by Tex Leiko
Chapter Eleven
Commercial Deities
“Did your best friend steal your girl and now they’re getting married? That bastard. You hate them both and want revenge, right? But you don’t feel like taking up a black contract? Want to ruin that special day where they say ‘I do’ outside?
“Well now you can! With Barometics Corp. We can rain on their parade. Using the most advanced technologies, our Pilvikone can project the right storm at the right time, making that special day one they won’t forget any time soon!
“Remember, Barometics offers any weather, any time, on time, for the right price. All applicants must complete background check prior to purchasing our services, so if you don’t have a completely legal past, then don’t bother.
“Sun or snow so nice you won’t think twice! At the price that is… Remember, folks, Barometrics—’order in a world full of chaos.’ That’s our motto.”
* * * *
“Is your kid too mentally slow? Having trouble learning in school? You think he might be ‘special?’ Well, we can fix that. Life doesn’t cut any breaks when it comes to genetics. Some of us will always have an edge on others, but Synaptix is here to help.
“At Synaptix Laboratories Inc. we can speed up what has slowed down. Whether it’s our most simple multiprocessor interface enhancement or brain-altering nanobots, you can achieve the desired result.
“With the base Synaptix multiprocessor interface, a small microchip, transmitter, and electrode are simply implanted into the retina and connected right to your child’s Hippocampus portion of the brain. With this device, he will be able to search the Internet for anything he would like in a matter of seconds.
“What does this mean for him? Increased learning! All those things he wasn’t grasping will be immediately imbedded into his brain, leaving him smarter and more intelligent. We can’t all be geniuses, but we aren’t required to be stupid either… Are we?
“I am sure you are wondering, ‘won’t the operation hurt?’ Of course! But what is a moment of pain for a lifetime of knowledge? Knowledge is power. Synaptix, start doing what you’ve been thinking about…today!”
* * * *
“Is your slave not loyal the way you wish she would be? Does she try to escape every time you beat her and you are just fed up with her attitude? ‘Why can’t she be more loyal like that Labrador Retriever I had growing up?’ you find yourself asking. Well, now she can be!
“That’s right, with Polyhelix’s new gene splicing therapies, you could achieve the desired results. We have isolated the gene in such breeds of domesticated dogs and have discovered how to splice them into your unruly slave’s DNA, affecting the way she will think about you.
“Don’t worry, we assure you, unlike some of our other gene therapies, this one is totally perfected. She won’t be licking your face or peeing on the carpet. Just an unbreakable bond that will keep her coming back to you no matter what it is you do! Doesn’t that sound nice? Unquestionable loyalty, that’s what we all really want.
“All treatments perfectly legal as long as you rightly own slave property. All regulatory permits required at purchase of service. In no time, you too could have a perfectly obedient slave!
“Polyhelix, always better than a dual.”
* * * *
“Seeking that memorable day in the sun at the park? Getting downright sick of it being hot all the time? Or would you like the weather to match your mood?
“With Barometrics, all things are possible. Orders delivered in as little as ten minutes from the time a credit transfer is verified. You can make the weather last as long as your account can sustain. Remember, Barometrics, order in a world of chaos.”
* * * *
“Still having trouble learning new things or remembering old ones? Remember the days when diseases could deteriorate your brain and make it nothing but a lump of fat sending random signals, confusing you and the ones around you?
“Not anymore, say goodbye to the brain decay brought on by old age. With Synaptix Corp Intelli-Bots. That’s right! Intelli-Bots are the finest in nanobot brain enhancement technology.
“The standard IQ boost is nearly ninety points! And say goodbye to those third world diseases of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Why not be useful in your old age? Why not have control over the things you imagine? Why not actually remember the good ol’ days?
“Remember, you’re never too young or old for Intelli-Bots. Once they are in you, they’re there to stay. Synaptix, start doing what you’ve been thinking about.”
* * * *
“Do you miss your limbs and can’t afford those expensive cybernetic appendages that you so desperately desire? Wish you could walk again of your own volition? Wish people would stop looking at you so strangely and treating you like a third rate citizen?
“Too bad your parents never invested in reptilian gene replacement therapies when you were a child. For as low as twenty-five thousand credits, your parents could have ensured your safety and you would have never had to know a life of pain and heartache. With reptilian DNA therapies, you would be able to regenerate those poor old limbs!
“But it still isn’t too late. With the right treatments, you could still get your life back. But we warn you, the process will be slow if you are beyond the years of development. Still, wouldn’t you like limbs of flesh and bone, and for cheaper than the cybernetic replacements on the market that often times overload or malfunction?
“Side effects include increased shedding of the dermis, an excessive need for vitamin D intake, lethargy due to cold temperatures, over activity in hot weather, and happiness from a life of never knowing loss!
“Don’t forget, folks, Polyhelix, always better than a dual.”
* * * *
“My name is John. The first time I made an order, I had them create weather in the seventies in the early morning followed by brief snow flurries and heavy rain by the evening. I felt like a god. Everything happened exactly as I had told them. It was well worth the price.”
