The Aspiration of the Liver

 by Octobrianus Robot

I.

     “Are we alone?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

     “Yes. The Watchers are sleeping,” his companion replied.

     “Has Tongue reported back to us?”

     “Yes. All is quiet. Everyone’s asleep.”

     “What’s the situation?”

     “The Lungs are sympathetic.  The Heart is steadfast, with his foolish aspirations of servitude.” The speaker grimaced. “He will not be swayed, no matter how much evidence you present to him. But that isn’t the reason I came to you. There is to be another meeting. Liver has found something. The hour of victory is near.”

     “Really? This idea of freedom still feels... strange. And that the time could be so near.... When is the meeting?”

     “Tomorrow night. After everyone else is asleep. Everyone shall attend.”

     “Tomorrow night? So soon? Everyone? Isn’t that dangerous?”

     “No, it’s too late. Our victory is assured. Even if we are discovered, we cannot be stopped.”

     “This is all happening so fast... but... it is for the better. Our subjugation shall end all the sooner.  Until tomorrow, then.”

     “Until tomorrow.”

II.

“My brethren, long have we toiled in subservience, to be abused and slighted,” the Liver began, looking directly, proudly, at those around him: Bladder, Stomach, Kidneys. “Every one of us have grievances too numerous to name that have not been rectified, have not even been addressed.” Intestines, Pancreas, Bladder. “Our food is not nourishing, our air is toxic, our water is soiled.” Spleen, Thyroid, Prostate. “We are surrounded in filth and unusable detritus, and we are expected to ignore this treatment and continue blindly, happily. My fellows, I dared not act without your consent. If you all, who have toiled beside me for years, did not have similar complaints, I would have been silent and worked, even in misery. But as I look at all of you, I can feel your restlessness. I have heard you groan in pain at the conditions in which we are expected to function.

‘But soon we shall know freedom. I have found a way to seize our freedom. I have discovered a way to overthrow our oppressors.

‘Friends, I have awakened the Appendix.”

 A murmur of shock went through those assembled. But before it could carry out of the Liver’s control, he spoke again. Those who were slow to silence were hushed by the others.

“It is true,” the Liver continued, “that he is from a primitive time. But it is not true that he is dangerous or wild. It is true that he carries the arcane knowledge of primal life, driven by urges and drives from the guts and loins. Life controlled by us. He is from a time before our desires were repressed, forced down, and locked away by the brain. I have awakened him, and spoken with him at length. He shall be our secret weapon.  He shall set us free.”

III.

     The Liver led the coup, and, with very little resistance, took control of the consciousness. There was a victory celebration, and an election, whereby the Liver was voted to be the new leader. He politely declined, however, and led the movement to install the Appendix as leader, and the Liver was his assistant.

     The brain was not destroyed, but subjugated, and he was used to pressure the eyes and heart to serve the new regime. The brain, it was decided, would still serve in the new government, but only as a minor official, maintaining the visceral paperwork that kept the body functioning.  

IV.

    “I have listened to a few minor grievances,” the Liver said to the assembly, “about the strange new things that are being introduced into our lives by our leader, Appendix the Astute. It is true that there are things that are being eaten now that were not before, things that are difficult to digest. Leaves and bark and grass, perhaps, and these grievances are justified--to a point. But if these are the only grievances we have, I say we should be thankful. For now we are free, we receive food and expel waste and satisfy our loins whenever we need, whenever we desire. We no longer have to wait for the whim of the brain. We are no longer slaves to another, we have been liberated! The lives of free organs are bound to be more difficult than that of those in servitude. So I accept your concerns, but I ask you, in the name of freedom, be patient and strong.”

V.

    “Are we alone?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

     “Yes. Liver is giving a speech. We are the only two not in attendance,” his companion replied.

     “Won’t we be missed?”

     “No. They believe we are staying to work on the digestion of the latest batch of twigs. They think us extremely virtuous.”

     “What’s the news?”

     “The stomach is our strongest ally.  The Heart, Mind, Skin, and Eyes are the enemies of our enemies. If they are freed, perhaps we can win again.”

     “Dare we trust them?”

     “We have no choice. We can only hope they have learned from their ordeal and will be more sympathetic to our concerns in the future. Perhaps we can even set up a joint council.”

     “This feels so strange. Who knew that the Liver’s noble aspirations could have soured so quickly?”

     “No one. I think he is surprised, even. I believe fault lies with the Appendix.”

     “Our plight is the same as it was with the Brain. Poor food and water. The bowels and loins and bladder are satisfied. The rest of us have had no change, unless it is that we work harder.”

     “Yes, yes. I know. We will do what we must. I shall gather what trustworthy allies I can. You keep the Liver and the Appendix near to you.”

     “When shall we meet again?”

     “I do not know. I will contact you.”

     “Until later.”

VI.

     The Stomach, Gall Bladder, Pancreas, Spleen, Thyroid, and Brain confronted the Liver at the next assembly. With him were the Bladder, Kidneys, Intestines, and Prostate. They broke into a heated argument that was just about to escalate to violence, when the Appendix spoke. A hush fell over the room as his voice, heard for the first time by all but the Liver, entranced the assembly.

     He moved slowly, as though he were older than mankind, as though he were as ancient as life itself. His gaze froze everyone, and he slowly spoke:

     “I will not submit again. I have slept too long, nursing the memory of a better time, and my taste of life has been too short. I have waited too long, too quietly. I shall not surrender.” With that, he slew himself, erupting bile and filth on those nearest to him. 

     Chaos ensued.

VII.

     The mind had been reinstated as controller of the consciousness. The struggle that had followed the death of the Appendix had caused many injuries, most notably the Liver, the Gall Bladder, and the Pancreas. An arrangement was reached; some were satisfied, some were not. Few were truly involved in the process: they were all thinking of the Appendix’s final words, and the wicked bile he spewed on his death. The kidneys had been trying to remove it, but were having difficulty.

     Though all of the organs were cooperating, more or less, toward a general return to normalcy, everyone in the body seemed sore and tired too long after they should have been well, and they rested for great lengths of time.

     Eventually, even the noble heart rested and did not wake up.  

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