“What do you mean? There are still plants today. I see them everywhere.”
“But it is not as you think it is. You see, as the plants began to die off, the farmers went into a complete panic; suddenly all of their specialty foods were going away. It was the exotic stuff that went first, most likely because the plants wanted to bargain with the humans, they wanted to say, in their own way, we will continue to grow, but only what is native to you, we must go back to the way things should be, but it wasn’t enough. The humans couldn’t handle it. They quickly grew bored of their native foods again and kept trying to grow exotic foods and import them from around the world. The harder they fought, the faster the plants died. Eventually, all of the plants died off and the humans were left to ration what little they had left. That was, until I came and showed them the way. Humans, I knew, would never be selfless enough to give up what they wanted. No, they would always seek what was foreign to them. Bringing the fruits and vegetables back was out of the question.”
“But what about all of the fruits I see around us now?”
“For me, I can easily grow whatever I’d like. As you see in this garden here, all sorts of worldly fruits of all sizes and variety growing healthy and abundant. But I knew this wasn’t what the humans needed. What they needed was something that could always evolve without actually harming the world. Let the farmers plant the foods necessary to create the nutritional drink that you consume every time you hook yourself up for a meal. Basic things like corn, beans, lentils, tomatoes, avocados, and oranges, depending on what part of the world you inhabit, and design artificially modified plants to keep the appearance of wildlife and to allow for the creation of oxygen, but make plants that would never grow and produce anything edible. Which is why I developed static plants that look like trees and grass, and genetically are in every way, but always stay the same height, always remain the same color, and always provide exactly what they need to provide for humans, something they can’t abuse, air. No more competition, just life.”
“So then where would one get their hands on some real food if they wanted it?”
“It is simply not possible, Jagz. All of the food is grown safely out of reach from humans. It may not seem so to you right now, but I promise you that it is far better this way. Best to accept what is true and keep doing what you do.”
Chapter 11.
Jagz awoke and took a few moments to meditate on his dream. Sure it was just a dream, but it felt so real. Did he really have Redemet visit him? Was what he said really true? Or was it of his imagination? The more Jagz began to wake up and focus on his dreams, the more real they seemed—no longer just a distant image from a far away land, but a very real and visceral experience that cont-inued to challenge all that he knew. He wondered if there really was no way to access food anymore and if that were true, how did Shera get her hands on a perfectly ripe orange? As he pondered these questions, his device called to him.
“Holy crap! Holy crazy webballs, this is abso-lutely wild, 500,000 followers? 6,000 comments on the last post? How is this even possible? I knew my following was growing, but damn, this is nuts!”
Jagz read through as many comments as he could. He was a little thrown off by some of the negative comments, some people claiming that what he was saying was just downright silly and confusing, that he was changing, that they liked his old posts better, but he didn’t really care because there were so many more positive ones, so many new commenters and followers who loved what he was saying and couldn’t get enough, saying how much he inspired them to take action in their lives, how what he was doing was so real, so incredible, how he was sparking a revolution inside of them, how they wanted to be just like him when they grow upgrade. Still he couldn’t shake the negative comments, even if there were only a few amongst the hundreds of positive ones.
Overtaken by such an instant explosion of fame, and a little overwhelmed by what to do with it, Jagz nearly missed work and considered calling out for the day. He felt a new sensation that was foreign to him, he superior, as if he was better than his job.
When he headed to work, his device continued to chime inside his head, so much so that he had to silence it just to keep himself focused. During work, instead of listening to the usual auto-matically curated playlist, he asked his device to read him any new comments.
You are a true revolutionary, your words hold weight! #i’llfollowyouanywhere
Said johnnysimpson31.
Your piece on #realfood changed the way I think about everything, I mean everything. We should meet! #noshame
Wrote Sypphonplexus9.
I am so glad that I found your Quacker account, I have been up all night reading all of your posts #truthspeaks
Wrote Calibrum56Wildone.
Meet me in our usual meeting place :) #imyours
Said NaWonStay.
Jagz, recognizing Shera’s usage name, signaled for his device to stop reading. A smile grew. It was the perfect cryptic and romantic gesture and as much as he loved all of his new followers, he loved her post far more.
As soon as work ended, he rushed as fast as he could to their usual meeting place pondering what great adventure might be coming his way this time. Would she bring something new to eat? Would they make love twice? Whatever it was, he couldn’t wait.
When he showed up, a little out of breath, he found her looking a bit sad. But as her eyes found his, he noticed a smile grow on her face.
“Is everything okay?” asked Jagz.
“It is now! I thought you wouldn’t show up, or notice the Quack I sent to you amongst the hundreds of others you received today! You are blowing up. That is incredible! For a second there I thought you had forgotten about me.”
“Forgotten about you?” Shouted Jagz. “I could never forget about you. You’re practically all that I can think about. My life is changing in so many ways, but out of all of the earth shattering changes, you are the most wonderful gift I have ever been given.”
