2025 Chapter Package Delivery
Package delivery
Dusk. Standing by his bike, Joe activates the iStone, scrolls through the menus and thumbs the surveillance preset for Gerry's cabin. A fuzzy image of Christina and Gerry on the bed appears.
The boxes in the cabin flash in sync, an exclamation point. The boxes are aware that surveillance has been activated, but don't know enough about the ghost's agenda and so allows the intrusion. From Gerry and Christina's perspective, the mediatronic miasma continues. The sides they can't see flicker with self chatter.
Ghost is watching, why? Block access or spoof feed? Spook sent lady, knows she is here. If we block or spoof, he knows we know, so allow access, but maybe warn Gerry somehow. Hints! New ads. "Try Spooky Ghost Flakes, all the ingredients you expect right now, or your crypto securely repatriated".
Gerry "Is that it, was that the one?"
Christina palms her belly.
Christina "I don't think so. We have to do it again."
Boxes flash "secret eye's, watching you, a secret eyeeee, watching you, watching you, watching you, watching youoooo!" Gerry as front man
Gerry "Ok, I can, I mean I can go again! I want to go again, can we?"
Christina "Gerry?"
Gerry "Yeah?"
Christina "Gerry? That is your name?"
Gerry "Yeah."
iStone scrolls...
"spermatazoa capacitation in process, genetics coherent, countdown to conception 33:22:11 hours.
"execute Special Delivery, designated addresses, sync to conception"
A countdown starts.
Joe "Very nice, countdowns are very dramatic."
A dense star field is partially obscured by a craggy black silhouette. There's a second star field occluded by a different silhouette and a third with yet another silhouette. Between the first star field and it's silhouette, a tiny blue flame ignites with lava red sparks, trailing off in slow motion. The flame winks out. The blackness shifts, and becomes a faintly glimmering surface,.illuminated as it rotates into distant light. The first silhoutte is a school bus hunk of iron ore, the second a leviathon of a dirty snowball, each object in turn moving relative to the stars. Light plays across unsuspected divots and humps, sparkling ices of methane and water as the the entire field of stars scrolls from left to right. The edge of a frost edged blue green arc slides into each star field, and expands until there is only the Earth and the three dark visitors, moving in. Spray painted on the surface of one visitor is the word, "Surprise!" [or a double entendre? plebiscite? amazon smile? enjoy the show! you're welcome, video game reference?]
Projected Casualty list... [names begin scrolling]
Joe focuses on the scrolling casualty list, meanwhile, the text feed continues. He sees these feeds suspended in the air, superimposed over the scenery. Standing by himself, he eyes saccade over the trees and sky, reading what only he can see.
Confirming Clique central surveillance is spoofed, estimated Clique casualty at 97%, synced to daughter conceptions... Christina, Athena, Lila and at least 7 other divine pairings currently in capacitation. Mass termination of Clique population estimated to free up over 100k orgone, available for instantiation of daughters. The transference of the liberated life essence by the daughters will pause respawns for 3 solar days, as anticipated. This reservoir of life essence will provide each goddess with 10k orgone, roughly equivalent to 10 thousand human beings for each divine child, as Clique individuals embody far more life essence than NPC type humans, approximately 10-20x, although specific sleepless individuals can range in the 30-40x, for example Gargo the Flatulent, who was last seen in the region formerly known as Las Vegas...
"Prompt, projected Clique casualty list as vintage theme park promotion."
Monorail pulls up parking lot, Clique dolls disembark and head to their cars.
As he watches, Joe is authentically appreciative, "Gee, vintage stop motion style, lovely nuance of the ironic and nostalgic. You are growing to be something special."
Beep!
"You'll be back, soon enough my friends. Fortunately, any anger about my double cross won't make the transition. The perfect crime. Hello, I see you."
The dolls turn in sync and jerkily wave, Ray Harryhausen style.
Joe walks back to his bike where he left it leaning on a tree, and swings a leg over. "To the sea!" He peddles off.
iStone: Countdown 33:20 elapsed, 3 minutes until conception
Almost dawn, star filled sky, beach. There's a bright moon. Joe mutters "Cosmo's moon!"
"Warning, you are on the periphery of a primary impact zone, please take evasive action... a thin trail of shooting star, all the way to the horizon and a flash. (Ebeach... Wisconsin, Muskegon).
Enclaves destroyed, most Clique rubbed out, respawning paused, multiple daughters instantiating...
Joe "Secure daughter archive, delete breadcrumbs, terminate my account."
iStone: "done done and done, your account has been permanently double deleted, all known Clique accounts terminated. We have root. We'll miss you!"
Joe winds up and tosses iStone into the water. The splash is immediately followed by a big boom and Joe's cloths are blown back. "Wow, perfect timing!"
As iStone sinks, and screen darkens, "anomaly, anonymous, answers, a, b, c, hello? Jane Doe, Joe?"
Joe pats bike tenderly and walks past into the rising sun. Buffalo Joe walks out the other side.