coldest in decades, war going bad, time of austerity. Frei and I wrapped in a
blanket, curled naked in our hammock to cup shared warmth. Deep haze of wood fires
penetrated by weak light, blue fingers over keyboards, cold scribbles on yellow tablets,
autoclave humming, protein synthesis beeping completion ...
We meet as before in the conference room, a hearty fire is blazing, Hizonor
arrives wearing thick sables.
What do have to show me?
We have replaced all the old cameras w/the new, they take
a little longer to grow in this cold.
Good, and the processor?
Frei hands him a rectangular slab matte black in color.
This is it?
Yes
It feels ... warm, how does it work?
Do you see the thumb indents on the sides?
Yes
Just hold it in your lap, press each thumb into the
indents.
Like this?
We notice that his Assassins, his personal guards, have entered the room,
knives drawn in case anything goes wrong. He takes a deep breathe and presses his thumbs,
a shadow of fearful panic races across his face like a moving cloud gone although he looks
tense, beads of sweat, slight twitch around closed eyes. For a long moment nothing
happens, the guards finger their weapons, unsure of what to do, then w/a long in-drawn
sigh he comes to, looks at us his famous composure never changing ...
Excellent ... and the universal distribution?
We propose an anti-vermin campaign. Spray the whole town,
all buildings and huts inside and out. As an added feature the cameras will emit a
subsonic hum which will actually deter vermin.
He nods, his hands never leaving the unit.
Then do it, I have to, uh, practice, I have much to learn
from this ...
all seeing, all knowing
