TALE TELLER CLUB™ Publishing: books by Sarnia de la Mare

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Jun 18, 2025

Strata 8 Shabra (Laws of Attraction) The Book of Immersion by Sarnia de la Mare

Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 8

Shabra (Laws of Attraction)

Sexual attraction for humans is dictated by a reflex to engage in intimacy with others. This phenomenon can be influenced by physical cues alone, the way a human looks, moves, speaks and so on.

Romantic attraction may be described as deeper and yet may still be instantaneous, spurred on by feelings of wanting a relationship with another.

These two desires may appear together in a deep power of attraction.

The psychology of attraction is most peculiar to humans. It is not possible to create this phenomenon in machines whose methods of attraction use logical conditions to draw entities towards them. Predefined targets for machine attention avoid accidents, although machines are notorious for repeatedly targeting their attention on non compliant humans.

Likewise, human attraction is usually nonreciprocal. A machine programmed to give a human all it needs will often reap better results. But when dealing with human desires, neither machine nor human can ever guarantee positive results.

Jerome breaks an awkward silence, 'No *ishy, brother,' He stamped on another Scritter. 'Damn those nasty little *mudafinks!'

Renyke exits the concrete compound with Flex running anxiously behind.

The *robo-dog had waited patiently at the entrance and began wagging its tail and leaping around.

Renyke spots some graffiti with the Redact logo near an underpass. Maybeline crawled out of his coat and nudged his cheek for food.

'You sure you did the right thing brother?' asked Flex, who was now feeling agitated. His naive friend was likely to lead him into trouble. Perhaps it was time to take charge of the matter.

'Wheels is speed, wheels is protection my friend. We gonna stand out like *fucksyfools on the streets. People gonna target us! Words spread fast.' Flex explained still half running to keep pace.

'I can manage quite well,' said Renyke, 'You don't need to .......' Renyke trails off, distracted by a woman on the car roof.

She glanced over at Renyke.

'Oh well let's just go and ask her for her car then' said Flex.

'Are you mocking me?'

Renyke was genuinely unsure. He had always grappled with humour. Incongruous remarks always had to be analysed closely. A false analysis could be incompatible with overall provision of human satisfaction, which was paramount to his function in the world.

Mabel had used the word *nuke about some of her friends.

'I believe the woman to be nuke, explained Renyke, continuing with some confidence.

She exhibits a powerful energy, enough to engage a compelling force as I look upon her.

'Hahahahahaha.....' laughed Flex, that will make things worse, trust me, I have knowledge....

'Follow me,' he tutted, reluctantly leading the way.

The woman was sitting on the roof of the car smoking a pipe and making smoke rings.

Renyke felt a momentary surge of something unknown deep inside him. Was it fear he wondered, Trepidation?

Things were not computing.

He checked POS for his health levels.

...Normal activity presenting. 99.9% battery remaining. Nothing unusual to report.

But Renyke felt a strange fluttering feeling in his belly.

The woman sitting on the car whistled. 'Hey!'

'Like the coat! Cool *toggies. You wanna *swapsie-trade?'

The woman jumped off the car and lifted her fist for an air bump followed by an elbow bump, then a salute. Renyke tried to keep up but was cumbersome. He had seen these manoeuvres in old films on the *tellywebs but he had never actually performed them.

*'Wappens?' asked the woman in a strong accent.' Renyke guessed what she meant and said,

'I need transport, not far, just to Redact, do know that place?'

The woman laughed.....'Man like you, looks way too soft for the *guanty-travel.'

Renyke checks POS.

..'gaunty-travel'......colloquial, Zoners' slang roughly translates as a very dangerous journey..

'But I can take to the second zone, five miles nearer, then you gotta make your own ways,' she continues.

'What you go by?' she asks.

Renyke looked confused.......

'I'm Shabra. Lady of the Shadows, where I go no light follows, ya hear me soldier? I travel at night where there are no lights.'

'I'm Renyke,' he said, trying to decipher the poetry.

You wanna swapsie-trade the coat, or you got me somtin sweeta? I take *nibs, *bits…….1000 *G-bits and you got me hired. But I like that coat too.'

'It's a good deal man, said Flex, 'good deal, five miles is five miles. We come too, me n the dog! I got no ties to this street.'

