Nemecene: The Epoch of Redress Read Online Free PDF Page B

main cities, so although we had heard of holoposts, we had not as yet actually seen them. Our form of communication technology was sheltered inside buildings and private homes because of the brightness of the skies around us, whereas in Eadonberg and other cosmopolitan areas along the lowlands, haze and cloud-cover dominated the air space, providing a more effective contrast for the images. Eli reached into the middle left frame where Stew Uber, the creative genius behind VLine Clothing, the most innovative fashion house in the Unification, was showcasing his latest collection. I was more interested in the little black VLine strips hiding the provocative bits of the female models that momentarily flashed between each click of the designer's remote selector. As he punched through a sample set of different looks, he explained how the woman would have an attractive jewel, either on her wrist or around her neck, with full control of several parameters, one of which was the density of the virtual fabric to simulate different transparency effects, along with warmth, color, and drape. Each customization option could be purchased separately making the VLine products affordable for everyone, a simple yet elegant concept, and a first in fashion history. In fact, VLine clothing would feel as natural and comfortable as if you were wearing nothing at all, with no laundry to do, zero impact on our fragile environment, and most importantly, saving our most precious treasure, time.
    Time. The emphasis he placed on that word kept echoing in my mind as a grim reminder of our fate. Half our lives had already passed, yet we were but young adults just starting out on our own. Floating atop the ruins of our ancestors, the tragedy that befell them seemed all too real to me. With their careless misuse of resources and lack of respect for the gift of life, they stole a long and fulfilling future from their children and dragged it down with them to their watery grave. Even though centuries upon centuries have passed, the wake of their recklessness remains, and we are left squeezing every piece of our dreams into a highly compressed time capsule. We turn to our elders, the few who have somehow managed to cross beyond the dreamless state, for guidance, hope, and meaning, sometimes finding comfort in their teachings, while other times falling into despair. I feel as if not even they have the answers, least of all Father who has spent his life filling ours with lies. Lies about him. Lies about us. Lies about you.
    Eli had moved onto a news channel when my thoughts returned to the present. Transport number 369, scheduled to arrive in Eadonberg at 4:14, had crashed through the biowall at the GT-45 cooling plant earlier today killing all passengers on board. We stared at each other in disbelief… How could that be? We had been sitting in that very transport and had arrived safely. An example of another government mistruth aimed at scaring the public off travel no doubt, keeping them confined and experientially ignorant. Regardless, the hovertrain would arrive shortly. The ring around our feet lit up along its outer loop, giving ample warning, which I had somehow missed the first time, and we were sucked up the invisible shaft. The second half of our journey had begun.

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    Day 2: Late Afternoon
    S he brushes the crimson powder from her chest and allows her legs to guide her towards the glowing garden. The twilight vigil in the highlands has left her admittedly drained. Keeping the weary travelers within range of her influence, she sneaks into the relative privacy of a vacant sajadum to spy upon her quarry from behind its smoky amethyst walls, as they retire for the evening across the shimmering lavender divide. The nourishing power of her adopted sanctuary provides the reprieve that she so desperately hungers for, giving her the requisite stamina to stay bound to her all-consuming purpose. Balanced at the threshold of a void, her