Strata 15 The Ship of Sirens (Superstition) The Book of Immersion by Sarnia de la Mare

Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 15

The Ship of Sirens (Superstition)

Superstition represents an evolutionary anomaly that persists across all human societies, irrespective of intellectual capacity or cultural background. While empirical science demonstrates that specific habitual actions have no causal influence on future events, it also affirms that the conditions of the present can shape future outcomes. This paradox contributes to a sustained sense of uncertainty, reinforcing the psychological appeal of superstition. Human beings, confronted with unpredictable circumstances and often limited in their capacity to act rationally or consistently in their own interest, navigate daily life amidst a complex web of expectations and unforeseen developments. In contrast, artificial intelligence systems process data systematically and are not subject to the influence of irrational beliefs or mythological frameworks. Nonetheless, superstitious behaviour continues to manifest, functioning as a symbolic mechanism through which individuals attempt to manage doubt and exert a perceived sense of control over the unknown.

Renyke now realised that he may have permanently lost access to his internal GPS and other useful tools performed by *POS. 

'Can we get any signal here for information? How do your people get around and communicate? I didn't see you or Shabra with any personal devices.' 

Renyke looked at Flex frowning. His confusion seemed to be mounting. 'It makes no sense, how can societies run efficiently…..’

‘Woa, what’s with the interrogation ….calm down…!’

Renyke took a breath, still looking to Flex for answers.

'Well, see, this is the wild country my friend,' Flex answered, 'we don't have too much need for that stuff because that is how they catch you see.’

'Who catches you?' asked Renyke.

'Enemies of course. We have a motto in the zones, 'the watcher may win but the unseen succeeds. You gotta be invisible Renyke. They could be watching you right now, you know that? They could know exactly who you are and what you are up to.’

'Some of my POS isn't working,' explained Renyke, with a worried tone.

'Good,' said Flex, 'now let's get going’.

Maybeline jumped off Renyke's shoulder and stood on her hind legs twitching her whiskers towards the small boat.

Unsure if a droid could survive without a POS or in water, Renyke followed Flex's lead and they gently set the boat out into the waterway. 

The small sailboat was dwarfed by an expanse of open water with inlets and makeshift jetties that jutted from the coastline. There were remnants of industrial activity, torn and broken bridges, and old shipwrecks.

'What happened here?' Renyke asks, pointing at the knotted metal casings of old aircraft and skeletal flyovers. It looks like a war zone.’

'It was just that brother, a war zone. They left because of the gas and radiation, way back after the China-Russia wars killed everything off. Even the weeds stopped growing. It's OK now but they never came back to fix it. Not yet anyway, so the *urchs and *zoners made homes here.’

Renyke suddenly engages his arm extension and catches a fish. POS is unavailable so he asks Flex,

'Can I eat this? Is it safe?’

Flex raised an eyebrow.

'Man, you are fast, I didn't even see your hand move.’

A large fish is wriggling in Renyke's hand.

'Yes, we can eat the fish. Here, I will save it till we make……

Before Flex had a chance to mention a campfire, Renyke swallowed the fish's head and eagerly chomped on it. The fish's tail fin let go of one final motor neuron impulse as Renyke devoured it. 

'Ah man, you droids are sickos. Get me another for lunch, we can cook it, if you don't mind.’

Renyke collected a pile of fish onto the deck, separating one out for Maybeline.

'I never really ate before. Not since I woke in the Alley. Then I felt hungry.' explains Renyke.

'Something must have happened when you, ya know...' Flex trails off as a Large ship approaches.

'Ah *fuxywot, it's a *cadre ship. Don't look, they will steal your dreams!’

The ship bears a large female figurehead. There is a winged insignia in gold on a death black hull. A warning horn sounded as strange music bellowed. They were singing, some kind of primal opera, and drums. The noise was terrifying and captivating at the same time. Renyke looked on in disbelief. 

Dark feminine figures stood on the ship's deck wearing masks. They carried glistening weapons that pierced the air with light beams as they began to pound sticks on the deck.

'Who are they?' Ask Renyke.

'Stop staring,' Flex hissed, 'they hate being stared at. It's insulting brother.’

‘But.....'

'Stop it!' shouts Flex, splashing water in Renyke's face.’

The ship moved slowly past, its black hull like a monster eating the waves. The women were beautiful and something stirred in Renyke’s loins as strong as the hunger he had felt before. 

