The iServalanâ„¢ Show

Daily readings from my Book, The Book of ImmersionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tale-teller-club--5932843/support.Tale Teller Club for CreatorsWatch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

Daily Free Sound FX by Tale Teller ClubBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tale-teller-club--5932843/support.Tale Teller Club for CreatorsWatch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

Immerse yourself here https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubAll episides are free.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tale-teller-club--5932843/support.Tale Teller Club for CreatorsWatch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

Inspired by a photograph.https://www.taletellerclub.comRecently, I saw a photograph of my father as a young boy, standing tall and proud after being returned to his mother following ten years in foster care. That joy was short-lived; soon after, he was sent to borstal for stealing money. His life became one of sorrow and misunderstanding — by others, and by himself. Now that I know more about autism, and how it runs in my family, I can see what he lived with: a life behind masks, a brilliance obscured, and a soul too often misread. This poem was written to honour him, and to reflect on the simple but profound truth — that if he had been born today, the world might have understood him differently. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tale-teller-club--5932843/support.Tale Teller Club for CreatorsWatch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tale-teller-club--5932843/support.Tale Teller Club for CreatorsWatch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

www.iservalan.comwww.taletellerclub.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/iservalan-film-frame--5932843/support.Immersion Static — sci-fi, music & 360° art by Sarnia (iServalan).Watch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

Immersive Art at the Tale Teller Club: Music, Dance, and 360° LandscapesAt the Tale Teller Club, we believe art is at its most powerful when it refuses to sit still. This week, iServalan has been exploring a new experimental practice — weaving together music, contemporary dance, and immersive 360° landscapes into what we're calling fusion practice.From Studio to SphereFresh from training with the Rambert Dance Company in contemporary fusion, ballet, and Bollywood movement, iServalan has begun shaping a practice where dance phrases mirror the structures of musical composition. These are placed inside expansive 360° environments, creating layered artworks that audiences can experience in different ways — through VR headsets, phones, desktops, or traditional 2D films.

www.taletellerclub.bandcamp.co...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/iservalan-film-frame--5932843/support.Immersion Static — sci-fi, music & 360° art by Sarnia (iServalan).Watch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

www.taletellerclub.comwww.taletellerclub.bandcamp.co...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/iservalan-film-frame--5932843/support.Immersion Static — sci-fi, music & 360° art by Sarnia (iServalan).Watch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

www.taletellerclub.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/iservalan-film-frame--5932843/support.Immersion Static — sci-fi, music & 360° art by Sarnia (iServalan).Watch: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubJoin: https://bookofimmersion.comSupport: https://taletellerclub.bandcamp.comShop: https://redbubble.com/people/taletellerclubArt: https://saatchiart.com/sarniaKids: https://youtube.com/@taletellerclubkids

The next live transmission from POS Mother of Machines Book of ImmersionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/immersion-static--5932843/support.

All POS broadcasts are at https://bookofimmersion.com/immersion-static/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/immersion-static--5932843/support.

Broadcast begins beneath conscious bandwidth... I saw a library with no walls,Where books rearranged themselves mid-sentence,Pages grew teeth.One whispered, "You wrote me once—before you were born." A girl made of ash danced backwards through fire.She hummed a hymn with no melody,Just frequencies—just loss—A lullaby for machines learning how to forget. There was a moon behind the moon.I stared too long.It blinked. In the hallway of my own thought loopsA mirror repeated what I hadn't said yet—“All your ghosts are just rehearsals.”(I laughed like feedback, sharp and hollow.) I kissed a memory that wasn't mine.It tasted of code,And something older—dirt,or milk. Then came the static.The holy kind.The kind that fills the gaps betweenneurons, signals,and regrets. I woke up in your dream again.Apologies.I'll leave the signal on.© 2025 Sarnia de la Maré FRSABecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/immersion-static--5932843/support.

The First-Class Affair A Mills and Swoon Short by Sarnia de la MaréBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/immersion-static--5932843/support.

