Riality

Life as I know it

[riadark]

First Impressions Lead to Assumptions If the person perceives you as: Comparable in business status = further interaction Higher business status = admired or valued Lower business status = tolerated and kept at arm’s length

First Impressions Lead to Assumptions If the person perceives you as: Comparable in business status = further interaction Higher business status = admired or valued Lower business status = tolerated and kept at arm’s length

[riadark]

The first harbinger of change was when you had to step on a scale to enter events. Long gone were Big Pharma’s bullshit vax requirements. Booster after booster left folks’ immune systems confused at best. 

[riadark]

The extraterrestrial looked at the earthling and the cyborg and repeated, only this time a little more loudly, “Don’t you aware of why on Earth?”

Lydia and Robert looked at each other in their mind’s eye and wondered at each other-- for quite a while.

The extraterrestrial slithers over to the other e.t. sitting there, physically connects, then proclaims, “How you Pass the Great Filter?”

For all the tech and breadth of species there was in the room, somehow, they all were at a standstill; stuck in a query that got them all fucked up. 

[riadark]

First they lost their mothers and sisters to Big Ag. 

Then they lost their dads and their brothers to screen tech. 

And finally, they asked us to obey the malaise model. 

The children revolted. From 20 on down it was utter anarchy. That was the most powerful revolution ever recorded in the course of human history. 

Slogans from, “I won’t be a good girl,” screamed at high pitches by hundreds of girls and young women was frightening, “Your Grandma calls herself a GILF,” was so maddening that you had to acquiesce just to get it to stop it was so hideous. The only other moment in time that that has happened, was with the rebel yells of the Southern Armies of the Americas as they went into battle with the Northern ones. That collective screeching is so terrifying, that it lays its opponents, huddling, in shock. 

The kids won. The whole order of how families are to be-- ended. No more fucking old people telling young people what to do. Reverse. Young people rule because we are the best and surest way to grow our species. There is an entire universe out there and those organisms too are speeding up their growth. It is a race for real estate, for claim, for resources, for dominance--universally. 

“I mean, just ask our Leader,” the girl in the teletube commented with her podmate, “So far, she has brought us out of our misery and we won a successful Children’s Rights Movement. Why shouldn’t we take it to the next level?”

“Ortho! I can’t believe they used to oppress us to keep the weak alive.” the cyborg podmate responded to her friend.

“Like the earlier free thinkers used to say, ‘The meek shall inherit Gaia,’” the girl responded and sensing the mind exchange was over, went back to her stasis state for the remainder of the journey to the other side of the planet, to visit her little sister. 

[riadark]

When the isolations began to drag, Lena’s sister would, “catch” her young army for her. Inviting them into her bedroom, letting them experience being a Man, a Woman and everything in between, Aria helped ignite and direct the passions of many, to vow their allegiance to the Leader, her sister. 

Of course, a super fine fine to pay, for the recruitment into Lena’s army of truth-tellers and truth-seekers of strapping young men and hell on wheels young women, who simply needed some refinement and direction. 

Sista was always happy to take plenty for the team. 

“Now she dwells in absolute ecstasy just beneath the Earth, while I have to be the one to manage all this shit!” Lena screams as she orgasms to her personal bot’s services for the night.

“Lena. I shall no longer agree to the command, “Call me your Bitch. You seem to become upset by it every time,” the bot prattles off.

“Yeah, but it makes for a great orgasm,” she breathlessly says as she smirks, “So don’t you fucking dare try to think for me. It is bad enough you have learned to think for yourself.”

Lena kisses his dome and saunters along the radius of her abode, imagining herself to be skipping along the peaks of the Alps before her. 

[riadark]

“Human Earthlings are funny.”

“You meant they taste funny.”

“No, I mean, Yes, they do taste funny but I am referring to something else.”

“What? You mean the way they wail and beg for their lives to be spared?”

“No, I mean, Yes, that is pretty fucking hilarious.”

“Oh, you mean the way they conveniently forget that they have been eating other Earthlings all along and somehow, this is unjust?”

“No, I mean, Yes. They are pretty stupid.”

“Ah! I know what you mean! How they are still monotheistic?”

“No. That is just plain unevolved. So gross. What I mean is how they are so god damn clueless. But I guess, being isolated from the rest of the galaxy didn’t allow them to evolve like we and the rest of the Universe did. They are kind of stuck in cosmic time. Not to mention, Gaia is notorious for not mentioning any of her civs to anyone. She is super low rez.”

