PuristLove
Bluelighter
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Hey Cherub and Mods... I promise I wont post the whole book chapter by chapter. just wanted to give a taste : )
Be forewarned reader... This was 16 pages long in word : )
Enjoy
Not Twice Messiah
By Eric West
The steam that filled the bathroom was quickly cleared by an invisible fan. A voice spoke to him; "Did you have a nice shower, David?"
"Absolutely revitalizing, Nathan."
"How warm would you like it in here?" the voice asked.
"You know I want it at 78 degrees, why bother asking?"
"It's my job to ask, David"
"Of course Nathan, of course," David's mind was too distant to really get involved in their usual banter. He stepped over to the mirror, there were still beads of condensation on it.
"Sorry about that," as the voice spoke the mirror was cleared, "Do you want to be towel or air dried?"
"Air dried, your toweling has been a little bit on the rough side lately."
"My toweling," the voice intoned, "Is always perfectly consistent. If anything has changed it is you. Maybe Master David has gotten just a little bit sensitive."
"Idiot," David said under his breath.
A face appeared in the mirror and it was not David's. Thick bushy eyebrows, a large nose and thick lips greeted him. "If Master David thinks I'm an idiot Master David can dry himself."
The warm air that had been slowly drying him stopped and David was left dripping wet in a cold room. "Turn the air back on Nathan."
"First he tells me that my toweling is rough, then he calls me an idiot. Now he wants to order me around like I'm some kind of servant. Who does Master David think he is?" The face in the mirror feigned a hurt expression.
David brought himself to eye level with Nathan's face. Nathan averted his gaze for a second but couldn't resist looking back. They burst out laughing.
"For a computer program you sure have some uppity notions Nathan."
"I'm more than a computer program. I am the latest in home maintenance and companionship technology. If Master David wants a less uppity companion I suggest he purchase one of the older models. They lack my sense of humor and my personality."
"Nathan, I wouldn't want you to be any other way. I like you just the way you are," David apologized as he shivered in the cold room.
Nathan smiled and the face in the mirror vanished.
"Now can we get the warm air back on, please."
"Yes Sir," the faceless voice responded and David was dried quickly.
He brushed his hair and teeth, then ran a hand over his chin. "Nathan, I think its time for my hair removal treatment. I'm getting some stubble."
"I would say more than stubble David."
"Oh shut up and shave me," David sat down on the counter. A tile on the wall slid out of the way and a small metal arm complete with five-fingered hand came out.
"Would you be so kind as to put my glove on for me David?"
David touched the mirror and it vanished. Behind it was a cupboard and in the corner was a box. David took a glove out of the box and slid it on the metal hand.
"Thank you," the hand reached into the cupboard and pressed a button at the back of it, a greenish-white cream was dispensed into Nathan's rubber palm.
Nathan rubbed the cream all over David's face. He rinsed himself off in the sink and then disappeared into the wall again. He returned with a towel for David, "Would Master David like to towel his own face clean, since my toweling has been a little on the rough side lately?"
"Nathan shut up and get this gunk off of my face," The cream ate at the hair on his face and left his skin feeling like something with a million legs was walking around on it.
The towel quickly wiped his face clean. The hair came off easily and David rubbed his face. It was smooth. The cream was supposed to be completely safe but he always worried that it would eat away his skin. He stuck his hand under the faucet to switch it on, "Cold water Nathan."
The cold stream fell into his hands, shocking him a little. He splashed it on his face and felt much better. It was the only way to make those millions of legs go away, and he liked the shock of the cold water.
"I'm going to pick out my own outfit tonight Nathan."
"Dear God save all our eyes," he heard muttered in the background.
"I happen to dress very well Nathan, Kaylie told me."
"Kaylie was trying not to hurt your feelings Master. I, however; feel no such compunction," Nathan snickered as he said this.
David ignored him and walked out of the bathroom into his bedroom. The murals on the walls were quite impressive but he was immune to them. He'd seen the writhing lovers too many times. He walked over to the closet and pulled out the shiny silver jumpsuit. It was several years out of style but David preferred it to any other. Kaylie liked it.
He sat it on the bed, where hopefully he and someone else would end up later, and took a few steps to the wall. "Green tonight Nathan."
A panel of the wall moved aside and the metal hand was there holding green shorts and socks. David took them and slipped the shorts on. He went over to the bed and stepped into the jump suit. Then he sat down and slipped on the socks. "My shoes Nathan," he looked at the wall and 7:12 glared in red letter, "My shoes, Hurry!"
"David, I do everything at maximum speed, now lift your feet."
David did and the floor opened. Two hands came out and put the shoes on him. Once his feet were inside David reached down and pressed the small button on their side. The shoes tightened and the floor closed. David stood up and walked back into the bathroom for one last glance in the mirror.
He looked good and he knew it. Clear blue eyes peered back at him. He changed his mind about his hair and decided to pull it back. He stuck his hand into the mirror and grabbed the pseudo-leather thong before it even had a chance to fade away. He tied back the long black locks and felt around for the cologne. He found the button and pressed it, a clean smelling mist filled the room.
David walked back through his room, out the door and down the long hall. On his way through the living room Nathan's voice slowed him, "Is Master David taking his car tonight?"
"No, I think I'll catch a ride on the Metro. I won't be capable of driving on the way home."
"That's ok, I'll drive."
"Last time I let you control the car we almost never made it ."
"Master David, I'm incapable of error, my driving is perfect. It was the other driver, how was I supposed to anticipate..."
"That's right," David cut him off, "Because you’re a computer you can't anticipate the other drivers. I'll take the Metro."
"As Master David wishes," the silence that filled the room was so full of false injury that David was left uncomfortable. Hurriedly he opened the door, stepped through it and shut it behind him. He loved Nathan but tonight he was glad to be gone from him.
The air outside was so dirty that David coughed. His apartment had filters and regulators but outside the pollution was not escapable. It even managed to find its way into the halls of buildings. There were very few places left in the United States where one could breathe anything resembling clean air.
David mashed the button for the lift and waited. The LED said the elevator was at the 23rd floor and would be going down before coming back up. It would be at least five minutes before it made it back up to 300 where he waited. He lit an herbal cigarette and examined the bench. It was covered in grime and being self-conscious of his clothes he decided to stand.
