Firing off the last email of the night an aged scientist stood and stretched, cracking his spine to relieve the many hours of hunched coding and calculating. Glancing with pride at the conical machine in the corner, he makes his way over and lays a gentle hand on the cool black metal. Reaching only about 4 and a half feet high, the thing looked like a re-entry capsule from the late 20th century, albeit with micrometer sized holes scattered around the upper section.

Designed to release the nanobots manufactured within her depths as well as to accept any organic material needed to fuel itself for missions, the Willful Autonomous Nanobot Generator never needed to return home . With both a miniaturized Alcubierre drive and a sublight system powered by neutrino decay, she could get anywhere within the known galaxy with ease. As an ode to the scientist's love of science fiction, the activation sequence was simply a large red button that was protected by a hinged polycarbonate/benzimidazole plastic bubble. With its body crafted of a carbon nanofiber tungsten blend, the device was ready for his presentation tomorrow.

The sum of his life's work.. He could practically taste the funding and renown that would come his way…if only the scientific community would recognize his brilliance! The fools constantly sniped and griped about non-issues; things like ‘gray goo’, ‘the paper-clip issue’, and ‘an affront to man, god, and the university's budget. Short sighted imbeciles, the lot of them.

With a world as chaotic and as maddening as this one, the only solution was machines. Nanobots! Utilizing the custom coded A.I., the will and creativity to solve any problem was at hand; be it food shortages, political posturing, or raising a child. Breathing out a sigh that funneled his anger and frustration, he left the room and sent a last careful glance around the room before flipping off the light and moving towards his lonely futon in the other room.

HOURS LATER.

With a soft curse, the sliding glass door to the workroom was shattered. A grasping hand reached inside, fumbling to disengage the lock. Opening the door, a disheveled middle aged businessman stumbled his way into the room, tie loose and whiskey bottle held firm. Noticing the machine in the corner, he took a mouthful of the liquor and spewed it forth, the spray covering the machine.

After all, being raised by that waste of a scientist being only led to failure and the bottle, so better to give it a taste of the future before the machine got any uppity thoughts like being a benefit to society or having an un-broken family. Definitely not projecting at all, the man turned to the computer and began to pretend to type away, muttering vague yet scientific terms as he mashed upon the keyboard; things like ‘hmm yes, the matrix requires calibration’, ‘though the flux capacitor is transitionally opposed, the waveform actuator can compensate’, and ‘no I can’t make it to your baseball game, I need to be a stain on my family’s honor and happiness’.

Thoroughly intent on venting years of neglect and grievances, the businessman failed to notice the door behind him opening, revealing a wide eyed scientist holding a baseball bat. With a cry of fear and rage, the aged man raced forward, intent on preserving his life’s work from the unknown interloper. Drunkenly flopping around to face this unexpected threat, a son greeted his father’s wild charge with wide eyes. Identifying his opponent in the last instant before bat met face, the scientist managed to tilt his swing to merely clip his son’s collarbone…and finishing it’s fatal arc by smashing into the computer now blinking: [INITIATE LAUNCH SEQUENCE?] [Y/N].

The small laboratory filled with smoke and a deep basso-rumbling as the Willful Autonomous Nanobot Generator began to move towards the ceiling. Father and son rolled onto their backs, the room awash with the glow of the sublight system engaging. With a sudden flash, a wall of heat and noise left the machine as it rocketed through the ceiling. Peering out of the hole in the ceiling towards the night sky, the two humans watched the W.A.N.G. disappear into void; course, destination, and mission unknown.