max- Hello?
Shane- What's up!
max- you’re here. Right on. Where are you?
Shane- I just got through with processing and everything. Can I cruse by?
max- of course you can cruise by. I mean… not that it’s a silly question….. actually, it is a silly question, in a way….. I try not to say "of course", you know, sense nothing is really obvious. Um….. yeah, cruise by.
Shane- cool. I can meet you at the Radson corridor node as soon as I get there if you want.
max- cool. Call me if you get lost.
Shane- I'm already lost.
max- ah yes, I'm sure ….. later.
Shane- sorry I'm late. I was barraged.
max- I can imagine. Did everybody, like, introduce themselves or what?
Shane- yeah, everyone said "hi" or something, like they fully knew me. It was weird. With 10,000 people here, you wouldn’t think id stick out that much.
max- well, most of us have been here the full 11 years, and your one of the only youths without your family. Besides, they read about everyone in the papers like crazy before voting to admit them. Its almost the only thing people get to vote on around here, as you know.
Shane- what did they say about me?
max- ah…. Pretty much everything you could imagine. They fully sorted through your genome looking for good flags and similarities with your dad.
Shane- oh yeah? They analyzed my geans?
max- Micro-nations want the good indicators. Lists have been made of which ones are associated with genius. Some people suggested you would be better suited to Freeland. Were more mellow here. But sense you’re a girl.
Shane- oh, yeah? I'm stronger than you, I bet.
Max - Hun? Wait, stop walking a second. Dam. you do look pretty strong.
Shane- what a trippy place! What on earth is that?
max- it’s a sculpture slash gazebo. That’s the James place. There kind of weird.
Shane- wow! That building is weird looking too.
max- yeah, there aren't really any carpenters here or anything...and labor of that kind runs like 400 trill and hour, if you can find it. If something is not pre-fabricated, it usually looks fully home-made. Hey, that’s mat up there. What's up mat?
Matthew- hi Max, hi Shane. Welcome to SOFT.
Shane- thank you. Its beautiful here.
Matthew- yeah, were lucky. You guys going to Sidney's tomorrow night?
Max- ill be there. She'll probably go to, I don’t know.
Shane- ah, yeah, I guess.
Matthew ---- its just a get together like party. I'm sure everyone wants to meet you.
Max- Oliver should be back in town. If he's there I'm gonna, like, .. threaten to beg to ask him if I can hang out with him. I want him to talk while he does his designing. I think he could.
Matthew--- he makes it up too spontaneous, straight from his noodle, when he's walking to the fountain. When you see him looking like he's thinking, he's just staring at the grass. He wants to lay low. I wouldn't push the issue . he likes taste, you know. Anyway, ill show up for sure.
Max- talk to you later, Matthew.
Matthew- it was nice meeting you, Shane.
Shane- likewise, I look forward to talking to you later.
…Shane- neat-o. that was a weird robe, or whatever it was he was wearing. Homemade, I suppose. He would have looked like a wizard if he weren't wearing the fisherman hat.
Max- he is a wizard, kind of. He's teaching me guitar and we work on our artificial intelligence programs together.
Shane- cool. I try to play, but don’t get it, not yet. I plan to put some real energy into it soon, now that I don’t have to go to regular classes anymore. I, ah, did read a lot of the sites on artificial intelligence from people at SOFT and just in general. Your page was one of the most understandable at first, but you lost me when you start drawing those tree figures.
Max- yeah, me too. totally.
Shane- ah, those… look extremely… weird. like giant Venus flytraps.
Max- yeah. That’s the eastern entrance for the fisher place. They have some really cool buildings. Well check it out some time. I have class 10 clearance there.
Shane- really? I fully boggled on the clearance system when I read about it. So your telling me you could go in there right now and look through their sock draws?
Max. yeah, fully even if they were in the room. dozens of places I have class 10.
Shane- that’s amazing. not like the US. I mean, I did have a friend… I could just walk into her house.. we were close when we were in junior high.
Max- yeah??
Shane- . what did you do to your hand?
Max. I cut it with a saw.
Shane- a chain saw?
Max- ha, no, a regular saw. It looks worse than it is.
Shane- god, I'm sorry.
Max- you know, most people try not to say 'god' around here.
Shane--- right, right, right, I fully don’t mean to say it.
Max- oh, I don’t mean it like that. You can say anything you want or whatever,.. things you don’t want. This place is chill central. Nobody trips about anything here ever.
Shane- right on. I guess they do call SOFT a max freedom atheist cell. They always seem to say 'the originators of the corridor system' in articles iv read.
Max- Yeah, we were the first to break up the land with three dimensional property rights that snake around each other. Anyone can walk to any of the 1000 places in their own corridor. No possible restraint of trade. I don’t know how much you read of our brochure.
Shane- hardly a brochure, more like a library
Max- maybe a magazine rack.
Shane - yeah?, good. libraries are an oxymoron.
Max- oh yeah?
Shane - sure, Liber was the god of solitude in ancient Babylon, and Ibaraies are flightless birds of Eqwadore.
max- Really?
Shane- no, I'm kidding, but I do hate libraries.
Max - make up something else.
Shane - well, there was no point trying to bale any more ….. we listed and frowed, another wave…will it hold? What does it matter, I want to die.
Max - wow , that was cool.
Shane - right on. That was actually kinda like the stuff I use to make up when I, like, sang along to my stereo.
Max- oh yeah? You don’t do that any more?
Shane- ahh, no, I still do. I guess I shouldn’t have implied that I didn't. The library thing wasn't totally off the cuff either. Actually, I guess it wasn't off the cuff at all. Its in my journal, sort of. I'm glad to have mentioned that. Good to be accurate.
Max- That’s what my 5 mentor says too. I fully agree.
Shawn- 5 up or 5 down?
Max - 5 up. If they were 5 years younger, id say my sub 5 mentor. Its Greg. Who do you have?
Shawn- Philip, but Janemost has Greg and she's my 2.
Max- really? She's out there. good for you, I'm sure. Their very careful about matching. . See. check this node. The Rightbuttons get there water from the cashews, like most do, but they also have two extra lines going to a few local places. Its like how most get power from Spanderd. He runs a generator on methanol that is imported by Miller and Sandwitch and some others with big boats.
