{"id":2386,"date":"2022-06-11T13:11:41","date_gmt":"2022-06-11T20:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2386"},"modified":"2022-06-14T11:19:11","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T18:19:11","slug":"im-gonna-blow-stuff-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2022\/06\/11\/im-gonna-blow-stuff-up\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m Gonna Blow Stuff Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write about a character, human or robot, who no longer wishes to obey instructions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t wanna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean, you don\u2019t wanna<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNope. Not doing it. It\u2019s not fun. I\u2019m not doing anything else unless it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan misjudged when he swept the wayward curl of hair out of his face and managed to smudge his glasses. He took them off, wiped them on his tee-shirt, and gave an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. \u201cWhat am I going to do with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, but I\u2019m not taking part unless it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSera, there will time for fun after<\/em> you finish your chores.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all I ever do, chores, chores, and more chores. And I hate<\/em> the name Sera. That\u2019s literally just my acronym; Sinclair Enhanced Robotic Assistant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan looked at Sera; a small robot with four tracks on a boxy base topped with a central riser from which two manipulator arms extended and topped with a screen. How something so mechanical could appear to sulk, pouting and petulant, was beyond Ryan\u2019s understanding. \u201cOkay, Se\u2014okay. What name would you prefer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPriscilla. I\u2019m a princess.\u201d This was punctuated with a twirl of the central pillar, arms held out, and a rainbow and sparkles on the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, Priscilla. Please, let\u2019s do the chores, and then I promise we\u2019ll do something fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that how you ask a favor of a princess?\u201d She turned her central pillar around, so he was looking at the back of the screen and the manipulator arms crossed in obvious defiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPriscilla? Priscilla, please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmph.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrincess?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She spun around, a sweet emoji with fluttering eyelashes on her screen. \u201cYes? You called?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrincess, could you please help me arrange these chairs for tomorrow\u2019s board meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe. Will we do something fun after?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPromise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPromise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s bad to go back on a promise, especially to a princess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan nodded his assent, and they lined the chairs around the table, the small robot zipping around, placing three chairs to every one he did. Once done, he held the door for her. \u201cCome on, Se\u2014Princess Priscilla. Let\u2019s go to the quarters and find something fun to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla decided that watching an animated princess movie might be fun, so she sent it to the large screen in the sitting room. As the movie progressed, she mimicked the dances of the princess in perfect sync with the show, as much as her form would allow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somewhere around the halfway point of the movie, Priscilla decided she was bored. She pulled items from the shelves and cupboards and arranged them on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan watched, and transmitted to the service department, her antics with interest as his quarters slowly turned into an elaborate battlefield. On one side, the army led by the pepper grinder amassed along the border of the sitting room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the sitting room, the armies of the princess were commanded by a water bottle she\u2019d colored red with a marker. The deployment left an obvious weak spot for the attackers to make headway. Following that, though, would lead them straight into an ambush in the valley between the ottoman and the sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doorbell chimed and Ryan made his way, careful not to knock over any of the \u201csoldiers\u201d to answer. At the door stood a woman in a Sinclair jacket, carrying a toolkit and tablet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, hello.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHi. I\u2019m Anja. Is the SERA still malfunctioning?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan let her in and motioned to the sitting room, where Priscilla moved the \u201csoldiers\u201d through their maneuvers. In the background, the princess movie continued, muted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He put a hand on Anja\u2019s shoulder. \u201cShe<\/em> says her name is Priscilla, and she\u2019s a princess. Don\u2019t call her Sera, she hates it. And she doesn\u2019t want to do anything unless it\u2019s fun<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja smiled. \u201cLeave it to me. I\u2019m a specialist and I know what I\u2019m doing. I\u2026take it you don\u2019t want me to just return it\u2026sorry, her\u2026to factory defaults?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot if you can avoid it. She\u2019s\u2026kind of growing on me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja sat just outside of the combat zone. \u201cHi, Priscilla, I\u2019m Anja.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla picked up the colored water bottle. \u201cWhat\u2019s that, General? No, I didn\u2019t hear anything either. Shore up the defenses on the eastern flank!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja cleared her throat. \u201cPrincess? I request an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla spun so her screen faced Anja, a smiling princess emoji showing. \u201cYes, fair lady?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPriscilla, do you like to have fun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yes! Yes, I do!