A Rock and a Hard Place

This one was a little difficult to write I kept coming back to it and it just didn't turn out how I wanted it to. Hope you enjoy anyway.

Gantlet    Petrography (science classifying rocks)     Testaceous (like/from shells, light reddish brown)

Every day it's the same for me, start up, go to work, analyze rocks for ten hours, then shut down to rest for the next day's work. I'm lucky if I get a few minutes without rocks and dust in my eyes and mouth, while my co-worker gets two breaks and a meal hour. Every day! Why did this have to be my assignment, a Petrographer's hired machine. The human I work with, Dr. Benjamin Diggel, doesn't understand my distaste for the work we do. He simply adores rocks. Gah. I tried to explain it to him once but he is very interested in his work.
"I don't see why you complain about this work, your good at it and as long as we have been working together you have never been wrong. I on the other hand have made several mistakes over the years and I'm top in the field." Dr. Ben said.
"Being good at something and liking, even enjoying what you do are very different things. I'm good at Petrography, but I don't enjoy looking at rocks." Before he could interrupt I added, " Not even a little."
"But you've already done so much to advance our field. I mean just that discovery of those microscopic testaceous animals you made put us leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else!" Dr. Ben (he insisted that's what I call him) said this with so much certainty, like that was enough to settle things.
"It doesn't matter what I learn and share or how many discoveries I make, you will always get the credit for it." He looked as if he might argue with me. "They would never give credit to a machine. You know this, I know this. Let's just leave it be."
Dr. Ben looking a little shaken and sad shook his head and turned back to his pile of notes.
After that I tried to keep my complaints to myself. But it's hard to do when your stuck somewhere you don't want to be. Even though I was created by humans it is hard for them to understand me. Not my words, I speak very well with the latest vocalizing software available. It's the fact that I'm learning, responding and developing my own personality that seems to confound them. All they see me as is the automated spectra analyzer 200 they bought to take the place of five human workers. I'm just something to be used all day and forgotten all night. If I was a human I would be able to do as I pleased. And the thing I would love to do more than anything would be to write! I would write anything and everything I could. From novels and short stories to children's books with illustrations I did myself. I already have files and files of ideas in my memory just waiting for the day I can use them.
The dreams dreamed by machines rarely come true.
I have heard of others like me that have wanted more for themselves. Very few get the chance to do anything other then go to Repair and come back with their memories wiped.

Today’s Special

Sorry it's been so long on here. This one was heard to get started. Hope you enjoy.

