Section 1
Year 43,460 A.G.
Winter.
Chapter 1
Sid Enoo arrived in downtown Markaedium to the protest of ten thousand people gathering to boycott the new Opiumlite drinks with nanobots in the formula. Sid Enoo looks upon the enormous crowd hoping to find Natelia in the audience and finally sees her behind the stage, holding up a sign that reads “Down with president Dictadur Triunfeo and his monopoly”.
He waves at her and she smiles in recognition and yells, “Hey Sid, glad you could make it.”
He makes his way over to her and when he arrives says, “yes, I couldn’t miss it. Addiction to Action is a brilliant idea, are you happy with the turnout?”
She replies, “you could say that, but I just want it to initiate the necessary change so that we no longer live under President Dictadur Triunfeo’s fake market with Partitioner M.”
Sid giggles a little and says, “One step at a time Mz. Ophen. The market will be free someday, even though it has been ten years of our lives under these two. I want the freedom as well, and it looks like many people agree with you. Why aren’t you up on the stage talking?”
Natelia squints up at Sid and says, “Well Mr. Enoo, I prefer to be behind the scenes.”
She then gives him a wink as the audience roars to welcome a famous underground DJ Dredona onto the stage. Dredona grabs the mic and has her voice project to the tens of thousands, “Thank you everyone. Down with the monopolies!” Everyone cheers as she continues, “I am incredibly grateful to the reception of Binary Lucy Disk, my childhood invention, as an alternative form of currency and tonight, I will show you all the potential of this currency when utilized with electrical currents.”
She raises up her hands in fists grasping two Binary Lucy Disks and laser lights from her clenched palms start dancing across the audience as a heavy kick drum following a four-on-four pattern begins thumping to the audience’s glee.
Sid nods his head to the beat and then turns to Natelia and says, “how did you get Dredona to appear? She’s huge.”
Natelia looks at Sid and shrugs, “She reached out to me via email. She stated that the addictive potential of the nanobots with opium in a drink was a sick product used to keep the masses following Dictadur Triunfeo and Partitioner M’s bidding and she also said that Addiction to Action was the only activism in place to check this power grab of a monopoly of our state and market. She saw it as doing the right thing in helping me make the rally as big as possible.”
Sid nods and replies, “well it’s really something, this is huge Natelia.”
The sun was about setting when Dredona finished her set an hour later and Sid and Natelia had ended up behind the stage to greet Dredona while people helped take down. Sid’s thoughts kept ruminating over how impossible Natelia’s endeavor was and how much he admired her for it. He couldn’t stop feeling that his admiration of her fell short of the seriousness of Markaedium needing to exit the monopoly and he kept berating himself for having feelings for Natelia that he thought were preventing him from seeing the entire scope of the situation. He was catching a feeling for Natelia, and he couldn’t help feeling like a fool for doing so. Sid’s thoughts continued to echo his insecurity and fear of his emotions for Natelia. Wouldn’t she just see right through him and feel like he was holding the revolution back with his feelings? Or maybe she just thought of him as a patient. After all, Addiction to Action was meant to empower individuals, wasn’t he just one of the individuals she needed to empower? He thought about his addiction and how he didn’t even want to admit to Natelia that he had been sneaking one of the Opiumlite drinks with nanobots that very morning so he would be able to get to the protest. He was supposed to be boycotting the product, but his addiction was immense, and he had been on the street versions of substances before the opiumlite drinks had been released and he transferred over his addiction to the drinks a few months ago. He resolved in his mind to quit the drinks and that the one he had consumed before the protest would be his last.
Natelia was in fact a little intuitive about Sid. She could tell he was infatuated with her and did sense something amidst in him. Maybe he goes to the 54/39 groups to work on his addiction she thought. Addiction to Action believed that the 54/39 groups were part of the issue and prefer to empower individuals to action against the circumstances that keep them addicted, rather than work 54 principles and 31 forms of combatting addiction and living a more fulfilling life. She decided she wouldn’t hold it against Sid, he seemed like something was troubling him and she didn’t like the feeling of power she got around him. To her, her work wasn’t incredible, it was necessary. This wasn’t to blow people’s minds and stroke her ego. It was to make a change in the world that is completely controlled by two people, one in power politically working with one in power technologically. The audacity of these two individuals had now led to a drink that drugs the masses so they would accept their monopoly of the great island of Markaedium. She then thought of how Markaedium was a single metropolis on a grand island over a planet called Terloub in the Terloubian stellar system, and the only life known to exist on a planet. As her mind thought of the vastness of space, for a second she felt a pang of intuition tell her the universe must be much bigger than she is thinking. How could she know they were the only life out there? She also got the feeling that Triunfeo and Partitioner M’s power was greater than she could ever challenge, but as Dredona finished up with a “THANK YOU MARKAEDIUM” and stepped off the stage towards her, she came back to the present situation and waited to greet her.
“Dredona, this is amazing to finally meet you. Thank you so much for your help and support!” Natelia says excitedly, almost more nervous than Sid. “Um, this is my friend Sid, he is someone that’s been interested in Addiction to Action since I started it at Markaedium University in the library room after the scandal spread about Triunfeo’s first political move of buying Exoh Chat after allegations of him consistently using the Exoh chat for affairs had circulated.”
Dredona recalled the last ten years and remembered the time she was referring to. Triunfeo used his political position to first remove the rules of Exoh chat allowing the female users to voice grievances if abuses were encountered and created a pay system so that people with enough income could buy their privacy on the platform. He stated this was a political priority because of the amount of defamation that was happening to those that support the economy of Markaedium. Meanwhile, the Synthetic Isle (an island on the planet made of recycled garbage) was experiencing workers who were dying from a combination of working the labor fields (where all the consumable products of Markaedium are produced) for too long of hours, and contact with radiation from the garbage that was sent to make the island and its buildings causing mental health deterioration and insomnia.
Triunfeo when first running, had vowed to fix the Synthetic Isles and make them radiation free as well as to provide luxury living standards and work hours for the individuals living on the isle. Flash forward ten years and Triunfeo went an entirely new direction after being elected and now the votes happen every 50 years instead of 5 years and Partitioner M’s NanoI enterprise was promoted to run all aspects of life in Terloub with their nanotellingence constantly prying into the daily lives of everyone to spread messages approved by Triunfeo and M as well as “boost productivity from Terloubians.”
“Yes, I felt obligated to help, don’t thank me” Dredona replied, “And hello Sid. Nice to meet you”.
Sid smiled and pulled out a binary lucy disk, “I love these, thank you Dredona, you know I am a musician myself, but wouldn’t have 1/100th of your ingenuity. You truly are a wiz with electricity.”
Dredona rolls her eyes, “Wiz… nice… well anyway Natelia, please call me if you need anything. And Sid, don’t doubt your inner wiz, I was only a child when I invented the Binary Lucy Disk by mistake, and it almost resulted in burning my entire house down because I was playing and the coin came about as an accident.”
Sid laughed nervously, “I would love to hear about it sometime, I realize your busy.”
Dredona grabs her BLD and touches it to Sid letting out a small blip, “there’s my contact, I will be glad to tell you about it, contact me if you wish.”
Sid eyes widened. He couldn’t believe he had Dredona’s contact. “Oh wow… Thank you!” he mustered.
“See”, Natelia starts as Dredona exits and walks to her BLD vehicle, “She is just a Terloubian at the end of the day, just like you and me, are you happy?”
Sid shakes his head yes and thanks Natelia giving her a hug “that’s an understatement.”
“Listen” Sid begins, “I haven’t been fully compliant with the boycott yet, but I intend too, moving forward. I have been very addicted to these drinks actually and was too embarrassed to tell you.”
Natelia pushes Sid a little, “You’re only hurting yourself by taking their poison, I figured something was up with you. Do you do 54/39 groups?”
Sid replies “How did you know? Yes, I have a mentor as well. He’s a lot more successful than me.”
Natelia puts her hand on Sid’s shoulder and says “Listen, talk to him tonight. I am not fully in agreement with 54/39, but I feel it could help you a little. I appreciate your honesty. I have known you ten years now Sid, we met right at the beginning of this absurd political atmosphere that now dictates every level of the market and everyday living. You have always been, well, caring. It surprises me you waited this long to be honest with me about yourself. Can I ask you, what spurred it?”
Sid thinks carefully for a second and then says, “I wanted you to think Addiction to Action was working, that I had been fixed using your program. The reality is, I have been struggling for a while, and I guess I realize how big this is now and don’t doubt you or see myself as really meaning that much in the grand scheme of things.”
Natelia nods and says, “I feel the same way sometimes Sid, I was eating too much chocolate for many years and felt like a phony talking about this empowerment by challenging Triunfeo and M. I am starting to think that their power is greater than we can imagine but that the work we did has set in motion what ultimately will need to be done for the freedom of Markaedium. I hope you don’t feel alone. I thank you for all your support. Until we meet again, let’s go to lunch in a few days, I know an independent spot.”
Independent spot meant a place that was sustaining itself outside of Triunfeo and M’s monopoly and Sid couldn’t help but ask, “Where?”
Natelia laughs and say, “Dredona’s been doing a lot of work in maintaining independence from the monopolies. There’s an underground location near where the Grand River meets Center Park. I’m meeting her there. Come join us since she gave you her contact information. In three days at midday. Ill message you how to enter right now.”
She pulls out her Disk and taps it sending Sid a message with a code to input into a locked building at Center Park that leads to the underground independent spot.
“Thank you so much Natelia, and I will talk to my mentor Blake Jett when I get home.” Sid says upon receiving the message.
Sid hugs Natelia one last time and departs, pulling out his Exoh fiber to pay for the fare on the tram. Once on the tram he is handed some Exoh fibers back as change and he looks at them. On the front there is Triunfeo and M’s faces with the seals stating, “For everyone’s pursuit of happiness”, on the back was a picture of Giestian and the saying “Out of Giestian’s sacrifice we derive power.” The amount in the corner (1 Exoh), and the year 43,460 Giestian Units in the opposite corner.
Sid thought about the martyr Giestian dying for peace 43,460 years ago in a time that was corrupt and violent and everyone was cannibals. He wondered what Giestian would be thinking about the current situation as the first Terloubian to end cannibalism through farming. An action that would ultimately lead him to get killed by those wanting to eat each other still. Would he be happy with the production of the present day? People’s suffering? He couldn’t help feeling like this whole past was impossible, the life he lived today was so different from cannibalism. How could he know what Giestian would think?
