Nanobot overproduction in human-cyborg patients ---sc24

A SICKNESS THAT CAUSED SOCIETAL UPHEAVAL

543 FootHill Drive, Ravlier, Nev'ada

Mrs. Kurrina Oggelstrappenthorp wiped the sweat from her brow and the residual nanobots from her lips.
Uung! Overproduction of nanobots was one of the worst parts of human-cyborg fusion. Normally, the nanos did their job of linking her human nerves with the bio-engineered nerves of her cyborg body parts and her kidneys did the rest. She flushed the evacuation pod and got up off of the bathroom floor. The last few days she'd been physically overworked at the store and emotionally overworked at home. Her kidneys couldn't keep up with the increased nanobot output and here she was paying the price. It hadn't been this bad since she was first rigged up with her shiny mechanical hardware. Years and years now. That alone was reason to celebrate. She hadn't had to taste or feel nanobots in mouth and esophagus for many a long year. Today's anomaly just showed her how far she'd come. She toddled on weak legs to her bedroom and collapsed on the plush and lush bedding. Her one true luxury first purchased years and years ago to help her cope with the initial transition and pain. Now she repurchased luxury bedding every year to remind herself she deserved it. It was funny because if she'd understood the true physical and emotional cost of a human to cyborg transition, she might not have made the decision to use bionic body parts. She might have gone with the less invasive prosthetic parts.
Her cyborg hand moved and stretched and she felt every motion of it. She smiled. Today was a good day to move. Today was a good day to feel. The feeling in her right hand was different than in her original left, no doubt, but it was close enough that she sometimes forgot that she was part metal. So, yeah, occasionally throwing up nanobots wasn't too bad a tradeoff. She could feel and had full control and movement of her hand, and most of the right side of her body.
Then the nanobots roiled in her all human stomach. She lurched off the bed and into the bathroom.

Meanwhile in Town

It was grim day in Ravlier. Very grim indeed.
"Howdy, Thymmi. Need to speak with Mrs. O."
"She's not here, Mr. Heller."
"On a delivery?" "No, sir, she's," Thymmi lowered his voice to a whisper, "she's out sick."
Heller reared back, "sick? I don't understand." Mrs. O did not get sick. Even when she was indeed sick she was not sick.
"She called in sick this morning."
"Are you sure it was her?"
"Yes! I double checked." Thymmi leaned in to admit, "We have a code word to be sure."
Heller shook his head. "Damn. this is bad," and not something that he needed to add to his already impossibly weird day. Mrs. O being sick just added to things not adding up. He knew from experience that when days like this started, it was smarter to hide rather than to get involved and that's exactly what he planned to do. Go hide.
"I can probably get part of your order started--"
"No. I mean, yeah, that would be great, but," he jacked a thumb over his should towards the door. "The Uurkilson twins just docked their buggy at the depot."
Thymmi's face drained of color. "Today? But it's only the 4th of the month. Oh no." Poor kid wobbled on his lanky knees. Teenage boys like him weren't designed for stress or hard physical labor. Thymmi was a clerk. And a damn good one! Perhaps the best clerk Oggelstrappenthorp's Dry Goods and Mercantile had ever (or would ever) seen. Good under pressure he was not. "What am I going to do?"
Heller's decision already made, he started for the door. "I'd lock up and sneak out the back. If the Uurkilsons followed their normal route you'll have approximately 10 min--"
The front door slammed open and, backlit by the bright midmorning sun, two huge shadowed figures loomed menacing and hostile in the doorway.
Heller skidded to a stop before hastily taking several steps backwards in an effort to slip behind a pristinely organized shelving unit. He didn't manage it before two words were barked from the doorway. He ducked his head as they were fired.
"Halt!" first one hard voice.
"Heller!" then the other.
As one, they moved through the doorway and into the store. The door closed behind them and their ominous looming shadows cut out, leaving behind two diminutive ladies of indeterminate years swathed in miles and miles of silks, ribbons, feathers, and jewelry.
"Goodmorning, Thymmi. Please inform Mrs. Oggelstrappenthorp we are here." The one dressed all in various shades of orange said with a very pleasant (and deceptive) smile before rejoining the one dressed all in varying shades of green in her glaring at Heller.
"Well, Mr. Heller?" Orange pressed.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Green demanded.
Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what they wanted him to admit to doing so he could not oblige them.
Fortunately, Thymmi squeaked, "I'm sorry, Misses Uurkilson. Mrs Oggelstrappenthorp is sick, ma'ams."
Both orange and green swung towards Thymmi so fast that Heller saw streaks of colored light. "What did you say?" they said in a haunting unison.
Thymmi swallowed and trembled and a bead of sweat pearled on his lip as he repeated his words. "I'm sorry, Misses Uurkilson. Mrs. Oggelstrappenthorp is sick, ma'ams."
Orange and Green's faces pinched into displeasure, "Unacceptable!"
They whipped back around to face Heller. "Do not move," Orange ordered.
"We will return, and you will be dealt with forthwith," Green warned. With that, both bustled out of the door.
It closed with a firm bang and opened almost immediately as a man, nearly as large as the shadow the Uurks made, entered the store. "Is she dead?"
"No, sir!" Thymmi assured. "She's sick."
E'am grunted. "What did you do the Uurks?" he asked Heller. "I have no idea," he said. They'd be back to tell him though, and he had no intention of staying as instructed. He gave a nod to E'am and made for the back of the store.
E'am told Thymmi. "Close the shop, kid."
Thymmi was nodding his head and closing out the register.
The door slammed open. "Is she dead? Please tell me she's not dead!"
"Mr. Abernathy, she's not dead," Thymmi assured the overwrought man.

"She'll be back tomorrow then?"
"I don't know, sir--"
"Heller!" Mr. Abernathy suddenly barked. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face after what you did."
Heller ignored the man and ducked into the back storage area and out of the store. He paused outside to quickly assess the situation and realized he could not go back home and hide from the crazy of the day. No, he had to face the crazy head on. Crazy to crazy, because he had a bad feeling Heller was somehow involved in events of the day. And, if Heller was involved, well, that was all bad, because nothing good ever came of two Hellers being in the same space.
Damn it! Instead of turning left down Mayberry* Lane to go home, he turned right down Mayberry Lane to go home, and he shook his head while doing it. He hoped Mrs. O. really was sick or he was doing this for nothing.

Causes

Nanobots help the human body and the cyborg body work seamlessly as one unit. The nanos act as curriers between the human nerves and the cyborg nerves making sure that the electric impluses can make the jump or bridge between the two systems.
A human-cyborg fusion. When a human is fitted with cyborg equipment the two systems often go through a few hiccups of incompatibility that need to be overcome. An overproduction of benefitial nanobots can occur as the two systems reach a homeostasis.
If the human body become overstimulated or stressed an over production of nanobots can occur.

Symptoms

• fever

• chills

• tired

• weakness

• possible cyborg misfires

• nausea

• throwing up nanobots

Treatment

• bed rest

• food and liquids if tolerated

Prognosis

Severity can range from mild to life threatening.

Affected Groups

human-cyborg hybrids

Prevention

Do not need or aquire cyborg parts to replace human parts.

Cultural Reception

It's not well known and reviews are mixed. Kids think being part cyborg is great and having to deal with some sickness now and again isn't so bad a trade off. Some other people think it's an abomination to "nature" and therefore the sickness is a just punishment.

Type

Nanite / Mechanical

Origin

Engineered

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Unique