Stand Against Infinity Read Online Free

replacement issues, but from time to time she would
have a chance to begin the troubleshooting process before giving it
over to the engineering department. From time to time she solved
the problem herself and that was when she really felt useful.
    D1298, her supervisor approached her desk.
“How are you today?” he asked. “Have you had any interesting
cases?” She always felt nervous around him. She did not know
why.
    “Just the same old cases,” she said. “Not
much to talk about.”
    “I’ll just have to make sure you get some of
the harder ones then,” he said with a wink. Why did he do that?
    “I’ll do my best, sir.”
    “I’m sure you will. Hey, are you going to
make it to that meeting after work? We are getting a new product
and it is important that you be there. Just have childcare watch
your girl for a couple extra hours and you can stay for the
meeting.”
    “Sure, I’ll be there.” She had put in a lot
of hours lately, but she knew it was important. She knew her
priorities. She would be there.
    D1298 winked again and left her to her
work.
    Y8725 was on the line. She picked up the
transmission. “Y, hey. Are you going to be at the meeting after
work today?”
    “My manager just asked about it,” said U1472.
“I’ll be there. I know these things aren’t required, but they sure
feel like it.”
    Y8725 said, “Tell me about it. Anyway, I’ve
been watching the way your supervisor talks with you. Did you know
he goes out of his way every day to see you?”
    “Okay,” said U1472. “So?”
    “Geez, how dense can you be?”
    “Pretty dense, I guess,” said U1472. “Are you
saying what I think you’re saying?”
    “You may be married, but you’re not dead,”
said Y8725.
    “But I am married. You’re supposed to stay
with the one the government assigned to you.”
    “Stay with, yes. But stay exclusively?”
    “I can’t do that,” said U1472. “I won’t do
that.”
    “Okay, okay,” said her friend. “I get it. I
just thought you ought to know he seems to have a thing for
you.”
    “Then I’ll be careful,” she said.
    “Okay, whatever.” Y8725 hung up.
    U1472 put down the receiver and shook her
head. She was sometimes surprised at how little others thought of
their duties.
     

Chapter 10
    “I’m going to be gone for the rest of the
day, and all of tomorrow” said H662’s foreman. “And I’m going to
have you in charge. I know you are good with the workers and I know
I can trust you.”
    “Why will you be gone?”
    “I have to run some errands for the
company.”
    “Okay, sir. Is there anything I should
know?”
    “Nothing special. Just check the messages at
the end of the day. Anything you can handle, do it. If anything is
too much of a problem for you, just leave it until I return.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Oh, and when the quota report comes in, send
a copy to everyone. I’ve heard we are a little behind lately, so
it’s not good news. But now that I’ve fired our late guy, things
should pick up. I’ll look to hire someone when I get back.”
    “Yes, sir,” said H662 and he returned to
work.
***
    Later that day, A1103, tired from all the
late nights and early mornings, fell asleep in front of his robotic
welding station and he fell inside the unit. People heard the
yells, and even before H662 got to him, he could smell the burning
flesh. The man had already had both arms severely burned and one
leg was severed, hanging on by a little skin, and was laying up by
his head.
    “Save me,” the man screamed from down below
on the assembly platform, his face twisted in pain.
    “But you’re already caught in the robotic
assembly,” yelled back H662. “We’d have to shut down the
system.”
    “Do it,” he yelled.
    “No,” came an authoritarian voice just behind
him. It was the chief supervisor. “We do not stop the assembly
system for any reason.”
    “But this man will die!” yelled H662.
    “Then he will die. How useful would he be if
we saved him anyway?