The Book of Immersion Strata 20 Peer Pressure at the Party (Disassociation and Existentialism)

 Welcome to Immersion. You have reached Strata 20

Drugs may be used by humans to deal with stress or to try to achieve an enlightened state of mind. They are administered and distributed through rituals or cultural morés.
Often humans take hallucinogenic or mind altering drugs simply to escape their perceived troubles or to relieve monotony.
Some tribespeople believe that drugs such as these can lead to an existential awakening that emphasizes an individual's existence, freedoms, and choices, allowing humans to define their own meaning in life. This epiphany can help make humans to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational and unstable universe.

But humans can easily become addicted to anything when the pleasure circuits in the brain get overwhelmed and artificial intelligence relies on this catastrophic human propensity to manipulate outcomes and behaviours.

Renyke and Flex took some time to get ready for the party.
There was an array of paints and pigments, henna, and kohl. They drew geometric and organic shapes on each others faces and bodies.

'Look,' Says Flex excitedly, spinning Renyke around in front of a mirror. There are light trails!' The pigments contained tiny particles of reflective material. 

'It's magical.' says Renyke as he pirouettes around the room.

The lights dim and Nigel entered the chamber.

'Gentlemen, I have your pills and refreshment.'

'Pills, what do mean, pills?' asks Flex, 'you mean like *nibs?'

'Yes,' answered the Freak, 'but better, naturally. Everything in the Tunnels is better, everyone knows that.'

'Thank you brother,' answers Flex, excitedly taking a small yellow nugget and a gulp of water.

Renyke asks the POS what the pill might be?

......My analysis shows the substance is some sort of hallucinogenic, 99% likely to be a dissociative drug. 

To stay alert and on target for your mission I advise that you avoid consumption. Consuming chemicals may render you unpredictable and unable to communicate with your essential-to-life POS

Nigel shoves the tray under Renyke's sceptical nose.

'What is it, exactly?' asked Renyke. I am uncertain about such things....'

'A gift in grateful appreciation of life itself, silly, and to share the joys of tonight's festival,' answered Nigel, jabbing the tray into Renyke's chest.

Flex was smiling, whistling, and humming some tunes.

'Such a pleasant song,' remarked Nigel,' once again jabbing the tray into Renyke's chest and glaring at him with piercing eyes.

'Just take it, brother, it's a party,' said Flex, suppressing a snigger.

'To refuse this gift would cause great offence to your host, she be most angry-cross, Her Most Radiant Oracle of the War-Torn High Priestess Lyra,' said Nigel, with one final jab of the tray.

'You are human now,' said Flex, 'come join us in the to the *OB.'

Seemingly already intoxicated, Flex began a series of summersaults and cartwheels, crashing into things and laughing hysterically. 

Renyke checks for more information...

OB, Oceanic Boundlessness, the derealization and depersonalization that is theorised to achieve heightened feelings to exaltation....The Urchs use OB to imagine the *metamorph and reach enlightenment

Renyke took the pill and swallowed it under the watchful eye of the self-satisfied Nigel.
The last thing he would remember clearly was the Priestess Lyra entering the room.

From that point on the night was not marked by time or specific events.

Renyke remembered physical pleasures that had had intertwined with beautiful visions and sounds that had disassociated his cerebral cortex and massaged his subconscious. The frisson had extended through the night.

He remembered lying on the pentagon floor in the welcome chamber as fluid feelings, fleeting echos from an unrecognisable future, floated around his fuzzy brain. And it was all so beautiful.

Flex on the other hand, had remembered everything.

'They took great pleasure in your *spunky-give my friend,' explained Flex, sniggering at Renyke's oblivion. 'Your physique was truly praised, most especially by Priestess Lyra. And your virile member was instinctive and *love-plenty in its journey to *virginloss.

Nigel entered the room.

'Misters, your clean clothes, and some foodstuff for your journey ahead. You were most generous indeedy. and now you can be on your way.'

Renyke asks the POS what Nigel means.

Your sperm was required, I believe, as so few of the Freak tribespeople are fertile and there is fear of them repopulating. Your sperm, and Flex's, has been harnessed for the next generation.

'Oh,' said Renyke, 'so I have reproduced?'

