Day Of The Dead Living
Hunt & Peck Parable #7 of 31
ConSumma Theologia
Money for the project was a conspiracy theorist’s dream come true. Capital pouring in surreptitiously from cleverly named Foundations, bankrolled by the government and the Google-Apple-Musk et al sectors, all salivating at the manufacture of this product, these personages, which would lubricate so many elbows of the economic machine.
Situated in a building resembling all the other warehouses around it in an industrial neighborhood of Brooklyn, the covert headquarters of this venture had a simple sign outside — The Victor Institute. Once past the security facades, with its network of electronics and monitors, it resembled a NASA command center.
They’re alive and they’re out there. Somewhat free ranging, and, as they say, pursuing happiness.
This first official test drive was merely an exercise to observe how they fit in, their basic reactions to the busy commercial environment. Eventually this model was to be developed for release in large numbers; then being adept at splitting up and operating independently. Their objective was to exert influence on consumer choices, ultimately being accomplished at provoking everything up to and including product hysteria.
The drone hovered above the family of four as they made their way around Manhattan, looking at the holiday store window displays. (Perfect season to try this out, he noted.) Occasionally they would stop at one of the many empty for-rent storefronts and stare in, the cameras on their jackets sending back looks of disorientation.
They were blending in perfectly.
Within a year nobody will know which of the passengers on the subway, shopping bags full of logo-displaying packages, is real and which is one of Our Citizens™.
Wait a minute — they’re supposed to only windowshop this time around — not going into places yet. Everyone, get by your controls and stand by for intervention. They just went into that building on 42nd Street.
Suddenly the monitors show the family surrounded by political celebrities — Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — and religious superstars, The Pope and the Dalai Lama.
Oh hell, they’ve gone into Tussaud’s.
Everyone stay calm, let them carry on for now, it seems like everything is going to be okay. They seem to be comfortable, fitting in, they’re apparently enjoying their surroundings.
On the audio feedback they hear Dad and Dick decide to go over to see Derek Jeder, while Mom and Jane wander over to Angelina Jolie.
Good . . . good. Assignations for gender working perfectly.
Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg and Abraham Lincoln pass by on the control room screens.
And bravo ladies and gentlemen — Excellent planning from the Props Department to provide them with a selfie stick. They’ve just have attained a great milestone for our work — that’s a beautiful sight !— clustered together, taking a family selfie in front of King Kong.
Seventh of thirty-one stories — 500 words or less, written one-per-day during December 2018 — The Hunt & Peck Parables PatchWord Quilt™©.
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© AleXander Hirka 2019. All Rights Reserved.