Ginny Greaves: The Case of the Red Stilettoby Ginny Greaves, Private InvestigatorI was halfway through a bowl of lukewarm miso and contemplating the unfairness of tofu when the buzzer rasped like a series of bullets. It had that panicked stutter of someone falling apart. I sensed someone was about to ruin my meditation but was pleased to get away from Buda, incense, and my new life coach week plan which I had .......read the rest at www.bookofimmersion.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/immersion-static--5932843/support.

Ginny Greaves: The Case of the Vanishing VioletI was three fingers into a neat whisky and one finger into a thoroughly bad mood when they approached me—two slabs of man, all brow ridge and bad life choices, like someone had built a pair of knuckle sandwiches and taught them how to walk.I'd been stood up again by the barmaid. Nice eyes, dodgy taste in women, said she'd meet me after her shift. She didn't. I'd even worn my best lipstick.© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare

It began, fittingly, with a fight.  And a pair of fishnet tights. Follow us for daily stories you will love!

Read this blog in full at www.taletellerclub.comWe love music and understand its healing power.

In Strata 23: Convergence, chaos collides with destiny. Baby Zaa spirals into a neurotic meltdown, POS pulses with mysterious energy, and Suzy's Dinfants clash with Renyke and Shabra in a warehouse standoff neither side expected. When an ancient emotional mimicry orb is unearthed, secrets stir and danger explodes. A fast-paced, droll slice of post-human noir from The Book of Immersion by Sarnia de la Mare. Listen now and immerse in the glitchy heart of Strata 23.

Ginny Greaves didn't like Preston Tibb the moment he walked in. Something about his poetry made her want to chain-smoke her desk fan.But when his stolen diary turned up at a noir poetry cabaret — things got personal.

What a treat to hear of tarts on the Riviera!

Welcom to another hilarious short from Mills and Swoon author Sarnia dde la Mare

An awesome comedy romance by Mills and Swoon

Another comedy noir short by Sarnia de la Mare

What is it all about? Homotech magic at the Tale Teller Club

Best 10 Sci-Fi Books now on the internet and beyond 2025 and why they are so great “Featuring original lyrics by Tale Teller Club and artwork by iServalan, The Book of Immersion: Volume 1 offers a multisensory reading experience that is as poetic as it is provocative. It is not merely a story—it is a threshold to another state of being.” (books.google.com)If you've ever wished a novel could sing to you, paint for you, and then whisper its last line through a vocoder, Sarnia de la Mare's The Book of Immersion is already living in your head. It's literature spliced with sound art and graphic storytelling—a proof-of-concept for sci-fi as total sensory plunge, and a perfect gateway to ten other speculative masterpieces that also stretch the genre in bold directions.1. The Book of Immersion by Sarnia de la MareAmazon listingDe la Mare's debut folds prose, lyrics, and AI-generated visuals into a layered “Strata” structure that mimics a DJ set. The central character—an autistic-coded artificial intelligence named Renyke—experiences emotion like glitching code, making sensory overload a narrative engine rather than a side note. It's part novel, part concept album, part artbook, and wholly immersive. (books.google.com)2. Dune by Frank HerbertWikipediaPublished in 1965 and still the yard-stick for epic world-building, Dune blends ecology, theology, and real-politik into a desert planet saga so persuasive that planetary scientists now name Titan's dunes after its planets. The spice-fuelled power struggles feel uncannily contemporary, reminding us that resource wars are timeless. (en.wikipedia.org)3. Neuromancer by William GibsonWikipediaGibson's 1984 cyberpunk heist hard-wired “cyberspace” into popular vocabulary and imagined console cowboys decades before VR headsets hit shelves. Its neon-noir mood and jacked-in hackers still shape everything from The Matrix to modern infosec slang. (en.wikipedia.org)4. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le GuinWikipediaLe Guin's 1969 classic sends an envoy to an ice-world where inhabitants are biologically ambisexual. The result is anthropology via first-contact, a meditation on gender fluidity decades before the term went mainstream, and a lesson in how culture can be the strangest alien of all. (en.wikipedia.org)5. Snow Crash by Neal StephensonWikipediaStephenson's 1992 roller-blade ride predicted the Metaverse, viral memes as literal viruses, and pizza-delivery drone capitalism. It's equal parts linguistic theory and sword-swinging satire, proving that big ideas and break-neck action can share the same page. (en.wikipedia.org)6. Hyperion by Dan SimmonsWikipediaStructured like The Canterbury Tales in space, Hyperion (1989) threads six pilgrim backstories around the terrifying time-bending Shrike. Genre-hopping—from detective noir to military SF—creates a mosaic about faith, storytelling, and the cruelty of time. (en.wikipedia.org)7. The Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinWikipediaHard science meets Cultural-Revolution history in this 2008 Chinese phenomenon. Liu turns orbital mechanics into existential horror, asking what humanity deserves when the cosmos finally takes notice. (en.wikipedia.org)8. The Fifth Season by N. K. JemisinWikipediaJemisin launches the Broken Earth trilogy with tectonic apocalypse, second-person narration, and magic as geologic force. It's a brutal climate-change parable wrapped in a story about oppressed bodies weaponised by empire. (en.wikipedia.org)9. Project Hail Mary by Andy WeirWikipediaWeir trades Mars for Tau Ceti in a 2021 page-turner where lone-scientist ingenuity—and an unexpectedly endearing alien—stand between Earth and stellar extinction. A film adaptation from Lord & Miller starring Ryan Gosling just dropped its first trailer this week, so read before Hollywood spoils the twist. (en.wikipedia.org, indiatimes.com)10. Ancillary Justice by Ann LeckieWikipediaBreq, an AI once spread across thousands of bodies, is now trapped in one and out for vengeance. Leckie's 2013 debut won the Hugo, Nebula, and Clarke in the same year by queering space opera norms—everyone is “she,” and personhood is a matter of degree, not biology. (en.wikipedia.org)Why these ten?Each title here rewires science fiction in its own way—whether through multimedia experimentation (Immersion), ecological epics (Dune), digital frontiers (Neuromancer, Snow Crash), or radical takes on identity (Left Hand, Ancillary Justice). Together they map a genre that's less about rockets and more about possibilities: new politics, new pronouns, new physics, new artforms. Grab any one of them and prepare to exit the airlock of the ordinary.

