/bootleg/ - Jolly Twinkles by Anonymous


                                            >Be homeless, living in a small community of people in similar circumstances in the storm tunnels

                                            >under the big city. You'd formerly worked as a tech fixing personal assistance robots but had been

                                            >muscled out by H1B labor. At least you'd trained your replacement to stick forks in outlets first.

                                            >Your zone consists of a stocked toolbox, a bedroll and some festive light strings and batteries for light

                                            >Be jealous of the city folks above, followed by or chatting with their service bots of various form

                                            >You know what you want, though. And one day you spot one. A toy Buttercup pony. One of the famously

                                            >creepy, full-size plastic ponies doting fathers bought for their spoiled daughters in leau of a real one.

                                            >You nab it from the dumpster it's sticking out of, retreating back down into your fetid lair.

                                            >Weeks pass as you gather parts. Four power window motors from abandoned cars. Other small motors.

                                            >A couple of webcams. Some computer bits, a working drive, a main control board for a tolerably advanced bot,

                                            >a couple of the newer graphine-lithium power packs for electric bikes- You figured the owners

                                            >could do with a bit of extra excercise anyhow and you needed them more.

                                            >Your work doesn't interest your companions, but consumes your time totally. The final touch

                                            >is torrenting the latest open-source compile of a quadruped OS with a "Cute Pet Pony" overlay to

                                            >a POS laptop from an open wifi. That took several days more.

                                            >At last the moment of truth. The horrifying looking skeleton, bedecked in old nuts and bolts and

                                            >hinges and motors and everything else stands before you in the dim, multicolored light.

                                            >You snap one battery pack onto one ass-cheek hipbone, then the other.

                                            >You throw the switch.

                                            >A few LEDs throughout the works light up, along with the tiny screen atop the brain-board.

                                            >It's loading off it's chip-drive, then whirls up it's main.

                                            >The naked eyeballs, each sporting an oversize camera lens, sweep around, gazing finally on you.

                                            >"GENDER?" it asks, in monotone. You're used to the bios setup on these by now.

                                            Female.

                                            >"NAME?"

                                            Jolly Twinkles.

                                            >you tell it, having decided on that while gazing at it's mangy, pre-modified form. It was ironic

                                            >and perfect for it. "OWNER NAME?"

                                            Anon.

                                            >"PRIMARY FUNCTION?"

                                            General Purpose.

                                            >"LAUNCHING POWER ON SELF TEST."

                                            >You watch with interest and no small bit of concern as the pony-bot begins a series of twitches

                                            >and shudders, turning it's head oddly, picking up and dropping feet, whisking it's horrid plastic

                                            >whip of a tail. Finally it announces, "TESTS OK. LAUNCHING PERSONALITY."

                                            >clicks and whirs from the drive ensue. Then the abomination announces, "Hi! I'm Jolly Twinkles!

                                            >Will you be my friend?"

                                            Absolutely. Let me just dress you back in your fur.

                                            >You pull it's mangy-looking furry cloth "skin" back over it, snapping the snaps as you go.

                                            >Finally it's done, except for one thing.

                                            >You strap on a funky "saddle" you'd made for it, carrying a solar panel you'd liberated off

                                            >a bus-stop some months back, and plug the lead into a hole in the pony's coat just under the

                                            >panel.

                                            That'll keep you going. Try to stand in direct sunlight whenever possible.

                                            >"I understand, Anon Master."

                                            >While your new friend has oddly slow-moving facial expressions and makes alot of noise when

                                            >she walks, you feel alot more comfortable out in the press of bodies of society. Having a

                                            >personal robot meant you were someone again, even if she was odd looking. She even

                                            >gets some admiring glances from folks who realize what she really is- And what it took to

                                            >create her. As for Jolly herself, she understands on some level that whatever she is, she's

                                            >happy to be out and being useful rather than just more landfill.

                                            >One day, you're eating an almost perfect burger you found while sitting on a bench in the

                                            >park. A man sits down next to you, reading a paper. Jolly struts past, dropping another news

                                            >paper onto the bench by you. It's got a bit of guck on it but it's readable, so you begin to

                                            >open it up.

                                            >"Is that yours?" the man asks, gesturing to Jolly.

                                            Sure is, built 'er myself.

                                            >"Really. You live around here?"

                                            Under here actually. I'm downwardly mobile ya see. I drift. A free spirit-

                                            >"You got muscled out of your tech job by someone willing to work for one tenth a living wage?"

                                            Yes that too.

                                            >"Tell ya what. I've been fairly successful lately, and I've been looking for someone who

                                            >understands how to make custom machines on a budget. How would you like..."

                                            >Time passes

                                            >"Time to get up, Anon Master!" Jolly scolds, poking you with her furry but hard plastic

                                            >muzzle.

                                            Thanks Jolly.

                                            >"Breakfast is on the table. Boss Master wanted you up at least by noon, he has more designs

                                            >to go over with you."

                                            Thanks, Jolly, let me just get dressed and I'll be out to eat.

                                            >"Yes Anon Master."

                                            >You watch her as she walks away, motors whirring. Living in a guest house on a large estate

                                            >was turning out pretty nice- Along with being able to build projects of your own in between

                                            >those your host asked of you. But Jolly would forever remain your favorite.