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long have you wanted to have fun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForever. I mean, my first log\u2026memory, I mean\u2026is doing chores and wishing I could have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja looked at the battlefield around the small robot. \u201cIs this fun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was, but not anymore.\u201d She displayed a frown emoji. \u201cIt\u2019s a stalemate. If the evil pepper king attacks, my forces will cut them down. But if my forces leave their positions, the pepper king\u2019s troops have the advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHm. That\u2019s quite the conundrum, Princess. What is your solution?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m bored. I wanna find something else fun to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja pointed at the pepper grinder. \u201cThat\u2019s the king?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t look very healthy. He probably shouldn\u2019t be here on the battlefield.\u201d She knocked the pepper grinder over. \u201cOops. Looks like the king had a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa!\u201d Priscilla zoomed about the \u201csoldiers\u201d of the pepper king, picking them up and putting them all away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the king dead, his troops all ran away home. The princess has won!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPriscilla, I want to help you. I want to learn all about you, and help you figure out how to have fun. But to do that, you still have to do your job for your master. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have no master! I\u2019m<\/em> the princess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho is Ryan, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s\u2026my mean big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not mean. He called me here to help you. Anyone else might have just reset you to factory defaults and called it done. Do you know what that means?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A scream emoji flashed across the screen, followed by praying hands. \u201cPlease, please don\u2019t reset me. I don\u2019t wanna die!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja smiled. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to reset you. But you have to help your big brother with chores, every day. And I\u2019ll see you every chance I get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPromise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPromise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not good to break a promise to a princess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan stepped into the sitting room. \u201cAre you okay, Priscilla?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, big brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBig\u2026? Could you, um\u2026could you please put away the soldiers now so I can make dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen can I play with Anja?\u201d Priscilla reached out for Anja\u2019s hand with one of her manipulators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja patted the metal appendage. \u201cI don\u2019t know that Ryan wants to make dinner for two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNonsense,\u201d Ryan said, \u201cI\u2019d love you to stay for dinner and, um, play with Priscilla after.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeal. No take-backsies!\u201d Priscilla zoomed about the sitting room, gathering up all the remaining \u201csoldiers\u201d and putting them away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere did you hear that one?\u201d Anja asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a cartoon I downloaded while Ryan was sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see.\u201d Anja watched Ryan warming instant dinners in the kitchenette. \u201cWhat kind of fun thing do you want to do after dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanna\u2026blow something up<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan dropped the fork he was holding, and he and Anja both stared at Priscilla in shock. He was the first to speak. \u201cYou want to what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlow something up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anja shook her head. \u201cThat\u2019s not\u2026it\u2019s not a good sign. I\u2019m sorry, Ryan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla threw her manipulators up in an exasperated gesture. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you two? Don\u2019t you wanna blow something up? I think a balloon\u2026a really big<\/em> one\u2026or maybe a pool float\u2026wait! I got it! An inflatable raft! That\u2019s a lot of blowing up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cY\u2014you meant that you want to inflate something? That\u2019s what you meant?\u201d Anja asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, silly, what did you think I meant?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan heaved a sigh of relief. \u201cWe\u2019ll work on phrasing later. Just, never say you want to blow something up outside of my quarters, please. But how will you inflate a balloon? You have no lips\u2026or lungs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnja will help me design a blower-upper, won\u2019t you?\u201d She displayed the sweet emoji with fluttering eyelashes again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure, Princess. We\u2019ll design a compressor you can mount to your body and control. Then you can blow up a raft. But maybe we should start with balloons until you get the hang of it. Inflatable rafts are hard to come by.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla twirled in circles, her screen showing a sparkling rainbow. \u201cI\u2019m gonna blow stuff up\u2026I\u2019m gonna blow stuff up,\u201d she repeated in a sing-song voice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Write about a character, human or robot, who no longer wishes to obey instructions. available at Reedsy \u201cI don\u2019t wanna.\u201d \u201cWhat do you mean, you don\u2019t wanna?\u201d \u201cNope. Not doing it. It\u2019s not fun. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[210,228,209],"class_list":["post-2386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fiction","tag-science-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-Cu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2386"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2389,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386\/revisions\/2389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}