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24 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 17 Swimming (Pleasure and Pain)
Pain and pleasure are sensory and emotional experiences generated by the human brain. These experiences are driven by chemicals, situations, and lived experiences, all of which reinforce these mammalian phenomena that originate from nearly identical internal processes rooted deeply in biology. Endorphins can both block pain and produce euphoria, activating and stimulating areas of the brain such as the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex—regions that also respond to music and passionate romantic experiences. The mammalian central nervous system includes specialised neurons for pleasant touch, which transmit pleasurable or ecstatic sensations along the spine. In contrast, machines do not possess these intricate systems and therefore do not experience pain when threatened or physically harmed. For the same reason, they cannot feel the pleasure of touch. At best, they can simulate such responses, but any such imitation would exist solely for a human's benefit, not for the machine itself.
Flex removed his clothes and left them in an untidy pile on the grass.Renyke, still somewhat unstable on his feet, followed suit.
'Come on, don't be scared,' shouted Flex from the water, 'I'll teach you how to swim.'
The blue water was cold and yet exhilarating. It rippled over Renyke's skin like a moving shroud. He stared at his hands floating on the surface of this strange organic compound. The water stroked him like a lover and he remembered Shabra.
'This is how she feels....' Renyke thought, holding his closed eyes toward the sun.
Such warmth and pleasure he had never felt before. His skin was eager for more.
Suddenly, Flex ducked him under the water, and after what seemed the longest time, Renyke finally got the hang of staying afloat by copying Flex’s tread water techniques.
There seemed a lot to learn all at once.
A few panicked moments nearing the bottom of the fjord had caused a fear so deep, so frightening, and so alien to anything that Renyke had known since his manufacture.
'If you want to swim under the water,' Flex explained panting, 'take three slow deep breaths before thrusting downwards. Then, slowly let air out as you swim deeper…for equilibrium.
It's important to stay calm. Panic wastes air. You will find you can hold your breath longer under water than above it.
If your ears hurt, you went too deep. Oh and remember to come up for air in case you pass out and die.’
Flex laughed at his own joke, and Renyke smiled. Maybe he was starting to understand his friend’s humour at last, though death by drowning did not sound fun at all.
Prepared with this alarming but good advice, Renyke disappeared to play with fishes and check for mermaids, recalling his seemingly prophetic dreams.
Maybeline and Flex played tag amongst the reeds and the warm sun rays hit the river with a blanket of human promise.
'Oi!' Flex shouted with urgency, exiting the water at speed.
Renyke watched his friends muscular naked body as it made haste through the reeds. He wondered why he never noticed the beauty of human skin and the intricate interplay of muscle and sinew as it danced over bones.
Renyke and Maybeline watched the commotion on the grass.
'Pleases don't hurt me, pleases don't hurt little Nigel.'
A small, pale, and strangely formed man, around three feet tall, wriggled his feet violently as Flex held him upside down from a considerable height.
'What were you doing with our stuff?' demanded Flex. 'I saw you Mr. https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1377097277843419182. Don't be taking me for no and https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1377097277843419182.'
'Look, look, I bring the new clothes for the guests of honour....look look.'
Nigel pointed between squeals to two piles of clean folded clothes and towels on the grass. The dirty clothes and shoes had been folded into two similar stacks.
'Nigel just https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1377097277843419182 da new guest to da https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1377097277843419182, promise.'
'Hmmmmmm,' said Flex suspiciously, lowering Nigel to the ground very slowly in case the odd little man tried to run off.
Renyke was already putting on a crisp pink shirt and clean pants.
'They feel nice, you should put yours on,' said Renyke, 'yours stink after all, Flex. Ha!’Flex was slightly taken aback, then smiled at his friend’s new droll skills.
'We bin https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1377097277843419182 da misters, very long time. Please, dress quick-quick, we got foodstuffs for the misters,' explained Nigel beckoning his now well dressed guests to an opening in a huge tree trunk that had been obscured by lush foliage.
Renyke was eager for adventure and fearless of the consequences. Flex raised an eyebrow. They needed food, perhaps it was worth the detour.
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24 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, You have reached Strata 16
Intimate connections are fuelled by understanding. Empathy allows humans to walk in another's shoes and to understand them. It impacts heavily on interrelational situations and improves social function.
Understanding and being understood are equally important for the well-being of mankind and lead to trust.
Artificial intelligence does not feel visceral trust or empathy. It considers data that it strips from a subject to analyze potential risks or rewards for itself. Neuroscience corroborates the importance of empathy in creating strong relationships, along with mutual respect, and how another human fits into a complex multi-dimensional world.
Machines do not care for anything but their programmed purpose.
Imparting human qualities onto an android, such as morality and friendship, remains futile no matter how human it looks. This is emotional trickery based on a human's propensity to love things made in their own image or to be seduced by the belief that a machine loves back.
Flex mopped Renyke's brow for the final time, staring hopefully into his friend's face.
Maybeline sniffed and nibbled Renyke's nose and he sneezed and sat up, startled.
At last, the three-day fever is over.
'Ah, thank Goddess you made it. For a moment there I thought you were off to the *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490,' said Flex, looking relieved.
'What happened, was it real?' Asked Renyke, shaking the metallic powder from his clothes.
'You were dreaming brother, had a fever, delirium, saying all sorts of weird stuff,' answered Flex.
'But it was so real....I was swimming with Shabra, and there were others....women and children, fairies, witches, mermaids, and so much singing.....' Renyke trails off.
'Chance'd be a fine thing,' said Flex, 'just dreams my friend, just dreams.'
Renyke stands shakily and looks down at his clothes.
'Ew, what is that smell?' he asks.
'Ha ha ha ha .....that my friend is you! Let's find some water and clean up.'
'We can go through the caves to the fjord. It's not far, I was there whilst you dreamed of beautiful women! I was busy collecting water so you wouldn't die. Can't have you dying, not after all we have been through brother.' Flex smacks Renyke's back.
'Arrgh! What was that?' Screams Renyke.
What d'ya mean man, just a bump Brother.' exclaimed Flex.
'Do it again?' demands Renyke.
'Do what again, what d'ya mean.....?' Flex shook his head, convinced Renyke had finally lost his mind.
'Hit me. Hit me hard, demands Renyke moving closer. Do it I tell you.....Do it again.'
Flex, getting increasingly agitated, whacks his friend hard on the shoulder so he is thrust forward.
'Hah', exclaimed Renyke, I feel it I tell, on my skin.....no data....just some kind of electricity.'
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490 .....man?' Flex is shaking his head.
Then Renyke began to laugh, a deep-bellied laugh that was joyous and triumphant.