Shane- what are the rest of these things for? And why do they have such a big wall? I guess they like it. Is there really zero crime here?
Max- yeah. I mean, people have lost things… they could have been stolen… there are a lot of weird people here, that’s for sure.
Shane-- the last place didn’t have a lock, but this one does.
Max-- yeah, there are some locks for sure. mostly for kids - some folks seem bent on raising total wild men. No control.. that’s our theme, right? That’s my tree there in the distance.
Shane- I see it.
Eucalyptus. I swear, their my
favorite. When I learned I was moving
to off Australia, I was like, yeah!
Max--- you should be super extra careful while your getting used the way things are here. Your place isn't up in a tree like mine, but its still plenty misshapen. You wouldn’t be the first person around here to put a lump on your gourd.
Shane --- gourd-head… sounds like me. Sweet Cheeses! How high up is it?
Max --- haaaaa sweet cheeses! That’s good. Um, its about 15 meters.
Shane--- oh. if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I don’t care.
Max --- your funny. Watch you step. Go slowly and, you don’t have to go to the top.
Shane--- this whole thing isn't your place, is it?
Max-- yeah. Pretty sprawling, I know. I built most of it, with my brother and sister and the Sandwitch family. You can see there place if you come up to the second landing.
Shane-- are you sure this thing is safe?
Max --- believe me, for my sake, its safe.
Shane- well, I'm glad to see you have your priorities straight.
Max-- I'm sorry. I don’t mean to sound like that.
Shane -- no need to be sorry.
Max-- Its safe, really, come on up. Its not like your not already too high. Um, were kind of taught to be egomaniac robots here. You know, to think about ourselves first and most and that way the best will happen for all. I guess I should puts quotes around that, sense its straight out of the manifesto. Its like how we all charges each other for any little favor.
Shane--- that’s what I've heard. I haven't seen much evidence of it, though. Actually, I haven't seen any evidence of it.
Max- well, you haven't been here very long. older people never really switched to it very well, for the most part. Most people just exchange virtual money, anyway.
Shane -- um, I don’t want to umm,… id like to go down a level or two. Iv never been up in something so high.
Max --- yeah, right. Your from New York.
Shane. Yeah, but a building is different. Trees do fall down, sometimes.
Max--- true. But that’s always from wind, unless the tree is unhealthy, which this one isn't. On the other hand, I don’t usually sleep here. My bed has a reinforced roof incase a tree falls. I have thought about staying this one with cables, but its so unaesthetic.
Shane- maybe when you do it. Just kidding.
Max--- its cool. You can mess with me. Its not like I'm insecure.
Shane -- an egomaniac, I'm told.
Max - that’s right. don’t forget it.
Shane- really though. are you really?
Max---- ah, yeah. I'm the shit. I'm super smart, even for around here. My surrogate was one of the first people to take cyanocobalamin hydrochloride.
Shane-- no way. That’s insane! That’s so untested and dangerous, not to mention illegal and…
Max --- we don’t have many laws around here.
Shane--- but they say its not safe at all. It causes deformities and mis-development.
Max -- who told you that?
Shane--- uh, its what everybody says.
Max - do I look deformed to you?
Shane --- uh, yeah. your head seems to be about 50 percent too long. And why are you so scrawny? Just kidding. Your not scrawny, your wiry.
MAX --- yeah, I bet.
Shane--- no, I'm serious. You look great. More than great. Your, like, hot, actually.
Max--- That’s news to me. You ah, you have a cool smile. Come on, ill make something to eat. I'm starving.
Shane --- me too, I mean, I also .. I also am starving.
Max --- then your in luck, cuz I got kangaroo jerky and cottage cheese and cocoa powder.
Shane -- my favorites.
Max - have a seat.
Shane - do you entertain a lot?
Max - no, I just collect chairs. I mean I make chairs. I make things that can be sat on, I guess you could say. I do have visitors. Tomorrow ill be seeing Ra and Carbon. There some of my half sisters that live on the south end. And Mat, the guy you just met. He and I may go swimming tomorrow night. Its got broccoli and peas and beans and tomatoes and mackerel. Your welcome to fully raid my fridge and everything and find what you like.
Shane- whoo, weird. Cool cubby hole. Dam, how far in does it go?
Max ---it opens up into another room.
Meanwhile, in Australia
zack- Oh, its you, come in.
Kim- What's up?
zack- This and that. I bet you finally want to have sex with me.
Kim- No, I still don't ever plan to.
zack- I see. Actually, I was just thinking about starting to avoid you. your totally welcome to hang out now, though. I'm just chilling.
Kim- Cool, I'm not lonely today anyway. we can make it short. I want to hear what you did with the tapes we made.
zack- I thought about you last night.
Kim- why do you tell me that?
zack- don’t look disgusted.. You should like it. You'll think about it later.
Kim- You do disgust me!
zack- I intrigue you, like a worm.
Kim- Is this abuse ever going to end?, I mean….
zack- How about your sister? I would rather have her.
Kim- Jesus. How can you be so blunt?...
zack- Pretty good, hun? Were great. I love you, really, for long moments.
Kim- umm, I liked what you said about how you own the mixes totally, but I can use the masters, and…. It was cute how you seemed, like, concerned I would take offence. the backwards message part on the last song was great. How did you do that?
zack- amazing clever of me, wouldn't you say?
Kim- Dud. I thought I just did. I don’t know how you manage to keep your friends.
zack- Hey, at least I can parallel park, so I must be smarter than you.
Kim- You can parallel park because your a guy. Its proven to be genetic.
zack- Will you stop bringing up
sex all the time!
kim- ohhhh!! What the fuck is that!
Zack- its my tenice racqet, or it
was. Get off my bed. Here, let me see it.
kim- its ok, its me that’s hurt.
Zack- yeah? people like you have feelings? You never feel bad.
kim- yeah I do. You know I do - get outa here.
Zack- ..my concentration is
drifting. Here. This is what Ive
written this week.
kim- oh yeah.. I have
something for you to read today also, so now you don’t get to sit there and
watch me read, like some ackademic pervert.
Zack- ackademic pervert. pretty good. pre-perpared?
kim- yeah.