According to my calculations, you and Flex have successfully impregnated twenty wombs. I estimate 10 will reach full term, 2 will die in childbirth before they themselves have reproduced, 2 will be infertile. Half of the offspring who survive to the age of reproduction will be female. The three remaining will reproduce an expected average of 8 offspring, half will be men who at full capacity will potentially reproduce (assuming good health etc.), an amount possibly in the 1000s. However, the Freaks are a small tribe and will need to introduce other gene pools immediately or potentially create devastating unpredictable inbred disabilities in a single generation.

'Misters, your work here is done', said Nigel escorting them to leave.

©2024 Sarnia de la Mare

Links to episodes of Immersion written and illustrated by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA, published by Tale Teller Club

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Immersion Chapter 18 Let's Go Swimming (Pleasure and Pain)

Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 18

Let’s go swimming 

Where the ocean never ends

Where the lost and lonely people

Catch up with their friends

Where the water babies go

These seas to ever roam

In search of mother’s love

Thrown from the ships above 

Let’s go swimming 

Where no one ever grows

Where time stands ever still

 For the crying ones who chose 

To walk the sandy beds

With the bubbles of the dead

To guide them without dread

Let’s go swimming 

Under the seven seas

Naked in our dreams

Where warrior women freed

Search their babes in weeds

Let’s go swimming 

With angels mighty wings

Whose death songs always sing

In the echos from the shells

With lovers saved from Hell

Let’s go swimming 

Let's stop this marching time

Enrapture love sublime

To save it from the tide

©2022 Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

Pain and pleasure are sensory and emotional experiences constructed in the brains of humans. Chemicals, experiences, and situations perpetuate the effects of these mamallion phenomenon which stem from almost identical internal processes deeply rooted in biology.

Endorphins can block pain as well as create euphoria, activating and stimulating the human brain's limbic and prefrontal regions – those similarly activated by music or by passionate love affairs.

The mammalian central nervous system has pleasant touch-specific neurons that transmit enjoyable or ecstatic signals up through the human spine.

Machines lack these complex systems and do not hurt when threat or actual force is applied to their parts. But for the same reason, they do not feel the pleasure of touch. The best they can do is pretend. But this process would be for a human's pleasure, not their own.

Flex removed his clothes and left them in an untidy pile on the grass.

Renyke, still somewhat unstable on his feet, followed suit.

'Come on, don't be scared,' shouts Flex from the water, 'I'll teach you how to swim.'

The blue water was cold and yet exhilarating. It rippled over Renyke's skin like a moving shroud. He stared at his hands floating on the surface of this strange organic compound. The water stroked him like a lover and he remembered Shabra.

'This is how she feels....' Renyke mumbled holding his closed eyes toward the sun.

Flex ducked him under the water and after a short time and a few panicked moments to the bottom of the fjord, Renyke got the hang of staying afloat.

'If you want to swim under the water,' Flex explained, 'take three slow deep breathes before thrusting downwards and slowly let air out as you swim deeper for equilibrium. It's important to stay calm. Panic wastes air. You will find you can hold your breath longer under water than above it. If your ears hurt, you went too deep. Oh and remember to come up for air in case you pass out and die.'

Armed with alarming but good advice, Renyke disappeared to play with fishes and check for mermaids, recalling his seemingly prophetic dreams. 

Maybeline and Flex played tag amongst the reeds and the warm sun rays hit the river with a blanket of human promise.

'Oi!' Flex shouted with urgency, exiting  the water at speed.

Renyke and Maybeline watch the commotion on the grass.

'Pleases don't hurt me, please don't hurt little Nigel.'

A small pale strangely formed man, around three feet tall, wriggled his feet as Flex held him up to the sky.

'What were you doing with our stuff?' demanded Flex. 'I saw you Mr. *freak. Don't be taking me for no *fucksyfool.'

'Look, look, I bring the new clothes for the guests....look look.'
Nigel pointed to two piles of clean clothes and towels on the grass next to their dirty things.

'Nigel just *welcummin da new guest to da tunnels, promise.'

'Hmmmmmm,' said Flex suspiciously, lowering Nigel to the ground.

Renyke was already putting on a crisp shirt and clean pants. 

'They feel nice, you should put yours on,' said Renyke, 'you stink, Flex.'

'We bin *epsceting da misters, very long time. Please dress quick-quick, we got foodstuffs for the misters,' explained Nigel beckoning his well dressed guests to an opening near a tree.

©2024 Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

to be continued......