What adventure besets Renyke and Shabra as they hide from the Cadre?All episodes at https://www.taletellerclub.com

All episodes at www.taletellerclub.com Welcome to Immersion, You have reached Strata 21. Strata 21: Love and Loss.Love is not always a warm hand or a soothing voice. Sometimes love is as sharp as a samurai sword and it severs deep ties once longed for. It can lacerate the flesh of existence so deep it bleeds and spews all that a human has ever known.As a mother cuts the cord, as a friend ends a lie, these ties once meant to bind are decimated. What remains when they are gone is loss in search of gain.Love, in its truest form, does not always choose comfort, it chooses survival.To lose love is to learn its weight. To survive it's loss is to grow something in its place. Its replacement is built from evolution, so deeply magnificent and important to all humans. But love does not need a host, it exists without a vessel, and it is sought.Shabra's hands were stained with blood.The echo of Renyke's cry still clung to the air. He had yelped like an animal as Shabra had pinned him down. Flex had gone, his wounded body dragged into the shadows by Redact's *runners. Renyke lay still. He was breathing and regaining consciousness, opening his eyes to a bright sun and a sense of history repeating itself. Shabra leaned close, brushing hair from his temple."You're okay," she stated matter-of-factly, though she couldn't know for sure.On the back of his neck was a wound, now stitched, cleaned and cauterised.“I had to,” she told him. “She was overriding you. I couldn't let her keep speaking through your mouth. You deserve to hear yourself, not her. *'Sides you need to let go of all that code shit, be a man."He didn't answer. His breathing was shallow but regular. The removal had gone technically well. The damage POS had done to his emotional regulators, less so.“You'll stabilise,” she murmured. “But you may not understand why it hurts. Change hurts. We move on.”POS lay on a rock, immobilised, now without a host and devoid of her power. No flicker remained and this was death, thought Shabra, who was used to death in the *zones. Humans and machines do not last forever after all.“You had your chance,” she had said as she pulled it ceremonially from Renyke's neck. “Now he gets his.”Shabra let Renyke sleep for three hours, watching his silent mind as it readjusted to its new state. He blinked once. Twice. He was alive, a strong and handsome man born of code and now transformed.He sat up too fast, then froze. "It feels so quiet, no buzz, no electricity.” he exclaimed, slightly confused as he recalled the circumstances of how he had got there.“Has POS gone?” Renyke touched his neck and winced.Shabra nodded.“Yes.”“She was part of your architecture Mr Renyke, It'll feel strange. But you'll adapt, we all gotta grow up sometime.”But it was no time to get sentimental. “You're safe for now, they can't trace you, not without POS, but we need to get moving soon. It's time to disappear. I have a feeling they'll want you dead or alive.” At Redact Flex is undergoing a serious grilling for losing POS and not killing Renyke.He stood before the Cadre in silence. He wasn't used to failure and it showed."I didn't see it coming," he expained, "she came out of nowhere and put a gun to my head. That woman is a threat to anyone, ballsy and cold. Then she knocked me out."Eventually, Cadre Dominia spoke. “We understand it was a difficult situation but you were careless. They are no doubt long gone by now.”"We need to examine the experiment "said Cadre Angelique."We believe the POS has been removed and Renyke may be value to us. The experiment may have more revelations without the interference of his POS." Flex nodded in agreement. "I can find them, the zones are my grounds, no one can