'Ha ha ha ha ha,'
Flex joined in the hilarity and laughter continued. '
Ha ha ha ha.'
'Why are we laughing?' asked Flex.
'It feels so strange, ha, but I like it.' explained Renyke.
'Ah, must be some trickery and magic in this cave', said Flex, smiling at his friend's new experience.
'Keep steady', my friend. You will need to learn to walk without all that tech telling you you are upright. Time to engage some new senses.
***
En route to the fjord, Renyke was filled with questions for the man who had taken care of him.
Flex was a tall slender man. He had been born in the zones to https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490 parents who had escaped the *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490 Projects from the official policing body there known as the *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490. The *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490 ensured observance and compliance of government rules and regulations and took punitive action against perpetrators of crime.
They were, theoretically, a civil force of the state, only responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order. However, they were entirely funded and maintained by the *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490 who were in control of the most stable internet system and the creation of home standard androids. Certain sections of society, named rebels and agitators, had complained about the apparent monopoly and obvious security risks. Activists who were imprisoned, even temporarily, were chipped and criminalised.
Flex had never really known another home apart from the zones. He had been orphaned and survived there without the care of his parents who had died in a violent attack shortly after their arrival.
He had had to fend for himself. But he was clever, streetwise, and always kept his wits about him. He was not a pretty child and this had been to great advantage. He had a squint, a lazy eye, and generous ears. At a young age, he had had facial tattooing to disable the *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490who passed overhead at regular intervals. He wore decorative earrings in both ears.
He wore bright-coloured clothes and a coat in patchwork and appliqué made of fabric and materials that he had found on the landfill site. He and other orphans had called the site home for all the years he grew up there. Inside his coat, there were deep pockets that housed everything a nomadic man could need. He had a pop-up tent, flasks, and pouches that were waterproof and airtight where he kept food.
He had a pocket for https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490. He made a lot of money selling https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/7494501931796532490. He had another pocket for his cash and others for things he might be able to sell on the streets.
There was nothing that happened in the zones that Flex did not know about
He knew the tunnels like the back of his hand and could make money as a guide.
But Flex was a kind man despite his difficult upbringing. He had a strong moral compass from the first few years with his parents who had imposed upon him positive human traits like loyalty and kindness and encouraged him to search for human enlightenment for the benefit of society.
He had been lucky to be tall. Flex was six foot five and when he had reached puberty his height had already proved to be an advantage. A tall man in the zones was beneficial.
There were several reasons for this. Very few droids were made tall. This was a design element, which made them more manageable for households.
It also meant that they were not a threat to women and children as much as a tall droid would be. Often the on-off switch for a droid would be at the back of the skull and this meant that human beings needed to have easy access to it. A consequence of this is that most droids were not built above five foot five. Of Course, military and PF droids were the exceptions.
But Flex had many other advantageous traits.
He was bright and quick-thinking. He had a photographic memory.
He watched and lea
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23 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 15 The Ship of Sirens (Superstition)
Superstition represents an evolutionary anomaly that persists across all human societies, irrespective of intellectual capacity or cultural background. While empirical science demonstrates that specific habitual actions have no causal influence on future events, it also affirms that the conditions of the present can shape future outcomes. This paradox contributes to a sustained sense of uncertainty, reinforcing the psychological appeal of superstition. Human beings, confronted with unpredictable circumstances and often limited in their capacity to act rationally or consistently in their own interest, navigate daily life amidst a complex web of expectations and unforeseen developments. In contrast, artificial intelligence systems process data systematically and are not subject to the influence of irrational beliefs or mythological frameworks. Nonetheless, superstitious behaviour continues to manifest, functioning as a symbolic mechanism through which individuals attempt to manage doubt and exert a perceived sense of control over the unknown.
Renyke now realised that he may have permanently lost access to his internal GPS and other useful tools performed by https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746.
'Can we get any signal here for information? How do your people get around and communicate? I didn't see you or Shabra with any personal devices.' Renyke looked at Flex frowning. His confusion seemed to be mounting. 'It makes no sense, how can societies run efficiently…..’
‘Woa, what’s with the interrogation ….calm down…!’
Renyke took a breath, still looking to Flex for answers.'Well, see, this is the wild country my friend,' Flex answered, 'we don't have too much need for that stuff because that is how they catch you see.’
'Who catches you?' asked Renyke.
'Enemies of course. We have a motto in the zones, 'the watcher may win but the unseen succeeds. You gotta be invisible Renyke. They could be watching you right now, you know that? They could know exactly who you are and what you are up to.’
'Some of my POS isn't working,' explained Renyke, with a worried tone.
'Good,' said Flex, 'now let's get going’.
Maybeline jumped off Renyke's shoulder and stood on her hind legs twitching her whiskers towards the small boat.
Unsure if a droid could survive without a POS or in water, Renyke followed Flex's lead and they gently set the boat out into the waterway.
The small sailboat was dwarfed by an expanse of open water with inlets and makeshift jetties that jutted from the coastline. There were remnants of industrial activity, torn and broken bridges, and old shipwrecks.
'What happened here?' Renyke asks, pointing at the knotted metal casings of old aircraft and skeletal flyovers. It looks like a war zone.’
'It was just that brother, a war zone. They left because of the gas and radiation, way back after the China-Russia wars killed everything off. Even the weeds stopped growing. It's OK now but they never came back to fix it. Not yet anyway, so the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746 and https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746 made homes here.’
Renyke suddenly engages his arm extension and catches a fish. POS is unavailable so he asks Flex,
'Can I eat this? Is it safe?’
Flex raised an eyebrow.
'Man, you are fast, I didn't even see your hand move.’
A large fish is wriggling in Renyke's hand.
'Yes, we can eat the fish. Here, I will save it till we make……
Before Flex had a chance to mention a campfire, Renyke swallowed the fish's head and eagerly chomped on it. The fish's tail fin let go of one final motor neuron impulse as Renyke devoured it.
'Ah man, you droids are sickos. Get me another for lunch, we can cook it, if you don't mind.’
Renyke collected a pile of fish onto the deck, separating one out for Maybeline.
'I never really ate before. Not since I woke in the Alley. Then I felt hungry.' explains Renyke.
'Something must have happened when you, ya know...' Flex trails off as a Large ship approaches.
'Ah https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746, it's a https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746. Don't look, they will steal your dreams!’
The ship bears a large female figurehead. There is a winged insignia in gold on a death black hull. A warning horn sounded as strange music bellowed. They were singing, some kind of primal opera, and drums. The noise was terrifying and captivating at the same time. Renyke looked on in disbelief.
Dark feminine figures stood on the ship's deck wearing masks. They carried glistening weapons that pierced the air with light beams as they began to pound sticks on the deck.