Time passed and David ground out the butt as the doors opened. Stepping inside he was assaulted by the odor of urine. His apartment was an expensive one and supposedly free of the problems associated with the lower class buildings. Unfortunately those problems were everywhere.
David sighed.
The descent was unremarkable. Several others joined him on his way down and they sat on the benches that lined the elevator. No one spoke. Silence inside the lift was an unwritten but universal law.
It reached the ground and David made his way quickly through the lobby to another set of doors in the wall. Similar to the lift, the Metro did not require stepping outside. Thirty or forty minutes passed and the doors opened up.
The Metro was filled with an eclectic collection of people. Skinheads, punks, old ravers still hanging on to an era that had long ago passed. The poor and the rich, young and old, all walks of life were present on the city's main transportation.
He made his way to the water fountain and glanced around. Seeing no one resembling a police officer he pulled three gelatin capsules out of his pocket. Thinking out loud, "Blue rhymes with two…"
He pulled a small cylinder from his pocket. "Can't be too careful," he muttered as he sprayed antiseptic onto the water fountain.
He leaned his head back and dropped the blue pill down his throat. It stuck on his tongue and he began to gag. He forced himself to swallow and pressed the button spraying some water into his mouth. The 2ct7 took about two hours to kick in and five to climax. He wanted the peaks of all three drugs to be reached at once so the timing had to be perfect. He glanced at his watch and made a mental note. The MDMA would be consumed at 11:00 and the psilocybin at around 9:45. Tonight was going to be an incredible night.
He found a seat between two people. One was a balding man who reeked of alcohol. David passed no judgement though; everyone had a right to escape however they wanted to. On his left was a priest. David had only seen two of them in his life. The Christian Church had all but disappeared. Interested, he turned to him wanting to strike up a conversation. The priest, however, appeared to be deep in thought and David decided not to disturb him.
He glanced at the small screen strapped to his wrist. Out of boredom he pressed the button on its side and Nathan's face appeared instantly, "Not gone an hour and disturbing me already Master David?"
"I want to see the flyer for the party again."
"Yes Master David, and please Sir, I have things to do."
"Of course you do Nathan, now get me to that site."
It took about one second for World Parties server to finish loading. He glanced at the screen. "Local parties for today's date," he said to the command prompt. A Brief Tour of the Classics appeared on his small computer in large 3-D words. Theme parties were popular with college students. The theme could be anything from the costumes of a particular culture to parties that placed you inside the plot of a story. Tonight the idea was for everyone to consume drugs that had been popular twenty years ago or more.
David's choices were all three fairly novel to him. He had mostly used the newer designer drugs, but had tried each of these once before. He'd never tried combining them before but from everything he had read it was going to be the most intense experience of his life.
The safest was the psilocybin. Contained within certain mushrooms, this chemical had been used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Tests had shown that though possibly psychologically disturbing it caused no permanent physical damage. It was also completely non-addictive.
The MDMA, known in the previous century as ecstasy, did cause some permanent damage. Chronic use could put a person into a hellish depression that even time never took away. Occasional use, however, did such little damage that it would go unnoticeable. David had pre-loaded earlier with all the right supplements to decrease his chances of being harmed. He was going to take a relatively small dose. His neurons would be all right.
2ct7 would be the wild card. It was a little less explored than the other two; in fact not much was known about it at all. It had been legal for a small amount of time at the beginning of the millennia, gaining some notoriety with internet-using druggies, but the government had quickly scheduled it. It was harder to synthesize than already popular drugs and kitchen chemists devoted themselves to ecstasy and crystal meth instead. 2ct7 disappeared from the scene until recently, when new techniques in chemistry had made it within anyone's grasp to create as much of any chemical as they wanted.
David had only tried it one time, and enjoyed it immensely. 10mg was a very small dose but because there was such little information about it, he wanted to be safe. As a catalyst to the other two substances, 10mg would be just fine.
The Metro lurched to a sudden stop. It was unusual; the stops were always smooth. They would go unnoticed if the intercom didn't announce where location every time.
Men in dark black clothes with shiny silver trim stepped into David's compartment. They carried some heavy-duty guns. "Shit," he thought, "It’s the cops."
One of them carried a small box in one hand and something resembling a microphone in the other. David recognized it as drug detection equipment. His pulse quickened as they stepped towards him. The box emitted a beep that grew more and more frequent as the cop got closer to David. A trickle of sweat ran down his brow. His stomach was in his throat as he contemplated running.
The cop paused less than a foot away from David and then walked past him. David released the breath he had been holding. Seizing the man sitting behind David by the collar, the cop ripped open the man's shirt. A bag of dark purple powder was taped to his chest.
"You are under arrest…" as the cop read the drug-mule his rights David drifted away, realizing how close he had been. The drug must be taking effect, David was always calm, but one of 7's distinct properties was paranoia.
"Ok, not gonna have a bad trip, think happy thoughts," David forced his mind away from the ugly scene behind him and thought of Kaylie. How he felt when he was around her…how she was his best friend…how tonight was going to be his chance to tell her he wanted more than friendship…
The alarm on his wrist-computer went off. It was time to take the psilocybin. The cops were leaving now, and David made his way once again to the water fountain. It was the red pill this time because red reminded him of those big toadstools and mushrooms in fairy tales. The red ones complete with purple or green spots. He grinned as he downed the pill. Maybe for a little while he would even turn into a frog.
Drugs were how David escaped a harsh reality. He was intelligent, but had long ago learned to hide that in order to make friends. He was caring, but caring in a world of natural selection was painful. Adapting to the society he lived in forced David to feel stifled like he was trapped in a box filling slowly with water.
His drug use began when he started his first semester of college. Learning technical terminology was easy for him, but it bored him so much that he had actually considered suicide several times. The things he actually found interesting could only be taken as electives. The world was focused around the concrete and so the abstract that David loved so much, could only be a hobby. To make a living he would have to create some physical good or perform some physical service.
The drugs took him away from that. A fantasyland was opened up for him by some, a void of apathy by others. Both were better than learning the correct procedure for servicing robot type AD-211P and his weekend escapes actually gave him the strength to go on with it all.
