Dark Day Dreams, page 17
Thanos said he needed to get some air so he and Dante went for a walk. The younger man asked what was wrong with Aksel. Thanos replied, “It’s complicated so the best answer I can give you is that he’s suffering from old age.”
Dante decided it was time to man up and really find out what was going on. “Thanos, I don’t mean to get too far into your business but can I ask why your skin is blue?”
They sat down on a park bench. Thanos said, “You’ve been very patient and respectful of my privacy, young man. So I will tell you my story. And hopefully you won’t end up deciding you’ve spent the past few days with a crazy person.”
“I’ll begin by saying I’m not sure exactly why Aksel and I have blue skin. But I’m sure it’s connected to other characteristics we share.”
“As you can probably tell by my name, I was born in Greece. It was a very, very long time ago…a couple hundred years before the birth of Christ.”
Dante’s mouth fell open. He started to speak but Thanos held up a hand and said, “I know it sounds insane. Let me tell you the whole story before you say anything.”
The younger man sat back and mentally prepared himself. He had to admit, if you’re going to hear a fantastic tale it helped if the teller had blue skin or some other unique characteristic.
“My father had a flock of sheep so we lived out in the country, away from other people. My skin was this color when I was born. Everything else about me seemed normal so my parents let me live. You have to remember, back in those days deformed children were often disposed of early on.”
“Any time we were around other people, they had me wear a cowl. They said I sunburned easily and needed to protect my skin.”
“When I was old enough, I decided to leave home and travel the world. I was strong and very healthy. As a matter of fact, I made it through my growing years without suffering as much as a cold.”
“Sometimes people gave me a hard time about the way I looked. But I managed to laugh off their insults and on the rare occasions when things got violent, I fought and killed those who would do me harm.”
“I explored Greece and Rome. Then I headed
north to see what lay in the lands we now call Spain, France and Germany. I did all kinds of work along the way…blacksmith, mercenary, shepherd. I slept with all kinds of women and probably fathered a few children over the years. But my blue skin gene never got passed on to the next generation, as far as I know.”
“In addition to having perfect health, after I reached the age of thirty-five I pretty much stopped aging. It was wonderful in some ways but also very sad because while I didn’t change, the people I cared about all withered and eventually died.”
“I eventually found myself in Scandinavia. A friend I met there said he’d heard stories about another man with blue skin who lived in what is now called Stockholm. I made my way there and found Aksel.”
“He was born roughly three hundred years after me and had chosen a more conventional life, taking a wife and raising a family. He was just in his thirties at the time and I had to break the news there was a very strong possibility he would end up outliving them all.”
“I stayed with him and his family for a time and then decided to resume my wandering, promising to come back and visit them from time to time. I joined a crew of warriors that sailed to Greenland, looking for new land to claim and possibly farm. Unfortunately, I fell into a crevasse and went into a deep sleep.”
“I stayed there through the centuries. But the warming climate eventually melted so much ice I not only woke up but was able to climb to the surface. I stole a small boat from some scientists and made my way across the water to northern Canada. I settled in there for several years and learned English and the ways of life in this modern age.”
Dante didn’t know what to say. He finally asked why Aksel was dying if they were both seemingly immortal. Thanos replied, “I don’t believe we can live forever but it’s still a life span much greater than normal humans enjoy. Aksel has existed for close to two thousand years, discreetly making his way through human history. Apparently my cells took a time out from decaying when I was stuck in that deep freeze.”
The (much) younger man tried to process the
story he’d just been told. It all seemed so incredible, a tale of two unique beings who had experienced so much of humanity’s long struggle. Starting at a distant point in the past when there was little in the way of technology and extending to this day and age when the species was desperately trying to survive rising waters and often relentless heat.
They sat there for an hour and the blue man told Dante stories about some of the amazing people he’d met down through the years. Then he stood up and said, “Come with me, I want to show you something.”
They walked to another small park that looked out over the ocean. The sun was shining and Dante could see dozens of humans down below, leaping in and out of the waves like dolphins. He said, “Who are those people?”
Thanos replied, “I like to call them Aksel’s children. When they were young, their parents allowed them to participate in a program he developed. They were gradually given drugs that modified their bodies and now they have gills as well as normal lungs.”
“Why?”
“Because we can’t say for sure there will always be enough dry land to support all of humanity. The conditions in this new world require we be flexible about how we breathe and where we live.”
They talked some more and then walked back to the house. Thanos went to check on his ailing friend and Dante sat down on the front porch and watched the people passing by on the street. He had a lot on his mind…he’d known from the first minute they’d met that the blue man was a unique being but these new facts were almost too much to absorb.
