The Rubidium Beach Series - Episodes 1 Through 4: Cyberpunk/Dystopian Science Fiction

by G. D. Blanton

  “That missed you by a fraction of a second,” said Teal.

  Junco did the math and turned white. “Crap – you are right. Point taken” Teal's reaction pleased him. He was hoping that she cared more than she had let on. Hopefully it wasn't too late for such thoughts to have consequences.

  There was a massive sonic boom and the wall behind the bar counter was gone. Ani's eyes glazed over for thirty seconds or so. “I've put a force field up but I don't know how long it will last. Oh, and by the way, time now runs at the same speed as it does outside. ” Junco stared out at the huge hole in the ground that had recently replaced the body shop – A reminder that injury sustained now would likely be permanent.

  Everything now appeared to be on very fast forward; the sky was cracking at an alarming rate. Pieces of it and other things were now crashing to the ground continuously – to the point where the din became continuous, a single harsh note.

  Another series of booms and the whole back portion of the Jupiter Moon was gone along with the roof. All that remained now was a floor, a badly damaged bar counter and a single battered wall that was doing sterling service as a three dimensional projection screen. Ani managed to get the force field extended around the whole area. “This will not hold for long. My best guess is around five minutes.”

  “What then?” Asked Scoter.

  Ani replied. “I don't know – death probably.”

  Only the Terminals appeared unconcerned by the seemingly imminent destruction of Rubidium Beach.

  22. THE MECHANIK – DEADLY PRAGMATISM

  “Something's happening.” exclaimed Teal. “Quick look – on the wall”

  The others looked at the makeshift projection screen and something was definitely happening. All of the members of the rogue Mechanik on one side of their table turned to face the horizon. The black clad line then walked. A couple of minutes later one side of the rogue's black table was deserted. The scene around the Moon was changing. The sky had stopped cracking and objects were now only falling every few seconds or so.

  The screen now had a red cast as opposed to its previous green one. The Color of the sun within the projection had changed back to its original ruby red. A few minutes later The black robed line of the rogue Mechanik reappeared. They walked back from the horizon to stand alongside one of the rows of white robed Mechanik, away from their former allies.

  “Are we watching a revolt?” asked Scoter.

  “That is exactly what we are watching,” replied Ani. The rogues that walked were the more reasonable faction. The ones still at the table are the hardliners.”

  “Are you tapped into them at the moment?” asked Junco.

  “Yes but I am not getting everything – probably enough, though.” replied Ani.

  The silence was eerie, the lack of chaos disconcerting. It no longer took an effort to focus on what was happening on the screen in front of them. The single row of rogue Mechanik hardliners were no longer looking detached. Most of their faces were now lined with worry. They were breaking into small huddles and obviously having private conversations within the groups. “They know they have been sold out.” Said Ani. “They are not optimistic regarding their fate.”

  “So you are getting some of this then?” Said Teal.

  “Bits and pieces.” replied Ani. “I am just selecting random groups and hacking in but there does seem to be a pattern. 'Sold out' and 'we are dead' are two phrases that keep coming through.”

  The Sky suddenly blackened. It was yet more of the crow-like birds. This time they did not stay in formation. They descended en mass amid a deafening roar. When they flew away again tattered black robes and bones were all that remained.

  “Did we just witness a mass execution?” asked Teal.

  “That or a genocide,” responded Scoter. “That is if they are really dead.”

  “Oh, that was an execution all right and they are really dead,” said Ani.

  Then the sky darkened for a second time within a few minutes and the birds descended. Again they returned to the sky and flew away from the tables and the Mechanik. There were now two rows of tattered black robes and skeletons.

  “Well that was brutal,” said Ani. “The so-called good Mechanik have taken out the part of the rogue Mechanik that they co-opted. From what I can gather they persuaded the not so hardline rogues to turn on their comrades by promising them immunity from retribution. Guess they lied.”

  “What about your own position in the collective?” asked Junco.

  Ani replied. “They have restored me to full membership so to speak but I'm not sure if I want to be a part of what they have become.”

  “Just resign or leave then,” suggested Teal.

  “You did just see what they did to half of their membership?”

  “Fair point,” Teal replied.

  The improvised screen then returned to its natural white color and the group turned their attention to the surrounding scene of devastation. “Lot of work,” said Junco.

  “A lot of work indeed,” replied Ani. “First thing I have to do is rebuild the White Room. I'm going to need a lot of hours to put this right.”

  Junco was about to speak when Ani cut in. “Just got a message from the Mechanik”.

  “Good or Bad?” asked Scoter.

  “Depends. They have offered their help with the rebuilding. That will certainly save a lot of time but I suspect that the offer may have lots of strings attached.”

