Aphelion Issue 292, Volume 28
March 2024
 
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Robot Rust

by Robin B. Lipinski


Little plastic stars; constellations made in China
music soothing those young ears
cooing in the crib while mother listened in
fingers reaching for those far-off stars...

Before you knew it, little Tim was ten
playing with cap pistols, shooting wild indian's
while jousting knights fought transformers
and still,
mothers wrinkles smiled.

Years flew by and toy after toy aged, cracked, to be forgotten
replaced with girls and acne
while the X92 robot lay in the corner
gathering dust
forgotten.

The day came that soon humanity would be forgotten
Tim was prone as the day the life left him
his mother vaporized before she could let loose with tears
Yes, the world ended
another though, began.

In one-thousand years, the mechanized feet dug deep
the debris of mankind spread like scattered rocks as the metal fingers moved quickly.
to grab the X92 with reverance.

Binary code mixed with electronic language
the small toy was proof they needed
their god named, China, truly existed
proof of this was 'Adam', X92.

Celebration!
Jubilation!
A sacrifice of a biological bird, (one of the few still in existence)
"All hail the god China, all hail the god China! Let us pray..."

The end of one religion, and the beginning of another.


© 2013 Robin B. Lipinski

Find more by Robin B. Lipinski in the Author Index.

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