The Cyborg Griffin: a Speculative Literary Journal
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Hollins University Hollins Digital Commons Cyborg Griffin: a Speculative Fiction Literary Journal 2014 The yC borg Griffin: ap S eculative Literary Journal Hollins University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/cyborg Part of the Fiction Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Literature in English, North America Commons Recommended Citation Hollins University, "The yC borg Griffin: a Speculative Literary Journal" (2014). Cyborg Griffin: a Speculative Fiction Literary Journal. 3. https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/cyborg/3 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by Hollins Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Cyborg Griffin: a Speculative Fiction Literary Journal by an authorized administrator of Hollins Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Volume IV 2014 The Cyborg Griffin A Speculative Fiction Literary Journal Hollins University ©2014 Tributes Editors Emily Catedral Grace Gorski Katharina Johnson Sarah Landauer Cynthia Romero Editing Staff Rachel Carleton AnneScott Draughon Kacee Eddinger Sheralee Fielder Katie Hall Hadley James Maura Lydon Michelle Mangano Laura Metter Savannah Seiler Jade Soisson-Thayer Taylor Walker Kara Wright Special Thanks to: Jeanne Larsen, Copperwing, Circuit Breaker, and Cyberbyte 2 Table of Malcontents Cover Design © Katie Hall Title Page Image © Taylor Hurley The Machine Princess Hadley James .......................................................................................... 5 Subway Magic Chelsea DeTorres .............................................................................................. 11 Loched Emily Catedral ............................................................................................................... 12 There is a Time Katharina Johnson ............................................................................................ 17 A Friendly Game J.D. Donnelly ................................................................................................. 19 When Inspiration Runs Dry Michelle Mangano ......................................................................... 20 Homicidal Faeries Grace Gorski ................................................................................................. 26 Bacon Beast J.D. Donnelly ......................................................................................................... 27 The Missus and I are expecting… Kyri Lorenz ............................................................................. 29 Apocalypse Taylor Walker ......................................................................................................... 30 Wendy Bird Grace Gorski .......................................................................................................... 32 Hooded Justice Michelle Mangano ............................................................................................. 33 Dragon’s Gate J.D. Donnelly ..................................................................................................... 38 Mother’s Love Hadley James ...................................................................................................... 39 The Trophy Hunter Kyri Lorenz ................................................................................................ 52 Winnie J.D. Donnelly ................................................................................................................ 53 The River’s Secret Rachel Carleton ............................................................................................ 55 Babushka, Babushka Grace Gorski .............................................................................................. 57 CryptoZoo III J.D. Donnelly ...................................................................................................... 60 After storm, the phoenix flies Kara Wright .................................................................................. 76 Dragonne’s Egg Kyri Lorenz ....................................................................................................... 77 Homespun Thread Grace Gorski ................................................................................................. 78 The Mage of Shadows Mandy Moore ......................................................................................... 79 Immortal Evolution Sarah Landauer ............................................................................................ 87 By Fairest Blood Michelle Mangano .......................................................................................... 88 For Amelia: Changeling Child Rachel Carleton .......................................................................... 90 Within the Bones J.D. Donnelly ................................................................................................. 91 [exit_procedure/message.doc] Emily Catedral ............................................................................. 92 3 4 The Machine Princess Hadley James The princess was dead. The coroner slipped his arms through his embroidered silk waistcoat. He fastened the bright silver buttons and adjusted his tie. Taking his black silk top hat from the hat rack, he placed it gently on his head. One had to look one’s best for the princess, after all. Shouldering on his coat, he eyed himself in the mirror. With his white gloves and tailored trousers, one might almost mistake him for human – if they didn’t look him in the face, that is. His joints whirred quietly as he hurried down the stairs of his London apartment. Taking his favorite cherry wood cane from the umbrella bin beside the door, he hurried outside. Glancing up at the sky, he shook his head. Dark, heavy clouds of potential rain lingered over the city, rumbling with deafening thunder. Pausing, the coroner reached up to adjust the sound quality dial on the side of his head. There would be rain today – fitting for the demise of the princess – and he didn’t want the noise overloading his processors. Tapping his cane against the cobblestones, the coroner lifted his arm. A carriage, painted black and yellow, came to a halt by the curbside. Tipping his hat to the chrome- skinned fellow at the reins, the coroner climbed inside. “Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it, sir?” the driver asked without even a hint of sarcasm. His voice trickled from the speaker where his mouth should be, tinny like the sound from a music box. With a flick of the reins, the driver started the carriage. The ‘horse’ – little more than an engine block with legs – roared to life and began trotting down the lane. “Where are we headed today, sir?” “Buckingham Palace, my good man,” the coroner responded. It was always when he encountered models like the driver, who had no moving facial parts to speak of, that the coroner knew he was a proper android. He was among the top percentage of automatons with his articulate facial features – moving eyes and lips, eyebrows that rose and fell with each expression. The common folk were not near as human-like as he was. Alas, it was unfortunate. Not every member of society could be quite as finely crafted as he was. The driver remained silent. The carriage rumbled along the cobblestone streets, and the coroner turned to look out at the models strolling up and down the boulevard. The finer automatons glistened with polished chassis and lovely clothes. The ladies, if ‘lady’ was still the right word to describe them, floated down the sidewalks, parasols in hand, with bonnets covering their chrome heads. A few rusty chaps lingered in the alleyways, scanning the passersby. Shifting in his seat, the coroner glanced down at his bleached white gloves. It was not often that he got to perform his work. Automatons, after all, rarely had to ‘die’. It was only when their models were wrecked beyond repair that he was allowed to declare someone ‘dead’. Never before had he declared a human dead – simply because most of them already were. The carriage came to a halt outside the palace gates. Hopping down from his seat on the top of the carriage, the driver hurried to open the door for the coroner. The coroner nodded to the lesser model and approached the palace gates. At one point, perhaps, there had been gardens surrounding the palace. However, these days, the palace lawn drowned in cement. Between the acid rain and the smog choking the atmosphere, the groundskeepers 5 probably couldn’t force anything to grow. With a mechanical rattle, the gates parted for the coroner. “Welcome, sir.” Another automaton, this one with articulate features just like the coroner, stood at the door. Adjusting his smart velvet smoking jacket, the servant opened the front door and ushered the coroner inside. “It’s a relief that you’ve come. I’m desperate to hear if the princess can be salvaged.” “I fear that’s not the case with organics, my friend,” the coroner replied. He slanted his eyebrows inward, convinced this expression would carry the desired message of gravity. “The princess is very old. I am afraid that when organics grow old, they cannot simply replace their old hardware.” “Oh, but how did they ever survive so long without being able to upgrade?” The coroner smiled – a curious expression, one that could be linked to so many emotions. “It caught up with them in the end, didn’t it? Be sure to engage your recording optics, friend. This shall be a momentous occasion.” The other automaton lead led the coroner down the corridors