It has been a really long time since a piece of technology has freaked me out, but this bit certainly did! Meet BigDog:
Everything about this machine is wrong, from its awkward gait and the terrible buzzing noise it makes to the fact that when kicked its legs look like those of a struggling deer and just for one second I feel sorry for it. Seconds after being kicked it's back on track and plodding forwards like nothing happened. Still emitting that same noisy inhuman whine.
I can almost see the dreams I'll be having over the next couple of days:
...walking down an infinitely long, claustrophbically narrow corridor when in the distance I hear the distinctive buzzing whine of BigDog. Like any normal human I recoil from the tremendous noise and slightly too realistic gait of the mechanical packhorse. Turning tail I run, unsure of what would happen if the inhuman beast were to catch me.
Over the short term I can outpace BigDog, but I need sleep, rest and recuperation. During these times BigDog is gaining ground. Every day I run until I can run no more, then collapse and sleep fitfully. I'm woken a few hours later by a faint roaring whine, slightly louder than it was when I fell asleep. I drag myself to my feet and start running again. The whole time filled with the knowledge that fleeing is futile. BigDog will never stop coming. His mindless, endless pursuit means that in the end, no matter how long I run for and how much I want to escape, he will catch up...
Everything about this machine is wrong, from its awkward gait and the terrible buzzing noise it makes to the fact that when kicked its legs look like those of a struggling deer and just for one second I feel sorry for it. Seconds after being kicked it's back on track and plodding forwards like nothing happened. Still emitting that same noisy inhuman whine.
I can almost see the dreams I'll be having over the next couple of days:
...walking down an infinitely long, claustrophbically narrow corridor when in the distance I hear the distinctive buzzing whine of BigDog. Like any normal human I recoil from the tremendous noise and slightly too realistic gait of the mechanical packhorse. Turning tail I run, unsure of what would happen if the inhuman beast were to catch me.
Over the short term I can outpace BigDog, but I need sleep, rest and recuperation. During these times BigDog is gaining ground. Every day I run until I can run no more, then collapse and sleep fitfully. I'm woken a few hours later by a faint roaring whine, slightly louder than it was when I fell asleep. I drag myself to my feet and start running again. The whole time filled with the knowledge that fleeing is futile. BigDog will never stop coming. His mindless, endless pursuit means that in the end, no matter how long I run for and how much I want to escape, he will catch up...