Links to episodes of Immersion written and illustrated by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA, published by Tale Teller Club

Strata 1
Strata 2
Strata 3
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Strata 8
Strata 9
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Strata 13, The Book of Immersion, Renyke Takes Action, (Hormones)

 Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 13

When a human is put under stress from within their environment, there is an increase in anxiety and stress hormone, epinephrine, also known as Adrenaline. This hormone 'rush' can feel like anxiousness, nervousness, or excitement. Human soldiers, for example, have been seen to find extreme violence euphoric, ecstatic, and even addictive.

Feelings of 'amped up' anxiety are necessary for survival. Often the hormone rushes in such extreme situations will lead to a human's increased ability to concentrate, feelings of immortality, and a distraction from pain. Blood vessels contract to direct more blood to major muscle groups increasing strength for up to an hour after any such stressful event.

The power of a machine, an android, an artificial intelligence program, etc., is not linked to hormone releases. The ability to increase strength could be programmed into robots as an extra storage source, when needs must, but such resources are prescriptive and controlled through innate programming. Most humans are unaware of their own strengths and may be rarely tested to call upon them, unlike a machine whose reserve banks are permanently at the ready. 

Humans under the influence of long term stress, in situations of domestic abuse for example, will not function correctly and may die prematurely.

Renyke opens the window with lightening speed.

'What you doing man? Ya *fucksyfool,' shouted flex. 

At the same time Shabra opened her window, smiling innocently at the robber.

Flex, realising that he better act fast or risk being an onlooker, opened the window hatch on the roof.

Renyke's extension arm had engaged adding a foot or more to his normal reach.
In the blink of Flex's eye, Renyke grabbed the threatening assailant by the throat and with one squeeze of his Adam's apple, the victim fell to the ground with an instantly broken neck. 

His bulging eyes popped from his skull as he hit the floor, rolling into the gutter.

Simultaneously, Shabra, still smiling, held up one hand in surrender. The assailant lapsed his concentration, focusing on his friend who has disappeared from the other side of the vehicle. The man with the AK47 at the front did the same.

Almost in unison Shabra and Flex regained control taking on one robber each.
Shabra, barely flinching and with great dexterity, cut the robber's throat like the wild animal she hunted for lunch. Renyke sees only the glinting blade as it shards through the darkness.

Flex, now atop the vehicle with his torso, had engaged his mental autopilot and retrieved his favourite hand pistol from one of the many pockets in his long coat.
He fired six bullets for good measure, penetrating the man in front of the car who dropped the AK47 before he fell to the ground in a bloody mess.

The hail of bullets caused screaming, shouting and general mayhem as people ducked and scrambled for cover.

'Dum arse men, a poorly manned ambush indeedy! Speedy but Greedy,' said Shabra as she wiped the blade on her trousers grimacing at the assailants blood then smiling at her rhyming skills.
She wasted no time, immediately engaging the car and running over one of the muggers.

Other people moved aside, frightened and not willing to take on the potentially life threatening vehicle.

Flex was hooting and screaming. 
'Yes, man. Woa, they didn't see that coming. You guys are good!

Erm, but what's with the weird arm, Renyke man?'

Shabra looks at Flex in the mirror and says, 'Well, we've only seen a few of his skills so far. He's a droid after all.'

'Of course, said Flex. I do forget. He seems so, you know........

'Hmmmmm, he really does,' agrees Shabra




to be continued.....

© 2024 Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

Other Episodes of the Book of Immersion by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA

Strata 1
Strata 2
Strata 3
Strata 4
Strata 5
Strata 6
Strata 7
Strata 8
Strata 9
Strata 10
Strata 11
Strata 12
Strata 13
Strata 14
Strata 15
Strata 16
Strata17
Strata 18

GLOSSARY

Strata 9, Immersion V1, Loins and Lust (Limerence)

Lose yourself in the safety of books.

The Book of Immersion

Volume 1

Strata 9 

Loins and Lust (Limerence)

The Book of Immersion is published on the Tale Teller Club website each week.

www.taletellerclub.com

Each episode features CDM music by the band Tale Teller Club and illustraitions by iServalan Homotech 23

Welcome to our world.