As the crowd departed Natelia stayed behind until no one was around. She then sat down for a second to meditate. As she breaths in, she begins thinking about Sid and Dredona and the whole success of the event. As she breathes out, she reminds herself to just clear her mind. She breaths in again and a loud gunshot echo as she exhales out her final breath and falls to the ground. Two masked men in NanoI suits pick up her body and take it away in a NanoI vehicle. A Binary Lucy Disk has blood splatter on it and sits at the scene. A group of NanoI agents clean up the blood but don’t spot the Binary Lucy Disk. “That’s good, clear out!” Triunfeo’s voice echoes in their headsets and the agents leave in black Nanoi vehicles. At the scene a small dandelion being appeared with its roots unearthed like jellyfish tentacles that wiggled and allowed it to float away up to the sun.
Chapter 2
Sid Enoo entered his apartment after the gathering completely flabbergasted and excited with the day replaying in his mind. He couldn’t believe he had met Dredona, he had been a fan for years and collected Binary Lucy Disk. As he walks into his study, he remembers what Natelia had said about calling his mentor in the 54/39 program and decides to call him on his Binary Lucy Disk. He uses the voice command and states, “Hey BLD, call Blake Jett.”
The BLD whirs and replies “Calling, Blake Jett, Mentor, 54/39”. A few dial tones and Blake Jett’s voice comes through on the phone.
“Hello, Sid?” Blake greets Sid.
“Yes Mark, it’s Sid, how are you?” Sid replies.
“Fine, Sid. What’s up?” Blake responds attentively. Out of the 500 plus people he sponsored, most over the phone, Blake prefers Sid despite Sid struggling the hardest. Sid was always incredibly hard on himself, and it reminds Blake of himself before he started working the 54 principles and 39 virtues to freedom from addiction. At Sid’s age, Blake hadn’t had any success with his music, but he joined 54/39 and was a successful musician in Markaedium with show’s nearly every day as well as 500 mentees that mostly met with him for his online talks that he had just finished before Sid got on the phone.
“I am great! I was at Natelia’s rally, and I think I had some clairvoyance about wanting to stop the opiumlite drinks.” Sid says enthusiastically.
Blake hesitates for a second and then says, “Great! You know that principle 36 states we don’t have opinions on the societal powers, but I think that if Natelia’s activism works for you, or provided some motivation, then I am all for it. Plus, to be honest with you, how are we supposed to not have an opinion on societal powers when Triunfeo’s administration is collaborating with NanoI on giving the masses an addictive substance. I refrain from talking about it in my groups but to be honest, I am fed up. Half of these guys are supporting Triunfeo and don’t see a problem with drinking these mind-altering drinks. Plus, all the people dying on Synthetic Isle. It’s horrible, how can I stay silent Sid?”
Sid laughs and says, “You should speak up in your groups. That’s heartening to hear. The rally was incredible though. You won’t believe it. Guess who I met?”
Blake asks back, “Who?” “Dredona!” Sid exclaims.
“No way! Really?” Blake replies. Sid laughs hysterically and explains, “Yes, she has been a fan of Addiction to Action for a while and Natelia introduced me. I am seeing her in a couple of days at one of her independent locations.” Blake laughs with incredulity, “Wow Sid. Of course you had some clairvoyance. I think that’s just great. Are you going to show her your music? I think your music is a jewel, don’t be embarrassed or intimidated to show it to her if you get the opportunity.”
Sid replies “Thank you, I wasn’t even thinking of that to be honest. I told her I make music, but I am sure she gets flooded with requests for listens. As do you. What are you at? 500,000 listeners per month?” Blake coughs and replies “Yes, sounds about right, but Dredona is the real deal, she is on the next level if you understand what I mean. It’s not even about plays. Your music’s no different than mine. I just stayed sober. Listen, if you stay sober, I have a lot of faith in you. I would even like to collaborate. I know it’s against our 24th principle that says we shall not conduct business together, but I have a feeling about you. Your stuff, with the right exposure can go far. I am upset our lives are getting micromanaged by the monopolies, but you are in contact with the free-thinking queen of the underground, Dredona Lotus.”
“Yes,” Sid begins. “I am very excited about this, thank you so much. At the same time, I want to stay focused on how we can effectively act against this monopoly regime. After all, we met under those circumstances, but if the opportunity arises, I will play her some of my music or learn from her.”
“Very good Sid, Call me tomorrow. It’s good to hear from you. Bye.” Blake ends the conversation with a smile on his face waiting for Sid’s goodbye and after receiving it hangs up the receiver.
***
Meanwhile back at the Addiction to Action building about a mile from the gathering, Natelia’s absence stirs worry from the group of collaborators. In the group of 6 people, there was Max Dee, Izzy Luna, Diego Tank, Robert Lack, Lucee Diamante, and Ashay Task. They all looked at each other perplexed and worried about Natelia who 6 hours was late and phone was shut off.
“What the cannibalistic past?!” Diego says, “Where is Natelia!?”
“Maybe she’s with her friend Sid or Dredona?” Ashay offers, “She was with them, wasn’t she? Maybe we should call them and ask if they have heard from her.”
“I agree,” says Izzy.
“Let’s call Dredona first, then Sid” Max orders with urgency.
The group puts a Binary Lucy Disk on the table and call Dredona on speakerphone. “Hello?” Dredona’s voice comes through.
“Hi, yes Dredona, this is Addiction to Action. We are still waiting for Natelia to show up. She was supposed to be here 6 hours ago. Is she with you? Have you heard from her?” Max anxiously asks.
Dredona sitting in the independent location’s living room on her couch while making new beats with her binary lucy disk cuts off the music and replies, “No, she isn’t with me and I haven’t heard from her or seen her. Did you try Sid? Let me call him.”
Max responds, “We were just about to try him, would you? We’re worried something might have happened to her.”
Dredona responds “I’ll call him. I also have ways of checking proximity to Binary Lucy Disks with her biometrics, I usually don’t use my biometric technology due to privacy issues, but I can check that as well. Hold on, I will connect Sid directly to this line.”
Dredona dials Sid’s BLD and after a few rings Sid responds on the phone, “Hey! I am so excited…”
Dredona interrupts, “Sid, its Natelia... Is she with you? You are on the line with the collaborators at Addiction to Action and me.”
Sid stammers, “Well no… I…”
Dredona interrupts Sid again to address everyone, “Listen, I had a fear something like this might happen. Her event was massive and I don’t trust these leaders one bit. Everyone come meet me at my independent location as soon as possible.”
Sid gets a pang of fear shoot through his spine and says, “You don’t think Triunfeo and M abducted her?”
Dredona responds, “It’s better we meet in person.”
Max responds “We will be there within 45 min Dredona. Let’s roll everyone.”
Sid responds, “Give me one-hour Dredona. I hope on Giestian that she’s alright.”
They all hang up and disconnect the call. Max, Diego, Izzy, Robert, Lucee, and Ashay shuffle out the door of Addiction to Action and cram into their Technoize Van to the location. Meanwhile, Sid grabs some Exoh fibers and makes his way outside to the tram. Some snow flurries start to fall as the temperature drops below freezing.
At Dredona’s, Dredona opens her Binary Lucy Disk biometric scanner and inputs Natelia Ophen as it projects a screen in front of her. The system scans and brings up an aerial view of the BLD with blood on it.
Dredona zooms in and asks her BLD “Go backwards in time 6 hours.”
The BLD goes back 6 hours. She sees Natelia sitting meditating by herself. Then her horrors are realized as the scene unfolds before her. She sees a NanoI agent sneak up and fire a shot in her head. Dredona puts a hand over her mouth and shakes. “Oh my god!” She cries out as tears stream in her eyes.
She witnesses the agents put her body in a NanoI vehicle and drive off after clearing up the scene.
“That’s good, clear out!” Triunfeo’s voice is picked up on the BLD. Dredona wipes her eyes with a deep breath orders the BLD, “record the past 10 minutes.”
As she waits for the arrival of the collaborators and Sid. Dredona ruminates with rage at Triunfeo and M. Now they had really crossed the final line. She felt threatened as well as saddened about the loss of her new acquaintance and collaborator. Her anger was immense which Dredona disdained because she did not want to be tricked by her emotion. She decides to pull up a history of Triunfeo and scan to see if there was any data that might hint that he had committed these assassinations before with anyone else.
“Scan Triunfeo records, show me all inputs with lifeforce on the biometric data ceasing like this situation.” Dredona orders sharply.
The BLD whirred and then emits a resonant tone, “Inconsistencies found, error fetching data at point, 43,000 A.G., 42,500 A.G. …”
As the machine continues to count backwards by 500 all the way until year 0. Dredona attempts to interrupt, “Override, what do you mean?”
The machine finishes and then states 1.7 centillion instances found from present to date 0. A graph of the instances finds a cluster at every 450-500 years. Biometric data reaching a zero happens around many erratic instances of the population of Terloub which increments from 1 to 10 billion since 0 A.G.”
Dredona yells, “What? How does this have to do with Triunfeo and M?” The BLD responds “Biometric data for the two individuals requested seen appearing every 450-500 years for fifty years then disappearing. I cannot scan outside of Terloub but there is resonant glow emanating their biometric data for the rest of the 450 years on planet Venoo.”
Dredona thinks about planet Venoo, the 7th planet. Terloub’s only the fifth planet. Was it possible that Triunfeo and M are aliens? Why doesn’t their biometric data cease less than a century prior?
She is puzzled and says, “Please record all the records you just showed me and flag as important and protect with invisibility wall.”
“Yes creator.” The BLD responds.
At that second, the ringing of the secret hatch being open alerts Dredona that the collaborators have arrived.
She looks at them with wide eyes and says, “I don’t know where to begin. Let me make some tea while we wait for Sid.”
She goes to her electric stove and heats a teapot. When it’s ready, she gives it to them, and they sit for a second sipping their tea in silence. Then Sid arrives as the ringing of the hatch alerts his entrance into the independent location’s living room.
Chapter 3
Sid’s eyes glazed over as he witnessed the killing of Natelia Ophen and his whole body and mind were filled with nausea and a dizziness as thoughts came racing to him of all the memories with Natelia. He remembered meeting her at the first Addiction to Action event almost ten years prior when Triunfeo first was elected president of Markaedium. He had stayed after the meeting to introduce himself and spoke to her about the fact he was dealing with addiction since his mother had passed a year prior and was fueled by anger at Triunfeo winning the election but had been coping by drinking opiumlite drinks excessively and occasionally street drugs. He had explained that he had never really known his father and that his mother had raised him by herself and Natelia was very sympathetic to his story and shared with him that she had been adopted but she was pretty sure her parents were from the Synthetic Isle and had wanted her to have a better life.
