Realms of Sci-Fi

The Cyborg Child

Master Technoartist Gothel slithered into the room. A multitude of segmented cables extending out from under her grease stained robe mimicked the motion of a snake, allowing her to glide silently forward to her waiting guests. Her face was hidden from view because of the shadows cast by her large hood, but the eerie green optics of her visual array glowed brightly in the darkness, and the five lenses divided into a cluster of three and a pairing of two gave her a decidedly alien appearance.

"I have completed all that was asked of me," Gothel announced. Her vocal cords had been removed ages ago and replaced with a simulation array capable of emulating different dialects and accents, but Gothel had left it on standard and her voice came out mechanical and cold.  A robotic hand extended out from the end of her wide sleeve, its sharpened fingernail equivalent to a razor, and pointed to a worktable as the overhead light switched on.

The two customers hurried to inspect what was offered, finding a baby girl on the table. Mechanical parts composed one leg, a life support rig across the chest, and a neural augmentation center covering the left half of the skull and merging directly with the surrounding metal of an artificial eye.

"As you can see," Gothel explained, slithering over to point out the key features, "her compromised immune system has been stabilized and enhanced to protect against all known diseases and toxins. The life support rig will allow her to breathe underwater or recycle her own air in the void of space for a span of up to one hour before needing to be recharged with fresh oxygen. Gravity manipulation units in the feet and hands will allow her to either negate gravity and fly or create miniature gravity fields and anchor herself to any surface."

Tapping her index fingernail against the artificial eye housing, Gothel continued. "The eye can cycle through the entire spectrum and view as many or as few as desired at a time. Additional processors have been installed in the neural tissue to analyze and store the excess data and prevent cerebral overload."

"What are these?" the male customer asked, lifting thin golden cables hanging down from the infant's skull like dreadlocks.

"My finest achievement," Gothel explained. "Neural control interface tethers. The connection ports at the end require only surface contact to establish a link and gain control of any electronic device, even without an actual terminal on the targeted unit."

Her mechanical hand snatched the gold tether from the man's hand and gave a violent tug. Both of the customers gasped as they expected the child to be pulled off the worktable and hurled across the room, but the tether simply extended in length until it was over eight feet long and draped across the floor.

"The nanomolecular design allows new segments to be created or disassembled as needed, so the tethers can become any length when required and reduced when not," Gothel explained.

Gothel pulled the tether back in, and it retracted into the child's head until it was only a few inches long again.

"I trust you are well pleased with my modifications to your daughter?" Gothel questioned. She folded her hands together, but while her right was mechanical, her left hand was composed of five prehensile cables which moved like fingers.

"Very well pleased," answered the father. "Your work is as good as was promised."

"You may take her with you as soon as payment is made," Gothel stated.

"Actually," the mother said, scooping the child from the table and taking a step toward the airlock. "We've decided not to pay, but we do thank you for your efforts."

The parents backed away until they reached the round hatch leading back to their ship. Gothel made no effort to stop or even hinder their departure. Once they were gone, she slithered over to a data console, plugging in with two of her fingers from her right hand and gaining full control over the station and all its systems.

Gothel watched the small vessel detach from the airlock and fire its main engines in a burst of blue fire.

"Pirates," Gothel muttered disdainfully. "They believe anything they can take is fair game. Did they honestly think I didn't take precautions against non-payment?"

She chuckled slightly as she activated the teleportation recall system. A flash of green energy burst to life on the worktable, dissolving in twisting tentacles of energy and returning the child to her original position.

Engaging the relocation matrix, Gothel moved the station into an alternate dimension before bringing it back into real space thousands of light years from where it had been. She slithered over to the child and gently traced one of her cable fingers across the girl's forehead.

"Don't worry, my little Rapunzel," Gothel whispered, her voice synthesizer beeping once as it switched to a soft and soothing feminine style. "I'll take care of you."