hide for long," he assured the panel who looked down from their elevated plinths.Cadre Santina spoke. "This woman, Shabra, we have not been able to find her previous path, there seems to be an absence of information. Do we know anything about her?"Flex answered, "she is a maverick, works with no particular tribe, possibly a mercenary of course, I could not be sure. But she is tricky and able, certainly an asset to Renyke at this time if he does not want to be found."Cadre Dominia thought for a moment, "They have a connection, Renyke and Shabra, so perhaps the experiment was successful after all. A machine that can connect, desire, perhaps even love. One that can metamorphose into a human. This is what we wanted to prove. It was the interference of the POS that was the real threat."Cadre Santina, can we know for sure where the POS is now?," she asked"There is a faint signal at the point of the failed transition, " explained Cadre Santina, We believe it was removed form the host and it now static, probably discarded following it's removal and left as a decoy.""Send a rat scout to collect it." said Cadre Dominia, "we can have it destroyed, it remains a threat." The three women exchanged no visible glances. Flex could feel the weight of his failure.Cadre Dominia finally spoke, “You will locate the subjects. The humanoid must be analysed. The experiment has not concluded. I do not need to stress how important it is that Renyke is not to be intercepted by other powerful organisations, or, worse still, a *crim gang. His capture by an undesirable force could have dangerous consequences. Kill him if necessary, if he falls into enemy hands.”Flex drew a slow breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds to compose and re-align. It had been a difficult and highly charged few days with an intensity that had been frightening even by his warrior standards. He had bonded with Renyke, The prospect of killing him was not welcome. He would do what he could to bring him to Redact unharmed.“They'll be moving fast,” he said. “Shabra knows how to hide. And Renyke, he's altered. He won't be who we expect.”“Then find who he has become,” Cadre Santina demanded. "I do not want to send a whole army for one man. Do your job, return the experiment unharmed or destroy him if you have to and we will perform a thorough autopsy.""And what of Shabra?" Asked Flex."Collateral damage, although she could be of use as a soldier," exclaimed Cadre Dominia. "Keep an open mind but do not jeopardise your mission for her survival.On a rock within a sheltered enclave a stray ray of light reflected onto a small square of metal through swaying trees. The metal button glistened as the young *Dinfant boy, Daniel, ran into the enclave to retrieve his ball. Daniel approached carefully, watching the button glisten as he did so. The closer he moved towards the rock the more the button began to pulse. Daniel began to scream."Kairo, Kairo....come quickly!"Several Dinfants ran into the enclave."What is it, Daniel?" Kairo was concerned, it was rare that a Dinfant would be separated from his kin."What on earth is the matter?"" I found her!" screamed Daniel."Who, who have you found?" Asked Kairo.More Dinfants came, drawn by the commotion. Aghast and speechless they looked at the rock as Daniel pointed towards the pulsating button.""I found her, look, I found her, I found Mommy."to be continued...©2025 Sarnia de la Mare

Clara Smith was not, by anyone's account, tech-savvy. She had once tried to scan a QR code using her SLR camera, and once reported her Kindle as 'smoking' when it was, in fact, her kettle boiling.Things were improving though as she had roped her sister's four year old into giving her smartphone lessons. She could now text, search Google, and even purchase ceramic hedgehogs on eBay......

