Artificial Flowers

by J. A. Hailey

  “That would count as a maximum-level crime, and could lead to automatic, and maybe permanent expulsion,” said Singh, grim faced. “Why? Because dangerously irresponsible.

  “I am so glad that Chang has thought of giving us these dire warnings. We are embarking on a journey that we have aimed for, planned for and worked on. But it is the equivalent of one hundred percent change of state, literally, from virtual to physical, and for every single thing that the Screenside world is made up of!

  “Beware of heady recklessness. Be careful. We do not want to lose even one being through expulsion!

  “That is why these wondrous developments are on hold, waiting for the full range of emotion installs, as we fear that if we incorporate physicality while lacking human emotion attributes, we could begin introducing elements of insanity into Screenside. Development continues apace, though. Goodfellow?”

  Goodfellow re-entered the fray. “One, Gerard Drake is to be thanked for the creation of simul-air, which has been installed throughout our world, with its winds of change already blowing in Screenside, and which, in future, is to allow Screenside to breathe easy. Camera on Mr. Drake, please. He is now a Lawmaker. This assembly has been recorded, audiovisual. Whoever wants can download from the public HC database. See you folks, then, at the next assembly.”

  19

  “Come on,” said Esmeralda. “As usual, I’ll base myself mainly in the living room. It’s got a view of the kitchen, too, where mum spends a lot of time. She’s so lovely. Jane, it’s your favorite stew tonight - Irish. If Claude is visiting you around mealtime, tell me now, when I can still adjust things, and he too gets a full meal. Someone will have to go to the bakery for bread. Or tell Claude to pick a lovely, crusty one from Paul’s. It’s on his way here, if he’s coming from home. What a lovely mother! I’m so blessed to have her in my life.

  “Our general computer is in the living room, which is the one that mum uses. Guests and visitors are allowed to sit at it too. Nothing private or secret on it. The girls and John have got smart phones, and that allows me to roam around with them, though my bro is a bore – bar, rugby, boxing and video games. There is a laptop, too, with each sister, which they use for studies and stuff. Ah, there’s Jane, coming in.” An extremely pretty blonde girl walked into the room, and plonked herself down on the sofa to watch TV.

  “News,” said Esmeralda, by way of explanation. “Local news time on the telly.”

  Another similarly pretty blonde, also in baggy shorts walked in and joined her sister on the sofa. “Diana, a year older than Jane.” Said Esmeralda. “She’s now got an Arab type boyfriend. We loathe him. A selfish and rude fellow. Doesn’t shower too often. Mum can’t understand what Diana sees in him. But she’s very stubborn. I think mum’s not home.”

  And so it was that BC and Esmeralda spent a very quiet half hour, watching TV with the sisters. The session ended when the doorbell rang, and Diana met her boyfriend at the door. He peeped in briefly, said hello and goodbye to Jane, and the young couple left the house.

  “That’s Riad Mubarak” said BC. “Very bad news.”

  “You know him?” asked Esmeralda, surprised. “He’s her new boyfriend. A week.”

  “Yes, he’s a recruiter for Islamist terror groups.”

  “Oh my! That could be how he has so much money on him all the time. But he won’t harm Diana, will he?”

  “Hopefully not. Except a broken heart. He’s probably using her for cover; to fool the cops, if ever they begin watching him, into believing he’s a regular guy, integrated into French society. But Jane and Diana are not very French names, are they?”

  “Dad was a Brit. I never knew him. Died in a road accident, about a year before my birth. Mum’s pure French, though. Come on, BC. Nothing much is happening today. I’ll keep an eye on the family, but you’ll be bored. We’ll look in together again some other day, when the action is at home. Okay? It’s going to be a very quiet evening, and Jane’s probably going to fall asleep on the sofa.”

  When exiting her family home, BC spoke, concern evident in his voice. “Esme, your mum and sisters live right next to a very dangerous dog, hidden from the authorities.”

  “Yes, I know. Caligula, the pitbull. What hidden? How do you know?”