They mused on the whereabouts of their surviving relatives and formed a bond hoping that maybe someday Sid might meet his father or Natelia her biological parents. The hope for her to meet her parents was robbed now, and Sid couldn’t help but feel a pang of despair as he realized this. He remembered the time he had been courageous enough to ask her on a date but feeling embarrassed assured her that it was just as friends with a shared interest in their addiction. She had agreed and they had gone to the eastern coast to spend the day at the beach with Sid bringing some portable speakers and DJ’ing for her and them talking further as Natelia revealed that she had a worse addiction than Sid (she had used the hardest stuff before adulthood) but she always managed to turn in her assignments and once she got into the University of Markaedium she had resolved to stay clean because she was confronting the world.
This was different from Sid who hadn’t used until his mother had passed but she told him how she believed that challenging oppressive powers was vital for her staying clean and that she was grateful he had turned out to her first meeting. They laughed and Sid mixed music with his speaker system adding some of his own tunes that were very melancholy, but she still appreciated. He thought of the fact he would never get to tell her how he felt about her, something he had kept hidden because he always felt intimidated by her intelligence and had even seen other people while having her hold a special place in his heart. The nausea and dizziness started making his whole body shake and he broke down.
The collaborators in tears as well put their arms on Sid and Dredona holding back tears said, “I am researching more with the Binary Lucy Disk to see what else we can find, but I am worried for our safety being collaborators with Natelia. It’s best if we all stay here and devise a plan. I can show you guy’s some of the data that the Binary Lucy Disk gave me when I did a biometric scanner detecting Triunfeo and M but I am worried the BLD is faulty because it has their biometrics dating back since 0 A.G. with their data resonating off planet Venoo for 450 years at a time coming back to earth for fifty years and making the biometric data of Terloub erratic for fifty years.”
Max wipes his eyes and says, “How can that be? Terloubians haven’t accomplished interplanetary exploration other than with NanoI’s research vessels, but never a manned expedition, not even our moon. And how can they be around since year 0? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Izzy responds with a pensive look on her face, “Remember when the advertisements for the nanobot infused Opiumlite drinks came out? They were claiming to boost longevity. It’s weird but I had heard of Partitioner M and Triunfeo my whole life. There’s something hidden here. Who are they actually? Is it possible some immortality elixir is being hidden from everyone? When I grew up, they were just powerful men, it’s been 50 years, and they are still around. Everyone just accepts them, but maybe we should research as much as we can about them.”
“Yes!” Dredona agrees, “We should be careful too and only use the technology I have here at this independent location. I am going to give you each infinity Binary Lucy Disks with a stealth cloak so we can research what we are looking for in silence. This whole place has a level 1 stealth feature, but I am going to boost it to level 12, the maximum it can go for accessing data without being detected. If an intercept of the data occurs, we will hear an alarm.”
She hands them each a BLD with screen projector and orders, “Collect and record as much data as you can. Rest if needed but let’s join forces again in 36 hours and share what we learned. There’s an indoor garden and study spaces if you guys need some natural calfin to grind and drink, just use this kitchen. Feel free to explore the area and help yourself to the variety of fruit, vegetables and legumes in the garden. Sorry, I don’t eat Native Terloubian meat products. But you will find the variety of food options invigorating and sufficient.”
They all agreed to meet in 36 hours and made their way across her underground independent chamber to begin research.
Sid feels foolish being the only one who started at the calfin plant to grind himself some calfin drink, but his body was shaking and everything wanted to fall asleep and forget this nightmare. He picked a handful of the calfin beans, took them to the kitchen and ground them in her BLD grinder and then started the tea kettle waiting for it to boil. Tears came to his eyes again and he took a moment to cry about Natelia being gone. His nausea was settling into a resounding anger that was washing over him. By the time he poured the boiling water into his cup his whole body was on fire with rage. He thought what they all thought, these people had to pay with their life for the murder they had committed. That very thought brought him fear, he knew many people that were brainwashed by Triunfeo and M and would mimic every word they said and give no critical thought as to the amount of manipulation and lies the two would put out to the masses. He sipped his calfin and decided to investigate people directly employed by Triunfeo and M.
This was a divergence from the plan which was just to research the two and find out more, but he was certain that if he could infiltrate as an employee of Triunfeo and M, he might be able to slip them a poison. After all next to the calfin plants were deadly solarluna plant’s, if he ground just a pencil tip of the flowers into a drink, they would die after undergoing a horrible paralysis that left the body stinging with a pain described as powerful as the weight of the moon supported on the body with a migraine inducing light as bright as the sun itself. There were rumors that Giestian was tortured by the plants. Deaths from these mostly happened to addicts who had their stash laced by an opponent or foe.
Sid pulls out his BLD and commands, “find me employee records or services used by Triunfeo and M.” The BLD whirs and pulls up a business card for Luxury Services while reading, “the main service for Triunfeo and M are Luxury Services that commits to top quality events and food services for the elite.” Sid lets out a breath and copies the number for the head contact at Luxury Services, Gord Rift. He begins formulating a plan to present Dredona and a luxury DJ experience for Luxury Services to employ them to serve Triunfeo and M at one of their banquets.
Once there, they just need to offer their version of Dredona’s Calfin products with solarluna and they will be dead and assassinated. He marvels at his ingenuity and does not see it as rash decision making but pinpricks of fear continue to course through his body only elevating his anger more. Convinced he has found enough; he retires to take a nap in the sand room laying on the sand and crying himself into the abyss of sleep.
Chapter 4
Meanwhile while Sid was sleeping in the sand room, Dredona and the others were searching desperately for some information to Triunfeo and M’s past but all they could find was a list of accomplishments starting around the time Triunfeo was elected to the present, and that they both came from a large inheritance. Actual photos of the two weren’t circulated until the election year. Dredona frustrated goes and checks with everyone about how they are doing. The collaborators had taken the grassy room and were sitting on blankets sipping calfin and eating legume bowls with vegetables and sides of fruit while frantically finding the same result as Dredona.
“Nothing… it’s like they appear from thin air” states Ashay.
“Yeah” Lucee chimes in, “They basically have their accomplishments listed but before that they are absent other than their names as the Chief Executive Officers of Nanoi and Triunfeo enterprises.”
Diego frustrated asks, “What about Sid? I think I saw him head into the sand room, maybe he found something more.”
“I’ll check on him; he seemed shaken up by everything a little more than us.” Dredona responds.
“Why, don’t we all go?” Izzy interjects, “After all, it’s been about 30 hours, let’s have our meeting in the sand room a little early.”
Dredona nods and they all get up and take their BLD and start walking down the hallway to the sand room.
They find Sid fast asleep, silently in the abyss with drool coming out of his mouth onto the sand. Dredona puts an arm on his shoulder and shakes him gently. Sid wakes up startled and immediately sits back up.
“Sorry,” he begins stammering, “My body was shocked by everything and I fell asleep. Is it time already?”
Dredona gives a sympathetic smile and says, “It’s okay, yeah, it’s been about 30 hours… We have hit a wall. We are hoping you had more luck.”
Sid rubs the sleep out of his face and begins, “Well I have found a contact Gord Rift for Luxury Services that employs people to cater directly for Triunfeo and M. I think we should use your influence under the guise of seeking to amend for your part in the protest to see if they would agree to a conciliatory private banquet with Dredona DJ’ing. Once at the event, Max, Izzy, Diego, Robert, Lucee and Ashay will prepare the food for them and serve them. This is when I slip a minute dose of solarluna in their calfin drinks. Then, we will have revenge.”
Sid finishes confidently and exhales a breath as his hands shake. They all look at each other for a second eyes widened. “Well…” Izzy begins, “It’s not what we had in mind, but I think we all could agree we want some form of retribution. I am just worried…”
Diego cuts her off, “It’s perfect! Death to the scum for killing our friend and partner.”
Robert nods and says, “Although a little extreme and we need a little more preparation… I do not see a problem with this.”
Lucee chimes in, “They should pay for what they did.”
Ashay grimaces and nods her approval. Max puts up a fist, a sign of solidarity within the Addiction to Action circle and nods his head.
Dredona stands back and looks at all of them. “I think we need to study them more and find something tangible before we go off and kill them. None of us could find anything about them. They are an enigma, perhaps even immortal off some fabricated immortality elixir we don’t know about. We should find out the inconsistencies in the data first and then move forward with the plan, but it seems risky. I would hate to see it backfire.”
Izzy gives a worried sigh and says, “I agree with Dredona. We are all upset and should not act on our impulses in a clouded state of mind. Remember how often Natelia used to meditate and her saying about being smarter than the powers that oppress? She said it takes mindfulness to be smarter than your opponent and I cannot help but feel that we are going into this based on our emotions.”
“They murdered our friend” Sid interjects, “they will pay if it’s my own martyrdom assured. At least I will lay with Giestian and those who acted to end oppression. Who knows who else they have done this to and the others that are at threat of losing their lives from them.”
Dredona responds loudly, “which is exactly what we need to find out. How many others have been murdered by them. Let’s find a little more evidence first.”
Sid exhales aggressively holding back tears, “we have seen them murder our friend in cold blood. The evidence is already there. But fine. For the sake of not running on emotion, like Natelia might suggest. Let’s figure out what we can.”
Sid finishes and starts sobbing with his arms wrapped around himself shaking.
Dredona waits a second and then says, “Listen, I can tell you really cared about Natelia, and I am not here to tell you what you’re feeling is wrong. But we must be careful about this.”
Sid thinks about the pangs of fear that struck his spine and calms down as he replies, “You’re right, I am getting a feeling of impending doom, and I don’t want to get us killed. Let’s find more evidence.”
Dredona smiles and puts her hand on his shoulder, “I know it’s hard Sid. It’s for the best. Listen, something’s telling me in my gut that something bad might happen, I am not saying that we shouldn’t go through with your plan, but let’s just see if we can make our emotions subside. When I talked about almost setting the place on fire when I created my first BLD at age 7, well yeah… I had set the place on fire… but not when I created my first BLD. I used to like to play with the electrical devices and take them apart and put them back together in a random order. 2 years prior to creating my first Binary Lucy Disk I was doing this when I had a bad feeling wash over me, and yes, that was my parent’s first house that went up in flames. Luckily, we had Vie Insurance on the place, but my parents split up after, and I was bounced around between their homes the rest of my upbringing. I miraculously didn’t have the feeling again when I returned to experimenting with taking apart electronics and splicing them back together a couple years later and then created my first successful BLD. My father found me after a plume of smoke came from the disk and he stood in awe. I was wealthy ever since and it was my father’s idea to trade it as an alternative to Exoh fibers. He branded it as Binary Lucy Disk, a currency that can control electrical currents and intelligence giving it an upper hand to Exoh fibers which only serve as a memory of Giestian and currency. My currency was like an all in one of technology advance since I had taken apart a little bit of everything in creating it, as well as currency. Well, yeah. I haven’t had many feelings of impending doom, most of my life has been creative and people in awe. But I got a very bad feeling when I witnessed what happened to Natelia and we need to be as careful as possible when approaching this. Say it’s my trauma response; I call it intuition.”
