Over at Mur Lafferty’s blog I Should Be Writing (the blog version of her podcast of the same name), there is a section called News from Poughkeepsie where Jared Axelrod posts a writing prompt to help get writer’s started, well, writing. Usually they have a theme for the week, with a new prompt showing up almost every day. I love that the prompts are geeky and unique, and usually start my mind thinking about what else could happen. Or what I could write with that idea.

I finally got around to writing one based off this week’s theme of cybernetics. While I’m not sure that mine may technically fall into that category, I still am proud of myself for one, actually writing something for a change, and two, putting myself out there and posting what I wrote as a response for everyone to see. It may never progress farther than this prompt, but that’s fine. At least I’m writing. Now I just need to keep doing that.

“He’s waking up,” Wilhelm heard as he opened his eyes. He instinctively reached toward his head, and felt someone pull his hand away.

“Don’t touch it yet, Mr Ellis. We’ll be bringing you into the recovery room in just a moment where you’ll be shown how to work your new implant,” the young nurse smiled.

He certainly didn’t feel different, and didn’t feel any pain. This surgery was a much experience than having emergency appendix surgery when he was in college.

The door to his right opened and he heard the voice of his doctor call out.

“Send him in, we’re ready!”

Wilhelm stood and walked through the open door into the recovery room. His doctor was standing next to a chair, a long cable in her hand.

“Sit, Mr Ellis, and take this,” Dr Draper said, extending the cable towards him.

He looked at the connector at the end of the cable and felt his implant for the first time. His heart quickened as he began to realize just what he would have to do.

“Take it,” she said again, her voice growing impatient.

Wilhelm took the cable as he sat down and tried to connect the end to his implant. After a moment he felt the two click into place, and turned to look at his doctor.

“I’ll start the introduction program. It will teach you all you need to know,” she walked over to a computer and pressed a few buttons.

“Will I get to learn Kung Fu?” Wilhelm joked. “You know, like in The Matrix?”

She sighed. That same old joke never goes away. “Only if you survive.” She smiled as she pushed a button, sending the training program directly into his brain. His eyes widened with fear before they closed, a sight Dr Draper took amusement in seeing. Scaring new recruits never gets old.