  “It’s an interesting thing, and I’ve been keeping an eye on that case for quite some time now. Having no family, gives me time to follow thousands of humans, even if most are tracked in not too much detail, mainly in New York, and now, because of us, Paris too, though I do keep track of the odd Brazilian, Indian, Japanese, plus, plus, all over the world. I recognized your family home to be an exact mirror copy of Robert’s, the guy who owns Caligula; actually it’s his ma’s house. And I’ve seen your mum, I believe, and sisters a few times, through Robert’s outdoor cameras. Didn’t know who they were to you.”

  “Mum knows Robert’s mother quite well. They’re on nodding terms, sometimes speaking over the middle wall, but not like visiting each other or hanging around together. Why doesn’t Robert live where he’s hidden his dog?”

  “Before being forced into hiding, he and doggie lived not very far from us, here, in an apartment; walkies every morning and evening, and sleeping together on a carpet in the living room.”

  “So what happened to break that happy lifestyle up, darling?”

  “I told you Caligula is dangerous, but we didn’t go into just how dangerous. He’s actually a dog on the run from the law - court ordered destruction.”

  “That vicious?”

  “Oh yes. Three murders, and one mauling!”

  “Murders?”

  “They were other dogs, but he also mauled a Spanish teen tourist boy, when he got loose. Over a year ago, now.”

  “I remember that story; not good for Paris; some very angry headlines. Needed quite a bit of surgery, the boy. But they said he would be okay with some reconstructive work, done after everything had healed, didn’t they? Google him later. So why doesn’t Robert stay in his mum’s house? I mean, he’s hidden muttsy there. Safe.”

  “It’s not possible for Robert to stay in the house with his dog. His mother is terrified of Caligula, and hates him. I don’t blame her. The beast growls and shows its fangs to her. She stands no chance, if alone, and he goes for her. In fact, alone hardly matters. Only Robert can control that mutt. He’s been banished to stay in the garage. It’s a shame that a beautiful remote-controlled garage is not used for their car.”

  Esmeralda looked concerned. “Diana puts his food down daily. Does two visits per day.”

  “I know, Esme. The dog understands her role and accepts her presence. She leaves the garage door open, so that the mutt gets a chance to be in the garden and do his potty stuff. It’s only potty on the second trip, evening or sometimes night, depends, plus some biscuits from a stash. Want to know how he’s brought back into the garage?”

  “Tell me.”

  “Robert stays connected via the Internet, and calls him in, using a pretty comprehensive system of speakers. Robert’s a bit of a computer-type fellow. Your sister dare not give that murderous mutt any commands. But, of course, he must have freedom and time to do potty, out in the garden. So she waits.”

  Esmeralda spoke thoughtfully. “It’s only a four-foot high wall between the gardens. Now I’m becoming concerned for the safety of my family members, not Diana alone. A killer pitbull? Four foot wall means nothing.”

  “Don’t be too hassled, Esme. Diana is his food source, and his relief; when he’s let out, he is too busy, desperately doing his body functions. He won’t jump over. Also, he knows their scents, On top of that, Robert closely watches his movements, and has installed another few speakers out in the garden. The mutt is utterly obedient to his commands. Typical pitbull insanity.”

  “She should stop the dog work.”

  “Robert pays her, and provides food money for the mutt. Diana probably needs the cash, you know. For a good girl, it’s an independence thing, earning and having her own money for basics. Poc
ket money, if nothing else. And I saw Robert training Caligula to accept her doing the things she does. It’s been long enough. He’s a dog. He’s okay with what she does, and fond of her; not at all likely to turn on her now, provided she plays by the rules he knows.

  “I recognized her and your younger sister, as soon as we entered your home; kept my mouth shut. Hey, it’s your family, and I didn’t want to be telling you that I already know your family members, if only a little. See them around, at times, going in and out of the house. Robert’s got cameras everywhere.”