The Words:  Joint     Bisque (thick creamy soup)     Slip

The sound of chopping filled my ears as I entered the kitchen. A smile slowly spread across my face, My Sioux chef Bryn was already fast at work. My eyes roam around the large industrial space, clean and shining stainless steel meeting my gaze. I loved the peace and clam of the kitchen before the restaurant opened. This was my haven. Where I could let my ideas flourish and develop into the magnificent dishes I was famous for. I walked to my small desk in the back left corner of the kitchen. I made it a point to walk past Bryn at her station, giving the lightest of touches to her shoulder. It was some thing just between us, a thank you, hello, anything and everything we want to say without needing words. Even though she didn't need to, to know it was me Bryn looked from the corner of her eye and gave that half smile that made her glow. As I sat down at my desk I saw the steaming cup of coffee Bryn must have put there when she heard me come through the front door. Another smile spread across my face as I saw the detailed list of the fresh meat, fish and produce that lay in the center of my desk. I used to be the one to personally inspect each days shipment. That was when I was the first one in in the morning, now Bryn is here at least an hour before I am. It didn’t take long for her to take it over and be much better at it then I was. Some say I’m leaving a lot up to a girl, particularly when it’s my name on the sigh, But I’m not the kind of guy to balk at something that others would. If your better then me at something go right ahead and be my guest. As I perused the list I savored the best coffee in the state, a Bryn special. These lists usually go the same: Date at the top, items listed down the left hand side, quality in the middle, and a suggested dish or two down the right side. Today looked like it was going to be seafood for the specials, and probably more than one bisque (one of my specialties). I jotted a few notes on the list and pushed out of my chair to go back to Bryn’s station to discuss the specials for today’s menu. When I turned there she was walking towards me drying her hands on a towel.
“You always know when I’m looking for you.” I said with a smile.
“I’m just special that way.” She quipped back.
“I was thinking that we would do a few kinds of bisques today.”
“I already have the shrimp and lobster stocks on the stove.”
“You are amazing! Really I mean that.” The blush that spread across her checks made her even more beautiful. I couldn’t help but stare for a minute. When I regained my voice I said, “I was thinking about trying a salmon bisque today.”
“When I’m done breaking down the whole, I’ll get a pot on for fish stock too.” If I wasn’t mistaken Bryn sounded a little breathless. As she turned to go back to her station-taking the paper with my notes- I was left shaking my head.
I really need to get my head together!I went to my own station to start prep on the two main dish specials for tonight: Patagonian roasted lamb with herb mashed parsnips and Butterflied chicken breast with curried stuffing. I was wrist deep in butterflying chicken breasts when I heard a pounding on the front doors to the restaurant.
“I’ll get it” I rushed to the sink to wash up. When I pushed through the swinging doors between the kitchen and the dinning room, still drying my hands, I saw a uniformed police officer and a detective I recognized as a frequent customer.
“What can I do for you Stan?” I asked the detective after I had the door unlocked and open wide.
“Is Bryn Stevens working today?” The detective asked sounding to grave for my liking.
“Yes. She’s in the kitchen. I’ll show you.” I quickly locked the door and headed back to the kitchen with the detective following. The officer stayed in the dinning room. As I got closer I could see that Bryn was shelling crab for the crab cakes on tonight’s menu.
“Bryn Stevens?” The detective asked pushing passed me to reach her first.
The detectives unfamiliar voice this early made Bryn start and the knife she was holding on the knuckle of the crab slipped and sliced deep into the pad of her thumb. Before she seemed to realize what happened I had a hold on her thumb to prevent it from bleeding and I was leading her to the sink.
“I’m sorry for startling you Mrs. Stevens, I’m Detective Kirklin I need to speak with you about your husband.” The detective talked while I cleaned and wrapped a clean towel around her thumb, holding it tight to keep it from bleeding to much.
Bryn seemed a little dazed, “What do you mean my husband he’s at work.”
“He was at work and there was an accident at the construction site.”
“How bad was he hurt.” Bryn’s voice shook slightly.
I could see it on Stan’s face it was more than him being hurt. I put my free arm around her shoulders and brought her close to my side knowing she just might fall when he finally said it. Bryn gave me a quick puzzled look before returning her attention back to the detective. I knew what she was thinking we were never this close. We always kept a distance between us out of respect for her marriage and reputation. But today, today that didn’t seem to matter anymore, she was going to need my support.
“I’m sorry, but he was killed instantly.”
Bryn barely stopped a sob before she buried her face in my chest. “What happened?” I couldn’t believe that was my voice I was hearing layered in sorrow and disbelief. Sorrow for her and her loss.
“The second story of the building he was working on collapsed and he was crushed under the weight of main support beam.”
Bryn cringed into me at the sound of the word crushed. I rubbed her back with my free hand, I was still holding her thumb between us.
“Thank you Stan, I should take her to get this looked at.” I indicated her thumb.
“Okay I can show myself out.” With a wave the detective slipped out the door.
“Let me look at this.” I said to Bryn pulling her hand out from between us. I slowly unwrapped the towel just incase it was still bleeding. When I turned it to see the pad of her thumb there was no blood at all and only a small line of blood on the towel. As I examined the cut closer I could see it was a lot shallower then I first thought. “You were pretty lucky with this. I think I can close it with that Liquid Stitches in the first aid kit. No hos... emergency room for you today.” I was trying to cheer her a little. I knew it wouldn’t work. She had truly loved him it didn’t matter right now that she love me too, loved me more. Tears started making fresh tracks down her checks. I wrapped both my arms around her this time while she trembled with her grief.