The Vending Machine
Everything is for sale
It was getting dark as we walked outside.
“Do you still need the new specs?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah I’m going to start on the filter apparatus tomorrow.”
“Sure thing,” he said and tapped a couple buttons on his arm. Immediately his helmet lit up with the display and a few clicks later, I had a new message pop up.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Suddenly, a red alert screen popped up.
Oxygen Low: Refill Immediately
“Uh oh, looks like someone’s running low,” Ryan said
“Shoot, I meant to do that this morning.”
“You want some of mine? I just refilled last night.”
“Nah there’s a machine over there. I’ll be good.”
“Shoot yourself.”
The large vending machine only held one item, little bottles of liquid oxygen.
I punched in number 1 as it would be more than enough to get me home.
I held my wrist up so the little computer in my suit would handle the payment.
Instead of the normal chime I heard only silence.
I held it up again.
Nothing.
“Come on,” I said, trying to get the thing to work.
I tried the help button but it only gave me a communication link.
I dialed to only get a message saying that help would be there in six to eight hours.
The alert was turning a darker red.
“Urgent” flashed before me.
I banged on the machine.
I could feel my breaths getting faster.
I turned to run back to the office only to remember that memo from last week saying that oxygen was no longer supplied on premises. We had to refill at home or use the machine.
I tried to rock the machine but it was bolted to the ground.
I quickly called Ryan.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, something is wrong. My payment was declined.”
“I’ll be right there. Give me 15 minutes.”
I panicked as my meter said two minutes.
“Hurry!”
I dialed the emergency number.
“How may I help you?”
“I need air.”
“Okay, looks like we can get there in about twenty minutes. Is that satisfactory?”
“I can’t wait that long.”
“Well we can upgrade you to Emergency Prime.”
“Fine, do it.”
“Okay, just tap yes to confirm.”
I did as she asked.
“I’m sorry it looks like your payment didn’t go through.”
“Yeah my account is messed up.”
“Okay, then just let us know when you’d like to upgrade. They should be there in looks like, oh, 23 minutes now.”
“Great.”
My only hope was Ryan.
I was getting dizzy.
I sat down. My head hurt so bad. I just stared at the machine. I could practically taste the oxygen.
The edges of my vision were closing in.
I could hear my mom talking to me.
Just when it went black I heard the little chime as the payment went through.
“We appreciate your business, we apologize for the delay,” the machine said as a tank popped out the front.
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AGH! Matthew, you are the evil expert at short fiction that takes the reader's breath away - literally! What a story of anguish and the horror of depending on (expletive) machines.
It could happen!