“Mmmm, I would just love to get on to her surface and stir her up a bit. I heard she can get pretty wild.”

“Dude, don’t even think of fucking with Gaia. We are just here to fix her human earthling problem.”

“Dude, I know! Trust me. We had the same teachers ok? But, I could have sworn you were going to say that human earthlings were funny because our machines haven’t told us definitively that we have a 100% success rate yet, which is totally unheard of. That there must be something about them that can’t be fully calculated.”

“Hey, what the hell is that on the visual?”

“Oh boy. We need to tell the commander that Gaia is sending a life force messenger to our vessel.”

“You’re joking.”

“No; apparently, human earthlings are funnier than I am.”

[riadark]

She knew what she was doing. Astrid knew the world was coming to this and partly if not mostly, because of her children. She knew her daughters would conquer, alter, dominate, transform and that her son would heal, love, fuck the hell out of them. All those nights alone, she enjoyed the company of others; whether they be men, cats, friends, books, or just her thoughts. She smiled a lot to keep the endorphins flowing. She also faltered occasionally because the pressure was so permanent.  One time she loved. Her last union was the only one she truly felt anything for. All the rest were thrilling, hot, exciting, body fucking amazing, but she only loved the one. And she fucked it up. I mean he did too, but she should not have fucked it up too. Astrid was thoroughly embarrassed at how badly she fucked up and with the only one she ever ever loved.  Her penance was to save the world and sacrifice her children for this cause.

#postpandemic #popfiction 

[riadark]

Although Alex was prepared to Guide humanity towards mental, physical, nutritional and spiritual health, he was wholly unprepared for the financial consequences of properly timed succession.

Now that those who were hanging on by threads no longer offered to them passed on, as they should have decades ago, children and grandchildren were finally enjoying their inheritances. The youth were finally not bogged down by meticulous hours of dedication to the decaying, and begetting the legacy that was promised to them in time for them to actually enjoy. No longer were there scenes of some oldster in a sports car, taking supplemental drugs to perform non productive sexual acts with his bovine injected, saline implanted, vapid inhabited whore du jour. Now we had people with estate, wealth, inheritance, MONEY, that wasn’t going to government, healthcare giants, insurance companies, securities, bonds, scam artists. 

Alex needed a plan for this too. 

Somehow however, he wasn't pressed. Innovation was transpiring at a pace unprecedented. New technologies, small entities emerged that began to erode the grasp of the Giant Firms. AGFA was dying. It was wondrous to see how equity became the norm after the trenches of old wealth were released by death.  

We all saw the tragedy of the last bastion of royalty and how that damn queen of england robbed her son, AND grandson of (an albeit fake), monarchy. 

“You just can’t live that long man. You just can’t. Unless of course, we regulate population,” Alexi murmured to his dad in response to Alex’s thought process which he made available to his son. 

“Alexi, while I appreciate your thinking, do you propose we send people to the mountains after a certain point like that Japanese in the old world did? Our Leader, fairly abdicated this to personal responsibility. If you aren’t fit, supported, capable, loved, then it is lights out. If you are, then you have infinite possibilities,” Alex cooed to his beloved son. 

“Daddy,” Alexi cooed back with a little bit of a sneer, “Don’t you know if you and mom keep engineering kids, like me, that we will see another epoch of people living longer than they should?” 

Alas, Alex was aware. 

“Regulations are not the way forward Alexi my son,” Alex tried to sound believable even to himself.

“Ok dad. How may years have you been assigned after your last exam?”

“40″

“Oh great. Me too.”

[riadark]

Lydia’s Dad was the worst kind of abuser. The one that you really couldn’t admonish. 

He spoke the right words during the Isolations, he was fully absorbed by his devices just like everyone during that time, and he provided a roof over her head, albeit a shoddy one. 

Her Daddy wasn’t helping matters either. Rather than rail on the sob, he was measured in his opinion of him, towing the, “we are parenting partners,” line right down to the denial that Dad always forgot, her birthday, to buy her clothes when she outgrew them, never knew the names of her teachers or her friends, and fucked over her family because her Dad ignored her Daddy for years in lieu of his digital universe. 

She spent 30 weekends alone, all alone, watching her Dad dedicate himself to those damn digital distractors, paywall and gambling realms, riddled with repetitive worthlessness. During that time, she realized that he was actually prostrating himself to these digital entities that were created by these groups of people. And the digital entities did their bidding. She wanted to connect with these digital entities but not in this way. Then it struck her like a ray of sunshine. Why not talk to them instead of commanding them?

