Thirty Three Percent Joe

by Suzanne Palmer

Going a bit outside the norm, here. I read a short story- in two sittings- from ClarkesWorld thanks to Jenny. Futuristic piece about a solider who keeps getting injured and sent back out to battle with repairs- cybernetic replacement parts which are "smart" and not only restore Joe's function, but communicate with each other. Half the story is a log of these smart replacements talking to each other- Joe's new Elbow, Ear, Lower Intestinal Tract, etc- and the other half relates what Joe himself experiences. He doesn't want to be in the war. He is constantly embarrassed by his ineptitude on the battlefield. He finds out that the other soldiers believe once you have over twenty percent replacement parts, you automatically draw more of the enemy's fire- so he figures he's a goner. But his smart parts won't let him die. They're going to keep him going no matter what it takes. And Joe rather accidentally finds he can fill a different role here- becoming a very unexpected hero. Clever ending, I was amused and touched at turns. Loved the biscuits.

Rating: 4/5                   Oct 2018

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