Bill works in a cyborg manufacturing plant. He helps the cyborgs gain consciousness. Some immediately ‘transcend’ while others do so in fits and starts. It’s not the most popular job as the creepiness of the whole process puts a great psychological strain on Bill. But he copes better than most. However, he’s getting frustrated with one of the cyborgs who’s refusing to transcend.
Besides a bit of American Gladiator style corporate conflict resolution which just felt off to me, this is a great story which actually kept me guessing until the end. The transcension of the robots is a cool idea and its creepiness is explored fully. With the meditations on robot and human consciousness, I definitely got a bit of a Philip K. Dick vibe from the story, which is always a good thing.
