Deleca: Life By Proxy

By Joshua Renneke

These short stories are set in a near future where people live their lives almost completely through virtual-reality.
Three main corporations have formed an alliance and bought out the debt-ridden government.
With nearly every job performed by bots, citizens spend their lives in a virtual-reality device called a VNi chair.

Immersive soap operas where you're the star...

A simulated Heaven that eliminates the need for a life of virtue...

Police-sanctioned murder games...

But if all their experiences are simulated, are they really living?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joshua Renneke
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466123656

Joshua Renneke

I started writing because I wanted to put something out there that was entertaining but intelligent, and didn't follow a generic template for what a story should be. I don't like stories that tell you what to think or feel, and I'm tired of filler in books I read.I had fun writing all of these stories, and I hope you enjoy reading them. I want to hear from you! Write me at [e-mail] or creep my Instagram @deleca

Book preview

Deleca:

Life By Proxy

by

Joshua Renneke

SMASHWORDS EDITION

*****

PUBLISHED BY:

Joshua Renneke on Smashwords

Deleca:

Life By Proxy

Copyright © 2011 by Joshua Renneke

Discover other titles by Joshua Renneke at

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Breasna

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

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(Don't worry, you'll be rudely reminded)

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Chapter One

The Murderer's App

Alec slid his thumb across the passenger-side IDP of the Montrose and told it to park itself in the Police Hub ramp. The windows glowed amber and the word PARK scrolled across them.

I’ll wait for you in space A2L2, it said demurely before humming away. He’d been nervous about this interview all morning and had changed the Montrose’s personality from its default to one called Serena. There were thousands of English-language personalities to choose from but Alec rarely felt the need for one.

Now he needed all the help he could get to stay calm before his HSI interview.

He touched his thumb to the CR ring on his middle finger and a screen appeared, projected across his left palm.

Hello, Alec, the port behind his ear intoned. He had never realized how rude the default sounded until the drive here with Serena talking to him. The default definitely never complimented him when he wore cologne, like Serena had.

Synchable devices, he said hurriedly.

Do you give personal permission to access all synchable devices for Alec Neiswander, unique user UY-99A

Before it could finish, Alec scrawled his signature with his index finger.

Personality, he interrupted.

Your Deleca Montrose Personal Transport is currently assigned a non-default personality. Would you like to revert it to default personality and experience true universal similarity? Deleca is the world leader in cross-platform compatibility.

No. Apply personality Serena to all devices.

Are you sure you

Yes.

Do you give personal

Alec signed quickly, noticing the time. His interview was scheduled to start in seven minutes.

Good luck with your interview, Alec, the voice of Serena said politely. I can‘t wait to hear the good news when you‘re done.

Yeah….um, is there anyone I know who might have seen me coming here?

None of your Contacts have been within a two-block radius in the last three minutes, but Tomas Delguerro is scheduled to eat at a nearby restaurant in forty-five minutes. You’re in his second Contact ring, which means you’re allowed to ask to join him. Should I message his CR and ask?

No. No, and go invisible so I’m not discoverable.

I thought ahead and already did that for you, Alec. You were expected at a Police Hub.

Really? The default never does that.

Official transcript (Code N-1-11)

Are you nervous, Mister Neiswander?

Yeah, actually I’m really nervous. I feel like people can see it in my eyes. What I am, I mean.

It’s perfectly natural, Alec. Now before we get started I’m required to read the revised Homicide Substitution Interview statement to you. This interview is recorded and streamed to a highly secure drive which only the interviewing officer can access. All information is permanently stored in the interviewee, that’s you, in the interviewee’s file and will not be shared with any of our corporate sponsors without your permission. Do you accept these