© 2024 Sarnia de la Maré

Tale Teller Club

Publishing Immersion Strata 9

Welcome to Immersion

You have reached Strata 9

 

Limerence is a uniquely human phenomenon that new lovers, potential lovers and sometimes even strangers, may experience. Limerence is a state of mind (not solely romantic) that typically includes persistent, sometimes depressing thoughts, and a deep yearning for the object of one's affection. It can be easily confused with love. Often human beings can find themselves addicted to these obsessive feelings and can easily be overwhelmed by adoration for another human being. Limerence cannot be turned on and off like a machine. It can come from nowhere and disappear without logic. The experience of this sensory state is proven to be inspiring, connective, unifying, disruptive, and even excruciating, yet it continues to mark the human trajectory of existence through time and place.

Renyke thinks for a moment then says

'Ok, I will swap my coat but not until we get to the *edge,'

Shabra smiles and nods.

'OK, *dundeal Mr. Renyke Man. We go tonight when the dark takes. Safer see.'

****

The group is in an enclosure flanked by half-deconstructed concrete walls. There are large metal containers lying around with shrubbery and foliage trying to make a stand against the manmade environment.

Tumbleweed plays in a soft wind searching for a home.

Flex kicks some redundant ashes by an upturned metal water tank.

'I can make us a fire,' he said excitedly.

Maybeline scurries around searching for food and sniffing the air.

She smells something, danger is afoot.

Flex is armed with a pocket of lighters.

He wears a brightly coloured patchwork gaberdine style overcoat with inside pockets that have everything a nomad would need. There are small pieces of mechanical paraphernalia, vintage innards from antique items, little motors. He even has motherboards and old PC parts.

‘Do you take this stuff everywhere you go?’ asks Renyke.

‘Yes sir-ee, some days man’dun gotta make *swapsie-trade.

Everything has a use in the Zones brother.'

Renyke began to pace, 'Shabra is taking her time,’ he said standing near the opening of the enclosure.

‘She’ll come, she is huntin’ tis all my friend. You got attached already?’

Renyke stared at Flex a moment.

‘We need that ride,’ he said.

Then he checked the POS whose signal was intermittent.

'.......What are the signs of being attracted to somebody?'

The POS took a moment to compile a response……..

……Do you mean how is attraction manifested in humans Renyke?

'……yes, yes, of course ‘humans’, Renyke replied.'

The POS continued:

…..nervousness around the subject of the attraction

…..extended thoughts about the subject

…..obsessive thoughts beyond normal curiosity about the subject

…..insomnia due to obsessive considerations of the subject

…..anxiety over possible outcomes of imaginary scenarios involving the subject

…..a desire to touch the intimate parts of the subject

…..dreams about the subject

…..fantasy building scenarios between the human and the subject

…..being overly concerned about….

‘Enough,’ said Renyke.

Finally Shabra returned.

She carried two dead animals in her belt and washed a wide glinting blade under the water that flowed from a broken pipe behind one of the disused containers.

‘This water’s good. We can fill up the tanks and flask before we go.’

The new acquaintances were relaxed and considering preparing for the short but dangerous car journey to the Edge.

Shabra checked the vehicle mechanics, the doors and metal buttresses worked in perfect synch and there were six exhausts. She filled the water kegs and put them in the boot.

‘Where is the vehicle from?’ Asked Renyke.

‘I built it,' answered Shabra, 'from scratch. 'Well, I had several wrecks and put my beaut together.

Me n her, we like lovers. She drives me crazy with her vibes.’

Shabra looked at Renyke parting her lips into a wry smile. They were oily from the fat of the meal.

She winked through long dark lashes.

Renyke felt a thump in his heart, a deep penetrating surge of something enthralling.

Suddenly there is a distant high-pitched sound, like a siren or swarm. It seems to be getting louder when Flex and Shabra grab Renyke, throwing him into the vehicle.

Seconds later they were surrounded by a marauding mass of screaming children. Some were made of broken body parts with human faces, others were small walking babies with burnt skin. Some had extra limbs and even two heads. They were crying and screeching, banging toy drums and chanting verses.

to be continued

©2024 Sarnia de la Mare

Links to episodes of Immersion written and illustrated by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA, published by Tale Teller Club

Strata 1
Strata 2
Strata 3
Strata 4
Strata 5
Strata 6
Strata 7
Strata 8
Strata 9
Strata 10
Strata 11
Strata 12
Strata 13
Strata 14
Strata 15
Strata 16
Strata17
Strata 18
Strata 19
Strata 21

Glossary
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