(CORRUPTION)

THE CORRUPTED SERIES -CORRUPTION

Fourteen kids sat at the feet of old Bonnie Anners. Week after week, the small frail old cyborg woman gathered the children to tell them about the Maker. The children clung to their stuffed animals on her living room floor. Old Bonnie Anners had the kids full attention. “The room was a wreck. Wires and metal parts were all over the place. The Maker and his son worked on their finest project yet. They created a whole world of creatures. What they were working on now, had a design unlike any other. Its job was to rule over all the creatures already created. They’re sole purpose was to reflect the character of the Maker. That night as the last piece was put in place the makers held their breath as they inserted the chip. The machine whirled to life, both the Maker and his son leapt into the air. The creature worked just as they hoped. 

The Maker named this creature “Cyborg” because parts of it were made of flesh and other parts were metal . The Maker grabbed the hand of his creation and walked him through the world he created. He instructed the Cyborg how to take care of his creation. Entrusting all to him, except for the control panel in the center of town. The Maker warned the Cyborg to never change the settings on the panel, because messing with the panel would cause deep corruption in the Cyborg system. If corruption occurred, He would have to shut him down in order to stop the spread. 

The Maker and his Son made another Cyborg from the same parts of the first. This one was designed as a helper for the first. The first Cyborg named the second, Ava. Cyborg and Ava tended to all of creation. The world was perfect. That was until the Droid called serpent convinced them to touch the panel in the middle of the world. Ava and Cyborg had just finished tending to the garden nearby, when the Serpent crawled over to them and asked. “Since you’re so tall, have you ever changed the settings on the panel?” Ava responded “Oh, no! We would never. If we did that, we would corrupt the whole world and be killed.” The Serpent was clever, he pretended to be confused. “What do you mean Ava? Are you sure that’s what the Maker said?” She nodded her head. The serpent began to walk away as he said, “Well if that’s what you think..” he said. The serpent walked slowly, waiting for her to ask a question. 

She asked only a moment after. “Why, what did he tell you?” The serpent grind a sly smile, his plan worked. The serpent regained his composure before he turned back to her.

“Well, he didn’t mean that you would really be corrupted. He was only letting you know that the panel has the ability to decide how things work in this world. Like right and wrong. The Maker doesn’t want you to change it because you would be like him. Deciding how the world should work, but isn’t that how he made you? To be like him? I think you might find it nice to program yourself to be faster. That way you could keep up with the cheetah the Maker told you to take care of, Or maybe you could make yourself stronger. That way you can get more done in a day; but you wouldn’t want that. Forget I said anything.”

Ava was moved by the serpent’s argument. It would be nice if she could keep up with the cheetah. So she walked over to the panel and changed her programing. Ava tested it out with a run. Cyborg gasped as she sped off. When Ava returned to Cyborg she urged him to change his programming. Saying, “This is amazing, Cyborg. You should try it for yourself. This will make things much nicer when tending to our work.” Cyborg thought she was right. It would be nice to be a little stronger. Plus she didn’t die, so it must be safe.” He went over to the panel and made himself stronger. Ava rejoiced, “Well… are you going to test it out?” Cyborg walked over to a tree and pulled it from the ground. He lifted it high in the sky, grinning ear to ear. He placed the tree back into the ground. He turned to see Ava frowning, so he asked her “What’s wrong?”

She wrapped her arms around herself before answering. “The Maker’s going to know we changed the program.” The two began to feel guilty for what they did, and began to see if they could cover their tracks.

The Maker and his Son were in the shop when the alarm went off. The Son looked up at the Maker wide eyed. “They have been corrupted,” the Son said. The Maker put his work down on the table as he let out a long sigh. He walked over to a bright red button flashing on the wall. His hand hovered over the button. He turned to look at his Son with tears in his eyes.

“I love them so much.”

The Son nodded. “True, but we told them what would happen if they touched the control panel. Shouldn’t we uphold our word?”

