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Metallic Genealogy
Metallic Genealogy
The Fanzer Stip Trilogy
Metallic Genealogy:
A Faint Glimmer of Metal
by Stuart Bedlam
Chapter 14 General Quock
Chapter 14 General Quock
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Metallic Glossary
Preen-nibbler: the nickname of the surly and disagreeable Hasting's Bongh. The creature has a natural instinct for locating electrical impulses, feeding on the stuff the way others might a bowl of soup. It converts the movement of electrons into fuel, foul odors and a sticky, sweaty-like liquid through its pores which gave it an overall damp appearance. Discovered by Orinel Hasting's, preen-nibblers were originally discovered chewing on the wires in a dark cavern of the local township of Vilsnape. While the original reasons for breeding these creatures for commercial use has been lost to time, preen-nibblers currently spend the majority of their existence hunting out illegal cable hookups.
14: General Quock
Three men piled in line next to the general. Corporal Nuthan Farblane Heebers, a tall, gangly looking fellow; Major Flips, stocky with watery eyes; and Captain Androgomere "Sparky" Ailyksen who was short, bug-eyed and perspiring heavily. All of them seemed very agitated as though they would rather be someplace else.
Three men piled in line next to the general. Corporal Nuthan Farblane Heebers, a tall, gangly looking fellow; Major Flips, stocky with watery eyes; and Captain Androgomere "Sparky" Ailyksen who was short, bug-eyed and perspiring heavily. All of them seemed very agitated as though they would rather be someplace else.
"They'll be here soon," Corporal Heebers whined, pulling the two other officers closer to him as if for warmth.
"They'll be here soon," Corporal Heebers whined, pulling the two other officers closer to him as if for warmth.
Heebers would not have been Quock's first choice for advancement to Corporal. The man was pathetic and cowardly, more of a mewling menace than a soldier. He had been pushed forward as part of a new program called Enlisted Men's Choice, which was put in place after a scandal revealed Quock was promoting only his family members or those who made him sandwiches without prompting. Quock suspected Heebers, like all such Corporals, was chosen merely as a method by the men to annoy him.
Heebers would not have been Quock's first choice for advancement to Corporal. The man was pathetic and cowardly, more of a mewling menace than a soldier. He had been pushed forward as part of a new program called Enlisted Men's Choice, which was put in place after a scandal revealed Quock was promoting only his family members or those who made him sandwiches without prompting. Quock suspected Heebers, like all such Corporals, was chosen merely as a method by the men to annoy him.
"Do you think that they'll kill us?" the younger officer, Sparky asked, so nicknamed because he once stuck his finger into a high-powered outlet. "Do you think that they're coming here to kill us all?!" His never-blinking eyes were huge, and his sweat more profuse, Quock noted, than an over-exerted Preen-nibbler ***.
"Do you think that they'll kill us?" the younger officer, Sparky asked, so nicknamed because he once stuck his finger into a high-powered outlet. "Do you think that they're coming here to kill us all?!" His never-blinking eyes were huge, and his sweat more profuse, Quock noted, than an over-exerted Preen-nibbler ***.
"They're robots," the general muttered. "How much will you wager?"
"They're robots," the general muttered. "How much will you wager?"
Jeeps did her best to soothe the overly-anxious group. "Now," she said. "I'm sure that we'll be safe in here. This room is the most fortified on the entire planet."
Jeeps did her best to soothe the overly-anxious group. "Now," she said. "I'm sure that we'll be safe in here. This room is the most fortified on the entire planet."
"What about the citizens?" the third man, Major Flips, whined. He was a stumpy but fastidious and melancholy man whom Quock had once noted in his assessment journal: 'tends to tear up at the slightest little thing'. "What if they're killed? Doesn't that matter to any of you? We're supposed to be their protectors, after all." Liquid emotion drained down his face, forcing him to remove a pristine hanky from his freshly pressed jacket pocket.
"What about the citizens?" the third man, Major Flips, whined. He was a stumpy but fastidious and melancholy man whom Quock had once noted in his assessment journal: 'tends to tear up at the slightest little thing'. "What if they're killed? Doesn't that matter to any of you? We're supposed to be their protectors, after all." Liquid emotion drained down his face, forcing him to remove a pristine hanky from his freshly pressed jacket pocket.
