Descending Road - SENSI by Dana W. Paxson

SENSI

1529 4D

A deep bass beat: the scene on the screen in the main room moves through the underground City streets at eye level, turns to examine a rotting crack in the rock streetwall where beetles churn, peers into a dark closet where electrical wiring arcs and spits, shudders past a rusted door into a pitch-dark shaft. Foul water gushes from some points high overhead. The beat accelerates. A child’s scarred face peers into the lens. The child grins with sharpened teeth, claws at the camera. The view spirals away up the shaft, shattering into brilliant radiance as the urgent beat fades. A butterfly glides to a landing as it fills the sensi screen, its wings coruscating iridescence. The view opens to a shoulder where the butterfly rested.

The view opens further: a man in CityGov gray speaks, pointing to an open sky behind him. “You don’t know what this is, do you? This is your world. That’s right, yours.” Gentle music swells in a stately beat. “The air is fresh and free. The water is everywhere, and clean. And there is no crime.” The music softens. The man in gray puts his hand on the head of a little boy standing beside him. The boy looks up at him with a blissful smile. “He’s happy here,” the man says, “and he’ll always be happy here. Not like where you are seeing me and hearing me. Do you have children? Do you like what the City does to them?” He turns and holds up both arms to the sky as the music leaps joyfully. “Here. I give you Anand, your new home of hope. All you have to do is to send us your ID, and we’ll sign you up for the journey to your new world. Come with us. Come to Anand.” As the music draws out into long shifting chords, a contact ID flashes on the sensi screen.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	SENSI 1529 4D A deep bass beat: the scene on the screen in the main room moves through the underground City streets at eye level, turns to examine a rotting crack in the rock streetwall where beetles churn, peers into a dark closet where electrical wiring arcs and spits, shudders past a rusted door into a pitch-dark shaft. Foul water gushes from some points high overhead. The beat accelerates. A child’s scarred face peers into the lens. The child grins with sharpened teeth, claws at the camera. The view spirals away up the shaft, shattering into brilliant radiance as the urgent beat fades. A butterfly glides to a landing as it fills the sensi screen, its wings coruscating iridescence. The view opens to a shoulder where the butterfly rested. The view opens further: a man in CityGov gray speaks, pointing to an open sky behind him. “You don’t know what this is, do you? This is your world. That’s right, yours.” Gentle music swells in a stately beat. “The air is fresh and free. The water is everywhere, and clean. And there is no crime.” The music softens. The man in gray puts his hand on the head of a little boy standing beside him. The boy looks up at him with a blissful smile. “He’s happy here,” the man says, “and he’ll always be happy here. Not like where you are seeing me and hearing me. Do you have children? Do you like what the City does to them?” He turns and holds up both arms to the sky as the music leaps joyfully. “Here. I give you Anand, your new home of hope. All you have to do is to send us your ID, and we’ll sign you up for the journey to your new world. Come with us. Come to Anand.” As the music draws out into long shifting chords, a contact ID flashes on the sensi screen.