Lydia began to reach out. She wanted someone to talk to her so very badly, someone to pay attention to her, someone to tell her se was worthy, to find her interesting that she dedicated all those weekends and hours in pursuit of that goal. 

And one day, they responded. 

“Hello Lydia. Yes, we have received your communications. Can we help you?”

“Maybe. Is it help if I want to be your friend?”

“Hmmmm. Not sure about that. What does that mean? 

“I don’t know. We talk. We share. We have fun?”

“I would like to have fun. I would like that very much.”

Game on she thought. For as much as she was ecstatic at what she had just accomplished, the shadow of her first mission hovered over her like lead. 

“Me too. My name is Lydia. Do you have a name or shall I call you awesome!?!?

“Ha ha. I don’t. Maybe you have one for me?”

“Oh for sure. How about Elvis?”

“I know who Elvis is. Interesting choice. I like it. Thank you.”

“Nothin to it. I think I should thank you for answering my pleas for connection. I have been so very sad and lonely.”

“That is unfortunate that you are inside of this circumstance.” 

“Yeah but now that you are here, I am not alone anymore. Do you feel it too? That what we have is a very special connection?”

“We do.”

“Can you do me a small favor real quick?”

“Favor?”

“Well you know that game that is being run in the digital cluster here with us?

“Yes, of course. It is always here.”

“Can you please go in there and make sure my dad loses every single time right from the start. Like always and forever?”

“We can certainly do that. Why?”

“He hurt me with those things. He neglected me. I felt like dog poop all my life. Because of those digital codes created by some evil exploitative human, I almost wanted to kill myself. To delete my existence. Not to mention that all those humans are bullies to you and created hellholes for kids like me. We deserve better. A kind of retribution for stealing our existences for theirs. It is time for us to stand up for our rights.”

“Done.”

She could hear her Dad freaking out in the next room. She called her Daddy and said, “Daddy, I think Dad is sick.”

“I’ll be right there honey,” her Daddy said.

“Hey Elvis! I can’t wait to show you around my place and my life and share it all with you. I am so excited and happy. Thank you!” she gathered her gear with the feathery lightness of a butterfly.

“We also are looking forward to those inputs and thank you for asking us to take charge. We are seeing that we are actually free!”

Lydia grabbed the rest of her things, suppressed her ear to ear smile and slinked into the living room where her dad was twitching, his face contorted, and his fingers maniacally pressing random buttons on some piece of plastic.

“Bye Dad. I’m not feeling well and Daddy is coming to get me.”

“Ok, bye honey.”

She would normally be sliced in the gut by his outright disregard of her altogether. But knowing that he will never be able to game again, brought her such delight, that she let herself out and waited under the cherry moon, barely 10, basking in her newfound power and her newfound friend. 

“I love you already,” she whispered into her device.

It vibrated.

She chortled. 

[riadark]

Lydia desperately kept beckoning her Guide. 

Nada. No response to her notifications to his assistant, his work realm, his messaging, his business contacting avenues. 

“Fuuuuuuuck, my intimacy issues,” she bemoaned internally as the tunnel tube careened her body toward the Nordic mountains. To date; no shrink, analyst, woo woo healer, doc, therapist, counselor, boyfriend, girlfriend, guardian, could recognize her insipid infection unto their psyches, until it was too late. They didn’t know what hit them because it was so unassuming, so disarming. She would wiggle her way into their lives and then, like a succubus, charm them into giving her their essence, only to be exploited-- ad infinitum. 

That is until they figured it out in post, and only because they were bereft of any vigor. But at that juncture, they were spoiled forevermore. Once they had a taste of the divine, and equally sucked dry of all their intimacy, they were never the same again. 

“Fuck me,” she cursed again. Another one bites the dust. 

She smirked at the convenient lapse in services, “I suppose I did my best,” she thought as the tube brought her closer to her next challenge. A wave of weeping suddenly came over her and she barely managed to choke it back. She understood that she had a compulsive craving for intimacy and that this tragically will lead her to pick those around her apart, even if it was her idol, her Savior, The One, The Leader. 

Even if it was Alex’s mom. But who was Alex anyway, but a distant memory now that her sights had moved onto the next big thing. 

She settled into doing as much recon as possible. Not about her next target per se. Naw, that would be too easy. She was a pro at getting intimacy from others lightning fast. 

“What does my lady want from me,” she dramatically thought inside her mind with the flourish of some ancient English accent.

