voice reverberated in the small room. “Credit account charged. Items scheduled for delivery 05053005.”
Naked, I looked myself over in the mirror above the sink. Even in the bright light, all but one of my scars were nearly invisible. The only one still obvious was the snaking line from the back of my neck across my throat and down my left shoulder. Even that had faded to a simple, silver line against the ivory of my skin.
Declan hadn’t noticed the signs, and he’d have no other way of knowing for sure I am mecho, unless I told him. The thought did not appeal to me.
One day, I would be able to afford a real water shower. Until then, I had to settle for a regular artiwater shower. The synthetic H2O wrapped me in a shield of cleansing warmth when I stepped into the plazglass tube, but though it left me clean and refreshed, it lacked the sheer sensuality of natural water against the skin. I didn’t even have to dry off.
I did have a real water bed, though, on which I still owed monthly payments. It was a luxury I had never regretted buying. I couldn’t have imagined living without it.
Though I was still tired from my lack of sleep the previous night, the shower had refreshed me enough I couldn’t go to sleep right away. Experience had also taught me that forcing myself to extend my sleep beyond the hour or so my body absolutely had to have to function normally usually ended up in me feeling less rested than if I only gave myself the forty-five minutes. Being mecho had a lot of pluses and minuses, and I still couldn’t decide which this was.
“Viddy on,” I said as I lowered myself into the chair in my bedroom. “Something mindless.”
“Command not recognized.” System, for all it sounded like an attractive woman eager to complete your every command, was really just a computer program. Give her the right orders and you’d get what you want. Phrase something a little off, and forget it.
“Entertainment channel,” I said. “Restrict pornography, restrict sports, restrict politics.”
Apparently, that left only a chickvid fashion show. I had asked for something mindless. The show’s hostess, Zilize Pesnnirf, was a vapid, ass-kissing socialite with a shrill laugh like the sound of brakes screeching. She specialized in interviewing prominent Newcitizens and Offworld celebs. Tonight’s guest was Cyndira Adar, Howard Adar’s wife.
“…truly tragic, some of them,” Mrs. Adar was saying when the viddy screen locked onto the show. “And it really is amazing what they can do nowadays. But still, where do we draw the line?”
Zilize nodded, her thin lips pursed into a frown. “Oh, Cyn, I agree. Absolutely. I’m not against enhancement, understand—”
Cyndira let out a cultivated cackle. “Oh, heavens no! Enhancements are the best thing that’s ever happened!”
Both women laughed together, their perfect coifs never moving. This sort of thing didn’t interest me. I knew what they were going to say. The arguments in Newcity were growing more and more heated, what with the Newcity Ruling Council’s latest push to legally classify mecho citizens as not human.
“But you have to draw the line somewhere,” Cyndira continued, smoothing her face into lines of seriousness. She turned to look straight into the camera. “I mean, really, a more attractive profile and firmer body are one thing. We all appreciate beauty in all its forms, don’t we? But when you talk about replacing actual organs and systems…”
She gave a delicate shudder, and Zilize picked up the conversation. “I completely agree, Cyndira. Looking good is one thing. Turning yourself into a bot is quite another!”
“Viddy off!” I barked the command and had to take a deep breath to control my anger.
I didn’t choose to become mecho, but if I had been given the chance to live or die, I’d have made the same choice. I could live without gargantuan breasts and a thin waist. I could even live without perfect vision and teeth. But
Naked, I looked myself over in the mirror above the sink. Even in the bright light, all but one of my scars were nearly invisible. The only one still obvious was the snaking line from the back of my neck across my throat and down my left shoulder. Even that had faded to a simple, silver line against the ivory of my skin.
Declan hadn’t noticed the signs, and he’d have no other way of knowing for sure I am mecho, unless I told him. The thought did not appeal to me.
One day, I would be able to afford a real water shower. Until then, I had to settle for a regular artiwater shower. The synthetic H2O wrapped me in a shield of cleansing warmth when I stepped into the plazglass tube, but though it left me clean and refreshed, it lacked the sheer sensuality of natural water against the skin. I didn’t even have to dry off.
I did have a real water bed, though, on which I still owed monthly payments. It was a luxury I had never regretted buying. I couldn’t have imagined living without it.
Though I was still tired from my lack of sleep the previous night, the shower had refreshed me enough I couldn’t go to sleep right away. Experience had also taught me that forcing myself to extend my sleep beyond the hour or so my body absolutely had to have to function normally usually ended up in me feeling less rested than if I only gave myself the forty-five minutes. Being mecho had a lot of pluses and minuses, and I still couldn’t decide which this was.
“Viddy on,” I said as I lowered myself into the chair in my bedroom. “Something mindless.”
“Command not recognized.” System, for all it sounded like an attractive woman eager to complete your every command, was really just a computer program. Give her the right orders and you’d get what you want. Phrase something a little off, and forget it.
“Entertainment channel,” I said. “Restrict pornography, restrict sports, restrict politics.”
Apparently, that left only a chickvid fashion show. I had asked for something mindless. The show’s hostess, Zilize Pesnnirf, was a vapid, ass-kissing socialite with a shrill laugh like the sound of brakes screeching. She specialized in interviewing prominent Newcitizens and Offworld celebs. Tonight’s guest was Cyndira Adar, Howard Adar’s wife.
“…truly tragic, some of them,” Mrs. Adar was saying when the viddy screen locked onto the show. “And it really is amazing what they can do nowadays. But still, where do we draw the line?”
Zilize nodded, her thin lips pursed into a frown. “Oh, Cyn, I agree. Absolutely. I’m not against enhancement, understand—”
Cyndira let out a cultivated cackle. “Oh, heavens no! Enhancements are the best thing that’s ever happened!”
Both women laughed together, their perfect coifs never moving. This sort of thing didn’t interest me. I knew what they were going to say. The arguments in Newcity were growing more and more heated, what with the Newcity Ruling Council’s latest push to legally classify mecho citizens as not human.
“But you have to draw the line somewhere,” Cyndira continued, smoothing her face into lines of seriousness. She turned to look straight into the camera. “I mean, really, a more attractive profile and firmer body are one thing. We all appreciate beauty in all its forms, don’t we? But when you talk about replacing actual organs and systems…”
She gave a delicate shudder, and Zilize picked up the conversation. “I completely agree, Cyndira. Looking good is one thing. Turning yourself into a bot is quite another!”
“Viddy off!” I barked the command and had to take a deep breath to control my anger.
I didn’t choose to become mecho, but if I had been given the chance to live or die, I’d have made the same choice. I could live without gargantuan breasts and a thin waist. I could even live without perfect vision and teeth. But
Similar Books
