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"I went back to science fiction to try a few experiments …and my first experiment was a disaster…"
- Alfred Bester
 |
| Toy Testing Dummy | ||
| A child-sized device used to test suspect toys. |
The Terran Bureau of Import Standards had one essential job; to make sure that toys from those rebellious outer planets and moons didn't try to sneak in some kind of weapon disguised as a toy.
| "Do you believe there's anything in this caution, or is it more paranoia about "alien milieux?"
Pinario said, "It's justified, especially where children's artifacts are concerned." A few hand-signals, and a slab of wall exposed a side room. Propped up in the center was a sight that caused Wiseman to halt. A plastic life-size dummy of a child, perhaps five years old in appearance, wearing ordinary clothes, sat surrounded by toys. At this moment, the dummy was saying, "I'm tired of that. Do something else." It paused a short time, and then repeated, "I'm tired of that. Do something else." The toys on the floor, triggered to respond to oral instructions, gave up their various occupations, and started fresh. "It saves on labor costs," Pinario explained. |
| Technovelgy from War Game,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Galaxy Publishing in 1959 Additional resources -
|
They force the toys to go through their entire repertoire; experts view the tapes if it becomes necessary.
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Science Fiction
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'Hocus-pocus religions and archaic weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side.'
'Oscar picked up a trowel. 'I'm the tool for the mortar,' the little trowel squeaked cheerfully.'
'... he waited for the robotrix attendant to finish fueling up his ship.'
The Roujin Z system provides care to fully bedridden patients - and then some!
'Aerostat meant anything that hung in the air. This was an easy trick to pull off nowadays.'
'The Ringworld had no horizon. There was no line where the land curved away from the sky.'
'An adjustment panel outside the door would cause it to extrude various appurtenances in memory plastic...'
'Annealed in any shape for a time, and codified, the structure of that shape is retained down to the molecules.'
It's not really polite to tear the limbs off robots.
'...the imaginary companions discovered by needful children.'