The box was still closing in around him though and the water kept getting higher. He was still careful about his drug use. He had to be; if his parents found out they would stop paying both his bills and his tuition. It wasn't that his drug dependency was growing worse, he handled that with will power. It was just a mounting frustration with life. He was beginning to come to the conclusion that there had to be something more than just work and play. He wanted happiness and he hoped that he would find it in Kaylie.
He had barely made it back to his seat when the Metro's intercom system informed him that they were approaching 800th Street. The next stop was going to be his and he stood. He apologized to the people sitting beside him for being up and down so much. The alcoholic ignored him, but the priest said, "It’s a shame your leaving now, I was hoping I would get to talk to you."
David regretted now that he hadn't spoken earlier, "I wanted to talk to you as well."
The priest fumbled in his pocket for a minute, "Here's my card, why don't you send me an email sometime." He handed a small plastic disc to David.
"I will. I have to go now or I'll miss my stop. Thank you," he shoved the disc in one of the pockets on his jump suit and hastened to the exit.
David stepped out into the Metro station. This wasn't a good part of town so he avoided looking people directly in the eyes. He hastened to one of the shuttles and jumped inside, pulling the door closed behind him.
"Take me to 37652 812th Street."
The shuttle's computer responded by pulling away from the curb. Shuttles had their own lanes so it was much safer than driving. The same massive computer navigated all the cars, and there was almost never an accident.
David glanced at the watch on his wrist-computer. 10:15. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. Both of the drugs were beginning to have a very physical effect on him. Pleasant tingling ran through his body like small electrical surges. The hair on the back of his neck stiffened. There was an uncomfortable cramp in his stomach that he relieved by passing gas. There was no one else around to smell it.
The fabric of reality was already unfolding, the colors of objects were noticeably brighter. Movement caused tracers, lines of color left behind in the air by the object as it passed. "Am I in for more than I bargained for?" David wondered aloud.
The shuttle came to a stop outside of a large building. It was lit brightly with neon lights. An enormous pulse of strobing light flashed through the windows every few seconds. David was a little nervous as he steeled himself to step outside of the car.
The parking lot was very crowded with people. The party was a fairly major event and some of them had come from all over the country to be here. World Parties always came up with the best themes.
He meandered shakily through the people, searching for a familiar face or the correct place to get in line. A short teenage boy approached David. "Want a light show?" The boy was obviously anxious to show off and David accepted with a nod of his head.
The boy flipped a switch on his pants and the points of his fingers lit up in ten different colors. He was wearing an all white, rubber outfit that covered his shoes and hands. The wiring for the lights was inside the fabric.
His fingers danced in front of David's eyes. For a brief second he was aware of someone rubbing his shoulders but that quickly faded away. There were only colors and patterns. Even the loud music inside the building faded away. Within the kaleidoscope inside his head, David saw many symbols. Some like the cross and the sitting Buddha he vaguely recognized. Others like the elephant-man and the snake swallowing its own tail he did not.
The symbols danced with each other, weaving in and out, a fantastical ballroom of sacredness. They moved closer and closer together, melding and merging. Frantically increasing their pace as they gradually became one. When all the symbols had collided there was an enormous flash of brilliant light and then David saw only darkness.
He awoke on the ground with a girl and boy staring at him. The boy was the one who had given the light show, the girl he did not recognize.
"Are you alright?" It was her asking.
"I'm fine," it took David a second to speak. He was still entirely overwhelmed.
"You seemed to be enjoying yourself and then you just closed your eyes and collapsed," there was concern in the boy's voice. His light shows had never done THAT before.
"I just saw the most amazing thing. I think I've seen the face of God," David didn't realize that his words would mean little to them. That what he had experienced was somehow beyond anything words could accurately convey.
They looked at him for a minute and then broke into giggles, "I want some of whatever he's on." The girl offered him a hand and lifted David to his feet.
He walked off scratching his head, eyes wide in wonderment not realizing that they were still laughing at him. He was still feeling disoriented when the alarm on his wrist went off again. He lit it buzz for a minute before he even recognized that it was coming from his own arm. "Oh yeah, time for the ecstasy."
He stopped the alarm and quickly glanced around. There would be someone giving away bottled water somewhere, but finding it in this crowd was going to take some time. He swallowed the gelatin capsule with a dry mouth and barely forced it to go down.
Nausea overtook him and he was forced to sit down. Hot flashes raced through his body, they felt good but were a little intense. He needed water.
Wondering aimlessly through the people, David eventually found the DanceSafe booth. The line was long, so he walked around it. Some people were offended by his rudeness but when they saw how red his face was they quickly moved out of his way.
The cold water had never tasted better. Taking a sip was like diving into a pool of cold water on a very hot day. He poured some on his head and felt much better. The nausea was gone and the hot flashes had gone back to a pleasurable level.
He made his way to the line and stood there. Time passed but he was so deeply in thought that he didn't notice. The meaning of what he had seen earlier was still hidden and it nagged him.
Getting closer to the club's entrance David was brought out of his trance by a pair of hands covering his eyes. "Guess who?" a familiar female voice questioned.
David smiled, "Hmmm… Who could it be?" He pretended like he didn't recognize her, "Is it my mom?"
"Nope," the voice behind him bubbled with happiness.
"My Second Grade teacher?" David was having fun too.
"No silly," she was ready for a hug but in far too good a mood to interrupt him.
"Then it has to be… the person I wanted most to see in the world," David laughed, "Hi Kaylie."
"So think the people behind will mind if I cut in front of them so we can go in together?"
"I'm sure it won't be a problem. If it is I'll just have to do something about it," he flexed his muscles and faked a mean face.
They chatted for a few more minutes and then David was standing in front of the doorperson. It was a woman and she looked big enough to kick dents in anybody that gave her a problem, "I.D?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Sure right here," David pulled the small medallion from his shirt. He held it out for her to scan.
"Ok, its one-hundred credits tonight," As she spoke she glanced back down the line. Two girls were rolling on the ground, hitting each other, "Just a minute. I'll be right back."
