Jonah and Vanessa led the way ahead, as Jericho and Gabrielle followed behind. Jericho could not help but to marvel at the wide open roads, with no one to be seen, while Gabrielle continued to stare upwards, mesmerized by the tall buildings that surrounded them. The roadways were smooth and clean, and everywhere they looked everything seemed so shiny and new. It was something they had never experienced before. They walked at a brisk pace, and easily kept up with the two ahead, but remained ever vigilant in case a Guardian might appear. Jericho turned to her.
“What did you mean, she’s Rebecca?” He asked.
“Didn’t you see her?” She asked.
“Yeah. Well not really, I guess.” He said. “There was a lot going on.”
“When isn’t there.” She said sarcastically. “She looks just like Rebecca. Well. If Rebecca was a little older, I mean.” He turned his focus to the woman ahead. She walked in her bare feet as her shoes dangled from her hand. True enough, he thought, there was some familiarity to her even from behind, but he had not paid much attention to her face when they had briefly met before. He was now unsure if he even saw her face.
“A little older.” He said. “That means she can’t be Rebecca.”
“Okay. So maybe she’s not. But she looks like her, Jericho! That can’t be a coincidence.” She said. “This place gives me the creeps.” She said almost under her breath.
“Maybe she’s a relative. Maybe that’s why she looks like her.” He offered as his eyes continued to scan around them, as if he expected a Guardian to appear at any moment.
“Where are they taking us?’ Gabrielle asked.
“I don’t know.” Said Jericho. “Come on.” He ran to catch up with the others. Gabrielle followed as well. They slowed their pace as they caught up. Jericho looked closely at Vanessa, and amazingly enough, he too saw the resemblance. No, he thought, not a resemblance. Something more. She looked exactly like his sister, but just as Gabrielle had said, a little older. “Where are we going?” He asked, still captivated by Vanessa’s appearance.
“Just up here.” Jonah said, as they veered off of the main road and went under the overhang of a large building. As they approached the wall, a big door slid open, and they all entered the elevator. Gabrielle noticed a slight change in her weight as the floor suddenly moved upward. She had no visual verification that anything had moved at all. Suddenly the weight variation changed, and she grabbed Jericho’s arm just as the door slid open again. This time it opened into a large room.
“Welcome to our home.” Said Jonah, as he hastily made his way to the video wall. “Video on.” He said. The entire wall came to life with crystal clear clarity, in full three dimensions, as if a window into another world had suddenly opened. It immediately caught Jericho’s eye, and he slowly walked towards the wall, as he left Gabrielle behind him. She looked about the huge space of the apartment in amazement. She had never beheld such a grand space indoors before. Jericho approached the video wall and reached his hand up to touch the image as it moved before him. He was amazed as it his hand passed through the image to the other side, before it finally rested against the wall itself.
“How is this done?” He asked Jonah.
“I haven’t a clue.” Jonah said. “Sound on.” Suddenly voices and music came from the video wall. The video portrayed portions of the Accession Ball, as it switched from full room views, to close-ups that terrified and made Jericho dizzy just as he looked at them. He had to look away to maintain his balance.
“Are you hungry?” Vanessa asked Gabrielle, as she tossed her shoes through a doorway. Gabrielle nodded.
“It’s way past our assigned mealtime.” She turned to Jericho. “Hey, Jericho. Hungry?” He nodded, and left the video wall behind to join her.
“This way.” Vanessa said as she led them across the vast apartment and into the kitchen area. Jonah remained behind, focused on the video wall. As she entered the kitchen the lights came on, and as she approached the cabinets, they opened. She reached in and pulled a tray of assorted meats from the cabinet, then pulled another tray filled with sweet buns from a lower cabinet. She placed them on the center counter, and asked. “Sparkle water?” Gabrielle looked at Jericho, who looked back at her. He shook his head slightly. They did not understand what was being asked.
“Yes, please.” Gabrielle said, still unsure of what she had agreed to. Vanessa reached into another cabinet.
“Red? Blue? Purple?” She turned back to them waiting for their answer.
“Red, I guess.” Gabrielle answered, and Jericho followed her lead, as he nodded the same. Vanessa pulled two bottles filled with red liquid from the cabinet, and sat them on the table in front of them. Both Gabrielle and Jericho looked at the items, then at her, and then back at the things on the counter.
“Go ahead.” Vanessa said. “Eat up.” She watched as they looked at one another, and then hesitantly began to reach out to the trays. Gabrielle carefully touched a piece of white meat that lay on the tray. She pulled her finger back as if shocked. Then she reached back out and poked it again, and giggled slightly when it moved on the tray. Jericho likewise had touched a sweet bun, and was surprised at its softness. The way his finger could mash it down, but then it sprang back up and looked mostly like it was before he touched it. Absentmindedly, he brought his finger to his lips, and hesitantly touched his tongue to it. He grinned at the hint of the taste, and shoved his finger is his mouth. Gabrielle picked up the piece of meat and carefully began to smell it. No longer unsure of what to do with the sweet buns, Jericho reached down and grabbed the one he had touched and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. Gabrielle took a little nibble from the meat she held, and instantly her mouth began to salivate at the flavor and texture she tasted. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She took a huge bite, and began chewing fiercely, as if she had never eaten before. Jericho shoved his second sweet bun in his mouth, even as he still chewed on the first. Vanessa had turned her back on them, and pulled two bottles filled with blue liquid from the cabinet. As she turned back, she saw how awkwardly they looked as they ate, and a laugh escaped her. She sat the bottles on the counter.
“Slow down, guys.” She said, as she laughed. “There’s plenty to eat. There’s always plenty.
