2584

A story about a blowjob.

“That would be it. We just need your signature now, Mr. Walters.” the blonde said.

She handed me a tablet. I’d prefer a piece of paper.

“Welcome to CrIO, Mr. Walters. This way — if you could follow me please.”

Belgium was rainy and cold when I got here a week ago. Other countries have also legalised euthanasia — but this new cheap startup chose Belgium for their headquarters.

Damn, I missed California.

“I guess I should just lie here, right?”

The blonde nodded.

I was twenty-six years old the first time I got cancer. Chemo, couple of operations, and they said I was cured.

I’m thirty-three now — and it’s back again.

Terminal.

I had a good run, I think. Broke up with my girlfriend six months ago, the second doctors told me I have less than a year left. Sold my company last week and came here.

Came here to die.

So that I might live. Maybe. Possibly.

I did read about cryogenics, or whatever it is called. Fringe, could work. Will likely fail.

I had nothing to lose.

“This might sting a bit.” the blonde interrupted my thoughts.

“Open your eyes.”

The voice was inside my head.

I felt magnificent. I felt scared.

I felt like a God.

“Please, Mr. Walters, open your eyes.”

The brightness hit my retinas with the strength of a thousand suns.

What I did see was two. Two stars.

“What… What… What… Where…I… I’m… Where…”. I hyperventilated.

“Serotonin reuptake inhibitors — approve”. It appeared in front of my eyes. I thought “Yes.”

I could breathe again.

“You’re in the year 2584. We are in the Alpha Centauri system, Mr. Walters. Do you mind if I call you Sebastian? My name is Cleodora. Do you want some cake?” she spoke this time.

Actual words.

Her voice was harsh and mechanical, almost as if she didn’t use her vocal chords to make the sound.

“Cake?” I replied. I didn’t speak.

I thought.

“Yes, cake.” She laughed. Voice in my head, again. Melodic. Angelic. Beautiful.

“What… I…I was dead. I have terminal cancer. I… Is this real?” I whispered, barely. The echo of the room was eerie.

And then it hit me. It’s hard to describe — a simultaneous chatter of voices inside my head, billions of minds asking me questions.

I replied to each and every one of them. It took me three seconds.

“What am I? What did you do to me?” I blocked everyone except the strange, green-haired girl that sat on the edge of my bed.

“You are you, Sebastian. An individual. We found you in a derelict cargo ship 27 hours, 12 minutes and 17 seconds ago. Power systems were failing. It must have floated there for at least a century or two. We brought you here, to Helicon-OSS-71X. It’s a space station. We’re orbiting a gas giant and…”

She spoke. I heard the words through my ears, her voice now sounding the same as it was in my head moments ago.

Celestial.

“I never did this, you know. Most of the frozen were woken up centuries ago, and those were… Different times. What we did to you is what every member of our species is born with, these days. It’s not nanotechnology, it’s not genetic manipulation. It’s somewhere in the middle, and it’s more. Much, much more. I’m still blocking most of the functions as you do need some time to learn to control them and to adapt, but… You had a glimpse into what it does.

We are humans, but we are more.

We are individuals, but we are One.”

She smiled. Pointed at a metal chair. It disappeared in a cloud of whizzing particles. A myriad of different toy cars appeared. Then, she stood up, levitated across the room. The toy cars started moving around.

“You’ll have access to the Library soon, I just wanted to show, and not tell. It’s awesome, right?” she laughed, and pointed outside.

The station must’ve rotated while we spoke. What I saw, lingering in the void of empty space, was life. Trillions, or even more, of tiny worlds, interconnected with what seemed like…

Branches.

Green, everywhere, mixed with metallic silver and bathed in the light of the twin suns.

It spread into infinity, seemingly forming a sphere around the entire star system.

“Now. Would you like a blowjob?” she said, her voice resonating inside my head. Devilish, and almost shy.

“A… A blowjob?” I replied, confused.

“Yes. You seem really attractive for someone who’s half a millennia old. We’ll hop on a shuttle and go on a tour across the Biosphere after. Sol has one too!” she said, out loud, while undressing.

I fucking love 2584, I thought.