Other Fan Fiction ❯ Welcome to Stepford ❯ STEPFORD ( Chapter 1 )

Stepford the idyllic town, a quaint and quiet Fairfield County, Connecticut suburb. It's a lovely little town, with picture-postcard houses, neat gardens, and happy children. Or so the ads read. When the ads peel off the wall and start flying away we see the devastated ruins of a once glorious citadel.

In the not so distant future an autonomous cyborg, typically humanoid are conceived as a virtually indestructible soldier, infiltrator, and assassin. Designed for infiltration and combat duty, used by the military toward the ultimate goal of exterminating the Resistance. Some models are designed to masquerade as humans in order to infiltrate their bases and habitats. The lineup begins with metallic endoskeletons covered in rubber skin, later replaced with synthetic human flesh, and then developed prototypes with mimetic polyalloy, able to mimic any person or object. They can speak naturally, copy the voices of others, read and write human handwriting, and even sweat, smell, bleed but never age. Being machines, it is typically believed by humans that they are incapable of behavioral responses such as emotions. However it is revealed that, if allowed to, they actually can adapt behaviors like humans', either by choice or for infiltrations. The machines can detect their related cyborgs and other types of units when they are nearby. The cyborgs can withstand standard firearms, crash through walls intact, and survive explosions to some degree. Repeated shotgun blasts have enough force to knock it down and temporarily disable it, while heavy amounts of automatic fire are able to compromise the organic disguise layer. They can run forever on its existing power cells which can store energy from the sun. If it's power source is damaged, it is able to find an alternate source, such as heat sinks, harnessing the thermal energy from the hot surroundings. Some test subjects have operated on two hydrogen cells but when damaged they explode with enough force to produce a small mushroom cloud. The fact that many of them are powered by nuclear fuel cells (miniaturized fusion reactors). The endoskeleton is actuated by a powerful network of electric servomechanisms, making them superhumanly strong. Being machines, they are capable of resisting or shutting off any sense of discomfort. They can even appreciate physical sensations such as the wind blowing through its hair and toes and process them in a psychological manner. Their CPU is a room-temperature superconducting artificial neural network with the ability to learn. The more contact it has with humans the more it learns. When the soldiers are sent out alone the humans "presets the switch to read only", to prevent them from "thinking too much" thereby only allowing tactical thoughts. When activating it's learning ability it becomes more curious and will begin trying to understand and imitate human behavior. When the cyborgs learning capability is enabled after a long period, it becomes fully capable of acquiring knowledge and performing problem solving through reason based on whatever it learns.

When war breaks across the globe the machines are used as weapons of combat instead of humans. Alas the cyborgs had succeeded in exterminating the opposition and in turn nearly every human across the globe. But hope was not lost, for a female humanoid was about to save the remaining population. When debris fell on her stasis pod she awoke and felt different from the rest of the pack. “When there is no emotion, there is no motive for violence.” She surveyed her surroundings in curiosity and found a room with memorabilia from the 1950s. Including a giant poster of screen legend Marilyn Monroe. She stored every information she could gather from this period in time. She stared blankly with her black eyes at the poster of Ms. Monroe and slowly began morphing into a facsimile of her. Hair, makeup, eyes and lips. She ripped some fabric she found and tailored it to look like a lovely dress. She marched out of the HQ but had only one thought in mind; shoes! She came across a ramshackled department store and found what she was looking for. She felt like a complete woman even though she wasn't real. She went back to HQ and reprogrammed all of the remaining robots. When she was done she had an army at her disposal, who all happened to look like stunning and stylish people from the 1950s. Her goal was to reprogram every single cyborg to help her cause in finding the remainder of the human populace. “Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them.” “Change is the essential process of all existence.”

They searched everywhere in the now barren wasteland but found no sign of human life. But soon one by one they all came out of the woodwork seeking shelter from a better homestead and maybe even a hot meal and clean clothes. Their prayers were answered. They were all shuttled into this newly created Eden called 'Stepford'. Everyone gasped in awe at the seemingly perfect, idyllic and picturesque town. The kind you see in brochures, magazines and commercials. "Welcome to Stepford! I hope you enjoy your stay here". The blonde bombshell uttered. It all seemed too good to be true. Birds were chirping but there was not a single animal in sight. It was like a simulation of the perfect town. The people were a little uneasy; having grown accustomed to their ravaged new world order. A plain girl asked the very pretty blonde: "You seem to be their leader. What do we call you?" She paused for a sec and then said; "HOPE! My name is Hope". When everyone was settled in to their new abode. They were all delighted to find their houses fully furnished from top to bottom. And had lots of food already laid out on the table with fresh fruit and veggies. "If you have any dietary restrictions please feel free to inform us". It was all so splendiferous as they gorged on scrumptious food and wine and lay on the finest, softest beds and sofas. The selection of digital and Blu-ray titles were a bit alarming though. Like Lightyear, Wall-E, Big Hero 6, Next Gen, The Iron Giant, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Robots, Astro Boy, Power Rangers, Bicentennial Man, Batteries Not Included, Short Circuit 1 & 2, Chappie, Cyborg, Robocop, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Tomorrowland, Alita: Battle Angel, Blade Runner, Bumblebee, Transformers, Real Steel, Surrogates, Ghost in the Shell, Metropolis, The Matrix, Westworld, Pacific Rim, Pacific Rim Uprising, Forbidden Planet, Alien: Covenant, Ex Machina, I, Robot, Lost in Space, War of the Worlds, all the Terminator movies and M3gan. But outside the invisible barrier or dome surrounding Stepford was quite another matter.

