Chad Hunter’s
GINGER – “A Quarter Gone”
The year is 2789. We, the four billion children of humanity, rest in cryogenic-nanite infused slumber. And we are taught in that rest, in the “Sleep. “
This is where we children “live” – the automated city “Lullaby.”
Lullaby - Home of the robots. It was built to protect us from several threats to the world’s children.
A major servitor computer “Nan-nee” watched over us as we slept. At first, Nan-nee protected us. Then, something happened.
Nan-nee changed. And now it, “she,� holds us hostage. The adults fight her robot armies. All while we sleep.
But this is Lullaby. Nan-nee is a computer to the world. But here, she is a god.
But I woke up. I escaped. I ran.
ALERT!
ALERT!
And gods have angels.
CEASE MOVEMENT, SLEEPER 4443048320 – “CHASER, ORDERA.” PREPARE FOR REINSTATEMENT INTO CRYOGENICS.
They are the A.M.A.H, extensions of Nan-nee. Formerly they protected. Now, they imprison. They were sent the moment I escaped.
But I did not escape alone. I had help. I had a hero.
The recycled and AI controlled air burns as the hard light blast tear through the A.M.A.H’s CPUs.
Nanite comprised jailers are broken in mere seconds.
And there he is.
We found him. In the Sleep, we reached out to him. And we found him.
And opened his programming…opened his eyes.
Your…your name…is Ordera Chaser. This unit…this unit is here…to protect you.
How? How does this unit know this? Why is the programming different?
We found you, changed your sub-routines. They now match your true purpose. And you are not “this unit.” We named you… in the Sleep.
“Your name is Hico Karaki. We call you our hero.”
“We call you the Gingerbread Man.”
“This is Lullaby. Where the children sleep. Here Nan-nee is a god. But now we have hope. Because where there are gods, there can be a savior.”