Aksel passed away two days later. Thanos and Jean were each holding a hand as he breathed his last. It was the first time Dante had actually been in the room when someone passed away.
Jean arranged to have the body cremated and then asked Thanos and Dante if they would spread the ashes over the ocean on their voyage back to the mainland. She said Aksel had told her he had always loved the water and felt like that’s where he belonged once his time among the living came to an end.
The three of them held a small wake. Thanos told them stories about what a good friend, husband and father Aksel had been all those many centuries ago. Jean talked about how the blue man had rescued her from an abusive husband in Chicago and they’d made their way out to the islands. She felt so lucky to have known him.
The morning they were supposed to board the ship back to Hood River, Thanos asked Dante how he would feel about exploring some of the Northern California islands before they headed back to Colorado.
Dante thought about it for a moment and then said yes. He had no idea when an opportunity like this would arise again.
Sunset
I left Eugene on a quiet, sunny Sunday morning. Summer had finally arrived and I was feeling upbeat and energetic.
Of course, that’s pretty much the way I always felt…nothing beats being able to adjust your own neurotransmitter levels on a minute by minute basis. But the warmth and brightness was still a very welcome change after all the months of rain and overcast skies.
The small panel on my lower back efficiently absorbed the sun’s rays and converted them into energy to power all my systems. I always felt like my body worked better on days like this, the same way I used to think my car ran better with a full tank of gas.
I waved at an elderly neighbor named Clark. The man was mowing his front yard. He automatically waved back but then really looked at who was in the street and a confused look spread over his face. It was that look that said he felt like the world was getting too strange these days.
Sprinklers were on at several houses, watering the lawns before the sun got too high in the sky. That was a sound that always made me feel good, took my mind back to the more innocent days of my youth.
I walked from my house to the nearest freeway entrance, planning on following I-5 south and then heading to Crescent City in California.
There was smoke rising up into the sky off to the east. I checked media but couldn’t find anything about that particular sector. I wasn’t surprised, there was a lot of unrest and division out there these days. Too many people who’d failed to find their spot in the new economy, too many people replaced by robots. And a political system that couldn’t seem to figure out how to adjust to this new reality.
I knew I would need to be vigilant on this trip. There were a significant number of folks who would love nothing more than taking down an Uploader like myself. Some were jealous and some found my lifestyle choice philosophically abhorrent. And of course, some were just assholes.
There was actually a separate far right lane for people like me to use. Long distance running had become a bit of a craze for those of us with synthetic bodies. I found it thrilling to be able to move as fast as most cars.
I was starting to get pretty out of shape back in the days before I transferred my consciousness. I tried to exercise and eat right but always felt like I was stuck in a losing battle.
So many problems just disappeared when I went synthetic. No aging, no pain, no allergies. Complete personal internet access, just think a question and the answer instantly appears in front of you. Want to watch a video, same thing.
A red car whizzed by me on the left. I waved at a small blonde boy who was in the passenger seat making funny faces. The kid pointed and turned to say something to the driver. I wondered if I was being mocked or admired.
I belonged to what I considered a support group. Mostly people who uploaded because they were suffering from one incurable disease or another. The government actually helped pay for those uploads…one of my buddies told me it made great sense financially. It was far cheaper to transfer a consciousness into one of these bodies than it was to keep a dying organic human alive and comfortable for several years.
The people in the group thought it was just fine I and others had made the change even though there wasn’t anything seriously wrong with us yet. Why wait until your old body wears out and you have no other options?
The upload had cost me my marriage. But truth be told, it wasn’t the only reason Sherry and I split up. More like the artificial straw that broke the camel’s back.
She’d always been a bit hesitant about trying out new technology. On the other hand, I was one of those people who found new ideas and devices so enticing. And when I heard there was a real possibility I could shed my fragile human flesh, I became obsessed. I read every article on the subject and constantly attended talks given by experts in the field.
I even tried to persuade her to consider converting. Life was so dangerous these days with all the unrest and even if one of these bodies were damaged it was easy to get new parts grown and installed. But she found the idea repulsive and said she’d rather die than become something non-human.
I was glad we’d never gotten around to having children. That would have been a truly ugly argument. Of course I wouldn’t have forced them to make the transformation but I also certainly wouldn’t have stood in their way.
And if society didn’t completely come unraveled, I looked forward to trying out even better, more capable bodies in the years to come. At this point, the only part of the body that resembled the old me was the head.
That day I was dark green. But I could change the color of my body any time I felt like it.
There was one pretty big catch. Before you could upload, you had to sign a document that said after fifty years you would agree to have yourself turned off or cryogenically frozen. The idea was that eventually humanity would be spreading out into the universe and at that time you’d be thawed out and made a colonist. That was going to be my choice.