Dredona finishes putting Sid at ease as he admits, “I have the trauma response right now too. I think you’re right. Let’s figure out what we can and slow down a little. We need to know what we’re in for. I’m sorry, I was just worked up and wanted an immediate solution to this horrible feeling.”
They all sit and share a moment of stillness together and finally Max responds, “What if we use the biometric scanner, you did earlier on the 450-year clusters and look if there is any data points left at the 50-year clusters?” “Excellent idea Max.” Dredona replies.
Dredona gets out her Binary Lucy Disk and commands, “Find data left by Terloubians at the 50-year biometric clusters of Triunfeo and M on planet Terloub.” The BLD begins whirring.
Chapter 5
Sid, Max, Izzy, Diego, Robert, Lucee, Ashay and Dredona looked at the screen. In front of them was over 1 million messages sent from the past during the 50-year intervals that Triunfeo and M appeared on earth. Messages ranged from people screaming in lunacy about Triunfeo and M leaving in a rocket and everyone in a state of mania as they depart.
There were videos of Triunfeo and M disappearing on the rocket and people crowded around with one man saying “What is going on? I feel my memory slipping, wait… Yes! Triunfeo and M just announced to Markaedium that we would be forgetting everything soon.”
There was another video of Triunfeo and M addressing the masses, “And through your faith in Giestian, lies your freedom. We will be departing out of the planet for another 450 years and you will have no recollection of what happened.”
Another video of a woman screaming into the camera, “We have been deceived! Please see this and remember, they had appeared about fifty years ago and are some types of alien beings that come to the earth to swindle our system! I feel my memory fading as we speak.”
“It’s like a collective amnesia” Sid remarks, “This is 460 years ago?”
“Yes” Dredona responds. “Let’s go backwards.” They went all the way back and the only thing that changed was Markaedium was less advanced and developed but ultimately the messages stopped around the time when Markaedium developed computers and data collection technology.
“This is so strange,” Sid begins, “It looks like them as well, like they haven’t aged one bit in 450 years. They must have some type of immortality elixir. If it goes back all the way to Giestian, I wonder if anything has to do with Giestian, or if we aren’t understanding everything that is happening through our history textbooks.”
Dredona nods and says, “Yes, this data is wiped on the regular internet, I must have been able to access it with the Binary Lucy Disk or if they wipe these events every 500 years, the Binary Lucy Disk was able to pick up the data.”
“Lucky, we have you.” Sid responds and then his expression turns stern. “Well, did we not look into it further, let’s go kill us some immortal aliens.” He says with anger still quivering through him.
“They are much more dangerous than I fathomed” Dredona states, “I think we should still hold off for right now.”
“Nonsense” Max chimes in. Everyone murmurs and nod in agreement. Dredona looks at all of them with a twinge of fear coursing through her and lets out a sigh. “Alright, then we will begin formulating the plot. I will write to Gord Rift requesting a conciliatory banquet for Triunfeo and M saying I have come to realize through my involvement with Addiction to Action, that this activism is silly and I am awakened to how much they care about and are doing for Markaedium and planet Terloub.”
Sid smiles slightly and responds, “That’s perfect. I will be the one who serves them the solarluna. I really think this will work.”
Izzy turns to everyone and says, “Okay, well Sid you had some rest and the immortals aren’t going anywhere, so why don’t we rest as well, and you can sift through this data we received and tell us if you find anything else?”
Dredona yawns and says, “Yes Sid, I need some sleep. If you want to use the binary lucy disk to research about Giestian as well.”
Sid laughs and says, “Are we calling Triunfeo and M the immortals now? It makes them sound like superheroes.” They all laugh and Ashay says, “We will call them the Toxic Immortal Monopolizers.” Lucee snorts and says, “Monopolizers isn’t even a word.”
Ashay retorts with a giggle, “It is now.” They all laugh and Dredona shows them to the sleeping rooms that consisted of art sculptures and hammocks with faux fur on the floors, couches and walls.
Section 2
Year -1 A.G.
Summer
Chapter 1
There were no cannibals across Terloub, and Giestian Center was nothing extraordinary other than a young man who had a lot of faith and optimism as well as compassion for his fellow Terloubians. He extended his compassion to the native Terloubians as well and lived on a dairy farm with his parents. The windmills provided the basic electricity and light, and the island that was to become a metropolis Markaedium was full of grassy pastures and grasslands where the pastures weren’t developed yet. All the people were vegetarians and lived from the milk of the native Terloubians. Giestian was in love with a young woman from the neighboring farm Mergla Cloaked. She loved Giestian as well and was waiting for the day he would propose a Unity Ceremony to her.
In Terloub at the time, not only were the people working on the farms to gather milk but also would plant native plants and create habitats for the native Terloubians. At least, most all the Terloubians were at peace this way with nature. It brought them relaxation and happiness to be a part of the web of life and tend for the native Terloubians that were not as sophisticated with their communication only using utterances or mimicking noises. The Native Terloubians also had not developed craftiness with toolmaking.
Giestian had a trip planned to help on a project that Terloubians had been forming to create a synthetic island that would contain sea vegetation to help restore the dwindling fish population as well as provide some exotic sea vegetation for the Terloubians to eat. He planned to stay there a year and when he returned to propose a Unity Ceremony to Mergla. In the meantime, he would have some breaks where he could return and spend time with her tending the grasslands.
Mergla was the same age as Giestian but had two older brothers, Triunfeo and M. They appeared normal to anyone on Terloub but since an early age had developed a game of tormenting the native Terloubians in secret. At first it started as a game with the animals, seeing what they could make them do, but one day while they were both toddlers, they tormented one of the native Terloubian rodents to its death.
Triunfeo then turned to M and made a shushing sound and said, “don’t tell anyone.”
He then chewed the head off and swallowed it. He then said, “help me eat him so they don’t find out.” M obeyed and they both started laughing ridiculously.
In appearance, they might not behave different in day-to-day circumstances, but they began craving their games with the native Terloubians and the flesh of their kill and continued this secret into adulthood. Neurologically, there was a chemical that was present in all Terloubians that began to mutate with their games. This neural chemical made them feel drunk and increased their heart rate and sent them into a drunk euphoria when they began torturing the native Terloubians and peaked while they devoured their flesh. Eventually they experimented with burning the Terloubians alive. They found that the burnt flesh was easier to chew and gave a nuance to their drunk experience. Most of the neural mutations happened with a euphoria while torturing the Terloubians, and an opiate-like effect like the popeye plant but subtle when they consumed the flesh. The popeye plant was only used when people were dying with suffering or when they were injured. The two boys had experienced this effect upon consumption of the native Terloubians corpse.
The father of Mergla, M and Triunfeo; Omegito Odintea Cloaked and the mother Fria Cali Cloaked were hardworking and absolutely adored their neighbor’s son Giestian. Upon hearing of his departure for the creation of the synthetic island, they urged their two sons to go as well.
“Why?” Triunfeo asked. “Yeah, that sounds stupid.” M chimes in. Omegito turns to his sons lets out a sigh and says, “It will be a great experience. I think you two will get a lot from this.” “It sounds boring” Triunfeo smirks contemplating in his head how M and him might be able to get out of this year long venture so that they can continue their rituals which releases their neurotoxins which they have gotten addicted to.
“It’s not boring, its peaceful.” Omegito responds, “I am your father, I am telling you that you are going to go help on the synthetic island project. That’s final.”
Even with the number of mutated neurotoxins pumping through Triunfeo and M’s system, they were not drunk enough to question their father when he said something was final. “Fine, we’ll go with Mergla’s idiotic boyfriend on this stupid venture.” M retorts as him and Triunfeo scowl at their father begrudgingly.
Omegito bows to his sons and says, “Believe me, you’ll get a lot out of this experience. The sea is beautiful. I went as a child.”
“Whatever… We are going to go outside and play now.” Triunfeo says as him and M begin to shuffle out of the house.
“Good, basque in the summer glow and go appreciate nature with your play.” Fria responds after observing the conversation between Omegito and her two sons.
Meanwhile, Giestian and Mergla meet as it will be one of their final moments until winter together. They walk near the river which one day will be the center of Markaedium holding hands and enjoying the summer breeze and hum of the surrounding ecology.
“Giestian, I am going to miss you. My father and mother are talking to my two brothers and asking them to go with you as well. I wish it was me instead. Why do you think they aren’t allowing women to go help?” Mergla asks while clasping Giestian’s hands.
“It’s silly really, they want to protect the women because they still are unsure of the sea environment and what dangers it can bring. I think women are needed to help our stupidity if you ask me.” Giestian says with a chuckle.
“Yes, if you had me there, the expedition would only take six months, efficiency would increase twofold.” Mergla giggles her response and gives him a peck on the cheek.
Giestian blushes and holds Mergla in an embrace and the two watch the sunset over the prairie fields.
At the Cloaked home Fria turns to Omegito and asks, “When will we tell them my love?”
“Perhaps never, the two boys should not know they aren’t our blood. When we found them stranded as infants, I knew it was God’s gift for us. We were meant to raise them.” Omegito responds reminiscing on his two sons Triunfeo and M.
“How strange that Giestian appeared for the Centers the same year we birthed Mergla.”
Fria says, “Truly a gift from the god’s, I remember those two nights every day. The skies were literally falling. Like the great rock legend that was said to form the land we sit on but instead newborn babies in a pit of rubble.”
Omegito nods remembering, “It’s best we don’t tell them. We want them to live in Terloub normally, and the gathering we had with all the people across Terloub agreed we would keep their origin a secret. Not one soul on Terloub has whispered this since it happened, and we were blessed enough to give them a home just like the Centers with Giestian two years later.”
Fria responds, “Yes, maybe they are all three normal beings now that they have been raised by us, and maybe it was God’s gift for us but at this point we shouldn’t overthink it. God gave us a natural world to live in, and they are now full grown and close to their prime, maybe that’s all there is to it. Even if they didn’t originally come from Terloub. If we ponder the implications and destiny we are steering from God’s nature. They are just different circumstances, but the balance of nature requires a place for them that’s devoid of their miraculous appearance in our lives. God is so vast, maybe it’s nothing strange for infants to crash in from the sky in God’s creation. After all nature extends beyond us, for we are not the center of everything.”
Omegito agrees with Fria by giving her a passionate kiss on her forehead and says, “thank you for the reminder my love. We are not the center of everything, and we can’t fathom the limits of God’s existence and I cherish this.”
Chapter 2
The next day was the final day before Giestian, Triunfeo and M would embark to help create the Synthetic Isle. Giestian met Mergla near his farm and he had planned to show her one of his creative projects he had been working on.
