I'm a Cyborg's Pet

Chapter 46 him/I'm forced to play with him

He moved a piece. A line appeared from the piece  to a knight which could take it. "The board warns you that this piece can take that or other clumsy tactical mistakes.Think of it like a spell checker for chess".

Along with spotting basic 'I didn't see that' errors, it would colour the board by your opponents likely moves and had patterns and spider trails indicating what previous experts had done.

"The final advantage is your collar will be the opponent. I've uploaded a chess app in your games area. I also deleted solitaire. I will be moving the pieces for the collar. " he added. Against my collar It sounded do-able.

"You're incentivising me with questions? That's like the worst incentive scheme I've ever heard. You don't see bankers on wall street getting an incentive scheme involving asking their bosses questions? Yes the package includes full health & dental, up to 100,000 in bonuses and your get to ask up to five questions if you meet your sales targets. " I said.

"What would you propose then? Perhaps you think I should double your salary" he said.

"but you're not paying me anything" I said. You didn't have to be a mathematician to know that double nothing is still nothing.

"You're right I forgot, you're right I'll triple it" he said smiling then paused. "is that how you see me as your boss?" he said

"Do you know anybody who likes their boss?" I said.

"I see how you could make that work." He said "come on we both know I can't 'give' you anything. Human slaves can't have any possessions they are possessions you are a possession".

"How about the day without any makeup?" I said.

"What? and have the Commission for public safety of my back, no thank you. The laws the law. " he laughed.

"flats" I said .

"No"

"I know how about a spot? I'm so sick of this perfect complexion" I said.

"A spot?" he said.

"a zit something it doesn't have to be permanent, look at this skin it's totally flawless" I said pointing my cheek to him.

"No zits" he said.

"A blemish, a birthmark, I'd settle for a wart. A wrinkle" I said.

"No, Not until you're older, " he said.

"How about my old face back?" I said.

He looked at me - was he trying to imagine me like I was. "It would invalidate your warranty. Anyway it's not like it's  you're that different. You're a model 127/c because you looked like one to begin with. The process they use is like braces on your teeth,adjusts what's there. Listen to yourself. Do you think you from year ago would approve of you sitting here negotiating a bonus with your boss over cosmetic things like having spots and zits surgically installed. Come on I know you I can take the girl out of the lab but I can't take a lab out of the girl. You've got questions. Lots of questions, I can feel them seething in your brain. How about this up to 5 questions and I'll let you see your friends" he said. Oooh he knew me damn him. 

"Done," I said. I didn't want him going back on that.

You know how you have an argument with someone in like an hour later you come up with a really snappy comeback? For me it was the fact I should have asked him to stop snooping around in my brain. Easy in hindsight, I'm blaming Oblivion. He really had me at the questions I just didn't want to sound easy in negotiations.

We played, I felt like I had a chance and getting even one question was going to be interesting. He knew I had played chess against my older brother Jake who just enjoyed his 3 year age advantage and wiping me out at every opportunity. Playing against my real dad was more fun, he let me win, but he was always too busy to play a proper game. I hadn't played in years and the champagne and Oblivion cocktail wasn't helping. The free chess board was wonderful, I realised I could leave checking and rechecking my move to the board and concentrate on strategy. My first match I lost but not badly. The next game went better.

"Check mate" I said looking into his violet eyes. I hoped he could see my victory in mine. Any attempts at getting pleasure from victory was regarded at the factory as a showing an undue sense of defiance. If you win you pretended it was a mistake ( which if you wanted to save your tongue from cleaning the toilet with it generally was ).

"So what's your first question" said Rockwood putting the pieces back together. He took white this time. I could ask him anything and he would tell the truth. What would you ask the smartest man ? I wanted to see if he was telling the truth.

"My question is how did you get the people in the Judas city betray their own kind like that? They're such monsters. " I said putting out a pawn.

"There are many answers but the true one is the most disturbing and the most sublime one" said Rockwood.

***

Bit short huh ? We're working on it.

Please forgive any spelling and grammatical errors. We are following the #justwriteit method.

Will Jenny ever clear this perfume out of her system? Join us Tuesday for Rockwood's first answer.