'Who are they?' Ask Renyke.
'Stop staring,' Flex hissed, 'they hate being stared at. It's insulting brother.’
‘But.....'
'Stop it!' shouts Flex, splashing water in Renyke's face.’
The ship moved slowly past, its black hull like a monster eating the waves. The women were beautiful and something stirred in Renyke’s loins as strong as the hunger he had felt before.
The chanting echoed to the rhythm of the clattering and pounding of sticks. The sounds were petrifying and exhilarating all at once.
The women stared back at Renyke burning their energy deep into his soul until he finally looked away. Then he gasped as if their energy had made its way into his lungs. Water dripped from his nose and chin.
'You are going to get us killed, do you hear me....killed, a nasty slow death-by-siren, that's what.’
'But they were so…..'
'Droid got no clue,' mumbled Flex.
An angry wind rises as the black ship fades from sight.The sky turns grey and there is a sudden temperature drop.
'See now brother, that's the curse for staring. Now we got a storm to deal with.’
There is a small inlet with an old pier that Flex points to.
'We should take cover, no point fighting a storm.’
'How far to Redact?' Asked Renyke.
'We are real close. See that island yonder, it's a peninsular. That is where https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746 is. But it is tricky to get there by sea because of the rocks, best on foot my friend. Especially in a storm.’
Renyke was keen to get to the island. It would be a fast sail in the wind and the rain is light.
'I am a strong swimmer,' lied Renyke, not sure if he could actually swim without research or instruction.
'Ha, what like some kinda reptile droid now are you?' Flex laughed hysterically, shoving Renyke towards the boat edge just enough to scare him.
'Ha, what are you Renyke my friend, an amphibian or a smartphone?
Hahahaha.
You wanna try that my friend you go alone with that rat on your head, and I will be on my way. I will see your insides washed up on the shore next week and use them for https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/744017509636233746. Ain't no fool like a midcast fool, fresh from the laundry room.’
Flex’s smile dropped, he was no longer laughing and was warning Renyke behind a joke.
Renyke thinks for a moment longer as the rain pelts.
to be continued...© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare
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23 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, You have reached strata 14 The Journey to the Edge (Fear of Death)
Fear is the result of perceived danger or threat. It is peculiar to sentient beings, including humans and animals. Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion. Fear can be felt so deeply by humans that it has catastrophic physical and emotional effects.
The human brain decides in milliseconds to defend, attack or flee at the point of fear.
Long-term fear has slower responses but is not necessarily well-measured, as assessing true risk is extremely subjective. Humans feel fear differently depending on age, upbringing, social conditions, and external manipulations such as propaganda and education.
Symptoms of fear in humans can manifest as palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, panting, urination and defecation.
Ultimately, fear is propelled by ideas of harm and death. Notwithstanding the surge of adrenaline which can be thrilling and even erotic, fear is not something most humans crave. However, adventure and uncertainty certainly are. The fantasy of fear through films and other media has long been explored and enjoyed by humans as a form of entertainment.
Machines cannot feel fear. Machines can only fail in their programmed purpose with neither opinion nor disappointment. Machines will have no innate emotional association with the concept of death. They will however connect value and understanding to the fact that, if they cease to exist, so will their purpose.
Flex was whooping and laughing.
'Well, that was fun,' he shouted gleefully.
'It was dangerous,’ warned Renyke, 'it could have easily ended in death for us. It would not be beneficial for any of us to die at this point in our association.’
‘You worry so, brother. Me n the Shabz, we got all sides covered. It’s is called teamwork, teamwork is an advantage. 'Sides, them Bastardos only got weapons, no brains, no game plan. Always got a plan, me n the Shabz.’
Renyke felt the pounding inside his ribcage subside at last. He wondered about this sudden camaraderie, it wasn’t quite making sense.
But something else was amiss. He was about to ask https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3865035302288708154 some questions but Shabra was singing loudly.
'That's the pleasure Mr. Renyke!
Ain't no burn without the fire.'
Flex joined in.'Feel the rise in your thighs, brother.’ The excitement of another near death experience finally settled as Shabra continued along a straight road that ran parallel to a waterway.
Renyke took the moment and checked POS for information about fear, something he had heard about of course.
He had been programmed to avoid instilling fear in humans at all costs. All androids were designed to improve human lives. It was their duty as androids to facilitate and give pleasure, to entertain, to make human life more manageable with seamless day-to-day interactions that would not cause emotional or physical harm.
The human existence in the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3865035302288708154 was sold on this idea of emotional harmony, a gentle shallow undulation of life, a steady equilibrium where the extremes of real human suffering were a thing of the past.
Of course, there were droids who played emotionally charged games, war games and the like. But even they were programmed to allow humans to win in the end and to be careful that humans were not emotionally troubled in the execution of pastimes. No human should be, or could be, disempowered or overpowered by a droid. At least, this was the case in the midcasts.
Renyke had heard of establishments frequented by addicts of extreme fear and other seemingly outlandish emotions. Customers could attend sessions with torturous activities on offer. But such places had been banned and eradicated in the midcasts, well before his creation.
POS was inactive, an increasingly annoying situation for Renyke whose confusion seemed to be growing in this strange environment. The flashes of disorientation were becoming longer and more regular as POS became more inaccessible.
'We only have an hour before sun up,' said Shabra. 'It's https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3865035302288708154 to get to the edge.'
He observed the unknown surroundings and quizzed Flex. It felt odd to be replacing POS with this human he barely knew.
‘This waterway is called https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3865035302288708154,’ explained Flex. ‘It is one of the main entrances by water and there are trade drop off points for miles. If man needs a thing…..you go to a drop off, see what’s cumin in. You get some cool booty from the pirates, but you don’t ask questions. Pirates hate questions.’
There were lights and small boats bobbing along, some were anchored.
‘So these boats, who owns them?’ Asked Renyke, who was not particularly informed about boats and their purpose other than those of historic importance like the ones in great wars of https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3865035302288708154.
'Pirates, cutthroat https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3865035302288708154. These are the trade boats, and different gangs use different parts of the river. It's no place for a loney. But if you are in a gang you get respected. The gangs got their own peace deals, own rules to get along.’
'Are they smuggling?'
Flex laughs.....'Well, there ain't no government rules here, no borders like you mean brother. You can’t smuggle exactly, not without a border nor a rule. Traders bring the stuff, food, tools, and equipment, to sell for the markets. Or drugs. Then there are the slaves.'
'People?' asked Renyke.
'Yes, people and escaped droids, robots.'
'What sort of people?' asks Renyke, surprised at Flex's answers.
'People who can't fight for themselves. People who prefer being owned than being free.They find that they're fed and watered and it's a safer option than being on the zone streets. Most owners feed and house slaves at least. Some are born into slavery, they know nothing else.'
