NOTE The following is an adaptation from the soon to be released book ‘Letters From 2030’. To register interest on its release, or to order a copy email Bob Williamson via this link.
February 5th 2030
He walked to the monitors and switched the dial to receive. Slowly the transmission began to load and the hologramletter emerged onto the horizontal display. As he looked into the dark eyes that greeted him a sense of dread filled him. He had seen the face before. He had known they would still be out there surviving as they always had by preying on the weak and manipulating all those that they could. They were to a great extent a major cause of the fallen world of humanity; the rulers, the takers, the rich and the powerful.
He had heard of their enclaves being set up in the years after 2015 but had never been in direct contact with any of their number before this day. His immediate reaction was to switch off the transmission before they could hack into his archives, but realised it would already be too late. Their technology would be far more advanced than his rudimentary system. The voice spoke calmly and opened the communication with. “Bob I am not here to do you harm.”
That reassurance was of little comfort but the predator went on. “If I were here to cause you harm, we would have already destroyed all your communication systems and rendered you helpless to ever communicate with the outside world again.” He believed this to be true. And said out loud “So what is it you want of me?”
“We have been monitoring your communications for quite sometime. We know you have the capacity through your memory monitor screens to walk through our recollections and see our emotions and thoughts as we relay them. So suffice to say apart from our direct surroundings here which you will be able to see, I will not be revealing any recollections or feelings in this initial transmission. There will be time enough for that once you have considered our offer.”
He was looking at the memory screens for any glimpse of recollection or feelings being emitted and there were none! This predator’s heart was as cold as the black eyes staring at him.
“As I said we have been monitoring your hologramletter transmissions since the very first day you made contact from your hideaway there in Perth. We have already hacked your system and have all your files including your archives so there is no need for any further concern on your part. We know every thought you have transmitted and all the thoughts and memories of every one of your small band of contacts. At this time we have no malice intended for them either. They are small and insignificant to our purpose. We have naturally hacked their systems also and at this time our determination is to let them go on with their petty existences.”
He glimpsed a reaction on the memory and emotions screens and he saw as the predator spoke these words, a sinister mockery of all those human inhabitants outside his own band of powerful contacts.
“We know your purpose in communicating with these people is to share a little hope with them that the world can heal itself. You and I know this will never happen or that it will return to the idyllic planet of your memories. But your efforts do not conflict with ours and we may mutually benefit from your open communication with them. Time will tell. Our offer is to have you feed certain communications in order that some information gets to them that will benefit them.”
He again glimpsed an emotion on the screens and saw this offer of help to the others for their benefit was a lie. They had no intensions of helping anyone but themselves. He held any feelings or understanding of their motives away from his conscious thought in order that they wouldn't sense his reaction to them, or their offer. That would come later once he had heard what they would do if he didn’t wish to cooperate with them.
“As I said we hold no malice towards you either. You are an old man and have little time left and can do us no harm. There are others we can convince to join us in this role, so should you not wish to assist us we will not take any action against you. We can however should you cooperate with us, make the time you have left much more productive and you will learn how with our help, to get far more out of this new world. You will profit from this alliance. Give some thought to our offer and we will look forward to your positive reply.”
A smile came over the predators face as he signed off. As he looked at the emotions monitor there was nothing. Not a single emotion of warmth; nothing.
This was enough communication with the outside world that he needed for one day. He switched off the system.
His heart was now free to pound in his chest without showing fear to the man with black eyes. He sat silently his breathing and pulse racing. He would not accept any alliance with these people as they had never shown compassion to another single human in their history and they would not start now. He needed to be very careful with his communication when he replied to their offer. This would take much thought.
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