Zack- good.
Splurge my pancake. Its sex we all want.
Sex with oceanographic snails,
Giant anteaters with pouches big enough to snuggle in.
Seen through the searching prism of ideal self-actual projected admiration.
Can it scale the torrid steeple?
Better it should rain at night.
What if the nipple is a valve of the heart?
Opening, and exposing to the skin
the lesser erogenous zones,
Like people other than ourselves,
When we feel we all are one:
That is the non-sexual movement.
Beer eared it seems a right prickly macaroon
Sure as I'm alone right now.
Carpet mermaid, She was. A-glowing,
her dress, squeaking with glee.
If she says no, which I'm sure she will,
ill kill my self.
I told her with salt that I have scurvy,
but she still wouldn’t give me her oranges.
I could feel my unravelment,
My disinravelment,
Like so many shoestrings, just above the sidewalk.
--------------
My home, its true, a shallow grave
My arms and legs my slave
Slurping gruel in fading light
Join me as I kill the night
when too mute muttering moot
Our original founder floundered and drowned.
When Arbitrary ambiguity is the only thing happening.
You must Be the one
Kill a gun
Knife a Crip
In the hip
Don’t be shy
It’s the 21st century
bout with the doubt
Rout and blast
All your past
the sun is not the issue,
It’s with you
And within you
Like sinew
See through you
have x-ray vision
--------
Kim - Jesus zack, oceanographic snails? Their going to take you away one of these days, and I don’t mean to Hollywood. Your nuts. Great, though. I know you know it.
Zack -- you must not be showing me everything you do, cuz this is way better than the last shit you pawned.
Kim - well, I'm still keeping my journal. I've managed to stick to it, off and on. That was pieced together from the good stuff.
Zack - really?, I want to see it.
…your journal.
Kim - yeah, right. In your dreams.
my dad finally said I could use the boat by my self. I want to cruse it up to Cape Wilberforce and out to Bermer Island. I need to show I can do it before he's going to let me take it for a two day. I would still love to go to SOFT.
Zack - You know you would get so arrested. First by them, then by our police.
Kim -- they’ll never know we were there.
Zack --- what! As if. Your not getting me to go. Your psycho.
Kim - look, my new plan is we wear painting respirators, so we don’t blow there quarantine. Then they'll be mellow if they catch us.
Zack - you'll look like a terrorist, and they'll shoot you before you can even say who you are.
Kim -- I've thought of that. We go on Christmas eve, in the middle of the night, dressed as Santas. They'll think were religious fanatics who want to convert them.
Zack - oh, of coarse they will. You just want to do a publicity stunt. You’re an egomaniac. I act like one, but you really are.
Kim - if anyone is an egomaniac, you are. Anyway, its people who go for it that get it. It’s the only way to petition their government, sense they don’t have a government. I sent them my resume, not that there's much on it, just mostly to show I'm serious. I did get to talked to the guy at immigration. He said "your writing impressed me terribly”. So I was all like “that's great! I'm so happy!”.
He said, “No, no. I hated it”. They like ostentation; you can tell from the manifesto. They say rule your own fate and that’s what I'm going to do. They don’t "own" that island. No one really owns anything except by the physical ability to keep others off, and by public option of the "ownership".
zack - where did you read that?
Kim - I learned about that subject, some about that subject, from the SOFT manifesto. That’s not what it says, but that’s what it implies, if you think about it.
zack - well, everybody knows they bought it and own it. Its like you want to open someone's backyard gate and cruse around.
Kim - true. The thing is, if someone has such a big backyard that they can't begin to use it, then they can't rightly justify fencing it.
zack - ill agree with that, but who says SOFT isn't using their land?
Kim - nobody's fully using anything until I'm helping.
zack - lard have mercy! I knew it had to be that.
********
Mattue - there you are. Where is she?
Max -- she went home. She was bushed. It’s the middle of the night for her time. amazingly hot!
Matthew --- I'm hearing that!
Shane - oh, Jesus.. is me, I cruised back.
Matthew -- did you just hear us?
Shane -- I'm sorry! I was gonna .. it was too late.
Matthew - its cool. I don’t care. Lots of people are hot here. You especially.
Max --- have a seat. I'm glad you came back. I'm surprised your not zzzing.
Shane. I did. Its 5 in the morning my time. I like to try to get up at the same time regardless.
Max - have you ever looped it?
Shane -- no.
Max - I have. Remember, mat? You fell asleep. He wont use caffeine.
Mat -- I could have made it, but like, around noon the next day, I started feeling really weird. I could see doing it. I just didn't feel like deciding if it was safe in that condition. And speaking of conditions, sissy-boy, do you plan to make our swim tomorrow?
Max - ill be there. For sure.
Mat -- I gotta role. See you tomorrow.
Max - latter, man.
Max - would you like some more to eat? You sure seemed hungry last time.
Shane - I'm ok. I'm totally sorry to have come in unannounced.
Max - don’t be. God, don’t be stressed about it. Its totally ok. I said you could. You can eavesdrop on me if you want, not that there's anything I wouldn't say anytime. I don’t believe in secretes -- you have class 11 clearance here.
Shane - good. Same for you. I kind of like the idea of being watched. So many of my little success go unnoticed.
Max - maybe not around here. I hear there are secret cameras. The adults are making movies of the youth, so goes the rumor.
Shane - no way! Are you serious? Were not being watched now, are we?
Max - I don’t know. See that monitor? It could be a camera too.
Shane - you watch that thing?
Max - not TV. Not even. I watch some of the stuff that's produced locally, and things from Freeland, and Utopia, and Atlantis, I guess. I don’t watch anything else.
Shane - nothing else?
Max - ah, almost nothing else.
Shane - is that your phone?
Max - hello?
Robert - max! there is a ship in Eelslue. Intruder alert! They don’t respond to radio calls. They could be on shore. Take your gun, but don’t turn on the light. and don’t hang up. I need to be in contact fully. You’re the closest. Don’t make noise. You could run into them at any time, if their on shore. You know the procedure.
Max - yes, sir. I'm on my way. Shane, we have an intruder. We never have intruders. It could be dangerous. You should stay here.
Shane - I want to go, naturally. Two is better than one.