It was a wonderful technology but this planet was already too crowded. Definitely not a place that could support an endless number of immortals.
Of course, the uploaders were still a pretty small minority. A lot of other people thought it was an interesting concept but didn’t have the financial resources. And a large chunk of the population said they would never even consider doing it. The man I was going to meet fell into that category.
Troy was my oldest friend. We met in the first grade and somehow kept a connection through all the years.
When we were younger, we had most of the same interests and really shared a worldview. But down the line somewhere, there was a split. While I grew more and more interested in the emerging technologies, my friend seemed to turn more and more toward the natural world.
When Troy was in his early twenties he moved to northern California and joined a group called Earth Tribe. With the help of a few wealthy investors and environmental groups, they bought large plots of land and set up communities that advocated a less technological viewpoint. They grew their own food as much as possible and raised their children to believe the best relationships are ones where you’re able to share a physical space with the other person.
I wouldn’t say they were Christians exactly but their philosophy definitely included some spiritual elements. The movement gradually spread to more and more parts of the country.
They grew very vocal when people around the world began uploading. Earth tribe representatives were all over the media slamming this new development as dangerous and disturbing. I thought they sounded pretty paranoid.
Troy and I reconnected around this time. He asked if he could come up to Eugene for a visit. I was really happy to hear from him and said that would be great.
Things were okay at first but then we began to realize how far apart we’d grown philosophically. I called him a Luddite and he accused me of sacrificing my very soul just to be more and comfortable and live longer. We finally got into a shoving match and he ended up leaving.
But five years later, I contacted him and we managed to patch things up…or at least agree to disagree. I told him I’d uploaded but still very much wanted to see him. There was no way I’d be allowed on to the property where he lived so we agreed to meet on a beach about a hundred miles north of there.
I kept running. I got a few strange looks but at least nobody threw anything at me. I left the freeway at Grant’s Pass and headed southwest down across the state border.
I finally came to the spot where we had agreed to meet. Troy was sitting on a large log and looking out at the Pacific. He looked older but healthy. He had long hair and a bushy beard with streaks of gray in it.
We embraced and sat down to talk. I was so glad we’d managed to retain our connection in spite of the fact life had led us in opposite directions. Eventually the sun set down into the ocean and at least for a while, the darkness hid our differences.
Dark Day Dreams (Notes)
I wanted to include some information on what inspired me to write the stories in this collection.
Spoiler alert: it is possible some surprises could be revealed here. I would recommend reading this section of the book last.
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The Midnight Kid Rides Again-
I’ve noticed during the past few years I’m dreaming a lot more… in fact, some nights my mind is so busy I don’t feel all that rested when I wake up.
Like a lot of people, I often experience dreams where I’m experiencing frustration of some sort. Two common examples are ones where I’m trying to run but my legs feel too heavy or I’ve just been advised none of my college credits are valid and I have to start all over again.
One morning I started thinking about how we spend a big chunk of our lives in these worlds where logic isn’t a factor and how that can be both thrilling and terrifying. I decided to create the script for what I would call a mental movie.
On a side note, I wanted to mention the inspiration for the hero in this story was a Marvel comics character named the Two-Gun Kid. I often pretended to be him when I was a kid in the early Sixties.
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A Holy Amputation-
First, I want to say that I’m not in favor of what happens in this story. But I do think it’s an interesting premise.
Religion is so important to so many people…you have to wonder how many simply couldn’t survive having their faith shaken this way.
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Beast in Show-
This was written as a tribute to stand-up comedy, talk shows and the late, great songwriter Warren Zevon.
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Escalation-
I argue about gun rights on social media quite often. I don’t want everybody to lose their weapons but I also have to believe some compromises are possible. I find it amazing how complacent the American public has become about massacres that would absolutely horrify the citizens in other First World countries.
One thing I’ve noticed when I have online conversations with pro-gun folks is how quick they are to threaten committing violence when somebody even whispers about changing the gun ownership laws in this country (either on their own or as part of some NRA sponsored armed insurrection they like to fantasize about).
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Lonely Side of the Sky-
I lost a close friend forty years ago and have often wondered what he would think about the way the world has changed during the decades since his accident. And I also like to think sometimes about the possibility of there being an afterlife and what awaits us there.
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Hungry Women-
I’ve always been a husky fellow. I like to joke that the only time I was thin was for approximately one hour sometime during the fourth grade.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that even while I don’t condone the evil done in this story, I can understand where it comes from. It just kills me sometimes how much unhappiness is connected to the complicated relationship we have with our own bodies.