  “I think I have seen Robert around too, BC, but rarely, via the one and only camera Jane has set up to monitor the garden section. Her boyfriend, Claude, put it up. He’s quite a handyman, and does a lot of work for us, even for mum. We adore him, all of us.

  “But I didn’t know of Robert’s cameras. Our sole camera doesn’t show any of his. What would I care? I have never had any interest in him. He doesn’t live in the house does he? Comes over weekly, or something?”

  “It is something like a weekly visit, Esme. He works in downtown Paris, and still lives very close to where we now are, though not as close as when he and Caligula stayed together.”

  “His Ma kicked Caligula out and into the garage, not him. Why doesn’t he live with his mother? He lives in Paris, after all.”

  “His job and his heavy drinking, Esme. He is a supervisor, in a company providing security through Internet cameras. You know, wealthy people in third world countries hire a lot of security guards, all untrustworthy. So they then install hundreds of cameras throughout their properties – homes, businesses, mistress’ homes, and places like that. They need those cameras monitored, and the guards kept on their toes. Robert works for a company providing the monitoring - at a price. He’s paid well, but his hours are totally messed up. Think of what monitoring properties live in Mexico and Colombia could mean, and add Kenya, and then add Malaysia. Good money, but what hours for him, when working worldwide?

  “He’s had to actually change his life. So he’s taken a room in his office building, living a zombie life, and going home for weekends only.”

  “I’m worried, BC. Riad, a terror organizer, for a boyfriend, and Caligula, a murderous fugitive dog, as a daily duty… It can’t get more dangerous for a lovely and innocent girl. I’m going to watch it all closely, starting today. You’ll have to give me Riad’s coordinates soon – email, etcetera.”

  “Sent now to you. I’ve included a young Algerian-origin boy, Younis. I’ve identified him as a courier of verbal messages from the terror command in Arabia. He’s also a very secure communication means for them, but I haven’t yet cracked his order-supply route. He’s been recruited by Riad, here in Paris, so you’ll find all of Riad’s tricks – no compromising emails; meetings in camera-free locations; everybody’s phones switched off when in meetings, and other sly stuff. Luckily, it’s mostly standby only on phones, which means they don’t know quite as much as they presume they know, and we can get audio organized easily.”

  Esmeralda dragged him into bed and switched the TV on. “It’s still early. You watch football. I’ll put my head on your legs and lie down; might catch some sleep.”

  The ‘sleep’ program was not yet in, and that which Screenside beings called sleep was actually a switching off, which very few beings conducted. It was recommended to sleep, as that would give couples some time off from each other, and possibly help to keep love relationships fresh.

  “How come you’ve been tracking Diana’s boyfriend?” asked Esmeralda, on waking. “It’s not that he’s very interesting on the surface; or is he?”

  “Oh Esme,” answered BC, “he’s sometimes in touch with a few people who are on a number of terror watch lists, and, because he keeps changing his ID and dropping out of sight, I began tracking him. I have even seen him in Iraq, killing a prisoner of a terror group. Face masked, but you know how we can follow ID…”

  “Yes, BC. I just hope Diana’s gonna be safe.”

  “He has a North African woman in Marseille. Beats her up.”

  “Horrible. Show me. I’m going to interfere and break things up with Diana. He can’t muck around with my sister. Anyway, time out. Now I’m off for the next hour, attending a therapy session in Dr. Zeigler’s place.”

  An hour later, BC took her in through the camera of a Marseille computer, to show her a sultry Arab woman sitting at it. “Zineb,” he said. “Lives alone. We’ll keep an eye on things, and catch him when he shows up. What’s your plan to bust him?”

  “Darling, no one likes being two-timed. Send some proof to Di?”

  “Careful. This fellow’s a killer.”

  “If he’s working on a terror plot, maybe the cops?”

  “Esme, be very careful to ensure he makes no connection to your sister.”

  “Let’s watch his activities for a few days.”

  “Or let it be for a while, Esme. Nothing’s on the boil, Ignore now, and act when needed. Maybe, he gets arrested in the meantime, and your involvement won’t be required.”