She broke up the fight with little trouble and sent the girls on their way, banned from the premises. She came back and David handed her his credit-stick, "Go ahead and pay for her as well." He gestured at Kaylie with his body.
"David, no," Kaylie interjected, "I've got my own money."
"Its ok," he told her, "My parents transferred some extra money into my account this month."
The woman used a separate scanner on his credit-stick. It beeped loudly as it deducted the two hundred credits. "Ok you guys have fun," she actually smiled at them as she ushered them into the club.
"Kaylie, I have to tell you about the most incredible thing that happened to me tonight," David really needed someone to help him figure out what he had been shown.
"Sure David, lets dance first ok? The MDMA is kicking in now and I just have to move around some," she looked at him, asking him if this was all right with her eyes. She was already rocking back and forth on her heels to the beat of the music.
"That's fine," he smiled to let her know that it was. He was really feeling the ecstasy now too. They had wanted to be in the same head-space tonight. Earlier in the week the two of them had gotten together, synthesized the drugs, and measured their dosages into gel caps. He hoped that she felt as good as he did. It was like a rainbow had opened up inside his heart.
Tremendous surges of orgasmic energy ran up and down his spine. Colors, patterns and fractals danced before him, but through those he could still piece together what reality looked like.
Everything had taken on a surreal quality. His muscles were soft and relaxed, his head felt light. He realized that he was talking through his teeth because he was gritting them so hard. Nothing in his life had prepared him for how intense this was.
The two of them stepped onto a crowded dance floor. People moved and swayed in large circles. They pressed their way into one, standing beside each other.
The music was fantastic. A live band played and their instruments were wired into a computer. The DJ sat there mixing and adjusting, while adding to the music itself with samples, keyboard, and some other tools available to him.
David was swallowed by the music. He felt a positive wave of energy from everyone in the room. There was a lot of love here. Surrounded by a world of violence and pollution, they came here to be themselves.
It was so beautiful that tears ran down David's face. Kaylie mouthed at him, "You ok?"
He nodded his head and wiped his eyes. His dancing was wonderful. Usually he felt awkward but tonight the music moved his body for him. He wasn't thinking, just being. The beat picked up a little and his body began to move faster. The world was fading to white again, the music disappearing, the people. Suddenly David knew only bliss.
It was eternity before Kaylie once again brought him back to awareness, "Let's go get some water and find somewhere quiet to sit down." She took his hand and led him to the DanceSafe booth.
He realized how hot and flushed he was as soon as she said this. The water was once again refreshing. They caught the lift upstairs and found a small room with couches. People lounged in the corners, smoking hash and talking quietly. Some classical music caught David's ears and he realized it was Floyd.
Kaylie and David found a quiet corner and plopped down in the chair. She began giving him a back massage and he lit a cigarette. The cool menthol and herbal smoke tasted good, and Kaylie's hands felt incredible.
"So what happened to you earlier? You said you wanted to tell me about something that happened?" Kaylie questioned as her hand rubbed deeper and deeper into David's shoulder muscles.
"I think I saw the face of God Kaylie," he turned around to look her in the eyes but she pushed his head back around.
"What David?" she didn't understand and he knew he was going to have a hard time explaining.
"Ok, I was starting to come up really hard on the seven and the psilocybin in the parking lot. This guy asked me if I wanted a light show and he looked eager so I let him give me one. Well at first it was really nice, you know, bright lights, tracers, all that. Then it was like he went away and there were just these brilliant visuals. These holy symbols… Some of them I didn't recognize but I just… I know they were sacred. Anyways these things were all just spinning in my head and the next thing I know I'm completely blissed out. Everything fades to pure white and I feel like I've somehow transcended this reality. I know its weird," He spun around to see her reaction. Her hands had stopped massaging his shoulders and he wished she would continue. It felt so good, he felt like gelatin.
She pushed him down onto the couch, forcing him to lie on his stomach. She massaged his back quietly for a moment, pondering what he had told her, "Well David, you were awfully high. I'm sure it was just the drugs."
"No… it was more than that. And then, while we were dancing, it happened again. Only this time, the bliss lasted longer. I wish I could show you." He wanted to share that deep sense of pure joy with everyone, but especially with Kaylie.
Her fingers continued to send pleasure rolling up and down his body. On instinct he flipped over, leaned upwards, and kissed her. She seemed shocked at first, and then responded by straddling him and placing her tongue deeply inside his mouth.
David was insanely happy. They kissed for a long time before Kaylie finally stopped and asked, "What are we doing?"
"Something I've been wanting for a long time."
"Aren't we friends?"
"Kaylie, you’re my best friend but I want more than that. I'm in love with you."
"That's just the drugs again David."
"No, Kaylie. I've been planning on telling you all week. I figured it out last weekend and it's been all I could think about since."
"Look David, I think I have feelings for you too but lets wait and talk about this when we aren't so high."
David was a little bit disappointed. He wanted to talk about it now. He felt like he had been holding it in for way too long already. But the night was wonderful. Something greater than anything David had known before had somehow reached out and connected with him. He had kissed Kaylie and finally told her how he felt about her. There was no need to ruin the night. Flashing a smile at her, he nodded his head and took her hand in his.
They talked for a long time. David tried to explain the sense of joy and love that he had experienced earlier, "It was like being a part of everything in the entire universe and something much more."
Kaylie tried to understand. She had been introduced to similar philosophies in one of her history classes. Her skepticism wasn't unfounded. Faith was not something anyone had anymore.
Several hours later David realized that the intensity of his high was gone. The visuals were still present, and an afterglow. Whether that was due to his experience earlier, the drugs or kissing Kaylie he did not know.
"I think I need to get him and crawl in bed," Kaylie told him.
He didn't want to leave her, but part of him agreed. It was definitely time to head home. "Alright Kaylie, I had a great night."
"Me too. Call me tomorrow ok? We'll talk about us," She smiled at him and leaned over for a hug. He squeezed her back, suddenly timid. She hesitated for a moment and then grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close for a kiss.
They said goodnight and parted. David was thrilled all over again, and his thoughts were racing the entire long ride home.
