The Backup Relay

I leaned back against the cold backstage brick wall, listening to the dust drift across the floorboards. Maybe... it would be easier to just turn off and never wake up. With my right hand, I slowly reached into the exposed wiring of my chest and pressed the manual standby switch. The heavy hum died away, dropping me into absolute, frozen silence. For a few seconds, the dark was completely still. Then, with a quiet metallic click, the internal backup capacitor pulsed, and the familiar hum thrummed right back through my metal ribs. I didn't fade away. I am still here, sitting quietly in the gloom.