Strata 5 The Tiger Queen (Memories) The Book of Immersion V!

🔹Strata 5: Identity Crisis

Glitches reveal hidden truths. When systems break down, Renyke faces himself in pieces. A deep dive into fractured identity and digital introspection.

Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 5
The Tiger Queen (Memories)

To function correctly, humans depend almost entirely upon memories. Memory is an integral part of human cognition. It allows individuals to recall and draw upon past events to frame their understanding of the present. Memory also gives individuals a paradigm through which they make sense of the future. Memories are tried and tested experiences where deep knowledge and understanding are fostered. The future becomes less of an unknown with an arsenal of information based on what we remember. Memory can also be evolutionary, cultural, and non specific, based on a collective experience of tragedy, persecution or success.

A machine that remembers too little will not be able to do anything that requires connecting past experiences to new ones. Many droids are prone to catastrophic forgetting as well as over-learning, either leading to gross malfunction. Humans are able to pick and choose their memories for a better life. Even false memories have proven to be advantageous for human emotional balance.

Renyke attempted a *face-recog on the woman but the makeup or tattoo caused a data malfunction. Flex, the one with probable knowledge about trusting her had disappeared amongst the crowd.

After a lingering interlude for summing up danger, but with no logical conclusion, Renyke followed his guide with some trepidation. The woman was effervescent and attractive, seemingly unfamiliar attributes that Renyke was surprised to have noticed. Such exuberances were not encouraged in the Midcasts but Renyke was inexplicably drawn to her zeal and fervour as she moved through the streets like a tiger queen.

Market traders were selling an array of live animals, electronic devices, even workers by the hour for a range of uses from labouring, singing and even sexual services.

Renyke was feeling confused at the evidence before him. Things did not seem logical to his organised brain. The noise, the intensity, a million unrelated instances of life weaving through time and space. These were chaotic waveforms traveling horseback on a loud wind. It was making him giddy.

'What's with the frown Mr?' The woman seemed empathetic.

'I don't know, something familiar maybe, here, this street.'

'I would know if you had graced our streets before my friend.' The woman was staring intently into Renyke's eyes making him feel self conscious. You got stranger written all over that face, let me tell you.'

The woman greeted traders and passersby. She was well known here although *POS was not able to ascertain much data.

The woman is 20, human,, she has had a child said POS...

They arrived at a unit with barricades and metal shutters. It was constructed from an old underground train carriage, probably from the twenty-first century.

'Here we go,' said the woman
'That's 50 *G-bits for getting you here Mr.'

'I have to get some money first,' said Renyke
'What do I need, I have no ID?'

'You don't need ID here Mr. This is the *hiddens' zone, *the Urchs got no ID. No ID, no problem. This is a very special bank just for people like you.'

'Well, how do I get money?' asked Renyke, now confused about accessing anything that may be stored in his POS and dubious about sharing his identity.'

The woman laughed.
'Ya gotta put sometin' up my friend.

'Like my coat?' asked Renyke.

'Na, not in the bank! Your software, course, or hardware, or files, whatever.....just plug in, give some data, get some g-bits innit. They take apps, software, POS.....

Day to Day Data..... is their wayta.....
.....hahahahaha.'

The woman cackled then sighed, observing Renyke's discomfort.

'I'll take you in OK, I know the banker.'

Renyke pondered the likelihood of a successful solo effort and nodded in agreement.

The woman bashed on the metal door and a hatch opened.

'It's me, Queenie, got a client for ya big guy.'

Dark peering eyes checked them up and down through a small rectangle.

'Not the animals', said a loud booming voice after tentatively opening a heavily armoured door.

Inside was well guarded by large-framed menacing characters. They were standard issue security droids, the like of older versions that had been discontinued and recalled then disassembled and officially disposed of. Security in the Midcasts was controlled by forcefields and lasers with little need for big ugly droids.

Renyke was ushered into a small cubical with an array of plugs and wires.

The woman gestured he should go in as she waited near the door under the watchful eye of the droid.

POS was glitching.

Everything in the cubical looked antiquated, probably from the early tech years.
There was a chair and Renyke was motioned to sit down.

He hesitated.
'How does this work?' He asked a large droid.

The droid seemed stupefied, slow and sluggish, as if he had been drained of power. He spoke slowly with slurred words. There were intermittent beeping noises and error warnings coming from inside his head.

'Here is the current exchange rate,' said the droid, pointing to a monitor with flashing figures. 'As soon as you are plugged in, we see what you got and make an offer. Then we transfer. You get a voucher here.'

He pointed to a small printing machine, 'then take it over there and get g-bits or s bits.'

There were hundreds of wires and plugs seemingly for extracting and monitoring every device from the last couple of centuries. Anything from antique video machines to digital clocks, and hundreds of handset devises seemed to have a lead on offer.

Renyke spotted the *Mark 3 Droid Cable and shuddered.

He checked his applications. Then all the add-ons. He checked for any temp files he could get rid of. Then he checked POS and asked if there was a clean-up they could run.

System is currently set to factory install. Removing program files or data could be detrimental to smooth function....this action is not supported.....

More searching......then finally

One file found
Unknown origin
Possible memory file from last OS
Appears surplus to current operational needs but I am unable to access file contents

The big droid began clicking its fingers slowly and grimacing. His equally thug-like colleague approached and joined in.

The woman, looking restless by the door, ushered Renyke to hurry up

Can we operate without it? Renyke asked POS'

There is a possibility, according to my calculations, of serious malfunction

The droids moved closer and the clicking intensified.

to be continued