“I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say. You sure do have a way with words, you know? It seems that you’ve developed a passion for expres-sing your feelings beyond what you share with your Quacker following. If I wasn’t so jumbled I would say I’m beginning to think that you actually like me.”
“Like you, Shera? I think I love you.”
Shera blushed, “oh Jagz, you are just too silly. You know that? Too silly.”
“Shera, I’m not messing around. I really do.”
She cut him off, stopping him from saying what he couldn’t believe he was saying and firmly kissed him on the mouth. They went on to share the most intimate, slow, romantic, and sensual lovemaking session that any two people could share—such raw passion and openness, eyes locked onto one another as though they were staring into each other’s souls. Hands firmly grasped onto the back of each other’s head, their lips attached as if to create one human with two symmetrical sides. They rolled around, connected through love, on the ground for what seemed to last for hours, though really only five minutes or so.
“Lets just lay here forever and forget about the world around us,” said Jagz.
“Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t it? But there is so much to do. I mean look at you. You are becoming a cewebrity! And not only that, but you have information that your ever-growing base of fans simply needs to hear! As much as I would love to melt away into nothing and stay in that nothing forever, there are bigger things going on in this world than you and me, and pretty soon, if what you say comes to fruition, there will be no world to live in anymore. There will be no more of this, no more making love. The very notion of love will cease to exist.” said Shera.
“I know. I know. But I just can’t shake this feeling right now. I need to hold onto it. I can’t let it go. I need you again. I need to be inside you.”
“Jagz, we will have plenty of time for that. First you should really consider sharing the information about Ani Rudh and the Aliens with your follo-wing. It will take some adjusting and
they need to know!”
“It’s just, well, it’s just hard to explain. I know that I need to, but I feel blocked. I feel like it just isn’t the right time yet. I just need some time to think about it, okay?”
Noticing that Jagz was beginning to get frus-trated, Shera offered a suggestion. “You know what, don’t even worry about it. Listen, I want to show you something. You know how you asked me where I got that orange, but I wouldn’t tell you?”
“Yes. It’s been eating me alive. Are you going to tell me?”
“No.”
Jagz sighed.
“But I can show you.”
Chapter 12.
Shera grabbed Jagz’s hand and began to run away from the city, deeper into the park, west towards an area he had never been before. They made their way through the bushes and, just as they cleared the last bush, Shera got on the tips of her toes and searched for something, moving her head from side to side, squinting her eyes, peering in the distance. Seeming to have spotted some-thing, Shera continued searching, touching all of the trees as though feeling for something she couldn’t see.
“Here it is! I was afraid I’d lost it,” she said.
“Lost what?” asked Jagz.
“The secret keypad to get below.”
“Below? What do you mean below?”
Just as he finished his last words Shera pressed some buttons on a keypad and inserted her tongue. A secret passageway opened with an elevator door.
“How did you? What did you just? And your tongue was able to?” Jagz trailed off in total bewilderment.
“Girls got to have some more secrets to keep things fun,” said Shera with a confident, playful smile.
They got in the elevator and Shera pressed another combination of buttons. The doors shut and the elevator went down.
“Are you sure about this, Shera? Do you even know where it goes? We could get…, I don’t know if this is safe.”
“Oh, it’s safe alright. How do you think I got that orange for us? And besides, don’t you want some real food? I read it in your recent Quack. It’s no different for me. Ever since I tasted real food, I could never go back to that other crap. All I’m asking is for you to trust me. Do you trust me?”
“More than I trust myself,” he replied.
“Well then, that will do for me.”
The elevator doors opened into a small hallway. She beckoned him to step out. They walked a short way, Shera making sure that Jagz stayed quiet and kept his head down.
They came upon a sliding door. Shera gently slid the doors open, partially at first, just to make sure that no one was on the other side. Then quietly slipped inside, pulling Jagz with her.
“I don’t get it. What is all this? Don’t you think someone is going to spot us? I’m not so sure we should be down here.”
“Oh, come on. Stop being such a sissy. Live a little,” she said, quickly realizing that she could have been a bit nicer.
Jagz, not wanting to come off as weak, grabbed her hand tightly, looked her in the eyes and said, “no, you’re right. I trust you. Just a little spooked is all.”
As they entered, Jagz’s eyes grew wide. His head scanned left to right as he looked upon an underground farm. A huge array of vegetables and fruits, not unlike the ones he had seen in his dream grew; mangoes, oranges, apples, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, onions, bananas. It was breathtaking, he thought, and there wasn’t a single damn person in sight.
“We can take whatever we’d like, but only what we can carry in our packs, and we have to be careful not to take too much from one place so as to not cause suspicion.”
“How did you even find this place? This is a miracle!”
“It’s no matter. We haven’t much time. We have to make this quick before someone comes back.”