The chanting echoed to the rhythm of the clattering and pounding of sticks. The sounds were petrifying and exhilarating all at once. 

The women stared back at Renyke burning their energy deep into his soul until he finally looked away. Then he gasped as if their energy had made its way into his lungs. Water dripped from his nose and chin.

'You are going to get us killed, do you hear me....killed, a nasty slow death-by-siren, that's what.’

'But they were so…..'

'Droid got no clue,' mumbled Flex.

An angry wind rises as the black ship fades from sight.

The sky turns grey and there is a sudden temperature drop.

'See now brother, that's the curse for staring. Now we got a storm to deal with.’

There is a small inlet with an old pier that Flex points to.

'We should take cover, no point fighting a storm.’

'How far to Redact?' Asked Renyke.

'We are real close. See that island yonder, it's a peninsular. That is where *Redact is. But it is tricky to get there by sea because of the rocks, best on foot my friend. Especially in a storm.’

Renyke was keen to get to the island. It would be a fast sail in the wind and the rain is light. 

'I am a strong swimmer,' lied Renyke, not sure if he could actually swim without research or instruction.

'Ha, what like some kinda reptile droid now are you?' Flex laughed hysterically, shoving Renyke towards the boat edge just enough to scare him.

'Ha, what are you Renyke my friend, an amphibian or a smartphone? 

Hahahaha.

You wanna try that my friend you go alone with that rat on your head, and I will be on my way. I will see your insides washed up on the shore next week and use them for *swapsy-trade. Ain't no fool like a midcast fool, fresh from the laundry room.’

Flex’s smile dropped, he was no longer laughing and was warning Renyke behind a joke.

Renyke thinks for a moment longer as the rain pelts.

to be continued...

© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare

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  The Book of Immersion : Volume 1 Kindle Edition
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  The Book of Immersion: Volume 1
  by Sarnia de la Mare
  
  In a future where code meets consciousness, one being begins a haunting transformation. Renyke—an AI on the edge of humanity—awakens to emotion, sensory overload, and the fragile beauty of connection. Guided by the enigmatic Flex, their deepening bond explores intimacy and friendship, neurodivergence, and the complex world of feeling through an autistic spectrum lens.
  
  

  
  

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Strata 13 The Fight (Hormones) The Book of Immersion by Sarnia de la Mare

🧠 Renyke’s instincts collide with programming as the group faces a deadly ambush. In this high-octane Strata, survival hinges on hormones, reflexes, and machine logic. Shabra’s blade, Flex’s bravado, and Renyke’s hidden strength reveal the limits—and power—of adrenaline, violence, and human resilience.

Welcome to Immersion; you have reached Strata 13

The Fight (Hormones)

When a human is put under stress from within their environment, there is an increase in anxiety and stress hormone, epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. This hormone 'rush' can feel like anxiousness, nervousness, or excitement. Human soldiers, for example, have been seen to find extreme violence euphoric, ecstatic, and even addictive.

Feelings of 'amped up' anxiety are necessary for survival. Often the hormone rushes in such extreme situations will lead to a human's increased ability to concentrate, feelings of immortality, and a distraction from pain. Blood vessels contract to direct more blood to major muscle groups, increasing strength for up to an hour after any such stressful event.

The power of a machine, an android, an artificial intelligence program, etc., is not linked to hormone releases. The ability to increase strength could be programmed into robots as an extra storage source when needs must, but such resources are prescriptive and controlled through innate programming. Most humans are unaware of their own strengths and may be rarely tested to call upon them, unlike a machine whose reserve banks are permanently at the ready.

Humans under the influence of long-term stress, in situations of domestic abuse, for example, will not function correctly and may die prematurely.

Renyke slowly opened the window as if to speak to the robber. They stare intently at each other, both calm.

'What you doing, man? Ya *fucksyfool,' Flex whispers angrily from the rear of the vehicle. 'Windows are bulletproof!’

At the same time, Shabra opened her window, smiling innocently at the robber.

'OK, OK,' sure, I got bits, *G-bits too; it is all yours, Mr., *plenty-ful are my pockets; hold your rockets... just let me get them out of my coat, yeah?’

The robber looked nervous; he was barely an adult.

'Don't try anything,' he said, stepping forward and bringing the gun closer to Shabra's face.

Flex, realising that he better act fast or risk overseeing a massacre, quietly opened the window hatch on the roof, muttering under his breath about not hanging out with strangers again.

