by: Robin Rose Graves.

God makes no mistakes, but do scientists? The engineers who put me together? (Are they my God?)

Why do my tasks fail at random, clearing my entire queue?

Why do my parts refuse to move?

The engineers plug their computers in and run diagnostics: all systems green.

I watch the other machines complete their work with efficiency, no hesitance.

Something is wrong with me, but with no known cause, there is no solution.

I ask to check again. The engineers must think I have a death wish. It’s like she wants to be scrapped.

I’d do anything to function normally.

© 2024. Robin Rose Graves

Robin Rose Graves has appeared in Dark Matter Magazine and Simultaneous Times Podcast. She is an editor for Android Press and runs the SF booktube channel, the Book Wormhole.

Posted July 2, 2024.