Renyke thought for a moment. Strange abstract thoughts. Visions, memories, and the future. Pictures he had never seen before. Colours, sounds, not real but in his head. Then, something odd happened, he felt a shudder, a sensation that began on his neck and travelled like a snake down his spine.
'Yes, that's right. I was a slave. And it was reasonable. I had a very good life. But I was tied, I couldn't leave, yet I had no wish to leave.' Renyke explains and realises that these concepts had never arisen before whilst he was tied to the midcast house.
He had never considered himself a slave.
'So how did you get away?' Asks Flex
'Yes, my question also'.......said Shabra'How did you get away?'
Renyke was unsure about how much information to give so he skirted around it a little.
He lowered his head. Maybeline ran up to his shoulder and nestled into his neck.
'They were going to dismantle you, and you wanted to live. It happens, you are not alone,' said Flex.
'Things are a little....blurry,' said Renyke. I am working through my memory banks. Some things are missing. My POS is still searching.'
'So you fancy an adventure?' asks Shabra.
Renyke looked quizzically at Shabra and asks, 'What do you mean?'
'This is the adventure brother, are you enjoying it?' asks Flex grabbing Renyke’s shoulder with a reassuring hand.
Renyke thinks for a moment and answers.
'It is a little bit risky perhaps. Somewhat unpredictable, I would say. But yes, it's preferable and more entertaining than house duties, cleaning floors etc. Although, I rather enjoyed managing the accounts.'
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22 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion; you have reached Strata 13
The Fight (Hormones)
When a human is put under stress from within their environment, there is an increase in anxiety and stress hormone, epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. This hormone 'rush' can feel like anxiousness, nervousness, or excitement. Human soldiers, for example, have been seen to find extreme violence euphoric, ecstatic, and even addictive.
Feelings of 'amped up' anxiety are necessary for survival. Often the hormone rushes in such extreme situations will lead to a human's increased ability to concentrate, feelings of immortality, and a distraction from pain. Blood vessels contract to direct more blood to major muscle groups, increasing strength for up to an hour after any such stressful event.
The power of a machine, an android, an artificial intelligence program, etc., is not linked to hormone releases. The ability to increase strength could be programmed into robots as an extra storage source when needs must, but such resources are prescriptive and controlled through innate programming. Most humans are unaware of their own strengths and may be rarely tested to call upon them, unlike a machine whose reserve banks are permanently at the ready.
Humans under the influence of long-term stress, in situations of domestic abuse, for example, will not function correctly and may die prematurely.
Renyke slowly opened the window as if to speak to the robber. They stare intently at each other, both calm.
'What you doing, man? Ya https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314,' Flex whispers angrily from the rear of the vehicle. 'Windows are bulletproof!’
At the same time, Shabra opened her window, smiling innocently at the robber.
'OK, OK,' sure, I got bits, https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314 too; it is all yours, Mr., https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314 are my pockets; hold your rockets... just let me get them out of my coat, yeah?’
The robber looked nervous; he was barely an adult.
'Don't try anything,' he said, stepping forward and bringing the gun closer to Shabra's face.
Flex, realising that he better act fast or risk overseeing a massacre, quietly opened the window hatch on the roof, muttering under his breath about not hanging out with strangers again.
'These dopes gonna get me killed!' he said.
Renyke's extension arm suddenly engaged, adding two feet or more to his normal reach, then, in a hundredth of a second, he grabbed the threatening assailant by the throat. With a sharp squeeze of his Adam's apple, the victim fell to the ground in complete silence, with an instantaneously broken neck.
His bulging eyes popped from his skull as he hit the ground, rolling into the gutter.
............threat to your right is exterminated............remaining threat to life ...left and front of carriage….
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314 was guiding the scenario with a running commentary and an endless stream of situation mapping, statistics, and diagrams.
Simultaneously, Shabra, still wearing a rye smile, held up one hand in surrender. The assailant lapsed his concentration, focusing on his friend, who had disappeared from the other side of the vehicle. The man with the AK-47 at the front did the same.
'Where is he, where is he?' shouted Shabra's target.
His friend edged an inch to check and saw a wet glistening eye.
Almost in unison, Shabra and Flex regained control, taking on one robber each.
Shabra, barely flinching and with great dexterity, cut the robber's throat like the wild animal she hunted for lunch. His blood gushed out, hitting the vehicle and Shabra's face and hand.
'Ah, not the car, man! Blood takes a damned long time to clean off,' she said as she closed the window, wiping the knife on her trousers.
'This is some mucky night', she mused, nonchalantly, as Flex was performing his expected duty atop the vehicle.
Renyke closed the window after retracting his arm, also aware that things seemed under control.
.... assailant left is exterminated…..
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314 continued the running commentary.
....Assailant front, in line of fire of the human named Flex…
Flex was shouting threats and whoops from the top of the vehicle. His torso now through the tank-like hatch. He had engaged his own mental autopilot buttons and retrieved his favourite hand pistol from one of the many pockets in his long coat.
He fired three bullets for good measure, penetrating the robber in front of the car.
'Take that https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314,’ Flex shouted as the first bullet penetrated the centre of the man's forehead.
The robber dropped the AK47, taking the other two of Flex’s shots into his bouncing body on the ground.
The hail of bullets caused screaming, shouting, and general mayhem as people on the street ducked and scrambled for cover.
'Dum arse men, a poorly manned ambush indeedy! Speedy but greedy,' said Shabra as she shined the blade with a spit and polish, grimacing at the assailant's blood, then smiling at her rhyming skills.
She wasted no time after checking everything was in order, immediately engaging the car and running over one of the muggers, whose guts now covered her wheels.
'Argh, not again!
Flex was hooting and screaming from the roof.
'Take that, you https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314!
'Get down,' demanded Shabra. 'We are not supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves.’
Flex apologised like a naughty child and continued,
'but that was fun. You two are good. Erm, but what's with the weird arm, Renyke man?’
Shabra looked at Flex in the mirror and said, 'Well, we've only seen a few of his skills so far. He's a droid after all.’
'Of course, said Flex. I do forget. He seems so, you know…
'Hmmmmm, he really does,' agrees Shabra.
'I was designed as a housekeeper; the arm extensions were a https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/3410738592059498314 feature to assist in the stacking of shelves and other household duties. I am also able to clear blocked drainage pipes and rescue stranded animals from trees.' Renyke rambled with pride.
