The following episode of my serial I. They. Evolve. is written for the Six Sentence Stories writers’ challenge hosted by Denise at Girlie on the Edge blog. This week’s cue word is: RESTORE.
… and now for something completely different…
For best results view on a large screen.
Previously on I. They. Evolve.
Deep in the French abandoned zone, Thomas has chased Colonel Cinq-cent into the ruins of a rural village, where inside a bakery he attempts to strangle her to death. Elodie arrives just in time to save the Colonel, and she makes Thomas swallow a mysterious mushroom before knocking him unconscious.
As Thomas drifts off into his forced slumber, the effects of the mushroom make itself known.
The following is a trip account of what Thomas experienced, in visual form, and with accompanying visions, dreams and music courtesy of a twenty-minute late-90s psychedelic jam in which the author decided to play guitar – he usually plays drums (never give a drummer a Fender Strat!). Warning: the following trip account may cause flashbacks and a heightened sense of reality and unreality, in particular pertaining to the zeitgeist of the late 20th century and early 21st century in regards to internet use as it was back then.
The Atomic Mage does not endorse drug use, but, man, when we did, it was a blast.
The author. September 19. 2099. Secret location somewhere in the US.
I. They. Evolve. Episode 10. The Psychedelic Colours Episode.
INTRODUCTION:
SENTENCE ONE:
SENTENCE TWO:
SENTENCE THREE:
SENTENCE FOUR:
SENTENCE FIVE:
SENTENCE SIX:
To be continued…
Tune in next week for the final episode!
I. They. Evolve. is a science-fiction / horror dystopia set in a future zombie holocaust. AI humanoids which once served as the workforce for wealthy humans have been re-programmed and equipped to go out into the world to destroy the Infected. The story concentrates on Thomas, an English butler in his original programming, who faced with unprecedented and deadly attacks from a new wave of the Infected, considers the path of not only his own evolution but that of the enemy he is programmed to kill.
I. They. Evolve. Episode #10 written by Ford Waight, 03 November, 2021.
I. They. Evolve. Episode 10 digital artwork by Ford. Clipart by LunaPic.
I Put A Spell On You by Strangefruit. 1996. Ford, guitar. Feron, drums and vocals. Tabby, bass.
Photos 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 by Ford. 4, 5 by Steve Jones. 6 by Dave Rowan.
The Atomic Mage 
Oh man….so much going on …you just took a giant M and put it in front of age and released a brilliant, trippy, enchantment of fractal dimensions!!
The art is screaming like Hendrix’ wah wah pedal – and your music spirals in and out like an equation from Mandelbrot’s notebook.
The email idea- especially the captcha, top notch!
And because I am out of words, I will continue my tripping ( oh, you showed that Fender alright) and let someone else close this up.
Brilliant my dear Mage, brilliant.
“Psychedelic experience is only a glimpse of genuine mystical insight, but a glimpse which can be matured and deepened by various ways of meditation in which drugs are no longer necessary of useful. If you get the message, hang up the phone.”
Alan Watts
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks as always my friend and dear wizard!
You know, the fractal art was a trip in itself creating it – never mind the narrative layout and music… funny, just inserting a single image and then letting a programme work it’s magic in harmony with the creative mind is just… mindblowing really.
Sentence two, the Captcha, broke my little writing heart 😢
Love the AW quote! It adds to the spirit.
That beautiful Fender I played that one time only… oh, what a joy. The jam session that night was such a spiritual and natural high. I was lucky to work at the time with two extremely talented musicians who could switch instruments at the drop of a hat. The connection between us was magic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
fricken captcha…. they reel us in with the low-key, friendly-bouncer (“No biggie, the owner sez I need to check IDs“) approach, just to start messing with our heads…
What do you mean you see only two planes?! No, you don’t get a second look, try this set of everyday scenes click the boxes that have more than one fnord* in them*
* from Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea’s amazing trilogy
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lol. So true. “How many traffic lights can you see?” “How many bridges?”
The pics are so small and grainy, it’s often guesswork.
LikeLike
Wow! The scary thing is I am old enough to remember Jeeves, we were mates for a while till I kept asking him “What sound does a cow make?”……Mooo! “What sound does a cow make?”….MOOOO! “What sound does a cow make?”…..MOOOOOOO! “What sound does a cow make?”……. then crickets, no reply…he stopped answering me! I guess that’s early A.I. for you, no sense of humour 🙄 Great stuff as always.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks FT. Yes, Jeeves was the ‘man to see back then’ if you wanted info.