“You heard it yourselves. A very satisfied customer. No order is too heavy or obscure. We aim to please and our weather generators are able to respond and adapt quickly. It’s never a dull moment when you’re the one in control. Our only rules are no ‘acts of god,’ that is no weather event that would create catastrophic damages. Small pranks, however, or just the perfect occasion, are fine by us.
“Don’t forget, Barometrics, order in a world of chaos.”
* * * *
“Do you think we are all work and no play? Most definitely not! Here at Synaptix, we offer nanobots aimed at the musical connoisseur wanting to hear something never before imagined.
“With our patented Psyker Scream bots, you can enter into a new world of audio never before heard by even the most hardcore audiophiles. Once you hear Psyker Scream, you will wonder how you ever listened to those inane digital streams, or normal instruments.
“There are many complications; side effects may include permanent deafness, catastrophic brain degradation, and in some cases, even death. But we assure you, this sounds so good you would be glad to die for it.
“Synaptix, do what you’ve been thinking about.”
* * * *
“Wish you could turn back time to your youth? Wish you had a second life to do it all over again? Tired of all the aches and pains? What would you pay to have a fresh new body?
“New from Polyhelix! The fountain of youth. Monetary cost can be negotiated; if you can’t make the full purchase up front, no problem! Don’t forget, you will have another seventy years to pay us back, but what fun is life if you’re fully indebted to us? You decide for yourself after you make an appointment with one of our specialists.
“But now, let’s talk real cost. What requirements must you face to make this dream of reverse-aging a reality? Well, the process is simple. First we make a clone of yourself in one of our many laboratories from your own DNA and one of our donor’s eggs that would provide to you the best matc
h.
“After a short incubation time, the embryo is aborted and the raw stem cells are given time to replicate. Once the process is complete, you are ready for treatment, friend! All it takes is a quick, painless injection. The results will be seen in mere days as the stem cells rebuild your body from the inside out.
“The only question is, does this bother your conscience? Because it certainly doesn’t bother ours. Call now! Due to concern of overpopulation, this is a limited supply run. Only a few thousand treatments are allowed each year.
“Never forget, Polyhelix, always better than a dual.”
* * * *
“These are the gods of these days. These are what people seek out blindly and with fervor so fierce they will stop at nothing to obtain what they want. The laws only require that a company is outright with their product, no hidden dangers.
“Nothing is required to go through multiple phases of testing to be sure it won’t harm the masses. If they want it, they can have it. The populace is the new guinea pig. Alexarien is the central laboratory for this new technological religion.
“Depending on how you look at it, it seems to be spreading as an era of enlightenment. Or a blight causing nothing but death and destruction in its wake. Its new fanatics are the everyday people, and with their bodies completely saturated with technology.
“These are your priests, your crusaders, your Christ, your anti-Christ, your Imam, your cardinal, your fanatic, your zealot. These are your worshipers… Break free. Follow me. I am a partaker, but I shall bring to ruin that which I’ve partook.
“Places like Ilyeion have already felt its effects. People consider places like that to be third world and unsophisticated, even barbaric. Why? They have all the same technologies that we do; the only difference is the poverty level is higher there. They have less people buying the crap these companies are selling. They still try to keep alive some of the old ways. Alexarien says get rid of anything older than six months, and we buy it!
“What of the countries whose capitols we are unaware of? What of the less affluent areas of the world? What are they? Less than animals? Animals have value; we have turned our backs on them and, in effect, have said they have none.
“Even in our own land, if you don’t have the money to purchase your own life, someone can buy it from you. Whether it is a black contract or slavery, your life can be purchased. I intend to rebuild this country and all the others around it, but I need your help.
“Many will say that you are insane for joining my cause. Many will say I am trying to destroy civilization. Many will say that I am wrong, but let me ask you this. Who is it that is cannibalizing their own to turn a profit, or make an advancement?”
This was the first video log broadcast by Crimson Rose. 3033 C.E.
Chapter Twelve
Aftermath
The weather was dry and hot. Seasons didn’t mean a whole lot ever since the invention of the Pilvikones. One day, the weather could be like this, over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit after sundown. The next it could be negative twenty. Today, Zarfa would have preferred for there to be some semblance of moisture in the air, regardless of the temperature.
He stumbled down the streets in Ilyeion. Sand storms brought in lots of dust regularly and one had passed by recently. Dust and sand was caking up in his open wounds and creating clots of blood and dirt. It would clump up and fall off as he walked. He was getting woozy from all of the blood loss.
“The Sheik’s Tavern,” Zarfa muttered under his breath as stumbled in through the door.
He had managed to hobble his way three miles from the train station to here. He felt as if he might die and anything he did tonight would be pointless. As he stumbled in through the door to The Sheik’s Tavern, he heard loud music. Two old fashioned acoustic sitar players were battling one another.
The crowd was clapping and chanting a traditional song as each of the musicians tried to best the other in a game of wits, skill, and musical prowess. Alcohol permeated the air and tribal belly dancers performed in the dim lighting. For a price, any of these girls would take a person into a back room and give a private show. With all of the commotion, it seemed as if it would be difficult to gain anybody’s attention. It would have been, if it weren’t for the fact that everyone knew who Zarfa was and loved him.