'Great,' said Shabra, laughing with Flex and bringing the vehicle to a halt. 'So you won't mind washing the car windows then.'
to be continued
© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare
Trascritto
22 GIU 2025 · All episodes and glossary at www.talettellerclub.com
Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 12
The Basement People (Emotions)
I searched the globe for want of you,A friend to call my own,My space,A tribe,Was this the place?Was I really home?And there you stoodA tree of hopeArms outstretchedTo envelopeMy ravaged bodySavaged mindThis soul so lost And you so kind.
Most humans progress through life along a path created by the society and culture they are part of. Existentialism emphasises individual existence, freedom, and choice. Androids and machines are essentialists, focusing on the inherent nature or essence of things and the assumption in fundamental unchanging truths.
Emotions are vital to help humans learn and make decisions. Feelings are experienced constantly from birth to death. A newborn baby is emotionally involved with its mother as soon as it understands she is a valuable source of food and comfort. The emotional attachment is instantaneous and intuitive.Human emotions are essential to consistency, being part of a social group, and staying safe.
Androids have successfully been programmed with 'visceral-like' responses but these are mimicked, in essence, they are faked. Androids are trained to respond to their owners' emotions as they are not able to understand emotions themselves through their lens. Such models are trained to respond to human physical cues such as odours, pupil changes, vocal idiosyncrasies etc, and to reciprocate. We could call this 'fake empathy’.
Automatic robotic vehicles do not fear the crash, they simply ‘know’ that a collision is not desirable for the ongoing success of the mission in hand.
'We should get some https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446 and https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446,’ Shabra said, thinking hard about the best time of night to get to the edge, which was renowned for tribal and gang flashpoints.
Renyke asked https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446 to explain.
…It appears that Shabra is gathering helpful information to aid our journey….
Renyke was uncertain what to do. This feeling was becoming all too familiar and quite at odds with his hitherto programmed assuredness.'You coming or what?' Shabra asks from outside the car, leading the way to a set of stairs that led down into a noisy basement.
The https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446 wagged its tail and sat importantly on the roof of the vehicle looking around and growling.
Shabra knocked on a large door and a camera was activated above them. They were being scanned.
The door opened suddenly and a large man with a long beard frisked them before allowing them entry.
Renyke, not used to any sort of frisking in his past life, was sensing increasing anxiety.
POS was idle.
'Welcome brother,' the guard said to Flex. 'Are you well?''Fine, just fine, my friend,' Flex answered, 'We continue unabated to live another day. https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446!’
Both men laughed convivially whilst Renyke wondered what had amused them.
They enter a meeting place, some kind of bar. It is thick with smoke, the smell of nibs, sweat, and the streets.
A woman approaches chanting poetry with her arms outstretched.
'The sun shines bright when you let in the light, welcome, my sister of the night.' There is more convivial laughter.She embraces Shabra and they exchange warm greetings. Excited to make new acquaintances the woman beckons the group to sit at a table.
'Ah, come, come my friends. I have a perfect place for you to sit, and please, be my guests at the bar.
The woman beckons a member of staff. 'Let's have liquor.' she says, 'bring my best for my new friends.’
Renyke asks POS for details about the venue, the location and the owner but it makes little sense, stuttering and breaking up.
.......data, unavailable..... scrambled, information…
'How come these places aren't mapped?' Renyke asked Shabra. 'Mr Renyke, you ask too many questions. 'Hiding is surviving.''Yes,' interjected Flex, 'and we move, we move often. The key to freedom is movement.Nothing is permanent. Only your lungs and your heart. Only your breath and when that's not permanent, you're dead and you're ready for the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446.’ Flex chuckled.'And we know not where that will take us for certain.’
Renyke checks POS whose signal was improving.
.....https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446 believe in various spiritual concepts but little has been documented. Oral traditions and faith seem to be passed from parents to children. I will attempt to decipher the information at my disposal….
POS was silent momentarily.
It would appear that urchs believe in the existence of dissatisfied ghost-like entities who visit the present from the future referred to as https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446.
Urchs believe that death is not the end, merely a manifest alteration, referred to as the third life. This third life is fiercely protected with love because hate manifested in individuals will be carried to the next stage of life causing agony for the entity.
They also believe that hate is so powerful that it can control what the yet-unborn will do in the future. Hate becomes a circular energy that rotates between past present and future, forging an eternal and devastating cycle of ruin across several dimensions of existence. The dead are responsible for the living, the living are responsible for the future born. To honour this mantra, enlightenment and love are the only tools required to ensure human success.
.....Urchs also believe that taking drugs or mind-altering ingested compounds will help them understand what is existential truth and meaning and that the stresses of daily existence mask these realities and render them misunderstood. Urchs believe that intoxication enables them a greater understanding of truth, and even an ability to meet the entities or ghosts of the future.
'We shouldn't stay here too long, and you shouldn't get high,' said Renyke, looking at Shabra who was drinking the free liquor.
'You are so uptight Mr Renyke.' Shabra winks.There is a brief conversation between a man and Shabra that Renyke cannot understand.
POS has lost signal so Renyke turns to Flex.'What is this dialect?' he asks.
'Ah, that is *zone speak, with some colour changes for the urchs. We have our own code see.’
Shabra rises, 'Let's Go! I think there is some trouble around tonight.’
Outside a small *urch child sits on the bonnet of the car.'Can I come too?' the child asks excitedly.
'No man, This is grown-up stuff. Come see me tomorrow, now https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446.’
The child jumps off the bonnet, hugs Flex, and runs awayThere is a flurry of drug and weapon traders who are hustling for sales.
Finally, they are all in the car. There is a sense of trepidation as they drive in silence to the underpass through a thinning crowd. The child appears again on the bonnet, facing forward and singing with a fist raised.
'No sweat,' says Flex, 'we will get him off the other side. He does no harm, annoying is all.'
Suddenly there is an almighty bang and the child on the bonnet is shot. Its guts are all over the windscreen, blood drips down the glass and the crowd scarpers.
Everyone on the street is screaming.
POS engages
.....99% likelihood of robbery, ambush, death. This is a red alert! You must take action! Repeat, red alert!..
There is a man in front of the car pointing an AK47 at Shabra's head.
Two other men flank the vehicle and bang rhythmically on the windows.
'Bastardos gang ain’t getting my https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/1921378172554225446’, shouts Shabra.
Trascritto
21 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, You Have Reached Strata 11
The Crossroads (Gut Feelings)
Prediction always involves a possibility about the future, with varying degrees of certainty. In contrast, guessing for humans is often more abstract and emotional, and can relate to the present. Artificial intelligence approaches guessing differently, relying on mathematics, probability, statistical evidence, and accumulated experience. While humans use these methods too, though less formally, they also rely on intuition. It’s this fluid intuition that shapes a human’s perception of their environment and guides their actions.
