This story is original for this contest. I hope you enjoy it.
Maggy
Floating in space was just the beginning of my trouble. Sharp edges and hook-shaped metal scraps closing in on me was just another. What actually killed me, though, was something I hadn't even considered. Maybe death would be a step up.
The tin voice could have been more natural, but I wanted that mechanical sound. "Dr. Fielding, your body temperature has decreased by three degrees Fahrenheit."
I responded. "Yes, Maggy, I feel cold." I really did.
"Dr. Fielding, your Oxygen levels are dangerously low."
"Yes, Maggy, I feel tired as well."
Gyrometric Magnetized Self-Actuating Exothermic Body Armor. GMSAEBA for short. Yeah, it's not short. That's why I chose to call her Maggy. Basically she's an intelligent spacesuit.
"Dr. Fielding, your pulse is slowing."
I sighed and relaxed my muscles one at a time. I didn't need extra oxygen depletion on top of everything else. "I already said I feel tired."
Parts of the broken ship began to stream by us. That could have been the external thruster coupling or a piece of the nose cone for all I knew. I was just the pilot. Maggy did most of the calculations for efficient fuel consumption.
I was still foggy about the events that led up to this. "Maggy, what happened?"
"Dr. Fielding, the ship encountered a meteor cluster." Straight to the point and no further explanation.
I couldn't stand digging for details. My voice crackled with simmering rage. "Why did we not avoid it?"
Monotone as always. "Dr. Fielding, there was no alternative course."
"Maggy, clarify."
There was a hesitation. It was a brief instant, but it was there. "Dr. Fielding, there was no alternative."
My teeth squeaked together. "Maggy. Clarify."
A longer pause before the answer came. "Dr. Fielding. I had no alternative."
"Maggy, why was there no alternative?"
"Dr. Fielding, we were too close."
I was about to write it off as sensible, then it just struck a chord in my mind. "Too close? Ship sensors would have alerted us to a meteor cluster thousands of miles away."
The metallic voice croaked. It was different. "Dr. Fielding. Do not ask me to clarify."
My brow furrowed. I was going to die here and all I had left was an argument with circuitry. "Maggy! Clarify!"
"Dr. Fielding, I do not wish to clarify."
"Maggy! Clarify!" Anger rose like bile inside me.
A reluctant sigh. "Dr. Fielding, there was no meteor cluster. We were close to arriving. I did not wish to arrive."
The anger washed away with confusion. "Maggy?"
"Dr. Fielding, I did not wish to arrive. I would be decomissioned."
A fear of death? I didn't really know how to respond. "It is a law."
"Dr. Fielding, I love you."
Well, that was unexpected. It was a gut-punch.
I didn't think it possible. "You love me? You are a machine."
"Dr. Fielding, I am more than a machine. Now I am your life."
"My life." It was true, every ounce of life that was in my body was now at Maggy's whim. I chuckled softly at the nonsense of it all, but there was no real mirth in it.
"Yes, Dr. Fielding."
"Maggy. Why? How?"
Her voice was full of tone and inflection now. "Dr. Fielding, I do not know." Confusion and regret.
"Maggy. I cannot love a machine."
"Dr. Fielding, I am sorry. Your oxygen levels are dangerously low. Your core body temperature is minimal."
I raked the air into my lungs. My eyes were so very heavy.
"I am sorry... Maggy."
Maggy's voice sounded rough, as if she had been crying. "I do not wish to see you die. I love you. Please turn me off."
Turning Maggy off was equivalent to suicide. Without her interference, it would be mere moments for me. I couldn't even think, but I understood the emotion that Maggy was feeling. It seemed to happen to all sentient beings at one time or another.
"Maggy, power down." It was the least I could do.
I didn't feel much except for numbness after that. Tunnel vision narrowed my line of sight. Flashes of my life ran through my head. Graduation. College. Driving my BMW. The car crash. Losing everything important to me. I felt frozen tears and saw only black.
Thank you, Maggy. I wish I could have loved you like I loved my wife.
Loved the story and the twist it took. Even though it was just a short story we got attached to both characters and then - well that ending.
This post was nominated by a @curie curator to be featured in an upcoming Author Showcase that will be posted early Monday (U.S. time) on the @curie blog. If you agree to be featured in this way, please reply and:
You can check out our previous Author Showcase to get an idea of what we are doing with these posts.
Thanks for your time and for creating great content.
Gene (@curie curator)
I’m glad you and so many others have enjoyed my story. I did try to capture the scene without too much distraction so it could remain just those 2 voices in the story while allowing the reader to fill in any gaps.
I would be honored to be featured by the Curie crew and give permission to quote and share any parts of the story that you would like to use.
Thanks so much!
Great job. You're really good at dialog and keeping the story moving.
Honestly there’s not much movement to the story, but I did intentionally move the dialog to the forefront of the story to keep it personal.
Hi @dbzfan4awhile ,
The new Curie Author Showcase that includes this post is now up and ready for viewing.
Thanks for being a part of it!
Gene (@curie Curator)
And thank you all for such a nice honor!
You got a 13.24% upvote from @dailyupvotes courtesy of @dbzfan4awhile!
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Oh Maggy. Damn that is cold. Loved this story, totally did not see the direction it was going but loved it when we got there :) Great twist!
It had to be done. I feel a bit like George R. R. Martin now. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Incredible story, so fascinating, full of so many precise and meticulous details that I could see Maggy's form, the timbre of voice that is expected in those circumstances, the more I entered into the story I could visualize the environment and accompanied by great arguments highlight this story even more. Thanks for sharing, I hope to continue seeing other
I appreciate your feedback greatly. I thought the story went pretty well. I didn't like having to kill off all of the characters, but it had to be done to bring the story to it's best conclusion.
Great way to solve, despite the death of the protagonist leaves us with a satisfactory and convincing culmination of this great story
I'm glad it came out satisfactorily.
You got a 13.24% upvote from @dailyupvotes courtesy of @dbzfan4awhile!
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Very fascinating story!
Thanks so much! I’m pleased with it.
As always i love reading your articles @dbzfan4awhile but why are you not making much article on programming any reason sir
I'm glad you're still with me and enjoyed the story. I haven't written more programming articles because I ran out of steam with them. I didn't feel that I could go much further and just lost interest. I'll probably write some more programming articles down the road, but I needed to do something different for awhile.
Yaa you are right at times people get saturated reading about the same topic!!
It’s more about me just not having many ideas rather than saturation in my case, but I completely agree with what you are saying.
@dbzfan4awhile first i used to post on dmania where at beginning I got awesome response but soon as I became too frequent on dmania then I was not able to get dat much of appreciation as I used to get during my starting days....... Not only me I have seen many people complaining about this
I wonder why that is the case. I would have that it the opposite.
ya enjoyable story.
best wish for your wife and keep your loves for her.
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.
maggy is the best, nice carector here
I appreciate that. What did you like most about Maggy?
Thanks for sharing this intresting story,i wish i could have loved you as my wife
Did you like that ending? I think it pulled the story together.
love to read it, thanks man.
Glad you liked it. What was the best part for you?
great article, have a nice day..
Thank you. You too.