  23. RUBIDIUM BEACH – MARK II

  The four of them sat on the glass bench lost in their own thoughts for a second. Junco was taking stock. The Mechanik had been good as to their word and Rubidium Beach had been restored. In some ways things were even better. The faint whiff of sulfur was no longer on the air and a skin-suit was no longer needed to swim in the metal sea. The Jupiter Moon had been rebuilt. It was currently sporting a late twenty-seventh century post- ultra-brutalist facade and twenty-ninth century Tranquility chic. The combination worked surprisingly well. Scoter had a new shack out on Neon Beach. He designed it and the Mechanik built it. The building was decorated with lots of inset peace and anti-war iconography from ancient times. It was also very colorful. Teal was happy. She still hung out with the Terminals a lot and Junco sometimes. When she wasn't hanging out she was working on a unified field theory for the physics of virtual space.

  Ani guessed that this new version of his home would grow on him. More than this though, he hoped that the price was not going to be too high.

  VIOLENCIA

  THE NANOBOTS

  Hundreds of thousands of them. Microscopically small and more than ten thousand per cubic meter of air at ground level. Some stayed in the air boosting signal strength, routing packets of data, removing pollutants and generally keeping things in balance. Some entered the lungs of humans and performed many different functions. Some hooked us up to the Net while others took care of more mundane matters such as tissue repair and enzyme replacement.

  The Corporation had released the tiny machines. The whole decision process took less than a week. The politicians were wholly owned and completely subservient to The Corporation and the media were the PR arm. The people didn't seem to care much. As long as they had access to sports and other people making idiots of themselves they were pretty much content.

  There was a second part to this program, which was implanting a chip into every person. This allowed for full integration and many more selling opportunities. There was a little more opposition to this part of the plan. Approval took two weeks.

  There were dissidents. Initially they were few and scattered, but they found each other. A low intensity war between The Corporation and the dissidents was eventually ended by stalemate. Both sides realized that there was no total victory to be had. The dissidents were given some land where they could live in peace and would not be subject to implanting. The low level warfare did not cease entirely, it just descended to an even lower level of intensity. Elements of both sides needed a visible enemy to dominate t
heir own side.

  It was the release of the nanobots that made a human future in virtual reality possible.

  The Last Thousand Years - by Scoter P. Hollep.

  1. THE PLATEAU

  The four of them were staring out across the red tinged metallic sea, all lost in their own thoughts. Rubidium Beach had been rebuilt, and in many ways it was even better than before. There was a lot to think about. Ani, Rubidium Beach's original creator, broke the silence. “Well, I suppose that you are all wondering why I dragged you out here?”

  “I guess that it wasn't just to admire the sunrise,” said Teal. The sunrises were now always spectacular. Ever since the Mechanik had rebuilt Rubidium Beach after their civil war there was no such thing as average sunrises – or sunsets, for that matter.

  Then the metallic sea parted and what appeared to be an island began to rise from the depths. Metallic liquid flowed from the rising surface, forming temporary ball bearings before slopping back into the sea. The island did not stop while it was an island though. It carried on rising. There was now clear pink sky and the base of the landmass. The island was in fact a plateau. A chunk of matter, over a mile wide, and half a mile deep, now sat stationary a quarter of a mile above the gentle gray sea.

  “Ah Ani, ever the showman,” said Junco.

  “The show isn't over yet,” replied Ani. “Watch this next bit.” Buildings were now breaking through the ground of the plateau. The group were watching a city building itself literally from the ground up. After ten minutes or so the noise and movement stopped.

  “Well, what do you all think?” asked Ani.

  “Spectacular, is this your work or the Mechanik's?” Teal replied.

  “All mine.” Ani responded. “I really needed to put my own stamp on the renovations. Does that make me an egomaniac?”

  “No more than usual,” said Scoter the amateur historian. “Besides, nothing wrong with a healthy ego. Gets stuff done.”

  “Well, I'm impressed,” said Teal, though of course she had only a couple months' experience of any virtual reality, unlike the others who were born to it. “How long has that been under the sea for?”

  Ani smiled. “It hasn't, to be honest. That was all a bit of a show. I just kept the city cloaked while I was building it. The bursting forth from the sea was all smoke and mirrors – just a bit of fun to satisfy my vanity.”

  Then the cube-shaped transporter arrived and the four entered. The front panel closed behind them and then reopened a few seconds later. Junco looked through the opening and was transfixed. It was Teal that interrupted his thoughts. “Come on, let the rest of us out of this thing.” Junco apologized then jumped off the transporter. The others followed him.

  They were on a path that was floating a foot above the rest of the landscape which appeared to be a park of some description. Around and beneath the raised path was precisely manicured grass. This perfect lawn stretched out before them in every direction. Surrounding the park were buildings, most of which were very tall but there were some smaller structures set among them. Ani obviously had somewhere he wanted to be and he strode off towards the tallest of the buildings. The others followed at a slower pace, taking everything in.

  At one point Junco attempted to step off the path, but however hard he tried he could not leave it. A force field was obviously in operation. Every fifty yards or so was a neat little white on black painted sign that said simply 'Please keep off the grass'. Junco thought that this was a little redundant and mentioned the fact to the others. Scoter looked thoughtful. “This really does have that new scenario-smell,” he said.

  “I guess that we are the first up here – probably still a fair bit of snagging to do,” said Junco.

  “Even though there are trees and grass and some flowers it feels a little sterile.” Teal added. “Guess that goes when people start to move in.”