Max - umm, I'm going to be taking a gun.
Shane - Jesus Christ! You just leave that thing lying around?
Max- no. I keep it right here.
Shane - ah, good. You got one for me?
Max - shit, I guess it makes sense. You being crazy.
Shane - your phone seems to be yelling.
Max - hello?
Robert - take your respirators, too.
Max - I know the plan. Were on our way. Shane, grab that bag of Cashews, and a jacket, you'll need it. Have you ever fired a gun before?
Shane- no.
Max - here. Hold like this and point it away. Pull back on this - its pretty hard. Check it. Do it. Cool, here. wear these goggles and this miners helmet. Infrared. Watch your step. Its not worth getting hurt over.
Shane- few things are. Careful with body, reckless with mind. That’s what you said.
Max - branch! The first five rounds in the magazine I gave you are rubber bullets. We don’t except to shoot them. Not even. This is the start of the ridge.
Shane -- their they are! Coming up the hill.
Max. put your hands in the air or I will shoot.
Zack - we surrender! We are inert.
Max - why are you wearing biological suits?
Kim - so as not to blow your quarantine.
Max- do you have any weapons?
Zack- none. Totally not our vibe. We're just idiots. We were just leaving.
Max - Why are you here?
Kim - I'm a groupie. I want to be part of your thing. I'm worthy. He is too.
Max - why are you wearing Santa Clause suits, or shouldn’t I ask? Is it Christmas? Your not religious fanatics, are you?
Kim - ah, yes its Christmas, and no, were atheists. its so we don’t look like terrorists. We didn't want to cause a commotion.
Max - humm. what are your names?
Kim- Kimberley Dopelstright. Fort Rightford, Astrualla.
Zack- Zachary Canteen. Fort Rightford, Asturalla.
Zack- did you ever think of applying? We don't tolerate intrusion.
Kim - I did ---I'm not sufficiently evolved. But I I am; im just too young.
Max - start walking back to your craft. We'll follow you. Hello, Robert? Yea, its cool, their wearing bio-suits under their, ah, Santa suits.
Robert - bio-suits?
Max- Yea. no shit. Bio-suits. They just wanted to see.
Robert- keep them at the shore until Marvin gets there. He wants to check them out.
Max- 10-4. Guys, were going to chill here for a while. A guy is going to come and inspect your suits.
Zack - so sorry for the inconvenience. We did'nt plan to make a problem.
Max - what would you have done if we hadn't found you?
Kim--- inspected nodes, archatchure, flora and fauna. There are very few pictures of the island sense you bought it.
Max - why would you want to inspect nodes?
Kim-- I've read a lot about them, but Ive never see more than the few photos you seem to render. Radson, Cashew, Spandyeard.
Max - humm, what did you hope to find.
Kim -- ah, I want to make a non-sovereign version of a micro-nation about 40 k inland of Rightford. Land is $5000. for 10 acars and no one to bother you.
Max- what about you?
Zack - I'm sorry to be bothering you. I'm a musician. Can I give you a disk? you can disinfect it.
Max - as if. What's you web?
Zack- aynrand.sex.
Max - you’ve got to be kidding.
Zack - first owner.
********
Zack - thank god were heading back. I thought we were goners.
Kim- you stress too much. It went perfect, didn't it? It fully did. We didn't get arrested and we made a good impression. You made a good impression. Max liked you, I could tell.
Zack-oh, so now he's "Max". your looking a little googely eyed. You think he's hot.
Kim- hell, yeah. You know he was. They both looked like gods. Its true. The place is out of this world.
Zack - well, he said he has a site, so you'll get your chance.
Kim- you act like I just want to sleep with him.
Zack- hello? That’s totally what you want to do.
Kim- so?
Zack - nothing. Just don’t act like its some science project.
Kim- it is. Life's a science project.
Zack- that’s true. I'm starving. Lets eat. Light it up, ill be right back.
Kim - what's that? You brought alcohol?
Zack- I know you don’t approve. Its not like I'm that into it. I'm glad I brought it, though. Now feels fully right for it. Its like I earned it.
Kim- yeah, true. I'm not against it. I'm just not into haibtutiatual use. Ill even have some, if you can believe it.
Zack- no, I cant. Cool. No. here, ill open it. Nothing like cooking in the open air. Do you smell that.
Kim- yeah. Nice. We're living large. Even if nothing comes of this, or of any of it, at least were doing it right!
Zack - cheers! I feel like one of them. I feel like a god. Here.. God, I'm famished.
Kim- me too.
Zack- what do you mean?
Kim - I'm hungry. That’s what.
Zack - ok. You just sound nicer. Were not fighting, for once.
Kim- yeah, its different on a boat. Its undistracted. pure-like.
Zack- don’t do that. You'll burn it. Here. Move over. You have to keep the thin ones closer. They’ll finish faster. You look different. What are you smiling about?
Kim- nothing. I'm just happy.
Zack - here, try it. This piece is perfect. Jesus, Kim… your acting sexy. I like the new side of your personality but, its what's his name, isn't it? Max. I didn't know the place was a frigging nudist colony! your so infatuated, you cant help showing it.
Kim- no, well, yes, sort of. Actually, you seemed just as smart as he did. The minuet you said your first clever thing, his eyes went "bling", and he started staring at you so, like, staring , but he was clam. It was weird. He was weird. What was up with his head?
Zack- Jesus! I don’t know. It was pretty dam long. Freaking crazy. His whole body was weird. That’s ok. I'm weird too, and you are, well, are you weird? Is that your thing too? Maybe you’re a straight shooter, but just that that’s your way of getting there. Nobody's good at everything; it’s what makes us different, except some jack of all trades, and I don’t think thats what you are. You’re the scientist, and I'm the artist. you suck at math and you can draw better than me, I mean than I do, but that’s what threw me off. You’re the calculator. But your right about him; he did start acting strange, treating me like royalty. Remember when he took off his hat and like…
Kim - he clicked with you hard, and I think I did too. I cant believe I said that.
Zack- can I look at you? without us stressing, I mean.
Kim - You are looking at me, and you’re the one that’s stressing, not me.
Zack- I know I always tried to like, you know, to scam you. It isn't really like that. Its ligatamat closeness that I really want.