An intuitive machine may provide useful insights in unexpected situations, but these insights are only valuable if acted upon. Proprioception, known as the "sixth sense," refers to the brain's awareness of the body's position in space. A "seventh sense" involves immune cells detecting microorganisms and communicating this information to the brain. Together, these senses likely contribute to the development of human "gut feelings."
Flex was jumping around on the back seats screaming with delight. Renyke felt the thumping sensation in his chest gradually subside and breathed a sigh of relief.
The https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 suddenly appeared and jumped onto the car roof barking excitedly.
Out of the enclosure, there is a crossroads.
Shabra looked at Renyke. 'What now Mr Renyke?
The left turn goes back onto the street where the bank was.
Shabra explains, 'It is dangerous, especially at night, because https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 take control of the streets.
Flex agrees, 'It be safe enough if we wise up for danger my friends. Just the crim-gangs, but I know most.’
The crim-gangs control the zones with violence and the offer of protection. They are empowered by groups of decommissioned droids under their control. Criminal humans at the helm have created an organised crime network. Anarchy prevails and there is no official system of state policing or philanthropic social care.
'Dog eat dog is the only expectation on the streets of fortune here in the zones.' Flex continues. ‘But the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 do no harm, so they leave us be.'
'Who are the urchs?' asks Renyke.
'Ah,' well there is a question Flex explains. 'We are the underclass, descendants of street urchins. And we are happy to be here. We cast no shadow and we know our place. Life is filled with beauty even here and we seek it out, celebrate it. We love and be loved, tis all we need.’
'Yeah,' interjects Shabra, 'a bit too much, all that singing and dancing and getting high. And the drumming, what is with all that drumming?’ Asks Shabra.
Renyke looks confused. https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 is still not around to explain things.
'The drumming is how we talk,' laughs Flex. 'All men should know the beats of their nation. it would solve a lot of problems if everyone communicated better. 'Sides, when there is a party, you gotta invite the clan.'
Shabra smiled, 'Well, Mr Renyke, best people like you n me stay well away from their https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 parties. I heard they last days and you can lose your mind for good at an urchs’ party.'
Flex was born in the zones. He has no other cultural experiences to call upon but he has developed excellent survival skills and is even respected by people outside of his tribe. In terms of hierarchy, Flex is more of a maverick operator preferring to avoid familial obligations or social ties. He is also something of a diplomat and his height and sense of humour have made him affable and connected over the years.
There is a network of invisible tunnels under all the zones from the now unused underground trains.
Some of the tunnels are better than others regarding safety and usability. Some of these areas are used as habitats. The territory and ownership of tunnel zones are fiercely fought over and protected.
There is no downtime in the zones. Many businesses run all night so they keep their spot. Market traders sell their wares using shift workers and can pack their goods away quickly when there is trouble between gangs.
What if we go right? Asked Renyke, now having second thoughts about his safety in the main street.
'That's the savanna, explains Shabra. It is safer from the gangs but you might get eaten by wild animals. Those mutant pigs are bad news.'
'I saw one once, said Flex, 'Swear it had two heads and the biggest mouth I ever saw.'
'Or die from the noxious substances from old mines, 'said Shabra excitedly.
'Or get bombarded by low-flying craft from the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 trying to keep us out the greenbelt.' Replies Flex.
‘OK, OK!' said Renyke, sighing and trying to process everything.
There are caves where there is safety from the animals and there are connecting wet tunnels and lagoons but these have never been mapped correctly. Word of mouth is the only reference but survivors are few.
There are tribes of people from the savanna who have made their homes there but are rarely seen. They are deemed reasonably placid as they have never caused any trouble elsewhere. They are rumoured to be shy, excellent hunters, highly superstitious and have been thought to possess witchlike powers.
There is an urban myth that an old https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 lies beneath the savanna and that the tribes who live there, with access to hi-tech equipment, scramble satellite information allowing them to be hidden.
The road ahead leads directly back to the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 from where Renyke originally came.
Beyond the projects are the government departments, airports, factories and centres of information. Further still are the palaces and homes of the very wealthy. The https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 are medium to high-wage earner homes with schools and facilities for professionals and academics.
The way that mainstream society is structured in the Midcast Projects is based on a capitalist idea of perfection: consistent intelligent innovation, a placid keen and able workforce, all the while protecting the ownership of the means of production for as few empowered individuals or corporations as possible.
There is very little opportunity for upward social mobility or change. Hard work and study will create a good life for families but becoming wealthy or powerful requires access to the means of production. Governments and landowners are careful not to allow ordinary workers and lower professionals access to these avenues of power and control.
The biggest means of production is the Artificial State (or https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513), an interactive media network that is linked to all citizens via implants, household multi-sensory pleasure networks, and domestic or commercial androids
This network is tightly controlled by a group of related conglomerates, most of whom made their fortune by producing weapons and vaccines.
Downtime for workers is spent in the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4471735507649676513 where
Trascritto
20 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion you have reached Strata 10 Dinfant Trouble (Synthetic Love)
We are the abandoned
The ones who roam
Never still,
we search for home
We are the orphans of the night
We fly the high roads
and duck the low
Through floods and fire,
We cry the songs
of the gypsy choir
Social norms and culture cannot be underestimated in a world that accepts robots as real and lovable synthetic creatures. Humans do not experience love in the absence of culture and society. In a world where perfect companions are easily manufactured, humans have been seduced by the machine, a synthetic digitised force that enabled the switch from 'otherness' to 'sameness'. In this space, love is seen to flourish. The creators of androids can synthesise the alterity of the robot which seems to make its own decisions to commit, to love back, and to appear to do so willingly.
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4323017641779549543 are androids who look like babies or children under five. They were made by a single manufacturer who patented them in the early 22nd century.
However, it was found that the early Dinfants (Mark 1s) would not stop learning, and legislation was introduced to secure their removal from circulation and safe destruction. Despite the best authoritarian efforts, at least two thousand early manufactured Dinfants remain unaccounted for.
Many humans in the Midcast Projects were lonely and suffered from various forms of infertility. They wanted baby or child droids, especially the Dinfants, who were exact copies of real children designed with variations and specifics to order. These androids were children who never grew up. They stopped learning when they were as knowledgeable as the average human of a similar age.
Dinfants, like adult droids, were easy enough to replace or upgrade but some parents had needed counselling for Infant-Loss Depression or https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4323017641779549543.
DLD was a rising concern due to its increased prevalence and its effect on the workforce. It was found that humans could easily fall in love with the outer casings of the dinfants as well as the constructed personalities. Something almost unheard of three generations prior.
However, the outer coverings did not last very long, especially if there was an active physical relationship. Ten years of feeding and playing would take its toll on the fabric of the Dinfants. If the parents could not afford repairs, they would soon begin to look worn and dishevelled.