Flex looks at Shabra who sighs, ‘Yeah, yeah, whoever, no *pipin’ in my *vicular though.'

Renyke knows that Flex could be useful, and the robodog too. It was obedient and would do as it was told.

Jun 15, 2025

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

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

Other episodes

^{Renyke Wakes in the Alley (Purpose)}

^{The Maybe Line (Friendship)}

^{Flex and the Robo-Dog (Making Decisions)}

^{The Zoners (Meeting Strangers)}

^{The Tiger Queen (Memories)}

^{Trouble at the Bank (Animal Instincts)}

^{Jarome and the Scritters, (Trade and Barter)}

^{Shabra (Laws of Attraction)}

^{Lust and Loins (Limerence)}

^{Dinfant Trouble (Synthetic Love)}

^{The Crossroads (Gut Feelings)}

^{The Basement People (Emotions)}

^{The Fight (Hormones)}

^{The Journey to the Edge (Fear of Death)}

^{The Ship of Sirens (Superstition)}

^{Friendship (Empathy)}

^{Swimming (Pleasure and Pain)}

^{Freaky Celebrations (Stimulation)}

^{Peer Pressure}

^{(Existentialism)}

^{The Perimeter (Ego)}

GLOSSARY

Jun 13, 2025

Strata 2 The Maybe Line (Friendship) The Book of Immersion V1

Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 2 The Maybe Line (Friendship)

Throughout their evolution, humans have developed an essential need for social connection. This need is deeply ingrained in their biology and plays a crucial role in human survival. Humans have developed an internal warning system that alerts them when their need for connection remains unfulfilled.

A machine can measure friendship in terms of association, as data and statistics. But a machine does not intrinsically feel anything for themselves. It can only assume likelihoods of alliance or read warning signs measured by unusual or specific data alerts.

Neither human nor machine could truly know the difference between a friend or an enemy. The definition in itself is loaded with fluctuating expectations.

In the world of Immersion friends and foes blend into the streets upon which you tread.

Beware the nightingale for it may be a vulture.

Bon Chance, my friend, Bon Chance.

Renyke felt the rat's whiskers on his nose. It was a strange sensation.

His touch and feel receptors could have been faulty.

'Well Mr Rat,’

POS interjected. .... The rodent appears to be female….

'Well hello Mrs Rat,' sniggered Renyke, 'I could do with some company and who knows, you could be helpful at some point.’

Renyke's sense of liberation was magnified at POSsibility of a new friend, rat or otherwise. It would be a different sort of caring, un-programmed and entirely voluntary.

'I will call you Maybeline, after my friend', he told the rat, picking up a scrap of food near the rear of the building where he had rebooted. ‘And you can be the start of the 'maybe line', the line of fate that I will take from this moment on'.

Maybeline nose bumped and Renyke laughed.

'Ha, do you understand my words, little friend?'

And again, another nose bump.

Maybeline's whiskers tickled,

'Achoo!' Renyke responded with a loud sneeze.

***

The adjacent building was old and dirty, a relic from the twenty first century when the country had been victim to the floods which were caused by the great *warming.

Buildings had been built on concrete stilts and the towering grey causeways had been constructed. Flash floods had destroyed entire communities because the defences were not adapting fast enough. Many people had left to live and work higher ground, if they could afford it.

But because the buildings were small and enclosed to keep the rains out, they had proved problematic for the spread of the *pandemics. Humans working in the city centres had a much lower life expectancy. Androids were unaffected by the human viruses so they took over production and services. But then there were the tech viruses which were devastating and could render entire organisations completely defunct, or worse still, dangerous. Businesses had begun to fold under the weight of industrial and corporate sabotage.

The sun was shining. It was late winter but warm. Renyke had rarely left his connected domain in the miscasts. It felt good in the open air. Even the gardens in the projects had air conditioning to purify and clean the environment and ensure a super-clean air bubble.

Renyke checked an address in his database and engaged his GPS. It was the headquarters of Redact, the place he needed to get to. That, at least, was one thing he could remember.

He was thirty miles east, only slightly off target, according to the map. He was expected there soon and resolved to make haste on this unknown journey.

to be continued