Kim - part of what you really want. have a seat. You look scared.
Zack - I'm not scared.
Kim - look at me.
Zack - now I am scared. Jesus, Kim. You shouldn’t drink. It makes you a totally different person.
Kim - I only had two sips! I've been thinking that Id like to become closer. Take out your hair tie.
Zack - ok, Take off your sunglasses, if you want. Nobody's around. You could take off you shirt. It would'ent kill you. Its natural.
Kim- ok.
Zack- Jesus! Your out of your mind! I don’t want you to do something you'll wish you hadn't, and then not want to see me anymore.
Kim - how does this grab you? I just want to talk, really , for now. Its plenty hot out hear.
Zack- what do you want to talk about?
Kim - what do you mean what do I want to talk about? I'm amazed, amazed, your taking the defensive, feminine. Its so unlike you.. what you clam to be.
Zack - well, your playing my role. Lets talk. I'm like, 100% with you.
Kim - I'm feeling energy from looking at you. You never look me in the eye like this. I feel like saying.. I planed to say, like I said, I planed this, I want to confess, like physically say, I'm like sexual. I never admitted it, like you always wanted me to do, although I know you know.
Zack - yeah, I know, but hearing it is the coolest thing iv ever heard.
Kim - how do you know!? Did you spy on me? You son of a bitch!
Zack - no! I just assumed. I mean, I don’t really know. You never did say. Its true. Say it again.
Kim - god, I cant. I'm starting to feel embarrassed. I mean, in a good way. its like all out in the open, god save me.
Zack - say it again. You did.
Kim - all right. I .. god, I cant say it. You know what I'm talking about. Its killing me.
Zack - your great. I loved to have hear that. Jesus, hot time on the New Zealand Sea tonight! Would you like to eat some of that fruitcake, autogirl?
Kim - yeah , I'm still hungry. Can I get my water, please?
Zack -- so when was the last time you, ah..?
Kim - eeek! I cant answer that. I'm going to die as it is. Tomorrow I'm going to be so embarrassed. I'm going to ask you to bring me a knife so I can kill myself.
Zack - no rush. You name it, I frame it. We can go back to normal.
Kim - yeah, right.
Zack - well, not normal. We can readdress this subject later, If you like, madam. We need to write them an email sooner the better, I mean, now that we know them, we totally have to.
Kim- yeah, it should be good and fast. I thought about that. We can use stuff from our writings. Do you feel like you could prepare something right now?
Zack - yeah, actually. It sounds meditative compared to where we were.
Kim - lets do two hours. That’s what I have been doing in the mornings lately.
Zack - not this morning.
Kim - no. that’s why it would be good.
*****
Zack - well, what have you got?
Kim- its only been ten minuets.
Zack - well, I don’t have anything. I want to record and we can just say what we think and then transcribe it. I do better that way. You can start. Just say what's up.
Kim - Ill read what I have first. Freeland and SOFT are the two most important micronations, but for different reasons. When both their strengths are combined in one, the new political era will have begun.
compared to Freeland, SOFT is orderly despite being an anarchy without a so called binding constitution. SOFT's constitution is written, so to speak, by the way the space was divided. Every family could live independently and there is no public land to bicker about. Plus, they have this uniformity of believe; that makes soft more stable.
Freeland cant keep people away because they don’t have any rights to the open ocean, so they get some refugees, rather than expatiates. But there's no stopping how big they could get
as more people dock on.
Micronations and the oceanographic land rush are set to undermine the socialistic structure. Intellectual property is fleeing national control and taxation like never before.
Zack - ok. So what does that mean?
Kim- what do you mean. I just said what it means. The producers cant be held down in one place - they cant be taxed anymore because they can operate anywhere.
Zack - well, any trade with normal nations will expose you to their taxes, so they will still be under the yoke. All the taxes an Aussi pays comes out of the bottom line of whoever sells to him.
Kim - how's that?
Zack- well, if your customers have less money, your going to earn less. Plus, anyway, all the labor part of product will still support laborers and the normal way of life.
Kim- yeah, well, labor is being replaced by automation. Plus, if people were smarter, they wouldn't buy so much stupid shit, so labor would drop even more. It’s a visceses circle; their presence creates a need for them. Their like a slim that grows in a over-fortafied enviorment. Yuck. That’s more reason why the movement needs more steam. Plus, I didn't say the change was going to be apocalyptic, just revolutionary. Over time, you know.
Zack - right, right, pardon me. So ok. lets imagine sea habitation frees the super wealthy from taxation. Then what?
Kim- the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. They say a large middle class is the hallmark of good government, sense resources are more evenly distributed.
Zack - so your saying a poor person gets more value from a buck than a millionaire?
Kim -yeah, that’s the thing. You have a starving kid on one hand and a guy with a yacht on the other. But its not that simple. What I was getting to is that their way of thinking is relative. They see the difference between the rich and the poor. Their argument doesn't address the idea of the absolute. What is the overall, and long term, that’s the important part, what's the overall effect of equalizing wealth? Anyway, there's no use auguring about it sense it cant be stopped. Well, I guess that’s not true, but you know what's going to happen. People already starve all the time and all the fighting and disease.. its going to get worse on land, and the sea will become a bigger and bigger paradise. Genetic engineering and fertility advancements. and pretty soon cloning will get practical. There will be such a difference between the have's and have-nots that the world will be like a super divided two class society. But not only economically, like is already common, but also intellectually. Way more than anything that’s happened so far.
Zack - with all the rich on the water?
Kim - no. they will slowly buy most of the land. The poor will become increasingly dependent on aid, and a food additive that causes sterility will be developed. They will have no choice but to eat it, and the poor will die off completely.
Zack - scary. When did you come up with that yarn?
Kim - just now, kinda.
Zack - so what would happen to middle class people like us?
Kim - us? were upper middle class, especially me, especially compared to most of the world. Escentcelly, you have to buy your place in a free society. Space and other resources are limited, so if other people are 10 times more productive than you, they are going to get 10 times the resources. If there are enough people above you, then your share will be too small to live on.
Zack - well, the problem is that super rich people have like, a million times the wealth of a normal person. Wealth gets concentrated too much compared to how different peoples intelligence are. Economics have their own bent dynamics and over reward a very small minority. Its just like how it is with fame.