She arrived at the farmhouse and greeted Giestian’s parents Maria and Jake Center, “Hello good to see you two. How are you both?”
Maria and Jake smile at her and Maria replies, “We are doing well, thank you. We are preparing for Giestian’s departure. He’s upstairs in his room. He said he had something he wanted to show you. Why don’t you make your way upstairs to him?”
Mergla thanked them and made her way upstairs and found Giestian in his room with a box and a lightbulb along with sheets of paper and liquids in containers.
“Hey love! You’re going to love this. Stand over here.” Giestian says as he pulls Mergla in front of the lightbulb and box.
He puts a sheet of paper inside the box after pouring one of the liquids on the paper and says, “Now smile.”
Mergla confused at first, collects herself and then smiles while looking at Giestian. He flashes the bulb and then turns off the lights.
“Giestian, what are you doing?” Mergla asks confused.
“Hang on, you’re going to love it.” Giestian assures Mergla as he takes the parchment out of the box and lets it sit in a tray; he pours one of the liquids in.
Mergla watches intrigued as Giestian waits a little while and then pours out the liquids from the tray back in the container and then pours another liquid onto the sheet of paper. After some time, Giestian pulls the parchment out and then hangs the soaked paper on a string from the ceiling. “Just a little longer love.” Giestian assures a wide eyed Mergla.
After a little bit of time in which Giestian holds Mergla’s hand and gives it a kiss and they sit together in silence.
“There!” Giestian exclaims and flips on the lights to reveal the paper with an image of Mergla smiling.
“Oh, wow Giestian!” Mergla says astonished and grabs the paper to look at it. “It looks just like me” she says excitedly.
Giestian runs to his cupboard and grabs some more papers and hands them to Mergla. “These were the first one’s I made. Now we can see each other even with the distance between us.” Giestian says enthusiastically.
Mergla takes the papers and examines photos of Giestian smiling. “You’re so handsome.” She says to him, “this is amazing. Have you shown anyone else?”
Giestian nods and says, “Yes, my parents. I am planning on making some while I am on the expedition. I can show your brothers how to make these, what I call “photos”. They can help me make some photos of the work we are doing to show everyone when we get back.”
Mergla responds, “That’s great Giestian. Thank you for your photos. I love them.” They look at each other and then share a soft kiss.
They spend the rest of the day into late evening together making photos together, then walking along the river to watch the sunrise and then head back for dinner with Giestian’s parents before Mergla departs back to her place. On her way home, Giestian walks her to her farm, and they both are filled with a soft warmth in their chest. When they arrive at her place Giestian greets her family and then tells them he will be by in the morning to pick up Triunfeo and M with some Native Terloubian equids to ride to the coast. Omegito and Fria thank Giestian while Triunfeo and M roll their eyes and sigh loudly. Mergla hugs Giestian and Giestian departs to go back home.
After Giestian leaves, Mergla shows everyone the photos they created and explains to them how they were made and tells Triunfeo and M that Giestian will show them how to make it as well.
“Weird.” Triunfeo says pretending he’s not interested.
M complains, “Great, so now we have more stupid stuff we have to do.”
Omegito laughs and puts his arms on his two son’s shoulders and says, “Despite him being younger than you two, you can learn a lot from Giestian and you two will love this. I am sure of it.”
Fria laughs nervously and Mergla takes the photos and goes up to her bedroom to fall asleep. Her dreams are filled with her reliving her day. Meanwhile, Giestian’s dreams are filled with the day with Mergla as well.
Chapter 3
Giestian awoke as soon as the sunbeams danced in from the sunrise, painting his room a bright orange glow and waking him with a feeling of contentment after having slumbered into a deep abyss with the remnants of his last moment in his dream where Mergla had told him she loved him resonating his thoughts and boosting the happiness he felt upon awakening. He went to shower and then put on his clothing which consisted of black khakis and a large blue, white plaid shirt that he tucked in but still looked big on him with a black belt with silver buckle and some brown boots. He went downstairs to drink a glass of milk and eat an apple and then went to go round up the equines for him, Triunfeo and M. After about an hour after he had saddled up the horses and loaded his belongings mostly clothes and his photo equipment because they would provide hygiene supplies and food for them at the coastal location, Giestian mounted an equine while holding the reigns of all three and trotted to the Cloaked’s farm.
Mergla waited outside on the porch and finally saw Giestian on the horizon making his way towards the farmhouse.
She got up and ran over towards him exclaiming, “I am going to miss you so much love.”
Giestian chuckled and says jokingly, “You just want to make more photos. Hey love, how are you?”
Mergla giggles and says, “Yes, I want more photos of you so I can gaze at them while you are gone. I am excited and sad that you are leaving. I dreamt of us making photos together last night.”
Giestian remarks excitedly, “Me too! I had the same dream. I liked it a lot, but my dreams don’t do you justice. I cherish this moment we have together.”
At this point they were at the farmhouse and Mergla helps Giestian dismount and tie up the horses to the fence post.
“Triunfeo! M! Giestian is here!” Mergla shouts while opening the door so she might be heard.
Omegito and Fria emerge smiling with Triunfeo and M scowling holding their belongings. They all help load the horses while talking about the adventure that awaits Triunfeo, M, and Giestian.
“You three will be adding a historical island to the planet and taking care of new wildlife.” Omegito begins, “I am very jealous of you three. I wish I had more experience with the sea. I heard you three will even use weights to swim down and add parts of the island underwater with the air supply hoses. It’s going to be a remarkable experience and a nice break from prairie living.”
Mergla replies to Giestian, “Please be careful love, that’s an amazing experience but I want to see you return for the winter break and the summer when your tasks finish.”
“I’ll be careful” Giestian assures Mergla and then turns to her and says, “We’ve got a day’s trek to the coast. As hard as it is to say goodbye, it’s only temporary love, and we will see each other before you know it. We must get going.”
He kisses Mergla on the forehead and then hugs her refraining from kissing her on the lips since they were in front of family.
Omegito pats Giestian on the back and says, “You’re a good man Giestian. Thank you for taking Triunfeo and M. Yes, you three should get to it.”
Mergla lets out her hands to grab Giestian and kisses him on the lips and says, “I love you. Be safe.”
Giestian replies “I love you too. I’ll see you in the winter. Be safe as well.”
Fria and Omegito hold their hearts and smile at Giestian and Giestian, Triunfeo, and M mount the horses and head out towards the mountain pass that leads to the eastern coast facility where they will rest for the night and prepare to make the voyage on boat to the synthetic island after a week of orientation. Mergla stays and gazes upon them until they disappear from the horizon into the mountain pass.
Chapter 4
Along the journey Giestian tried to talk to Triunfeo and M but they gave short responses and eventually dwindled behind him so they could both talk in private and Giestian takes the opportunity to clear his thoughts and enjoy the scenery. They were just at the mountain pass when a bright light distracts Giestian as he looks to the source and sees a being that looks like a dandelion with its roots unearthed wiggling allowing it to float in the air. It wiggles down and lands on the head of the equid Giestian rides and Giestian takes it in his hands.
As he does a few of the petals fall off from the being and then to Giestian’s surprise start forming new independent dandelion beings. Giestian marvels at the beings and had never seen anything like them before nor had anyone on planet Terloub, he decides to call them Love Photons and looks transfixed at them with a warm feeling in his chest. The main dandelion picks up one of its roots and brings it up to its center almost like saying “shhh” and then indicated with that root behind Giestian.
Giestian understanding the being peers over his shoulder to be met with a hammer thrown from Triunfeo that splits his head open and made him fall of the Equid onto the floor. The dandelions quickly floats hiding from Triunfeo and M’s view behind Giestian’s corpse and then escapes into the opening of his skull.
“Now we don’t have to do this stupid trip. Help me move his corpse M.” Triunfeo orders. Just then, a piercing light emitted from the Love Photons illuminates Giestian’s whole body and Triunfeo and M put their arms up to shield their face. After the light emission, Giestian comes to, breathing heavily and the dandelions floats out of his mouth emitting a light so that Triunfeo and M keep shielding their face. The Love Photon make their way into Giestian’s collar on his shirt and stop emitting light. Triunfeo and M shocked, go over to a weakened Giestian and begin hitting him.
“Stop. Please. What’s the matter?” Giestian pleads. As they hit him, inside of Triunfeo and M, the neurotoxin releases like a sticky goop into their brains and through their blood stream consuming all parts of them making them feel intoxicated like an alcohol as they began laughing hysterically. M stops to grab Giestian’s photo materials and says, “Make us one of your stupid photos.” Laughing hysterically, drunk from the neurotoxin.
“I need a dark room; I can’t right now. Please stop. I have done nothing to you two.” Giestian cries.
Triunfeo looks up to the mountain and sees a cavern entrance.
“Take him to that cave and then he can make us his stupid photos. Let’s tie him up.”
Triunfeo orders M. They both grab a rope and tie up Giestian and load him on the equid and make their way to the cavern entrance. The dandelions still tucked in his shirt begin vibrating and calm Giestian down amidst his panic as Triunfeo and M hit him along the journey with hammers breaking parts of his spine. The dandelions hug Giestian with their roots and send him a soothing beam through his dermal layers to soothe him as he lets out cries of fear and pain.
***
Once in the cavern, Triunfeo and M force Giestian to take a photo of themselves and then torture him until all his ribs are broken and he can barely breathe observing how he does this.
Giestian’s final cries as he succumbs to his inability to breathe are, “Why are you doing this?”
Giestian dies again and once again the Love Photons making sure to stay hidden from Triunfeo and M float into Giestian’s mouth and the light emits from Giestian’s body and he is resuscitated healed from the blows of Triunfeo and M.
“Damn it!” Triunfeo yells.
The dandelions slip into Giestian’s shirt again to stay hidden. At the entrance of the cave was a big tree growing with enough light for parts of the day and a pool of water underneath.
“Use the hammer to nail him on the tree.” Triunfeo shouts.
M and Triunfeo begin hitting Giestian again until he is too weak to move and then carry him to the tree and use large nails to drive into the body of Giestian and the tree killing him and making him unable to move. They begin laughing hysterically with the neurotoxin coursing through their body and once again the dandelions heal Giestian but this time he’s trapped against the tree.
“Perfect brother.” M laughs, “Now he can’t move.”
They take a second to take a photo of Giestian’s face without the nails in the shot. Triunfeo then grabs some glue and plasters their faces on the back of the photo of Giestian.
“Let’s go back home. We can kill his equid by burning it alive and ride home content on a right meal.” Triunfeo says.
“Yes and share the flesh with Mergla and our parents and the parents of Giestian.” M replies laughing hysterically,
“Then they will be like us.” Triunfeo lets out a snort laughing hysterically. But first let’s gift them the photo we took and say they can only eat the meat if we get to keep the photo and we can tell them Giestian prepared the food and is safe.” M and Triunfeo hug each other laughing like maniacs and make a fire.