*********************************************
My first novel is available at www.literaryclearinghouse.com/ericwest.html
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Intelligence is not best measured by the answers you have but by the questions that you ask
Be forewarned reader... This was 16 pages long in word : )
Enjoy
Not Twice Messiah
By Eric West
The steam that filled the bathroom was quickly cleared by an invisible fan. A voice spoke to him; "Did you have a nice shower, David?"
"Absolutely revitalizing, Nathan."
"How warm would you like it in here?" the voice asked.
"You know I want it at 78 degrees, why bother asking?"
"It's my job to ask, David"
"Of course Nathan, of course," David's mind was too distant to really get involved in their usual banter. He stepped over to the mirror, there were still beads of condensation on it.
"Sorry about that," as the voice spoke the mirror was cleared, "Do you want to be towel or air dried?"
"Air dried, your toweling has been a little bit on the rough side lately."
"My toweling," the voice intoned, "Is always perfectly consistent. If anything has changed it is you. Maybe Master David has gotten just a little bit sensitive."
"Idiot," David said under his breath.
A face appeared in the mirror and it was not David's. Thick bushy eyebrows, a large nose and thick lips greeted him. "If Master David thinks I'm an idiot Master David can dry himself."
The warm air that had been slowly drying him stopped and David was left dripping wet in a cold room. "Turn the air back on Nathan."
"First he tells me that my toweling is rough, then he calls me an idiot. Now he wants to order me around like I'm some kind of servant. Who does Master David think he is?" The face in the mirror feigned a hurt expression.
David brought himself to eye level with Nathan's face. Nathan averted his gaze for a second but couldn't resist looking back. They burst out laughing.
"For a computer program you sure have some uppity notions Nathan."
"I'm more than a computer program. I am the latest in home maintenance and companionship technology. If Master David wants a less uppity companion I suggest he purchase one of the older models. They lack my sense of humor and my personality."
"Nathan, I wouldn't want you to be any other way. I like you just the way you are," David apologized as he shivered in the cold room.
Nathan smiled and the face in the mirror vanished.
"Now can we get the warm air back on, please."
"Yes Sir," the faceless voice responded and David was dried quickly.
He brushed his hair and teeth, then ran a hand over his chin. "Nathan, I think its time for my hair removal treatment. I'm getting some stubble."
"I would say more than stubble David."
"Oh shut up and shave me," David sat down on the counter. A tile on the wall slid out of the way and a small metal arm complete with five-fingered hand came out.
"Would you be so kind as to put my glove on for me David?"
David touched the mirror and it vanished. Behind it was a cupboard and in the corner was a box. David took a glove out of the box and slid it on the metal hand.
"Thank you," the hand reached into the cupboard and pressed a button at the back of it, a greenish-white cream was dispensed into Nathan's rubber palm.
Nathan rubbed the cream all over David's face. He rinsed himself off in the sink and then disappeared into the wall again. He returned with a towel for David, "Would Master David like to towel his own face clean, since my toweling has been a little on the rough side lately?"
"Nathan shut up and get this gunk off of my face," The cream ate at the hair on his face and left his skin feeling like something with a million legs was walking around on it.
The towel quickly wiped his face clean. The hair came off easily and David rubbed his face. It was smooth. The cream was supposed to be completely safe but he always worried that it would eat away his skin. He stuck his hand under the faucet to switch it on, "Cold water Nathan."
The cold stream fell into his hands, shocking him a little. He splashed it on his face and felt much better. It was the only way to make those millions of legs go away, and he liked the shock of the cold water.
"I'm going to pick out my own outfit tonight Nathan."
"Dear God save all our eyes," he heard muttered in the background.
"I happen to dress very well Nathan, Kaylie told me."
"Kaylie was trying not to hurt your feelings Master. I, however; feel no such compunction," Nathan snickered as he said this.
David ignored him and walked out of the bathroom into his bedroom. The murals on the walls were quite impressive but he was immune to them. He'd seen the writhing lovers too many times. He walked over to the closet and pulled out the shiny silver jumpsuit. It was several years out of style but David preferred it to any other. Kaylie liked it.
He sat it on the bed, where hopefully he and someone else would end up later, and took a few steps to the wall. "Green tonight Nathan."
A panel of the wall moved aside and the metal hand was there holding green shorts and socks. David took them and slipped the shorts on. He went over to the bed and stepped into the jump suit. Then he sat down and slipped on the socks. "My shoes Nathan," he looked at the wall and 7:12 glared in red letter, "My shoes, Hurry!"
"David, I do everything at maximum speed, now lift your feet."
David did and the floor opened. Two hands came out and put the shoes on him. Once his feet were inside David reached down and pressed the small button on their side. The shoes tightened and the floor closed. David stood up and walked back into the bathroom for one last glance in the mirror.
He looked good and he knew it. Clear blue eyes peered back at him. He changed his mind about his hair and decided to pull it back. He stuck his hand into the mirror and grabbed the pseudo-leather thong before it even had a chance to fade away. He tied back the long black locks and felt around for the cologne. He found the button and pressed it, a clean smelling mist filled the room.
David walked back through his room, out the door and down the long hall. On his way through the living room Nathan's voice slowed him, "Is Master David taking his car tonight?"
"No, I think I'll catch a ride on the Metro. I won't be capable of driving on the way home."
"That's ok, I'll drive."
"Last time I let you control the car we almost never made it ."
"Master David, I'm incapable of error, my driving is perfect. It was the other driver, how was I supposed to anticipate..."
"That's right," David cut him off, "Because you’re a computer you can't anticipate the other drivers. I'll take the Metro."
"As Master David wishes," the silence that filled the room was so full of false injury that David was left uncomfortable. Hurriedly he opened the door, stepped through it and shut it behind him. He loved Nathan but tonight he was glad to be gone from him.
The air outside was so dirty that David coughed. His apartment had filters and regulators but outside the pollution was not escapable. It even managed to find its way into the halls of buildings. There were very few places left in the United States where one could breathe anything resembling clean air.
David mashed the button for the lift and waited. The LED said the elevator was at the 23rd floor and would be going down before coming back up. It would be at least five minutes before it made it back up to 300 where he waited. He lit an herbal cigarette and examined the bench. It was covered in grime and being self-conscious of his clothes he decided to stand.
