|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- BILLION'S DRIFTING--CUP 6--"JACK POLLET" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Billion's Drifting  ||  -------> (Cup SRbd006, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The speaker put the paper down, took off his glasses, and stared at the crowd for a few moments before continuing. "So just that one problem. And it IS a problem. For even though 97% of dreams are never remembered, the overtapping of an individual could indeed cause problems for him or her, and would not be fair. Arfthorn Industries was determined to release The Slumberotica System, but not without solving this problem. And let me tell you, it took us a while to develop the solution. But we did. Oh boy, we did. See, the person you tap will no longer be THE person, but a close alternate reality version of the person. So, in this reality, the person you're tapping WILL NOT EXPERIENCE THE DREAM. And with this, the product is perfected. Because of the near infinite levels of alternate realities, no individual version of a person will experience a Slumberotica Dream more than once or twice--but the twice is highly unlikely. Do remember, however, that THIS reality is an alternate one to other ones, where The Slumberotica System will also be available, we assume, so a few Slumberotica dreams are to be expected here and there, generated by individuals in close alternate realities. But such events will be so rare that the likelihood that anyone would even remember a Slumberotica dream is almost nil. So--any questions? I'd be glad to answer any of your concerns." That's when I raised my hand, and the speaker pointed to me. "Yes, you there with the long hair." "Um, I'm sorry, but what about at least the basic premise of monogamy? Your system there glorifies having sex with a new person every few nights--and I'm not saying that that's absolutely wrong--but what about at least some deference to the ideals of marriage and sex with a single partner?" I said. The speaker paused for a moment, and then answered. "I'm glad you asked that. You might think that Arfthorn Industries is a hedonistic place, void of any morality, but there you'd be wrong. We examined every fact of this issue, and Jack Pollet--in this report--a copy of which any of you may obtain--declared with high certitude that use of The Slumberotica System by married persons cannot be construed as adultery, since in the eyes of official-reality, the Slumberotica encounter never even happened. See? That's the beauty of the system." "One more question, of you don't mind." I said. "Not at all." "The idea that anyone might use my dream self for their own guilty pleasures greatly alarms me--whether it's this exact me, or nearby versions of me. From what you're saying, anyone, of either sex, and of whatever perverse inclination, may use me to their heart's content. I am familiar with just some of the sexual excesses of people, and I am hugely alarmed, even at HEARING about what some of the people out there do for sexual gratification. What if, say, and I mean no disrespect to you, or anyone else here, but what if some great, obese, ugly, smelly man comes up to me and tells me how he so enjoyed defecating upon and whipping my dream self the night before? Is this not a true violation of my inalienable rights as a human being?" The speaker smiled a nervous smile, and his eyes darted about. "Discretion is a very important human trait, and most possess it, sir. To be blunt with you, any person might use you--or anyone else--in their masturbatory fantasies. This, you must acknowledge, is not something you can, or even should, be able to prevent. If this person is impolite enough to inform you of his strange fantasies, that in an indictment upon HIS character. Think of The Slumberotica System as an EXTENSION of the phenomenon of the masturbatory fantasy. I realize that you can counter me by saying that with our system, real contact is made with a version of you, but I don't think the distinction is a strong enough one to warrant us to reconsider our plans to release the System. Now, who's next..." "Wait." I said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----