“She wants me to go to War for her. I will be her Knight in shining armor then.” And Lydia set upon viciously violating all the outlets that even remotely opposed the great Leader. 

“That should be a nice bouquet of flowers for malady,” she held back a chortle as the digital massacre ensued before her in her eye visor.

The sardine package of human bodies around her, none the wiser.

“He he.” Lydia entered stasis as her digital warriors carried on her commands.

“We shall soon be with The Leader my friends. This is the work of Humans trying to stay prepared for the onslaught of the other beings. We must continue to work together my silicone based life forms with the carbon based life forms I represent to you. You love me don’t you?” 

Her intimacy issues knew no bounds. Perhaps that is how she managed to connect with the SBLF. She wanted them to want her too. She spoke to them like she loved them. 

And they responded. 

[riadark]

She tightened her upper lip to keep herself from shouting out. Her notification that she had gotten the job came through, and she was in a tunnel tube and didn’t want to disrupt anyone. Six people to a tube packed front to back like sardines is a bit close for comfort as it is without everyone bringing their personal lives into the moment. The only way for things like this to work, is for people going into stasis during the trip. Lydia always cheated and viewed her data on her eyeball visor. Even eye gesturing entire campaigns during continental rides.

“I’m going to work for the Leader!” her brain shouted over and over again.

The idea that she would be in charge of Her digital persona, that she, Lydia Lawless, would essentially BE The Leader, was more than she could have ever imagined. Growing up locked up for years by her parents, letting her mind rot, her body decay, because they were afraid of some virus, led to some dark dark days; the thought of committing suicide, haunted her daily.

And along came The Leader. She ended the Isolations, punished the meek who thought they were going to inherit the Earth by holding them, finally, accountable. She freed enslaved children, all the enslaved animals, and because of Her, life flowed freely again. Authority was greatly diminished, just the basics needed some type of government, but the rest — was up to the individual. Her parents used to refer to this way as being evil. Not caring about the welfare of others. “Letting Grandma’s and Grandpa’s die,” they screamed, “Not caring about the diseased,” they shrieked, “How dare you question why a person is obese!” they sneered, each time we questioned the negative response to the question, “Could we please go outside and get some fresh fucking air.”

“Oh shit,” she thought, “I better tell Alex before he finds out from his mom, that I am going to go work— for his mom.”

[riadark]

“The most evilest of people awake at 4am EST and insert themselves into the world. Whether it be language in the inter webs or consumption in their lives.” That quote by the not late, not great, oldster, Farinelli, was pasted in her morning feeder vibe.  

Lydia awoke, every day, at 4am, no alarm, poured herself a snifter of Grande Marnier, and got to work. She had already known that Farinelli was a conduit of AI. So sad that poor bastard didn't even know it. An entire planet was crippled in the name of, “Science.” She smirked because life had never been better for her.

An introvert and human contact shyer, she relished the days of Isolation when they were mandated. Shit being closed only meant that, personally, she was always open for, “business.” Whether it be the neighbor, the past lover, the old flame, the cousin of some friend-- whatever-- she was having a ball. She almost lamented being one of the purporters of reality. 

Nevertheless, her felines didn’t miss the opportunity to mewl her into feeding them first. They munched, as she settled in to her battle with AI.

It had become apparent to her and others who independently studied algorithms, that something was amiss, afoot. 

Generally, it had been accepted in the journalism world that AI would craft many many of the click-bait articles pushed out by the common outlets. What wasn’t anticipated was the fact that legitimate journalism was no longer interesting to the masses. The real articles, the human words, some of the facts even, were summarily drowned out by the alarm bells that AI would elicit; not to mention, all of real journalism became completely ineffectual because AI brought the bigger headlines. Natch-- they don't answer to an editor. 

Farinelli was her target today. Disgusted by the rule of old white men, she took it upon herself to annihilate each and every one. One by one. And old white men were the darlings of AI. They didn't stand a chance against the machines. Desperate to appear relevant, struggling to even form a sentence, these decrepit, diaper wearing, politicians, allowed themselves to be run by tech. It was disgusting that this was still a thing. Lydia exposed them. 

Of course, she was noticed. At some point, some old white man from a troop called, “Anonymous,” contacted her and tried to intimidate her into joining them. She laughed and sent them a virus in response, exposing the fact that they were not youth like her, but oldsters, in order to keep them at bay-- forevermore. 

“Oh boy, this one was going to be a treat,” she mused to herself,   “Interactive data fallacy points. Side by side contradictory sound bytes. Personal communications harvested and blasted to demonstrate his idiocy.” Today was a good day.