Time passed and David ground out the butt as the doors opened. Stepping inside he was assaulted by the odor of urine. His apartment was an expensive one and supposedly free of the problems associated with the lower class buildings. Unfortunately those problems were everywhere.
David sighed.
The descent was unremarkable. Several others joined him on his way down and they sat on the benches that lined the elevator. No one spoke. Silence inside the lift was an unwritten but universal law.
It reached the ground and David made his way quickly through the lobby to another set of doors in the wall. Similar to the lift, the Metro did not require stepping outside. Thirty or forty minutes passed and the doors opened up.
The Metro was filled with an eclectic collection of people. Skinheads, punks, old ravers still hanging on to an era that had long ago passed. The poor and the rich, young and old, all walks of life were present on the city's main transportation.
He made his way to the water fountain and glanced around. Seeing no one resembling a police officer he pulled three gelatin capsules out of his pocket. Thinking out loud, "Blue rhymes with two…"
He pulled a small cylinder from his pocket. "Can't be too careful," he muttered as he sprayed antiseptic onto the water fountain.
He leaned his head back and dropped the blue pill down his throat. It stuck on his tongue and he began to gag. He forced himself to swallow and pressed the button spraying some water into his mouth. The 2ct7 took about two hours to kick in and five to climax. He wanted the peaks of all three drugs to be reached at once so the timing had to be perfect. He glanced at his watch and made a mental note. The MDMA would be consumed at 11:00 and the psilocybin at around 9:45. Tonight was going to be an incredible night.
He found a seat between two people. One was a balding man who reeked of alcohol. David passed no judgement though; everyone had a right to escape however they wanted to. On his left was a priest. David had only seen two of them in his life. The Christian Church had all but disappeared. Interested, he turned to him wanting to strike up a conversation. The priest, however, appeared to be deep in thought and David decided not to disturb him.
He glanced at the small screen strapped to his wrist. Out of boredom he pressed the button on its side and Nathan's face appeared instantly, "Not gone an hour and disturbing me already Master David?"
"I want to see the flyer for the party again."
"Yes Master David, and please Sir, I have things to do."
"Of course you do Nathan, now get me to that site."
It took about one second for World Parties server to finish loading. He glanced at the screen. "Local parties for today's date," he said to the command prompt. A Brief Tour of the Classics appeared on his small computer in large 3-D words. Theme parties were popular with college students. The theme could be anything from the costumes of a particular culture to parties that placed you inside the plot of a story. Tonight the idea was for everyone to consume drugs that had been popular twenty years ago or more.
David's choices were all three fairly novel to him. He had mostly used the newer designer drugs, but had tried each of these once before. He'd never tried combining them before but from everything he had read it was going to be the most intense experience of his life.
The safest was the psilocybin. Contained within certain mushrooms, this chemical had been used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Tests had shown that though possibly psychologically disturbing it caused no permanent physical damage. It was also completely non-addictive.
The MDMA, known in the previous century as ecstasy, did cause some permanent damage. Chronic use could put a person into a hellish depression that even time never took away. Occasional use, however, did such little damage that it would go unnoticeable. David had pre-loaded earlier with all the right supplements to decrease his chances of being harmed. He was going to take a relatively small dose. His neurons would be all right.
2ct7 would be the wild card. It was a little less explored than the other two; in fact not much was known about it at all. It had been legal for a small amount of time at the beginning of the millennia, gaining some notoriety with internet-using druggies, but the government had quickly scheduled it. It was harder to synthesize than already popular drugs and kitchen chemists devoted themselves to ecstasy and crystal meth instead. 2ct7 disappeared from the scene until recently, when new techniques in chemistry had made it within anyone's grasp to create as much of any chemical as they wanted.
David had only tried it one time, and enjoyed it immensely. 10mg was a very small dose but because there was such little information about it, he wanted to be safe. As a catalyst to the other two substances, 10mg would be just fine.
The Metro lurched to a sudden stop. It was unusual; the stops were always smooth. They would go unnoticed if the intercom didn't announce where location every time.
Men in dark black clothes with shiny silver trim stepped into David's compartment. They carried some heavy-duty guns. "Shit," he thought, "It’s the cops."
One of them carried a small box in one hand and something resembling a microphone in the other. David recognized it as drug detection equipment. His pulse quickened as they stepped towards him. The box emitted a beep that grew more and more frequent as the cop got closer to David. A trickle of sweat ran down his brow. His stomach was in his throat as he contemplated running.
The cop paused less than a foot away from David and then walked past him. David released the breath he had been holding. Seizing the man sitting behind David by the collar, the cop ripped open the man's shirt. A bag of dark purple powder was taped to his chest.
"You are under arrest…" as the cop read the drug-mule his rights David drifted away, realizing how close he had been. The drug must be taking effect, David was always calm, but one of 7's distinct properties was paranoia.
"Ok, not gonna have a bad trip, think happy thoughts," David forced his mind away from the ugly scene behind him and thought of Kaylie. How he felt when he was around her…how she was his best friend…how tonight was going to be his chance to tell her he wanted more than friendship…
The alarm on his wrist-computer went off. It was time to take the psilocybin. The cops were leaving now, and David made his way once again to the water fountain. It was the red pill this time because red reminded him of those big toadstools and mushrooms in fairy tales. The red ones complete with purple or green spots. He grinned as he downed the pill. Maybe for a little while he would even turn into a frog.
Drugs were how David escaped a harsh reality. He was intelligent, but had long ago learned to hide that in order to make friends. He was caring, but caring in a world of natural selection was painful. Adapting to the society he lived in forced David to feel stifled like he was trapped in a box filling slowly with water.
His drug use began when he started his first semester of college. Learning technical terminology was easy for him, but it bored him so much that he had actually considered suicide several times. The things he actually found interesting could only be taken as electives. The world was focused around the concrete and so the abstract that David loved so much, could only be a hobby. To make a living he would have to create some physical good or perform some physical service.
The drugs took him away from that. A fantasyland was opened up for him by some, a void of apathy by others. Both were better than learning the correct procedure for servicing robot type AD-211P and his weekend escapes actually gave him the strength to go on with it all.
