前のエピソード――Strapped Onto A Broken Motorcycle

SCENE 1 – TATTOO PARLOR

HEMATO: Francaise hanasemasu ka?

ARTIST: Non, parlez vous Nihongo?

HEMATO: Only a little.

Hemato sits in a chair, waiting for the tattoo artist to insert the needle.

HEMATO: So sure you the QR code will scan properly?

ARTIST: Relax Hemato, with this technology, there wont be any mistakes.

Hemato had just learned how to drive, and was already able to drive a motorized scooter. While others preferred motorcycles, she had the final laugh, when she could simply plug her transportation in. And not have to worry about Gas prices.

SCENE 2 – The first civil Rights Era

While we normally think of the civil rights era, in terms of figures like Martin Luther King, perhaps an even greater tragedy was the gradual rising of gas prices. It wasn’t terribly expensive back then. Yet now scientist are discussing about climate catastrophe by the time 2050 rolls around.

At home, Hemato cringes slightly with the pain of her new QR code. She hoped that it would actually scan her identity information, and a local host address to bounce back to home server.

HEMATO: That hurts like a bitch.

TELEVISION: On tonight’s gossip, ex actress wins deal for new soft core animation.

It seemed like everyone was sporting a tattoo these days, though few seem to enjoy the spectacle of being scanned by their phones.

She didn’t care that it was radio active.

SCENE 3 – HOSPITAL – A WEEK EARLIER

Hemato is resting on the emergency room, because she crashed her motorized scooter. They replaced the arm with the code.

So she went back, and got another. It was new 3D printed organic prosthesis, grown from her own cells. Said technology could also lead to regrowing human bodies, particularly in cases of mistaken execution.

But only the rich could afford it.

HEMATO: ( In her mind, dancing to a harpsichord of death and rot) I miss Anna-Marie. Why can’t you be here?