Jeeps tried to speak. "I don't think..."
Jeeps tried to speak. "I don't think..."
"Robots," the general continued. "All robotica! Damn them to Hell!" He turned to the group and let his voice turn to that of a whisper. "That's where they were molded, you know. In those thick, steaming bowels! Degenerates, the lot of them."
"Robots," the general continued. "All robotica! Damn them to Hell!" He turned to the group and let his voice turn to that of a whisper. "That's where they were molded, you know. In those thick, steaming bowels! Degenerates, the lot of them."
"Yes, general, but..."
"Yes, general, but..."
The blip on the screen began to get larger and thus closer to the base, and consequently a siren began to wail.
The blip on the screen began to get larger and thus closer to the base, and consequently a siren began to wail.
"We're not going to live to see the sun again," Sparky whimpered. "They're just gonna come in here and tear us apart like animals!"
"We're not going to live to see the sun again," Sparky whimpered. "They're just gonna come in here and tear us apart like animals!"
Jeeps suddenly had a brilliant idea. She called Biz-me over to handle the situation, and also act as a barrier between herself and the four men.
Jeeps suddenly had a brilliant idea. She called Biz-me over to handle the situation, and also act as a barrier between herself and the four men.
On the monitor, the invader's ship could be seen docking and shooting a couple of men on the runway before blasting out all of the cameras. The screens promptly went blank.
On the monitor, the invader's ship could be seen docking and shooting a couple of men on the runway before blasting out all of the cameras. The screens promptly went blank.
"Well, that's it then," Captain Sparky said.
"Well, that's it then," Captain Sparky said.
"They're not going to take me without a fight," said Quock, pulling out his pistol and raising it above his head as though he were about to charge into battle. It was a futile, if not symbolic, attempt. Everyone was very much aware that it would take hours to get through the myriad of bulkheads before finally arriving at the front, by which time the general's arm would likely be too tired to pull the trigger.
"They're not going to take me without a fight," said Quock, pulling out his pistol and raising it above his head as though he were about to charge into battle. It was a futile, if not symbolic, attempt. Everyone was very much aware that it would take hours to get through the myriad of bulkheads before finally arriving at the front, by which time the general's arm would likely be too tired to pull the trigger.
"Violence, violence and more violence!" the Major whined. "Just can't you for once think of the citizens!!" The man began to blubber uncontrollably at this point and had to be comforted with soft pats on the back by Captain Sparky.
"Violence, violence and more violence!" the Major whined. "Just can't you for once think of the citizens!!" The man began to blubber uncontrollably at this point and had to be comforted with soft pats on the back by Captain Sparky.
Corporal Heebers, pulled out his own sidearm, and tried to shoot himself in the head with it. Unfortunately, he missed, nearly cutting Biz-me, who was just now gaining the courage to say "whatcha all looking at," in half.
Corporal Heebers, pulled out his own sidearm, and tried to shoot himself in the head with it. Unfortunately, he missed, nearly cutting Biz-me, who was just now gaining the courage to say "whatcha all looking at," in half.
"Hey!" the jelly-brained janitor shouted, his thick, greasy eyebrows down-turned into an angry formation. Although this sudden outburst of offense seemed only temporary, as the man was quickly back to his light-hearted, if not simplistic, stance. "I was just sweeping by and noticed..."
"Hey!" the jelly-brained janitor shouted, his thick, greasy eyebrows down-turned into an angry formation. Although this sudden outburst of offense seemed only temporary, as the man was quickly back to his light-hearted, if not simplistic, stance. "I was just sweeping by and noticed..."
"Who is this menace?" the General snarled.
"Who is this menace?" the General snarled.
Jeeps looked at her superior, then to Biz-me and finally to the three whining men. "Oh," she said, smiling. "He's the one who started it all!"
Jeeps looked at her superior, then to Biz-me and finally to the three whining men. "Oh," she said, smiling. "He's the one who started it all!"