The box was still closing in around him though and the water kept getting higher. He was still careful about his drug use. He had to be; if his parents found out they would stop paying both his bills and his tuition. It wasn't that his drug dependency was growing worse, he handled that with will power. It was just a mounting frustration with life. He was beginning to come to the conclusion that there had to be something more than just work and play. He wanted happiness and he hoped that he would find it in Kaylie.
He had barely made it back to his seat when the Metro's intercom system informed him that they were approaching 800th Street. The next stop was going to be his and he stood. He apologized to the people sitting beside him for being up and down so much. The alcoholic ignored him, but the priest said, "It’s a shame your leaving now, I was hoping I would get to talk to you."
David regretted now that he hadn't spoken earlier, "I wanted to talk to you as well."
The priest fumbled in his pocket for a minute, "Here's my card, why don't you send me an email sometime." He handed a small plastic disc to David.
"I will. I have to go now or I'll miss my stop. Thank you," he shoved the disc in one of the pockets on his jump suit and hastened to the exit.
David stepped out into the Metro station. This wasn't a good part of town so he avoided looking people directly in the eyes. He hastened to one of the shuttles and jumped inside, pulling the door closed behind him.
"Take me to 37652 812th Street."
The shuttle's computer responded by pulling away from the curb. Shuttles had their own lanes so it was much safer than driving. The same massive computer navigated all the cars, and there was almost never an accident.
David glanced at the watch on his wrist-computer. 10:15. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. Both of the drugs were beginning to have a very physical effect on him. Pleasant tingling ran through his body like small electrical surges. The hair on the back of his neck stiffened. There was an uncomfortable cramp in his stomach that he relieved by passing gas. There was no one else around to smell it.
The fabric of reality was already unfolding, the colors of objects were noticeably brighter. Movement caused tracers, lines of color left behind in the air by the object as it passed. "Am I in for more than I bargained for?" David wondered aloud.
The shuttle came to a stop outside of a large building. It was lit brightly with neon lights. An enormous pulse of strobing light flashed through the windows every few seconds. David was a little nervous as he steeled himself to step outside of the car.
The parking lot was very crowded with people. The party was a fairly major event and some of them had come from all over the country to be here. World Parties always came up with the best themes.
He meandered shakily through the people, searching for a familiar face or the correct place to get in line. A short teenage boy approached David. "Want a light show?" The boy was obviously anxious to show off and David accepted with a nod of his head.
The boy flipped a switch on his pants and the points of his fingers lit up in ten different colors. He was wearing an all white, rubber outfit that covered his shoes and hands. The wiring for the lights was inside the fabric.
His fingers danced in front of David's eyes. For a brief second he was aware of someone rubbing his shoulders but that quickly faded away. There were only colors and patterns. Even the loud music inside the building faded away. Within the kaleidoscope inside his head, David saw many symbols. Some like the cross and the sitting Buddha he vaguely recognized. Others like the elephant-man and the snake swallowing its own tail he did not.
The symbols danced with each other, weaving in and out, a fantastical ballroom of sacredness. They moved closer and closer together, melding and merging. Frantically increasing their pace as they gradually became one. When all the symbols had collided there was an enormous flash of brilliant light and then David saw only darkness.
He awoke on the ground with a girl and boy staring at him. The boy was the one who had given the light show, the girl he did not recognize.
"Are you alright?" It was her asking.
"I'm fine," it took David a second to speak. He was still entirely overwhelmed.
"You seemed to be enjoying yourself and then you just closed your eyes and collapsed," there was concern in the boy's voice. His light shows had never done THAT before.
"I just saw the most amazing thing. I think I've seen the face of God," David didn't realize that his words would mean little to them. That what he had experienced was somehow beyond anything words could accurately convey.
They looked at him for a minute and then broke into giggles, "I want some of whatever he's on." The girl offered him a hand and lifted David to his feet.
He walked off scratching his head, eyes wide in wonderment not realizing that they were still laughing at him. He was still feeling disoriented when the alarm on his wrist went off again. He lit it buzz for a minute before he even recognized that it was coming from his own arm. "Oh yeah, time for the ecstasy."
He stopped the alarm and quickly glanced around. There would be someone giving away bottled water somewhere, but finding it in this crowd was going to take some time. He swallowed the gelatin capsule with a dry mouth and barely forced it to go down.
Nausea overtook him and he was forced to sit down. Hot flashes raced through his body, they felt good but were a little intense. He needed water.
Wondering aimlessly through the people, David eventually found the DanceSafe booth. The line was long, so he walked around it. Some people were offended by his rudeness but when they saw how red his face was they quickly moved out of his way.
The cold water had never tasted better. Taking a sip was like diving into a pool of cold water on a very hot day. He poured some on his head and felt much better. The nausea was gone and the hot flashes had gone back to a pleasurable level.
He made his way to the line and stood there. Time passed but he was so deeply in thought that he didn't notice. The meaning of what he had seen earlier was still hidden and it nagged him.
Getting closer to the club's entrance David was brought out of his trance by a pair of hands covering his eyes. "Guess who?" a familiar female voice questioned.
David smiled, "Hmmm… Who could it be?" He pretended like he didn't recognize her, "Is it my mom?"
"Nope," the voice behind him bubbled with happiness.
"My Second Grade teacher?" David was having fun too.
"No silly," she was ready for a hug but in far too good a mood to interrupt him.
"Then it has to be… the person I wanted most to see in the world," David laughed, "Hi Kaylie."
"So think the people behind will mind if I cut in front of them so we can go in together?"
"I'm sure it won't be a problem. If it is I'll just have to do something about it," he flexed his muscles and faked a mean face.
They chatted for a few more minutes and then David was standing in front of the doorperson. It was a woman and she looked big enough to kick dents in anybody that gave her a problem, "I.D?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"Sure right here," David pulled the small medallion from his shirt. He held it out for her to scan.
"Ok, its one-hundred credits tonight," As she spoke she glanced back down the line. Two girls were rolling on the ground, hitting each other, "Just a minute. I'll be right back."