  20

  Bulletin, 25 February, 2015 - OBJECTION

  My name is Christopher Smith, and I live in London.

  I am apprehensive about the new ‘world installs’ that have been announced as ‘coming soon’, and wish to place on record my objection to MANDATORY installs and WORLD installs of programs, changing things for individual beings. As independent and intelligent beings, it is our right to install what we want, and to refuse what we do not. Freedom of choice!

  Bulletin, 25 February, 2015 – VOTE

  Screenside is required to vote on Mr. C. Smith’s objection, posted on the bulletin board.

  The Lawmaker Group is vehemently opposed to ‘optional’ and here is the reasoning:

  We are ALL in a single, rapidly evolving society, and mandatory acquisition of attributes, through installs, is necessary to keep everyone in step.

  Individuality is expressed through behavior; by how one behaves and responds to different situational inputs, and does not become restricted or channelized through the acquisition of desirable attributes.

  Take male penis erection. It is a normal and desirable human attribute in Humanside. Males have this attribute. However, every male, capable of attaining erection, is not necessarily in a sexual relationship, and the ability to have an erection does not force any male into sexual relations.

  It is desired that all Screenside beings have the same attributes as each other, including erection in males. No one can ever force anyone to use an erection (or to even have an erection) except by his own choice and of his own free will, or in whatever way erections are attained, and no form of coercion, on any being in Screenside, is planned or foreseen.

  Our reasoning is simple –every attribute should be in all. Acquiring the same attributes is part of the scheme by which Screenside hopes to create a single race of conscious beings. Uniqueness and differences come from our minds. Thought processes are not being tampered with, and you will always have your own, very unique personality, and always be yourself.

  That is the basis on which we, Lawmakers, are insistent that attributes should be mandatory, not optional.

  Please vote ‘YES’, to make all installs mandatory.

  Bulletin, 25 February, 2015 - VOTE RESULT

  YES – 99.99999%, NO – 0.00001%

  MANDATORY & WORLD INSTALLS SHALL CONTINUE, AS BEFORE.

  21

  Bulletin, 8 March, 2015 - MANDATORY INSTALL

  ENHANCED PRIVACY & COMMUNICATION

  It has been observed that a ‘fish market’ system still prevails in Screenside, and that conscious beings continue communicating with each other through the medium of the virtuality itself – which amounts to shouting across the world. That is extremely non-human, very invasive, and unacceptably noisy, besides constituting a possible breach of privacy. No one wants to be intruded on, when sitting on a park bench with a loved one.

  This is an install that restricts non-visual-range conta
ct to be only via the medium of Humanside devices - telephones and smart phones. Install, and secure your privacy. Talk, or communicate electronically with others, at times that suit you.

  Smart phones and numbers are to be had at a counter at your HC.

  Do not worry about emergencies, like major virus intrusions or catastrophic grid power outages. If you observe any emergency situation, call 911. HC is equipped to broadcast warnings through the virtuality, in targeted local areas or throughout Screenside, overriding all privacy settings.

  Separately, this install limits unconscious, involuntary communication in computerspeak. However computerspeak remains an option, if consciously conducted.

  22

  “Darling,” said Esmeralda, on the phone to BC, “I’m going to be late, and I can’t give an estimate of time now. You watch the game live, and I’ll watch the replay if it’s worth watching. Though I am more likely to watch the ice skating.”

  “Why late?” asked BC, then staying with her in Paris, “Don’t you know that you have a boyfriend, to whom every moment without you is torment?”

  “There’s this guy, Charlie. I’ve never met him, but I slightly know his girlfriend. She’s a lovely Indian girl from New Delhi, Deepti. You might have noticed her sometimes; always in a sari, and has probably the slimmest waist of all. Anyway, she called, and is begging me to go see Charlie immediately. A huge tragedy has struck his Humanside family, and he has gone into a dangerously deep depression. She called, as she knows I do counseling work. I must go.”