memories of the grave 1 0.1

A starfield fades in and out of view on the holoscreen. ‘What happens when a mortal dies? In sufficient time, all men must meet their end. Whether for weal or woe, they all pass through my realm, for I… am the Angel of Memory. 'Death holds no fear for some. Indeed, some have more to fear from life.’ A man in angelic garb with a priestly bearing, honestly passably acted, walks out of the shadows into center stage, holding a glass globe prop made to pass for a crystal ball. 'They leave these fears behind when they take their rest, and I tend them in my garden. Come…’ The holocam focuses ever deeper on the glass, and a distorted hologram of a living room with two large, wing-backed chairs facing a television takes up the screen. 'Observe.’

(cut)

Conversion
Based on a Short Story by Davor Farkin
Screenplay by Lourden Devoni
Produced by Lourden Devoni

Sherry, an attractive blond news anchor, had been going on about the Olympics. A cyclist for the American team had split his head open in a bad crash, and was in critical condition. She threw to Frye for the robot news. The studio lights shone off Frye’s boxy head pleasantly.

“Healthcare costs for the elderly have increased 300% this week due to the closure of Hewlett-Packard’s last vacuum tube manufacturing plant. Senator Y-10 is under pressure from special interest groups to nationalize vacuum tube production.” The visual cut to a press conference. ‘Sen. Y-10, A-OR,’ said before the gathered press, “The alternative is 'capitalism with a conscience,’ not a single-payer scheme for our transistors and eye-cees, but an appropriate balance of fiscal and personal responsibility. The market demands transistors, and transistors will be produced to meet the demand.”

The robot anchor droned on mellifluously: “A human slavery ring in Malaysia was dismantled today; with their liberation, productivity doubled. Spokespersons for Matchbox couldn’t be reached for comment at this time.”

Next, a sitcom starring four robots and one human living together in an apartment.
'Whatcha doin’, Skinny?’
'I’m doing philately,’ said the pink guy.
'That sounds dirty.’ A laugh track.
'Uh, it means stamp collecting.’
'I know what it means, that’s why it sounds dirty. Why, what were you thinking?’ Laugh track again. Could have been a live audience; it sounded canned regardless.

Theme song (to the tune of the Who’s The Boss opening):
“Zero one one zero one zero, zero one one! Zero one one! Zero one zero zero one one!” Zebutron and Friends, it said.

'Zeb, you’ve been on the computer all day. Shouldn’t you be looking for a job?’
'No, this is better, turns out the landlord has a backdoor.’
'Why doesn’t our apartment have one?’
'We’re on the third floor.’ Laugh track again. 'I mean a real backdoor. He’s old, man, super old. I’ve been playing solitaire while he’s sleeping.’
'Wait, you are in the landlord’s head? Move over, I want to see his logs.’

(cut)

The episode ends; stripped of its lengthy sponsor interstitials, it’s less than an hour long. The final frantic cry echoes and the screen fades to the sorrowful Angel. 'Remember, this is but a memory. His suffering in life is over. But his suffering in the world after has only just begun.’ The end credits roll.