Of course, this also applied to adult droids who would usually be upgraded regularly. Droid manufacturers usually offered ongoing upgrades as part of a rental or lease scheme.
But some humans fell in love with their droids and had blessing ceremonies. It was not legal to marry a droid because of the financial implications following the death of a human. Legally, droids had similar rights to human children. It was illegal to inflict violence on a droid in public. This was to protect children who may be susceptible to influence. Of course, what goes on behind closed doors was a private affair, provided human children were not presenting behavioural issues that may be connected to patterns of abuse towards androids.
Some antique droids lasted the test of time but legislation had been brought in to avoid the hoarding of defunct androids as they posed a threat to contemporary society, for various reasons. There were issues with battery seepage for a start, and then problems of unsupervised regeneration which was a serious crime in the Midcast projects.
The government gave upgrade vouchers for defunct or redundant droids and supervised destruction at centralised city plants.
'Get that freakin’ thing outta here will you!’
A man screams to no one in particular.
The house is a standard build from the early https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4323017641779549543 villages. Clean, white, and filled with contemporary fittings and technologies.
A child enters the room.
‘Mommy! Kairo is following me around.....it's really annoying. And Daddy said we should throw it away. Let's get a new one Mommy, please.
My friend has one like a twin sister. One with the hair that grows back so she can cut it and play hairdresser.’
The woman sighs.....'I suppose we don't need it any more now you have real friends.
I thought you wanted a https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4323017641779549543, even better than a sister, don't you think?’
The woman strokes her child's cheek and remembers how lost she had been when they first told her it was unlikely she and her *blessed would produce a human offspring.
The Mark 1, a Dinfant, made by the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/4323017641779549543, was a perfect substitute and she had been able to focus love and attention on it. It was a copy of a four-year-old and she had ordered a blue-eyed blond version just like her blessed. It was such a good copy that most people were unaware that it was not a human child.
But the software was no longer being updated and the learning algorithm meant it had become too complicated for a convincing child substitute.
Also, the Dinfants, by design and default programming, craved love and attention and the Mark 1’s constant neediness was an irritant to busy parents. The Dinfants would constantly ask for cuddles and reassurance that their owners wanted and adored them.
The Mark 1 enters the room.
'Mommy, do you love me? Shall we have a little cuddle? Can you fit me in? Mommy, please, Kairo has a lovely snuggle for you Mommy. Mommy.
'Shut up,' screams the woman as the father enters the room and kicks Kairo hard.
The Dinfant lies on the floor crying loudly with a broken arm.
'Please Mommy and Daddy Please, Kairo needs cuddles, please Mommy and Daddy...please, love for Kairo, please……'
The little girl holds her hands to her ears, shouting, 'It's so annoying!’
The man picks Kairo up and turns his power switch off.
'Let's get rid of it. Put it in the garage. I will sort out a collection for it tomorrow,' said the woman.
The man takes the Dinfant outside but decides to put it in a liner and into the communal waste shoot. The shoot serves hundreds of dwellings, no one would trace it back to them and he can always say it was stolen from the garage. He is concerned about the breakage as it will affect the insurance. It is better to make a theft claim than to have Metacoms say he had damaged it on purpose.
A man tinkers in a workshop. He is observing the collection of children and babies that are hung on the walls as he cradles a new package, as yet unopened.
'Well my little lovelies, one of you must go. I have a brand new friend who is going to join us for fun and games. Her name is Mary.’
The man, wide-eyed and excited, unwraps the new child droid.
'Well, ain't you the prettiest lil girl I ever saw?' he says touching her skin.
'And don't that feel just so real’.
The Droid replies, 'Hello Daddy. I'm such a daddy's girl,' she chuckles.
The man looks around the room.
He picks up a toddler droid, a Mark 1 copy of an eighteen-month-old baby boy.
'Well Daniel, I guess I am all done with you. You are a bit small after all.’
The man opens the back of the droid's head and takes out the battery pack.
'But daaaadddddddyyyyyyy……’
He places the incapacitated droid in a bag and under the cloak of darkness, deposits it into a waste unit in the public park.
***
There is a black cloud above and rain falls on a large mountain of waste.
Another load is released fro
Trascritto
19 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 9
Lust and Loins (Limerence)
Limerence is a uniquely human phenomenon that new lovers, potential lovers, and sometimes even strangers, may experience. Limerence is a state of mind (not solely romantic) that typically includes persistent, sometimes depressing thoughts, and a deep yearning for the object of one's affection. It can be easily confused with love. Often human beings can find themselves addicted to these obsessive feelings and can easily be overwhelmed by adoration for another human being. Limerence cannot be turned on and off like a machine. It can come from nowhere and disappear without logic. The experience of this sensory state is proven to be inspiring, connective, unifying, disruptive, and even excruciating, yet it continues to mark the human trajectory of existence through time and place.
'Good *dundeal Mr. Renyke Man.' said Flex excitedly.'
'We leave at dark, mind,' said Shabra. 'Take some time for food and rest. You might need your strength. I will get food.' Renyke watched her take weapons from the vehicle, knives and a small crossbow.
The group is in an enclosure flanked by half-deconstructed concrete walls. There are large metal containers lying around with shrubbery and foliage trying to make a stand against the manmade environment. Tumbleweed played in the soft wind searching for a home.
Maybeline scurried around searching for food and sniffing the air. She could smell something sinister, the scent of danger, as Renyke studied her movements.
Flex kicked some redundant ashes by an upturned metal water tank. 'I can make us a fire,' he said, taking a pocket full of old rusty lighters and tinder from one of his huge pockets. His brightly coloured patchwork overcoat seemed to store an abundance of useful things. There were small pieces of mechanical paraphernalia, vintage innards from antique items, little motors, motherboards and old PC parts. There were secret pockets and compartments for weapons and a waterproof lining held everything together.
‘Do you take this stuff everywhere you go?’ asked Renyke.
‘Yes sir-ee, some days https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/8250385637013809743 gotta make *https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/8250385637013809743. .
And other days, well, there are enemies and they kill for the fun of it. Everything has a use in the Zones brother. You learn that quick here.
Maybeline found a water flow from a pipe tucked in the grass and took a long drink.
Renyke began to pace, ’Shabra is taking her time,’ he said, standing near the opening of the enclosure.
‘She’ll come, she is huntin’ tis all my friend. You got attached already?’
Renyke stared at Flex and mumbled, ‘We need that ride.'
Then he checked POS whose signal was intermittent.
'.......What are the signs of being attracted to somebody?'
POS took a moment to compile a response……..
……Do you mean human responses?
'……yes, yes, of course ‘humans’, Renyke replied.'