  “That is what tends to happen,” the historian responded. “Same everywhere and every time.”

  “Wow – did you see that? Animals of some kind,” said Junco.

  “Definitely something, and it was fast,” added Teal.

  The group caught up to Ani just as has leaving the green area and walking off the path onto a much wider matt-black metal road.

  “Ani, does this road go all the way round the park?” Asked Junco.

  “It does.”

  At that moment three transporters, like the one that had brought them here, zipped past the group practically knocking Ani to the ground. “Didn't take them long,” said Ani, almost under his breath.

  Junco was laughing. The incident brought back memories of his and Teals first encounter with the enigmatic metal cubes on the Rubidium Beach promenade. Hard to think that was only a few months ago. Seemed like a lifetime.

  Among the sleek skyscrapers and polished sidewalks Junco recognized a now familiar name. The brand spanking new spinning holographic sign said 'The Jupiter Moon' and underneath, in much smaller writing, 'The Future is Fear'.

  2. THE JUPITER MOON – AN ALTERCATION

  Ani looked puzzled. “That is not meant to say that. It should read 'The Future is Here'. I am pretty sure that I got that right.” His eyes then glazed over for a split second and 'Fear' became 'Here'. Ani shook his head and addressed the group. “Not sure what happened there. Probably just tired when I programmed it, I guess.”

  Junco was not buying it. If there was one thing about Ani that he would stake a months salary on it was fact that that no coding error ever made it past debugging and into his world. Teal and Scoter were also wearing dubious expressions.

  Junco moved on. “So, there are now two Jupiter Moons?”

  “Not exactly,” replied Ani. “Follow me and all will become clear.”

  They followed him into the new shiny version of the bar that served as their slightly unorthodox headquarters. Two things struck Junco when he was inside. Where they had entered through a single wide doorway became two exits when seen from the inside. Above one door was 'Exit to The Plateau' and above the other 'Exit to Downtown'. The other thing that struck him could be summed up in one word: Shiny. Everything was gleaming, from the black stone slab bar to the trendy external chrome-look plumbing and back again.

  Junco decided to test an assumption. He walked out of the exit marked 'Downtown”. As expected he was now looking across the metal promenade and across the metallic sea. Now, however, there was the addition of a huge island floating in the middle of the sky. He walked back into the bar and it was still the shiny new Jupiter Moon and his friends were still there. He then walked out of the exit marked 'Plateau' and saw the park that they had just come from.

  Ani was enjoying this. “Well, what do you think Junco?”

  “Impressive, very impressive. So there is still only one Jupiter Moon but one that we can enter from both here and its original place?”

  “Yes that is about the strength of it,” said Ani.

  Teal then asked Ani, “Why the new clean look? Up until now your design tastes have always been more atmospheric grunge than zillionare space liner.”

  “To be honest, I wanted to keep the grunge. That layer of health risk grime really added something but in the end it just didn't fit in with the externals up here on the plateau.”

  “But does this décor fit in with downtown?” asked Scoter, who had more of an eye for period detail than the others. Junco was finding out that being a historian was about a whole lot more than knowing who bested who and when.

  “Not really.” replied Ani, “but I tried all sorts of compromises and they just didn't work. It was always going to be one or the other, down and dirty or pristine and I decided to go with the latter. May well change it back later.”

  The door marked 'Downtown' opened a foot or so and a mid-twenties face appeared in the gap. He looked a little uncomfortable before opening the door wider and walking into the bar. He sat himself at an electric surfboard-shaped table in a corner of the room. Ani tried to start up a conversation, but it quickly became apparent
that the newcomer wasn't interested. Ani let him be. A few minutes later four others entered and made their way over to the table where the first of their number was sitting. The group were dressed in identical neon pink two-piece suits with jackets open, and shiny bottle green pointed shoes. No shirts or socks for that matter. Junco didn't need Scoter's knowledge of history to know that young men in uniforms of most kinds were invariably bad news for those around them.

  After a round of terse greetings the original member of the group approached the black slab bar counter. He ordered five glasses of water, double filtered.

  The server, who appeared from nowhere, was in her mid twenties and of athletic build. She bore a striking resemblance to Teal and this fact did not go unnoticed by the others. “Well, that is just a little sleazy,” said Junco.

  “I agree – most unprofessional,” said Scoter but it was obvious that he was struggling to keep a straight face.

  Ani looked sheepish. “Look I have seen more of Teal than any other woman lately. When I'm modeling it is hardly surprising that parts of her come to mind.”

  Junco was now laughing. “Don't you mean all of her? I'd probably stop digging if I were you, Ani.”

  It was hard to gauge Teal's reaction as she was maintaining an excellent poker face. Junco suspected that she wasn't that upset though. Still, he wouldn't like to be in Ani's place. The next time Junco looked up at the bartender, she had become a he.

  The volume coming from the group in the corner was gradually increasing. It was not possible to hear the words but the tone and the urgency of the speech was easy to get. There was anger and darkness, these men were not all friends. A glass slammed down on the curved table and the word 'Enough' shot across the room. Then there was silence. The atmosphere was souring rapidly.