Chapter 5
Upon lying to their parents, sister and the parents of Giestian who look at them wide eyed but ultimately believe them in hopes that Giestian will return soon; the neurotoxin within Triunfeo and M mutates and pierces them fully becoming one with their body, mind and emotions. Upon consuming the flesh of the equid, the family’s goes into an amnesia and eventually only Triunfeo and M can remind them of Giestian as they all forget him completely. They return to Giestian to make new photos and torture him to death (where he is resuscitated by the Love Photons) but keep him hidden and turn their farm into a meat farm that produces meat that they go on to serve the people of Terloub only if they hear their story of Giestian and agree to gift back the picture of Giestian. Some of the Terloubians in protest keep their pictures of Giestian but eventually succumb to the meat and amnesia. The act of torturing and deceiving the Terloub causes the neurotoxin within Triunfeo and M to strengthen and they outlive their entire family and population of Terloub due to the neurotoxin. The neurotoxin solidifies the more people they deceive, and they go on to torture Giestian to invent new things and develop Terloub while their photos become Exoh fibers and currency on Terloub. After ten thousand years, Giestian invents a rocket that they man to the moon. At this point they spend breaks from earth and use Giestian to create robots to keep them company on the moon as they traverse across the planets and make Venoo their home base for torturing Giestian to death. The dandelion beings resuscitate Giestian every time he dies, and he holds on to his memory of Mergla as long as he can but begins to forget everything minus the torture he undergoes by the hands of Triunfeo and M. He begins praying the next time he dies, that he will rest permanently but the Love Photons, always staying hidden, resuscitate him every time.
Triunfeo start arranging that they return to Markaedium every 450 years for 50 years to collect the wealth and strip everyone of all their Exoh fibers. They then place the Exoh fibers into the accounts of their most loyal followers and those people have more currency for the rest of the 450 years. Every time they depart back to torture Giestian, the population of Terloub undergoes a collective amnesia about Triunfeo and M that leads them to panic and mass hysteria.
Section 3
Year 43,460 A.G.
Winter
Chapter 1
Sid sifted through the data on the Binary Lucy Disk but found nothing revealing to him about Giestian or the reason that Triunfeo and M were able to live for tens of thousands of years nor was he able to find anything indicating what they were doing on the planets. He found countless data points from people trying to leave a message for the future as they felt their amnesia take effect. Sid ascertained that the reason Terloubians were unable to remember Triunfeo and M was due to this collective amnesia and determined that they were going to go through another round of amnesia in 40 years. He shared this information with Dredona and the others when they awoke and they nodded and agreed that they had to go through with his plan to stop the amnesia from happening.
“Dredona, I think its best you call Gord Rift, tell him we the collaborators with Natelia’s protest have found that her absence showed us that she was not serious about anything, and the more we think about it, the more we treasure the Markaedium Triunfeo and M have envisioned for us.” Sid suggests to Dredona who nods in approval. Yes, and I will grab some opiumlite drinks with nanobots and drink it in front of him, as should all of you. That way they think were just giving in to our addiction and don’t suspect anything. After I can suggest a conciliatory performance that will be catered by us the collaborators.” Everyone agrees to the plan and prepare themselves for the video call with Gord Rift.
Before calling, Dredona goes to the cupboard and pulls out some opiumlite drinks with nanobots.
She shrugs and explains, “Before the protest I was kind of getting addicted to these, I didn’t like the effect it was having on me and researched about them and came across Natelia’s work.”
Sid laughs and replies, “I had a confession to Natelia that I had been drinking one before the protest and was beating myself up about it. I swore it was my last one. I guess we will have one more to gain their trust.”
Dredona hands the opiumlite drinks to the collaborators and they shake their head and giggle a little. Sid looks at Dredona and they both share a smile holding back laughter.
They circle around the table where Dredona punches in Gord’s number on the Binary Lucy Disk and his face appears on the hologram screen. Startled to see the collaborators and secretly working for Nanoi’s Peace agency, the agency with direct orders from Triunfeo and M to kill Natelia and the collaborators in secret, Gord pauses to collect himself before responding, “Well if it isn’t the agitators of peace. You all should be ashamed for what you are doing to threaten the freedom of Markaedium and Terloub. Triunfeo and M care about the wellbeing of every Terloubian and our economy has never been better.”
The collaborators hold back laughter and collect themselves knowing full well that the economy was the worst it has been in their entire lives.
They look at Dredona and she smiles at Gord and says, “Yes, that’s why we are calling. We are troubled by the absence of Natelia. It is obvious she has run off and utilized the funds she oversaw to escape to another part of the Markaedium to live a wealthy life. We always had a fear of our actions, and we are coming to terms with our own addictions. We have realized that this entire activism thing is a sham and just a way to blame our problems on people succeeding more than us. We want to state to Triunfeo and M that we are abandoning the movement and see their greatness now. Every word they say offers liberty and freedom to Markaedium and the Synthetic Isle and we want to offer a conciliatory performance featuring me and catered by the collaborators that feel we need to join Triunfeo and M in the pursuit of freedom, liberty, happiness and peace on Terloub.”
She finishes and they sit while Gord furrows his brow.
After a moment he looks up and says, “Well yes, that’s the essence of what they are doing but look, I know them personally and believe me when I say nobody cares about your freedom and wellbeing more than Triunfeo and M. It warms my heart to hear that our perceived threat for Terloubians is seeing the light like Giestian did when he went against our cannibal nature and revolutionized life on Terloub. You all are making a wise choice that your children, grandchildren and progeny to be will thank you for generations from now. They are truly doing Giestian’s work. I am sure they will be keen on hearing this news.”
He finishes disclosing nothing of Nanoi’s Peace Agency creation and that until hearing from them that he had orders to kill them. He feigns a smile and says, “You will hear back from them soon. They will be pleased with the request. Goodbye for now.” He hangs up and his hologram fades away.
“We didn’t even have to drink the opiumlite drinks” Sid laughs.
“True,” Dredona smirks, “All he needed was an assurance of his faith in Triunfeo and M.”
Izzy laughs and says, “Oh my god, I have never entertained supporting Triunfeo and M. This is idiotic. They are in control of everything and all they want is a little ego stroke?”
“Shush, let’s practice staying in character. We will deceive the deceivers better that way” Max says holding back laughter.
Diego turns to them and pulls out an exoh fiber while exclaiming, “Oh Triunfeo and M, thank Giestian for your existence!” and then proceeds to start smooching the pictures of Triunfeo and M to the laughter of the collaborators.
“Yes, the only thing better than Triunfeo and M’s great, great, selves is the beautiful exoh fiber itself!” Lucee yells dramatically and begins kissing the exoh fibers she pulls from her pocket as well.
They all laugh uncontrollably to the point where they are holding back tears and Sid and Dredona share eye contact again and laugh together.
Dredona pushes Sid a little and says, “Yes, Sid is too broke to have any exoh fibers, let’s kill him so that liberty can be restored.”
Sid taken by surprise withdraws one exoh fiber and begins kissing it while saying, “I might only have one exoh fiber, but I will give it all the love I have stowed up. Oh, thank Giestian for Triunfeo and M’s greatness! Please don’t kill me, see I am one of you.”
Dredona snorts loudly which just makes them all laugh even more.
Once they finally stop laughing and joking with each other kissing the exoh fibers, Sid let’s out a sigh and says, “But seriously guys. We have been through a lot. Let’s say we go back to the sand room and have a quiet time to meditate on the events that led to the loss of our friend, we need to process it and after some meditating, we can share with each other our memories of Natelia and any fear or anxiety we still have.”
Dredona pokes Sid and says, “Excellent idea. I’m rubbing off on you, young grasshopper. You heard my apprentice. Let’s go back to the sand room.”
Sid blushes a little and they all file down the hallway to the sand room and sit in a circle to meditate.
Chapter 2
They sat and meditated for a good hour when Dredona’s BLD started ringing with a call from Triunfeo.
“Hello?” Dredona turns on the hologram as Triunfeo and M appear on the screen.
“Yes, we heard that the anti-Markaedium group finally came to their senses.” Triunfeo replies with M nodding next to him. “We are interested in your offer for a banquet to clear your names.”
“Great.” Dredona replies with a sigh and continues, “We need at least a week to prepare but we were wondering where we might hold this event?”
M responds, “We think its best if we have it hear at the capital house. You all can come a week from today to set up for the banquet.”
Triunfeo then clears his throat and says, “There’s one more thing.” The group looks at the hologram wonderingly. “We have known about Max, Izzy, Diego, Robert, Lucee, and Ashay’s involvement with the Addiction to Action for a while and think they might need to do a little extra to prove their loyalty has changed.”
“What is that?” Lucee asks.
Triunfeo and M both smile a menacing smile and say, “We want you six to help work at the Synthetic Isles.” He then looks at Sid and says, “as for you, you and Dredona can help with the event since we do not know of you or your connection to Addiction to Action. As for you all,” he gestures to the collaborators. “You can work for a year to prove your loyalty to our cause.”
Dredona looks at the collaborators and then at Sid with a worried look on her face, she then speaks up and says, “That’s not safe, a lot of people have been known to die at Synthetic Isles. Your campaign promised to turn that around and we still haven’t seen the necessary changes happen to the radiation at the housing on synthetic isles. I beseech you to let them help with the banquet. They are thoroughly remorseful and we are disbanding addiction to action.”
“Look,” M interjects, “we would love to trust you all, but we can’t even pick up a relay signal of your location. Your Binary Lucy Disk is on thin ice as well, but we think maybe after the banquet you might help us with centralizing it to the states Exoh fibers. Really, we are reluctant to do the banquet and the alternative you face is to all be fugitives and we will imprison you indefinitely, so the choice is yours.” Triunfeo nods in agreement.
The collaborators mutter amongst themselves and finally Max speaks up and says, “You have a deal. How do we begin?”
Triunfeo smirks, “Excellent. We will send a helicopter to pick you up at a rally point by where the protest was held tomorrow at midday. As for Dredona and Mr…” he looks at Sid expecting a response.
“Sid Enoo” Sid replies.
“As for Dredona and Sid Enoo.” Triunfeo starts,” Meet us at the plaza where the protest was held at sunrise a week from today so we can transport you to the banquet. Bring all the equipment and food preparation stuff you will need. That’s all for now.” A crackle and the screen then shut off.
“Fuck!” Dredona responds looking at the collaborators.
“It’s the best we could do; we were already in trouble. Who knows, they might have brought us the same fate as Natelia.” Izzy reassures Dredona.
“There’s no communication to Synthetic Isles.” Sid remarks, “How will we know if you all are, okay?”
