Code 006-4A Story by Chris T.A very short story, easy, should be fun to read. Maybe.
Previous Version This is a previous version of Code 006-4. Centuries ago, Earth participated in a ritual known as “Black Friday”. On this day, millions upon millions of consumers would storm through their markets in search of anything they could get their chubby, consuming fingers on. The history books rarely touch on the days leading up to “Black Friday”. Legend has it, the weeks leading up to “Black Friday” were the busiest days in the product transportation business. Thousands of transport vessels rampaged across a solid concrete road in search of a market in need of their goods. These vessels, known as “18-Wheelers”, would blot out the sun with their exhaust. They would crush personal transport vessels, known as “sedans”, in their wake. As
a child I listened to the story of “Black Friday” in History class. The teacher
would try to change the subject to a fat, bearded man, but I always wanted to
know more about “Black Friday”. “Taf University is the premiere flight
school in the United States. Apply today and earn your pilot’s license in only six
weeks from the comfort of your own home!” I
have flown 47 delivery missions since graduating from Taf University’s Online School of Flight. Our
thrusters exploding into a glorious orange ball, enveloped in thick black
smoke, was the first sign we were in trouble. Time Stamp- 1800:00 The buffet of gauges and dials
across the control panel erupted into a schizophrenic fury, needles thrashing
erratically, warning sirens piercing every facet of the cabin, and that one
special button lighting up for the first time in my 20 years of flight
experience. The problem with a Sudoku puzzle can
be summed up in one brilliant statement: You can think everything is going fine
right up until the end, but that will be the point at which you realize one
lousy number was out of place. That one lousy number will require you to start
over.
The dispatcher’s name is Ronald Smith. He lives in the suburbs of Suffolk, Virginia. He is a taurus, and his favorite animal is a penguin, but he has never explained why. We know his favorite animal is a penguin because in the weeks leading up to his birthday on April 10th, he reminds everyone in the delivery company he has “always wanted a penguin cake for his birthday.” He has been our dispatcher for 47 missions,
and I was a member of the party planning committee for his 50th
mission with us. There was going to be a cherry chocolate cake. It was not
going to be shaped like a penguin. Time Stamp- 1845:17 The cabin once again fills with the
droning of artificial concern for our well-being. Time Stamp- 1905:32
The flight school captain once told us,” If you’re thrusters malfunction in the middle of a delivery, do not worry. Without gravity and friction, you will continue on your trajectory at the same speed. When you reach your destination, slowing down is a different story.” Several years later scientists in
Sweden developed a reverse propulsion system that was a “revolution in pilot
safety which would slow down a runaway ship in seconds.” Time Stamp: 1910:28 The cockpit was infested by the
obnoxious wailing of our monitors, pervading the eerie beauty we had once
appreciated as young pilots.
The incessant nagging of the failing
AI system continued uninterrupted until enough was enough.
The overbearing AI figure scrutinizing
our every move grew quiet, either because it accepted our fate, or because of
my destruction of its AI Procedural Emitter.
Imagine: as our wreckage tumbles through space, an alien race we have yet to make contact with scoops it up. Their first impression of mankind would be from the shoddy craftsmanship of our lifeless ship. Their second impression would be from the botched Sudoku puzzle. We would be the laughing stock of the United Planets.
We bath in the thick darkness of deep space, growing colder by the second.
Light years away, commuters are on the interspace highway on their way to somewhere. Centuries ago, human adults participated in a ritual known as “rush hour”. During this ritual, they spent hours surrounded by other vehicles on a solid concrete road system so they could go to work and spend hours upon a cushioned seating system. Historians sometimes use the term “The Great Depression” to describe this ritual, but there is some debate as to the actual meaning of it. Light years away, commuters on the interspace highway are probably participating in this archaic ritual.
They are the consumers who allowed Ronald Smith to act as our dispatcher for 47 missions and paid for his son to go to Flight Academy last fall. They are comfortable, cozy, and content.
Time Stamp- 1920:00
My co-pilot looks up from the puzzle
with a subtle grin,” I got it.” I cut him off,” Company had to
reallocate parts of the budget for greater sustainability, so they axed the
escape pods.” He returns to his seat and quietly lifts his pen to resume solving the Sudoku puzzle.
Centuries ago there was a documentary called “Office Space”. The film followed several works throughout their typical day and detailed the inner-workings of the American business system. The film is an excellent portrayal of how cutting costs can negatively affect a company’s profit margin. At one point in the film, a glitch in employee payroll is brought to light. The management made a poor decision in reallocating funds, and the end result was the office catching on fire.
Our delivery company made a poor decision in reallocating funds, and the end result was our delivery vessel collapsing in the vastness of space.
Time Stamp- 1930:45
My co-pilot reaches out for the Sudoku
puzzle and tucks it into his jacket pocket for safe-keeping.
My
co-pilot says,” That happened so fast.”
© 2011 Chris T.Reviews
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