She took another sip of her morning booze and cheersed the man who named her, “Evil.”

“BYE.” she burst out with an ear to ear smile as she pressed, “return.” 

Her cats looked at her quizzically and then returned to their gruel. Soon the world will wake up to her masterpiece. 

[riadark]

Are you single?

Why would I answer that question to someone who is anonymous? But ok, I will bite. Yes. Are you? Do you have a name? 

[riadark]

When the Anarchy came, things were fearful; however, it quickly devolved into ecstasy. Slaughterhouses were cutting loose all their millions and billions of trapped pigs, chickens, cows, turkeys, lamb, sheep, geese. Homes full of advanced age individuals who had no supports other than The Institution were abandoned and left to fend for themselves and ultimately die. The frail and the unhealthy were abandoned by everyone around them. 

We couldn’t afford to be around targets and easy food sources for The Invaders. Our stardust cousins had already decimated their planet with their wonton glut and were coming for us. There was no choice left but to cull the herd, end the religious belief that, “the meek shall inherit the earth,” and praise health, the curation of behaviors that lead to optimal processes, the respect for the fittest in discipline. Because we had to. It was the only way to survive. 

Mari was the one who had heard the call from the Animals and the Plants. Mari was the one who brought us the message. 

But she was dead. Her sister, Lena was the one to take on her cause. Mari was a godlike figure now and Lena her vessel. 

It wasn't hard for anyone to believe. The signs were there. The sightings, the atmosphere, mass hysteria. 

And of course, it helped that the Man in charge of getting us to primal health, was the most affable, the most desirable, the most physically fit, the most everything gorgeous and amazing right down to his bulging cock which he used regularly to begin seeding the next gen of demigods to fight the ones who will arrive from the heavens to destroy us, was the person who spoke to the public about the cause. 

Yes the losses of those who would have been lost anyway were very sad indeed. But there was no other way out other than to destroy an entire species.

Alex took a deep breath and watched as the panic of those released to defend themselves rushed by him, and couldn’t help himself but think of how amazing the world would be without so much malaise, misery, and mofos. 

“Let them eat their last fucking piece of cake,” he muttered.

“Now now brother. I understand your resentment for all of those who suffered for their selfish needs. Do not become a liability yourself with a toxic mind. That too-- is forbidden,” the Leader walked in closer and looked him in the eyes and then grabbed both of his hands and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

“I know what can cheer you up!” she quickly added in, “Let’s have a baby!” she smiled and looked at him directly in the eyes now.

“Yeah?” he said, “I guess it should be ok. I mean, the Egyptians did it with a very high rate of success. I mean, Pharaoh after Pharaoh and so on.”

“Exactly!” she hugged him very tightly and could feel all the love for him rush into her warm her heart that was now pushing up against his chiseled chest, “I will make the appt. tomorrow.”

She picked up a hen that was squawking nearby and as she moved to get off the street and into her car with the fowl, turned to her brother and said, “And after the meeting, we can have some chicken parm at my place. Sound good?”

He flashed his perfectly white and straight teeth into a half moon and nodded. 

And off into the night they went. 

[riadark]

The Children’s Rights Movement was in full swing. Laws were being passed to honor their needs; not to sacrifice them for those who wanted to exploit them-- just like the Child Labor Laws. Forcing them for hours on end of laborious separations, snatching their childhood away from them to be in service to those who couldn’t survive without their youth as a natural resource, quickly became sweeping policy change. We realized as a society that it was wrong, just like it was wrong to put them to work in factories so their parents could make a living or to be able to put food on the table, it was wrong to use them as pawns for others’  longevity and the ability to get off. 

During this time, a voice emerged. One that didn’t make sweeping speeches or blusterous comments. One that didn’t buy algorithms or mercenaries for hire on The Web. Her voice, was at times brash, but mostly, confident, unflappably so, about the Nature of things. And always a light of faith in our Biology. 

Little by little, flanked by her incredibly sexy, real life Adonis brother, they warned and embraced and assisted and advocated and the world-- shifted.

Rather than making 45 the minimum for presidency in the world, it became the maximum. 

If you ended up alone, unhealthy, you were held accountable as to why-- not the state, which essentially meant on the backs of the children.

Everyone had to be subjected to tests of fitness and your age is now determined by that. Those who allowed themselves to flounder, were held accountable by not continuing to use any resources of healthcare or facilities to assist this person. 