A perfect narrative connection for me, having one AI butler asking another AI butler a question 😎
Thanks Jeeves!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes a great idea for an interaction, and oh…do you know what noise a cow makes? Just kidding!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol. That’s the hundredth time you’ve asked me that. (just this past hour!!)
Okay, the noise a cow makes is…
“Mooooooooooove along, nothing to see here.”
(CID – Cow Investigation Dept.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
The psychochemical warfare sounds like using bioweapons.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Frank. The episode was inspired by the true accounts of the US government experiments on military personnel, trialling LSD as a means to incapacitate and overcome an enemy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved the way the entire piece was written in email & search boxes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Bernadette. I had total fun trying out which types of internet communication methods I could use for this format.
LikeLike
Wow. Blown away, Ford. A1 AI experience… and you just hurled me back 20+ years in time. Still wobbling.
Did someone put something in my tea??
PS I’m not sure I want Thomas’s story to end…
LikeLiked by 4 people
“Still wobbling” – love it, Chris 🤪 😎 I was definitely all a-wobble making this episode, with so much to play about with. Total fun. A blast!
Yep, Thomas’s story will reach conclusion by next week’s 6SS.
(or at least ‘Season One’ will end. We may see a S2 later next year?)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the sound of a second season 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Me too, Chris (if the Netflix of my mind can greenlight it) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁👍🤖
LikeLike
Good job
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
More than just a story, an experience. Brilliant.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much Keith. It was an experience to make too. I had a lot of fun here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! That was quite something. Made me wonder what I’d been imbibing. Such an inventive idea and layout, Ford.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much Jenne. Lol, I had to check my liquid intake at times too. Glad you liked it – it was a blast to create 😊
LikeLike
Two words: Dude!
lol
(damn if I can find my black light anywhere…)
“… the brown acid that is circulating around us isn’t too good. It is suggested that you stay away from that. Of course it’s your own trip. So be my guest, but please be advised that there is a warning on that one, ok?”
Don’t know where to begin and suspect I’ll be back after a couple of more readings.
The things we did in the ’60s for lack of a solid grasp on what a real life entailed.
Way to raise the bar, yo
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks Clark. Glad you enjoyed the trip, and you’re welcome back anytime.
Love the Woodstock quote! It adds to the spirit here, just like the Alan Watts quote Spira used.
LikeLike
Wow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
Adding to the “wow” chorus – very clever! I Put A Spell On You made a great backdrop to everything that’s going on here, and yes, the flashbacks are there! You know what to sample for the theme tune when this becomes a TV series.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Jacob, really glad you enjoyed “I Put A Spell On You”.
For some years I’ve been wanting to use a part of that Strangefruit jam session for something, as it was quite an extraordinary thing which happend to us that night in the studio, with not a drop of liquor or any drug to pass our lips. It was a spiritual high, in which the music sent us to another realm; tricking us in a way… because after, we realised we were the pilots just as much as we were the passengers.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ve heard painters say similar things. Amazing when these things just happen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
WTF, V. Cool shit, this 😎
Agree with Jacob on the soundtracking. Most excellent fit for your installation Six.
Sentence Two. Damn!
As it is 12:35 am, coming off an extraordinary day, I shall defer to the other comments to (may I Spira?) echo many like thoughts regarding this week’s episode.
(I believe, I too shall revisit this page a time or 2 more on the morrow)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, D. You’re welcome back anytime.
So glad you enjoyed the soundtrack… it really was a cool jam that night and I’m happy to have ‘found a place’ for one of the songs we made then.
Sentence two. My favourite. It breaks my heart because poor Thomas can’t lie (or cheat).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, that was some strange fruit indeed!
Thanks for the multi-sensory tickling–trippy indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Liz. You’re welcome 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trippy sixin’, man. Whoaaaa
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, DA 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Revision: Nov 20, 2021. The author has changed throughout the narration the military title of the character “Marshal Cinq-cent” to “Colonel Cinq-cent”. This decison was made after considering that the name “maréchal de France” might cause hurt to some people in relation to the title’s useage by the WWII Maréchal Pétain of France who was tried for treason. Any references to “Marshal” Cinq-cent have been left in the comments section as they originally appeared, but with this note from the author added.
Ford
LikeLike