Think you’re having a bad day at work? How’d you like to work with this guy?
Taking a detour from some of the writing articles, I thought it’d be fun to start detailing out some of the fundamentals of the Polyslate Dystopia. So let’s talk about Corpses and Body Contracts.
First, you aren’t looking at a zombie. He might be a little rough around the edges, but this is a mostly-functioning human body that can think on its feet and gets it orders remotely from a mega-corporation. Further, it has all of the cybernetics, augments, and implants it started with during its time as a free-minded individual. The only difference? Well, at some point, it died. Then the hijacker unit at the base of its skull took over control and started using the body for whatever its owner had planned for it.
Resuscitation? You’re looking at it. CPR and defibrillators didn’t make it through political lobbying in this dystopia. Retirement? The thing of nightmares, buttercup.
If this sounds gruesome and cold… well. Welcome to corporate life. And that’s nothing compared to getting in these half-dead beings’ way. They can be just as single-minded as a pissed off living person.
All those upgrades you had in life came with a fat stipend and better living conditions. Sure, each upgrade required some years of professional work – but assuming you survived that, you were free to continue your life, enjoy your shiny toys, and rest soundly knowing the corporation that owns your body contract (the one that gave you the last of those shiny toys) wouldn’t be using you to lick envelopes or dig holes.
Thinking about all the what if’s right now? If you have a sense of humor, think of all the torment you’d cause children. You’d smell so bad you’d never have to go to another high school reunion. And, no one would grift you in the parking lot, because you’ll have no use for money. You wouldn’t even be able to speak normally as a corpse – your brain would just react to new commands, makes some garbled sounds, and then you’d get to work. And if you’re good, most corporations upgrade their corpses. Free labor is a valuable thing. Those cybernetics will keep you alive as long as your organics hold up. And with more implants, well… the sky’s the limit. You might look like a decaying corpse that was attacked with a spray can, but, inside, you’re an unconscious god of a cyberpunk mummy.
What’s the down-side? There’s always a down-side, right?
What about the afterlife? Or, what if you’re not into body modification?
Go read Murder Bug and find out.