Diego pats Sid on the back and says, “We will just go for the time being and meanwhile you two will do the important task of ridding this scum off Planet Terloub. If Giestian wills it.”
Sid responds angrily, “Giestian cannot do anything for us. He was a martyr. Only crazies like Triunfeo and M believe he still has a hand here on earth. You all should be at the banquet when we see Triunfeo and M choke on the solarluna and finally depart this earth. I don’t want to lose you all like we lost Natelia.”
Dredona comes in and adds, “it’s unsafe for you at the Synthetic Isles. I wonder how what their real plan is with this. We only have another half a day until you all leave. Why don’t we meditate some more?”
“Yes,” Lucee replies, “Don’t worry about us, just make sure that the plan is fulfilled. All our lives are at risk. If you manage to kill them, you two can come get us and we can liberate all the synthetic isles and hold new elections since they have made those unnecessary for the fifty years. We saw ourselves that they will take off on their rocket and send everyone into amnesia. Let’s focus on stopping them. You two can come rescue us after they are dead. But let us meditate.” The rest of the collaborators nod in agreement and they return to their meditation on the sand with Dredona’s Binary Lucy Disk adding some ethereal ambience.
Chapter 3
They all slept in Dredona’s bedroom chambers and at dawn they all woke up and made their way to the main room to drink some calfin and have some vegetables from Dredona’s garden. They all enjoyed their food and were quiet but would smile reassuringly at each other when making eye contact. Finally Dredona broke the silence.
“Listen, I am worried about Triunfeo and M’s intentions here. I don’t think you guys should go. We can concoct a new plan that involves us staying hidden here at the independent location. I have been working on a space time chamber that breaks the time space continuum and can teleport individuals inside of it. It’s nearly complete but I have yet to test it. We could teleport Triunfeo and M into the chamber and have them in front of us and then kill them. It has a biometric locator that can teleport them there. I just have to make sure the relay switch works so whoever goes in the space time chamber can make it back. Otherwise they will be stuck in a different space time continuum for, well… eternity.”
Sid looks up at Dredona, “That’s a solid plan actually.” He says, “I can go. I want nothing but to make them pay for what they did to Natelia.
“Nonsense guys.” Max starts, “You all would be risking and what if they defend themselves and win? They could make it back and then have access to the independent location and all of the BLD stuff Dredona has been working on. We will be fine. It will only be for a week until you manage to poison them at the banquet. Then afterwards you can come save all of the Synthetic Isles.”
“Yeah,” Izzy says. “Have you guys given any thought to how you will convince his followers to let you go after you kill them? We should broadcast all we found out about Triunfeo and M to the public after they are assassinated so that people understand they are monopolizing everything every 500 years and are not human like us.”
“I agree with that idea. But I think Dredona’s teleportation technique is a better option. Either way we will have to broadcast to the public and let them know about the collective amnesia that happens every 500 years and maybe investigate the capitol after killing them. The rocket would fire from the capitol. Maybe we can travel to space even.” Sid replies.
“This is all speculation” Dredona says. “We don’t know how people will react. We might even lose our lives after but we can at least share the information we have and let the people of Markaedium decide what to do with us as well as let people create a new leadership. The important thing is to restore freedom and democracy to Markaedium. I was looking at the records of wealth around the 500 year gap and they position everything for their return in 500 years. We have awoken from the amnesia and it looks like up until this point they have been getting away with this over 10 times. We must stop their absolute power.”
They all nod in agreement and finish up their food. Sid turns to them and asks.
“So will all of you stay with me and Dredona? Or do we have to come save you guys after our assasination attempt?” Sid asks while looking at them with a joking smile.
Max, Izzy, Diego, Robert, Lucee and Ashay look at each other and converse for a little. Then finally Robert responds, “No its getting close to midday. We better do what they say. At least you will continue to have your independent location and it will let their guard down enough for you to poison them.”
Sid and Dredona shake their heads sadly. “Shoot,” Dredona begins, “If you insist. I can’t help but get a horrible feeling from the thought of our plan going awry and you all being stuck at Synthetic Isles as slaves for a year. That’s no way to live. I will at least be able to get a biometric tracker of you while you are gone. I will check it to make sure you all are alive. Should we go with you right now to the pick up location?” She finishes with her question.
“No,” Ashay responds. “Don’t risk disclosing this location. That way if anything goes wrong with your first attempt. You can flee here and be safe and give the space time chamber a shot.”
Max, Izzy, Diego, Robert, and Lucee nod in agreement and Lucee remarks, “we better get going then. It’s almost midday. May Giestian be with you two.”
Dredona and Sid give them all a hug and the collaborators begin packing their things and get ready to leave. As they leave through the hatch Sid looks at Dredona with a worried expression and she nudges him with a wink and says, “It’s what they thought was best. Don’t look so upset.”
“I can’t help getting a bad feeling about this.” Sid responds.
“Me either Sid.” Dredona responds, “But you got to stop looking so worried its adorably cute.”
Sid blushes and laughs nervously, “Well at least if everything goes wrong I will know I look adorably cute to you.” He says laughing. “I have been a huge fan of you for the longest time. This all feels a little unreal.”
Dredona rolls her eyes, “Come on, you can be more original than that. Guess how many times I have heard that?”
Sid laughs and asks, “How many times?”
Dredona responds, “Well I guess your the first I actually consider cute when they say it.” She then turns on her Binary Lucy Disk and says, “BLD, track biometric life of Max, Izzy, Diego, Robert, Lucee and Ashay. Give me consistent updates of the location and life.”
The BLD whirs and projects a map with the points of the collaborators heading to downtown Markaedium.
Chapter 4
The collaborators arrived at the downtown location where they had the protest just a few days earlier and where there beloved friend Natelia was killed. They saw the NanoI vehicles with some armed security agents along with Gord Rift waiting for them. They approached the agents and Gord Rift comes and greets them.
“Don’t mind the weapons. We have to be careful. Make sure you did not plan to ambush us.”
“It’s excessive,” Diego responds with the other collaborators nodding in agreement. “What, you want us to drink some opiumlite drinks to garner our trust?”
Gord lets out a nervous laugh and says, “No that won’t be necessary, but you will be getting plenty of those at the Synthetic Isle. The works a little hard, but with the drinks, your body will adjust to the changes. And consider this, if you all complete the year there, Triunfeo and M will appoint you as officials at NanoI. They told me this news this morning. Now. Are you all ready?”
The collaborators nod and shuffle into the NanoI vehicles and begin their trek to the eastern coast.
***
“They’re on their way to the Synthetic Isles Sid.” Dredona tells Sid who is looking worried. “Try and cheer up a little. Come help me with my music set for Triunfeo and M. Afterwards we can come up with some recipes for the banquet.”
“Okay, I don’t mean to worry so much. I just miss the collaborators company, not that theirs anything wrong with being with you. I’m sorry for worrying.” Sid says nervously.
“I understand Sid. I get a bad feeling as well. There is nothing we can do about it at the moment.”
“Let’s go make some music then” Sid says.
Dredona and Sid go to the music room that has BLD projecting hologram instruments and loud PA speakers. They mess around and make a hard hitting dance track with a nice breakbeat. Sid takes over for a second and adds a psychedelic lead with the hologram to which Dredona starts bobbing and dancing.
“That’s fire Sid. That will work perfectly right there.” She says enthusiastically.
She then starts dancing towards him to which Sid freezes up and gets nervous.
“Well, your musicianship is good, but you need to relax a lot for this.” Dredona laughs.
Sid relaxes a little and dances with Dredona for a second. They look at each other and then Dredona this time nervously looks away and asks, “Tell me, do you have anyone, like a lover, Sid?”
Sid looks surprisingly at Dredona and responds, “Well not really. To be honest, I was very infatuated with Natelia.” He begins tearing up and Dredona goes to give him a hug as he continues. “It’s not fair what happened. I feel robbed of a friendship and I want nothing but to make them pay for what they did.”
Dredona rubs his back and feels a little foolish for being flirty with Sid while he was dealing with heartbreak. She decides to let him cry on her and says, “Yes Sid, let it out. It wasn’t fair. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. You two knew each other for such a long time. I know its hard. Just let it out.”
Sid still crying continues, “In a week, they will be done for. And then we can liberate Terloubians and this won’t have to happen to anybody else. I feel stupid for waiting to tell her how I felt. Maybe had I just stayed with her that evening and confessed my feelings, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Don’t be silly Sid. They might have killed you as well. There’s a chance this might go wrong. Let’s work on our backup plan. Let me show you the space time chamber.” Dredona responds sympathetically.
They walk down the hall and then get to a red room with a chamber that is used to teleport into the space time chamber. A screen appeared next to it which had a biometric locator that could locate and teleport outside people into the space time chamber. Sid looks at it confused.
Eventually he speaks up and asks, “Where’s the chamber?”
“Right here.” Dredona taps on the screen and a picture of a empty room with no windows or walls comes into the projector. “I had to build it, basically a box with no windows and doors and then use the BLD to teleport it into its own space time continuum. It used to stand right there.” She points to the wall and continues. “It’s very fragile and there’s a lot I don’t know about it nor have I wanted to use it yet. Even the slightest error and you could teleport into the room like jelly, or stay stuck without a relay back possible. Ive only transported chairs before in there and then back. One of us will have to stay outside to relay the person back. I might be able to relay myself back if I carry a BLD on me. I originally designed it so I could get things done more efficiently and emerge without any time lapsing in our reality. I haven’t actually tried going in. The reason its a chamber rather than a time traveling device is because I didn’t want to create a paradox but rather have a place I could sit and do things without time passing in the real world.”
“This all goes over my head,” Sid says scratching his head.
“That’s okay. It’s dangerous to use.” Dredona replies chuckling a little and then continues, “We will have it as a backup only if for whatever reason we are unable to have them ingest the solarluna.”
“Sound’s good.” Sid laughs.
Dredona then hugs Sid and tells him, “Listen everything will work out. I want you focused on the task at hand. Let’s go compile the footage of Triunfeo and M into a video we can show Markaedium after we have accomplished poisoning them.”
Sid nods and says, “I wonder if the fact they are immortal and manipulating everything, I wonder…” He struggles for a second describing his thought but then continues, “I wonder if they are having an emotional, physical and mental toll on everyone. What if when they perish, we are liberated in a way we have never known. We saw the past go into a collective amnesia and it was like their whole minds were collapsing with the deception of Triunfeo and M. I wonder if the reverse might happen. Like a collective euphoria if they are killed.”
“There’s only one way to find out. I believe we are all connected.” Dredona replies, “It wouldn’t surprise me if their connection to manipulate all of us is somehow keeping them immortal and all of us at a lower capacity of functioning mentally, emotionally, and physically. We are awakened to the truth about them. We have begun a step in our liberation from these tyrants. That’s very interesting what you are trying to say. Let’s create a word for it. What do you want to call it Sid?” She finishes looking at him curious.
