Read Online With and Without Class by David Fleming - Free Book Online Page B

Spam Helmet Forty-Four. Forty-Four blocks Crazy Waves and Electro-Jabbers.”
    â€œDuring dreamtime your brain is defenseless,” the blonde explained, arching her back and wiggling for no discernable reason. “The interruption of dreams upsets brain electrochemistry, causing paranoia.”
    â€œJudging from our records and your recent purchases of,” the redhead glitched, “ various alcoholic refreshment , you may have already purchased Spam Helmet Forty-Four and… got drunk. Forgot to put it on . If this is true, always wear Forty-Four at night. If your helmet is broken or our records are incorrect, buy Forty-Four.”
    â€œBuy Forty-Four!” the blonde exclaimed.
    â€œAnd vote April Texas for Barcelle Pyramid Sheriff!” the redhead demanded. “Approved by the NIA. May complicate neurological conditions.”
    â€œCertain parts of our conversation will be hazy,” the redhead explained.
    â€œShe’s right,” the blonde agreed. “ Hazy. ”
    â€œYou’ll recall the message but what we said will be forgotten.”
    They both bounced their bodies up and down on their wet noodles in the greasy beef broth and said in unison, “Later Skater!”
    He opened his eyes and sat up in bed. His alarm read 11:30 and his disconnected mental state warned of an impending hangover. He peered over the bed at his Spam Helmet with his deep voice croaking, “Why?” Why couldn’t he remember to wear it? Being drunk was no excuse. “They spammed me.” He reached back, rubbing the vertical scar on the back of his head.
    The disks were implanted at age fifteen into the Superior sagittal sinus. Spamming dreams was illegal but the temptation for small companies was great and satellite networks could relay signals to anyone sleeping without a filtering helmet.
    Alex walked from his bed to the bathroom, pulling off his boxer shorts as his slit eyes found the console of his shower gateway. He selected ‘Quick Clean,’ passed through and turned the bathroom faucet on, washing grime out of his ears. His eyes remained on the mirror as he turned to remove grime streaks from his back. He leaned on the sink, wondering what thoughts were his. One thing was certain: April Texas was the best Sheriff Barcelle Pyramid had ever had. Without her, the Pyramid would surely fall into the ocean. Or would it? Who was April Texas?
    Regardless, it seemed without her the Gaia environmentalists would find a way to switch off the anti gravity, sending the Pyramid plummeting into the dead Pacific and hurricanes. They’d kill everyone, thinking the Earth could heal and spawn something better than man.
    Gaia environmentalists… ? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to buy another Spam Helmet. If he had two, he’d be less likely to forget. They’d definitely spammed him with something called something Amnesia. Brainwashing or no, it was useful. His love for the beauty of his written words was the only thing stopping him from publication. He hated his unshakable arrogance. His father had been arrogant, his grandfather also. But if he could forget he was the author of what he critiqued… Maybe it was fate he forgot to wear his helmet. There probably wasn’t anyone more qualified to edit his novella, Surprise Ending , than him.
    *
    The elevator pulled Alex into the base of his dwelling and he walked up a spiral staircase to the second floor. A train whizzed just above his ceiling, streaking diagonally along its curvy transport tube. Alex thought, Lenny, polarize the shell by twenty percent .
    Polarization enabled, twenty percent , Lenny telepathed into Alex’s head.
    The forest green wall faded into translucence, revealing trains shooting through their intertwined transparent tubes. If he was going to hear them, he might as well see them also.
    Alex enjoyed his Egg at first before three of the seven noise cancellation speakers broke, ushering in the whiz of the