As Zarfa stumbled into the tavern, blood still dripped down from all of his injuries and splashed on the floor. Clots of blood and dirt fell from his body. He smelled as if he had just risen from the grave and the scent of his blood could rise above that of the alcohol itself.
“What the hell happened to you, my brother?” came a concerned shout as the entire place dropped to dead silence.
The sitar battle ended abruptly and nobody would argue who the victor was tonight. The dancers stopped and even ones who had retreated to the private rooms made their way back to the main hall of the tavern. Five men surrounded Zarfa before he could even respond to the voice.
He couldn’t make out who the men were. His vision was getting blurry and he was tired. Before he even realized it, they had lifted him up and taken him to a pillow-top mattress and laid him down. Some of the female performers immediately began washing him off and tending to his wounds.
“Zajifa, they have a new weapon… The Faraza, we need to be on guard. I don’t know how many more they have, or if they will attack again soon.”
“Calm down, Zarfa… Don’t expend too much energy; you can’t die on us here.” Zajifa sounded shaky. He was truly worried about the condition of his friend and leader.
“Send a call—” Zarfa paused and held his breath as two of the women sprayed medifoam into every wound on his body. It stung, but it wasn’t worse than what he had already been through. “Send out a call to the Legion. Get all of the soldiers that could qualify to be platoon leaders together, bring them here. We need to develop a plan now! We need to be more organized than we have ever been!”
“Zarfa, surely it can wait until the morning. What you need right now is rest!”
“Zajifa, listen to me. We do not have time. There is much I need to fill you in on, but I fear we do not have enough time for that right now. Kick out all who are present that aren’t members of The Legion and bring in our upper echelon.”
“But my liege—”
“Now!”
Zarfa’s breathing had slowed and become less labored. The medifoam was helping him to regenerate already. He would still be injured in the morning, but not nearly as badly as if he hadn’t received care. His body no longer hurt; it felt numb and comfortable, it was a pleasant change from how he had been feeling the last several days. One of the women still washing him with hot water and removing his tattered, bloody clothing felt like a centipede crawling on his bare skin.
He could feel the touch, but it didn’t seem human, though he was certain that without the medifoam’s analgesic effects, he would have been writhing in pain under her careful touch. He stared at her with a steely gaze, one that told her he was appreciative, yet that he feared she may wind up in his condition this night.
Nobody in the room had ever seen Zarfa so close to dead. It was a familiar feeling to him, however. He had been worse off the first time he had ever dealt with the Faraza. He was afraid that ones he cared for would be lost tonight. They were afraid that he would be lost and that Zajifa would be left to command Legion Nine on his own, something he was not yet ready for.
Zajifa returned to the room and kneeled next to Zarfa, resting his forehead on Zarfa’s bare stomach. Tears were streaming down his eyes onto Zarfa’s flesh, but he wasn’t audibly crying. He kept taking deep breaths and kneading his head into Zarfa before he finally spoke.
“Zarfa, my brother, my master, my commander, my king! I have done as you asked. All of the squad leaders, platoon leaders, and the other seven commanders are en route. What happened? How did they do this to you? What is this new weapon?”
“A new mutant, powerful, fast…gruesome. Half man, half…squid or some other
teuthida-type creature. It was terrifying to look at and even worse to feel grasp your body. I could barely break free from their tentacles and they have vicious beaks that caused most of the damage on my body.
“Also, some assassins came for me several days ago in Alexarien. One of them gave me some cryptic information on his deathbed. He alluded that my sister was giving orders within the Faraza and they seem to be after me… I don’t know if I believe him, but it is possible. That is all I can discuss for now. I am so tired. Wake me when they arrive. We need to come up with a plan,” he barely was able to say before falling asleep.
Zajifa nodded and rested his head back down on Zarfa. He loved the man lying helpless and almost dead right in front of him as dearly as he loved his own family. When he said “my brother,” it was no mere courteous title or formality. It was what he actually felt for Zarfa.
Zajifa stayed by Zarfa’s side as he slept. The woman who was attending to Zarfa continued to do so. She had stripped him earlier to wash him and now she was slowly pulling new clothing over his nude body. The blood flow had stopped from the treatments and it seemed as if he would pull through despite the fact the injuries were quite severe.
Zarfa awoke startled, and looked around the room in confusion. The woman who had dressed him was kneeling by his head. She stepped back and allowed him his space. Zajifa awoke and stared at Zarfa.
“What is wrong?” Zajifa asked.
Zarfa stared him in the eyes, not shifting his gaze away from Zajifa’s face. He was conscious and frightened. Nobody knew Zarfa could even be frightened. But here he was, looking into the eyes of his best friend and close companion, scared. His voice had a small tremble as he said, “I think I’ve doomed us all.”
* * * *
“So, we are at war now, I assume. I don’t think that Synaptix is going to take this lightly. I had questions before and allowed you to give me incomplete answers. I, however, have joined you and have proven a formidable ally to your cause. Now I deserve answers,” Max said sternly as he leaned over the table.