She broke up the fight with little trouble and sent the girls on their way, banned from the premises. She came back and David handed her his credit-stick, "Go ahead and pay for her as well." He gestured at Kaylie with his body.
"David, no," Kaylie interjected, "I've got my own money."
"Its ok," he told her, "My parents transferred some extra money into my account this month."
The woman used a separate scanner on his credit-stick. It beeped loudly as it deducted the two hundred credits. "Ok you guys have fun," she actually smiled at them as she ushered them into the club.
"Kaylie, I have to tell you about the most incredible thing that happened to me tonight," David really needed someone to help him figure out what he had been shown.
"Sure David, lets dance first ok? The MDMA is kicking in now and I just have to move around some," she looked at him, asking him if this was all right with her eyes. She was already rocking back and forth on her heels to the beat of the music.
"That's fine," he smiled to let her know that it was. He was really feeling the ecstasy now too. They had wanted to be in the same head-space tonight. Earlier in the week the two of them had gotten together, synthesized the drugs, and measured their dosages into gel caps. He hoped that she felt as good as he did. It was like a rainbow had opened up inside his heart.
Tremendous surges of orgasmic energy ran up and down his spine. Colors, patterns and fractals danced before him, but through those he could still piece together what reality looked like.
Everything had taken on a surreal quality. His muscles were soft and relaxed, his head felt light. He realized that he was talking through his teeth because he was gritting them so hard. Nothing in his life had prepared him for how intense this was.
The two of them stepped onto a crowded dance floor. People moved and swayed in large circles. They pressed their way into one, standing beside each other.
The music was fantastic. A live band played and their instruments were wired into a computer. The DJ sat there mixing and adjusting, while adding to the music itself with samples, keyboard, and some other tools available to him.
David was swallowed by the music. He felt a positive wave of energy from everyone in the room. There was a lot of love here. Surrounded by a world of violence and pollution, they came here to be themselves.
It was so beautiful that tears ran down David's face. Kaylie mouthed at him, "You ok?"
He nodded his head and wiped his eyes. His dancing was wonderful. Usually he felt awkward but tonight the music moved his body for him. He wasn't thinking, just being. The beat picked up a little and his body began to move faster. The world was fading to white again, the music disappearing, the people. Suddenly David knew only bliss.
It was eternity before Kaylie once again brought him back to awareness, "Let's go get some water and find somewhere quiet to sit down." She took his hand and led him to the DanceSafe booth.
He realized how hot and flushed he was as soon as she said this. The water was once again refreshing. They caught the lift upstairs and found a small room with couches. People lounged in the corners, smoking hash and talking quietly. Some classical music caught David's ears and he realized it was Floyd.
Kaylie and David found a quiet corner and plopped down in the chair. She began giving him a back massage and he lit a cigarette. The cool menthol and herbal smoke tasted good, and Kaylie's hands felt incredible.
"So what happened to you earlier? You said you wanted to tell me about something that happened?" Kaylie questioned as her hand rubbed deeper and deeper into David's shoulder muscles.
"I think I saw the face of God Kaylie," he turned around to look her in the eyes but she pushed his head back around.
"What David?" she didn't understand and he knew he was going to have a hard time explaining.
"Ok, I was starting to come up really hard on the seven and the psilocybin in the parking lot. This guy asked me if I wanted a light show and he looked eager so I let him give me one. Well at first it was really nice, you know, bright lights, tracers, all that. Then it was like he went away and there were just these brilliant visuals. These holy symbols… Some of them I didn't recognize but I just… I know they were sacred. Anyways these things were all just spinning in my head and the next thing I know I'm completely blissed out. Everything fades to pure white and I feel like I've somehow transcended this reality. I know its weird," He spun around to see her reaction. Her hands had stopped massaging his shoulders and he wished she would continue. It felt so good, he felt like gelatin.
She pushed him down onto the couch, forcing him to lie on his stomach. She massaged his back quietly for a moment, pondering what he had told her, "Well David, you were awfully high. I'm sure it was just the drugs."
"No… it was more than that. And then, while we were dancing, it happened again. Only this time, the bliss lasted longer. I wish I could show you." He wanted to share that deep sense of pure joy with everyone, but especially with Kaylie.
Her fingers continued to send pleasure rolling up and down his body. On instinct he flipped over, leaned upwards, and kissed her. She seemed shocked at first, and then responded by straddling him and placing her tongue deeply inside his mouth.
David was insanely happy. They kissed for a long time before Kaylie finally stopped and asked, "What are we doing?"
"Something I've been wanting for a long time."
"Aren't we friends?"
"Kaylie, you’re my best friend but I want more than that. I'm in love with you."
"That's just the drugs again David."
"No, Kaylie. I've been planning on telling you all week. I figured it out last weekend and it's been all I could think about since."
"Look David, I think I have feelings for you too but lets wait and talk about this when we aren't so high."
David was a little bit disappointed. He wanted to talk about it now. He felt like he had been holding it in for way too long already. But the night was wonderful. Something greater than anything David had known before had somehow reached out and connected with him. He had kissed Kaylie and finally told her how he felt about her. There was no need to ruin the night. Flashing a smile at her, he nodded his head and took her hand in his.
They talked for a long time. David tried to explain the sense of joy and love that he had experienced earlier, "It was like being a part of everything in the entire universe and something much more."
Kaylie tried to understand. She had been introduced to similar philosophies in one of her history classes. Her skepticism wasn't unfounded. Faith was not something anyone had anymore.
Several hours later David realized that the intensity of his high was gone. The visuals were still present, and an afterglow. Whether that was due to his experience earlier, the drugs or kissing Kaylie he did not know.
"I think I need to get him and crawl in bed," Kaylie told him.
He didn't want to leave her, but part of him agreed. It was definitely time to head home. "Alright Kaylie, I had a great night."
"Me too. Call me tomorrow ok? We'll talk about us," She smiled at him and leaned over for a hug. He squeezed her back, suddenly timid. She hesitated for a moment and then grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close for a kiss.
They said goodnight and parted. David was thrilled all over again, and his thoughts were racing the entire long ride home.
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My first novel is available at www.literaryclearinghouse.com/ericwest.html
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Intelligence is not best measured by the answers you have but by the questions that you ask
