The Longest Fall

-=< Sequence 1: Genesis >=-

The robotics of the future began with advanced prosthetics. Compared to the technology of today, it was far more barbaric in 2040. Metal appendages given to those who needed them most, made for the simple manipulation of objects in the given space, looked more akin to that of weaponry in sci-fi. The Eminencia Mk4 Cybernetic Prosthetic arm had a mess of thick wires, traveling from the wrist, out of the upper arm, and into the shoulder of the recipient where they would work their way to the spinal column where the device would receive its input. It was known to be very unappealing to look at, and shortly after its release into the public, the device could short circuit with little reason at all, sending thousands of watts of energy from the wrist, out of the upper arm, and into the shoulder, ending in the energy traveling through all of the remaining central nervous system, including that of the brain.

Fifteen people experienced this deep electrocution before it was recalled. There were no known survivors. They all turned to the Mk4 to finally have a chance to be normal again, and all of their hearts exploded from the wattage being surged through their bodies and the carelessness of the corporation. Eminencia didn't bother to recall the prosthetics until legal action was threatened and subsequently taken, and it resulted in their bankruptcy and fade into obscurity- just another startup in it for the cash and not for the safety of the hands that fed them. If the lawsuit wasn't what eventually killed them, it would've been the loss of trust and the drying-up of the goodwill. After all, if they did it before, why would you ever think they wouldn't do it again?

Eminencia was liquidated and their assets were either used to settle on the steps, or sold to serve the same purpose. When everything was said and done, there was nothing left. Less than nothing. No record of the in-development prototypes, no edits to the already existing prosthetics. It all went like dried leaves in the wind on a cold autumn day- the first day of fall.

The first day in a long-lasting chain of the shortest days on earth.

A lot changed in 59 years. Prosthetics were essentially indistinguishable from biological limbs. People walked the streets perfectly fine, although many at a certain point had become more machine than man. That person on the bench was swiping through the holographic interface of their bionic eyes. That person crossing the road had gotten ear implants to listen to music anywhere she wanted without any ugly devices inside of her ears. That person entering the coffee shop- you wouldn't realize it at a first glance, but underneath the scarf and underneath his skin, he had gotten a neural link installed into his spine after a catastrophic accident that allowed him to keep the use of his limbs, an event in which he sobbed with sheer joy. These are the details that no one can possibly know...

... except for one.

A robot leisurely rolled down the sidewalk with several bags of groceries hanging off of his arms, looking to-and-fro at all of the pedestrians around him, reading the signals their cybernetics gave off and finding brief enjoyment in the little windows into hundreds of different lives.

The SolaServe iS5 was the newest model of servant unit from Solaratech Robotics International. Its chassis was made of an alloy that sparkled in the moonlight and inside, it had the quietest motors and gyroscopes ever seen in the SolaServe line. It was made to serve, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Its wheels were self-cleaning. It automatically dry-cleaned any clothes put on its body. Its gloves were always an immaculate white, and unit 45H-3R was no different.

45H-3R- Asher.

Personality set: empath.

Voice set: empath_male_3.vst.

Speaking gender: male.

It was all in the preset.

... the default preset.