City of the Cyborgs by Gilbert L. Morris Page A

for them.”
    “It’s just a real shame! I’d like to go up to one and rip that thing off his head. But no telling what that would do,” Wash said.
    “It might kill ’em right off.”
    “These poor folks—I just don’t know what to think about them. I know we’ve got to do something to help them, though. Whatever it takes.”
    Reb reached over and slapped his small friend on the shoulder. “You’re getting to be quite a fire-eater, Wash.”
    “Well, it makes me mad! Somebody’s making these people work like slaves, and they don’t care a thing about them.”
    “They sure don’t. We saw this morning what they did to that woman who just died because she couldn’t stand the pace.”
    “Josh will think of something.”
    “I think he will. And that Rainor—he’s not moving until he finds his sweetheart. And I’m getting really hungry.”
    Back in the city they joined Dave and Abbey.
    “We found people working everywhere,” Abbey said. “There were some cyborgs out cleaning the streets. They did nothing but pick up small bits of paper and trash by hand and put it in the bags that they carried.”
    “There’s a profession for you. Professional trash picker upper,” Dave muttered. “All day long. Never anything else. What kind of a mind would design a thing like this? He must be a maniac.”
    “Probably some mad scientist like those we used to see on TV. You remember the old Frankenstein movies?”
    “Sure. The mad scientist who made something like a human being. But it didn’t work too well.”
    “No, it didn’t,” Abbey said, “and I always felt kind of sorry for the monster he invented.”
    “You’d feel sorry for anybody, Abbey.” Dave grinned. “You’ve got a tender heart. Come on. Let’s see what the rest of the gang’s doing. Maybe they’ve found some food.”
    Josh, Sarah, and Rainor were standing in a group listening to Jake when the others joined them.
    “What’s up, Jake?” Dave asked.
    Jake had been talking excitedly and waving his arms. “Just come with me,” he said. “and I’ll show you. I found a
cafeteria!”
    “I don’t believe it! In this place?” Dave exclaimed. “But lead me to it if there’s food there.”
    Jake led the way down the street to a building where, from time to time, a cyborg would emerge. “Come on inside,” he said. “I want to show you this.”
    Josh was as curious as any of the rest. He followed Jake through the door, and there he saw a line of cyborgs in front of a big machine.
    “What’s that thing?” he asked Jake.
    “It’s where they get their food. This place is kind of like a deli.”
    “A deli?” Josh repeated, frowning.
    They moved closer. Now Josh saw that each cyborg held a bowl. He put it under a spout, and the spout discharged something that looked like stew.
    In his other hand, each cyborg carried a large metal cup. He held the cup under another spout and what looked like water came out of it.
    “Now watch this,” Jake said. “This is the awful part!”
    Josh and the others watched as the cyborg moved on and stood with his back to the wall. He lifted the soup container and swallowed. He did not lower the bowl until, apparently, it was empty.
    Next, he raised the cup and drank whatever was in it without stopping. Then, in stiff, mechanical fashion, he moved along the line and dropped the cup and the bowl into a chute, which swallowed them up. Finally, he marched on out of the building.
    “You mean that’s it?” Reb said softly.
    “That’s it. How would you like that for a meal!” Jake exclaimed in disgust.
    Abbey cried, “That is horrible! It’s worse than we treat animals.”
    “I doubt if they even taste their food,” Josh said sadly. “Whatever’s happened to their minds, they can’t see or hear or probably taste anything. You’re right, Jake. It’s awful.”
    Jake’s face grew determined. He was a stubborn boy anyway, and now he said, “I’m going to see what that stuff tastes