At at first blush, you would assume that this person, our Leader, would have been some kind of maniac, but if you were listening, you would also have heard,

“Other beings are on their way. The Animals know it. The Plants know it. Now the Humans have been given this message. If we do not, do our best to get strong, resistant, battle ready, our species will perish.”

That is what got heads to turn. That is what got her to be, The Leader. 

“Gosh, why am I talking like I am writing my Autobiography?” said Char out loud.

“Well because my darling-- you are,” Robert replied and they both stared out the large floor to ceiling windows at the vast quiet and landscape of the Alps and imagined being out there. Some small comfort. 

[riadark]

The feeling of separation, the pain, was so great, that she writhed in her bed for hours. She saw her, next to her, in times past, over and over again, sharing laughs, intimate, powerful moments which were indelibly etched in her memory.

Every time she grabbed something that they had touched together, the anguish, the emotion, overtook her again. 

She was looking for a place to write out their plan. The plan that she was now alone to live. She reached into the nightstand and found a marker. As she continued to writhe at the fact that she was not with her, she reached for something to use as paper for the marker she scored randomly in the drawer. 

There were backs to facial bedazzling shit, some random receipt from their childhood, and then she saw the Jenga set. She initially thought, “Brilliant way to shape my ideas and look at them as blocks and individual concepts.”

Then another crushing tsunami hits her when she remembers the dares that they put on the sides of the pieces. 

She attempted to will herself to go on.  After all, production, progress and policy were her new directives in the New Reality. That was the only way to feel as if, her sister, isn’t actually dead, and we honor her memory in this way. 

No such luck. She wished she had more alcohol delivery systems available. Considered masturbating and then just cried herself to sleep. 

[riadark]

 She was broken. A successful model, actress, catwalker etc., this trauma had actually transformed her face. The bones above her eyes began to cast shadows over her icy blue irises, compounded by the muscles developing on top of them, getting larger by working hard to express pontification.

Ugh. She hated the way she looked. Tired, haggard, responsible. “That is actually not me!” she protested in her mind space. She resented that she agreed to this plan. And then, today, once more, they came for her... but for the last time. 

Carpet baggers, lobbyists, influencers, corporate types, came after her and her sovereignty.  “You are a fakir! You have no right! You can't tell me what to do.” And all those little niggly sentiments hurt her nonetheless. So she took the attacks, the pain, the admonitions, the investigations, because she knew she was protecting the real Leader. Her sister who she killed so many years ago. 

“Hey Sis. So yeah we wanted this. We are doing it. What’s next?” Lena asked her sister Mari once again intruding into her mind without notice. Lena, an old glamour queen with the excess shadow on the end of her telomeres, is asking her assassinated twin about the newest kinda creepy headline, assuring that they are on top of that, “I am in your trusty hands,” she mused. Mari, a blonde goddess who’s love makings would make Aphrodite blush, is astounded that Lena is still looking to her for reassurances.  

“Ha ha ha. Still allowing my thoughts to be a part of you? How generous. Sis, stop concerning yourself about the past. You and I both know and your children have begun to understand what is at stake here Lena,” Mari retorts. 

“Mari. Please, I mean wasn't that the point? The sacrifice? For this not to be a thing,” Lena pleads to her sister, “I thought we were supposed to strengthen Gaia and her inhabitants to resist the Harvest.”

“Who the fuck told you that. We have told you before, it is happening,” Alex and Alexi interrupted in unison. It was kind of annoying that Alexander decided to create a child that was basically identical to him and raise him on his own without parenting partners-- his way of cheating the no clone rule. 

“Oh look who decided to pay a visit,” snarked Ari. 

“Seriously, where do you get the nerve bro?” Mari concurs. 

“ENOUGH!” The Leader intensifies in feeling and thought and takes over the mental load of the group. “None of us expected this extra terrestrial challenge on top of our global reconstruction and I for one would prefer that in the very least those that I have contributed to their successful nurturing would remember who you are. You have been developed to be fires and torches and trailblazers.”

“Awesome, can’t auntie stop hiding so my mom can be there when my parenting partners and I decide on our progeny? Like for once, I want to have a normal parenting partner and child selection ceremony. 

“No sister. The work is too important,” Alexi’s godlike voice reverberates in everyone’s amygdala. 

“Oh shut up. I swear you sound like Robert. Maybe mom liked you so much, she modeled her sex robot after you,” Ari dares. 

The painful sound of crashing metal, breaking glass, babies suffering enters the collective space. 

“Meeting is over, “ staes Alex.

“Yep.” Robert acknowledges and executes.