Volume 10: Light and Dark
|
After Lyanne had left, Dragon invited me to join him on the decking in front of the house. We sat at a small table in the warm sunshine, overlooking the grounds and the pool, and shaded by strategically placed canopies. Dragon commanded some breakfast, delivered instantaneously to the table by the automation: for me, a large beaker of the hot meaty broth that I enjoy so much and a plate of the high-protein, low-carbohydrate foodstuffs my metabolism demands. Brandon sipped his drink - coffee, I think, how retro! - then sat in companionable silence for a few moments while I took the edge off my appetite. Finally, he set down his cup and turned to me with a serious expression on his face. "I have to admit I've got you here under false pretenses," he began. "What, you mean you didn't want me to fuck Lyanne on your behalf?" I asked quizzically. He laughed aloud, looking at me appreciatively and perhaps with just a tinge of relief. "Well, that was partially the point, of course," he replied, "But there's also a pickup and delivery job I'd like you to do for me." It was my turn to laugh. "It's not the first time I've offered that kind of service, you know?" He nodded. "I do know," he replied, "But this one's a little bit different." "So where's the pickup?" I asked. "Aren’t you curious?" he countered, "Don't you want to know what the item is?" "I never ask," I replied, shrugging "I can't see that anyone would ever want to tell me." "Well," he said slowly, "In this case, I think you really do have to know." Well, there's a first, I thought, amused: someone who's going to tell me what's going on. Dragon nibbled on a croissant, perhaps wondering where to begin. Coming, perhaps, to some kind of conclusion he began to talk about his past - a past before I was even born. As I understood it, Brandon O'Reilly was an investor, one who used his wealth - mostly acquired hundreds of years ago, when things still changed quickly - to fund new business ideas, new ventures. He was, in short, an entrepreneur - and indeed, still was, in a limited kind of way. This is of itself unusual, given the stasis of society deliberately introduced, as I understand the histories, to allow human beings to live forever on this little planet of ours. "That's when I picked up the nickname, Dragon," he continued, "An aggressive and - I'd like to think - astute investor in other people's businesses. Or, at least, a lucky one." He paused, looking out over the lawns with a distant expression on his face. "So, one of the more risky investments I put money into, in the early days, was what was then still called Nanotechnology" - I had not heard the word before - "The early successes in medicine and computer systems" - another unfamiliar term - "made me a lot of money. Against the advice of my peers, I ploughed much of my wealth back into the businesses - the research and development, the facilities and equipment - which, much to their chagrin, showed a considerable profit and made me even wealthier." "My last investment was in the - not just self-replicating, but self-evolving - Nanotechnology: the final step in the production of the Pervasive Automation which now surrounds us all, and culminating in the creation of the society in which we now live." Dragon gestured vaguely with his coffee cup, looking out over the verdant scenery. "You have to remember, at the time where I grew up, our everyday life would have seemed nothing less than miraculous. The vision, and now the reality: automatic policing, the provision of basic needs for all, the maintenance of buildings and landscapes, and the creation of an un-ageing population - with enforced medical services and birth control. All this was put in place by organizations in which I held an equity interest." He returned the cup to the table and his attention to me. "As a private investor in this immense project, I managed to amass a vast fortune. Now I am still a rich man, although this means less and less these days, but one of the advantages of wealth, in the early days of our new world, was that it was possible to buy privileges not available to many." "What kind of privileges?" I wondered. "A long time ago," he replied, "When - a few - people could still do such things, I fathered two children." I was fascinated with the racy idea of procreation, of giving birth. I was vaguely aware that this was the original purpose of sex, but I had never before met anyone who had admitted to carrying out this rare process - well, except Mom, of course. "Really!" I breathed excitedly, "So who are your kids?" Dragon let out an explosive breath. "Well," he began, "One of them is you." It took me quite some time to get over the shock. I was not sure how to react, what I should feel, even whether there should be any kind of emotion at all. Sure, I get on well with Mom - she's a friend and confidante, and we like each other - but I'm convinced I would feel the same way if there were none of those old-fashioned biological relationships between us. I decided I would just have to defer judgment on my relationship - if any - with Dragon. "Well, OK," I said finally, attempting to recover my composure, "All very interesting. But what has this to do with the delivery job?" "The package," the Dragon said slowly, "Is your sister."
|
Part 2