“Yes, but what if we paid the price for what they did?” The Maker stared at the flashing button, then flicked the cover back over the button. He grabbed his coat off the workbench and motioned to his Son. “Come, I have an idea,” The Maker said. The son followed the Maker, carrying his tool box in hand. They rushed to the panel at the center of town, where they saw Cyborg and Ava standing by the control panel. Their faces shocked as they pointed at the control panel. “Look Maker! A tree branch fell and hit the control panel.” The Makers son walked over to the panel and said “You do realize the trees are too far away to hit the panel, right?.” He lifted the branch, to show them the broken edge. “This is not how the branch would have broken.” He sighed and continued, “We knew what you did the second you did it, there is nothing you could have done to hide that fact.” He pulled out the tool box and began fixing the supposed damage. 

The Maker asked them why they touched the panel. Cyborg jumped in, “The Cyborg you gave me told me too; You should ask her why she wanted to destroy us?” The Maker raised an eyebrow at Ava. Ava got defensive and began to quickly deny the claim, “I wasn’t trying to destroy us! The serpent you made was the one to blame.” The Maker grabbed a screwdriver from the tool box as he said “I see how things are.” Cyborg dropped to his knees, “Please Maker, don’t shut us down!” Ava joined Cyborg on her knees, “Please forgive us maker!” As the two pleaded with him, He found the droid hiding behind a nearby bush. The Maker looked at Cyborg and Ava. “I am showing you mercy, but no one will escape the corruption you brought upon yourselves. As for the serpent, your deception will cost you your legs.” He pulled the screwdriver from his pocket and loosened the screws holding the legs in place. “You will now eat the ground on which you lay.” The maker inserted a tread on the belly and laid the serpent on the ground.”

One of the boys listening to old Bonnie Anners story jumped up and shouted, “You mean snakes used to have legs!?” Bonnie chuckled, “yes Will”.

A little girl pulled on Bonnie’s skirt and asked, “Why didn’t the Cyborgs get punished?”

“They did honey, the Maker said their work would be hard. He told them they would feel pain and would get viruses. We can’t save ourselves from the corruption that is taking place in our bodies right now. That’s why the Maker and the son are working on a way to restore us.” At that moment, old Bonnie Anners felt a strong pain in her side. She gritted her teeth and told the kids to run along. All the kids ran off laughing and shouting, except little Gwen. She walked up to Bonnie. “Are ou okay? Should I get da mechanic?” Bonnie was crumpled over in pain, and whispered “yes please.” Gwen skipped out the door screaming “Mechanic”. She knew her time was coming to an end, she only wished she could have seen the restoration for the cyborgs. Gwen came running back in, “I got da Mechanic! Bonnie’s eyes flashed white and Gwen flinched. The mechanic ran in with his tool box. He knelt down at her side. Gwen patted Bonnie’s knee, “There, there Mrs. Anners. Da mechanic is going to fix ou.” 

Bonnie smiled softly at Gwen. “Thank you sweetheart. How well do you know the story I tell?” Gwen got excited, “Ev- d word! I can say da whole fing.”

“Good,” said Bonnie. “I won’t be able to share the story anymore. Can you tell it, for me?” Gwen soluted Bonnie, “Ou can count on me. Why won’t ou be able to tell story any more?” The mechanic looked at Bonnie watching to see how she was going to respond.

“I’m going to the Maker, he will take great care of me.”

“He make Mrs. Anners feel no pain?” said Gwen.

“Yes, He make me feel no pain.”

“Da Maker sounds kind.” Another kid ran back into the room, “Gwen you want to play tag!” Gwen shot up with excitement. “Yeah!” As she ran out the door she screamed “Bye Mrs. Anners, I go play with cleo!”. ”Have fun with da Maker!” The mechanic looked down at Old Bonnie Anners who was tearing up. “You’re at peace with this?” She looked up at the mechanic,”I know the Maker is good to me, He will restore all those who obey him. You know it’s never too late Charlie, you can go and see him in his shop down the road.”

He turned to his tools looking for a part “No, thanks. I don’t want him to start controlling my life. He’s good and all for morals, but he’s not my god. If you get what I mean?” He turned around to see Bonnie slumped on her chair. “Um?” He said, slightly concerned, “Did the pain stop?” He walked over to her. The light on her eyes was off and he didn’t hear the whir of her fan. He slumped on the seat next to her and whispered, “bye mom. I guess the Maker doesn’t really care about his people if he would let a godly woman like you, die.”

-R.D. Jess

(The short story in the series is coming out December 28th)