The Free City, Part 20
Dec19
on December 19, 2012
at 12:00 am
Chapter: Day 13, Month of Cold Winds, 6563
Characters: Abigail Aisling Caladharas, Peter Wright
Requiem: Silence
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…and more than a bit phobic towards people, crowds, and society in general. iow, they’ve done the math, seen the evidence for themselves, and they know that taking any kind of chance -or hanging out with groups of people- will get sooner or later get them killed. It’s just the way the math works. After about two thousand years of life, something’s gonna get ya. Even a simple fall can break your neck, if you landed wrong…so, going out and hanging out at the mall, for example, is contra-indicated.
If you do go out, you go back to your ‘hide’ just as soon as you can get there. Sanctum santorum…andno one else will really, really know where you stay or where you live. Show them one of your homes or ‘hides’, and you simply don’t use it again until that generatiuon, or even the next, passes away. “I haven’t been here in years.” “I’ve never seen him here since…”
Notice that some of the old timers don’t show up, much? They’re manipulating things behind the scenes, letting others take the chances, no matter how inconsequential the risk.
That’s all a part of the ‘background’ story, imo.
…and if it is, it makes perfect sense, to me.
(Some of the Transhumanists have looked into what it would be like to live for more than two thousand years. Interesting papers and commentary on the topic.)
I’ve been thinking about it a lot with DGN (there is a number of long timers there too) and one of the main ones has taken a different outlook towards it. He decided early on that he was going to have a life. He was going to put himself out there. And he has…and he has benefited from it. He actually has friends and a life and people who care about him. And he doesn’t have to lie about who and what he is.
He has a very simple philosophy towards it all. “What is the point of living this long if you don’t LIVE?”
But even he has boltholes and backups and safety nets. Even he has ways to get himself disappeared if he needs to.
I think it’s a very realistic depiction, myself, James. You done good.
That’s the sort of depth to this ‘universe’ that’s kept me coming back for the last six or six and a half years….and telling others about, now and then.