Kim - yeah. If someone made a million times the avarage resources and then spent it all on himself, that doesn't sound like a net win for society. Especially considering how much waste that would likely entail. But if he earned the money, then it was a fair trade and must, in theory, be of benefit to both parties. People see the mansions, and think "that wealth should be more divided", but its like wanting to have you cake and eat it too.
Zack - well, except that lots of producers would work weather they are paid right or not.
Kim - true. That’s the foundation of the current system. people will still mostly work mostly as hard, so things still get done. Socialism disarms wasteful playboys, but also would-be creators .
Kim - yeah. Its true. Anyway, the life blood of socialism is overpopulation. limits on family size is the real issue. Like they were doing in china.
Zack - It was working there, but that was when they were more totalitarian. None of the impoverished nations are that tightly controlled today. Food production technology is ramping up even faster than population, it would appear. It cant keep up forever, but as the masses become more modern, growth will naturally decline.
Kim - yeah, its comes down to rates of change. Which is growing faster. Religion is loosing its grip on the human reproductive cycle, but not as fast as crops are advancing - at least I could imagine it. They predict 100 billion before it even starts leveling off, and most of them will be dumb, sense it takes foresight and resources to not reproduce. Isn't it ironic that birth control, which seemed, and is, such a great thing, is actually only used mostly by people who are the most suited to reproduce, so the world is getting swamped with offspring of the least advanced peoples.
Zack - peoples? I think you mean "people".
Kim - no. peoples means people, but not all from the same culture.
Zack - oh, I get it. I'm molded. so if the shift to the sea is not enough to shake us free of the masses, then I guess you think we will even take them into space with us as we habitat it.
Kim - yeah, a percentage. a percentage gets shaken off with every level of abstraction. When language or the motor was invented, it gave its advantage to those who could understand it, so dumb people were at an even higher level of disadvantage, so more died. On the other hand, advancements increase productivity, so more under-producing people can be supported, if that’s the way the resources get shuffled. Technology inherently promotes a two class society. Just as the division of labor did. I guess technology is a type of division of labor.
Freeland is designed so that everyone carries their weight, so their part of the world will have completely sidestepper the needy. They are a more important movement than SOFT. Freeland will rise like the US did, and SOFT will be like Switzerland.
Zack - I hear ya. Soft is like a university in the way their stuff is so rotundity abstract, ambiguous, its an irony, really, the nafasissis.
Kim - what's the nafasissis?
Zack - I don’t know. Something unknowable, I guess. I cant understand their AI stuff, and it kinda sucks, too. Compared to some stuff.
Kim- well, their just one place. We imagine their bigger cuz we happen to live right near them
Zack - speaking of big, what did you think of that one place we saw?
Kim - dam, I know. Insane.
Zack - what do you do with 300,000 square feet?
Kim- I know what id do. Id wander around with a big grin on my face, yelling "Mine! Mine!".
Zack - they say fish grow bigger in a bigger tank.
Kim - I read a study saying where you are on the status scale affects your longevity more than diet and herieaty.
Zack - that’s because status is almost inseparable from money, and money equals good health care.
Kim - yeah, good point, but they talked about that and said still its fully true.
Zack - I believe it.
Kim- they say if you feel you don’t have a purpose, no status, you'll self distruct for the good of society. That’s why people get depressed and kill themselves. Its natures vacuum cleaner. Keeps stuff off the floors.
Zack - but wealthy and successful people get depressed.
Kim - true, but not as much. The problem is you judge yourself by comparing to your friends more than by society as a whole. Your position is relative.
Zack- I see. Now I know why I like hanging out with dumb people.
Kim - very funny. Speaking of dumb people, what were you planing to write about. Are we recording? Cool.
Zack - I was thinking about writing about how badly I have to take a leak. Easily the most pertinent and compelling issue. Were getting too east if we plan one or two more long tacks. If the wind doesn't shift. What's so funny?
Kim - you. You better go pee before you lose conciseness. Grab your notebook while your in there.
Zack - here, what did you want to see?
Kim- that piece about miniaturization. Here it is. We should include this. Its hip the way they want to be.
1) Ornamentation and other skin-deep things are "small" or "false" versions of something better and more rare. Many things with this "miniature" quality trick simple parts of the brain and make people feel satisfied.
2)Another example is pets. As companions they are similar to infants. They allow you to objectify your love, which is good, but it is e compared to sharing love with a person with whom you can better communicate. 3) Sports are not overcoming strife and winning battles; it is make-believe, like games. 4) Many hobbies; gardening is small farming etc. 5) appreciation of art, music, TV, knowledge etc. gives only the feeling of creation and creativity. 6) Schoolwork is a very poor mockup of real life. 7) Ceremonies and tributes take the place of what they claim to foster. They are the exact opposite of what is rightly called "quality time". . Religion and church, by pacifying peoples need to feel they are doing good things, allows them to avoid the difficulty of actually doing good. Voting and recycling, worrying about individual species extinction etc. partly serve the same purpose.
Tribute is a cheep, blanket respect, like a store bought greeting card. This “economy respect” also includes birthdays, gifts, awards, marriages, graduations, religions, traditions, some complements and courtesies, honors etc. The only true respect you can give is what you give automatically, naturally and effortlessly by liking your friends for who they are. 8) The ultimate miniature is the person as a cog—associating with groups, using customs, norms, and fashion to steer your course.
***********
Shane - hey, so your gun was cocked, but mine you had un-cocked.
Max - yeah. Sense your not experienced, its safer. Its called chambered, technically, by the way.
Shane - what does cocked mean, then? Ha.
Max. what does cocked mean? Let me see. Its when the hammer, the thing that hits the firing pin, is pulled back, so its easier to pull the trigger, sense it doesn't have to cock the spring. Check it out. That’s cocked. Its less safe, sense a bump could fire it.
Shane - they were bugging on our lack of cloths. We were all about the same age. The girls head was spinning!