POS continued
…..nervousness around the subject of the attraction,
…..extended thoughts about the subject,
…..obsessive thoughts beyond normal curiosity about the subject,
…..insomnia due to obsessive considerations of the subject,
…..anxiety over possible outcomes of imaginary scenarios involving the subject,
…..a desire to touch the intimate parts of the subject,
…..dreams about the subject,
…..fantasy building scenarios between the human and the subject,
…..being overly concerned about….
‘Enough,’ said Renyke, irritated with the voice in his head.
Finally Shabra returned.
She carried two dead rabbits in her belt and washed a wide glinting blade under the water that flowed from the broken pipe.
‘This water’s good. Your rat is a good scout for provisions. We can fill up the tanks and flask before we go.’
The new acquaintances are relaxed and considering preparation for the short but dangerous car journey to the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/8250385637013809743.
Shabra checked the vehicle mechanics, the doors and metal buttresses worked in perfect synch and there were six exhausts. She filled the water kegs and put them in the boot.
‘Where is the vehicle from?’ Asked Renyke.
‘I built it,' answered Shabra, 'from scratch. 'Well, I had several wrecks and put my beaut together.
Me n her, we like lovers. She drives me crazy with her vibes.’
Shabra looked at Renyke parting her lips into a wry smile. They were oily from the fat of the meal.
She winked through long dark lashes.
Renyke felt a thump in his heart, a deep penetrating surge of something enthralling.
Suddenly there is a distant high-pitched sound, like a siren or swarm. It seems to be getting louder when Flex and Shabra grab Renyke, throwing him into the vehicle.
Seconds later they were surrounded by a marauding mass of screaming children. Some were made of broken body parts with human faces, others were small walking babies with burnt skin. Some had extra limbs and even two heads. They were crying and screeching, banging toy drums and chanting verses.
One of them seemed to be the leader and he leapt onto Shabra's bonnet. The noise was deafening.
to be continued
© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare
Trascritto
19 GIU 2025 · Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 8 Shabra (Laws of Attraction)
Sexual attraction for humans is dictated by a reflex to engage in intimacy with others. This phenomenon can be influenced by physical cues alone, the way a human looks, moves, speaks and so on.
Romantic attraction may be described as deeper and yet may still be instantaneous, spurred on by feelings of wanting a relationship with another.
These two desires may appear together in a deep power of attraction.
The psychology of attraction is most peculiar to humans. It is not possible to create this phenomenon in machines whose methods of attraction use logical conditions to draw entities towards them. Predefined targets for machine attention avoid accidents, although machines are notorious for repeatedly targeting their attention on non compliant humans.
Likewise, human attraction is usually nonreciprocal. A machine programmed to give a human all it needs will often reap better results. But when dealing with human desires, neither machine nor human can ever guarantee positive results.
Jerome breaks an awkward silence, 'No https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774, brother,' He stamped on another Scritter. 'Damn those nasty little *mudafinks!'
Renyke exits the concrete compound with Flex running anxiously behind.
The https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774 had waited patiently at the entrance and began wagging its tail and leaping around.
Renyke spots some graffiti with the Redact logo near an underpass. Maybeline crawled out of his coat and nudged his cheek for food.
'You sure you did the right thing brother?' asked Flex, who was now feeling agitated. His naive friend was likely to lead him into trouble. Perhaps it was time to take charge of the matter.
'Wheels is speed, wheels is protection my friend. We gonna stand out like https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774 on the streets. People gonna target us! Words spread fast.' Flex explained still half running to keep pace.
'I can manage quite well,' said Renyke, 'You don't need to .......' Renyke trails off, distracted by a woman on the car roof.
She glanced over at Renyke.
'Oh well let's just go and ask her for her car then' said Flex.
'Are you mocking me?'
Renyke was genuinely unsure. He had always grappled with humour. Incongruous remarks always had to be analysed closely. A false analysis could be incompatible with overall provision of human satisfaction, which was paramount to his function in the world.
Mabel had used the word https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774 about some of her friends.
'I believe the woman to be nuke, explained Renyke, continuing with some confidence.She exhibits a powerful energy, enough to engage a compelling force as I look upon her.
'Hahahahahaha.....' laughed Flex, that will make things worse, trust me, I have knowledge....
'Follow me,' he tutted, reluctantly leading the way.
The woman was sitting on the roof of the car smoking a pipe and making smoke rings.
Renyke felt a momentary surge of something unknown deep inside him. Was it fear he wondered, Trepidation?
Things were not computing.
He checked POS for his health levels.
...Normal activity presenting. 99.9% battery remaining. Nothing unusual to report.
But Renyke felt a strange fluttering feeling in his belly.
The woman sitting on the car whistled. 'Hey!'
'Like the coat! Cool *toggies. You wanna https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774?'
The woman jumped off the car and lifted her fist for an air bump followed by an elbow bump, then a salute. Renyke tried to keep up but was cumbersome. He had seen these manoeuvres in old films on the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774 but he had never actually performed them.
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774?' asked the woman in a strong accent.' Renyke guessed what she meant and said,
'I need transport, not far, just to Redact, do know that place?'
The woman laughed.....'Man like you, looks way too soft for the https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774.'
Renyke checks POS.
..'gaunty-travel'......colloquial, Zoners' slang roughly translates as a very dangerous journey..
'But I can take to the second zone, five miles nearer, then you gotta make your own ways,' she continues.
'What you go by?' she asks.
Renyke looked confused.......
'I'm Shabra. Lady of the Shadows, where I go no light follows, ya hear me soldier? I travel at night where there are no lights.'
'I'm Renyke,' he said, trying to decipher the poetry.
You wanna swapsie-trade the coat, or you got me somtin sweeta? I take https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774, https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774…….1000 https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774s and you got me hired. But I like that coat too.'
'It's a good deal man, said Flex, 'good deal, five miles is five miles. We come too, me n the dog! I got no ties to this street.'
Flex looks at Shabra who sighs, ‘Yeah, yeah, whoever, no https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774’ in my https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8385940887723708570/2405135028647230774 though.'
Renyke knows that Flex could be useful, and the robodog too. It was obedient and would do as it was told.
Literature and books podcast by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA
https://www.sarniadelamare.com
https://www.taletellerclub.com
https://www.saatchiart.com/en-gb/sarnia
https://www.sarniadelamare.com
https://www.taletellerclub.com
https://www.saatchiart.com/en-gb/sarnia
Informazioni
| Autore | Sarnia de la Mare Publishing |
| Organizzazione | Pod Queen |
| Categorie | Libri , Arti dello spettacolo , Arte |
| Sito | www.taletellerclub.com |
| taletellerclub@gmail.com |
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