▗▚▚ ▟▝▝▜ ▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙ ▘▖▚▖ ▞▖▝▝ ▞▟▟ ▜▖▟
▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗
▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▜▙▟▜ ▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙
▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙ ▘▖▗▚▚ ▟▝▝▜ ▜▙▟▜▚▖ ▞▖▝▝ ▞▟▟ ▜▖▟▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗
▗▝▝▝ ▜▞▗▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▗▝▝ ▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙▗▝▝
▚ ▗▛▘▛ ▝▗▜▜ ▙▜▚ ▛▛▗▙ ▗▛▘▟ ▘▖▘▗ with numerous new categories, and ways to organize the ▛▛▗▙ ▗▛▘▟ ▘▖▘▗ range of commercial and consumer ▗▜▜ ▙▜▚ ▗▜▜ ▙▜▚ drones.
Pleasure Format
These were the ones we used for our desires.
Outfitted with their ports and dripping chemical centers, they made themselves luxurious companions in the basements and high-rises both alike.
Function Format
These were the ones who erased our crimes.
Their cameras click, their hard drives grind and purr, their antennae send signals to the clustered stations that spring up in small ground-floor apartments a block or twenty-four apart.
Murderer Format
These ones who act out our hatred.
-and so these assassins were given syringes and searers and all manner of snarling grabbers, and whoever could buy one would buy one (what better killer could there be in some of those rat-tangle cluster towns, the ones kept in by checkpoint, gangland's edge.
Doll Format
These ones we've made vulnerable for fun.
Given to erratic behaviour, they pawed at the ground in the streets, or in the shared courtyards at the center of some artist-district hovels.
▘▚▙▘ ▜▞ and modifiers such as "scrambler" or ▙▖ ▞▗▝▖ ▘▛▘▛ ▝▚ kaleido units which significantly alter mental perception and whose use can be stand-alone, alongside by technology, or accentuated by ▖▙▗▚▘▛▘▛ ▘▚▘ ▜▗▚▞ mind-altering chemicals.
▜▞▗▖ ▘▗▝▙ with media that's dragged you through its ▗▚▘▛▘▛ ▘▚▘ senseless mix of ▚▘▛▘▛ ▘ and hyperrealism. Going deeper and deeper into a world that defied explanation, you were both running towards something and away from something.
▚▖ ▜▗ ▛▞ ▚▖ ▜▗ ▛▞ ▚▖ ▜▗ ▛▞
▗▜▝▝ ▙▗▜ ▘▟▗▜▝▝ ▙▗▜ ▘▟▗▜▝▝ ▙▗▜ ▘▟
And the ▚ ▚▖ ▜▗ ▛▞ waves are the only king. Going out, going in, it's not quite accurate ▜▗ ▛ but cry out or try out, there isn't another way. The ones who came in did so quietly, the ones who did ▘▛▘▛ ▘▛▘▛ what they had ▙ ▚▞▖▝ ▜▛ to ensure that they would always be ready to give you ▘▟▜▛ what they have.
above: various logos for "V.H.Z." era companies. it might be hard to believe, but each of these was modeled after a real stranger's non-moving and lifeless body.
▙ ▙▘ ▝▚ ▝ ▚▟ ▟▙ ▗▛ ▜▘ ▚▘ ▛▛ ▘▞ ▗▚▗▝ ▚▟ ▟▙ ▗▛ ▜▘ ▚▘ ▛▛ ▘▞ ▗▚
return to Goodbye Strangers