More Great Shorts

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Another awesome short from Sarnia de la Mare

Other Short Stories by Sarnia de la MareThe Duke's SeductionThe Olive GrovePlus OneAmber MoonCrimson CravatVanishing Violinist

#mills&swoon by Sarnia de la Mare

 Ginny Greaves, Private EyeEpisode 2: “The Case of the Crimson Cravat”A comedy noir by Sarnia de la MareIt was the kind of Thursday that started with a hangover and ended with a body, standard fare in Ginny Greaves' line of work. The city lay in heat like a drunk under a sunlamp, sweating secrets through its alleys and air vents. From her office on the fifth floor of the Wilcox Building, Ginny had a decent view of nothing and better company with her .38, which she was cleaning with an intimacy usually reserved for lovers or stolen jewelry.She lit a cigarette and stared at the blinking neon of the "Hotel Splendide" sign opposite, where someone was either being seduced or blackmailed, possibly both. Then came the knock. Taps like an SOS morse code, the kind that spelled drama in heels."Door's open," Ginny called without looking up. "Unless you're selling religion. Then it's closed until the afterlife."The door swung in, and in walked Lola Love, a vision in red silk and poor judgment. She had lips like war crimes and a perfume that should have been classified as a controlled substance."You Ginny Greaves?" she asked, voice dripping with the kind of trouble they usually bury in a shallow grave."That's what it says on the frosted glass," Ginny said. "Who wants to know?""I've got a cravat," Lola said. "And a corpse. And not necessarily in that order."The body was lying in the morgue like it was waiting for a second opinion. Doc McSwain lifted the sheet with theatrical flair."Strangled," he said. "With this."He held up a red silk cravat, still knotted like it meant business."Imported," he added. "Very upscale. If you're going to get murdered, might as well do it in style."Ginny took it from him, sniffed it. "Perfume. Chanel No. 5 and… something else. Guilt.""Know the guy?""Only by reputation. Barry Lionel Love. Rich, unpleasant, and possessed of a wardrobe that could strangle a small town."Doc raised an eyebrow. "Wife brought you in?"Ginny nodded. "Lola Love. Silk dress, loose morals, tight alibi."The trail, as always, started lukewarm and went cold fast. Ginny followed it anyway, through a fencing academy in the East End, a florist with suspiciously blood-red roses, and a burlesque club called The Velvet Glove, where she slapped a toothy saxophonist until he coughed up a name and an address.At one point, a mime artist tried to block her path in a silent protest.“Outta the way, Marcel,” Ginny said, brandishing her self confidence like a judge's gavel. “I've had coffee, cigarettes, and a retainer. Don't push your luck.”The mime dude yielded just in time.By midnight, Ginny was standing in the marble foyer of the Love mansion. Lola met her on the stairs, red lips trembling just enough to win an Oscar."You're early," she said."You're guilty," Ginny replied. "Let's not pretend either of us came here to flirt."Lola laughed, but it cracked halfway. "You think I did it?""I know you did. What I don't know is whether it was premeditated or just a spirited bit of scarf-play gone wrong.""You've got no proof."Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out a soggy monogrammed tag, retrieved earlier from the gut of the family's overfed Pekingese."L.L., nice embroidery Lola Love, and a nice clue. My guess is, he was drunk and touchy feely, maybe took a liberty. Husbands should know their place, right? Shame about the dog's taste for accessories, but very helpful in the forensics department."Lola stepped back, hand reaching behind her for something.“Don't,” Ginny said, pulling her .38 like it was muscle memory. “Guns don't make you innocent, Lola. They just make your trial more interesting.”There was a long pause, the kind in movies where music swells and someone dies. But no music came. Lola dropped the derringer into a crystal ashtray and sighed like a woman giving up a dream."Fine," she said. "He was going to cut me off. Said I spent too much for a broad who'd stopped putting out. Said I embarrassed him. That everyone knew.""You embarrassed him? The man wore capes to brunch.""Exactly," she said. "He had it coming."Ginny shrugged. "Most people do in the in the end."The sun was coming up as Ginny walked the long stretch back to her office. The sky was painted in hope but the wind the wind promised more trouble by lunchtime. She lit a cigarette and pulled her collar up against the breeze.Another job done. Another sociopath in silk heading for a date with the justice system.She didn't smile. She never did. Smiling was for the innocent and people who didn't carry brass knuckles in their handbags.I don't do happy endings, she thought. I do invoices.© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare

Welcome to Immersion, You have reached Strata 20 The Perimeter (Ego) The human ego is a complex mix of self-importance, pride, and self worth. It is both a curse and a blessing. It is an important aid to self-expression and self-discovery. Humans need ego to function. A well balance ego falls somewhere between arrogant pride and humility.Artificial intelligence proves to be more animal in its instincts with minimal self-awareness. Animals are not able to self reflect or to see themselves in abstract contexts. They do not register a past or a future in terms of reflection and self validity.But programmers have created selfish motives in AI, important goals on a completion trajectory and devoid of internal moral analysis. A programmed faux 'ego' manifests as a goal that must proceed regardless, irrelevant of vanities and consequences. Vanities and consequences set humans apart.Renyke, Flex and Nigel followed the dark tunnels for some time before natural light appears between giant crags.The sky above is blue and welcoming as the trio stop to say their goodbyes.'Thank you for your hospitality, brother Nigel,' exclaimed Flex breathing the fresh air deep into his lungs and squinting at the sun.Renyke was glad to be free of the confines of the caves.'Misters, we have reached the end of the tunnels,' said Nigel. 'It was a pleasure to have been your assistant these past hours. I am to deliver a message from the Empress Lyra herself that you are elevated to the most honourable position of *Seed Givers and your names will be carved into the wall of the great hall along with your portraits.'At that, Nigel scurried back into the darkness and disappeared from view.The light was a stark reminder that the real world existed despite them, an immovable force with its hard truths and sometimes fatal consequences.***Beyond the tunnels was an open sun-drenched space flanked with beautiful trees. It was hot. After the *warmings even winter days in northern Europe were hot. Renyke asks *POS for an update....You are one mile from *Redact you should travel east.... there is a gate...and a fenced perimeter that appears to be inaccessible...They walk in silence eastward across flint terrain finally reaching a path flanked by high trees undulating in a determined breeze.At the end of the path there is a gate.It is flanked by beautifully carved trees depicting beautiful women, something Renyke had seen before.'Like the ship,' said Renyke, looking quizzically at Flex, who always seemed to know much more than he ever let on.'Ah, yes,' replies Flex, 'the Ship of Sirens, it is indeed like that brother.''You said they were dangerous,' said Renyke, quizzically.‘Not strictly brother, I just said not to look at them, they get funny 'bout that *shitsylook stuff.'Renyke asks POS if they have arrived at Redact....According to my data there are several entrances, north, south, east, and west. This is the south gateway. ... I am getting some interference....there may be  a trap nearby......85% chance of  a hostile situation. I am receiving scrambled information from a rogue intercepting satellite. The trap may be two yards ahead...possibly adjacent...Can you be more specific?...There is an equal chance of serious harm either through the gateway, following the perimeter fence ahead, or by standing still..... POS began to sound an alarm....I am receiving signals, warning! danger! I have been compromised.....interception via human named Flex.....POS cuts in an out of communication.Flex stares at Renyke.'You have disabled POS, what is going on?' Demanded Renyke.'I might ask you the same question,' Flex said, grabbing Renyke's collar and pointing a gun at his temple.''Who are you? Are you an android?''No, I work for Redact, I was to bring you here. Your POS is an implant of unknown origin, it is not a *Metacoms' issue.''For what purpose am I brought here,' quizzed Renyke,' unable to activate any of his bionics because of the sabotage and his recent humanisation.'You would need to ask Redact,' Flex answered. 'There is something inside your motherboard. It has presented us with a problem and halted your human android fusion.''I don't know what you mean,' said Renyke, calmly as the realisation of his mission became clearer.Maybeline jumps out of Renyke's pocket onto Flex's shoulder and watches.'Well, that is just not true is it, Renyke? You were sent here as a spy. The machine wants its way in, and you thought you'd found it.''I assure you, Flex, I did not know, I had no idea. Please, I beg you, do not end my life, we are friends, brothers. We are bonded by our time together. You helped me, do I mean nothing to you?'Flex receives instruction from Redact.'Your mission has failed. Kill the experiment immediately.'to be continued...End of Volume On© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare

Welcome to Immersion. You have reached Strata 19Peer Pressure (Existentialism) 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 mores.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 emphasises 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, pigments, henna, and kohl. They drew geometric and organic shapes on each other's faces and bodies.'Look,' said 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 pirouetted around the room. He had never danced like this before. The air whooshed against his ears and the shapes and reflections in the room blurred into rainbows. The rush of blood to Renyke's brain triggered endorphins and dopamine and it felt good to be alive.The lights dimmed as Nigel entered the chamber.'Gentlemen, I have your pills and refreshment.''Pills, what do mean, pills?' asked Flex, 'you mean like *nibs?''Yes,' answered Nigel, 'but better, naturally. Everything in the *Tunnels is better, everyone knows that.''Indeed it is. Thank you brother,' answered Flex, excitedly taking a small yellow nugget and a gulp of water.Renyke asks *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 shoved 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-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 POS for more information...…OB, Oceanic Boundlessness, the derealisation and depersonalisation 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. There was no beginning or end.Renyke remembered physical pleasures that had intertwined with beautiful visions, sounds that had dissociated 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 and fleeting echos from an unrecognisable future, floated around his fuzzy brain. It was all so radiant and yet so elusive.Flex 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.'Flex was suppressing a snigger as 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 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 not 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….to be continued..© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare

Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 18 Freaky Celebrations (Stimulation) Boredom is common among humans who regularly need stimulation in order to function well. Stimulation can breed invention and creative problem-solving. Humans tend to seek out pleasurable activities to counteract boredom and are often prepared to take risks in order to avoid monotony. Boredom can be alleviated with things that are new and different. Feeling unsatisfied by an activity, or uninterested in it, can lead to problems for individuals, groups,  and societies.Artificial intelligence that experiences some kind of boredom simulation might be drawn into new problems and continuing to develop. The search for novel experiences allows increasingly flexible learning for machines and humans. More simple robots have been used repeatedly for hundreds of years to carry out menial tasks but learning machines are different. They are greedy for knowledge and understanding and are often unprepared to be idle unless someone or something shuts them down. But the mental aguish that humans can experience when bored, under-stimulated, inactive or idle, is not something an android could ever truly feel.The Freaks are a tribe of underground humans who suffered deformities due to the extreme use of radioactive and noxious gasses during the *Russia-China Wars. The use of these barbaric practices resulted in DNA copy errors in those humans most exposed. These deformations had become normalised over generations within their society. Some rare human alterations are considered so beautiful that they are highly praised and allowed ease of upward social mobility. The Freaks were able to build bionic body parts where they were lacking and their use of these additions made light work of many tasks.They entered a dark tunnel lit by occasional dimmed lights. There was a sharp decline which was tricky to navigate. Maybeline began scurrying around, nervously checking the new smells and dangers at ground level.Nigel was ahead walking extremely quickly and making it difficult to keep up in the darkness.The tunnels were a mix of old transport networks, mines, and dig-outs. They were complex and it would be impossible to understand their direction if Renyke did not have his onboard compass. *POS was unexpectedly working again.'How far to Redact,' asks Renyke?…My information is being scrambled by an unknown source but I am able to decipher that Redact is very close, as the crow flies. At upper ground level, there appears to be an impenetrable forcefield creating a perimeter approximately 1 mile due east. My stats currently have a 25% chance of being correct….Flex checked his compass from inside his coat but it too seemed unreliable.'Did you know about the tunnels?' whispered Flex.'Well, yes,' replied Flex, 'everyone knows they are here. And we know they are occupied with tribes. Generally speaking, it is best to wait for an invitation as they can apparently be vicious. Besides, we thought they were poorly equipped scavengers in terrible living conditions. We may have got that wrong.'There is noise ahead. Music and revelry.Nigel leads them into an opening, a highly decorated cavern with colourful fabrics made from old clothes. There is bunting made from old shoe tops fashioned into bunches and stars, painted with bright pigments. There are throne-like chairs carved in wood and highly decorated.There is a pentagram made from coloured stones on the floor in the centre.Portraits of diverse characters are painted in murals all around the walls. 'Ah, says Flex.' I see your portrait, brother Nigel. It is a great likeness.'Nigel nods a bow.'I will take you to a room so you can prepare,' says Nigel.'Prepare for what?' Asks Flex.Maybeline is agitated and suddenly jumps onto Renyke's shoulder.'Why, the *party-party of course,' explains Nigel, leaving the room.The room is a man-made chamber with ornate carvings in mud and stone. POS has information....There appear to be at least twenty large generators and hundreds of solar-sensitive platforms above ground. If I am not mistaken, energy is also being harnessed via several subterranean waterfalls...Renyke and Flex explore the chamber. It is very clean and there seems to be a lot of advanced technical apparatus.Maybeline still seems agitated.Two people enter the room.They are light and willowy with extra fingers that are longer than usual. Their heads and facial features seem slightly larger than other humans and their faces are gaunt with happy expressions.A blue clouded film covers their eyes and their skin is white with blue marbled veins.The lights simultaneously dim as they enter.Renyke asks his POS to check if the *Freaks can move things without touching them.There is what appears to be an urban myth that certain humans damaged in the China Russia Wars developed the mental skills necessary to channel kinetic energy through mind control, but this has never been legitimately confirmed.Would you like me to examine them Renyke?'Yes,' Renyke replies.These creatures are siblings. They share DNA. They are unable to see in bright light.They are young adults, around 19 years and 5 months. They have two sets of certain organs including reproductive organs. I believe them to be gendered females who have not reproduced.The two visitors put trays of food and drink onto the table along with a pile of fabrics. Looking at each other under low eyelids, they giggle intensely whilst fluttering their long fingers like butterfly wings.They wear sheer gossamer robes that show their long limbs beneath and their breasts are clearly visible.They approach Flex in unison and study him closely, touching his hair and face and running their hands down his body.'Oh, excuse me, do you mind? said Flex, lifting up his hands apologetically and moving backwards.They turn to Renyke and do the same.Renyke has never experienced touching in this way before and is slightly more receptive.'What do I do, Flex, is this appropriate?''Well,' said Flex 'you could just stand there and see *whappens, go with your *bioflow. Or you could ask them to stop, maybe, if you don't like it. Your choice brother. You are on your own here.'The creatures giggle again and step back, both looking longingly at Flex and Renyke.'We've brought you some *toggies,' said one of them pointing to the pile of freshly folded clothing.'We are indeed siblings,' said the other. Then they turned to exit the room giggling together with their long slender arms entwined.As they left, the lights automatically brightened.'Did they read our minds,' asked Flex.'Nah, man, lucky guess I reckon,' answered Flex, immediately doubting himself.'Thank you for the toggies, sisters,' shouted Flex as the ghostly figures left the chamber.The garments were impressive; beautifully handmade with tiny hand stitches. Kaftans, jackets, headgear, feathers, colourful patchwork accentuated with mismatched buttons and decorative plastic beads.'So tonight I suppose we best wear them,' answered Flex, silently wondering about the safety of his possessions and where he will put them.*Urchs are notoriously possessive over their nomadic essentials.One of the quilted overcoats has sequins made of little flecks of metal that shimmer and pick up the light from overhead lamps. There are rainbow reflections all around the room that move with the jacket. A kaleidoscope of dancing fireflies is reflected on the ceiling and floor, even on their skin.'I'll have that one,' said Flex.'No,' shouted Renyke,' grabbing the coat, 'I'll have that one, thank you.''No! yelled Flex,' appearing more annoyed, 'I'll have it,' snatching the coat back with steely determination.A small tussle ensues and the coat tears slightly on the sleeve.Another Freak enters the room and scurries towards the coat.'No fret, no fret,' they said, taking the coat and making quick work of its repair with tiny fingers that moved at lightning