Max -- yeah, that was funny and fun. Remember when she said "were going to found a society in the lowlands 10 k east", and he said " your going to found it, just before getting eaten by an alligator." And then she gives him this acid stair, but he's smiling so goofy and she smiles too. They were acting. I'm thinking maybe it was prepared. That part at least. I noticed you fully caught him scoping you out, and then he totally blushed. He tried to play it off.
Shane - that was funny. It was too obvious when he blushed. considering he's an albino, you would think he would be careful about stuff like that. How can he live in Australia? He must burn in like, two seconds.
Max. no kidding. you got me. Is hair was trippy looking.
Shane - I'm covered with pollen, and dirt. I don’t want to sit in any of your nice chairs.
Max - I'm going to take a shower.
Shane - yeah, I should too. I like how I have an outdoor and an indoor shower at my place. Do you, also?
Max. - yeah - mines neat. You should see it. Its totally draped in vines. Come on.
Shane - wow, cool. Can I use it?
Max - uh, yeah. Should I leave you alone?
Shane - ah, not if you don’t want to. I mean, I'm already undressed.
Max - yeah, but you might find this is different. Although I'm amazed how well you have adapted to the natural lifestyle.
Shane- its easier for a girl. You cant give yourself away as easily.
Max - yeah, that’s why I should probably leave.
Shane - its ok. Everybody gets turned on now and then. Hop in. its warm.
Max - uh, I'm embarrassed.
Shane - I say. You don’t have any reason to be. We can be chill. If it helps any, I'm kind of excited too. This place seems to lend itself to promiscuity, or is it just me?
Max - um, shy people are still shy.
Shane - you can look at me if you want. I mean, you've seen me, but your right that it is different here. Its got the garden of Eden thing going, or something. I gets ya in a natural mood.
Max - yeah, I agree.
Shane - a really natural mood, I my case. Umm, would you like to kiss?
Max - umm, yeah, but … umm, there are some things to do first. Umm, yeah, I would like to look eye to eye with you, and to say I'm essentially independent and a solo-boggler, and umm, I'm interested in sensual ways towards many people, umm, you especially.
Shane - me too. your eyes are beautiful.
Max - you look super concoussih, like me, really, in some ways. Your eyes look like pools of allege.
Shane - cute. Your eyes look like an avocado that was ripe yesterday. Show me your hands. Their the same size as mine, almost.
Max - do you mind if I step back and really look at you. Your beautiful.
Shane - sure. I'm embarrassed, but I like it. People who don’t like embarrassment are getting their emotions confused.
Max - I know what your talking about, embarrassments fun. I can barely look at you. Would you like to get out?
Shane - sure. Thanks, umm I'm ok. I can dry off with this. I'm efficient.
Max - we should chill. I feel like there is a lot of energy at my finger tips. You, the way your looking, your looking at me sexually, clearly.
Shane_ its true, we've let the Jennie out of the bottle. Lets try to put it back in. its more than I can handle, process right now. Its weird, did you notice, we can turn it down, even with being undressed. If I could have learned French this easy, Jesus.
Max- would you like to go for a super fast walk? I'm up for getting some excersise.
Shane- sure. I noteioused you have bikes. Want to ride?
Max - yeah, totally. Lets go back to where they landed at Eelslue. I'm thinking I should check the area out more thoroughly. Make sure they didn't leave a bug or something.
Max - how you doing?
Shane - that was fun. So nice.
max - I'm going to walk around here. If you want you can keep going that way. There's an old structure a little way down that way.
Shane - you mean up that way. That’s north.
max - were in Australia, remember?
Shane-- weird, I feel up side down. Ill be back.
Shane - greetings friend! I saw a fox on my way back. It was beautiful. that was cool. Piers I like in general, and that ones a trip. Is it broken?
max - yeah. A storm took it out, the end, anyway. I hope you were careful and didn't go all the way out.
Shane - no, not even. That things psycho. Did you find anything/
max - no. I didn't except to. You don’t seem too winded. Would you like to go back?
Shane - yeah, its good to not to rest. Lets curse. Hey, there is someone up ahead.
Max - ah, that’s Sid. He's a weirdo. Way more of a loner than most people around here. What's up, Sid?
Sid - this and that. Morning constatusanals.
Shane - is that a generator?
Sid - water pump, actually. I pump water into those drums and then it goes through copper pipe through the focal points of those parabolic depressions in the sand there. See, there lined with aluminum. It boils the water and de-salinizes it.
Shane - do you sell the water?
Sid - no. SOFT has plenty of water. I'm just perfecting the technology. I use the water to grow those Acacia trees over there. They grow fast with little water and are nitrogen fixing and make nuts. I use seaweed for fertilizer.
Max - he makes really good bread from the nuts, and he keeps bees for honey. Plus, don’t you still give nuts to the indigenous birds?
Sid - yeah, there is a rookery on the east side. It didn't use to be, but back in the day, we caught some, and clipped their wings, and a flock formed with this as its winter base. Anyway, the birds taste pretty good, if your inclined that way, and the trees make a micro-climate, so I can grow herbs and spices and stuff. Here, take some chili peppers and a yam.
Max - thanks, man. We would hang out, but were trying to get a cartiovascular workout.
Sid - later.
Shane - What if we went that way. Does that canyon wind up near the back of my place?
max- ah, its too ruff for bikes when you get parallel with your place, but if we went further we could cross and come back on the south, partly on that path you and I came in on. Lets do it.
Zack - yeah! Now you seem winded.
Shane - yeah, up is harder. I like the bike. I have never ridden something so nice. So this is the canyon north of my place?
max- well , sort of. Were east now, but it winds around. That’s the Haxabon place in the distance.
Shane- that one place we saw before, it was so giant. I bet who lives there is quite the dandy.
max - that’s the founders place. You know he's the father of a lot of people here.
Shane - ah, sort of, how many people?
max - only 60, officially. Did you know I have an identical brother?
Shane - no.
max - he's quite different from me. They were very scientific about giving everyone totally different environments.
Shane- really ? what environment were you given?
max - the academic one. lots of work. Lots of situations set up to tax my patience or my will, and they were monitoring my brain so they never pushed me to far. Just like weight lifting. Exercising. Lots of mentoring and socializing. You should see Atmo. He's weird compared to me. Have you taken any drugs?
Shane- I wish. Caffeine is the only thing I have had to boggled on. Its kinda cool, but I know its not what I'm looking for.
