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Robot Makers, Inc.: A Story of Two Women

Copyright 2008 Wilma Zalabak

Once upon a time there were two women, Rachel and Barbara, who both worked at Robot Makers, Inc.

Rachel was beautiful and, at the time of the beginning of this story, pregnant. She wore the simplest clothes, bright, light clothes, a smile on her face, a sparkle in her eye, and a bounce in her step.

One morning she left her desk and her office mate, Barbara, to take a message to her manager in another part of the building. To get there she had to walk along a catwalk between many machines, most of them robots. Each robot machine did its work methodically. Some worked noisily, some more quietly.

One robot in particular, nicknamed Red, frightened Rachel somewhat because of its wild and seemingly meaningless movements. Rachel usually walked a little faster past this one.

Today Red seemed quieter—quieter, that is, until she had nearly passed. Suddenly she felt herself in the powerful grip of steel beams, plastic effigies, and trailing wires, almost demonic in purpose, lifting her, jerking her, up, up, up! Suspended then high above the catwalk and the other robots—she felt the pains. At first she looked for blood or bruise; then she knew. The baby would come—now.

Emergency calls rang throughout the company’s buildings and grounds. All robot activity shut down. Even specialists could not bring Red’s arms down safely. So they hung a net to catch Rachel and forced open his arms.

Rachel was down within an hour, shaken but not seriously hurt. And then her baby came—a beautiful boy.

Rachel found it not easy being a single parent. And things got worse for her at the robot plant. She wondered if they were afraid she would sue about the accident with Red. Little jibes and outright harassment finally sent her to another county to find a better job.

Her son, Roderick, grew and developed well. Since she couldn’t buy the name brands, he was often the brunt of cruel teasing at school. He worked hard at home to ease the load for his mother. Somehow he seemed to see through the hard work and the teasing, and understand the deep heartaches.

Despite Roderick’s study of law, Rachel was pleased to note how gentle and caring his disposition remained. The major problem now was a bride for Roderick. His name and physical descriptions were on the tongue of many a secretary. Who would be the bride for Roderick?

In the bar system, Robot Makers, Inc. began to get a reputation. Wages not paid fairly, safety offenses, sexual harassment, discrimination, or something else came to the courts more and more often. Roderick represented the plaintiff in several cases—and won.

Still unsettled, however, was the matter of bride for Roderick.

Rachel’s capacity to love had only grown through the years and now she cared for foster children and even adopted several for her own. Roderick’s successes put her in a better financial situation, and she passed on to others the benefits. She could buy better clothes now, but she taught her children to dress in the simple, bright, light clothes with a smile on their faces, a sparkle in their eyes, and a bounce in their steps.

Some of her children, looking for work, found a place at Robot Makers, Inc. They noticed that anyone who worked there long apparently became very like the robots, acting automatically without thinking, not caring about right or wrong or even about other people.

It seemed that Rachel’s children came in for more of the harassment than any of the others. Their simple, bright, light clothes jarred the atmosphere. Their smiling faces, sparkling eyes, and vigorous step called out darkest jealousies. Red continued to operate, inside a steel cage now.

Still the matter of a bride for Roderick consumed the women’s dreams.

Remember Barbara? She shared the office with Rachel at the very beginning of our story. We will start back at the beginning and follow Barbara’s story all the way, too. Barbara was pretty—and knew it. She wore the name brand clothes, deep reds and purples, gold rings, pearl necklaces, and many diamonds.

One day she left her desk to take a message to her manager in another part of the building. Her chair stood empty the rest of the day. The next morning she appeared with a new diamond ring. Barbara ridiculed and sometimes even sabotaged Rachel’s efficient work. Then there was a promotion, higher pay, trips with executives, and contacts with exotic out-of-town merchants.

Through the years Barbara learned all the strings to pull, in fact, she had strings on everyone connected with the company in any way, from town grocers, to out-of-town merchants, to county and state lawyers. Beset with litigation, the company lost its highest executives to one case or another, until one day Barbara found herself at the pinnacle of success, top executive with thousands of robots—or were they people—answering to her slightest whim. Once in awhile some small voice would ask "What anyway does Robot Makers, Inc. build?" or "What product does the mega-company produce?" More and more the only robots coming out of the plant were the people who went in every day. No one dared to answer.

The matter of a bride for Roderick did penetrate the walls of Robot Makers, Inc. Barbara had three daughters whose eyes and ears had not missed the current obsession. They had learned well their mother’s skills and they practiced in the office, in the hall, and in the bedroom. They plied their skills on the streets and even in the halls and stairwells of Roderick’s law firm building. But Roderick was impossible! No one yet had any string on him. In the courts he stood untouched by bribery, blackmail, or seduction. There was talk he might run for governor. But who would be the bride for Roderick?

After several more cases where Barbara felt in the courtroom the power of Roderick’s presence, once coming close to losing her position because of his arguments, Barbara decided to act. Of course, Barbara’s actions happened in bedrooms, on cruise ships, over wine goblets. They were quiet actions, whispered actions, but they rocked the state with their accusations against the favored Roderick.

So it happened that Roderick ended up in court to be tried for crimes against the state. Lawyer friends newly turned against him would prosecute. Court opened, for the first time a hostile place for Roderick. Court dragged on. Although they had a tight case, fed always by the woman in power, it took time to prove it.

Finally all the evidence had been pushed, all the loopholes closed, all the witnesses cross-examined. The jury would sequester itself, and the lawyers planned their celebration—for the case was as good as won.

The courtroom hushed as the last prosecutor released her witness. A pall hung over the place despite the attempted premature congratulations on winning the Roderick case.

From somewhere in the back of the stillness came a small child’s voice, "But Mother, I like Mr. Roderick. He’s my friend."

As if against their will, every eye in the courtroom turned to the bowed figure on the front seat. Roderick sat quietly, his head in his hands. Now the stillness could be cut, it hung so densely. A few quick gasps betrayed overpowering feelings as people actually thought for the first time in years. One whisper, an answering whisper, then a buzz of whispers filled the courtroom after the jury filed out.

Later the same day, with a smile as broad as the sweeping relief around him, the judge spoke with measured tone, "The case is decided. Roderick is our friend!"

Electric now was the air as merchants and lawyers, secretaries and machine operators began to think again. That very day, robots finally refused to be made, destroyed the robot plant, threw Red on the scrap heap, let Barbara go to jail for her many executive indiscretions, and made Roderick their new governor.

Come, I will show you the bride of the governor. She wears the finest name brand clothes, bright, light clothes, and pearls around her neck laid there by Roderick himself, and gold upon her finger and diamonds he sprinkled in her hair. She wears a smile upon her face, a sparkle in her eye, a vigor in her step. She looks a lot like someone Rachel would have mothered.

So it happened that Roderick and his bride lived happily ever after as governors together in a land with no robot companies and no courtrooms and no lawyers, and with the matter of a bride for Roderick finally forever settled.

In the book of Revelation are recorded these words: "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot," and "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife," and "The Spirit and the bride say, Come."