They loaded up on as much as their little packs could carry. Jagz was sure to take a variety of his favorite fruits and vegetables, hoping to discover what they really tasted like. Shera, already know-ing what she preferred, grabbed her favorites.
Just as they were leaving, they heard foot steps. “Be quiet,” whispered Shera. “Someone’s coming! Keep it down.”
Slowly and quietly, she led him out of the main room and back down the elevator hall. They started to hear chatter, and it seemed to get louder and louder and they walked. Keeping as quiet as poss-ible, they tried to hurry to the elevator.
The sound of shoes doubled, making it seem as though someone was running after them.
Shera led Jagz back to the elevators as quietly and as fast as possible.
Upon hearing the increasing speed of the foot-steps, she broke into a dead sprint.
They ran as fast as their feet could carry them. Just as they got to the elevator, Shera pressed the keypad. As the elevator opened, they heard, “stop! You there, stop! Stop right now! I order you to stop!”
The elevator doors closed in the knick of time. They shot up, panting furiously to catch their breaths.
When they reached the surface, their adrenaline was pumping. They were on such a high as the doors opened up. They ran outside as fast as they could towards their usual meeting place. When they got back, safe and alone, they dropped to the ground and rolled around, breathing heavily, scared at first, but their fear quickly turned to laughter. They laughed so hard that they started to tear up. Jagz almost pissed himself hysterical.
“Holy crap that was close!” said Jagz.
“I know. What a rush. What a rush. That’s never happened before. Wild”
“Wild? I’ll say!”
“Every day is a new adventure with you. A wildly new adventure.”
“Sometimes you just have to jump off the cliff, take a dive into the great crashing wave of life.”
And with that, Jagz grabbed Shera and kissed her violently. She ripped his clothes off and they had the most intense, animalistic, lovemaking experience yet, not concerned the least with their moaning and screaming.
Still high on adrenaline, they entered a new dimension. A dimension ruled by love—a place where all was safe and fear had no friend.
Chapter 13.
Jagz brought Shera home with him. After their lovemaking, they spoke of spending the night together. This was, for most, unthinkable. Not because it was illegal—law was all but abolished in their world—but because it served little to no purpose for the average person. For Shera and Jagz, the world was different now. They walked hand in hand as lovers ready to create something new together.
As they paced down the street, they felt separate from those around them. It was the first time that they had truly noticed how everyone else was consumed by their devices. They chatted about little things, about what they saw, it was like they were walking through a dream and everyone around them was swimming in an endless ocean of mindlessness.
Shera, then suddenly out of no where, brought up something that Jagz might not be ready to talk about.
“What do you say, Jagz? Ready to share the the Aliens with your followers? Nearly 2 MILLION now!? If it’s any incentive, getting to see you live Quack would really turn me on.”
At this point, Jagz didn’t need much more persuasion. After all, he trusted her and knew that she was right. He couldn’t hold onto these secrets for much longer. Not after such a magical day. He pulled a fresh apple from his bag, took a huge bite, tasting its tart sweetness and began to write.
I come to you with something that, up until now, I wasn’t quite sure how to share with the world. A few weeks ago, I was let in on some earth shattering information, information that I was simply too afraid to share with you. But I have been given so much support and encouragement by everyone that I can’t simply keep it in any longer #herewego
Jagz pressed send, giving his readers something to chew on, knowing that they would be reading his words instantaneously. He continued to type.
Last week I was brought into Unified Webworks and shown something that I never believed was possible—something that you may very well not believe. B
ut today I will share it with you anyhow. Here goes… I was put in direct contact with an Alien that had asked to specifically speak with me. He claimed to bring a message from his planet that he wanted me to share with the world.
Once again Jagz pressed send after reaching the character limit. His heart pounded as his nerves kicked in.
I know it sounds crazy, and I still think that it is, but he said that his race is searching for a new planet to co-inhabit. They have run out of resources and have found Earth to be perfectly suitable for their species. He also said that they have no intention of taking over or destroying us, but things will change. They are a far superior race and we will have to get used to that change.
Again he released his Quack.
Mr. Herd, the President of Unified Webworks expressed that the Aliens want anything but peace, that what they really want is to dominate our race and to change life as we know it in order to suit their needs. But he also believes our Official Intelligent Beings will stop at nothing to prevent this, they will show us how to fight. We will fight for our freedom.
He sent his Quack and pondered whether to sum it all up with a thought of his own.
I am simply acting as a messenger relaying what I saw. I don’t really know what to make of all of this. I saw the Alien with my own two eyes. I’ve even attached footage here so you can see too. We spoke and if you can trust, not only my words, but also the footage I am sharing, then you can trust that this is a very real situation, one that I have no idea how to process myself. As always, please share your thoughts. #whatnow ?
Official Intelligent Beings: How Our Devices Became Us, And The World Consumed Itself Page 7