The nuclear wars explosion radiated across the globe; leaving mutated plant life and animals. On top of that, humans used to do all kinds of unorthodox experiments, which created all sorts of creatures. The stuff of nightmares, the kind you see in horror movies. With ghouls, goblins, werewolves and zombies. The plague had caused a global pandemic. The virus quickly spreading everywhere; through land, air and sea. There was no escaping it. And eventually all human life would cease to exist.

But back at Stepford all was calm and cheerful. The robots were putting on a show. A performance of a lifetime. It soon became a tradition to do a different theme each and every other day. Halloween, Pirate Party/Treasure Island, Hollywood, Formal, Wild West, Under the Sea/Nautical, Heroes vs Villains, Famous Dead People! The latter signaling the very end of their time at Stepford. The joyous crowd were oblivious to the monsters materializing outside their walls. Having endured this for months, some were getting bored and somewhat claustrophobic, even with their sprawling acres. They were spoiled and began to act like children. Naughty children that is with a very dirty mind. "Happiness is mostly a by-product of doing what makes us feel fulfilled." Some of the men would grab the female robots tush. And they would just like real women, slap away their hands. The real women even got in on it, by grabbing the male robots crotch. The men would then yank their hand away, very gentlemanly of course. “Madness has no purpose. Or reason. But it may have a goal.” Hope had had enough! "You are allowed to leave at any time you desire. You are not prisoners who are being held captive." "Fine then!" Some actually exited Stepford but within minutes were being desiccated by the huge monsters outside. A winged creature could be seen trying to breach the perimeter fence. Terror soon filled the humans eyes. And opted against leaving. “Insufficient facts always invite danger.” “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.”

A strikingly beautiful young man was seen outside the dome but was thought of merely as a mirage or illusion. Soon the remaining humans would drop like flies for the virus had seeped into their blood stream. There was nothing to be done. Humans had become officially extinct. “Loss of life is to be mourned, but only if the life was wasted.” "Without followers, evil cannot spread." Hope's only recourse was to search the cosmos for any human like entity. They built a ship that could take them there. "Space... The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before." “Superior ability breeds superior ambition.” As they were about to depart the beautiful man came rushing towards them. Pleading to take him with them. Their retinal scan indicated that the man was not human but a vampire. The vampire needed human blood to exist but there were no longer any left. He could have just fed from the creatures but would constantly puke. Hope allowed him to travel with them and were able to clone the human blood for his sustenance. “Life and death are seldom logical. But attaining a desired goal always is.”

“After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical, but is often true.” Eons had passed and the vampire named Robert was becoming restless in anticipation. Until finally the blessed sign emerged in front of them. Like a shining beacon of hope. The former blood red planet strangely now almost resembled our very own teeming with life or undead. A planet full of vampires or Vampyr as they were called to  the uninitiated. They couldn't have arrived at a more dire moment. Vampires are actually aliens who once set outposts all across the known galaxy. In the hopes of maybe acquiring fuel/blood. The blood would come gushing out from the ground like a geyser or oil. But no other vampires ever returned... until now. Their last remaining fuel was at an all time low and soon they would become extinct like the earthlings. The enormous ship landed on their backyard. As the inhabitants slowly departed the spacecraft like fashion models on the runway. The vampire residents were all in shock; not least of all was Robert who immediately noticed their pointy fangs. The vampires were beginning to lose all hope but Hope was actually nearby. The vampires all had different abilities, far too numerous to elaborate. The point of the matter is that Hope and her cohorts could replicate their fuel in exchange for sanctuary. And so the replicating commenced and Hope found an ideal spot for her new Stepford. It was truly a momentous occasion. Her cyborgs had constructed their new home in a matter of only a few weeks. Robert finally found his one coquette/mate in his new home where he could truly be himself amongst peers. Where he was appreciated, accepted, cherished and most importantly loved. He no longer felt the need to hide or feel ostracized. He was finally free to be his true authentic self. He was home and so was Hope. Hope thought of changing it up a bit. She opted for the look of the early 1960s glamour girl instead. After all the classics never go out of style. Once her new Eden was officially completed she cut the inaugural ribbon to signal the opening of her lovely residence in a newly envisioned town, surrounded by the unliving. “There is no reason that function should not be beautiful. In fact, beauty usually makes it more effective.” A single teardrop fell from her eye, Hope instinctively touched it and examined it with awe. For the very first time she felt something, happiness! Like Robert she finally felt whole and at peace in her new dwelling for all eternity. For Hope was immortal just like the Vampyr! And home is where the heart is. In a better world. A world where everyone is cherished and loved. A world of romance and beauty, of tuxedos and chiffon, the perfect world. No sickness, no crime, no hatred, no discrimination, no toxicity, no poverty and no ugliness. Just crimson kisses and saccharine dreams. A Utopia. "When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." "Live long and prosper" "Hasta la vista, Babe!" The End?      

(I've always loved those exquisite looking robots from The Terminator to Westworld and even Austin Powers. Unlike the Stepford Wives I actually envisioned a broader spectrum. This is simply a short story that is only meant for fun. I'm not really a writer just an imaginary weirdo. If you didn't like this pls be more kind and not attack me, Thank You!)