Zeo Genesis Travelogues
Greetings, star-nomads! You can call me Trev. (You can also call me Trevallion Franklin-Ridgeway III, but I’d rather you didn’t). I’ve left behind my shallow executive existence to explore the Hundred Suns, to re-connect with insignificant voiders just like you. These are my travels. You’re welcome.
"I’ve survived a razor-stone forest and arrived in Neath. After a fortnight, I could get my money transfer for delivering that jabbering zeo head. Mercifully, it silenced when I rode my scoot underground. Neath is a subterranean town, the first I’ve encountered, though countless exist."
"A beaming geriatric named Lightowl awaited me. I wasn’t sure how he’d carry the head, but his grav-zim was able to carry objects for him. This delightful Neathian insisted on escorting me to their only bank. Neath is a rejection of nearby anarcho-capitalist society and keeps all things financial and corporate to an absolute minimum."
"Lightowl wasn’t the speediest and frankly looked ready to keel over, but it allowed me to savor this startling place. Imagine a town as an art gallery, each building, bridge, fuel pump, transit stop, civ-comm and beyond a thing to behold. From Darecult tenebrism to Looout organicism, everything’s here."
"The reason, the alarmingly infirm Lightowl said, and you’ll have to excuse me, because this sounds ludicrous, is that most people don’t have jobs. Can you imagine?!"
"Generations ago, Neath created a powerful Automatic Intellect Decision-maker to handle what people didn’t want to. Data input, mundane updates, comms management, everything. Soon it developed drones to perform dangerous, heavy, or unsanitary labour. Naturally, it didn’t need to be paid, so Neath became a town of artists, philosophers, sportspeople, gardeners…whatever they wanted. I’m shocked, absolutely shocked."
"Neath didn’t long ago descend into chaos, this multi-story town collapsing into a pit of madness. Everyone seems polite and helpful. Surely there’s something sinister beneath it; people cannot be this well-adjusted under such unstructured conditions! But that’s investigative journalist Trev speaking, not travel journalist Trev. One career at a time."
"Astonishment turned to admittedly unsurprised horror when we arrived at the bank and Lightowl collapsed. Instantly, I was back watching great-auntie Flijiss freshly dragged from our lake, mother pumping her chest to the tempo of Heart-Blasting Rib-Crusher by Kärnögräphïc Bëëst."
"'Crush the ribs, blast the heart, crush the ribs, blast the heart!' I chanted in time with my chest-pumping."
"Coughing, retching and, unfortunately, phlegming, Lightowl returned to me. Self-congratulation and relief was tempered, alas, upon seeing only half my money had been transferred. Lightowl’s family have invited me to stay for the coming festivities, however, so while I can’t call it even, that is rather nice."
- Neath town, Jawita county, Steponni, planet Saienten, Pinnacle heliosphere
- Population: 170,000
- Town levels: 17
- Notable artists: Ali Ash (ecotect), Margzi (novelist), Mortem Laloyle (holo-sculptor), Novo Roddem (particle dancer), Draggcregg Vito (traditional sculptor), Gluzz Van Wezzels (sound painter), Lalya Yetty (air painter)
- Town Steward: Automatic Intellect Decision-maker (A.I.D.): ‘Majordomo’ (FEATHATEATHN operating directive)
These journals were recorded via Tymphony Aural Augmetics… TAA: Listen Up!
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