"A Delphi Tale"
By Brian Winchester

It was in a time when codes and inscriptions meant more than loving hands, a time when being mechanized had more value than being humanistic. It was a time of ideals aligned with the Matrix, though some sparks of morals and human self-preservation always seemed to prevail. People were different then. You could say that they weren't very interesting, but they were people all the same. There was still room for individuals in this time even though all knowledge fell on a common track. People still coexisted, and often they would form couples and families. There was a lack of humanistic communication between individuals. This is a story of two people living during that time. It is the story of a boy and a girl. They were both young and had plenty of time to make mistakes in their lives. You could say that the two shared a love for one another and that they enjoyed each others company. Their lives weren't that exciting, but they tried what they could to make their lives enjoyable.

Once, I heard a rather dull story...
A tale of both a girl and a boy.
Neither had ever known a mother's face.
Infant years were at an accelerated pace.
Supreme genetics, they both stood tall.
Compression ratios, they knew it all.
He had every freedom, and had lots of fun.
Raised by machines, she was a bit of a "female son".
In a way she hated the programs for women.
When with him, though, it was okay to be feminine.
He always had something to say, so as to never bore her.
They were about to leave; she was waiting in his foyer.
Where they were going, he did not know.
She had indicated simply, "Let's just go".
And so, without thought, they were out the door.
He was distressed, not knowing what she had in store.
"We're going on a transport ship," she said.
He just followed, trying to ignore his dread.
He liked to do his things and his things only.
She knew this and it made her sad and lonely.
They got on a transport where they were safe and snug.
Beside one another, she leaned over to give him a hug.
She whispered, "We're going to have fun today".
He didn't care much for what she had to say.
Her thoughts that day were directed totally toward him.
Obsessed with technology, for her he gave little but a whim.
For him it was the physical pleasure she brought.
"I guess I have to go on this trip," he thought.
He didn't want to lose her; girls of this renderware degree were hard to replace.
Her ideas meant nothing to him, but she did have the prettiest figure and face.
She looked up to him highly, as an important figure.
He loved her pleasurable touch; she was such a wiggler.
The announcement was made; the ship would soon take off.
He contained his disapproval, but let out a mild cough.
The transport took off, off into space.
Destination Delphi, that was the place.
Physically unknown, to this planet they had never been.
An educational plug-in said the atmosphere was thin.
He discovered that it was a desolate place.
She saw his concern from the look on his face.
She didn't want him asking questions and becoming a pest.
So she pretended to be asleep, but soon she would rest.
She dreamed of wires, the old days when people would sit in front of a screen...
And of ancient creatures, long-extinct, like amphibians and whales with baleen.
Asleep, he was resting and dreaming too.
Of curcuit boards, he was mentally connecting a few.
>From their sleep they were awakened with an announcement.
Dropping out of quantum-drive, they would soon make the descent.
They gave a yawning neck roll and with a glance out of a window, they noticed a giant "T".
Trois bureau safety, a 1500 meter tall "T-shaped" symbol for those in orbital flight to see.
The planet Delphi, a place neither had been before, was a home for primitive reptiles.
Known only to the couple by raster views, data bases, and what they had in their files.
With an abundance of fog and little solar light.
The place was dark and not very pleasing to sight.
The air had a breath to it of something stale and old.
Such a humid climate, that most would hope for cold.
Departing from the transport their feet touched the floor.
He was just thinking of what this planet might have in store.
"What were you thinking," he barked as he loosened his sweater.
She spoke softly, "Sorry, I just wanted to share some time together".
She murmured, "I just wanted something...something out of the blue".
He roared, "You disgust me with this idea of your's for something new".
Before they could continue they were greeted by an old man sounding strong and sincere.
The old man said, "Hello, welcome to Dephi...I'm Random...I'm a liquid vision engineer."
She spoke first, "Nice to meet you, Random...my name is San".
His head hanging down, "I'm Vapour," said the young man.
The old man then said, "Please, I'll even pay for the use of your eyes".
Vapour saw the old man as crazy, filled with disillusions and hysterical cries.
And with that he walked away from the old mental.
Vapour grabbed San's arm, trying to be gentle.
Vapour stated to San, "Come on, let's find a room".
He was more interested in shelter and a meal to consume.
"We're leaving first thing tomorrow," Vapour had spoken his word.
"Good night," Vapour said, and that was the last San heard.
They had gotten a room and in the same bed they slept.
This trip would go nowhere; lying there San wept.
She rolled over and whispered, "I'm sorry," to Vapour in his sleep.
She knew that he would have no fond memories of this place to keep.
Next time she would look deeper, for planets, into her data clip.
They awoke in the morning and prepared to leave their failed trip.
San saw an animal of some kind slither onto the landing pad; it was a huge snake.
Just then Vapour said, "I can see the transport...we can leave for goodness sake".
San watched in silence as the snake, a python, was crushed under the massive space freighter.
San knew that her plans had failed, giving Vapour another strike against her, to bring up later.
San thought of Vapour and how he would later react; she held her head up and swallowed.
For some reason San didn't mention the snake to Vapour and behind him she quietly followed.
Vapour simply hugged San before boarding and said, "Finally, it's time to go".
And together they boarded the ship, the port side emblem reading "Apollo".
That was their tale, nothing more to be said.
Years later, I heard rumors that they had wed.
And though this story may have been a bore...
Directly into my memory banks it did store.