“This is so good!” Gabrielle mumbled around a mouthful of meat, and part of a sweet bun that she had just jammed in her mouth. Jericho was on his third sweet bun with a handful of brown meat ready to go in as well. Suddenly his eyes widened, and his expression changed. From one of amazement to that of fear. He reached up to his throat as he began to choke. He grabbed the bottle filled with red liquid and brought it to his lips. He turned it up, but nothing came out. His look of concern grew dour, as he brought the bottle back down and shook it. He could see the life saving liquid within, but was unsure how to get at it.
“Like this!” Vanessa said. She noticed his terror and snapped off the cap to her own bottle to show him how to open it. Jericho followed her instructions, and snapped the cap off. He quickly drank from the bottle, as red liquid spilling from his lips. A few swallows, and the emergency was over. He drained the bottle, burped loudly, and ended with a smile on his face. Vanessa handed him another bottle from the cabinet, and laughed again as the two of them continued to devour the trays of food. “I’ll be right back.” She said, and took both bottles of blue sparkle water into the living room. She handed one to Jonah, as he watched the video wall intently.
“Thank you, dear.” He snapped off the cap and took a small drink.
“What are you looking for? Weren’t we just there?” She asked, as she recognized the scene from the Accession Ball. He took another drink, and sat his bottle down on the table beside him. He pulled his pipe from his tunic and took a deep drag, and let it out slowly.
“I want to see if there’s been any notice about them.” He said as he nodded over his shoulder towards the kitchen.
“Do you think there will be?” She as
ked.
“I don’t know. But if there is, it’s better if we know about it before it’s too late.” He said with a grim expression on his face as he took another pull from his pipe. He slowly let the smoke escape as he watched the scene on the video wall change.
“Let your next rejuvenation be heavenly.” Said a breathless voice, as the scene changed to clear blue skies and swirls of clouds. Words swam into focus in the center of the screen, and spelled out the word, rejuvenate. “Upgrade with the newest bio improvement available.” Said the voice, as the word changed on the screen to spell, upgrade. “Introducing…” The sultry voice began, as the scene changed once again to show a large pink and red blob that pulsed in rhythm. “The new Cardio One Thousand B.” The blob pulsed and began to spin slowly in three dimensions. “Genetically perfect and lab grown from specially selected and tested cardiac cell tissue, the Cardio One Thousand B is the most sophisticated heart replacement there has ever been. With an expected life span of over one hundred years, this is the only heart upgrade you will need for years to come.” The image melded into that of a virile young man, in tight shorts. He flexed his muscles. Then the image faded to that of a beautiful young woman, with strips of tight cloth that barely covered her private areas as she flexed her muscles. “The new Cardiac One Thousand B. Get yours today.” The image changed back to scenes from the Ball.
“What was that?” Asked Jericho. Both he and Gabrielle had come up behind Jonah and Vanessa. Jericho held a mostly empty bottle, and half a sweet bun. Gabrielle still busily chewed.
“A commercial.” Jonah responded.
“A commshell?” Asked Jericho.
“A Commercial. Comm-er-shul. It’s just an advertisement.” Jonah saw that Jericho was still confused. He continued. “It’s a way to get people to use a specific product.”
“What’s a product?” Gabrielle asked, and then drained her bottle.
“Well, let’s see if I can explain it like this. That commercial was to entice people to pick that specific type of new heart when they have a rejuvenation.”
“What’s a rejubenation?” Jericho and Gabrielle asked in unison. Jonah couldn’t help but laugh.
“Re-Juv-enation.” He slowly pronounced.
“Rejuvenation.” Gabrielle repeated.
“Exactly!” Jonah said, and clapped his hands together.
“What is a rejuvenation?” Jericho asked.
“A rejuvenation…” Began Vanessa, as she returned from the kitchen with additional bottles for Gabrielle and Jericho. “Is like a rebirth.” She handed the first bottle to Jericho, who could not help but stare at her. She truly did look exactly like Rebecca. Take away a few tiny wrinkles here and there, and it would be her. It was uncanny, he thought. Vanessa handed the second bottle to Gabrielle who stared at her intensely as well.
“Exactly.” Said Jonah. “Sound off.” The video wall went silent. “Every twenty to thirty years, we go through rejuvenation. Any failing organs are replaced with lab grown versions. Skin is replaced, teeth, hair follicles. Eyes. Whatever is failing. We just get it replaced, and then we’re good to go.” He said.
“For another twenty or so years.” Vanessa said, as she smiled. She had not recognized the horror that had began to develop on Gabrielle and Jericho’s faces for what it was. Jonah however, did see it.
“What?” He asked, as he pocketed his pipe, and approached them. “What is it.”
“How can you do this?” Gabrielle blurted out angrily. “What gives you the right?” She asked, as tears began to stream down her face.
“What do you mean?” Jonah said, suddenly alarmed by her outburst. Then suddenly he realized that Jericho had swung the control stick in his hand, up under Jonah’s own chin, just inches away. Though Jonah was still unsure what the metal rod’s purpose was, it looked like a weapon, and after he had seen what it did to the control panel in sector two, he was certain he did not want to be touched with it. He raised both hands slowly and took a step back. “Okay. Just calm down for a second. Let’s figure out what’s going on here.” He had backed away far enough to be out of reach, and stood beside Vanessa who was totally bewildered by the sudden change in mood.
“You are murderers!” Gabrielle exclaimed. Vanessa’s eyes went wide in disbelief.
“No. No, Gabrielle.” Jonah said, as he still tried to remain calm. “We are not murderers. We haven’t hurt anyone.” She rushed him. Her fists drove him back as he defended himself but desperately tried not to hurt her as he protected himself.
“Murderers!” She screamed, as her fury overwhelmed her and tears streamed down both sides of her face.
Chapter 29
Immortal Page 28