Max- what are you looking for?
Shane- a different perspective. Caffeine is just physical speed, sort of, not really. Its so good in a way that I know there's more out there. The brain is not sacred, because nothing is sacred. I mean, health is almost scarred, but drugs are not necessarily unhealthy, especially in their purest forms.
Max - sounds like you know a lot about it.
Shane - ive read about stuff. I would try marawanna if I could find it. You can vaporize it and then its not even bad for you, not that its too bad anyway. You only need like one puff.
Max -I'm not supposed to try anything. When I'm 23 they wont care if I do. You can find stuff here. My brother, or a lot of people. you haven't tried alcohol?
Shane - no. I could have. I'm like, well, its like too normal for me. Like TV. Part of why I don’t like TV is that so many people watch it, nothing you learn from it is rare. It common knowledge. You know what I mean?
Max - totally. Remember the LA disaster. I watched some of that, but I still felt like an idiot staring at a box full of other peoples ideas. Would you like to stop at the Hexabon place and rest. I'm kinda tired.
Shane- yeah, sure. it looks cool. Organic. Are they home?
Max- ah, some people may be around. They have the best apricots, and they should be ripe around now. They may have strawberries too.
Shane - sounds good to me. Look at that place. It looks like its about to pounce, or tip, or congeal or something.
Max - that’s a satellite building. There's probably nobody here. Curse in. ill grab some fruit and be right there.
Shane - wow! Its neat to be in someone's place. You can see the personality all over the place.
Max - here. There's a sink over here. Ah, and a computer. I think ill call up that site, what was it? Aynrand.sex. ah, here it is. Cool. Text only.
Originality will set you free
Libertarian is best, fairest, less war
The meaning of life
Sex is evolutions brain
The Society of Free Thinkers
Half baked ideas
My self/my art
Transcript of a friendship
Society of free thinkers sounds interesting. Ah yes. Mp3s. hey, turn on the stereo. Its over there.
Shane - I see it. Weird. Where do I… this I guess..
Max - yeah, turn it up.
"Turn off that extra shit and get right down to it
Ain’t gonna have no problems today
Know way
Ain’t know way
Ain’t gonna have no problems today
We got it rolling all fresh
Might as well act like a fish
And turn it off and take a breather,
Set it straight, just the vocal track
Everything’s gonna be vocal tonight
Never let it long; don’t stop it on the floor
You know were going to have to start over
Oh shit
One time so nice, then gone
It maybe happened once or twice
Nothing we could do
(Tell the mike, the mike)
She was good and fast
It was most simple to
Return her smile
She would laugh all right
For anything
Feels like the last time
First time I saw her face".
Shane - wow, neat. I like the music. The singing out there. His voice is really pretty bad. So amateur and dorky.
Max - yeah. He sounds like a total nerd trying to sound like, well, not trying to sound… he's doing it. He's got sole, he just sounds like crap.
"Think I’m done, ive just begun
Now I’m rhyming loosing timing
Lose sense
and spurge
Down the frozen
waterfall
Strait, alabaster but its
Cracked, straight through
Like the grain in my brain
Rain and ducks
A fountain, a mountain
But no cause for alarm
Report to the factory
Peal my face from the beauro
It’s pure-o, bunk-o, gunk-o
I turn logs into cogs
And children into rivets
Gonna stack em up
tell they reach the sun
Grand manifest at its best
Pull a body up, into your vest
Wouldn’t knock if you rock it
Got a locket in my pocket
A picture of Satin
Were waiting
Tell the gates left open
Plastic, plastic, plastic
Plastic gelatin goo assumes
You were certainly hoping it would
Answer your door, and it did.
Only logarithmic pan-galactic ally
Your id stung like a suicidal scorpion
When were good and ready
There will be an intermission
Were gonna leaped the left
Were gonna rep the bleep
Its gonna be like you never did see
Were gonna rock it, like a rocket
What’s declined to climb?
It’s a sign of the times
Like a rock it’s a rate of escape
Oh no. where’s the toad
It’s go go go
When the plastic isn’t fast enough.
Tidy blue
Watermelon monkey wrench yeah
Max - weird. Totally weird. I wouldn't mind getting to know these guys. There musicians. I have never really gotten to know someone from the outside. Besides you, I mean. And you were sheltered compared to them.
Shane - um yeah, I guess so. Their the types, though. They would have fit in fine where I was. Their like quality ore that was too scattered so it hadn't been mined yet, but that when you re-look, its just, like, sitting there. You know? They didn't get medicated. But their the types that would've, had they been western. I bet, anyway. Not that there's anything wrong with medicating. I mean, do people take many mood meds. here?
Max - some do, some don’t.
Shane - ah, do you have clearance for the giant building? The founders place.
Max - ah, you can check your own clearances on the board. Ill show you. Um, the big building is something I need to talk to you about, but I was planing to bring it up later. It’s a secrete. You need to be sure you want to stay here before you boggle on everything.
Shane - wow. Well, the future can never fully be known, but I sure feel like I will be a Soceition forever. Besides, you can fully trust me. I guess that doesn't prove anything. I will say I have a great love of SOFT and what it represents and what its doing and I care greatly about my self-image and I care about you, so anything you tell me will be treated as gold.
Max - wow. You are great. That’s the thing that’s great around here. All right. Oh, and by the way, you just said the future can never be known, yet you say on you site that you’re a determinist. Anyway, a major test-tube baby project is going on here. Especially at the Lifestation, as its called, and Lifestation 2, which you probably haven't seen. People here group by age rather than by family, as you know, but the weird thing is that infants want the same numbers of mentors and subs that average people do. You should see the absolute nirvana going on at Lifestation. It should be a while. A respectful amount of time, given the magnitude of it There are over 10,000 youths here that no one outside SOFT knows about. . Many females here have had all their eggs removed and started. They are virtually totally self-maintaining angles, thanks to the mentoring system, and of course, fanatical genetic screening. I hope I'm not shocking you.
Shane - I'm getting amazed here like, every 5 minuets. Where do you get all the food? Where are they going to go?
Max - we import it, and grow some. What with the methanol project and exotic animal husbandry, we get tons of grain. </