Timewaster's Guide Archive

Amurderofcrows

I like how initially the reader is mislead by a golem being called a ''red man'' and generally the story that would involve golems. The line that I disliked a little, was

Quote

"Anybody ever told you you got a — kinda flat way about you? Don't laugh much, ain't cracked a smile. You do smile, right? Red Men smile? I can't say I ever met one of you before."

It just doesn't feel right to me that such personal judgment can be made after a brief exchange and the golem didn't have much reasons to smile at that point. I can imagine a human handyman acting in the same reserved way. Perhaps it would be better to have a line establishing that golems generally are unemotional or move it to a later point in conversation as well as adding a joke that golem completely ignores.

I guess the 'state assisted living' / 'what passes for it' line didn't come off as clear enough humor-- because that was the joke he didn't smile at.

And my first post as well:

This is, "The Super."

"Hey, you the super?"

"The building has no super. I'm the handyman."

"But you're Gamble, right?"

"Yes, I'm Gamble."

"Oh, good. Thought I'd gone to the wrong building, man. Don't scare a brass like that! Wrong building, wrong check in with my case worker, and I'm back at the department faster then you can say 'dismantle'. Here — Ms. Golightly said to give this to you."

"So Golightly was your case worker?"

"Yeah, man. She said that this was a good buliding, that it had good people. I wouldn't go wrong with this building."

"And that I was the super."

"She didn't say it like that, but she said you were the man to talk to. Didn't say you were a red man, though."

"It probably wasn't pertinient to the discussion at hand."

"Uh. Whatever you say, chief. Anyway, Golightly said you were the man to talk to for the building. I need some space for downcycle, and to be when I ain't working."

"You got a job assignment yet?"

"Nope; not a lot a call for librarian-recorders in Brasstown. But she's gonna send me any openings I might be good for. I got good digits, so many I'll get some factory work, assembly line gigs. So don't you worry, I'm gonna have somethin'."

"Doesn't matter to me. You don't pay rent to me — this is state-assisted living."

"Or what passes for it, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Anybody ever told you you got a — kinda flat way about you? Don't laugh much, ain't cracked a smile. You do smile, right? Red Men smile? I can't say I ever met one of you before."

"Few people can. I prefer 'golem' to 'red man'."

"Oh— Sorry."

"Speaking of, you've given me a letter and your model. What are you called, and how do you identify?"

"Man, you know your stuff! I'm called Talkback, and I guess male. They treat me like a male."

"It's the vox. You've got a male-leaning vox. When you can't go by a visual cue, humans will go by sound, especially manner of speech."

"Huh. You know a lot of them? Are there any in the building? Other brass told me, that some humans live in Brasstown. That true?"

"That's true. There are three in the building. You'll meet them if you stay long enough. That leads me to the rules. Building has a curfew; there's a human child. You may not sleep, but he does. No loud noises after ten p.m. I don't care what you do outside the building, but I do care what you bring in. We play by the rules in my building — no chems, no shriektalk, no illegal mods. You want that, you find a new building."

"Shriektalk ain't illegal."

"'round here it's not good for business. You want to shriektalk outside, I can point you to two shriekeasies within walking distance, no problem. But you start playing with the wiring here, and we end up with problems. Problems that bring the department."

"I get you."

"Good. Like I said — I don't care what you do outside the building. Inside, that's another story."

"So we got three meats. Any other brass? Or- golems?"

"I'm the only golem in Brasstown at this time, as far as I'm aware. In the building, there are some other brass; you can meet and greet on your own time. The humans are a small family with a young child, and a single female. Neither will cause you and trouble, and none of them have any connection to the department— or the Hammer, so don't worry about that."

"You got a datareader hidden in here or something? 'cause you sure seem to know a lot about — things."

"I could also have just read that letter you gave me."

"Golightly give you my Rampancy docs, or what?"

"Not so much. Listen, it doesn't matter who gives me what. Just know that I run a tight building. You'll be safe and sound here if you follow the rules. You don't, you'll be binned so fast your screws will shake loose. Got it?"

"Got it. So — what do I call you, and how do you identify, 'Gamble'?"

"Gamble is fine. Male is what humans default to with me, so it's good enough."

"Right. So — those shriekeasies... where are they?"

"Here, let me get you a map — and a card. They'll want to know you've been vouched for, and I've got some friends there. Talk to a brass called Deuce Two-Tones, he'll set you up and give you some space. He's an old model LIB1010; the one with the chest full of ports, connectors all done in gold. Can't miss him — he'll be mobbed by tin kiddies hoping to earn a gold port of their own."

"Golightly wasn't kiddin' about this bein' the right building. This place is wired."

"But remember I said — keep it outdoors."

"Sure thing, Gamble. Sure thing."

"Here are your keys. You're ground floor, Unit B."

"Thanks, man. You're alright, for bein' clay. That's almost like bein' meat, ain't it?"

"Couldn't tell you. You go find Duece. Tell him I said hello."

"Sure thing, man. Sure thing."