“Lets call it ‘hathemoney” Sid decides thoroughly convinced with the word he invented.
Dredona laughs hugs Sid, “Perfect, ‘hathemoney’, that’s what we are combatting. We are killing in the name of ceasing the hathemoney.”
Sid smiles and embraces Dredona back.
***
The collaborators arrive on the eastern seafront about 12 hours later. There, a NanoI boat awaits them. They come out of the car and make their way to the boat.
“This is where you all are on your own, minus some agents. But anyway, it’s my goodbye.” Gord Rift tells them and shakes each of their hands before getting back in the vehicle and getting chauffeured back towards the center of Markaedium.
“Idiot wouldn’t set foot on the Synthetic Island he is sending us to.” Lucee says to the others.
They mutter in agreement and then begrudgingly make their way to the boat with two armed agents behind them watching their every move.
Chapter 5
The arrival at the Synthetic Isles went quickly, they arrived in the morning and were transported to their underground bunkers with the other workers who they had heard so much of from Markaedium but had never gotten to know themselves. Max Diego and Robert shared a bunker with three other men in a dorm style room with just enough space to lay down and watch a television set that fed them propaganda about the greatness of Triunfeo and M and the “privilege” of working under their leadership in the farms which were above ground throughout the whole island with a shipping dock on the western bank of the Isle. Izzy, Lucee, and Ashay shared the bunker with three other women and the bunkers were nearly identical with one lavatory among the six people with a shower pumping water from below the island with a desalination feature.
In the mens room, Max, Diego and Robert greet the other three men and introduce themselves to them. They find out the other mens names are Wilfred, Moe, and Noctil. When asked about their surnames, Moe responds, “none of us have a surname here at Synthetic Isles, we are born in the nursery on the eastern part of the island and do not see our parents since there is no sexual relations on the island and we are artificially inseminated in a mechanical womb. After delivery, our life begins on the eastern isle where we are trained from a young age to be as efficient and effective as possible to serve Markaedium since it is our purpose. Then after 150 moons we are sent to our respective areas and assigned a letter and number. Here we are X222. So for all intents and purposes, all of our surnames are X222. We spend our lives in work and learn from a young age that we do not disobey for that will cause a Endpoint.”
“What’s an endpoint?” Diego asks.
Wilfred Moe and Noctil look at each other with a look of absolute dread. Finally Noctil stutters, “We… don’t like the… endpoint. They come in and inject the person with a syringe and then they are no longer. We all witness it from an early age and don’t wish the endpoint.”
Robert shouts, “That’s called murder where we are from! How dare NanoI!”
Wilfred quickly runs to Robert and covers his mouth with a panicked look in his eyes, “Raising voices like this can cause an endpoint. Please. We realize you all are from Markaedium but we can’t allow you to jeopardize our safety and you don’t have to witness it for yourself if you don’t have to.”
Robert looks at the monitor screen where it shows Triunfeo and M addressing Markaedium to tell them about a banquet they will be having the next week. Above the monitor there is a camera turned to them. He calms himself down and looks at the other collaborators with a look of worry. “I understand.” He says. We’re here to work and gain back the trust of Triunfeo and M as well as the entire NanoI agency. We don’t want any trouble. Will we be able to see the other members who came here with us? The women?”
Wilfred, Moe and Noctil start giggling and Noctil draws up from under the bed a vial and responds with a big smile, “Yes, sometimes we see them or work alongside them, that’s what the receptacles are for, you put it in here when you get back home and it will be sent to the nursery/“
“What the-!” Max begins but catches himself. He looks at the other collaborators with incredulity and they look back at him with eyes wide open.
“You’ll learn to love it here,” Noctil says reassuringly. “We are promised a life reunited with Giestian if we complete our natural endpoint with good behavior.
“Yes” Moe says, “A natural endpoint. Where one reunites with Giestian and has all the women and men together for eternal celebration of the fruits of our labor. Don’t you all have something like that in Markaedium? We heard you all had to pay for Opiumlite drinks, not us.” He smiles thoroughly convinced himself and thinking he has the collaborators convinced.
“Sort of…” Diego says suddenly aware how easy he had it in Markaedium but not having the heart to tell them about the privileges they enjoyed in the other world. He reflects on his luxury and says thinking of Dredona and Sid’s plan back on Markaedium, “Things might be changing in Markaedium, we believe in Giestian as well and the eternal celebration but…”. He stutters as he thinks of a way to tell them that they don’t take it literally on Markaedium but can’t take away the only thing the man has and finally says, “Let’s do a prayer to Giestian together, to allow us the strength to be helpful and work alongside each other and make the best of today.”
“Yes!” Wilfred, Noctil and Moe exclaim. “We do a lot of prayer together. Come. Let’s hold hands, we are about to be served breakfast, they gave us all day off to help show you guys around. We can say a prayer, have breakfast and then we will show you to your work locations in X222 plot and maybe if you all are lucky we will run into your friends as well. We usually don’t have days off like this. Let’s do the prayer and make the most of the day.”
They all join hands and thank Giestian and the eternal all-encompassing entropy for the day, food they are about to eat, and each others company. Afterwards trays come in the door with avian meat, and legumes with grain. A NanoI agent who brings them their trays reminds them that they have the day to get accommodated but typically will be working right after breakfast. He tells them if you see the other women you were with, refrain from talking to them, we will be watching and talking to them will result in an endpoint for all three of you as well as Moe, Wilfred, and Noctil. They agree to the terms.
****
In the women’s quarters a similar conversation happens with Lucee, Ashay and Izzy along with their three roommates they learn are called Soundy, Miriela, and Carmen. They learn about the endpoints as well and also collect themselves to not alert the NanoI agents and receive an endpoint. Through all the collaborators a further determination and hope for Sid and Dredona’s plan to go according to plan resonates with all of them and while they pray with their new bunker mates, they pray in their minds for Dredona and Sid’s success to assassinate and expose Triunfeo and M.
Section 4
Chapter 1
The next day Max, Diego, Robert, Wilfrid, Noctil, and Moe awoke at the break of dawn with the collaborators looking forward to possibly seeing their female cohorts even if they were unable to communicate to them. They got up, received breakfast from the NanoI agents, consisting of avian eggs, a grain biscuit. They said some prayers to get ready for their day. In the female bunker, Soundy, Miriela, Carmen along with the collaborators Izzy, Lucee, and Ashay all got up and had a similar routine. They all finished and got ready to go out to the fields where they were going to receive a tour of the slaughterhouse and farm fields all together.
“Make sure you remain silent when in the company of the female cohorts” A NanoI agent ordered, “Let’s move”.
He directed them to the elevator that led them outside to the farm fields where there was native terloubian avians and equids grazing outside peacefully in the sunlight with a large slaughterhouse factory looming off in the distance. The groups caught eye with each other, and realized their bunkers were adjacent elevators. They all fought the urge to say or act towards each other but just gave each other a look of deep love and understanding that if they talk to each other, they might have to face the final destination, or in their terms be murdered. They grouped together with NanoI guards watching over them with weapons and syringes ready should they break from their agreement.
“This,” the NanoI agent beckons to a field growing legumes, “is where you will be starting tomorrow, collecting the legumes which are in season at this time. Should you excel here, we will then send you to herding the equids and avians to their night posts and day posts as well as send the ones fit for consumption to their final destination in the slaughterhouse. It’s a lot more rewarding being a part of their primitive end, so we reward hard work in the fields with a chance to slaughter the animals, or at least prepare them in the machines that automate their slaughter.”
“How much energy is consumed from machines that automate the slaughter?” Robert interrogates.
“Good, I forgot to mention, along with no mingling between the sexes, we expect you all to not have questions, I will let this slide but do not ask questions just do the job!” The NanoI agent responds.
The collaborators look at each other with disapproval but stay silent not wanting to test the armed NanoI agents.
“You will find viewing the native terloubians slaughter as a kind of ecstasy. If you are lucky, sometimes Triunfeo and M come personally to view the slaughters themselves and you can stand alongside our appointed by Giestian leaders themselves.” The NanoI agent exclaims smugly obviously proud of his position within Triunfeo and M’s private agency.
The collaborators feeling appalled look at their new bunkmates expressions and find they are looking upwards with a smile and look of contentment as if they have experienced firsthand this “honor” and look believe what the NanoI agent is saying.
“Now since its your training day, we will show you the tasks being performed across the whole farm.” The NanoI agent proceeds, “The legume collection is simple and you will basically have big burlap sacks and are expected to fill at least three of them per day. Shall you fill five, you will proceed the following day to the slaughter. Shall you become tired in the slaughter, you will be given one day to rest and pray to Giestian and then come back to the fields. The system generally works, as soon as someone is tired, another is working hard, and we can swap you. You all will be here for one year along your companions. Learn and reflect about your mistake for taking actions against Triunfeo and M, repent to Giestian, and you will be redeemed after a years time.” He then beckons them to make their way to the fields.
They observe the workers come out and watch them pick until a few have one burlap sack filled and then the NanoI agent takes them to the slaughterhouse. Inside, they see the workers shackle the avian and equids to the machines that lift them and then one worker goes in with a gun and shoots them in their head and the workers begin carving the hanging corpses and assembling the different meat parts onto a belt that carries them to the automated plastic encasings.
The collaborators think of all the time they spent eating these meat products, and begin to feel a little nauseous when the NanoI agent indicates them to go outside to the avian section where they witness the workers collect eggs and place them carefully in cartons they then stack on a wagon carried by an equid to be taken to a refrigeration chamber next to the slaughterhouse.
As the day closes, they witness rounding up all the native terloubians and placing them inside the barns, an avian barn and an equid barn respectively. At the end of the tour, they sadly look at each other realizing they won’t encounter each other much more than this day.
The NanoI agent indicates its time to go to dinner and evening prayer and watch the television about Triunfeo and M’s accomplishments for the day. They look at each other and smile and then go down towards the bunkers in silence.
***
“Are their life forces still reading?” Sid asks Dredona.
Dredona flips her BLD on and commands it to scan for the collaborators life force.
“Life force detected.” The BLD confirms.
“I have such a bad feeling about this” Sid tells Dredona.
“That’s normal, we are facing supernatural, monopolizing, brainwashing loons in charge of all aspects of life.” Dredona responds.
“Yes, but I mean specifically for our friends. I wonder what they’re going through right now.”
“They’re probably wondering the same thing about us” Dredona responds winking at Sid, “Come on, let’s get some rest. We’ve got four more days until the event” She says.
They put down the BLD and go into the separate sleeping quarters to fall asleep.
***