glad we're doing this.” He holds out a plain white envelope.

  She takes it and counts the bills inside. Then she puts it on top of the stack of mail on a small table by the entrance without saying anything. She takes him by the hand and leads him towards the bedroom. He pauses to look in the bathroom and then the other bedroom at the end of the hall.

  “Looking for your linebacker?” she teases.

  “Just making sure. I'm a nice guy.”

  He takes out a scanner and holds it up, concentrating on the screen.

  “Geez, you are paranoid,” she says. “The only camera in here is the one on my phone. And it’s definitely off.”

  He puts the scanner away and smiles. “I know. But I just wanted to have a machine confirm it.”

  They enter the bedroom. She watches him take in the bed, the bottles of lubricants and lotions on the dresser, and the long mirrors covering the closet doors next to the bed.

  “Nervous?” she asks.

  “A little,” he concedes. “I don't do this often. Or, at all.”

  She comes up to him and embraces him, letting him breathe in her perfume, which is floral and light so that it won't linger on his skin. After a moment, he puts his arms around her, resting his hands against the naked skin on the small of her back.

  “I've always believed that one should pay for experiences rather than things.”

  “A good philosophy,” he whispers into her ear.

  “What I give you is the girlfriend experience, old fashioned and sw
eet. And you'll remember this and relive it in your head as often as you want.”

  “You'll do whatever I want?”

  “Within reason,” she says. Then she lifts her head to look up at him. “You have to wear a condom. Other than that, I won't say no to most things. But like I told you on the phone, for some you'll have to pay extra.”

  “I'm pretty old-fashioned myself. Do you mind if I take charge?”

  He’s made her relaxed enough that she doesn’t jump to the worst conclusion. “If you’re thinking of tying me down, that will cost you. And I won’t do that until I know you better.”

  “Nothing like that. Maybe hold you down a little.”

  “That’s fine.”

  He comes up to her and they kiss. His tongue lingers in her mouth and she moans. He backs up, puts his hands on her waist, turning her away from him. “Would you lie down with your face in the pillows?”

  “Of course.” She climbs onto the bed. “Legs up under me or spread out to the corners?”

  “Spread out, please.” His voice is commanding. And he hasn't stripped yet, not even taken off his Red Sox cap. She's a little disappointed. Some clients enjoy the obedience more than the sex. There's not much for her to do. She just hopes he won't be too rough and leave marks.