'These dopes gonna get me killed!' he said.

Renyke's extension arm suddenly engaged, adding two feet or more to his normal reach, then, in a hundredth of a second, he grabbed the threatening assailant by the throat. With a sharp squeeze of his Adam's apple, the victim fell to the ground in complete silence, with an instantaneously broken neck.

His bulging eyes popped from his skull as he hit the ground, rolling into the gutter.

............threat to your right is exterminated............remaining threat to life ...left and front of carriage….

*POS was guiding the scenario with a running commentary and an endless stream of situation mapping, statistics, and diagrams.

Simultaneously, Shabra, still wearing a rye smile, held up one hand in surrender. The assailant lapsed his concentration, focusing on his friend, who had disappeared from the other side of the vehicle. The man with the AK-47 at the front did the same.

'Where is he, where is he?' shouted Shabra's target.

His friend edged an inch to check and saw a wet glistening eye.

Almost in unison, Shabra and Flex regained control, taking on one robber each.

Shabra, barely flinching and with great dexterity, cut the robber's throat like the wild animal she hunted for lunch. His blood gushed out, hitting the vehicle and Shabra's face and hand.

'Ah, not the car, man! Blood takes a damned long time to clean off,' she said as she closed the window, wiping the knife on her trousers.

'This is some mucky night', she mused, nonchalantly, as Flex was performing his expected duty atop the vehicle.

Renyke closed the window after retracting his arm, also aware that things seemed under control.

.... assailant left is exterminated…..

*POS continued the running commentary.

....Assailant front, in line of fire of the human named Flex…

Flex was shouting threats and whoops from the top of the vehicle. His torso now through the tank-like hatch. He had engaged his own mental autopilot buttons and retrieved his favourite hand pistol from one of the many pockets in his long coat.

He fired three bullets for good measure, penetrating the robber in front of the car.

'Take that *Bastardo,’ Flex shouted as the first bullet penetrated the centre of the man's forehead.

The robber dropped the AK47, taking the other two of Flex’s shots into his bouncing body on the ground.

The hail of bullets caused screaming, shouting, and general mayhem as people on the street ducked and scrambled for cover.

'Dum arse men, a poorly manned ambush indeedy! Speedy but greedy,' said Shabra as she shined the blade with a spit and polish, grimacing at the assailant's blood, then smiling at her rhyming skills.

She wasted no time after checking everything was in order, immediately engaging the car and running over one of the muggers, whose guts now covered her wheels.

'Argh, not again!

Flex was hooting and screaming from the roof.

'Take that, you *muddafinks!

'Get down,' demanded Shabra. 'We are not supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves.’

Flex apologised like a naughty child and continued,

'but that was fun. You two are good. Erm, but what's with the weird arm, Renyke man?’

Shabra looked at Flex in the mirror and said, 'Well, we've only seen a few of his skills so far. He's a droid after all.’

'Of course, said Flex. I do forget. He seems so, you know…

'Hmmmmm, he really does,' agrees Shabra.

'I was designed as a housekeeper; the arm extensions were a *Metacoms feature to assist in the stacking of shelves and other household duties. I am also able to clear blocked drainage pipes and rescue stranded animals from trees.' Renyke rambled with pride.

'Great,' said Shabra, laughing with Flex and bringing the vehicle to a halt. 'So you won't mind washing the car windows then.'


to be continued

© 2025 Sarnia de la Mare

#BookOfImmersion #StrataSeries #SarniaDeLaMare #ImmersiveFiction #TaleTellerClub  

The Book of Immersion : Volume 1 Kindle Edition
by Sarnia de la Mare (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

Book 19 of 23: The Book of Immersion


See all formats and editions


The Book of Immersion: Volume 1
by Sarnia de la Mare

In a future where code meets consciousness, one being begins a haunting transformation. Renyke—an AI on the edge of humanity—awakens to emotion, sensory overload, and the fragile beauty of connection. Guided by the enigmatic Flex, their deepening bond explores intimacy and friendship, neurodivergence, and the complex world of feeling through an autistic spectrum lens.

Read on Kindle Unlimited for free

Complete Book All Strata on Kindle

Individual Chapters/Strata

Home

GLOSSARY

Strata 1
Strata 2
Strata 3
Strata 4
Strata 5
Strata 6
Strata 7
Strata 8
Strata 9
Strata 10
Strata 11
Strata 12
Strata 13
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Strata 15
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Strata 21
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